Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of a decrease in funding on the operational capacity of the British Transport Police in the East Midlands.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) has agreed a three-year budget settlement for BTP which will see BTP’s budget increase from £418.5m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29. This will enable the Force to employ over 200 new officers by the end of 2027/28. The Department has therefore made no assessment of the impact of a decrease in funding.

BTP’s budget is set independently of the Department for Transport, by the BTPA following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators. Part of their decision-making includes ensuring BTP can provide our railways with efficient and effective policing. The Department for Transport has no statutory powers to intervene in these decisions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to restore public access to the Multiverse online professional development materials for teachers, archived by the Department in 2011, including the research contributions of individual educators who have since lost access to their publicly-funded work; and whether she will consider commissioning an update and relaunch of those materials.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The 'Multiverse' materials were published online to support teachers to address complex issues which lead to hate crimes and social division. These resources for teachers were de-commissioned in 2010. Since 2016, the department has provided comprehensive advice and a wide range of classroom resources covering key stages 1 to 5 on our Educate Against Hate website, to support teachers in protecting children from extremism and radicalisation, building resilience to divisive narratives, and promoting fundamental British values. These resources can be found at: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.

The site is regularly updated so that it continues to be a live and relevant source of support. We work with education professionals and civil society groups to identify and produce high-quality resources to assist teachers to build pupils' critical thinking skills and resilience to extremist ideologies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regional provision of services for patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; and what steps he is taking to increase the availability of specialist services.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The commissioning of specialised services for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are expected to commission services that meet the needs of their local populations, in line with national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies set by NHS England. Prioritisation of service provision remains at the discretion of local ICBs, which may result in variations of services across different regions.

The Department, working with NHS England, is developing a national template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS to support commissioners and providers in planning and delivering services. The template is intended as a guide to best practice, rather than a mandatory or prescriptive service model, and is being designed to support local adaptation in line with population need and existing service configurations. This could help to reduce variation between services, although decisions on how to implement the template remains at the discretion of ICBs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking with international partners to engage conflict parties in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve humanitarian access to areas affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 8 June to the identical set of questions submitted by the Hon Member, (UINs 4932-6).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to pre-emptively position humanitarian support for countries bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo if the current Ebola outbreak spreads further.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 8 June to the identical set of questions submitted by the Hon Member, (UINs 4932-6).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help ensure safe and unrestricted humanitarian access in areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 8 June to the identical set of questions submitted by the Hon Member, (UINs 4932-6).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that healthcare workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are continuously safeguarded from the Ebola outbreak.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 8 June to the identical set of questions submitted by the Hon Member, (UINs 4932-6).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the creation of a UN coordinator role to lead regional responses to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 8 June to the identical set of questions submitted by the Hon Member, (UINs 4932-6).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available for patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome awaiting specialist assessment, including access to interim treatments and prescribed medical compression garments.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning end‑to‑end postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) pathways that meet local population need and, where neither paediatric nor adult secondary care is accessible, this reflects a local pathway gap rather than an absence of national guidance, with equity of access remaining a core National Health Service principle.

ICBs are expected to: understand local population need; commission pathways that cover assessment, diagnosis, and management; ensure safe and effective transition between paediatric and adult services; and address gaps where referral criteria unintentionally exclude patients. ICBs are expected to commission interim treatments and prescribed medical compression garments, where appropriate.

General practitioners (GPs) may appropriately refer patients with suspected PoTS to secondary care for diagnostic assessment, as confirmation often requires specialist investigations and expertise beyond primary care. The Royal College of General Practitioners Syncope Toolkit provides information to GPs, including the use of the active stand test, to rule out other conditions and potentially diagnose PoTS more quickly. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team.

The NHS website provides information on symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and self-management, while resources from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, including its clinical knowledge summary on blackouts and syncope and its guideline on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), offer evidence-based information that is relevant to PoTS.

In July 2025, the Department published the Final Delivery Plan for ME/CFS. While this Plan is focused on improving care for people with ME/CFS, it is designed to support a more joined-up and holistic approach to managing complex, multi-system conditions. As PoTS often overlaps with ME/CFS and shares similar challenges around diagnosis, symptom management and coordination of care, the plan’s emphasis on multidisciplinary working, clearer care pathways and improved clinician awareness is expected to benefit people with PoTS. By promoting more integrated services and reducing fragmentation between specialties, the Plan will help ensure that people with PoTS experience more consistent, coordinated and person-centred care.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the British Transport Police on response times to incidents in Leicester and surrounding areas.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Ministers at the Department for Transport regularly meet with the British Transport Police (BTP) to discuss the work the force are doing to ensure the railway remains a safe environment.

The Chief Constable of the BTP has operational independence over the deployment of their resources across the network. BTP response times are dependent on the severity of the incident.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the levels of delays caused by current emergency call protocols requiring transport staff to contact the British Transport Police before 999 services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no requirement for railway staff to contact the British Transport Police before dialling 999 in an emergency.

In emergency situations, staff should dial 999 immediately to secure the fastest available response.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of safety levels at Leicester railway station.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has not made an assessment of safety levels at Leicester station. The body that monitors and enforces compliance with health and safety legislation on Britain’s rail network, including at stations, is the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) Amulet and (b) other private security contractors in railway stations.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No system-wide assessment has been made of the effectiveness of either Amulet or other private security contractors working in railway stations.

DfT works closely with the rail industry and British Transport Police, who are responsible for ensuring a safe and secure railway. Where individual security contractors are engaged to support that work, it is for the individual rail operators to manage their performance and ensure their effectiveness.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms are in place for transport staff to report safety concerns anonymously without fear of disciplinary action.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are several mechanisms that transport staff can use to report safety concerns anonymously without fear of disciplinary action. These include the Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) managed by the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the Office of Rail and Road’s whistleblowing service, and Network Rail’s 24/7 confidential reporting service, ‘Speak Out’.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what oversight mechanism exists to ensure that (a) East Midlands Railway and (b) other rail operators respond adequately to repeated safety concerns raised by staff.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As an employer it is the responsibility of East Midlands Railway, and other operators, to ensure the safety of employees and compliance with all relevant health and safety legislation and regulations. The body that monitors and enforces compliance with health and safety legislation on Britain’s rail network, including at stations, is the Office of Rail and Road.

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