Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research into the diagnosis, treatment and long-term outcomes of PANS and PANDAS her Department is currently supporting through the National Institute for Health and Care Research; and if she will take steps to encourage further applications in this area.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.

Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.

Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.

There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.

Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had discussions with the devolved Governments on adopting a consistent UK-wide approach to the diagnosis and treatment of PANS and PANDAS.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.

Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.

Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.

There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.

Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to collect data on the number of children and young people affected by PANS and PANDAS in England.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.

Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.

Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.

There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.

Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the evidence on early treatment with antibiotics for suspected cases of PANS and PANDAS; and whether she will support the issuing of advice to GPs on prescribing a course of antibiotics where those conditions are suspected.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.

Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.

Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.

There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.

Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will commit to formally reviewing and adopting the UK clinical guidelines for Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) once they are published in autumn 2026.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.

Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.

Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.

There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.

Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department will take to ensure that the forthcoming UK clinical guidelines on PANS and PANDAS are consistently disseminated and embedded across integrated care boards in England.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.

Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.

Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.

There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.

Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will develop an awareness and training package on PANS and PANDAS for frontline clinicians, developed in conjunction with clinicians, families and specialist bodies.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question 18432, the clinical guideline remains in development through the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, under the leadership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Steering Group brings together clinicians, professional organisations, families, and patient representatives, and as well as developing the clinical guideline, its work includes supporting education, research, and improved awareness of these conditions.

Once finalised, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence anticipates reviewing the guideline and, if it considers it to be of sufficient quality, will signpost to it on its website with commentary on its strengths and limitations. The guideline will also help inform any future awareness and education activity, including the training curricula produced jointly by regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies.

Clinical decisions, including prescribing decisions, will remain for the treating clinician, informed by professional judgement, the available evidence, and relevant guidance. Each clinician is responsible for keeping that knowledge up to date. Integrated care boards, primary care providers, and National Health Service trusts are also expected to keep abreast of emerging evidence and guidance and consider it through their clinical governance arrangements.

There is currently no routine national data collection on the number of children and young people affected by paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

The Steering Group’s Research Group is progressing work to improve understanding of the number of children and young people affected. Applications have been made to the independent British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System.

Information on research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) relating to PANS and PANDAS is available through the NIHR Funding and Awards website. The NIHR welcomes applications for research into all aspects of human health, including PANS and PANDAS. The NIHR Funding and Awards website is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the ecological status of the River Soar and its tributaries in Leicester and Leicestershire; what steps are being taken to tackle the principal sources of pollution in that catchment; and what targets and timescales have been set for improving water bodies that are not achieving good ecological status.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The River Soar catchment currently has a target to achieve good ecological status by 2027. Pollution sources include sewage discharges, agricultural runoff, and urban drainage.  Activities including river restoration, agricultural measures, and water company investment is underway to improve water quality and support good ecological status.

Celebrating Black History Month

Celebrating Scotland’s links with Malawi

Post-16 education

Arrest of Leicester journalists

Contribution of cinemas to local communities

Taxation of bank windfall profits