Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Kinnock and Claire Young

Tuesday 9th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work she did formerly as a care worker. The Government inherited a social care system in desperate need of reform. We are taking action, including by providing over £4.6 billion of extra funding for adult social care by 2028-29 and developing the first ever fair pay agreement for care workers. Baroness Casey will submit her first report this year with recommendations on the further action we should take to move towards a national care service.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

T5. Despite numbers accessing NHS dentists rising nationally, in South Gloucestershire they are falling, where less than a third of adults and half the number of children have been seen by an NHS dentist in the past two years. With no NHS dentists taking on patients and more going private, how will the Government reverse that decline?

[Stephen Kinnock]

As I said earlier to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart), the fundamental long-term reform of the dental contract is vital to incentivising dentists to do NHS dentistry. I am pleased by how we have really put downward pressure on the underspend. As a result of that, we are on track to deliver more than 2.5 million extra dental treatments than in the same period before the general election.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Kinnock and Claire Young

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

We are making a priority of resuming consultations with the sector to stabilise community pharmacy. Pharmacy First has built on existing services to increase the clinical scope. The conditions treated under Pharmacy First vary across the UK, and the NHS will keep this under review.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

T3. When we think of social care, we often think of those who are older, but at a recent advice surgery I met the mother of a 20-year-old with complex needs that local services are unable to meet, so the only option that would allow him to engage with his peers is residential care further afield, taking him away from his family. Will the Minister meet with me, my constituent and his mother to discuss how we ensure that those with complex needs are properly supported?

[Stephen Kinnock]

I am sure the hon. Lady will welcome the fact that we have found an £86 million uplift for the disabled facilities grant, but on the specific question she raises, I would be happy to meet her and discuss that further.