Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department take steps with the (a) Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and (b) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to further digitise paper-based patient information leaflets through the UK Electronic Patient Information Task Force.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has worked with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry through the UK Electronic Patient Information Task Force on the potential digitisation of the paper-based patient information leaflets.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is committed to continuing to engage with healthcare partners and patients to identify opportunities to enable better patient access to healthcare information that fulfils the needs of patients.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) review and (b) improve NHS App accessibility for (i) people with visual impairment and (ii) other people.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Patients unable to use digital channels can continue to access services via telephone and through traditional face to face services.
We conduct user research on an ongoing basis with users from diverse backgrounds to ensure our service works for everyone. This includes patients with a range of access needs and diverse groups, for instance ethnic minority groups, those with visual impairments, neurodiversity, and physical impairments. We have recruited users who are blind or partially sighted in community-based research, research with local National Health Service teams, and in remote research, either one to one or in groups. We use the findings of user research to plan and prioritise new work to improve accessibility.
Centrally built services, such as the NHS App and NHS website, are designed to meet international accessibility standards. We are modernising the mobile patient experience within the NHS App, ensuring information is clearly structured and easy to find and understand.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support independent hospitality businesses.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.
We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. In addition, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000
We have also recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations outlined in the Patient Safety Commissioner's report entitled The Safety Gap, published in March 2025.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We welcome the Patient Safety Commissioner’s (PSC) report, The Safety Gap – Safety and Accessibility of Medicines and Medical Devices for people with sensory impairment, highlighting the experiences of people with sensory impairment or loss when accessing and using medicines and medical devices safely. Officials in the Department, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and NHS England are considering how to take forward the report’s recommendations, and will update the PSC at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help small unitary authorities to access funding for domestic abuse perpetrator programmes.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
For the current financial year (2025/26), the Home Office has awarded over £19 million to continue funding 27 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) through the Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Intervention Fund. This fund enables PCCs to commission domestic abuse and stalking interventions to suit the priorities and scale of their local area. PCCs work with local agencies and delivery partners to deliver a range of interventions which cover the full range of risk and harm.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the limited capability for work and work related activity element of Universal Credit on disabled people in residential care aged under 22.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop detailed proposals for change. Following the consultation, we will bring forward a White Paper in autumn 2025 to set out our full proposals.
We are clear in the Green Paper that the social security system will always be there for those who cannot work. As part of making changes to the payment rates in Universal Credit, we will aim to guarantee that those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of disabled people in specialist education colleges who could be affected by the proposal to change the eligibility criteria for the (a) Limited Capability for Work and (b) Work-Related Activity group to people aged 22 and over.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop detailed proposals for change. Following the consultation, we will bring forward a White Paper in autumn 2025 to set out our full proposals.
We are clear in the Green Paper that the social security system will always be there for those who cannot work. As part of making changes to the payment rates in Universal Credit, we will aim to guarantee that those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence from Councillor David Thomas, leader of Torbay Council of 10 February 2025.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I thank the hon. Member for Torbay for drawing my attention to this correspondence. I have instructed officials to expedite a reply to Cllr Thomas.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure children in care are not moved during (a) exam periods and (b) other critical periods in their education.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life. Under the ‘Care planning, placement and case review’ guidance and regulations, the child’s allocated social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. This should include the involvement of the local authority’s virtual school head. School changes should be minimised, and any necessary transitions well planned and supported. Where a change to a looked-after child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education and training, especially during exam periods and other critical periods in their education.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support care leavers to develop (a) skills, (b) confidence and (c) opportunities to (i) find and (ii) maintain employment.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Care leavers up to age 25 are entitled to a personal advisor who works with them to develop a pathway plan. This includes advice and guidance to support career aspirations and further education, training or employment.
As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department will require local authorities to provide ‘Staying Close’ support to care leavers, helping them to find and keep safe and stable accommodation, alongside targeted, intensive support around education, training, wellbeing and living independently.
Care leavers who take up an apprenticeship can claim a £3,000 bursary.
We fund the Care Leaver Covenant, an offer of support from private, public or third sector organisations to care leavers. Over 600 organisations have signed the Covenant, offering pre-employment training, job opportunities and practical support.
The cross-government Civil Service Internship Scheme for care leavers has benefitted around 1,000 young people to date.
Care leavers will benefit from our new Youth Guarantee, which will provide tailored support to young people aged 18 to 21 to help them access high-quality education, training and employment opportunities. £45 million has been allocated to test the guarantee in eight locations.