Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
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 resolve the Cambodian-Thai border conflict.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border in July were a cause for serious concern. The Government welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached on 28 July, as well as the subsequent framework established to support its implementation. Since then, we have consistently encouraged both parties to uphold the ceasefire and to foster mutual trust and understanding.
Officials from our Embassies in Thailand and Cambodia have conducted site visits to the affected areas to assess the situation first-hand. We continue to work closely with our international partners to support efforts by both countries to de-escalate tensions, strengthen dialogue and maintain lasting peace along the border.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve early diagnosis, (b) increase funding for research and (c) improve access to specialist (i) support and (ii) treatment for patients with scleroderma.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as scleroderma. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the annual England Rare Diseases Action Plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.
Pioneering research is an underpinning theme of the Framework. The Department for Health and Social Care funds and supports research into rare diseases such as scleroderma through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including rare diseases. The usual practice of the NIHR and other research funders is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics.
The 2025 England Rare Disease Action Plan includes information on research for rare diseases through significant investments to support rare disease research. This includes the Rare Disease Research UK Platform, a £14 million investment over five years from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and NIHR, announced in 2023, which is now established and positioned well within the rare disease research landscape. In December 2024, the MRC launched the first two MRC Centres of Research Excellence, both studying gene therapies, and each worth up to £50 million over 14 years.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to prevent phoenixing.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Insolvency Service is tackling abusive phoenixism, working in close partnership with HMRC and Companies House to combat these wrongful activities. A coordinated action plan has been agreed, and an implementation plan is underway. Key measures include, closing loopholes in company registration and dissolution processes; increasing our compliance impact through targeted enforcement; and improving the quantity and quality of referrals for enforcement action in order to maximise enforcement outcomes, including director disqualifications and prosecutions.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take through the (a) NHS 10 Year Plan and (b) National Cancer Plan to increase levels of participation in NHS cancer screening programmes for (i) cervical, (ii) bowel, and (iii) breast cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service continues to prioritise improving cancer screening uptake. Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will build on the three shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, including from sickness to prevention, to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS will reach patients earlier, to catch illness before it spreads, and to prevent it in the first place.
Furthermore, in March 2025, NHS England published its Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the NHS will improve equitable uptake and coverage across cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. Further information on the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/
From January 2026, screening providers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England will be able to offer human papillomavirus self-sampling kits to women if they have not attended their appointment for six months or more following routine invitation.
The NHS is also planning to publish a Breast Screening Programme Uptake Improvement Plan to help improve uptake and address inequalities. NHS England also launched the first ever national NHS Breast screening campaign to widespread media attention. It ran across television, radio, social media, and outdoor advertising during February and March 2025, targeting women of breast screening age, with a focus on those least likely to attend, including younger women, those in deprived areas, ethnic minorities, and disabled women.
The bowel cancer screening standards have recently been reviewed, with changes taking effect from 1 April 2025. This will update the achievable and acceptable thresholds for both uptake and coverage. To further increase coverage, NHS England is delivering new approaches to communicating with people about screening through the NHS App and improving the way eligible people are identified and invited for screening through the transformation of screening programme digital services.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on levels of alignment between the (a) planned Life Sciences Sector plan, (b) planned 10-Year Health plan, (c) Industrial Strategy and (d) National Cancer Plan.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked closely with Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to ensure alignment between the NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan, the Life Sciences Sector Plan, and the broader Industrial Strategy. This collaboration has involved joint policy development to maximise the impact of these initiatives on both public health and economic growth. These efforts will support improved health outcomes across a range of areas, including cancer. This includes contributing to the aims of the National Cancer Plan through continued investment in research, innovation, and data infrastructure.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
What steps she is taking with local authorities to help uplift public sector pay for people in local government.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Local authorities are independent employers responsible for setting pay and terms and conditions for their staff. There is no role for the department in this process.
We are supporting councils to fix the foundations by reviewing the underlying funding formula, bringing back multiyear settlements and targeting high demand areas like Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, SEND and Temporary Accommodation.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) LGBTIQ+ people and (b) women human rights defenders to access (i) sexual and reproductive health services, (ii) abortions, (iii) family planning services, (iv) HIV medication and (v) crisis response support in Kenya.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to championing LGBT+ human rights around the world; this work is enabled by our global, £40 million LGBT+ rights programme which supports organisations such as 'United in Health and Agriculture Improvement - East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative', which is Africa's first indigenous activist fund that advances the human rights of LGBT+ persons. The UK proudly defends and promotes universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Through the £28.3 million Delivering Sustainable and Equitable increases in Family Planning programme (2019-2025), the UK has strengthened family planning in Kenya through contributing towards averting over 1.72 million unintended pregnancies, averting over 4,500 maternal deaths and over 400,000 unsafe abortions. UK co-funding of the Kenya Maternal and Newborn Health programme supports an emergency transport system in Kenya, using mobile technology to connect pregnant women to care when needed during pregnancy and childbirth.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department took to undertake due diligence on (a) the Legacy Landscapes Fund and (b) the potential impact of that Fund on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra undertakes due diligence assessments on Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes in order to understand and mitigate programmatic risks and gain assurance on capacity and capability of delivery partners. Following best practice, Defra commissioned comprehensive due diligence on the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF) prior to funding. This objectively assessed LLF against a wide range of indicators, including programme delivery, safeguarding and risk management. Particularly related to Indigenous Peoples, the due diligence considered LLF’s detailed Environmental & Social Management System, which informs risk analysis and mitigation in its landscapes, and LLF’s requirements around Indigenous Peoples’ Plans, which aim to ensure programme funding fosters full respect for the identity, dignity, human rights, economies, and cultures of Indigenous peoples. Overall, the due diligence scored the fund positively against the indicators assessed.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase procurement from UK businesses.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Through the Defence Industrial Strategy, this Government will be prioritising spend with UK businesses.
Over recent months I have chaired 12 roundtables with 112 UK SMEs and mid-tiers, across all nations and regions of the UK, hearing about how the Government can make it simpler for UK businesses to access more Ministry of Defence work. We are committed to reforming the Ministry of Defence procurement system to reduce waste, speed up decision making and opening access to a wider range of British businesses.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support people who use a pre-payment energy meter.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are delivering the £150 Warm Home Discount to eligible customers – including those with Pre Payment Meters – to support them with their bills.
Ofgem has introduced stringent rules for the involuntary installation of Pre Payment Meters, helping to ensure vulnerable households are protected. Through our review of Ofgem, we will make sure that the regulator is a proper consumer champion that stands up for the interests of billpayers across the country.