Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the supply of epilepsy medications.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including asking manufacturers to expedite deliveries, most issues have been resolved.
We are currently aware of a supply issue affecting topiramate 25mg, 50mg, 100mg and 200mg tablets and phenobarbital 15mg tablets, used in the management of epilepsy, from certain manufacturers. Resupply from the affected manufacturers is yet to be confirmed but stock remains available from alternative manufacturers to meet patient demand, and we have issued management guidance to the National Health Service.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that imported meat products are slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to those in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. Under existing legislation, imports of meat must meet standards at least equivalent to welfare at slaughter requirements set out in assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of mental health support within schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
41% of schools and colleges in Slough constituency were supported by an NHS-funded Mental Health Support Team (MHST) in March 2025. Data on the coverage of MHSTs in England in 2024/25 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. This has been available since 16 May 2025 at national, regional and local authority level and at constituency level since 10 July 2025.
Data on MHST coverage is collected annually, as part of the government’s commitment to expand MHSTs to every school, so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.
Around six in ten pupils nationally are expected to have access to an MHST by March 2026.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent mental health support her Department has provided within schools for pupils in Slough.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
41% of schools and colleges in Slough constituency were supported by an NHS-funded Mental Health Support Team (MHST) in March 2025. Data on the coverage of MHSTs in England in 2024/25 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. This has been available since 16 May 2025 at national, regional and local authority level and at constituency level since 10 July 2025.
Data on MHST coverage is collected annually, as part of the government’s commitment to expand MHSTs to every school, so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.
Around six in ten pupils nationally are expected to have access to an MHST by March 2026.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children (a) with epilepsy and (b) without an individual healthcare plan in Slough.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not collect data on pupils who have specific health issues, such as epilepsy, and only collects information where a pupil has a learning need. As such, we do not hold figures on either the number of children with epilepsy, or the proportion who do not have an education, health and care plan.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken with international partners to help prevent human rights abuses in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 13 August, the former Foreign Secretary issued a statement condemning the Rapid Support Force's (RSF) latest assault on El Fasher and the nearby Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), and on 14 August, the UK joined 28 partners in a Joint Donor Statement on El Fasher calling for a humanitarian pause and protection of civilians, including humanitarian operations. We stand united in urging both the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces to uphold their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration and UN Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024), and to allow immediate, unconditional humanitarian access and safe passage for civilians. As penholder at the UN Security Council, we have successfully led ten Council statements calling for an end to hostilities, most recently in a co-penned statement with African partners and Guyana pressing for protection of civilians and improved humanitarian access with respect to international law. On the UN Human Rights Council, we led the establishment and renewal of the UN Fact-Finding Mission to impartially investigate human rights violations and abuses committed by the warring parties. We also support the International Criminal Court's ongoing investigation in Sudan into alleged war crimes committed since April 2023, and the Sudan Witness Project, which gathers open-source evidence of atrocities.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken with international partners to (a) end and (b) assist victims of sexual violence in conflict-affected areas of Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a major humanitarian donor to Sudan. We provided over £235 million last financial year, and a further £120 million this year. We support women and girls through the Sudan Free of Female Genital Mutilation 2 programme. This provides protection, prevention, and care services in response to rising gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). We also support the Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme and fund local responders via the Sudan Humanitarian Fund and the Mercy Corps-led Cash Consortium. This year, the UK PSVI Team is supporting the deployment of a specialist sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) investigator to the UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in Sudan, delivered through our implementing partner UN Women. This contribution supports the UK offer to the FFM and ensures expert input on SGBV to strengthen accountability for conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan. At the UN, the UK has led efforts to spotlight CRSV and other atrocities, including ten Security Council press statements and the renewal of the FFM's mandate.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken with international partners to help end the (a) recruitment and (b) exploitation of children by armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned about the reported increase in human rights violations against children resulting from the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including the recruitment and use of children by armed groups. We have been clear, including at the UN Human Rights Council on 16 June, that this practice is unacceptable, and we continue to call for all such children to be handed over to child protection actors. All parties to the conflict have an obligation under international law to protect children. We work with the UN and others to promote human rights in DRC, and our Ambassador in Kinshasa and Ministers regularly raise human rights issues with the DRC government. UK humanitarian programming in eastern DRC delivers life-saving emergency assistance, strengthens community resilience, especially for women and girls, and provides essential nutritional support to children.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to prevent the importation of low-welfare animal products.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally.
All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards.
As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. We recognise concerns about methods of production, such as sow stalls and battery cages, which are not permitted in the UK. While methods vary in line with different climates, diseases, and other contextual reasons, we will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, we will be prepared to use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors including permanent quotas, exclusions, and safeguards.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the affordability of (a) private and (b) social housing in Slough.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
According to 2024 Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, private renters in Slough spent on average 27.9% of their income on rent. This compares to 29.6% in the South East as a whole and 36.3% in England.
The ONS does not publish data on social housing affordability at a local authority level. However, according to the latest English Housing survey results from 2023/24 social renters spent on average 26.4% of their incomes on rent.