Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 help tackle mental health barriers to employment in Bournemouth.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to cutting mental health waiting lists and intervening earlier with more timely mental health support, to help people stay in work or return to work to grow the economy and support people to thrive.
Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies services bring together employment advice and support within local services, including those available to people in Bournemouth. Therapists and employment advisors support people with common mental health conditions who are in work but who are struggling or facing difficulties in the workplace, off work sick, or who are looking for work.
In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced a £1 billion employment support package to support more people with health conditions, including mental ill health, back into work, unlocking opportunity and growing the economy as part of the Plan for Change.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) Bournemouth University, (b) Health Sciences University and (c) other higher education institutions on the delivery of the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has some of the best universities in the world - four in the top ten – and according to research by Global University Venturing, in 2022 was second only to the US in total investment into university spin-outs. The Government recognises the contribution that Bournemouth University, Health Sciences University and other institutions make to higher education and their unique and critical role as engines for innovation and for meeting the skills needs of our growth-driving sectors and places where they concentrate. We will continue to support our universities including through Higher Education Innovation Funding, worth £280 million in 2024-2025, and as part of our broader record public investment in R&D of more than £86 billion over the Spending Review period.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 improve residents' mental health in coastal communities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that too many people living and working in coastal communities are not receiving the mental health care and support they need.
The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support, at the right time. We will invest up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments to approximately 85. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a general practice appointment. In addition, the Government is committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 improve mental health outcomes in coastal communities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that too many people living and working in coastal communities are not receiving the mental health care and support they need.
The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support, at the right time. We will invest up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments to approximately 85. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a general practice appointment. In addition, the Government is committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the Cass Review on trans people under the age of 18.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to implementing the Cass Review in full to ensure that children and young people get the safe and holistic care they need.
NHS England closed the Gender Identity Development Service on 31 March 2024 and opened new, regional southern and northern services on 1 April 2024, operating under a new delivery model headed up by a multi-disciplinary team. A third clinic opened in Bristol on 4 November 2024. These services have started taking patients off the national waiting list. NHS England has committed to a further three services by 2026.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the proportion of Personal Independence Payment claimants who were below the poverty line on 4 July 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Estimates of the proportion of Personal Independence Payment claimants below the poverty line in July 2025 are not available. Estimates for the 2025/26 financial year are due to be published in March 2027 as part of the “Households Below Average Income” publication. The most recent publication covers the 2023/24 financial year and can be found here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK
Statistics on the number of individuals living in families where at least one member is in receipt of Personal Independence Payment that are in Absolute and/or Relative Poverty in 2023/24 are published on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) in the Households Below Average Income dataset.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is she taking to improve the use of technology to support inclusion for children with SEND in schools in Bournemouth.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Assistive technology has the potential to improve early intervention and enable more children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in a mainstream setting, by supporting both confidence and independence.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. Local authorities can use this to create new places, but also to adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, including through investment in assistive technology interventions to support pupils in mainstream settings. Of this £740 million, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has been allocated over £4 million in 2025/26.
We will continue to build our evidence base on the potential for assistive technology to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, including testing a pilot of assistive technology lending libraries through the SEND and alternative provision Change Programme. This will allow up to 4,000 mainstream schools in participating local authorities to borrow and trial technology on a temporary basis, to identify the right products to support their pupils.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 tackle health inequalities in coastal communities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Chief Medical Officer, in his 2023 Annual Report, made clear that future health and care needs will vary significantly, with the populations of rural, semi-rural, and coastal areas more likely to experience worse health outcomes.
In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government commits to reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas by tackling health inequalities and the social determinants of health.
The Department will address under performance in areas with the worst health outcomes, including coastal communities, where access is often poor. National Health Service regions are compiling action plans for each provider in these areas to begin improvements.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of higher education providers on exports produced by Bournemouth.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Exports from the UK’s higher education providers have a significant economic impact on the UK and their respective regions. In 2022, total education-related exports and transnational education revenue was estimated to be £32.9 billion, with higher education contributing £23.7 billion to this figure. According to the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency data, 4,525 international students were enrolled in Bournemouth’s higher education institutions in the academic year 2023/24, directly contributing to education export revenue generated in Bournemouth through tuition fees and living expenditure.
The government is currently reviewing its international education strategy to ensure that it continues to be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports across the UK.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the contribution of (a) Bournemouth University, (b) Health Sciences University and (c) other higher education institutions in tackling skills gaps in the Dorset economy.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Dorset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), led by Dorset Chamber, identified specific skills needs across the following key sectors: health and social care, advanced manufacturing and engineering, defence and marine; construction; digital technology and creative; agriculture, agricultural biotechnology and aquaculture. It also identified cross-cutting skills needed by employers in all sectors of the local economy.
Higher education providers in the area are engaging in the LSIP process and responding to the area’s identified needs in a number of ways, including by establishing new provision. As set out in the recently published LSIP Progress Report, Bournemouth University is creating five new degree apprenticeships in identified skills needs in digital marketing, accounting finance management, biomedical science, social work and midwifery to begin in September 2025. The Health Sciences University is developing four new level six apprenticeships in the areas of diagnostic radiographer, occupational therapist, podiatrist and speech and language therapist.
The government wants higher education providers across the country to be fully engaged in the LSIP process and in meeting local skills needs. The updated LSIP statutory guidance, which is due for publication this autumn, will encourage designated employer representative bodies leading LSIPs to work closely with the higher education providers in their area to agree the different ways in which they can engage and support the development of the LSIP and delivery of the priorities identified within it.