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 ensure that any outstanding complaints are thoroughly investigated by the organisations that take over the responsibilities of Healthwatch England and the 150 local Healthwatch organisations.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.

The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of abolishing Healthwatch England on outstanding complaints against these organisations.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.

The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training is provided to health professionals to ensure culturally sensitive dementia care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We want all relevant staff to have received the appropriate training in order to provide high quality care to people with dementia, whether in hospital or in the community.

Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff by providing continuing professional development funding.

The required training needs are set out in the Dementia training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:

https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/

It sets out the essential knowledge and skills and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum. The framework was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector. It notes that person-centred dementia care involves considering the whole person, taking into account not just their health condition, but also each individual’s life history, unique abilities, interests, culture, preferences, and needs.

There are a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.

NHS England has also published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Universal Credit Bill on young people under 22 with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Universal Credit Bill makes no change to the eligibility of young people under 22 for the Universal Credit Health element. The proposal to restrict access to the element was the subject of a consultation which closed on 30 June. The responses to the consultation are now being reviewed, and the Government’s conclusion will be announced in a white paper in the autumn.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 43317 on Prescriptions: Fees and Charges, what other exceptional reasons have resulted in the NHS Business Services Authority cancelling a penalty charge notice in each of the last five years, other than a medical condition that significantly impacted an ability to read or understand the form signed.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information requested. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA), which issues Penalty Charge Notices, does not hold or collect data outlining the exceptional circumstances relating to an easement of a prescription penalty charge. Each case is handled on an individual basis, considering the specific circumstances presented to the NHS BSA.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department records and publishes statistics on the (a) number and (b) nature of serious safeguarding incidents and child deaths in early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Information on the number and nature of serious incident notification statistics is published annually in the Official Statistics release on serious incident notifications, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/serious-incident-notifications/2025.

Information on the placement type at the time of the incident is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1c759373-93c2-4d6a-1d6e-08ddc13e16b8.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, whether inspector training for early years settings will include guidance on reviewing CCTV footage.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of children is our utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. The EYFS statutory framework can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.

Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, whether her Department will require the provision of CCTV in early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of children is our utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. The EYFS statutory framework can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.

Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional support to adoptee children in schools with learning disabilities.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon, Member for Cheadle to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62189.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of telecommunications have been buried underground since the introduction of the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

While the 2003 Regulations require operators to use underground lines where reasonably practicable, with certain exceptions, this will not always be possible due to costs or if existing infrastructure is not suitable for sharing.

The method of network deployment in commercially viable areas is a commercial decision made by network operators.

Therefore the Department does not actively monitor the proportion of telecommunications infrastructure buried underground since the introduction of the Electronic Communications Code.

However, Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2024 Report indicated that Openreach has deployed 496,000 km of ducts and 4.1 million telegraph poles across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the individual limit for the Adoption Support Fund for therapy on (a) adoptees and (b) their families.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The new criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children and their families. This includes reviewing the equalities impact assessment, which will be made available in the House Libraries shortly.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to assess the effectiveness of part (a) 11 and (b) 12 of the Electronic Communications Code for ensuring that infrastructure developments for new mobile telecommunications equipment are suitable.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Parts 11 and 12 of the Electronic Communications Code provide rights to fly lines over land and set out when and how someone can object to these installations. The aim is to balance the efficient deployment of overhead networks with the interests of those affected by them. The provisions under Parts 11 and 12 relate primarily to fixed-line infrastructure deployment.

Part 11 was amended through the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 to support greater infrastructure sharing, providing alternatives for network expansion. The measures in that Act received Parliamentary scrutiny and were subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment.

A separate assessment of these provisions has not been completed, but the impact of all the 2022 changes will be assessed in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Part 11 of the Electronic Communications Code in providing flexibility to improve the network.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Parts 11 and 12 of the Electronic Communications Code provide rights to fly lines over land and set out when and how someone can object to these installations. The aim is to balance the efficient deployment of overhead networks with the interests of those affected by them. The provisions under Parts 11 and 12 relate primarily to fixed-line infrastructure deployment.

Part 11 was amended through the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 to support greater infrastructure sharing, providing alternatives for network expansion. The measures in that Act received Parliamentary scrutiny and were subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment.

A separate assessment of these provisions has not been completed, but the impact of all the 2022 changes will be assessed in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that practicing nurses are able to find NHS employment and remain on the nursing register.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, this Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals including our nurses. We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan this Autumn setting out how we will ensure all NHS staff including nurses are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

NHS England is working with employers, universities, and regional nursing leads to ensure support is in place to help graduating nurses find a role as soon as possible after qualification and transition into the workplace.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Electoral Conduct, published in 2013; and whether she has had discussions with the Electoral Commission on that report.

Answered by Rushanara Ali

Many of the recommendations made by the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Electoral Conduct have been implemented, including updating the offence of undue influence and rules on digital imprints.

The government has published a strategy for modern and secure elections, part of which sets out a package of policies to tackle intimidation and harassment of those involved in elections and improve the tone of political debate.

In developing this strategy, we have engaged with key stakeholders – including the Electoral Commission – and will continue to do so as we deliver this package of reforms. We welcome the recent work of groups in this area including the Speaker’s Conference and the Committee on Standards in Public Life and will continue to support their work and carefully consider their recommendations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to provide culturally appropriate dementia services for (a) South Asian and (b) other ethnic minority groups.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has also published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Health Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, which will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, and which will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing additional support to autistic children with no other learning disabilities in mainstream schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.

Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The 'What Works in SEND' research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.

The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children, including pupils with autism. The programme is being evaluated, and the learning is informing future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to review lessons learned from child deaths and serious incidents in early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of children is our utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements. The full statutory framework is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf.

This ongoing work includes continuous engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts. We also look closely at all serious incidents that have occurred in early years settings, taking into account advice from the aforementioned experts to assess if any changes need to be made to the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

From September 2025, the department is strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:

• Amendments to promote safer recruitment.
• Creation of new requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period of time.
• A new safer eating section.
• A safeguarding training annex and a requirement for safeguarding training to be repeated every two years.
• New requirements to support whistleblowing.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing unannounced inspections in early years settings on levels of continuous safety compliance.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

While Ofsted typically provides notice before an inspection, they can and do conduct inspections without prior notification, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting or if a previous inspection resulted in a grade of ‘Inadequate’. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 1400 unannounced inspections (16%) in early years settings. We recognise the importance unannounced inspections and they will continue. However, routine announced inspections are also an important part of the system. We are committed to reforming and improving the current inspection system, including making inspection more supportive.

We are increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of the setting landscape, and more regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to ensure that the majority of Ofsted inspections of early years settings are unannounced.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

While Ofsted typically provides notice before an inspection, they can and do conduct inspections without prior notification, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting or if a previous inspection resulted in a grade of ‘Inadequate’. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 1400 unannounced inspections (16%) in early years settings. We recognise the importance unannounced inspections and they will continue. However, routine announced inspections are also an important part of the system. We are committed to reforming and improving the current inspection system, including making inspection more supportive.

We are increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of the setting landscape, and more regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to introduce routine unannounced inspections in early years settings as part of Ofsted’s updated inspection schedule.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

While Ofsted typically provides notice before an inspection, they can and do conduct inspections without prior notification, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting or if a previous inspection resulted in a grade of ‘Inadequate’. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 1400 unannounced inspections (16%) in early years settings. We recognise the importance unannounced inspections and they will continue. However, routine announced inspections are also an important part of the system. We are committed to reforming and improving the current inspection system, including making inspection more supportive.

We are increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of the setting landscape, and more regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted plans to update its guidance to inspectors on (a) identifying and (b) responding to (i) serious and (ii) repeated safeguarding breaches in early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the early years foundation stage statutory framework to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening and move from a six to a four-year inspection cycle. It will also receive further investment for inspector training and quality assurance. All these measures will improve safeguarding across the sector.

In November 2025, Ofsted will be implementing their new inspection reporting method, the Ofsted early years report card, and will publish details in a consultation response publication in September 2025. The response will include the updated education inspection frameworks, based on consultation feedback. Ofsted will also provide new operating guidance for inspectors, and inspection information documents. Within these, there will be a focus on safeguarding in the early years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) transparency and (b) accountability in early years provision.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As announced in the recent ‘Best Start in Life’ publication, the department wants to drive higher standards through a strengthened improvement and accountability system. From next April, Ofsted will inspect all new providers on the early years register (EYR) within 18 months of opening and move towards inspecting all providers on the EYR at least once every four years.

The government is committed to improving the current inspection system. This includes a new approach to reporting and removing overall effectiveness grades from all early years provision, as well as launching an early years report card system.

Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the ‘Big Listen’ consultation, improving its culture and being more open and transparent. This important work is ongoing.

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 reduce (a) digital, (b) language and (c) other barriers to South Asian communities accessing GPs for dementia care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We understand how vital it is to ensure that all patients with dementia, including those with language barriers or difficulty using digital services, have their communication needs met, so that they can access general practices (GPs) and other National Health Services, and receive the same quality of healthcare as others. To support this, GPs must provide translation and interpretation services. They are also expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which outlines how to meet the communication needs of patients who require language support. This ensures non-English speakers can access GP services safely.

Digital tools, such as online consultation systems, can help patients book appointments, request prescriptions, and register more easily, especially for those who may struggle with phone conversations due to language barriers. However, we understand that digital access is not suitable for everyone. That’s why in-person support must always be available. GP reception desks must remain open to support those who cannot use phone or online options.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of trends in the level of racism faced by hon. Members during the 2024 election.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission’s report on the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election found that during the campaign many candidates, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, experienced unacceptable levels of intimidation and harassment. The Commission’s research showed that 34% of candidates from an ethnic minority background reported having a serious problem with intimidation compared to 14% of candidates overall. The Commission did not collect data on this issue prior to 2024 so has not made an assessment of trends in the data.

The Commission has welcomed the first report from the Speaker’s Conference on the impact of abuse and intimidation. The Commission is considering how it can support implementation of the report’s proposals for all candidates, including those from an ethnic minority background, ahead of the elections in May 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, how much funding Ofsted allocated for early years inspections for (a) each of the last three financial years and (b) the current financial year and each of the next three financial years (i) prior to and (ii) after her Oral Statement on 7 July 2025.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In the 2022/23 financial year, Ofsted allocated £24 million to early years inspections. In 2023/24, they allocated £21.8 million, and in 2024/25 they allocated £21.3 million. In the current 2025/26 financial year, Ofsted allocated £20.9 million and has allocated £20.9 million for each of the next three financial years (2026/29). These costs include inspection, registration visits and associated quality assurance of these visits. These costs are for inspection of providers on the Early Years Register (EYR) only, and so the Childcare Register is excluded. Cost of regulation is also not included. The department’s budgets for next three financial years have not yet been finalised but funding will be provided by the department to Ofsted to increase the frequency of EYR inspections and to improve the quality of EYR inspections. This is to be agreed between the department and Ofsted.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Ofsted inspections of early years settings have been unannounced in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Ofsted paused routine inspections in mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Early Years Register inspections restarted in May 2021, including a number of unannounced inspections detailed below.

• Between 1 April 2021 - 31 March 2022 there were 1,200 unannounced inspections (19%).
• Between 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023 there were 2,100 unannounced inspections (16%).
• Between 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024 there were 2,200 unannounced inspections (24%).
• Between 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025 there were 1,400 unannounced inspections (16%).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, whether she plans to publish updated statutory guidance on (a) child safety and (b) risk management in early years settings for inspectors.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to reforming the current inspection system which includes Ofsted implementing the early years report card from November 2025 following the publication of their consultation response in September 2025. The response will include the updated education inspection frameworks, new operating guidance for inspectors, and inspection information documents where there will be a focus on safeguarding in the early years.

Last year, we consulted on changes to the safeguarding requirements within the early years foundation stage statutory framework and will be implementing all proposed changes. These changes will formalise existing best practices and ensure that all early years educators have the knowledge and support they need to deliver safe, high-quality early education and childcare. These changes will be introduced in September 2025, subject to Parliamentary procedure, after which the new requirements will be included within the requirements Ofsted uses to inspect early years providers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts his Department has awarded to private nursing companies to supplement NHS nurses in hospitals; and what the cost to his Department is of those contracts.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold contracts with companies for the supply of temporary nursing staff into the NHS (i.e. to NHS Trusts). NHS Trusts contract directly with private nursing companies to meet their requirements or call off work from such companies on national and NHS regional contract framework agreements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many MRI scans have to be repeated because of errors made in the initial scan each year; and what the cost to the NHS is of each MRI scan performed.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data on the number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that have had to be repeated due to errors made in the initial scan is not held centrally. The following table shows the cost of MRI scans in the National Health Service broken down by Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) code and name, for 2025/26:

Source: the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, available at the following link under the ‘25/26 pay award prices’ section:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-nhs-payment-scheme/

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Universal Credit Bill on (a) people with ME and (b) other fluctuating conditions; and whether the forthcoming ME delivery plan will consider the potential impact of this Bill.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our reforms are not condition specific. People with ME/CFS will be treated equally to those with other health conditions and disabilities. We are aware of the fluctuating nature of ME/CFS, the wide variety of disability associated with this condition and the specific needs of those individuals.

The Pathways to Work offer announced in the Green Paper will improve the employment support available for disabled people and people with health conditions, including those with fluctuating chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS.

The Department of Health and Social Care published the final ME/CFS delivery plan on 22 July. The plan focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. The latter includes helping people with ME/CFS to find and maintain employment, where appropriate, through our department’s plans to improve employment support available for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Ofsted inspecting early years providers once every four years on the safety and wellbeing of children.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Moving to a four-year inspection cycle as opposed to a six-year inspection cycle is a return to the standard set pre-Covid. We believe by reducing the inspection cycle to align with schools, we should be able to better address safety concerns raised in recent safeguarding incidents in the sector and as noted in Ofsted’s Big Listen. As announced in the recent Best Start in Life Publication, Ofsted will also receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspection through strengthening quality assurance and focused inspector training.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, what consultation her Department has conducted with (a) families affected by serious incidents and (b) sector stakeholders.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of children is our utmost priority, and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

As part of this work, last year we held a public consultation on a number of changes to the safeguarding requirements of the EYFS. Anyone, including families affected by serious incidents could respond to the consultation.

All of the safeguarding changes due to come into force in September 2025 were informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. We continue to engage with these stakeholders as part of our continuous monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements.

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 to tackle the lack of advertised nursing vacancies through the 10 Year Plan.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.

NHS England is working with employers, universities, and regional nursing leads to ensure that support is in place to help graduating nurses find a role as soon as possible after qualification and transition into the workplace.

Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of disallowing mainstream school students from being given EHCPs on (a) autistic children in mainstream schools and (b) their families.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The government is determined to restore confidence in the system of support for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and ensure they get the chance to achieve and thrive in their education and beyond.

We are working with organisations who represent parents, local authorities, SEND organisations, education settings and others on how best we can strengthen the system and deliver better support for children and their parents, and we are committed to getting this right. We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group has brought together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children within mainstream education settings. ​

We have made no decisions at the moment on the future of education, health and care plans. There will, however, always be a legal right to additional support for those with SEND.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding announced for early years settings will be allocated to (a) quality assurance and (b) inspector training in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether safe sleep practices are included in early years qualifications; and whether her Department plans to make this training mandatory.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Oral Statement on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life of 7 July 2025, Official Report, column 680-682, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of requiring CCTV on early years settings; and whether she plans to undertake a formal consultation on that issue.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.

Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.

From September 2025, we are strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:

• Amendments to promote safer recruitment.
• Creation of new requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period.
• A new safer eating section.
• A safeguarding training annex and a requirement for safeguarding training to be repeated every two years.
• New requirements to support whistleblowing.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofsted on the potential merits of the use of CCTV as a safeguarding tool in early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.

Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.

From September 2025, we are strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:

• Amendments to promote safer recruitment.
• Creation of new requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period.
• A new safer eating section.
• A safeguarding training annex and a requirement for safeguarding training to be repeated every two years.
• New requirements to support whistleblowing.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, if she will publish further details on the (a) training format, (b) curriculum content and (c) delivery organisations to improve early years inspector training.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, whether the updated inspector training for early years settings will include mandatory training on (a) safe sleep guidance and (b) risk factors.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increased funding for (a) quality assurance and (b) inspector training on the level of (i) serious incidents and (ii) child deaths in early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will work with (a) health authorities and (b) expert charities to co-produce national safe sleep standards for use in early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the level of awareness among early years staff of current safe sleep best practice.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that early years staff are trained in nationally recognised safe sleep practices.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to introduce statutory safe sleep guidance for registered early years settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

Retirement of John Pomphrey and the pearl anniversary of St Ann’s Hospice Festival Choir

Carers and social care reform

Funding and support for SEND

Fairtrade tea campaign

Found: Hillsborough) Tracy Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Gurinder Singh Josan (Labour; Smethwick) Tom Morrison

Found: Hillsborough) Tracy Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Gurinder Singh Josan (Labour; Smethwick) Tom Morrison