Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 improve GP (a) awareness and (b) understanding of (i) dementia and (ii) other neurodegenerative conditions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. 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/
The Dementia Care Pathway: Full implementation guidance emphasises the need to ensure that general practitioners are supported in providing dementia diagnosis with education and training programmes.
There are also 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.
We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
The framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 support domestic recruitment and retention of dental nurses since the removal of the occupation from the Skilled Worker visa list in June 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
From 22 July 2025, changes to the United Kingdom’s immigration system increased the minimum skill threshold for the Skilled Worker visa to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 6, which is degree level.
The role of a dental nurse does not meet the new skills threshold of RQF level 6. However, dental nurses already in the Skilled Worker route, who have a certificate of sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025, can continue to work and extend their visas as long as they meet occupation salary thresholds.
The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of overseas dental nurses who have been required to leave following the removal of the occupation from the Skilled Worker visa list in June 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
From 22 July 2025, changes to the United Kingdom’s immigration system increased the minimum skill threshold for the Skilled Worker visa to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 6, which is degree level.
The role of a dental nurse does not meet the new skills threshold of RQF level 6. However, dental nurses already in the Skilled Worker route, who have a certificate of sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025, can continue to work and extend their visas as long as they meet occupation salary thresholds.
The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, thereby enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide funding for specialist dementia leads within GP surgeries.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline NG97 recommends that individuals should be referred to a specialist dementia diagnostic service, such as a memory clinic or community old age psychiatry service, if reversible causes of cognitive decline have been investigated and dementia is still suspected.
The Dementia Care Pathway: Full implementation guidance emphasises the need to ensure general practitioners (GPs) are supported in providing dementia diagnosis with education and training programmes, such as Dementia Revealed: What Primary Care Needs to Know, a resource for GPs and practice nurses who have no previous experience of diagnosing and treating dementia.
Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.
We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason differences in (a) size, (b) facilities and (c) delivery model of nurseries are not considered when determining the hourly rate of funding per child.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high quality early years provision going forward.
In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department has provided over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, increasing to over £9 billion in 2026/27. We have announced the largest ever increase to Early Years Pupil Premium since its introduction and have delivered a significant tranche of supplementary funding of £75 million through the Early Years Expansion Grant.
The early years market is vibrant and diverse, made up of a range of for-profit and not-for-profit provider types. The department aims to distribute funding fairly, efficiently and transparently across the country and across provider types. The hourly funding rate paid to local authorities is designed to recognise the average costs across different provider types, reflecting staff and non-staff costs.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce levels of funding pressures for nurseries.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high quality early years provision going forward.
In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department has provided over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, increasing to over £9 billion in 2026/27. We have announced the largest ever increase to Early Years Pupil Premium since its introduction and have delivered a significant tranche of supplementary funding of £75 million through the Early Years Expansion Grant.
The early years market is vibrant and diverse, made up of a range of for-profit and not-for-profit provider types. The department aims to distribute funding fairly, efficiently and transparently across the country and across provider types. The hourly funding rate paid to local authorities is designed to recognise the average costs across different provider types, reflecting staff and non-staff costs.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to increase funding for (a) respite care and (b) community-based support for unpaid carers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the vital role of unpaid carers and is committed to ensuring they have the support they need.
The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, which can include respite support for carers.
To help local authorities fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, the 2025 Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of dementia-specific training provided to primary care staff.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want all health and care staff to have received the appropriate training to provide high quality care to people with dementia. Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.
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/
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
Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.
We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of making care experience a protected characteristic on (a) inequities and (b) levels of discrimination against (i) children in care and (ii) care leavers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to tackling the stigma, discrimination, and poor outcomes experienced by care-experienced young people. We believe the most effective way to address this is by raising awareness of the challenges they face, which will be achieved through introducing corporate parenting responsibilities across government departments and relevant public bodies.
By placing a duty on government departments and relevant public bodies, the corporate parenting duty will create a culture shift to support improved outcomes for young people in the care system and those with care experience.
The legislation captures the bodies that we believe have the biggest impact on the lives of children in care and care leavers, including departments and bodies linked to educational attainment, employment support, and the criminal justice system. The government does not have plans to amend legislation to make care experience a protected characteristic.
The impact of the measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on business, equalities and child rights has been evaluated and is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 making care experience a protected characteristic on care leavers within the (a) workplace and (b) criminal justice system.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to tackling the stigma, discrimination, and poor outcomes experienced by care-experienced young people. We believe the most effective way to address this is by raising awareness of the challenges they face, which will be achieved through introducing corporate parenting responsibilities across government departments and relevant public bodies.
By placing a duty on government departments and relevant public bodies, the corporate parenting duty will create a culture shift to support improved outcomes for young people in the care system and those with care experience.
The legislation captures the bodies that we believe have the biggest impact on the lives of children in care and care leavers, including departments and bodies linked to educational attainment, employment support, and the criminal justice system. The government does not have plans to amend legislation to make care experience a protected characteristic.
The impact of the measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on business, equalities and child rights has been evaluated and is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.