Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with local authorities on the future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme after March 2025.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has received its overall budget and we are now working through the details of the budget settlement. Departmental budgets for 2025/26 will be confirmed in due course, including the exact funding available for this type of support for children, young people and families during the holidays.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister raised Myanmar with President Xi Jinping of China during their meeting on 18 November.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Prime Minister raised a range of domestic and foreign issues in his meeting with President Xi at the G20 on 18 November. A read-out of this meeting is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle (a) delays experienced by community groups for applications for community group bank accounts and (b) fee-less community bank accounts being closed and replaced with fee-paying business accounts.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The provision of banking services is a commercial decision taken by the banking sector.
In response to feedback from community account holders about difficulties in securing and maintaining suitable current accounts, UK Finance launched a website in July 2024, including guidance and a free Account Finder tool, to help voluntary sector organisations locate an appropriate account for their needs.
The site provides voluntary sector organisations tailored guidance to understand the structure of the organisation concerned, decide on their banking needs, and help ensure they have what they need to open and maintain their account. In developing these resources, UK Finance worked with charitable organisations, members, and regulators, with the aim of improving how community accounts are opened and run.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will have discussions with the banking sector on (a) delays in applications for community group bank accounts and (b) reports of community bank accounts being replaced with business accounts.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The provision of banking services is a commercial decision taken by the banking sector.
In response to feedback from community account holders about difficulties in securing and maintaining suitable current accounts, UK Finance launched a website in July 2024, including guidance and a free Account Finder tool, to help voluntary sector organisations locate an appropriate account for their needs.
The site provides voluntary sector organisations tailored guidance to understand the structure of the organisation concerned, decide on their banking needs, and help ensure they have what they need to open and maintain their account. In developing these resources, UK Finance worked with charitable organisations, members, and regulators, with the aim of improving how community accounts are opened and run.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for children's mental health to (a) reduce waiting times for and (b) increase access to support.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult and children and young people’s mental health services. We are discussing our future investment in children and young people’s mental health services.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education to consider how to deliver our manifesto commitment of accessing a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.
Alongside this we are working toward rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.
The Mental Health Bill currently before Parliament will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983, so that it is fit for the 21st century. The Bill will amend the Act, which applies to England and Wales, and give patients detained under the Act greater choice, autonomy, rights, and support.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the transition from animal testing to new approach methodologies.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to supporting the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.
We recognise that any work to phase out animal testing and support the transition to new approach methodologies must be science-led and in lock step with partners.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
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 merits of increasing the carer element of Universal Credit for unpaid carers, in the context of recent trends in the cost of living.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and State Pensions. The outcome of the Secretary of State’s review will be announced in the usual way.
No assessment has been made of the merit of increasing the carer element of Universal Credit outside of the annual review.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support unpaid carers in paid work.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are committed to ensuring carers are supported to balance work and caring responsibilities.
We know flexible working can be particularly valuable for carers, and the Employment Rights Bill will make flexible working available to all workers except where it is genuinely not feasible.
Employees have a right to five days of unpaid carers leave. We are reviewing implementation of this measure, and exploring ways to improve support for carers.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of linking the Carer's Allowance earning limit to increase in the national living wage.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recognises the challenges unpaid carers are facing and is determined to provide them with the help and support they need and deserve. It is looking closely at how the benefit system currently does this. The Carer’s Allowance earnings limit for 2025/26 will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
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 the Mental Health Bill will (a) protect and (b) enhance the rights of (i) children and (ii) young people who are (A) detained in and (B) admitted informally to mental health hospitals.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The forthcoming Mental Health Bill will strengthen the rights of children and young people, to ensure they are involved in decisions about their care, that they can challenge these decisions and, above all, ensure that they are only detained for treatment in hospital when it is absolutely necessary. NHS England is working to minimise the number of children and young people informally admitted to inpatient mental health care.
Subject to the passage of the Bill through Parliament, it is proposed that children and young people formally detained under the Mental Health Act will have statutory Care and Treatment Plans, the right to choose a ‘Nominated Person’ to look after their interests and expanded access to Independent Mental Health Advocates. The latter will also apply to voluntary patients who are not detained under the Act.