Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
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 improve the quality of medical care available to people with learning disabilities.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Significant action is underway to improve access to and the quality of care for people with a learning disability. This will help deliver the shift from treatment to prevention, outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan, with further information avaiable at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
As part of this we are rolling out mandatory training for health and social care staff, improving identification on the general practice learning disability register and uptake of annual health checks, and implementing a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag in health and care records to ensure care is tailored appropriately. The NHS Learning Disability Improvement Standard also supports trusts by setting guidance on safe, personalised, and high-quality care provision. The standards are designed to support organisations in assessing the quality of their services and to promote uniformity across the National Health Service in the care and treatment provided to people with a learning disability. Further information on the standards is avaiable at the following link:
Each integrated care board must also have an executive lead for learning disability and autism and must demonstrate how they will reduce inequalities for people with a learning disability within their five year strategic plans under the Medium-Term Planning Framework. Further information is avaiable on the Medium-Term Planning Framework at the following link:
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provide to people affected by fatal road traffic collisions.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government takes road safety extremely seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads and to tackling the behaviours that make our roads less safe. On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce and prevent the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to protect road users including the victims impacted by road traffic collisions.
Decisions on the support offered by trained police Family Liaison Officers to those affected by fatal road traffic collisions are operational matters for chief officers, supported by guidance from the College of Policing.
The Ministry of Justice provides annual funding to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission a range of local support services for victims of crime.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the requirement to provide work experience is a key performance indicator for the HMRC's Unity Programme Delivery Partner contract with Accenture.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is a requirement that social value should form a component of all central government major contracts, alongside a range of performance indicators. Under the Unity Delivery Partner contract, Accenture deliver a variety of social value initiatives including work experience opportunities for young people. In accordance with transparency reporting requirements, their performance in offering these opportunities is measured and published on GOV.uk.
Work experience placements can offer younger people an insight into employment and can help enhance their skills and future employability.
Asked by: Lord Pack (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee's recommendation in its 32nd Report (HL Paper 157), what progress they have made in reviewing whether police driving standards should be set in legislation; and what further steps they plan to take on this issue.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Crime Sentencing and Court Act 2022, introduced new training requirements and a new test for police drivers. Regulations subsequently laid in 2023 and 2025 prescribed police driver training standards.
The College of Policing also introduced licensing for police driving training providers in April 2024.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to support the sovereignty of NATO allies.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is steadfast in its commitment to NATO. For over 75 years, NATO has kept us safe, prosperous and united.
Last week, the Foreign Secretary visited the Arctic Circle, where she emphasised that Arctic security is a critical transatlantic partnership issue for the security of the UK and NATO, and that we will tackle this emerging threat as an alliance.
We are committed to upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.
Europeans continue to take greater responsibility for their own security, including through historic increases in defence spending.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
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 effectiveness of therapeutic Tier 4 services.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England’s London Region Specialised Commissioning is currently undertaking a tabletop review of Tier 4 (T4) Personality Disorder inpatient provision within the London footprint. This review is being led by the Nursing and Quality and Mental Health teams and covers all units providing national T4 Personality Disorder inpatient services, which are all located in London.
The review has been initiated in response to a number of quality and environmental concerns identified within the provision and is assessing the effectiveness of the current service model, its clinical distinctiveness, equity of access, and its alignment with national policy objectives.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether migrant workers employed in the social care sector will be subject to the same settlement routes and qualifying periods as counterparts working in the NHS under the Health and Care visa.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.
The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of a 15-year baseline qualifying period for settlement on the functioning and long-term sustainability of social care services.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.
The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report by the Office for Value for Money entitled The OVfM report, published on 26 November 2025, if she will provide a breakdown and profile of the £14 billion of efficiency savings per year by 2028-29; and whether those savings are (a) in cash terms and (b) cumulative.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The full breakdown of the £14 billion in total annual efficiency gains by 2028-29 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/departmental-efficiency-delivery-plans/departmental-efficiency-plans
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the consultation entitled Earned settlement, published on 20 November 2025, whether it is her policy that the salary scale should apply to British National (Overseas) applicants.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.
BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements which include contributing to the Exchequer.
We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.
In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.