Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help mitigate the potential impact of (a) loneliness and (b) isolation on the mental health of (i) boys and (ii) young men.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Chronic loneliness (feeling lonely often or always) can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or background, although some groups, such as young people aged 16-25, are known to be at a higher risk. Research commissioned by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has shown that chronic loneliness increases the risk of a young person experiencing mental health challenges.
The Department for Education (DfE) is working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities in school. These activities can strengthen the sense of community and belonging within a school and reduce loneliness among children and young people.
As part of government’s mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and ensure that those with mental health issues get the support they need, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, roll out Young Futures hubs in every community and modernise the Mental Health Act.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Newcastle (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Centre for Social Justice report Lonely Nation - Part 4: Loneliness and food banks, published in December 2024, which found that over twice as many people who use food banks feel lonely most of the time compared to all adults, what steps they are taking to address loneliness and social isolation as a root cause of food bank usage.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) supports DCMS in their work to tackle Loneliness and social isolation through Jobcentres, who carry out an important role in identifying people at risk of loneliness, directing people to tailored support such as social prescribing, volunteering opportunities, befriending schemes and other local community opportunities and helping them to return to, or prepare to return to the labour market.
More specifically, the Jobcentre network promote local opportunities relevant to those at risk of Loneliness such as the Warm Welcome Spaces in the community.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research by Cambridge University and Fudan University showing a link between social isolation and the increased risk of heart disease, stroke and infections; and what steps they intend to take to address loneliness in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises that chronic loneliness is linked to negative health outcomes, and welcomes further research in this space, including the new research by Cambridge University and Fudan University. The Government continues to be evidence led in its approach to addressing loneliness.
The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) leads on the cross-government tackling loneliness programme for England. DCMS’s current work to tackle loneliness includes supporting a range of organisations through the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness; working to improve the evidence base around loneliness; and providing advice through the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign’s advice pages.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to encourage employers to create workplace environments that reduce employee loneliness.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) leads on the cross-government tackling loneliness programme, with multiple departments contributing towards the delivery of this work. DCMS is working closely with DHSC and DWP to consider loneliness in future health and workplace policies. This includes adding new loneliness data to the Public Health Outcomes Framework in February 2025, which will enable health organisations and Local Authorities to compare local loneliness data with other health outcomes to inform their work. We know that chronic loneliness negatively impacts physical health, mental health, employee productivity and wellbeing, with those who are unemployed at increased risk of loneliness. Therefore, DWP Jobcentres carry out an important role in identifying people at risk of loneliness, directing people to tailored support such as social prescribing, volunteering opportunities, befriending schemes and other local community opportunities and helping them return, or prepare to return, to the labour market.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking assess the effectiveness of loneliness reduction initiatives; and whether she plans to take steps to amend her policies in the context of the findings of these assessments.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is working to build the evidence base on loneliness including the demographic groups most affected and the effectiveness of interventions. It uses available evidence to keep policies under review.
For example, DCMS has recently published two new qualitative research reports, including one exploring how and why young disabled people experience loneliness and what could be done to reduce it. The research programme for the year 2024/25 includes engaging with existing research on the most effective ways to measure loneliness levels.
DCMS is working with external researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund. The Fund aims to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness. The evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the Fund in achieving these aims.
DCMS also seeks to support stakeholders and grassroots organisations to evaluate their work robustly by facilitating information sharing and learning via the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provide funding for research on effective interventions to tackle loneliness across different demographics.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is working to build the evidence base on loneliness including the demographic groups most affected and the effectiveness of interventions. It uses available evidence to keep policies under review.
For example, DCMS has recently published two new qualitative research reports, including one exploring how and why young disabled people experience loneliness and what could be done to reduce it. The research programme for the year 2024/25 includes engaging with existing research on the most effective ways to measure loneliness levels.
DCMS is working with external researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund. The Fund aims to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness. The evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the Fund in achieving these aims.
DCMS also seeks to support stakeholders and grassroots organisations to evaluate their work robustly by facilitating information sharing and learning via the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to integrate loneliness prevention programmes into the healthcare system.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) leads on the cross-government tackling loneliness programme, with multiple departments contributing towards the delivery of this work. DCMS is working closely with DHSC and DWP to consider loneliness in future health and workplace policies. This includes adding new loneliness data to the Public Health Outcomes Framework in February 2025, which will enable health organisations and Local Authorities to compare local loneliness data with other health outcomes to inform their work. We know that chronic loneliness negatively impacts physical health, mental health, employee productivity and wellbeing, with those who are unemployed at increased risk of loneliness. Therefore, DWP Jobcentres carry out an important role in identifying people at risk of loneliness, directing people to tailored support such as social prescribing, volunteering opportunities, befriending schemes and other local community opportunities and helping them return, or prepare to return, to the labour market.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) reduce the stigma associated with and (b) encourage more people to seek help for loneliness.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
To reduce the stigma associated with loneliness and to encourage people to seek help, the government provides advice through the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign’s advice pages.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
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 social care services are adequately funded to support individuals experiencing loneliness.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Loneliness and social isolation can affect many people and impact on their health and wellbeing. The Government’s current work to tackle loneliness includes: supporting a range of organisations through the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness; working to improve the evidence base around loneliness; and providing advice through the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign’s advice pages. It also includes the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, a grant fund designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England.
To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as those that support individuals experiencing loneliness, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes a £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Newcastle (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address loneliness and social isolation as a root cause of foodbank usage following a recent report published by the Centre for Social Justice which found that over twice as many people who use foodbanks feel lonely most of the time compared to other adults.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government’s current work to tackle loneliness includes the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, a grant fund designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England.
Jobcentres carry out an important role in identifying people at risk of loneliness by directing people to tailored support such as social prescribing, volunteering opportunities, befriending schemes and other local community opportunities and helping them to return to or prepare to return to the labour market. Good work is also a key element in our approach to tackle poverty and reduce mass dependence on emergency food parcels.