Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help increase access to medical care for children in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are doing all we can to get more aid into Gaza by land, air and sea. A UK Med field hospital, funded by the UK, is up and running in Gaza. This facility is staffed by UK and local medics and has already treated thousands of patients.
We have provided targeted support for children through a £5.75 million contribution. This is supporting work to assist over 5,800 children with severe malnourishment and 853,000 children, adolescents and caregivers affected by the conflict to receive emergency and child protection services, including mental health and psychosocial support.
The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have also underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the backlog in issuing education, health and care (EHC) plans for children; and whether she plans to make an assessment of the impact of delays on the (a) short and (b) long term development of children.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Where local authorities are failing to deliver consistent outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – including failing to produce timely Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments – the department will work with them using a range of improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisors to address weaknesses.
The department’s SEND and alternative provision (AP) Improvement Plan recognised the need to reduce delays in children and young people receiving timely assessments and support and has a clear focus on early intervention. Through the SEND and AP Change Programme, the department is testing a range of reforms to improve the EHC plan process, including standardised templates and guidance, the use of multi-agency panels to improve decision-making, digital reforms, and strengthened mediation arrangements.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that single household payments of Universal Credit are paid into the main caregiver’s account.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A prompt on the online Universal Credit application form, suggests that the customer uses the bank, building society or credit union account details for the carer who spends the most time looking after the children.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to (a) expand and (b) improve autism services in (i) Lancashire and (ii) Preston for (A) adults and (B) children.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including services to support autistic people, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB advises that it is currently reviewing its all-age autism pathway, and is in the initial stages of completing consultations with system partners and stakeholders. The ICB is aiming to complete the review, and proposals for a future pathway for 2025/26, by the end of this calendar year. In addition to this work, the ICB is reviewing the service specifications in place for the keyworker team, specialist autism team, and forensic autism team with the local provider, to ensure that the commissioned offer reflects the current needs of their population.
Nationally, we are taking steps to improve autism services. NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services on 5 April 2023. These documents are intended to help the National Health Service improve autism assessment services, and improve the experience for adults and children who are going through an autism assessment. They also set out what support should be available before an assessment, and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism.
We are currently updating the Autism Act Statutory Guidance to support the NHS and local authorities to deliver improved outcomes for autistic people. This will include setting out what NHS organisations and local authorities must and should be doing to support autistic people.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department (a) has and (b) plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of micro-transactions in video games on levels of spending among children and young people.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government monitors the impact of microtransactions in video games on players, including children and young people. In 2020, we launched a call for evidence on loot boxes in video games which found an association between purchasing loot boxes and problem gambling, although no causal link has been found.
We have since welcomed new industry-led guidance to improve protections for players and meet the following Government objectives that:
purchases of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian; and
all players should have access to and be aware of spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
We are working with industry and academics to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the new guidance and will provide an update following the 12-month implementation period, and independent academic scrutiny. We continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review. We monitor developments in other international jurisdictions, including Belgium, although no recent discussions with Belgian counterparts have taken place.
Whilst the new guidance relates to paid loot boxes specifically, a number of the measures are relevant to in-game microtransactions more broadly, particularly for children and young people. This includes driving awareness of and uptake of parental controls, and running a three-year £1 million public information campaign to provide information to players and parents about safe and responsible play
We have also published a Video Games Research Framework to improve the evidence base on the impacts of video games, including microtransactions and player spending. The Framework outlines the research topics and priorities which we have identified as core areas in need of further research. This includes better understanding of the impact of different monetisation features on players’ experiences, and the effectiveness of mechanisms to mitigate the risk of problematic spending behaviours.
While some microtransactions share similarities with traditional gambling products, we view the ability to legitimately cash out rewards as an important distinction. In particular, the prize does not normally have real world monetary value outside of the game, and its primary utility is to enhance the in-game experience. The Gambling Commission has shown that it can and will take robust enforcement action where the trading of items obtained from in-game microtransactions does amount to unlicensed gambling. Microtransactions within video games - including loot boxes - are also subject to consumer protection legislation that protects against misleading or aggressive marketing.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of micro-transactions in video games on gambling behaviours among children and young people.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government monitors the impact of microtransactions in video games on players, including children and young people. In 2020, we launched a call for evidence on loot boxes in video games which found an association between purchasing loot boxes and problem gambling, although no causal link has been found.
We have since welcomed new industry-led guidance to improve protections for players and meet the following Government objectives that:
purchases of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian; and
all players should have access to and be aware of spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
We are working with industry and academics to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the new guidance and will provide an update following the 12-month implementation period, and independent academic scrutiny. We continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review. We monitor developments in other international jurisdictions, including Belgium, although no recent discussions with Belgian counterparts have taken place.
Whilst the new guidance relates to paid loot boxes specifically, a number of the measures are relevant to in-game microtransactions more broadly, particularly for children and young people. This includes driving awareness of and uptake of parental controls, and running a three-year £1 million public information campaign to provide information to players and parents about safe and responsible play
We have also published a Video Games Research Framework to improve the evidence base on the impacts of video games, including microtransactions and player spending. The Framework outlines the research topics and priorities which we have identified as core areas in need of further research. This includes better understanding of the impact of different monetisation features on players’ experiences, and the effectiveness of mechanisms to mitigate the risk of problematic spending behaviours.
While some microtransactions share similarities with traditional gambling products, we view the ability to legitimately cash out rewards as an important distinction. In particular, the prize does not normally have real world monetary value outside of the game, and its primary utility is to enhance the in-game experience. The Gambling Commission has shown that it can and will take robust enforcement action where the trading of items obtained from in-game microtransactions does amount to unlicensed gambling. Microtransactions within video games - including loot boxes - are also subject to consumer protection legislation that protects against misleading or aggressive marketing.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with her Belgian counterpart on regulating micro-transactions in video games as gambling.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government monitors the impact of microtransactions in video games on players, including children and young people. In 2020, we launched a call for evidence on loot boxes in video games which found an association between purchasing loot boxes and problem gambling, although no causal link has been found.
We have since welcomed new industry-led guidance to improve protections for players and meet the following Government objectives that:
purchases of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian; and
all players should have access to and be aware of spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
We are working with industry and academics to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the new guidance and will provide an update following the 12-month implementation period, and independent academic scrutiny. We continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review. We monitor developments in other international jurisdictions, including Belgium, although no recent discussions with Belgian counterparts have taken place.
Whilst the new guidance relates to paid loot boxes specifically, a number of the measures are relevant to in-game microtransactions more broadly, particularly for children and young people. This includes driving awareness of and uptake of parental controls, and running a three-year £1 million public information campaign to provide information to players and parents about safe and responsible play
We have also published a Video Games Research Framework to improve the evidence base on the impacts of video games, including microtransactions and player spending. The Framework outlines the research topics and priorities which we have identified as core areas in need of further research. This includes better understanding of the impact of different monetisation features on players’ experiences, and the effectiveness of mechanisms to mitigate the risk of problematic spending behaviours.
While some microtransactions share similarities with traditional gambling products, we view the ability to legitimately cash out rewards as an important distinction. In particular, the prize does not normally have real world monetary value outside of the game, and its primary utility is to enhance the in-game experience. The Gambling Commission has shown that it can and will take robust enforcement action where the trading of items obtained from in-game microtransactions does amount to unlicensed gambling. Microtransactions within video games - including loot boxes - are also subject to consumer protection legislation that protects against misleading or aggressive marketing.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to increase regulation of micro-transactions in video games.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government monitors the impact of microtransactions in video games on players, including children and young people. In 2020, we launched a call for evidence on loot boxes in video games which found an association between purchasing loot boxes and problem gambling, although no causal link has been found.
We have since welcomed new industry-led guidance to improve protections for players and meet the following Government objectives that:
purchases of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian; and
all players should have access to and be aware of spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
We are working with industry and academics to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the new guidance and will provide an update following the 12-month implementation period, and independent academic scrutiny. We continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review. We monitor developments in other international jurisdictions, including Belgium, although no recent discussions with Belgian counterparts have taken place.
Whilst the new guidance relates to paid loot boxes specifically, a number of the measures are relevant to in-game microtransactions more broadly, particularly for children and young people. This includes driving awareness of and uptake of parental controls, and running a three-year £1 million public information campaign to provide information to players and parents about safe and responsible play
We have also published a Video Games Research Framework to improve the evidence base on the impacts of video games, including microtransactions and player spending. The Framework outlines the research topics and priorities which we have identified as core areas in need of further research. This includes better understanding of the impact of different monetisation features on players’ experiences, and the effectiveness of mechanisms to mitigate the risk of problematic spending behaviours.
While some microtransactions share similarities with traditional gambling products, we view the ability to legitimately cash out rewards as an important distinction. In particular, the prize does not normally have real world monetary value outside of the game, and its primary utility is to enhance the in-game experience. The Gambling Commission has shown that it can and will take robust enforcement action where the trading of items obtained from in-game microtransactions does amount to unlicensed gambling. Microtransactions within video games - including loot boxes - are also subject to consumer protection legislation that protects against misleading or aggressive marketing.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure the (a) experiences and (b) specialist needs of young people with cancer are reflected in the work of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Supporting children and young people affected by cancer remains a priority for the Government. The scope of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, including stakeholder engagement, will be determined once the work of the taskforce begins, currently planned to start from Spring 2024.
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce is being set up to progress the Government’s mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This is dedicated work focusing on cancers affecting children and young people and will explore detection and diagnosis, including improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, as well as genomic testing, treatment, and research and innovation.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the number of professionals able to offer pre-school autism assessments in Leeds.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
An assessment of the adequacy of the number of professionals able to offer pre-school autism assessments in Leeds is not currently planned. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessment services, in line with relevant clinical guidelines.
The West Yorkshire ICB advises that pre-school autism assessments in Leeds were temporarily stopped due to a shortage of professionals. The service remains suspended as it needs one full time equivalent clinical psychologist. The post has recently been recruited, and plans are in place for the service to reopen by the end of June 2024.
Nationally, we are taking steps to improve autism assessment services. NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services on 5 April 2023. These documents are intended to help the National Health Service improve autism assessment services, and improve the experience for adults and children who are going through an autism assessment. They also set out what support should be available before an assessment, and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism.