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1792584

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	National Insurance Credits: Carers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people eligible for but not claiming Carer's Credit.
tabling member constituency	Newport East
tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
uin	44209
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2025 answer text <p>The Carer’s Credit allows people who provide care for a person on specified disability benefits for at least 20 hours per week to protect their National Insurance records for the purposes of their State Pension.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is unable to estimate the number of people who may meet the eligibility criteria for the Carer’s Credit but do not make a claim. Information on the Carer’s Credit and how to claim for it can be found by searching for “Carer’s Credit” on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Swansea West answering member printed Torsten Bell question first answered 10/04/2025 12:55:42 answering member 5069
tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1792489

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Early education and childcare (effective from 1 April 2025), published on 21 February 2025, what steps her Department is taking to maintain access to childcare places in rural areas; and what steps she is taking to support childcare providers with operational costs.
tabling member constituency	North East Hampshire
tabling member printed	Alex Brewer
uin	44284
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2025 answer text <p>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 and delivering on our Plan for Change. In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department plans to provide over £8 billion for early years entitlements, which is an increase of more than 30% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, as we roll out the expansion of the childcare entitlements, so eligible working parents of children aged from nine months can access 30 hours of funded childcare.</p><p>The government has committed to working with the sector to embed early years within the wider education system, and to find new ways to shift the early education system to better support parents in poorer and rural areas. As part of our plan to utilise unused space in primary schools, we have just announced the opening of 300 new school-based nurseries, which will be available from September.</p><p>On top of this, we are providing supplementary funding of £75 million for an early years expansion grant ahead of the 30 hours expansion from September. The department also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. Public sector employers in the early years will also receive £25 million through the forthcoming National Insurance contributions grant.</p><p>Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. As we roll out the expansion to entitlements for working parents, the department is in regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. There are currently no local authorities reporting that they are unable to meet their sufficiency duties for the expanded entitlements. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action they are taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth South answering member printed Stephen Morgan question first answered 17/04/2025 08:37:14 answering member 4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan
tabling member	5263

1792541

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Secondary Education: Data Protection
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of mandating the sharing of students' data between Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.
tabling member constituency	Gosport
tabling member printed	Dame Caroline Dinenage
uin	44215
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2025 answer text <p>All schools maintained by a local authority in England are required to send a Common Transfer File (CTF) to the new school when a pupil ceases to be registered at their school and becomes a registered pupil at another school. Academies, including free schools, are also strongly encouraged to send CTFs when a pupil leaves to attend another school.</p><p>Information specified by the department for inclusion in a CTF includes a record of the pupil’s attainment and achievements, which would include details of key stage 4 results where available. Details of a pupil’s prior attainment is included in the CTF to ensure schools are able to meet the individual needs of each pupil with greater accuracy and maintain the momentum of their learning.</p><p>Although there is no legal requirement for a school to transfer information to a further education (FE) college, schools are encouraged to do so on request from the FE college, where a secure method of transfer is available.</p><p>In addition, the department runs the Learning Records Service (LRS). The LRS allows providers to collect and manage unique learner numbers on behalf of learners aged 14 and above. This provides a consistent identifier for young people to learning providers including schools, academies, FE providers, higher education providers and offender learning providers (prisons), which allows those providers to access a learner’s personal learning record to support education and career information, advice and guidance.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth South answering member printed Stephen Morgan question first answered 14/04/2025 11:17:45 answering member 4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan
tabling member	4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage

1792478

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Social Services: Labour Turnover and Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to develop a (a) comprehensive and (b) fully-funded plan to effectively (i) recruit, (ii) train, and (iii) retain a sustainable social care workforce.
tabling member constituency	Harpenden and Berkhamsted
tabling member printed	Victoria Collins
uin	44274
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2025 answer text <p>We are launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. We expect that the commission will look at workforce issues, building on work already underway to provide a career structure, give care professionals greater skills and legislate for the first ever Fair Pay Agreements.</p> answering member constituency Aberafan Maesteg answering member printed Stephen Kinnock question first answered 08/04/2025 16:56:20 answering member 4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock
tabling member	5201

1792479

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Carers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department have to ensure that local authorities can fulfil their duties to carers under the Care Act 2014.
tabling member constituency	Harpenden and Berkhamsted
tabling member printed	Victoria Collins
uin	44275
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2025 answer text <p>The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers.  This means that the CQC is looking at how local authorities are supporting unpaid carers in their area.</p><p>All 153 local authorities in England are being assessed, with ratings and reports available on the CQC’s website. The assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice, and helping us to target support where it is most needed.</p><p>The Government recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system. That is why the Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.</p><p>The commission will start a national conversation about what working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers, who provide vital care and support.</p> answering member constituency Aberafan Maesteg answering member printed Stephen Kinnock question first answered 10/04/2025 12:48:17 answering member 4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock
tabling member	5201

1792480

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Carers: Energy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the potential impact of the energy price cap increase on unpaid carers.
tabling member constituency	Harpenden and Berkhamsted
tabling member printed	Victoria Collins
uin	44276
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2025 answer text <p>The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run, is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.</p><p>However, we recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to approximately three million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February 2025, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring approximately 2.7 million households into the scheme, pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to approximately six million.</p><p>The Government is continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.</p><p>Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.</p><p>Ministers regularly engage with colleagues in other Government departments on a range of issues.</p> answering member constituency Aberafan Maesteg answering member printed Stephen Kinnock question first answered 16/04/2025 16:17:22 answering member 4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock
tabling member	5201

1792482

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Palliative Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will provide Integrated Care Boards with detailed guidance on the minimum provision of palliative care required for hospices in their area.
tabling member constituency	Harpenden and Berkhamsted
tabling member printed	Victoria Collins
uin	44278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2025 answer text <p>Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. Although the statutory guidance does not specifically set out a minimum provision of palliative care required by ICBs, it does state that ICBs have a legal duty to commission palliative and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations.</p><p>Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and to their loved ones.</p><p>Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.</p> answering member constituency Aberafan Maesteg answering member printed Stephen Kinnock question first answered 10/04/2025 12:50:20 answering member 4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock
tabling member	5201

1792485

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Dental Services: Incentives
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to incentivise dentists to increase NHS appointments in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England.
tabling member constituency	Harpenden and Berkhamsted
tabling member printed	Victoria Collins
uin	44281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2025 answer text <p>The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.</p><p>The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, this is the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB is expected to deliver 5,712 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.</p><p>Areas which are struggling to recruit and retain NHS dentists can make use of the Golden Hello scheme, which aims to encourage dentists to work in areas where they are needed most.</p> answering member constituency Aberafan Maesteg answering member printed Stephen Kinnock question first answered 14/04/2025 09:43:26 answering member 4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock
tabling member	5201

1792524

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Kirklees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is (a) for a neurodevelopmental assessment, (b) to access CAMHS services and (c) for speech and language therapy services for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) children in Kirklees.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Harpreet Uppal
uin	44302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2025 answer text <p>The data is not held centrally in the format requested, but some relevant information covering waiting times for these services for all children and young people is available. Neurodevelopmental assessments can include, but are not limited to, assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).</p><p>In the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Autism Waiting Time Statistics published by NHS England show that there was a total of 5,385 patients aged zero to 17 years old with an open suspected autism referral in December 2024, the latest available data. The median waiting time of patients in this ICB with an open suspected autism referral, where their first care contact was in the quarter, was 257 days in December 2024 for those aged under 10 years old, and was 239 days for those aged 10 to 17 years old. Caution should be used when interpreting these statistics since they are experimental rather than official statistics.</p><p>In respect of ADHD, there is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis for ADHD nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England.</p><p>The latest available data for the NHS West Yorkshire ICB shows that in the period of November 2024 to January 2025, the median waiting time between referral and first contact for children and young people, those aged under 18 years old, supported through National Health Service funded mental health services, was 14 days. This data is published in the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, which is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics" target="_blank">https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics</a></p><p>For speech and language therapy services in Kirklees, following an initial triage or screening, it can take between seven and 32 weeks for a full assessment.</p> answering member constituency Aberafan Maesteg answering member printed Stephen Kinnock question first answered 16/04/2025 15:10:21 answering member 4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock
tabling member	5289

1792540

registered interest
date	04/04/2025
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Bedfordshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 36504 on Mental Health Services: Children, how many of the 8,500 additional mental health workers will be based in Bedfordshire.
tabling member constituency	Mid Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Blake Stephenson
uin	44314
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2025 answer text <p>We are working with NHS England to consider options to deliver this commitment alongside the refresh of the Long Term Workforce Plan.</p> answering member constituency Aberafan Maesteg answering member printed Stephen Kinnock question first answered 16/04/2025 16:14:51 answering member 4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock
tabling member	5100