Every parliamentary written question tabled by Alison Hume this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 75 · this parliament
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of gambling-related harms associated with greyhound racing on public health.
We are committed to strengthening protections through a range of safer gambling measures to protect those at-risk of or experiencing gambling-related harm. No recent assessment has been made by the department in relation to greyhound racing.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban greyhound racing in England.
The Animal Welfare strategy published in December 2025 sets out Government priorities until 2030. The Government currently has no plans to ban greyhound racing.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the national rollout of the new child-focused family court model adequately identifies and responds to cases of parental alienation.
The Government does not recognise the concept of “parental alienation” and does not believe it is a syndrome capable of diagnosis. We are working with the Family Procedure Rule Committee to limit the instruction of unregulated experts, including unregulated “parental alienation” experts.The Family Justice Council guidance on “Responding to a Child’s Unexplained Reluctance, Resistance or Refusal to Spend Time with a Parent and Allegations of Alienating Behaviour” provides a clear framework for assessing whether alienating behaviours are present.The guidance clarifies that the child's perspective should be central, emphasising an understanding of their experiences and reasons for rejecting a parent. The guidance is clear that where the court finds that domestic abuse has occurred then the child’s rejection of the parent may be appropriate and justified.The Child Focused Model prioritises early identification of risk and the voice of the child is amplified through a ‘Child Impact Report’. In addition, victims of domestic abuse are offered specialist support from an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA), which includes the offer of in-court support.
Whether his Department holds information on the number of children who have not been granted contact with their mothers on the basis of reports by unregulated psychological experts in private family law proceedings.
The Government does not hold data on the number of cases, or their outcomes, where allegations of “parental alienation” were made or where unregulated psychological experts were instructed in Family Court proceedings. This information is not held centrally. It may be held in court records but to obtain this data would require a review of individual case files at disproportionate costs.The Government does not recognise the concept of “parental alienation” syndrome and does not believe it is capable of diagnosis.The Family Justice Council’s guidance on “responding to a child’s unexplained reluctance, resistance or refusal to spend time with a parent and allegations of alienating behaviour” provides a comprehensive overview of the reasons a child may reject a parent, including from witnessing domestic abuse and harmful parenting. The guidance also outlines the appropriate timing, scope, and nature of expert witness evidence.The Government shares the concerns that unregulated experts, often using the title psychologist, have been instructed in Family Court proceedings to give evidence on “parental alienation”. We are working with the Family Procedure Rule Committee to make changes to the Family Procedure Rules and Practice Directions to prevent the instruction of these experts.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure specialist domestic abuse training across the family courts.
This Government is committed to delivering long-term reform of the Family Courts to better support and protect both adults and children, including those who are victims of domestic abuse or serious violence.All court staff within HM Courts and Tribunals Service undertake mandatory safeguarding and domestic abuse awareness training as part of their induction and refresher training.Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru each deliver mandatory domestic abuse practitioner training, which they design and maintain. This ensures Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru practitioners can effectively identify, assess and respond to domestic abuse in Family Court proceedings, and that they maintain up to date, trauma informed, evidence-based skills.To preserve judicial independence, statutory responsibility for the training of the judiciary in England and Wales rests with the Lady Chief Justice and is conducted by the Judicial College. Domestic Abuse training forms part of both induction and continuation training for all judges, magistrates and legal representatives who sit in the Family Courts. This training is routinely evaluated and refreshed by the Judicial College.
How many children his Department estimates have been separated from their mothers in private proceedings on the basis of parental alienation allegations.
The Government does not hold data on the number of cases, or their outcomes, where allegations of “parental alienation” were made or where unregulated psychological experts were instructed in Family Court proceedings. This information is not held centrally. It may be held in court records but to obtain this data would require a review of individual case files at disproportionate costs.The Government does not recognise the concept of “parental alienation” syndrome and does not believe it is capable of diagnosis.The Family Justice Council’s guidance on “responding to a child’s unexplained reluctance, resistance or refusal to spend time with a parent and allegations of alienating behaviour” provides a comprehensive overview of the reasons a child may reject a parent, including from witnessing domestic abuse and harmful parenting. The guidance also outlines the appropriate timing, scope, and nature of expert witness evidence.The Government shares the concerns that unregulated experts, often using the title psychologist, have been instructed in Family Court proceedings to give evidence on “parental alienation”. We are working with the Family Procedure Rule Committee to make changes to the Family Procedure Rules and Practice Directions to prevent the instruction of these experts.
Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of expanding the Boulby Underground Laboratory to host the XLZD experiment on the economy in (a) Yorkshire and (b) the North East.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has not made a specific assessment of the potential economic impact of expanding the Boulby Underground Laboratory to host the XLZD experiment on the economies of Yorkshire or the North East.The Department recognises the role of Boulby Underground Laboratory as the UK’s deep underground science facility, and the contribution it makes to the local area. STFC have invested over £30 million in the laboratory and the research taking place there over the last ten years alone.All investments are based on an analysis of scientific and economic impact, as well as wider portfolio balance. Broader UKRI investment decisions will be announced in due course.
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the rollout of mental health professionals into schools in Scarborough and Whitby constituency.
No such specific assessment has been made. Mental Health Support Teams work with young people and parents across wide areas of England, including Scarborough and Whitby, to support the mental health needs of children and young people in primary, secondary, and further education, providing early, evidence-based interventions that follow recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Up to 900,000 additional children and young people will have access to a National Health Service funded Mental Health Support Team in their school or college by Spring 2026, or 60% of pupils, and we are accelerating the rollout to reach full national coverage by 2029.In 2025, 4,570 children and young people aged under 18 years old received at least one contact with an education-based mental health support team in the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board’s area.In July 2025, the National Children’s Bureau published an independent Mental Health Support Teams evaluation report, Evaluating the implementation of the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision Green Paper programme. The impacts and other details are set out in the report, which is available at the following link:https://www.ncb.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/attachments/CYP%20MH%20GP%20survey%202024%20report%20-%20Mundy%20et%20al%20%282025%29.pdf
What progress he has made on opening the Scarborough Community Diagnostic Centre.
The Scarborough Gateway Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has been delivering diagnostic activity since October 2023 from a temporary location at Bridlington Hospital. To date, the CDC has delivered 57,962 diagnostic tests, including magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, phlebotomy, and echocardiography.The permanent site at Great Hill, Scarborough, is scheduled to begin delivering activity in February 2026. The CDC is expected to become fully operational in March 2026 and in April 2026 it will offer at least one service with 12 hours a day, seven days a week extended hours.This supports the Government’s commitment in the Elective Reform Plan to open CDCs 12 hours per day, seven days a week so that patients can access vital diagnostic tests around their busy working lives. 103 CDCs are now open across these extended hours, an increase of 40 since July 2024.The Elective Reform Plan commits to transform and expand diagnostic services and speed up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard.
Whether his Department intends to incorporate recent developments on ME genetics and biological mechanisms, such as the findings of the LOCOME project, into NIHR research priorities.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, are committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for post-acute infection conditions such as myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and long COVID.On 6 November, the NIHR and the MRC hosted a showcase event for post-acute infection conditions. This brought together people with lived experience, researchers, clinicians, and funders to help stimulate further research in this field. This included representatives from Precision Life and the LOCOME study, as well as the DecodeME study, which is co-funded by the NIHR and the MRC. Emerging evidence from projects such as LOCOME and DecodeME will be reviewed to ensure future research reflects both scientific progress and patient needs.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ME/CFS and long COVID. Research funding is available, and applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that public research investment into health conditions like Myalgic Encephalomyelitis keep pace with recent private sector advances, including the publication on 4 December 2025 by Precision Life of their identification of core genes and 7,555 associated genetic variants linked to the disease.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, are committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for post-acute infection conditions such as myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and long COVID.On 6 November, the NIHR and the MRC hosted a showcase event for post-acute infection conditions. This brought together people with lived experience, researchers, clinicians, and funders to help stimulate further research in this field. This included representatives from Precision Life and the LOCOME study, as well as the DecodeME study, which is co-funded by the NIHR and the MRC. Emerging evidence from projects such as LOCOME and DecodeME will be reviewed to ensure future research reflects both scientific progress and patient needs.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ME/CFS and long COVID. Research funding is available, and applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to develop a long-term research strategy into under-researched health conditions that reflects the scale of emerging genetic evidence identified by private-sector research organisations, including Precision Life’s LOCOME study.
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), funds a broad portfolio of health research, including researcher led proposals using combinatorial genomic analysis. MRC has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020, and continues to welcome high quality applications in this area.UKRI supports collaboration between Government funded bodies and private sector researchers across its councils and Innovate UK. This includes funding the LOCOME study led by Precision Life, through Innovate UK’s Advancing Precision Medicine programme, which supports the development of digital and data tools to improve diagnosis and treatment. MRC also enables academic-industry partnerships through its Industry Collaboration Framework.UKRI does not typically maintain disease‑specific research strategies, instead providing open funding routes for the most impactful research across disciplines. Targeted work can be supported where needed. For example, in 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHCR), the Scottish Government and MRC funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership to identify ME/CFS research priorities.
Innovation and Technology, what mechanisms are in place to support collaboration between Government-funded bodies and private-sector researchers following the identification of multiple biological pathways implicated in ME by the LOCOME study.
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), funds a broad portfolio of health research, including researcher led proposals using combinatorial genomic analysis. MRC has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020, and continues to welcome high quality applications in this area.UKRI supports collaboration between Government funded bodies and private sector researchers across its councils and Innovate UK. This includes funding the LOCOME study led by Precision Life, through Innovate UK’s Advancing Precision Medicine programme, which supports the development of digital and data tools to improve diagnosis and treatment. MRC also enables academic-industry partnerships through its Industry Collaboration Framework.UKRI does not typically maintain disease‑specific research strategies, instead providing open funding routes for the most impactful research across disciplines. Targeted work can be supported where needed. For example, in 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHCR), the Scottish Government and MRC funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership to identify ME/CFS research priorities.
Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to support the use of combinatorial genomic analysis techniques, such as those used by Precision Life to identify novel ME genetic associations, within government-funded research programmes.
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), funds a broad portfolio of health research, including researcher led proposals using combinatorial genomic analysis. MRC has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020, and continues to welcome high quality applications in this area.UKRI supports collaboration between Government funded bodies and private sector researchers across its councils and Innovate UK. This includes funding the LOCOME study led by Precision Life, through Innovate UK’s Advancing Precision Medicine programme, which supports the development of digital and data tools to improve diagnosis and treatment. MRC also enables academic-industry partnerships through its Industry Collaboration Framework.UKRI does not typically maintain disease‑specific research strategies, instead providing open funding routes for the most impactful research across disciplines. Targeted work can be supported where needed. For example, in 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHCR), the Scottish Government and MRC funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership to identify ME/CFS research priorities.
Whether his Department will be assessing the impact of new developments in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Long Covid research, such as the findings of the LOCOME project, on health policy towards those living with long term health conditions.
On 6 November, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) jointly hosted a showcase event for post-acute infection conditions research, which included a review of the DecodeME research project and the PrecisionLife study on myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and long COVID research. PrecisionLife is leading on the LOCOME, or LOng COvid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Diagnostics Stratification, project. The showcase event was attended by speakers from a range of disciplines, including researchers, people with lived experience, ME charities, NIHR and MRC representatives, as well as Government officials.The Department is always very keen to reflect newly emerging research findings in its policy-making.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reforms to public sector procurement processes on economic growth.
This Government is committed to using procurement strategically to drive growth across the United Kingdom, as set out in the National Procurement Policy Statement published in February.At Budget the Chancellor went further, announcing that we will reform our approach to procurement so that it can actively shape markets and manage demand in the national interest. The Government has consulted on reforms to public procurement and impact assessments will be undertaken as required.
What steps his Department is taking to support NHS trusts to reduce the number of delayed discharges from hospital.
The Government is committed to tackling delayed discharges.In January 2025, we published a new policy framework for the £9 billion Better Care Fund, giving the National Health Service and local authorities accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays, preventing avoidable emergency admissions and care home admissions. We also published the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, making it a priority to tackle delays for patients waiting over 21 days after being medically fit for discharge.
How many children from Gaza have been accepted into the UK for medical treatment since July 2025.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement on Gov.uk published on 17 September, which is available the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-group-of-gazan-children-arrive-for-specialist-nhs-treatmentThe safety, privacy and wellbeing of these severely ill and vulnerable patients and their families remains our absolute priority. To protect patient confidentiality, we will not be providing further operational details about their treatment or whereabouts.
Media and Sport, if she will take steps to help support libraries to purchase e-books.
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all local authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.It is for each local authority to determine its stock management policy, including which books, audiobooks, e-books, e-audiobooks and other materials, are made available for the benefit of its residents. We expect library collections to be provided in a variety of formats.The Government welcomes continued developments from the public library sector on e-licensing and e-book lending. Arts Council England funded Libraries Connected to deliver a pilot project to explore mutual benefits of increasing the affordability and availability of ebooks in public libraries. A project summary report was published in February 2025.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS hospitals can access electronic versions of medical reference books.
We are committed to enabling National Health Service hospitals to access high-quality electronic knowledge resources, including medical reference books, so that the right knowledge and evidence can be used to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.The Knowledge for Healthcare 2021-26 strategic framework for NHS funded knowledge and library services in England was launched in January 2021 by Health Education England, now part of NHS England.Individual NHS trusts should ensure that their staff have access to the resources they need to undertake their jobs, including where necessary electronic reference books.