Written questions by Shannon.

How rare and neglected diseases are prioritised in research funding allocations.

Government responsibility for delivering research into rare diseases is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation, which includes the Medical Research Council (MRC).The Department of Health and Social Care invests over £1.7 billion each year on research through the NIHR, including research on rare diseases, such as the RareCare study which aims to better understand what causes delays to diagnosis so we can take steps to address this.The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases through the UK Rare Diseases Framework. Pioneering research is an underpinning theme of the framework. In the 2025 England Rare Disease Action Plan we introduced a new action to support rare disease research through changes to clinical trial regulations. For rare disease research, where patient populations are small and trial designs often complex, the flexibility and proportionality of this framework will enable more efficient set-up and conduct of clinical trials. We have also made significant investments to support rare disease research. This includes the Rare Disease Research UK Platform, a £14 million investment over five years from the MRC and the NIHR, announced in 2023, which is now established and positioned well within the rare disease research landscape. Further information the Rare Disease Research UK Platform is available at the following link:https://rd-research.org.uk/nodes/

How schools are encouraged to teach students about the long-term environmental impact of human activity.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The Curriculum and Assessment Review recommended an enhanced focus on climate education and sustainability, with detailed engagement and earlier sequencing in subjects such as geography, science, design and technology, and citizenship. The government has accepted these recommendations and is committed to improving climate education in the national curriculum.Curriculum content is only part of the picture, and the method of teaching also has an important role to play through the use of climate and nature related resources.The National Education Nature Park provides free, quality‑assured, curriculum‑aligned resources, filterable by key stage. By participating in the National Education Nature Park and developing robust climate action plans, schools can help children and young people see real-world connections to their studies.

Whether children in rural schools have equitable access to advanced STEM programs.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department is committed to ensuring that all pupils, including those in rural schools, have access to high‑quality science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education. All our STEM programmes can be accessed across England, regardless of location.The department funds a range of programmes for teachers to support STEM education, including the Subject Knowledge for Physics Teaching programme, the National Centre for Computing Education, and the Advanced Maths Support Programme (AMSP).For pupils, the AMSP offers the Maths into Data Science and artificial intelligence programme, an online, assessed course for post-16 learners.The government continues to fund the STEM Ambassadors programme, a nationwide network of more than 28,000 volunteers registered from over 7,500 employers, reaching over 3 million young people every year. These volunteers engage with young people to spark interest in STEM subjects and showcase the wide variety of STEM careers by sharing their personal experiences.

What measures are in place to support those recovering from long-term COVID-related condition.

The Government is aware that post-acute infection conditions, such as Long Covid, can have a devastating effect on those who suffer from them. We are committed to taking a comprehensive and compassionate approach to supporting individuals with post-acute infection conditions such as Long Covid, recognising the unique challenges these conditions present.NHS England has invested significantly in supporting people with Long Covid. This includes setting up specialist post- Covid, or Long Covid, services nationwide for adults, and children and young people, and investing in ensuring general practice teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.Since April 2024, in line with the National Health Service operating framework and the establishment of integrated care systems, commissioning of post-COVID services has been the responsibility of local integrated care boards to meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding.Where referral into a Long Covid service is not possible, for example because a service has closed or is due to close, general practitioners can refer patients into other appropriate existing NHS pathways, depending on their clinical needs.To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to establish the International Post Covid and Post Infection Conditions Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by Long Covid.

Whether there is guidance on supporting victims of financial scams targeting older citizens.

The Home Office funds Report Fraud Victims Services. This is a targeted service providing consistent support and a standard of care for victims of fraud and cybercrime, including older victims of financial scams.Report Fraud Victims Services aims to ensure victims feel safer and more confident following contact, while supporting them to cope with and recover from the impact of the crime and significantly reducing the risk of repeat victimisation. Victims are triaged based on vulnerability and offered a tailored package of support, including signposting to appropriate specialist services.The UK Government Stop! Think Fraud website also offers information on how to stay safe from fraud and how to recover if you are a victim. More information can be found here: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/

Whether her Department supports schools in implementing programs teaching children about civic responsibility in a digital age.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. All schools are expected to actively promote fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.The government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review committed to making citizenship statutory at primary and strengthening primary and secondary content, including on democracy and the rule of law. Applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy and subject-specific disciplinary skills, including critical thinking and problem solving, will be embedded in the refreshed programmes of study. Pupils will also have opportunities to develop social and emotional attributes such as resilience.Working closely with the sector, we are working towards a first teaching of the new curriculum from September 2028.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to monitor neglected global health threats.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works with the UK Health Security Agency, World Health Organization (WHO), and other international partners to monitor a broad range of global health threats through established international surveillance systems. We support global disease surveillance networks, early‑warning systems and programmes that strengthen countries' capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks, including through our multilateral investments to WHO, the Global Fund, Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Media and Sport, what support her Department provides for faith-based social enterprises.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government supports grassroots programmes, such as Near Neighbours, which promotes dialogue, relationship building and civic engagement across religiously and ethnically diverse communities. In the previous financial year, MHCLG provided £587,000 of grant funding to the Near Neighbours programme. MHCLG also supported Inter Faith Week 2025, ensuring it remains a key part of the national calendar for dialogue, learning, and connection between people of different faiths and beliefs.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department provides micro-grants to communities to help tackle hidden poverty.

Our £5.8bn Pride in Place programme is supporting 284 communities across the UK with up to £20m in funding to address the local issues that matter most to them. Funding can be spent on a wide range of local priorities, including supporting families in poverty.

Whether her Department runs financial literacy programs for small charities.

HM Treasury does not directly deliver financial literacy programmes. The Government supports financial capability through a range of activity, including the work of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), an arm’s length body which provides, free impartial money guidance for every stage of people’s financial lives. MaPS runs the Money Guiders programme, which equips frontline staff – including those working in charities and community organisations – with the skills and confidence to have effect conversations about money with the people they support. As part of the Financial Inclusion Strategy, published on 5 November 2025, the Government announced that MaPS will expand and enhance Money Guiders to help deliver quality financial guidance across the UK. To date, Money Guiders has engaged over 18,000 practitioners and partnered with nearly 300 organisations. More detail on the Government’s broader approach to financial education and capability is set out in the Strategy. Wider policy on civil society and youth, including charities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VSCE) sector sits with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS).

How her Department monitors the impact of inflation on rural low-income families.

The Government recognises that rising household costs, driven by elevated inflation, continue to place pressure on many families, including those in rural areas. CPI inflation is measured by the Office for National Statistics. While it is not broken down by geographic region or by income level, the ONS does produce a wider range of measures that consider the cost pressures faced by different groups. This in part recognises that low-income households can be more exposed to price rises in essential goods and services, and may be disproportionately affected when these rise faster than average inflation. Tackling the cost of living is a top priority for the Government. At the Budget, the Government also took action to bear down on prices and support households, including by reducing household energy bills from April 2026, expanding the Warm Home Discount, freezing regulated rail fares and NHS prescription fees, and extending the 5p fuel duty cut. Alongside this, the Government is going even further to support those who need it most by removing the two-child limit, increasing the national living wage, and committing to the pensions Triple Lock for the duration of this Parliament. Since the beginning of the Iran conflict, the government has acted quickly to provide £53m in timely, targeted support to low-income households struggling with the rising price of heating oil and at risk of losing access to heating and hot water.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes; what steps his Department and NHS England are taking to improve OSA diagnosis and treatment; and whether his Department plans to recognise OSA as a cardiovascular risk factor within the upcoming CVD Modern Service Framework.

Well-established cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as smoking, excess weight, diabetes, and heart failure are also associated with an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and the Government is taking wide-ranging action to tackle these underlying risk factors. This includes delivering a smokefree generation through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, expanding access to weight management support through National Health Services, and investing in prevention and treatment programmes such as the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which support people to reduce their risk of developing CVD and related conditions.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new CVD Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) this spring. The CVD MSF will focus on the interventions that will have the greatest impact on reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke in the next decade, whilst supporting consistent, high quality, and equitable care across the CVD pathway.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the report by Euroqol entitled the EQ-5D-5L value set for the United Kingdom, published on 13 March 2026 on the suitability of the UK as an early launch market for non-oncology medicines with a quality-of-life benefit but no survival benefit.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; andthe number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the report published by Euroqol entitled EQ-5D-5L value set for the United Kingdom, published on 13 March 2026, on the ability of patients to access non-oncology medicines that improve quality of life but do not extend survival.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; andthe number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of NICE's adoption of the EQ-5D-5L value set on the price of medicines with a quality of life benefit and no survival; and whether he plans to take steps to ensure that access to medicines which support workforce participation and productivity is not adversely affected.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; andthe number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

What assessment his Department has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the document published by Euroqol entitled EQ5D-5L value set for the United Kingdom, published on 13 March 2026.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; andthe number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

What fiscal steps her Department is taking to help encourage charitable donations.

To encourage charitable donations, the Government allows charities and their donors to claim tax reliefs across several different tax heads and exemptions, including VAT, Inheritance Tax, Stamp Duty, and Business Rates. Charities can also claim Gift Aid of 25p for every £1 of eligible donations made by UK taxpayers.

What steps her Department is taking to support police forces in rural communities.

Our police reforms will end the postcode lottery of provision by setting central targets, increasing transparency so people can see how their force is performing, and taking robust action where forces are not performing.With our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, now gets a named contactable officer and a response to non-urgent queries in 72 hours.Every rural area will be covered by a Local Policing Area under a commander responsible for emergency response, local crime investigation and neighbourhood policing. They will be set targets to ensure they answer 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds and attend 90% of the most serious incidents within 15 minutes in urban area or 20 minutes in rural areas.We are ensuring forces have the tools and resources they need to deal with rural crime like equipment theft and livestock rustling. We are on track to deliver an additional 3,000 neighbourhood officers by March.We are equipping those officers with tougher measures to clamp down on equipment theft and anti-social behaviour, and to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping. We are finally implementing the Equipment Theft Act, which will make it harder to steal All-Terrain Vehicles and GPS units used in an agricultural setting and easier for the police to identify the owners when such items are recovered.We are ensuring the police have the capability to pursue the organised criminal gangs behind some rural crime. This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000) to help them target organised crime groups stealing farm equipment and to disrupt networks exploiting endangered species in the UK and abroad.

How the NHS supports carers of patients with uncommon disabilities.

The Government fully recognises the vital role of unpaid carers in supporting individuals with uncommon and complex disabilities and remains committed to ensuring they have the support they need.The National Health Service works closely with local authorities and the voluntary sector to identify carers and provide a range of support, including carers’ assessments, respite care, and access to mental health services. For those caring for people with rare or complex conditions, access to specialist NHS services, alongside coordinated and personalised care plans, helps ensure that both patient and carer needs are met.Through the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, we are strengthening personalised care and improving how carers are identified and signposted to support, including identifying them through community services and specialist charities. The plan also sets out that, from 2026/27, through a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App, unpaid carers will be able to access medical records, test results, and online prescriptions for the person they care for, with consent, supporting them in their caring role.

Whether assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of screen time on children's development.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.On 27 March, the government published advice on screen use for children aged 0-5 on the Best Start in Life website, accessible at: https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/screen-time-under-5s/.The advice is informed by an expert panel’s independent report, which draws on quantitative and qualitative research, including engagement with parents, carers and stakeholders. This report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/screen-use-by-children-aged-under-5.The independent panel was co-chaired by Professor Russell Viner, and Dame Rachel de Souza.On 2 March, alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the department launched the Children’s Digital Wellbeing consultation on further measures to ensure children have healthy relationships with technology, mobile phones and social media. The consultation will close on 26 May, with the government set to publish its response in the summer.We will also support families by producing evidence-based screen time guidance for parents of children aged 5 to 16.