Written questions by Charters.

What assessment she has made of the potential effectiveness of implementing cohort-based education, health and care plans.

For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. We know that parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes. An EHC plan is a statutory document which is produced following an EHC needs assessment process. An EHC needs assessment ensures that a child or young person’s individual needs are assessed in a joined-up way across education, health and social care services. Under this assessment process the local authority must seek information and advice from a range of partners, including the child or young person and their parents, their school or college (if any) relevant health and social care partners, an educational psychologist and any other relevant professionals. The EHC needs assessment must identify the child or young person’s special educational needs, together with any relevant health or social care needs. If the local authority then decides it is necessary to issue an EHC plan, it must set long-term outcomes for the child or young person and specify provision which will deliver those outcomes. The content in an EHC plan should be unique to the child or young person. EHC plans should be used to actively monitor children and young people’s progress towards their outcomes and longer-term aspirations. They must be reviewed by the local authority as a minimum every 12 months. Reviews must focus on the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan. The review must also consider whether these outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate. The review process will enable changes to be made to an EHC plan so that it remains relevant to the needs of the child or young person and the desired outcomes. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider next steps.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

The Department has continued to work hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, atomoxetine oral solution, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.We are continuing to work to resolve medicine supply issues, where they remain, for some strengths of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term.In parallel, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the National Health Service, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets or available alternative ADHD medicines. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.The Department is also continuing to engage with suppliers of Creon and other pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. The supplier of Creon expects to receive increased quantities for 2025. Suppliers of alternative PERT and specialist importers of unlicensed medicines continue to supply increased volumes to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public facing page to include the latest update on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice, including advice on preserving the available stock of alternative PERT for certain patient cohorts.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of reforming mortgage regulation.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent of Government, are responsible for the regulation and conduct of financial services and markets, including the residential mortgage market. In 2014, the FCA put in place new regulation for mortgages in the UK, known as the ‘Mortgage Market Review’. This was based on the principle that mortgages should only be advanced where there is a reasonable expectation that they could be repaid by borrowers. However, this Government welcomes innovation in the mortgage market, particularly where this provides borrowers with the greatest choice possible about the level of interest rate risk that they are willing to take on.

What steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to ensure equitable treatment of Armed Forces families.

The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in. Child Maintenance legislation ensures that paying parents employed by the Armed Forces, at home and abroad, are still required to contribute towards their children. Where a Paying Parent is not paying or is inconsistent with their payments, Deduction from Earnings Orders (DEO) can be applied as a method of payment, where the Child Maintenance Service deducts maintenance directly from the Paying Parent’s wages. Deduction from Earnings Requests are similar to a Deduction from Earnings Order but used for Paying Parents who are serving members of the Armed Forces. The Child Maintenance Service can request a deduction to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), but unlike civilian employers they cannot order or enforce payment. MOD policy aims to comply with requests; however if the Paying Parent is committed to operational duties MOD may suspend the collection of debt for a limited period.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of auto-enrolment schemes for free school meals.

There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM). The department recognises the vital role played by FSM and encourages all eligible families to take up their entitlement. To make this as easy as possible the department provides the Eligibility Checking System, which allows local authorities to quickly verify eligibility for FSM.Further to this, the department is aware of a range of measures aimed at maximising take up of FSM, including through approaches being trialled by local authorities. We welcome local authorities taking action to ensure government support reaches families, subject to them meeting legal and data protections requirements.The department is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a child poverty strategy to reduce child poverty by tackling its root causes and giving every child the best start in life.As with all government programmes, the department will keep its approach to FSM under continued review.

If he will issue guidance on commissioning policies for NHS-funded IVF.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning local health services, including fertility services, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines. The NICE is currently reviewing the fertility services guidelines.The Government recognises that access to National Health Service funded fertility services is variable, and is working jointly with NHS England on options to improve access for all eligible groups.

What recent discussions he has had with stakeholders on intermittent shortages of (a) Olanzapine and (b) other anti-psychosis medicines in the UK.

Department officials regularly meet with manufacturers and suppliers to discuss shortages of olanzapine and other anti-psychosis medicines, and how to manage them.We have been notified of some issues for olanzapine tablets and orodispersible tablets, however we understand there is sufficient stock available for all olanzapine strengths to meet market demand.We are aware of intermittent disruptions in the supply of olanzapine (Zypadhera) 210 milligram prolonged-release suspension for injections. This is due to a global manufacturing capacity constraint faced by the supplier. We are actively working with the supplier to address these manufacturing issues as quickly as possible, to ensure that patients in the United Kingdom have access to this medication, and have issued communications to healthcare professionals.Olanzapine (Zypadhera) 300 milligram and 405 milligram prolonged-release suspension for injections remain available.

What steps his Department is taking to review the adequacy of levels of access to ADHD medication; and if a Minister will meet with the hon. Member for York Outer to discuss ADHD medication shortages in that constituency.

The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.We continue to work to resolve remaining supply issues for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing all current suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. To further improve supply and resiliency, we are also working with prospective new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to expand the UK supplier base.However, we anticipate that supply for certain strengths of methylphenidate will remain limited until March 2025. We are actively working with all suppliers to resolve the remaining issues as quickly as possible.To minimise the impact of the shortages on patients, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the National Health Service, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets generically or available alternative ADHD medicines. To support ADHD patients throughout the NHS, we would expect all ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance. To aid healthcare professionals further we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients.We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD including timely access to services and support.The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual pharmacies is not held centrally.I am very sorry that I cannot meet at this time but I hope the information I have provided in this answer helps to address the issues raised and assures the hon. Member of the Department’s focused work in this area.

What steps she is taking to prevent modern slavery in the care sector.

The Government believes that everyone deserves to be treated fairly at work and rewarded for their contribution to the economy. We are aware of issues being raised in the adult care sector, including concerns about unethical employment practices by some sponsors of the 'Health and Care Worker' visa.The Home Office has zero tolerance of sponsors who seek to exploit workers they sponsor and will take action against any found to be doing so. However, while the UKVI actively monitors the compliance of sponsors with their duties, they are not a labour market regulator, and their powers to redress concerns are limited to revoking a sponsor's licence. Furthermore, UKVI have no legal powers to police the recruitment chains used by sponsors and such recruitment often takes place outside of UK legal jurisdiction. The Home Office does, however, expect sponsors to recruit staff lawfully.The Home Office also funds the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), which has specially trained officers with police-style powers to prevent, detect and investigate serious labour exploitation across the entire economy in England and Wales. The GLAA have a number of live investigations within the care sector currently.The Home Office will continue to work closely with DHSC and other relevant departments to address these issues, including exploring further regulation through the Fair Work Agency, the forthcoming single enforcement body.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and (b) support children with this condition in York Outer constituency.

To improve awareness of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) amongst healthcare professionals, and specifically general practitioners (GPs), the Royal College of General Practitioners provides training on PoTS as part of its Syncope toolkit, which is available at the following link:https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=500In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced a clinical knowledge summary on blackouts and syncope, last updated in November 2023, which outlines how clinicians should assess and diagnosis PoTS.  It is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/GPs are asked to investigate symptoms to ensure that it is not misdiagnosed. Following referral, patients are treated within National Health Service cardiology and neurology services. Where more specialist advice is required, a referral will be made to an appropriate clinician.Services for children with PoTS are locally commissioned and, as such, it is the responsibility integrated care boards (ICBs), including Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, which serves the York Outer constituency, to ensure that they commission services meet the needs of their local population.

If he will take steps to improve the frequency of cancer statistics releases.

Cancer waiting times data is published on a monthly basis on the NHS.UK website. There are no plans at present to change the frequency of publication.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) support adults with autism in York Outer constituency.

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 support services for autistic people, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The NICE guideline, Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management, aims to improve access and engagement with interventions and services, and the experience of care, for autistic adults.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to improve outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. This guidance will help ICBs and the National Health Service to improve outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance sets out what support should be available before an assessment, and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism based on the available evidence. This includes setting out specific considerations for developing post-diagnostic support.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for elective procedures.

Patients are waiting too long to access the care they need, with the total waiting list standing at over 7.5 million. Last week we saw the welcome news that waiting lists have fallen. Since we ended the strikes, we have been ramping up delivery of the 2 million additional appointments that we committed to deliver (which is equivalent to 40,000 per week). The investment delivered by the Chancellor in last month’s Budget will be matched with the reform our NHS needs, to get patients treated faster.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of battery energy storage systems.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have a key role in cost-effectively decarbonising the power sector by 2030. They help to balance the electricity system at lower cost by maximising the output from intermittent low carbon generation (such as solar and wind) and minimising both network upgrades and the need for new infrastructure. The Department’s analysis indicates that short-duration flexibility offered by technologies including battery storage, could support up to 24,000 jobs (1) and reduce energy system costs by up to £10bn per year by 2050 (2) through minimising the need for new peaking generation and network assets. [1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5dc589f8e5274a4f497bc49f/energy-innovation-needs-assessment-smart-systems.pdf[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f57aade90e0764cd98a0a3/smart-systems-appendix-i-electricity-system-flexibility-modelling.pdf

What estimate her Department has made of demand for nursery spaces in York Outer constituency.

The department published management information data on the expansion to early childcare entitlements on 17 October 2024. This includes the number of eligibility codes issued to parents of children aged nine months to two years old for the autumn term 2024, as of 13 October. Data shows that at a local authority level, there were 1,348 new codes issued in York. This data is not available at constituency level.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to conduct a review into local authorities’ pre-application processes.

The National Planning Policy Framework stresses the importance of good quality pre-application discussions between local planning authorities and applicants, and the role that these can play in improving outcomes. The Government strongly encourages local planning authorities to utilise best practice guidance for pre-application engagement and planning performance agreements published by the Planning Advisory Service.The King’s Speech announced that the Government would introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery. This will include measures to modernise planning committees in order to improve decision making. Further details will be announced in due course.I look forward to working with colleagues during the passage of the Bill and would be happy to receive representations on our proposals from my hon Friend and honourable members.

Communities and Local Government, if she will meet the hon. Member for York Outer to discuss reforms to speed up the planning process.

The National Planning Policy Framework stresses the importance of good quality pre-application discussions between local planning authorities and applicants, and the role that these can play in improving outcomes. The Government strongly encourages local planning authorities to utilise best practice guidance for pre-application engagement and planning performance agreements published by the Planning Advisory Service.The King’s Speech announced that the Government would introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery. This will include measures to modernise planning committees in order to improve decision making. Further details will be announced in due course.I look forward to working with colleagues during the passage of the Bill and would be happy to receive representations on our proposals from my hon Friend and honourable members.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Future Home Standard on National Grid capacity.

The Government is committed to expanding the electricity network to support the Clean Energy Superpower mission and is working closely with Ofgem and industry to mobilise the required investment at the scale and pace required. Price controls set by Ofgem ensure network companies are investing in infrastructure build, as well as smart management of network assets, to ensure the network has sufficient capacity . This includes accommodating increasing numbers of households adopting electric heating, solar generation and EV charging, both through future standards for new build properties and retrofit of the existing housing stock.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) the dementia diagnosis rate and (b) the provision of specialist care services for those living with dementia in York Outer constituency.

The Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (HNY ICB) is in the process of setting up a pilot with the York West Outer Primary Care Network, as one of the lowest recorded diagnosis rates, to trial a primary care diagnosis pathway to improve dementia diagnosis rates.This would mean that a general practitioner with special interest in dementia, together with already commissioned Dementia Coordinators and with support from nurses in the memory assessment service in the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, can work through a caseload of individuals on the current waiting list for assessment, and provide a more timely diagnosis without the need for specialist secondary care intervention. The intention is that this will help reduce the current waiting times for assessment in the core specialist service, and increase the diagnosis rates in those practices.In addition to this, the HNY ICB is working with City of York Council and a number of local voluntary, community and social enterprise partners to offer a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to pre and post diagnostic support for people living with dementia and their carers, through a Dementia Community Support Model.

What steps her department is taking to improve the protection for people who have experienced (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) disability discrimination at work.

The Equality Act 2010 provides strong protection by prohibiting direct and indirect discrimination by an employer against a disabled employee because of disability. The Act also prohibits harassment of an employee by their employer for reasons related to their disability.The 2010 Act additionally places a reasonable adjustment duty on employers that could be relevant, for example, to how duties are allocated or to how a promotion exercise is conducted. For example, ensuring internal job application forms are accessible to visually impaired employees and job interviews are accessible to the deaf or hard of hearing.Although bullying is not expressly prohibited in legislation, this unacceptable behaviour can manifest as unlawful harassment. Additionally, employees are protected from constructive dismissal in the employment rights legislation, where bullying can feature in the lead up to dismissal.Where disabled employees, as defined under the 2010 Act, feel that they have been unfairly treated, they may discuss their concerns with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), which provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website (http://www.acas.org.uk) and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.