Written questions by Perteghella.

Whether Integrated Care Boards will be required to provide sustainable funding for successful pilot projects on Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders so that they can become regional centres of excellence.

NHS England has provided up to £1.5 million a year for the five current Type 1 Disordered Eating pilots for three years. This funding is transferred to integrated care boards on an annual basis and in 2025/26 has been ringfenced.Decisions on funding for future years have yet to be taken.

Whether NHS England plans to introduce a mental health assessment to the annual care check for people with type 1 diabetes.

The National Health Service does not currently have any plans to introduce a mental health assessment to the annual care check for people with type 1 diabetes or to embed mental health support into all diabetes clinics to provide emotional wellbeing for people with type 1 diabetes.NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for producing clinical guidelines and quality standards for diabetes care.The current NICE guideline for type 1 diabetes diagnosis and management states that members of diabetes professional teams should be alert to the symptoms of depression and anxiety, have the appropriate skills to provide basic management and arrange prompt referral to specialists where an individual’s mental health interferes significantly with their wellbeing or self-management. The guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/resources/type-1-diabetes-in-adults-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-1837276469701

What plans NHS England has to embed mental health support into all diabetes clinics to provide emotional wellbeing for people with type 1 diabetes.

The National Health Service does not currently have any plans to introduce a mental health assessment to the annual care check for people with type 1 diabetes or to embed mental health support into all diabetes clinics to provide emotional wellbeing for people with type 1 diabetes.NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for producing clinical guidelines and quality standards for diabetes care.The current NICE guideline for type 1 diabetes diagnosis and management states that members of diabetes professional teams should be alert to the symptoms of depression and anxiety, have the appropriate skills to provide basic management and arrange prompt referral to specialists where an individual’s mental health interferes significantly with their wellbeing or self-management. The guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/resources/type-1-diabetes-in-adults-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-1837276469701

What steps his Department is taking to (a) scope and (b) support the development of (i) moderated online, (ii) in-person and (iii) other models of peer support networks for people with Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders (T1DE).

NHS England works in close partnership with national charities and organisations that support people living with type 1 diabetes, including by facilitating and supporting peer support opportunities.For example, NHS England has collaborated with Diabetes UK, Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes and people with lived experience, to produce The Six Principles of Good Peer Support for People Living with Type 1 Diabetes statement which aims to promote the standards required for peer support to both clinicians and those who are looking to access peer support opportunities. These are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/the-six-principles-of-good-peer-support-for-people-living-with-type-1-diabetes/Diabetes UK also runs the Together Type 1 Programme which aims to create a supportive environment where young people can connect with others who understand the challenges of living with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes UK also has a network of regional teams that facilitate local peer support groups and activities. More information on the programme is available at the following link:https://www.diabetes.org.uk/support-for-you/community-support-and-forums/type-1-youth-programme

If his Department will take steps with (a) diabetes and (b) eating disorder charities to support national campaigns tackling (i) stigma and (ii) media representation of Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders.

The national diabetes programme works closely with charity partners including Diabetes UK who take a multi-pronged approach to reducing stigma experienced by those with all types of diabetes. This includes raising awareness of the complex and serious nature of type 1 diabetes, including type 1 disordered eating (T1DE), providing support to those that experience stigma, and supporting research into stigma and how it can be reduced or prevented. NHS England is partnering with the National Institute for Health and Care Research to deliver a qualitative evaluation of the five current T1DE pilot sites. A core element of this approach has been engagement with service users to understand their experiences of having the condition, both before and during their involvement with the T1DE service. The National Diabetes Experience Survey led by NHS England is a further mechanism for understanding the experiences of those living with type 1 diabetes, including T1DE, to inform national and local approaches to improvement. In response to feedback on the experiences of people of all ages who live with diabetes, NHS England published the guide, Language Matters: language and diabetes, for health care professionals which sets out the good practice principles for interactions with people living with diabetes including around reducing stigma. The guide is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/language-matters-language-and-diabetes/

Whether the NHS Workforce Plan will include measures to (a) recruit, (b) train, and (c) retain mental health professionals with specialism in Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders (T1DE).

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. To support this, the Department and NHS England will be engaging with key stakeholders to ensure that the needs of different patient groups and relevant health professionals are reflected in this work.

What steps his Department is taking to improve training for (a) GPs and (b) other healthcare practitioners to (i) recognise and (ii) manage Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders (T1DE).

The standard of training for healthcare professionals is the responsibility of the independent professional regulators, who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses and universities to write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the outcome standards. Post-graduate training curricula is set by the relevant Royal College. Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all emphasise the skills and approaches a healthcare practitioner must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients, including for type 1 diabetes with disordered eating.Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

What steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders among healthcare professionals in diabetes and eating disorder services.

NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.Pilot sites are delivering a national high level service specification alongside testing local novel approaches to improving care including to awareness raising of the condition amongst both diabetes and eating disorder health care professionals. A national evaluation is currently underway to assess the impact of the five current pilot services. NHS England will review the evaluation findings to understand further opportunities to promote awareness of T1DE amongst healthcare professionals beyond the five pilot areas.NHS England works alongside its partners to support the delivery of key messages around diabetes education and awareness. This includes through a digital diabetes platform which is developing educational resources for T1DE.

What discussions he has had with social media companies on moderating (a) pro–eating disorder material and (b) misinformation relating to (i) diabetes and (ii) body image.

No discussions have been held with social media companies by the Department.Under the Government’s Online Safety Act, all in-scope services are now required to protect their users from illegal content, and platforms likely to be accessed by children need to prevent their users from accessing eating disorder content.We are working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ofcom and others as the Online Safety Act takes effect. This includes exploring further opportunities to address harmful pro-eating disorder material and misinformation shared on social media and websites.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating a national framework that includes risk screening tools for use in clinical practice to help prevent Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders (T1DE).

NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.Pilot sites are delivering a national high level service specification alongside testing local novel approaches to improving care including to awareness raising of the condition amongst both diabetes and eating disorder health care professionals.A national evaluation is currently underway to assess the impact of the five current pilot services. NHS England will review the evaluation findings to understand further opportunities to promote awareness of T1DE amongst healthcare professionals.NHS England works alongside its partners to support the delivery of key messages around diabetes education and awareness. This includes through a digital diabetes platform which is developing educational resources for T1DE.No assessment has been made of the merits of creating a national framework.

If she will take steps to help deliver (a) reliable and (b) timetabled bus services for (i) school and (ii) college students in (A) Stratford-on-Avon constituency and (B) Warwickshire.

The Government knows how important reliable and affordable bus services are in enabling people to access education, and is committed to delivering better buses throughout the country, including for school and college students. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of our ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England. As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people.  Warwickshire County Council was allocated £8.7 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers.

Whether her Department is considering the potential merits of extending concessionary bus fare schemes to people aged 19 to 25 in (a) encouraging public transport use and (b) establishing long-term sustainable travel habits.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding the eligibility criteria to people aged 19-25, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.The government is committed to delivering better bus services and growing patronage, and as part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 25/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Warwickshire County Council has been allocated £8.7 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for 19-25 years olds.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the planned termination of the Minor Eye Conditions Service in Coventry and Warwickshire from 1 November 2025 on (a) GP workloads, (b) A&E workloads, (c) patient outcomes and (d) meeting the objectives of the NHS Long Term Plan to (i) expand community-based care and (ii) reduce unnecessary hospital attendances.

The responsibility for the delivery, implementation and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioner. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients.

Whether customer account closures made while complaints remain unresolved by the Financial Ombudsman Service must be reported to (a) the Financial Conduct Authority, (b) the Financial Ombudsman Service and (c) any other regulatory body.

In June 2025, the Government legislated to introduce stronger protections for customers in cases of bank account closure. The measures we have introduced extend the minimum notice period of termination from two months to 90 days and place a new requirement on banks and other providers to give a sufficiently detailed and specific explanation to the customer so they understand why their service is being terminated, subject to certain exceptions. Where providers give a notice of termination to a customer, they must advise the customer on how they can make a complaint and of any right they may have to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). These changes will take effect for relevant new contracts from 28 April 2026. Guidance on implementing requirements would be a matter for the relevant regulators.The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules on how the FOS should handle complaints state that ‘The ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage’. A number of factors may affect the time it takes for the FOS to resolve complaints that are referred to it. In 2023-2024, the FOS resolved over half of its cases within three months.

What guidance her Department has issued for banks on reporting customer account closures while complaints remain unresolved by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

In June 2025, the Government legislated to introduce stronger protections for customers in cases of bank account closure. The measures we have introduced extend the minimum notice period of termination from two months to 90 days and place a new requirement on banks and other providers to give a sufficiently detailed and specific explanation to the customer so they understand why their service is being terminated, subject to certain exceptions. Where providers give a notice of termination to a customer, they must advise the customer on how they can make a complaint and of any right they may have to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). These changes will take effect for relevant new contracts from 28 April 2026. Guidance on implementing requirements would be a matter for the relevant regulators.The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules on how the FOS should handle complaints state that ‘The ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage’. A number of factors may affect the time it takes for the FOS to resolve complaints that are referred to it. In 2023-2024, the FOS resolved over half of its cases within three months.

If she will take steps to ensure consumers have access to redress where firms fail to comply with decisions of the Financial Ombudsman Service by (a) creating a compensation fund and (b) strengthening enforcement powers.

Businesses that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are required by its rules to co-operate with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), including by complying with any determination that it may make, if that determination is accepted by the complainant. If a regulated firm fails to comply with a FOS determination, the FOS may refer the firm to the FCA. This may result in the FCA taking further action against firms who fail to comply with the FCA’s rules. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 provides the FCA with a range of powers to ensure relevant firms comply with its rules, and to act where firms fail to comply. The government is content that this legislative framework is appropriate and that the FCA has the right tools available to enable it to take action when firms do not comply with regulations. The FOS does not have powers to directly enforce its determinations through legal proceedings, as its role is to act as an alternative to the courts. However, once the FOS’s determination is accepted by the complainant, it becomes binding on the firm. If a firm fails to comply with a determination, a complainant can enforce it through the courts. This does not require the merits of the case to be considered again by the court. In cases where a firm fails to comply with a decision due to it failing, affected complainants may be eligible to claim compensation through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Financial Conduct Authority’s powers to sanction regulated firms that fail to comply with decisions of the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Businesses that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are required by its rules to co-operate with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), including by complying with any determination that it may make, if that determination is accepted by the complainant. If a regulated firm fails to comply with a FOS determination, the FOS may refer the firm to the FCA. This may result in the FCA taking further action against firms who fail to comply with the FCA’s rules. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 provides the FCA with a range of powers to ensure relevant firms comply with its rules, and to act where firms fail to comply. The government is content that this legislative framework is appropriate and that the FCA has the right tools available to enable it to take action when firms do not comply with regulations. The FOS does not have powers to directly enforce its determinations through legal proceedings, as its role is to act as an alternative to the courts. However, once the FOS’s determination is accepted by the complainant, it becomes binding on the firm. If a firm fails to comply with a determination, a complainant can enforce it through the courts. This does not require the merits of the case to be considered again by the court. In cases where a firm fails to comply with a decision due to it failing, affected complainants may be eligible to claim compensation through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

How many patients over 25 in (a) Coventry and Warwickshire and (b) Stratford-on-Avon constituency are on waiting lists for ADHD (i) assessment and (ii) treatment.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.On 29 May, NHS England published management information on ADHD waiting lists at a national level for the first time, as part of its ADHD data improvement plan.NHS England has released technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waiting list data and publishing more localised data in future, and has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services. This information is being used to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.NHS England also established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later this year.

How many people in (a) England, (b) Warwickshire and (c) the Stratford-on-Avon District Council area sold their homes to pay for care costs in the most recent year for which data is available.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold data on the number of individuals who have sold their homes to pay for care costs.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of involvement in UK nuclear weapons testing programmes between 1952 and 1991 on the long-term health of veterans.

This Government recognises the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to national security and is committed to working with Veterans and listening to their concerns. We have amended the criteria for the commemorative Nuclear Test Medal and are examining unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority. The protection, health and welfare of those involved in the atmospheric tests was a vital consideration, as shown by the detailed documented safety measures and radiobiological monitoring that took place during the operations. An independently conducted longitudinal study of Nuclear Test Veterans who took part in the UK military nuclear test programme between 1952 to 1967, has been analysed four times over several decades. All analyses have consistently demonstrated that total cancer and mortality rates amongst Nuclear Test Veterans are aligned with those serving contemporaneously in the UK Armed Forces who did not participate in the testing programme and were lower than for the general population. Those who participated in the nuclear test programme and feel they were negatively impacted are able to apply to the War Pensions Scheme for compensation.