Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mary Glindon this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 313 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of removing Sport England as a statutory consultee in planning decisions involving playing fields on youth participation in sport.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026.
Whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of amending the business rates framework to allow licensed betting offices to qualify for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief on the same basis as other gambling leisure premises.
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026. Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted. The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Autumn Budget 2025 on licensed betting offices; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the classification of betting shops for business rates purposes, including their eligibility for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief.
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026. Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted. The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
What comparative assessment her Department has made of the equity of eligibility for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief of licensed betting offices and other gambling leisure premises, including adult gaming centres and bingo halls.
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026. Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted. The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Autumn Budget 2025 on licensed betting offices; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the classification of betting shops for business rates purposes, including their eligibility for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief.
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026. Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted. The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of community sports initiatives on (a) public health outcomes and (b) crime.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity. Community sports initiatives can have a wide range of benefits, including promoting social inclusion, tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, and delivering improvements to physical and mental wellbeing. The benefits to individual wellbeing through sport and physical activity are valued at £106.9 billion a year, and the wider value to society through savings to the health and care system is £15.9 billion a year.In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.
What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the exclusion of licensed betting offices from Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief, including the consistency with other gambling leisure premises.
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026. Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted. The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2025 on further education provision for people aged between 16 and 24 in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.
The Autumn Budget 2025 made available more than £1.5 billion over the Spending Review period for investment in employment and skills support through the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes fully funding SME apprenticeships for eligible people under 25, alongside changes to make the apprenticeship system simpler and more efficient. £725 million of this total package will deliver the next phase of the Growth and Skills offer, invested through expanding foundation apprenticeships, launching a pilot to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year. This investment will support people of all ages across the country, including in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2025 on further education provision for people over the age of 24 in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.
The Autumn Budget 2025 made available more than £1.5 billion over the Spending Review period for investment in employment and skills support through the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes fully funding SME apprenticeships for eligible people under 25, alongside changes to make the apprenticeship system simpler and more efficient. £725 million of this total package will deliver the next phase of the Growth and Skills offer, invested through expanding foundation apprenticeships, launching a pilot to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year. This investment will support people of all ages across the country, including in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend.
What steps he is taking to ensure NHS workforce planning in England is (a) independent and (b) regular.
We have committed to publishing regular workforce planning. This will start with the 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will include updated workforce modelling and its underlying assumptions when published in spring 2026. The updated workforce modelling will be supported by independent external scrutiny to assess and test it.
If he will take steps to establish a centralised dataset on localised ADHD assessment waiting times.
The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support.For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD assessment waiting times at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan. Data is now released each quarter with the latest release in August 2025. Data on ADHD waiting times at an integrated care board (ICB) level is not currently held centrally. NHS England has released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving data quality and publishing more localised data. NHS England intends to publish data at an ICB level in 2026/27. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD, and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring that the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism consults with people with lived experience across different regions such as the North East.
The independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism will appoint an advisory working group. This will be a multidisciplinary group of leading academics, clinicians, epidemiological experts, charities and people with lived experience to directly shape the recommendations and scrutinise the evidence.Ahead of launching the independent review, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, held discussions with a range of mental health, ADHD, and autism stakeholders on the scope of the review.As this is an independent review, it is therefore for the Chair and vice-chairs to consider who to consult and the relevant forums for engagement, that are relevant to deliver the terms of reference set by the Department.
Whether the workforce modelling used as the basis for the 10 Year Workforce Plan will be independent; and whether the results of that modelling will be independently assessed and tested.
We have committed to updating workforce modelling which will be set out in and alongside the 10 Year Workforce Plan when published in spring 2026. This will be supported by external scrutiny to independently assess and test it.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of holding regional public consultation events as part of the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.
The independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism will appoint an advisory working group. This will be a multidisciplinary group of leading academics, clinicians, epidemiological experts, charities and people with lived experience to directly shape the recommendations and scrutinise the evidence.Ahead of launching the independent review, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, held discussions with a range of mental health, ADHD, and autism stakeholders on the scope of the review.As this is an independent review, it is therefore for the Chair and vice-chairs to consider who to consult and the relevant forums for engagement, that are relevant to deliver the terms of reference set by the Department.
What steps she is taking to improve accessibility to higher education for people with progressive neurological conditions such as Friedreich’s ataxia.
This government is committed to ensuring that all students are supported to both access higher education (HE) and to thrive while they are there. For example, in our recent Skills White Paper we committed to significantly increasing the take-up of the Adjustment Planner. This allows all individuals to go through the support that they think would be right for them and discuss this with the people they are studying with.It also remains the case that HE providers have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students.Wherever possible, disabled students should expect to have their needs met through inclusive learning practices and individual reasonable adjustments made by their provider.In addition to reasonable adjustments, the Disabled Students’ Allowance is available for the provision of more specialist support. For students with progressive neurological conditions, such as Friedreich’s ataxia, this may include assistive technology.
Pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 70441 on Health Services: Disadvantaged, what his Department's planned timescale is for the publication of an (a) impact statement and (b) equalities impact assessment for the 10-Year Health Plan.
We expect these documents to be published shortly.
If he will make an estimate of the number of people with Parkinson's in the Employment and Support Allowance Support Group.
As of May 2025, there were 2,000 claimants in the Employment and Support Allowance Support Group with the main disabling condition 'Parkinson’s disease or syndrome’. In the same month, there were 300 claimants in the Employment and Support Allowance Support Group with the main disabling condition ‘Parkinsonism’. Data is based on primary medical condition as recorded on the ESA computer systems. Claimants may have multiple disabling conditions on which their entitlement is based but only the primary condition is available for statistical purposes and shown in these statistics.
If he will take steps to introduce interim access to omaveloxolone for Friedreich’s Ataxia patients.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licensed medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources.NICE is unable to make a recommendation about the use in the NHS of omaveloxolone for treating Friedreich's ataxia in people aged 16 years old and over. This is because the company, Biogen, withdrew its evidence submission. NICE will review its decision if the company decides to make a new submission. Further information can be found at the following link:www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta11431NHS England does not fund medicines where the company has not engaged with NICE. This is to avoid a potential pathway for circumventing the NICE appraisal process.
What steps he is taking to improve accessibility to (a) education and (b) healthcare for people with progressive neurological conditions such as Friedreich’s Ataxia.
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Friedreich’s ataxia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, and these include: getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. In February we published the fourth England action plan reporting on progress.NHS England has revised the national service specification for specialised neurology, which now includes an annex providing greater clarity for neurology sub-specialties. This includes the categories of both movement disorders and neurogenetics, into which Friedreich’s ataxia falls. Every specialised National Health Service neurology centre could and should see patients with Friedreich’s ataxia.The NHS England Genomics Education Programme has also developed a range of educational resources for healthcare professionals. This includes a Knowledge Hub page on Friedreich ataxia, including information on presentation, diagnosis, management, and links for clinicians to further resources, which is available at the following link:https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/genotes/knowledge-hub/friedreich-ataxia/
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of flavoured vapes on tobacco smoking cessation.
The youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that vape flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, we recognise that vape flavours can also be a consideration for adult smokers seeking to quit smoking.That is why it is important we strike the balance between restricting vape flavours to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst ensuring vapes remain available for adult smokers as a smoking cessation tool.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes regulation making powers to limit vape flavours, to reduce the appeal to children. Before laying any regulations in Parliament, we will undertake a full public consultation to ensure we get this balance right and consider the views of a range of stakeholders. We will publish thorough impact assessments to accompany any future regulations, including future flavour restrictions. These assessments will consider the international evidence available.In October 2025, we launched a call for evidence to gather information on flavours and substances in vaping, nicotine, and tobacco products, aiming to better understand the role and risks of flavourings and ingredients. The call for evidence also seeks to identify where efforts to control flavours have been effective or not.Adult smokers will still be able to access vapes as well as alternative methods to support them to stop smoking. Vapes are commonly used alongside behavioural support within local Stop Smoking Services.