Written questions by Vickers.

What discussions he has had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding the transparency of customer service access routes offered by large digital companies.

My Department regularly meets with the Competition and Markets Authority, but has not recently discussed transparency of customer service access routes offered by large digital companies. Legislation provides the redress rights for consumers. Beyond this, the government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities as this is a commercial decision.

What data his Department holds on consumer complaints relating to the inability to contact a human representative when seeking to resolve disputes.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily. But we know some people face real barriers. That’s why government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. Legislation provides the redress rights for consumers. Beyond this, the government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities as this is a commercial decision. However, we encourage key private sector services important to people’s daily lives – like banking, utilities and online shopping – to prioritise inclusive digital services and government remains committed to working with industry and the voluntary sector to explore opportunities to align.

What assessment he has made of the impact of automated customer service systems, including chatbots and AI-based systems, on consumers’ ability to exercise their statutory rights.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily. But we know some people face real barriers. That’s why government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. Legislation provides the redress rights for consumers. Beyond this, the government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities as this is a commercial decision. However, we encourage key private sector services important to people’s daily lives – like banking, utilities and online shopping – to prioritise inclusive digital services and government remains committed to working with industry and the voluntary sector to explore opportunities to align.

How dementia care will be reflected in revisions to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

The Government has been clear that the 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan was undeliverable and based on outdated models of care. We have committed to publishing a new 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. 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. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different service areas.

Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of trends in consumer satisfaction with customer service provision across key regulated sectors.

Access to customer service channels is not something that has been raised recently by my Department or the consumer groups and representative bodies we regularly meet. My Department regularly reviews research, and notes that the most recent UK Customer Satisfaction Index found 83.2% of customer experiences were right first time, the highest recorded since the UKCSI has been running (2008).

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that reliance on automated customer service systems does not impede consumers’ ability to make complaints or seek redress.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily. But we know some people face real barriers. That’s why government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. Legislation provides the redress rights for consumers. Beyond this, the government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities as this is a commercial decision. However, we encourage key private sector services important to people’s daily lives – like banking, utilities and online shopping – to prioritise inclusive digital services and government remains committed to working with industry and the voluntary sector to explore opportunities to align.

What recent discussions he has had with major digital service providers regarding access to non-automated customer service channels.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily. But we know some people face real barriers. That’s why government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. Legislation provides the redress rights for consumers. Beyond this, the government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities as this is a commercial decision. However, we encourage key private sector services important to people’s daily lives – like banking, utilities and online shopping – to prioritise inclusive digital services and government remains committed to working with industry and the voluntary sector to explore opportunities to align.

What discussions he has had with integrated care boards on commissioning specialist dementia support services.

Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia and frailty will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care. The commission is underway and phase one will report this year. The Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and frailty. It will support this by setting national standards for dementia and frailty care and redirecting National Health Service and adult social care priorities to provide the best possible care and support. In developing the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services, which may include specialist dementia support services, based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of increased AI deployment in customer-facing services for consumer protection online.

The Government aims for the UK to be a global leader in AI, using our strengths in AI to boost growth, productivity and consumer benefits. Safe and trustworthy deployment is central to this.We are taking action to support the UK’s AI assurance market and enable consumers to be confident that the services they use will work as intended. This includes establishing an £11 million AI Assurance Innovation Fund to support the development of new, innovative assurance techniques for the most capable AI systems, launching the new Centre for AI Measurement at the National Physical Laboratory, and convening a consortium of stakeholders to work towards a future AI assurance profession.

What steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of achalasia among general practitioners and relevant hospital specialists.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases through the UK Rare Diseases Framework. One of the priorities of the framework is improving awareness of all rare diseases, including Achalasia, among healthcare professionals. In England, we published the fifth action plan updating on the progress of this priority of the UK Rare Diseases Framework on 27 February 2026.The NHS National Genomics Education Programme provides information to health care professionals through the online resource GeNotes. Since launching in 2022, GeNotes has expanded to 12 specialties, and more than 150 rare diseases. New diseases continue to be added.Information for families on Achalasia is available on the National Health Service website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/achalasia/

What estimate he has made of average diagnostic times for achalasia.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. As a first step to achieving this, we exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans and appointments in our first year of government, having delivered 5.2 million more appointments. We are also committed to transforming diagnostic services and are supporting the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to bring down the size of the list and reduce waiting times. We know that there is more to do and that is why we have set a national target in the Medium Term Planning Framework. For any key diagnostic test, no more than 14% of patients will wait longer than six weeks as the end of March 2027, with a target for all providers to ensure by March 2029 that 1% or less of patients wait beyond six weeks. Diagnosis of achalasia usually requires oesophageal manometry, which most large secondary care gastro/endoscopy units can provide. General monthly diagnostic data is accessible at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-data-2025-26/ There is no NHS dataset on a national level that reports waiting times specifically for oesophageal manometry, as this test is not included in NHS England’s DM01 Monthly Diagnostics Waiting Times collection. As a result, no national average or benchmark is published as waiting times can only be obtained at a local level.

What measures have been introduced to help reduce levels of workload-related stress for teachers.

The department monitors the relationship between workload and wellbeing through the ‘Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders’ study. Wave 4 shows improved wellbeing across all Office for National Statistics-validated personal wellbeing measures in 2025.In comparison with previous waves, average life satisfaction, happiness and feelings of life being worthwhile all increased, while average anxiety decreased. Teachers and leaders also reported working fewer hours on average since 2022. Teacher and leader wellbeing measures, however, remain lower when compared with the wider population in England.Measures to help reduce workload and work-related stress, such as the Improve Workload and Wellbeing service, are accessible at: https://improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff.education.gov.uk/. We also support teachers to use technology, including artificial intelligence, to streamline tasks and reduce unnecessary workload.Over 4,300 settings have signed up to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which sets out commitments from the department, Ofsted, schools and colleges to promote wellbeing. The department also signposts to Education Support’s free 24-hour helpline, and funds a mental health lead resource hub which includes tools to help address sources of stress, accessible at: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.We are tackling the wider pressures on teachers and leaders. The Child Poverty Strategy, the introduction of our strategy for 'Giving every child the best start in life', reform to children’s social care, and the expansion of access to specialist mental health professionals will enhance teachers’ day-to-day experience and strengthen their ability to deliver.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of levels of teacher workload on their mental health.

The department monitors the relationship between workload and wellbeing through the ‘Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders’ study. Wave 4 shows improved wellbeing across all Office for National Statistics-validated personal wellbeing measures in 2025.In comparison with previous waves, average life satisfaction, happiness and feelings of life being worthwhile all increased, while average anxiety decreased. Teachers and leaders also reported working fewer hours on average since 2022. Teacher and leader wellbeing measures, however, remain lower when compared with the wider population in England.Measures to help reduce workload and work-related stress, such as the Improve Workload and Wellbeing service, are accessible at: https://improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff.education.gov.uk/. We also support teachers to use technology, including artificial intelligence, to streamline tasks and reduce unnecessary workload.Over 4,300 settings have signed up to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which sets out commitments from the department, Ofsted, schools and colleges to promote wellbeing. The department also signposts to Education Support’s free 24-hour helpline, and funds a mental health lead resource hub which includes tools to help address sources of stress, accessible at: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.We are tackling the wider pressures on teachers and leaders. The Child Poverty Strategy, the introduction of our strategy for 'Giving every child the best start in life', reform to children’s social care, and the expansion of access to specialist mental health professionals will enhance teachers’ day-to-day experience and strengthen their ability to deliver.

What discussions his Department has had with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on the potential impact of a modern service framework for respiratory conditions on the UK’s life sciences ecosystem, including the scaling up of the adoption of new medicines and innovations for lung conditions.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.

What is the timeline for determining the second wave of Modern Service Frameworks, and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including respiratory conditions.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.

What assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Stockton West constituency compared with the national average; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a modern service framework for respiratory care.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. Data for Stockton West is shown in the table.Activity in English National Health Service Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sectorWestminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence (Office for National Statistics)2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025, provisional)Stockton West12151025England608,449423,588Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department of Health And Social Care Fingertips website. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority and integrated care board level. Information for Stockton on Tees is available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory

What steps he has taken to help support the training and operation of Parkinson's specialist health workforce.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). The curricula for postgraduate specialty training are set by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for foundation training, and by individual royal colleges and faculties for specialty training. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. The Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, including specialists across the full scope of National Health Service care. It will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including those with Parkinson’s disease, when they need it. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will deliver that change by making sure that staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, twice-yearly meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s. The forum has identified areas for initial focus, including workforce, which featured as a key item on the agenda at the second meeting of the forum in September 2025.

What steps he is taking to retain healthcare professionals specialising in Parkinson’s disease.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). The curricula for postgraduate specialty training are set by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for foundation training, and by individual royal colleges and faculties for specialty training. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. The Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, including specialists across the full scope of National Health Service care. It will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including those with Parkinson’s disease, when they need it. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will deliver that change by making sure that staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, twice-yearly meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s. The forum has identified areas for initial focus, including workforce, which featured as a key item on the agenda at the second meeting of the forum in September 2025.

Media and Sport, what steps is her Department taking to help reduce the barriers preventing young people from engaging with grassroots cycling organisations.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support partnerships between schools and grassroots cycling clubs to increase participation in physical activity among pupils.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.