Written questions by Gill.

What progress has been made in establishing Regional Health Innovation Zones as part of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Work to establish Regional Health Innovation Zones is ongoing. Given the cross-cutting nature of the policy, spanning health, research, local government, and economic systems, significant engagement and careful policy design are essential before any Regional Health Innovation Zones can be formally established.Officials have conducted substantial internal engagement across Government departments and with NHS England to build out the conceptual model and ensure it is aligned with wider strategic priorities. Substantial engagement with local government, National Health Service systems, and industry will happen in due course.

What consideration has been given to the West Midlands and Birmingham as an early Regional Health Innovation Zone.

Regional Health Innovation Zones will be selected using a fair and open bidding process.Initially, two to three regions with strong existing life sciences assets, including data assets, research infrastructure, Health Innovation Networks, industry footprints, and local government support, and a clear plan for how to use the designation will be selected as trailblazers.Further information on the process and timelines for how regions can secure zone designation will be shared in due course, once finalised, to ensure a fair and transparent opportunity for all interested areas.

What steps his Department is taking to improve early intervention for strokes.

The Department recognises the importance of early access to treatment in the event of a stroke. We have committed to improving ambulance response times for category 2 incidents, which includes strokes, from 30 to 25 minutes on average in 2026/27.The National Health Service is also working to increase the delivery of thrombolysis and thrombectomy rates as a key intervention to support improved patient outcomes.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of stroke rehabilitation provision across England; and what steps are being taken to reduce regional disparities in access to specialist rehabilitation services for stroke survivors.

The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities, and foster innovation where it is needed most.The National Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS) Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home. NHS England continues to provide the national clinical leadership needed to transform services so there is less fragmented provision, moving from separate delivery of early supported discharge and separate community stroke teams to integrated teams delivering the ICSS model.

What steps he is taking to improve access to radiotherapy for cancer patients in the West Midlands.

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients have access to timely diagnosis and treatments, including those in the West Midlands.Radiotherapy is vital in cancer care, and it remains a key priority for the Government to provide the highest quality of treatment available. We have invested £70 million of central funding into new radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These newer machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen over the same period.Responsibility for purchasing new machines sits at the local level. Local providers have been allocated £15 billion in operational capital for local priorities, and £5 billion to support a return to constitutional standards on waiting times. We expect local systems to use this capital to deliver further investment into new radiotherapy equipment, to meet local needs, including for patients in the West Midlands.Through the National Cancer Plan, we are modernising cancer services, expanding the workforce and tackling inequalities in access, so that all patients receive high-quality care regardless of where they live.

What steps he is taking to ensure timely access to mental health services for stroke survivors and their families.

The National Health Service Integrated Community Stroke Service model sets out that rehabilitation should begin as soon as the patient is medically stable, often within 24 to 72 hours following discharge. Rehabilitation should be tailored to the individual's needs, focusing on regaining independence, improving mobility, and managing cognitive or emotional changes.Access to community-based stroke rehabilitation services has increased across England, for instance access to Early Supported Discharge/community stroke teams has increased from 64.5% in October 2024 to 67.5% in September 2025.NHS England is supporting improvements through funding for 20 Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks and the Stroke Quality Improvement for Rehabilitation network, embedded in each NHS England region.

What steps he is taking to improve support for stroke survivors and their families during the transition from hospital to home.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community.The National Stroke Service Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of using the Government Statistical Service categories in the Government's response to the consultation on ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting on the risk of legal challenge relating to the inclusion of Sikhs and Jews as distinct ethnicity options.

Public bodies usually collect ethnicity data in line with the ethnicity harmonised standard, which is developed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The current harmonised standard for ethnicity data does not include specific “Sikh” and “Jewish” categories for a person’s ethnic group. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is independent of government, is currently running a public consultation which seeks to review the harmonised standard to ensure it meets the needs of both data users and respondents. The views of Sikh and Jewish communities are being carefully considered as part of the review. We will monitor its progress and consider its findings closely. We published the government response to the consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting on 25 March. The majority of respondents (77%) agreed with the proposal in the consultation that large employers should collect ethnicity data using the GSS harmonised standards for ethnicity. The legislation being developed will provide flexibility if the list of ethnicity classifications of the harmonised standard is updated following the review.

Whether Gender Pay Gap Reporting will use biological sex.

We recognise that the terms “male”, “female”, “men” and “women” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a person’s biological sex, and that this has implications for the guidance provided on gender pay gap reporting. As currently set out on the “Preparing your data” guidance page, we are reviewing the relevant section of this guidance to ensure it is accurate. Further updates on this will be provided shortly.

What information his Department holds on the number of women who are employed by companies with more than 250 employees.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 25th March is attached.

When she plans to respond to the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill: mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation which closed on 10 June 2025.

As set out in our manifesto and in the King’s Speech in July 2024, the government is committed to introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers. Ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting will provide transparency to help employers identify and reduce pay inequalities. Good progress has been made in developing the policy and legislative approach to ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting following the public consultation last year. We will publish the government response to the ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation soon.

Whether an eligible individual can receive the Warm Homes Discount if there is no name on their energy bill but only the address.

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a rebate on energy bills, credited directly to the energy account by the energy supplier. A recipient of a means tested benefit (or their partner or nominee) needs to be named on the energy account, on the qualifying date for that winter, to be eligible. We expect around 6m households to have received a WHD rebate this winter. Someone who is not named on the bill may still receive support through WHD Industry Initiatives, for example through the Warm Home Discount Park Homes scheme.

If he will make an assessment of the number of people eligible for the Warm Homes Discount who do not have their name on their energy bill.

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a rebate on energy bills, credited directly to the energy account by the energy supplier. A recipient of a means tested benefit (or their partner or nominee) needs to be named on the energy account, on the qualifying date for that winter, to be eligible. We expect around 6m households to have received a WHD rebate this winter. Someone who is not named on the bill may still receive support through WHD Industry Initiatives, for example through the Warm Home Discount Park Homes scheme.

For complaints investigations in the Child Maintenance Service that lasted longer than 15 working days, what percentage of complainants received written confirmation of this delay in the last year.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) complaint data information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.The CMS complies with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complaints service standard, to aim to resolve complaints or set a resolution plan within 15 working days. Where a complaint is complex and requires more time, the CMS will inform the complainant within this period of the next steps and when a response can be expected. The CMS regularly reviews complaint data, including insights from the Independent Case Examiner, to identify key themes and trends, which they use to drive improvements to the complaint handling process. Furthermore, lessons learned are regularly presented to operational teams, supporting them to deliver effective interventions at the initial stage of the complaint and thereby improve the overall customer experience. The CMS remains focussed on taking pro-active steps to improve the customer experience, developing its customer service strategy to focus on improving current and future service throughout the customer journey.

How many complaints to the Child Maintenance Service were resolved (a) within 15 working days, (b) between 15-20 working days, (c) between 20-30 working days and (d) after 30 working days in each year since 2021.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) complaint data information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.The CMS complies with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complaints service standard, to aim to resolve complaints or set a resolution plan within 15 working days. Where a complaint is complex and requires more time, the CMS will inform the complainant within this period of the next steps and when a response can be expected. The CMS regularly reviews complaint data, including insights from the Independent Case Examiner, to identify key themes and trends, which they use to drive improvements to the complaint handling process. Furthermore, lessons learned are regularly presented to operational teams, supporting them to deliver effective interventions at the initial stage of the complaint and thereby improve the overall customer experience. The CMS remains focussed on taking pro-active steps to improve the customer experience, developing its customer service strategy to focus on improving current and future service throughout the customer journey.

What steps he is taking to help improve complaint response times from the Child Maintenance Service.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) complaint data information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.The CMS complies with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complaints service standard, to aim to resolve complaints or set a resolution plan within 15 working days. Where a complaint is complex and requires more time, the CMS will inform the complainant within this period of the next steps and when a response can be expected. The CMS regularly reviews complaint data, including insights from the Independent Case Examiner, to identify key themes and trends, which they use to drive improvements to the complaint handling process. Furthermore, lessons learned are regularly presented to operational teams, supporting them to deliver effective interventions at the initial stage of the complaint and thereby improve the overall customer experience. The CMS remains focussed on taking pro-active steps to improve the customer experience, developing its customer service strategy to focus on improving current and future service throughout the customer journey.

Whether complaints to the Child Maintenance Service that are time-sensitive to payment deadlines are prioritised.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) complaint data information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.The CMS complies with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complaints service standard, to aim to resolve complaints or set a resolution plan within 15 working days. Where a complaint is complex and requires more time, the CMS will inform the complainant within this period of the next steps and when a response can be expected. The CMS regularly reviews complaint data, including insights from the Independent Case Examiner, to identify key themes and trends, which they use to drive improvements to the complaint handling process. Furthermore, lessons learned are regularly presented to operational teams, supporting them to deliver effective interventions at the initial stage of the complaint and thereby improve the overall customer experience. The CMS remains focussed on taking pro-active steps to improve the customer experience, developing its customer service strategy to focus on improving current and future service throughout the customer journey.

What evidence his Department submitted to the Office for National Statistics' review of the ethnicity harmonised standard, including in relation to the recording of Sikhs and Jewish people as ethnic groups.

An initial response to the public consultation is due to be published in April, followed by a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026. This report will include all formal responses to the consultation, and the names of the organisations that responded.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what evidence her Department submitted to the Office for National Statistics' review of the ethnicity harmonised standard, including in relation to the recording of Sikhs and Jewish people as ethnic groups.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was made aware of the Government Statistical Service's public consultation on the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection in the UK. The FCDO did not submit a response given the domestic focus of the consultation.

Pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2026 to question 117378, what evidence her Department submitted to the Office for National Statistics' consultation regarding possible changes to the standard for ethnicity categories, including in relation to the recording of Sikhs and Jewish people as ethnic groups.

The Department for Transport submitted no evidence to the Office for National Statistics’ formal consultation regarding views on whether additional tick-box response options are required for a new ethnicity harmonised standard. The Department contributed evidence at an earlier stage, providing data on the detailed responses provided by respondents to the National Travel Survey who had selected an ‘other’ ethnic background category and were subsequently asked how they would describe themselves.