Written questions by Green.

What data his Department holds on average waiting times for (a) cases to be assigned and (b) decisions by the Pensions Ombudsman.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Operating Model Review in reducing waiting times at The Pensions Ombudsman over the past year.

The Pensions Ombudsman’s (TPO) Operating Model Review (OMR) has delivered record case closures in both 2024/25 and 2025/26. Key changes introduced through the OMR include ensuring that individuals complete the formal complaints process with their pension provider before approaching TPO; introducing expedited decision-making that closes cases with clear outcomes earlier in the process, reducing waiting times in these cases by as much as 18 months; and adopting a lead case approach where a structural issue with a pension scheme affects multiple members. By continuing to implement operational innovations and utilising new resource from DWP, TPO will sustain its efforts to reduce case waiting times, which I recognise remain too long.

What assessment his department has made of the American '988' Suicide and Crisis Lifeline model, and whether there are plans to develop a similarly integrated crisis line here.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

What proportion of the additional revenue raised through the application of VAT to independent school fees has been allocated to addressing funding gaps in maintained schools.

Ending the tax breaks previously enjoyed by private schools raises essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as the £1.7 billion increase to core school funding in 2026/27, meaning an increased total of £67 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.

Whether her Department plans to introduce retrospective funding for schools that met special educational needs support costs during periods when Education, Health and Care Plan assessments were delayed by local authorities beyond the statutory deadline.

Mainstream schools are currently expected to meet the costs of supporting their pupils with special educational needs (SEN), up to £6,000 per pupil per annum. When the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEN exceed that £6,000 threshold, the local authority should allocate additional top-up funding to cover the excess costs. This funding comes from the authority’s high needs budget. This may follow a statutory assessment producing an education, health and care (EHC) plan, though local authorities have the discretion to provide high needs funding to schools for pupils without an EHC plan, including those whose EHC needs assessment has been delayed.Following the publication of the Schools White Paper, we are consulting on a range of reforms to enable mainstream schools to be inclusive of children with SEN, and are providing £4 billion over the next three years to prioritise early intervention and drive forward the reforms.

What estimate she has made of the number of people subject to the loan charge who will have their cases settled following the independent review of the loan charge.

The Government accepted all but one of the independent review’s recommendations and in some cases we are going further. We are legislating a generous new settlement opportunity that will help those who have not yet settled to do so. Most individuals could see reductions of at least 50% in their outstanding loan charge liabilities, and an estimated 30% of individuals could have these liabilities written off entirely.

What assessment she has made of the consistency of the implementation of anti-bullying guidance in schools.

Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensure that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area but is also considered as part of the personal development and wellbeing and safeguarding evaluation areas.To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers which will guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying and actions to focus on prevention.

Whether the Department plans to make anti-bullying training mandatory for school staff.

Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensure that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area but is also considered as part of the personal development and wellbeing and safeguarding evaluation areas.To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers which will guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying and actions to focus on prevention.

Whether she plans to update guidance on handling complaints in children's social care.

Departmental officials will be meeting with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to better understand issues with the complaints process, but at present we are not planning to update the complaints guidance. We will, however, publish updated statutory guidance on advocacy services for children, who are making complaints, this year.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of court backlogs on health outcomes for prisoners held on remand.

The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record and rising open caseload of nearly 80,000 criminal cases waiting to be heard in the Crown Court and too many victims waiting years for justice. That is why the Government commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to conduct an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. On 2 December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a major programme of court reform to tackle these unacceptable delays and restore confidence in the criminal justice system. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve timeliness and efficiency in our criminal courts, we also asked Sir Brian to review court operations and make recommendations designed to boost court efficiency in Part 2 of his review. We are awaiting that report in the New Year and will look to act on its recommendations.We are committed to working with our health partners to ensure that people in prison including those on remand have access to an equivalent standard, range and quality of health care in prisons to that available in the wider community to support their health outcomes. This is reflected in the National Partnership Agreement on Health and Social Care in England. This includes access to a range of treatments and interventions within prison as set out in the national service specification for mental health care in prisons.For prisoners with severe mental health needs, the Mental Health Act (2025) received Royal Assent in December and contains several flagship reforms to improve access to mental health care and treatment, including, but not limited to, provisions to:Introduce a new statutory 28-day time limit for transfers from prison and other places of detention to hospital to reduce unnecessary delays experienced by prisoners who require mental health treatment.Stop courts temporarily detaining people with severe mental illness in prison as a ‘place of safety’ whilst awaiting a hospital bed for treatment or assessment under the Mental Health Act; andEnd the use of remand for own protection under the Bail Act where the court’s sole concern is the defendant’s mental health.We will implement these reforms as soon as it is safe to do so.The Sentencing Bill, currently being considered before parliament, introduces a package of amendments to the Bail Act (1976), which, alongside the presumption to suspend short sentences of 12 months or less, will help to address the unsustainable growth in the prison remand population.

Communities and Local Government, whether the proposals in the Strengthening Leaseholder Protections Over Charges and Services consultation are intended to apply to event fees in retirement villages.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 95245 on 5 December 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made towards publishing a formal Government response to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.

The government is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report including in relation to specialist accommodation for older people. The government is consulting on changes to the NPPF, including proposed changes to support the delivery of specialist forms of accommodation such as housing for older people. The consultation is open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to require retirement housing operators to provide leaseholders with more detailed annual reporting on how management fees, including any surplus or excess sums, are spent or retained.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 95245 on 5 December 2025.

What clinical monitoring arrangements are in place for prisoners who have been on hunger strike for more than 14 days.

Healthcare services in the prison estate are commissioned by NHS England. All prison healthcare providers are commissioned and contracted to use National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and have pathways of care in place for people refusing food and/or fluid. If a person requires hospital care this will also be available and facilitated.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS services make reasonable adjustments to accommodate additional need when treating children with (a) SEND and (b) level 3 autism.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring that National Health Services are accessible for everyone, including for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and those who are autistic. In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, public sector organisations must implement reasonable adjustments to enhance accessibility for disabled individuals. All organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard.A key initiative being rolled out is the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag, supported by e-learning for health and care staff. The flag helps healthcare and social care providers identify and implement necessary reasonable adjustments for people, including any adjustment needs relevant to their SEND or autism, and supports provision of appropriate care.NHS England has published a range of guidance to support tailored care provision. Guidance on Meeting the Needs of Autistic Adults in Mental Health Settings highlights the need for tailored support for autistic individuals facing mental health difficulties, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/meeting-the-needs-of-autistic-adults-in-mental-health-services/Guidance on health and care passports sets out how passports should record a person’s health and care information, such as communication preferences, supporting consistent, and tailored care. Further information on this guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/health-and-care-passports-implementation-guidance/Furthermore, under the Health and Care Act 2022, all Care Quality Commission registered providers are required to ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disability and autism, appropriate to their role. The Government is rolling out its preferred package, the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, to the health and adult social care workforce.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that clinical staff working in neighbourhood health teams have adequate expertise in Parkinson’s Disease.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s homes to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, and this could include staff with expertise in Parkinson’s care.While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will also give significant licence to localities to tailor their approach to local need. Integrated care boards will, therefore, develop workforce models to reflect local population needs, with flexibility for neighbourhoods to design teams that fit their demographics and health priorities.

What the average waiting time was for the diagnosis of a neurological condition in the last 12 months.

The Department does not hold data specifically on the time taken to reach a confirmed diagnosis of a neurological condition. There is no national dataset that measures the exact time from referral to confirmed diagnosis, as pathways vary by condition and may involve multiple tests and consultations.We recognise the importance of timely diagnosis and remain committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard for 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029. We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring lists and waiting times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard.Additionally, by expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases, including specialist diagnostic assessments, for patients with neurological conditions.

If he will make it his policy to publish regular reports on workforce numbers in neurological services.

The Department has no plans to publish regular reports specifically on workforce numbers in neurological services.However, NHS England already publishes monthly data on the National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Service workforce in England. This includes data on doctors working in specialities that support neurological services who are employed by NHS provider trusts and integrated care boards.A time series containing recent data, including selected preliminary statistics for August 2025, can be found within the July 2025 publication of statistics, within the file NHS Workforce Statistics, July 2025 Doctors by Grade and Speciality. Within this file, the full-time equivalent numbers of doctors working in specialities that come under neurological services are available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statisticsThere are many other professions who are key to the delivery of neurological services, such as nurses, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists. However, the data published on these professions is not detailed enough to show the service delivery area which these professions work in.

What estimate he has made of the number of clinical specialists in Parkinson's disease that will need to be recruited in each of the next five years.

No specific assessment has been made.

If his Department will publish detailed independent workforce modelling ahead of publication of the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

The Government is committed to updating workforce modelling which will be set out in and alongside the 10 Year Workforce Plan when it is published in spring 2026. As we develop the modelling for the 10 Year Workforce Plan, it will be supported by external independent scrutiny.