Written questions by Morrison.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that survivors of child sexual abuse (a) receive support in a timely manner and (b) are assured that support will be provided.

The Home Office recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors, including men and boys, receive better care and support.As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across Government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse.This year the Home Office is doubling funding for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, to a total investment of £2.59 million in the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund. This includes funding for support helplines, in-person and remote counselling, group support, and training for professionals working with victims.We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.In line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair of the National Inquiry into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, once appointed, will play a central role in shaping the inquiry’s Terms of Reference. These will be published in draft and consulted on with stakeholders, including victims and survivors, before being finalised. The Inquiry will have full statutory powers to investigate systemic and institutional failings wherever they are found.

What discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on the introduction of medals for emergency service personnel injured in the line of duty.

Any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within policing and emergency services personnel. The creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.The Home Office will continue to consider proposals for new awards for members of the emergency services. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by the emergency services, and it is important to make sure this is considering fully and carefully to ensure any changes are proportionate and effective.

Whether he made a comparative assessment of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers with and other hydrogen (a) storage and (b) transport methods to inform the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

The Government continues to review the range of potential hydrogen carriers, including liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), and their role in the long-distance transport, storage and trade of hydrogen. Our ongoing assessment highlights the need for further research, demonstration and learning from deployment in order to optimise carrier options, whilst ensuring environmental and safety concerns have been fully considered and mitigated. This assessment will help to inform the potential of hydrogen carriers in enabling hydrogen deployment and their contribution to delivering the infrastructure needed to unlock hydrogen’s role in clean power, providing new home-grown energy and good jobs in our industrial heartlands.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including the adequacy of support services for adult survivors of child sexual abuse in the terms of reference for the planned independent inquiry into grooming gangs announced on 16 June 2025.

In line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair of the National Inquiry into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, once appointed, will play a central role in shaping the inquiry's Terms of Reference. These will be published in draft and consulted on with stakeholders, including victims and survivors, before being finalised. The Inquiry will have full statutory powers to investigate systemic and institutional failings wherever they are found. Where the Inquiry finds evidence of potential criminal wrongdoing, it will provide the material to the relevant police force for investigation.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of support services available to male survivors of child sexual abuse; and what plans she has to help improve those support services through (a) changes to her Department's (i) policies and (ii) guidance on safeguarding and (b) the terms of reference for the forthcoming inquiry into grooming gangs announced on 16 June 2025.

The Home Office recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors, including men and boys, receive better care and support.As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across Government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse.This year the Home Office is doubling funding for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, to a total investment of £2.59 million in the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund. This includes funding for support helplines, in-person and remote counselling, group support, and training for professionals working with victims.We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.In line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair of the National Inquiry into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, once appointed, will play a central role in shaping the inquiry’s Terms of Reference. These will be published in draft and consulted on with stakeholders, including victims and survivors, before being finalised. The Inquiry will have full statutory powers to investigate systemic and institutional failings wherever they are found.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all NHS Trusts allow accompaniment in any meeting where disciplinary action or dismissal is a potential outcome.

It is a statutory requirement that all workers are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague or a trade union representative or official at any disciplinary hearing. This right applies to all National Health Service staff and is set out in the handbook to the NHS Constitution for England.Where the outcome of a hearing could result in the worker’s professional career being put at risk, they can request to be accompanied by a legal representative.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that Freedom to Speak Up mechanisms within NHS Trusts are (a) effective and (b) independent; and what procedures are in place for NHS Trusts that retaliate against staff who make protected disclosures.

The national Freedom to Speak Up policy, produced by NHS England, provides the minimum standard for local freedom to speak up policies across the National Health Service, so those who work in the NHS know how to speak up and what will happen when they do. This includes information on how to raise concerns internally, such as through the local Freedom to Speak Up Guardian network, as well to external bodies such as NHS England or the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care services in England.The Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended, gives employees protection against unfair dismissal and all workers a right not to be subject to any detriment in employment, on the basis that the worker has made a protected disclosure. Where this right is breached, employees and workers have a right to seek a remedy through an employment tribunal.The Government is also taking forward legislative change so that the Health and Care Professions Council can operate a barring mechanism for NHS board-level managers and their direct reports within this Parliament. This will help to ensure leaders are held professionally accountable for their work, just like their clinical colleagues.

Whether his Department has considered implementing a humanitarian sponsorship or visa scheme for critically ill children from Gaza.

The United Kingdom continues to take additional immediate steps to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including working urgently to get some of the critically ill and injured children medically evacuated from Gaza. Further details about that process are set out in the Written Statement my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care made on 1 September, available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-09-01/hcws899The Government is not currently considering implementing a bespoke visa route for Palestinians fleeing Gaza to come to the UK. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available which allow a person to apply to work, study, settle, or join family in the UK.

What discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) ICBs to help prevent NHS Trusts from operating outside (i) best practice guidelines, (ii) Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Codes, (iii) internal HR policies and (iv) not protecting their staff's (A) rights and (B) well-being.

All National Health Service trusts are independent employers who are required to comply with employment legislation and any relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes. Human resource policies and procedures are developed locally and should follow best practice guidance which may include model HR policies developed by NHS England and the national Social Partnership Forum’s Workforce Issues Group.The handbook to the NHS Constitution for England summarises some important legal rights for all employees and includes a range of best practice pledges which, although not legally binding, represent a commitment by the NHS to provide high-quality working environments for staff.As part of the 10 Year Health Plan, we will also work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the potential impact of Myalgic encephalomyelitis on the economy.

We recognise the negative impact that myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has on patients and their loved ones, and also the cost to health and care services and the wider economy through, for example, loss of work and an increased benefits bill. We, therefore, recently published the ME/CFS final delivery plan, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.There are currently no plans to allocate new or ring-fenced funding specifically to support the implementation of the ME/CFS final delivery plan. However, we continue to commission research on ME/CFS services across the United Kingdom, focussing on the most severely affected. The plan includes increased funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, into how existing medicines can be used for post-viral conditions, including ME/CFS. Additionally, there are always opportunities for researchers to bid for and secure research funding for ME/CFS through our open research funding calls.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed International Tuition Fee Levy on the global competitiveness of higher education and research in England.

The immigration White Paper sets out a series of measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, while maintaining the UK’s globally competitive offer to international students and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting our skills base.This includes the commitment to explore the introduction of a levy on higher education provider income from international students, with proceeds to be reinvested in the domestic higher education (HE) and skills system. The department will engage with the HE sector on the design of the international student levy and wants to understand providers’ views on this work.

Whether her Department has a planned timeline for consultation on the proposed International Tuition Fee Levy; and which higher education institutions she has (a) met with and (b) plans to meet with in the future in relation to that proposal.

The immigration White Paper sets out a series of measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, while maintaining the UK’s globally competitive offer to international students and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting our skills base.This includes the commitment to explore the introduction of a levy on higher education provider income from international students, with proceeds to be reinvested in the domestic higher education (HE) and skills system. The department will engage with the HE sector on the design of the international student levy and wants to understand providers’ views on this work.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential financial impact of the proposed International Tuition Fee Levy on English Universities.

The immigration White Paper sets out a series of measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, while maintaining the UK’s globally competitive offer to international students and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting our skills base.This includes the commitment to explore the introduction of a levy on higher education provider income from international students, with proceeds to be reinvested in the domestic higher education (HE) and skills system. The department will engage with the HE sector on the design of the international student levy and wants to understand providers’ views on this work.

What steps his Department is taking with (a) the World Health Organization and (b) other regional health partners to establish medical corridors for the treatment of critically ill children from Gaza.

I refer the Hon. Members to My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s Written Statement to the House on 1 September 2025, available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-09-01/hcws899

What mechanisms exist at a national level to prevent the misuse of performance management tools within NHS Trusts.

All National Health Service trusts are independent employers and are required to comply with employment legislation and relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes. Local human resources (HR) policies and procedures should follow best practice guidance, which may include model HR policies developed nationally.At a national level, safeguards also exist to help prevent the misuse of performance management tools. The NHS Constitution commits employers to fair and supportive treatment of staff. The Care Quality Commission’s inspection framework includes workforce culture and governance, which can highlight poor practice. Every trust is required to have a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, giving staff a confidential route to raise concerns. The annual NHS Staff Survey provides transparency on staff experience and fairness, enabling action to be taken where concerns are identified.In 2025, NHS England also published the expectations of line managers in relation to people management, alongside the launch of the NHS Management and Leadership Programme to ensure that NHS leaders and managers at all levels meet the standards and competencies expected of them, have access to professional development and support, and that the NHS continues to attract, develop and retain the best talent while strengthening public confidence in NHS leadership.

Whether his department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) delays of over 12 months for diagnoses to secure medication and (b) temporary inability to work until that medication is secured on (i) the economy and (ii) the NHS.

We have not made such an assessment on the impact of delays to diagnoses to secure medication or on the impact of patients waiting for medication being out of work.It is a priority of the Government to bring down National Health Service waiting lists. As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. Where clinically appropriate, treatment will include medication.Most patients will require one or more diagnostic test as part of their care. While most patients will receive a diagnostic test within weeks, there remain too many patients waiting in excess of six weeks. In June 2025, the period of the latest published data, 21.3% of patients waiting for a diagnostic test had been waiting for six weeks or more.One of the reasons it is so important we focus on bringing down waiting lists for patients to receive treatment they need, including medication, is to allow them to continue with their day-to-day activities and employment. The Joint Work and Health Directorate is collaborating with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to improve the evidence on the relationship between health and labour market outcomes.The ONS plans to link NHS waiting times data, to which they recently acquired access, to Census, Department for Work and Pensions Benefits and HM Revenue and Customs Pay As You Earn records to analyse the relationship between waiting time duration, for various health conditions and procedures, and labour market outcomes such as employment status, gross pay and benefit receipt in England. ONS will confirm in due course when related analysis will be made available.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for psychiatric diagnoses in Greater Manchester.

Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services.We are also delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers for children and adults by the end of this Parliament. We are more than halfway towards this target, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.Responsibility for commissioning of mental health services sits with integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the role of local ICBs to consider what mental health services are needed for their populations and include the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups and local authorities.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of long-term (a) mental health and (b) trauma-informed support for (i) adult survivors of child sexual abuse and (ii) adult survivors of child sexual abuse who disclose as an adult.

Protecting and supporting child and adult victims and survivors of sexual abuse is a core priority for NHS England, delivered through a network of 48 specialist sexual assault referral centres across the country.NHS England has established local pathfinder projects for enhanced trauma-informed mental health support for sexual abuse victims and survivors with the most complex needs. There is now dedicated enhanced mental health support in five of the seven commissioning regions.NHS England is currently working in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the National Network of Designated Healthcare Professionals to refresh the paediatric elements of the current specification that sets out what care should be provided to survivors, alongside a parallel review of the adult specification. This will ensure both pathways deliver consistent, high-quality support and equitable access to services for all survivors, regardless of age.Furthermore, NHS Talking Therapies offer psychological and talking therapies approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, such as counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, for adults in England with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.Individuals experiencing these conditions, including victims of sexual violence and rape, can access these therapies via their general practitioner, or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service. Details on how to do so are available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will consider the potential merits of establishing an (a) Ombudsman service and (b) similar government-supported body to support park home owners.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025.

Whether his Department has considered introducing temporary (a) medical visas and (b) emergency sponsorship routes for critically ill children from Gaza requiring urgent medical treatment in the UK.

I refer the Hon. Members to My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s Written Statement to the House on 1 September 2025, available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-09-01/hcws899