Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of NHS provision of specialist ME or chronic fatigue syndrome services; and if she will take steps to increase the number of clinicians who specialise in ME or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), provides funding for research projects which aim to understand the underlying causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and find new treatments for the condition. As part of this, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council have funded the world’s largest genome-wide association study of ME/CFS. This £3.2 million study, termed DecodeME, will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME/CFS to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes, or an increased risk of developing the condition. By helping us to understand ME/CFS better, this research has the potential to lead to new treatments for the condition.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning specialist ME/CFS services that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on ME/CFS diagnosis and management, published in October 2021. In addition, in October 2023, the British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS published the ME/CFS National Services Survey. This report provides insight into the services being delivered for adults, children, and young people with ME/CFS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department (a) has and (b) plans to provide funding for new treatments for ME or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), provides funding for research projects which aim to understand the underlying causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and find new treatments for the condition. As part of this, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council have funded the world’s largest genome-wide association study of ME/CFS. This £3.2 million study, termed DecodeME, will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME/CFS to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes, or an increased risk of developing the condition. By helping us to understand ME/CFS better, this research has the potential to lead to new treatments for the condition.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning specialist ME/CFS services that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on ME/CFS diagnosis and management, published in October 2021. In addition, in October 2023, the British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS published the ME/CFS National Services Survey. This report provides insight into the services being delivered for adults, children, and young people with ME/CFS.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the British Overseas Territories on tackling tax evasion in those territories.

Answered by David Rutley

British Overseas Territories (OTs) with financial centres are committed to meeting international standards on tax transparency. They have committed to adhere to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Inclusive Framework and Global Forum standards, including the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting minimum standards. Officials in HM Treasury and FCDO have a programme of regular engagement with OTs to discuss implementation of these standards and wider international tax policy. For example, since Easter 2024, such discussions have taken place with Anguilla, Cayman, Gibraltar, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on making funding available to Leeds City Council to ensure the continuation of Little Owls nursery provision.

Answered by David Johnston

The department funds local authorities to deliver the early years entitlements. Local authorities are then responsible for funding early years providers at a local level, setting individual provider funding rates in consultation with their providers and schools forum, and fund providers using their local funding formula.

Local authorities receive their government funding via the early years block of the Dedicated Schools Grant. For 2024/25, Leeds local authority’s indicative allocation for delivering the early years entitlements is £96,966,731, which has increased from £63,075,651.

The department maintain a regular dialogue with local authorities, who are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Leeds City Council has not informed the department of any current sufficiency issues in its area.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the news release entitled Myanmar: Military Forcibly Recruiting Rohingya, published by Human Rights Watch on 9 April 2024.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan

We are concerned by credible reports of forcible detention and recruitment of the Rohingya by the Myanmar military. This has the potential to further stoke inter-communal tensions. In April, the UK convened the UN Security Council to raise concern over the escalating conflict in Rakhine State. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will continue to use all of our multilateral channels to maintain a spotlight on the situation in Rakhine.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to implement tariffs on vehicles produced in China.

Answered by Greg Hands

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consular support is in place to assist Indians with British citizenship when they are visiting India.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We would not normally provide consular support to a dual British national living or travelling in the country of their other nationality. In countries which recognise and permit dual-nationality, we would consider an exception if someone is vulnerable and we have human rights or humanitarian concerns. Some countries, such as India, do not recognise dual nationality so providing consular assistance to a British/Indian dual national may not be possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating education on islamophobia in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to tackling all forms of prejudice, including religious prejudice, and education is a key component of building a fairer and more equal society.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, there are many opportunities in the existing curriculum for schools to teach about islamophobia, including through:

• Citizenship education, which is compulsory at key stages 3 and 4, and teaches about religious diversity, mutual respect and understanding.
• Relationships education, which is compulsory in all schools, and teaches about the impact of prejudice and the importance of respect.
• Religious education, which is compulsory in all state-funded schools, and educates about religious tolerance.

The department’s ‘Educate Against Hate’ campaign also provides teachers, school leaders and parents with guidance, advice and trusted resources to help them safeguard students from radicalisation and build students’ resilience to all forms of extremism. Further information can be found here: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.

The government will keep the effectiveness of this approach under review and will consider the issue further in the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing mandatory education on antisemitism in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to tackling antisemitism and all forms of prejudice. Education is a key component of building a fairer and more equal society.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, there are many opportunities in the existing curriculum for schools to teach about antisemitism, including through:

• Citizenship education, which is compulsory at key stages 3 and 4, and teaches about religious diversity, mutual respect and understanding.
• Relationships education, which is compulsory in all schools, and teaches about the impact of prejudice and the importance of respect.
• Religious education, which is compulsory in all state-funded schools, and educates about religious tolerance.

Young people should be taught the history of the Holocaust. Effective Holocaust education, and learning about other genocides, supports pupils to learn about the possible consequences of antisemitism and other forms of extremism and to help reduce the spread of antisemitism, religious intolerance and other forms of intolerance and extremism.

The department has been supporting greater understanding of the Holocaust by providing funding to the Holocaust Educational Trust to provide the Lessons from Auschwitz programme, and to UCL Centre for Holocaust Education which provides a programme of continuing professional development for teachers.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the impact on Brazil’s GDP of floods in the Rio Grande do Sul region.

Answered by David Rutley

I [Minister Rutley] visited Brazil in May, where I met with Rio Grande do Sul's representative to Brasilia, Henrique Pires, to discuss the impact of the floods, and how the international community can support. The UK has supported an allocation of £193,000 through the Start Fund to provide humanitarian aid in response to the flooding in Brazil and are working with British companies in Brazil to support their donation efforts. His Majesty The King has written to President Lula to offer his condolences. We are in regular communication with the Brazilian authorities to understand the evolving economic and environmental impact of the floods.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Houthis extending attacks on shipping to the wider Indian Ocean.

Answered by David Rutley

The UK is using the full range of diplomatic, economic and military tools at our disposal to pressure the Houthis to stop their reckless and indiscriminate attacks on international shipping and degrade their capabilities. We urge them and those who enable them to cease their attacks and avoid any further escalations, including in the Indian Ocean.

We and our allies continue to condemn the Houthi's attacks. We will continue to stand up for freedom of navigation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recent arrest of three men charged with aiding the Hong Kong Intelligence Service.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan

On Monday 13 May, three people were charged with offences under the National Security Act as part of an investigation led by officers from the Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command. The foreign intelligence service to which the charges relate is that of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As the investigation remains ongoing, we will not comment further in relation to this case.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer on 15 May 2024 to Question 25226 on Hospices: Children, what factors she plans to take into account when considering the future of the NHS Children's Hospice Grant beyond 2024-25.

Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

The Government is committed to the long-term sustainability of high-quality palliative and end of life care for all children and young people. The Children's Hospice Grant ended in 2023/24. NHS England has, however, once again provided £25 million of funding for children’s hospices for 2024/25, which will be distributed via integrated care boards as part of the Service Development Fund, in line with the move to wider National Health Service devolution. NHS England is currently considering the future of this funding stream beyond 2024/25.

NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of their local population.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2024 to Question 25226, on Hospices: Children, when she plans that consideration of the future of the NHS Children's Hospice Grant beyond 2024/25 will be concluded.

Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

The Government is committed to the long-term sustainability of high-quality palliative and end of life care for all children and young people. The Children's Hospice Grant ended in 2023/24. NHS England has, however, once again provided £25 million of funding for children’s hospices for 2024/25, which will be distributed via integrated care boards as part of the Service Development Fund, in line with the move to wider National Health Service devolution. NHS England is currently considering the future of this funding stream beyond 2024/25.

NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of their local population.

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