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Written Question
Hate Crime: Disability
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to promoting awareness of the grounds for reporting appearance-related abuse or harassment as a disability-related hate crime, including on public transport.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We have a robust legislative framework to respond to hate crimes which target disability. We expect the police to fully investigate these appalling offences and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

The Government is pleased to see the overall reduction in police-recorded hate crime in the year ending March 2023, including a 1% reduction in disability hate crime compared with the previous year. However, any instance is one too many and we remain absolutely committed to ensuring these appalling offences are stamped out.

We do not have a specific category of “appearance-related abuse” in the current legal framework, however criminal offences can be prosecuted as hate crimes when immediately, before, during or after the offence was committed the offender demonstrated hostility towards the victim based upon the victim’s actual or perceived disability, or where the offence was motivated by such hostility.

Our absolute priority is to get more police onto our streets, cut crime, protect the public and bring more criminals to justice. We are supporting the police by providing them with the resources they need. We delivered our commitment to recruit an additional 20,000 officers by March 2023 and there are now over 149,000 officers in England and Wales, which is higher than the previous peak in March 2010 before the Police Uplift Programme.


Written Question
Public Sector: Artificial Intelligence
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence, in its work to improve lives and the delivery of public services, will consider the needs of people with facial palsy, as they may lack the full range of facial expressions.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The incubator for Artificial Intelligence focuses primarily on early stage piloting of AI based productivity improvements. We do not currently have any work in the pipeline that involves facial recognition, but we recognise the need for government services to be fully inclusive.

All Government Departments are required by our Service Standard to provide support via alternative channels for all their online services that are available to citizens. Our Roadmap for Digital and Data focuses on enabling the confident and responsible use of AI to improve efficiency and services including accessibility requirements.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Screening
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 1 February (HL1933), what progress they have made on reducing variation in breast screening services since 2019.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Breast Screening Programmes were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some breast screening offices took the decision to pause services temporarily to support the pandemic response. All breast cancer screening services have now recovered from the pandemic, and have no backlog of people waiting to be screened.

Increasing uptake and reducing health inequalities remains paramount as part of the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to directly support early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Regional commissioners are working closely with cancer alliances and cancer charities to develop uptake plans which address their specific populations needs.


Written Question
Facial Palsy
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government where the overall responsibility for patients with facial palsy sits within the NHS.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Care for people with facial palsy may be delivered by a number of specialties, depending on its cause. Facial palsy will often present in primary care, and if there are additional concerning features, the patient may be referred directly to the hospital as an emergency, where they may be looked after by medical or stroke teams. Rehabilitation professionals may be needed to support recovery.

Facial palsy without additional features is often managed in general practice. If time and treatment does not result in a satisfactory outcome, then the patient should be referred to a hospital, to be reviewed by a neurologist and other members of the team as needed, for example speech and language therapists, psychologists, or neurosurgeons.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Screening
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 1 February (HL1933), what are the agreed efficiency standards following restoration of breast screening services since the COVID-19 pandemic; how this decision was made; and by whom.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The standards for breast screening include an acceptable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 70%, and an achievable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 80%. Full details about the changes to breast screening standards before and after COVID-19, are available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Screening
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 1 February (HL1933), what were the agreed efficiency standards for breast cancer screening prior to the restoration of services since the COVID-19 pandemic; and what are the agreed efficiency standards now.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The standards for breast screening include an acceptable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 70%, and an achievable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 80%. Full details about the changes to breast screening standards before and after COVID-19, are available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.


Written Question
Facial Palsy: Health Services
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to respond to the survey by Facial Palsy UK published on 1 March, and if so when; and what assessment they have made of the fact that nearly 90 per cent of respondents called for a clearer understanding of which type of specialist provides care for patients with facial palsy.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Disability within the Equality Act 2010 is not defined through each specific condition, but rather in general terms. The general definition of disability, for the purposes of the act, is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

A person with facial paralysis or facial palsy may experience difficulties with communication, which may have a substantial and long-term effect, in accordance with the act. The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with health conditions such as Bell’s palsy.

We have made it clear to local commissioners that we expect NHS Talking Therapies to be integrated into physical healthcare pathways. Our NHS Long Term Plan commits to an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion of mental health services by 2024, so that an additional two million people, including those with Bell’s palsy, can access National Health Service-funded mental health support. The Department received Facial Palsy UK’s survey on pathways of care for people with facial palsy on 27 February 2024. We will reply as soon as possible.


Written Question
Facial Palsy: Mental Health Services
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what specialist provision is available for “further support or counselling if there are emotional consequences of persistent facial paralysis or paresis”, as mentioned in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for Bell’s palsy referral.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Disability within the Equality Act 2010 is not defined through each specific condition, but rather in general terms. The general definition of disability, for the purposes of the act, is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

A person with facial paralysis or facial palsy may experience difficulties with communication, which may have a substantial and long-term effect, in accordance with the act. The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with health conditions such as Bell’s palsy.

We have made it clear to local commissioners that we expect NHS Talking Therapies to be integrated into physical healthcare pathways. Our NHS Long Term Plan commits to an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion of mental health services by 2024, so that an additional two million people, including those with Bell’s palsy, can access National Health Service-funded mental health support. The Department received Facial Palsy UK’s survey on pathways of care for people with facial palsy on 27 February 2024. We will reply as soon as possible.


Written Question
Facial Palsy and Paralysis: Disability
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether (1) facial paralysis, and (2) facial palsy, are primarily recognised as a disability of communication.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Disability within the Equality Act 2010 is not defined through each specific condition, but rather in general terms. The general definition of disability, for the purposes of the act, is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

A person with facial paralysis or facial palsy may experience difficulties with communication, which may have a substantial and long-term effect, in accordance with the act. The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with health conditions such as Bell’s palsy.

We have made it clear to local commissioners that we expect NHS Talking Therapies to be integrated into physical healthcare pathways. Our NHS Long Term Plan commits to an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion of mental health services by 2024, so that an additional two million people, including those with Bell’s palsy, can access National Health Service-funded mental health support. The Department received Facial Palsy UK’s survey on pathways of care for people with facial palsy on 27 February 2024. We will reply as soon as possible.


Written Question
Integrated Care Boards
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of integrated care board performance reports; and what discussions they have had with NHS England concerning that matter.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department undertakes regular discussion with NHS England on the performance and oversight of the integrated care boards (ICBs). Statutory ICBs were established on 1 July 2022 and since then they have made real progress in understanding the health needs of their populations, setting out their plans, developing the infrastructure needed for collaboration, and bringing health and social care organisations together to serve the needs of their communities.

NHS England conducted an annual performance assessment of the ICBs for the 2022/23 financial year, from July 2022 to March 2023, and published the guidance Annual assessment of integrated care boards 2022-23: supporting guidance, for the ICBs. While conducting the assessments, NHS England considered how successfully each ICB: led the National Health Service within its integrated care system (ICS); performed its statutory functions; delivered on guidance set out by NHS England or my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding its functions, with a particular focus on the objectives set out in the priorities and operational planning guidance; and contributed to each of the four fundamental purposes of an ICS, which are improving population health and healthcare, tackling unequal outcomes and access, enhancing productivity and value for money, and helping the National Health Service support broader social and economic development.

These annual assessments included an assessment of how well the ICB performed the following specific duties, required under the terms of the NHS Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Care Act 2022:

- the duty to improve the quality of services;

- the duty to reduce inequality of access and outcome;

- the duty to take appropriate advice;

- the duty to facilitate, promote, and use research;

- the duty to have regard to the effect of decisions, also known as the triple aim;

- the duty to consult patients and the public about decisions that affect them;

- the financial duties; and

- the duty to contribute to wider local strategies.

NHS England published a summary of the assessment reports as part of its 2022/23 Annual Report and Accounts. All ICBs also published their individual Annual Reports and Accounts for 2022/23, on their websites. The Department is working with NHS England on its approach to the annual performance assessment for 2023/24.