Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what role, if any, the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service has in informing national policies relating to the use of cannabis-based products for medicinal use.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2018, the law was changed to allow specialist doctors to prescribe unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This allowed lawful access to these drugs, but did not change how medicines are accessed and funded on the National Health Service.
On the 2 June 2025, the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), an independent expert body that advises the Government on drug-related issues, to review the effect of the 2018 law change, to look at whether it has had the desired impact and whether there are any unintended consequences. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.
The Government welcomes the input of clinical experts, such as the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service, in informing policy development.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government who are the members of the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service; and whether they have expertise in relation to the prescription of cannabis-based products for medicinal use.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Refractory Epilepsy Specialised Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS) is a United Kingdom-wide panel of specialist clinicians who provide a clinical advisory service hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital. The core membership of the RESCAS service is made up of consultant paediatric neurologists, specialist pharmacists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists, and genetics specialists.
The RESCAS service provides advice to other clinicians on complex cases of refractory, or drug-resistant, epilepsy. RESCAS supports decisions about treatment options, especially when cases are difficult or outside standard guidance, and provides advice on optimising epilepsy treatment, including the use of complex therapies including cannabinoids. It also provides advice about access to trials and emerging therapies.
The service supports clinical decision-making in situations where conventional treatment pathways have been exhausted, where evidence is limited or emerging, or where novel and non-standard therapies are under consideration. The RESCAS evidence base draws on multiple, complementary sources. These include national guidance and policy frameworks, such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and technology appraisals, NHS England commissioning policies, and relevant regulatory standards. In addition, the service incorporates professional consensus guidance, including specialist input from bodies such as the British Paediatric Neurology Association. This is further strengthened by scientific and clinical evidence, spanning published trials and research across anti-seizure medications, dietary therapies, surgical interventions, and novel or off-label treatments. Together, these components ensure that RESCAS advice reflects both current best practice and emerging developments in epilepsy care.
The Department and NHS England do not hold information on how many National Health Service prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of RESCAS advice.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria does the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service use to make their decisions, and what is its evidence base.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Refractory Epilepsy Specialised Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS) is a United Kingdom-wide panel of specialist clinicians who provide a clinical advisory service hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital. The core membership of the RESCAS service is made up of consultant paediatric neurologists, specialist pharmacists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists, and genetics specialists.
The RESCAS service provides advice to other clinicians on complex cases of refractory, or drug-resistant, epilepsy. RESCAS supports decisions about treatment options, especially when cases are difficult or outside standard guidance, and provides advice on optimising epilepsy treatment, including the use of complex therapies including cannabinoids. It also provides advice about access to trials and emerging therapies.
The service supports clinical decision-making in situations where conventional treatment pathways have been exhausted, where evidence is limited or emerging, or where novel and non-standard therapies are under consideration. The RESCAS evidence base draws on multiple, complementary sources. These include national guidance and policy frameworks, such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and technology appraisals, NHS England commissioning policies, and relevant regulatory standards. In addition, the service incorporates professional consensus guidance, including specialist input from bodies such as the British Paediatric Neurology Association. This is further strengthened by scientific and clinical evidence, spanning published trials and research across anti-seizure medications, dietary therapies, surgical interventions, and novel or off-label treatments. Together, these components ensure that RESCAS advice reflects both current best practice and emerging developments in epilepsy care.
The Department and NHS England do not hold information on how many National Health Service prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of RESCAS advice.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many requests have been made to the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service since it was established; and how many NHS prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of its deliberations since it was established.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Refractory Epilepsy Specialised Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS) is a United Kingdom-wide panel of specialist clinicians who provide a clinical advisory service hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital. The core membership of the RESCAS service is made up of consultant paediatric neurologists, specialist pharmacists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists, and genetics specialists.
The RESCAS service provides advice to other clinicians on complex cases of refractory, or drug-resistant, epilepsy. RESCAS supports decisions about treatment options, especially when cases are difficult or outside standard guidance, and provides advice on optimising epilepsy treatment, including the use of complex therapies including cannabinoids. It also provides advice about access to trials and emerging therapies.
The service supports clinical decision-making in situations where conventional treatment pathways have been exhausted, where evidence is limited or emerging, or where novel and non-standard therapies are under consideration. The RESCAS evidence base draws on multiple, complementary sources. These include national guidance and policy frameworks, such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and technology appraisals, NHS England commissioning policies, and relevant regulatory standards. In addition, the service incorporates professional consensus guidance, including specialist input from bodies such as the British Paediatric Neurology Association. This is further strengthened by scientific and clinical evidence, spanning published trials and research across anti-seizure medications, dietary therapies, surgical interventions, and novel or off-label treatments. Together, these components ensure that RESCAS advice reflects both current best practice and emerging developments in epilepsy care.
The Department and NHS England do not hold information on how many National Health Service prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of RESCAS advice.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to commissioning jointly with Brighton and Hove City Council a cost-benefit analysis of providing 500 new homes on the Brighton General Hospital site.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to bringing forward surplus public land for housing and to maximising the social value achieved through public asset disposals. Homes England is engaging with University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust to explore options for the redevelopment of the site.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether discussions can begin directly between Brighton and Hove City Council and the Government for the disposal of the Brighton General Hospital site on terms that would enable the beneficial development of social housing.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to bringing forward surplus public land for housing and to maximising the social value achieved through public asset disposals. Homes England is engaging with University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust to explore options for the redevelopment of the site.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work in partnership with Brighton and Hove City Council to provide new social housing and a health hub on the Brighton General Hospital site.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to bringing forward surplus public land for housing and to maximising the social value achieved through public asset disposals. Homes England is engaging with University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust to explore options for the redevelopment of the site.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Capita were aware of the extent of the backlog of civil service pension payments when they bid for, and were awarded, the pensions management contract.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The procurement process for the Civil Service Pensions Scheme began in 2022, with the award of the contract for administration of the service in March 2023, under the previous government. As part of the procurement process, data was shared with all bidders that outlined the current performance and any work in progress. It should be noted that the transition process was for 2 years after the contract award.
While the initial procurement data suggested a work-in-progress level of approximately 37,300 cases, subsequent instructions from the Cabinet Office in mid-2025 advised the provider to prepare for volumes of up to 100,000. In evidence provided to the Public Accounts Committee, Capita outlined that the full complexity and age of the inherited backlog, which included 89,000 cases at the point of transfer, only became fully transparent to the administrator upon the transfer of services on 1 December 2025.
A joint recovery plan between the Cabinet Office and the administrator is currently in place, supported by surge capacity from HMRC. Further information can be found here:
https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26804/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
And details of the recovery plan can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on clearing the backlog of overdue pension payments for retired civil servants.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.
To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in the provisions relating to the Capita contract, sufficient scope was made for the transfer of personal data relating to civil service pensions scheme.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Cabinet Office ensured that the contract with Capita provided a comprehensive scope for the transfer of all necessary data. Throughout the two-year transition period, the Cabinet Office, MyCSP, and Capita worked in close partnership to monitor data-sharing protocols. This approach ensured all of the scheme data, including personal data, was successfully transferred to Capita on the go-live of their administration of the scheme.