Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many deaths have been reported where the cause of death was sepsis, either on its own or with other factors, each month in the past 10 years.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual data on the number of death registrations where sepsis was the underlying cause of death, and where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, in England and Wales, since 2001. ONS has not yet published the number of death registrations for sepsis for 2024.

The following table shows the number of deaths registered where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are implementing to address regional disparities in dementia diagnosis rates to ensure equitable access to diagnostic services for all.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10 Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.

NHS England’s Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme led the development of resources to raise awareness of the specific dementia care requirements for people from ethnic minority communities, in order to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for people living with dementia from these groups. The resources include an e-learning module to support clinicians and a refresh of the Intercultural dementia care guide in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, which incorporates considerations around language and communication in the provision of culturally appropriate care. Work to update the guide specifically included focus groups with black African, black Caribbean, and south Asian communities, as the largest ethnic minority groups in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expand the dementia diagnostic workforce to ensure that the NHS has the capacity to deliver timely and accurate diagnoses.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service in England to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

NHS England is working with partner agencies to support and inform further research into other diagnostic modalities, including blood-based biomarker and digital tests, which may help improve identification and management of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme has already invested £13 million into a range of biomarker innovation projects, which include a broad range of biomarker technologies, ranging from an artificial intelligence tool designed to improve the accuracy of blood tests for dementia, to using retinal scans to detect early-onset dementia decades before symptoms. Some of these innovations could support improved diagnosis in the future, if validated for clinical use.

NHS England has established a dedicated national programme team which continues to actively monitor potentially promising new treatments in late-stage trials, and which is working to co-ordinate preparations for the potential roll out of new treatments. These plans include assessments of any additional diagnostic capacity or additional workforce that would be needed if new treatments are licensed in the United Kingdom and achieve a positive recommendation on NHS adoption by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care is also vital to ensuring that the care provided is of good quality, fair, personalised, and accessible.

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10 Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether he will arrange for the Procedure and Privileges Committee to consider the case for reviewing the restrictions on scrutiny of the Sovereign and Royal Family by this House.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

It is a longstanding convention of the House that questions that cast reflections on the Sovereign or the Royal Family are generally regarded as inadmissible. The Procedure and Privileges Committee currently has no plans to look at this matter.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have been extended to British Overseas Territories through the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2020; and whether asset freezes are operable in those territories as a result of those regulations.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

Yes, the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, was extended in 2020 via the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2020, and as such asset freezes can be applied in these jurisdictions as a result of these regulations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to sanction senior Georgian officials under the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 following reports that the government of Georgia used prohibited chemical substances to disperse protests in November and December 2024.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

We urge the Georgian Government to publish the findings of the investigation it claims to have carried out into these allegations, and we continue to call on them to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and hold to account those responsible for excessive violence against protestors.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they plan to take following reports that the government of Georgia used prohibited chemical substances to disperse protests in November and December 2024.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

We urge the Georgian Government to publish the findings of the investigation it claims to have carried out into these allegations, and we continue to call on them to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and hold to account those responsible for excessive violence against protestors.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government why they decided to revoke the draft Order in Council allowing for an interim administration of the British Virgin Islands; and whether they will publish the assessment that led to that decision.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the statement made to the House on 13 October 2025 (UIN HLWS953). This decision followed a review taking into account a range of factors including public consultations held by the Governor and British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government, a final report from the Governor, and a self‑assessment by the BVI Government, all of which are publicly available.

Found: present: Lord Strathclyde (The Chair); Baroness Andrews; Lord Beith; Lord Burnett of Maldon; Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: Anderson of Ipswich; Baroness Andrews; Lord Beith; Lord Bellamy; Lord Burnett of Maldon; Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: Proposal 9: Letter from Baroness Longfield and Baroness Cass 31 Proposal 10: Letter from Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: Chair); Lord Anderson of Ipswich; Baroness Andrews; Lord Beith; Lord Burnett of Maldon; Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: of Ipswich • Baroness Andrews • Lord Beith • Lord Bellamy • Lord Burnett of Maldon • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: Strathclyde (The Chair); Lord Anderson of Ipswich; Baroness Andrews; Lord Beith; Lord Bellamy; Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: present: Lord Strathclyde (The Chair); Lord Beith; Lord Bellamy; Lord Burnett of Maldon; Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: present: Lord Strathclyde (The Chair); Lord Beith; Lord Bellamy; Lord Burnett of Maldon; Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: Bellamy Lord Murphy of Torfaen Lord Burnett of Maldon Lord Strathclyde (Chair) Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Found: Bellamy Lord Murphy of Torfaen Lord Burnett of Maldon Lord Strathclyde (Chair) Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

This short inquiry will review progress against the commitments set out in the 2023 UK – Overseas Territories Joint Declaration. The Committee’s work will focus on the mechanisms for engagement between the UK and the Overseas territories and to what extent they are effective.