Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with the United Nations to strengthen protections for freedom of religion or belief, in response to restrictions placed on faith communities in authoritarian states.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is committed to protecting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, everywhere, including calling on States who place restrictions on the right to FoRB to lift those restrictions and protect FoRB. We do this bilaterally, and through our position at the UN. In October and November 2024, the UK issued several statements during the UN's Universal Periodic Review process, calling on Member States to implement their FoRB commitments. We also have regular discussions with the UN Special Rapporteur for FoRB, most recently during the March Interactive Dialogue at the Human Rights Council. We continue to champion FoRB and promote tolerance in all societies.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children who have been displaced or are due to be displaced by (1) independent school closures, and (2) future independent school closures that have been announced, since July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
No assessment has been made of the number of children displaced, or expected to be displaced, due to independent school closures.
All children of compulsory school age are entitled to a state-funded school place if they need one. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient state school places. The department already works with local authorities to identify pressures and take action where necessary.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend entitlement for children who are under five to receive free milk in nurseries and schools to the end of the academic year in which they turn five.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Nursery Milk Scheme is a statutory scheme which allows early years childcare settings to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to children under the age of five years old who attend a setting for two or more hours per day. Schools can claim reimbursement from the scheme in respect of their pupils aged under five years old.
There are no plans to extend eligibility for the Nursery Milk Scheme to cover children until the end of the academic year, during which they reach their fifth birthday. Separate legislation allows pupils from lower-income families, and who are eligible for free school meals, to continue to receive free milk at school after the age of five years old.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the NHS 10 Year Health Plan will improve the integration of NHS services for patients with multiple long-term conditions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. While it’s too soon to say exactly what will be in the plan, it will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with long-term complex health needs.
We are assessing the costs and benefits of the 10-Year Health Plan by utilising analysis and evidence from across NHS England and the Department, as well as external sources. This includes an assessment of the impacts on different groups that may be affected.
The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. All of these are relevant to managing and improving long-term conditions in all parts of the county.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the major conditions strategy.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work on the Major Conditions Strategy was paused in July 2024. As we develop our plans to rebuild the National Health Service, we will consider how we incorporate the findings from the Major Conditions Strategy into our plans.
The 10-Year Health Plan will focus on the three shifts needed to deliver a modern NHS: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. We want to see more tests and scans in the community, in high street settings, reducing the need for people to take multiple trips to hospitals to get diagnosed.
The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients, and staff. The plan will include how care models and pathways will need to change or evolve to better meet patient needs, and the cultural and behavioural changes we want to see.
The Department, following the merger with NHS England, will continue the work undertaken by NHS England to improve the services for major conditions in line with the vision of the 10 Year Plan.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure the care of people living with long term conditions can be accessed close to where those people live.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s ambition is to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting.
Most services for long-term conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards, which are best placed to plan the provision of local services subject to local prioritisation and funding. Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, people with long term conditions can usually be cared for through routine access to local primary, secondary, and community care services.
For the longer term, the Government is developing a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. This will include care and support for people with long term conditions.
We also continue to invest in health research for the management of long term conditions through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve (1) the outcomes and (2) the experiences, of patients living with long-term conditions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s ambition is to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting.
Most services for long-term conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards, which are best placed to plan the provision of local services subject to local prioritisation and funding. Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, people with long term conditions can usually be cared for through routine access to local primary, secondary, and community care services.
For the longer term, the Government is developing a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. This will include care and support for people with long term conditions.
We also continue to invest in health research for the management of long term conditions through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the broader use of NHS transformation initiatives, such as patient-initiated follow-up and shared decision-making.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government's Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025 and shared with all National Health Service trusts, exemplifies our dedication to NHS transformation. It sets out a wide-ranging package of reforms, such as increasing patient initiated follow up (PIFU) to 5% of outpatient appointments by March 2029. We are supporting NHS trusts to deliver transformation initiatives like PIFU through innovation, sharing best practice to increase productivity and efficiency, and ensuring the best value is delivered. NHS England has detailed national guidance for trusts with various resources to help implement transformation initiatives.
Shared decision making between patients and clinicians ensures patients are empowered to make informed choices about their care. Investment and development of digital platforms is key to that, including our commitments to go further on the NHS App, the Federated Data Platform and the electronic referral service. These efforts will facilitate shared decision making through improved information for patients on waiting times and better two-way communication between patients and healthcare teams. In addition, our introduction of a new £20 payment per Advice and Guidance (A&G) request for general practitioners, to support stepping up A&G, demonstrates how we are supporting initiatives which transform how primary and secondary care work together to provide seamless patient care.