Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of variations in waiting times for glaucoma diagnosis and treatment across England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No formal assessment has been made. The Department does not hold data on waiting times for glaucoma treatment. However, for ophthalmology, which covers glaucoma treatment, as of May 2026, 74.1% of patient pathways were waiting within 18 weeks. This is an improvement of 3.9% over the past year.
We are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across England, including for ophthalmology. We are investing in and modernising NHS services to support this, including through our new online hospital, NHS Online, which will help reduce patient waiting times across England by giving people on glaucoma pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. NHS Online will deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointment and assessments in its first three years across all specialities. We are also expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide dedicated and protected elective capacity to drive improvement in six specialities, including ophthalmology.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect and support the mental health of asylum seekers housed in military accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Home Office recognises the mental health challenges faced by people seeking asylum and has a strategic team focussing on asylum seeker mental health. This team works closely with accommodation providers, NGOs, health partners and lived experience groups to formulate a preventative approach.
We work carefully to ensure that the needs and vulnerabilities of those residing in asylum accommodation are identified and considered, including those related to mental health and trauma. We also work closely with UK health authorities to ensure asylum seekers have access to health care and that mental health matters are assessed and treated.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure Integrated Care Boards are (a) adopting the recent Get It Right First-Time guidance on glaucoma and (b) commissioning enhanced referral and filtering schemes.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local populations. This can include community-based glaucoma services, delivered by high street optical practices.
The Department welcomed the publication of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) glaucoma best practice guidance, which highlights a range of approaches to improving glaucoma care and reducing avoidable sight loss. These include making greater use of primary care optometry to undertake additional testing for patients suspected of having glaucoma to help reduce unnecessary referrals, and, where appropriate, supporting the monitoring of patients with glaucoma in the community.
The GIRFT team will be hosting a webinar for ICB commissioners on 28 July, to promote the guidance and encourage consideration of its recommendations. Decisions on the commissioning of local services will remain a matter for ICBs.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that ICBs commission community minor and urgent eye care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Decisions on whether to commission these services are for integrated care boards, which are responsible for assessing local population needs and determining how best to meet them.
The Department worked with the eye care sector to develop a standard clinical specification for the commissioning of Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Services, and this was published in February 2024. The specification is available at the following link:
https://locsu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.-CUES-Service-specification-vs-1.43-Feb-2024.pdf
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure commissioners are making use of capacity and expertise in primary care optometry to improve access to care for those (a) at risk of and (b) with glaucoma.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local populations. This can include community-based glaucoma services, delivered by high street optical practices.
The Department welcomed the publication of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) glaucoma best practice guidance, which highlights a range of approaches to improving glaucoma care and reducing avoidable sight loss. These include making greater use of primary care optometry to undertake additional testing for patients suspected of having glaucoma to help reduce unnecessary referrals, and, where appropriate, supporting the monitoring of patients with glaucoma in the community.
The GIRFT team will be hosting a webinar for ICB commissioners on 28 July, to promote the guidance and encourage consideration of its recommendations. Decisions on the commissioning of local services will remain a matter for ICBs.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of housing asylum seekers in military accommodation on social cohesion and community integration.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Home Office regularly works in collaboration with local authorities and other partners including the police to ensure that accommodation sites are successfully managed and the impact upon the local community is minimised. This includes a comprehensive and ongoing approach to identifying and managing any public protection or safeguarding risks associated with individuals.
Community cohesion is fully considered in site selection. Military sites allow for dedicated on-site services, improved safeguarding, and greater oversight - reducing demand on local resources such as healthcare, reducing disruption to local communities and ensuring public safety.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent the backlog of asylum appeals from increasing as a result of the establishment of a new appeals body and the associated structural and staffing changes.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
We expect a phased transition, in which the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) continues to hear existing appeals, in parallel with the new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority taking on new cases. This will ensure continuity and help address backlogs as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of aligning the General Ophthalmic Services contract in England with Scotland and Wales.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Health services are a devolved matter and arrangements for the commissioning and delivery of primary eye care services differ across the United Kingdom, although the Government recognises the value of learning from the different approaches to the delivery of eye care services across the United Kingdom.
In England NHS funded sight testing services are widely available for eligible groups, including children, people aged 60 years old and over and individuals on income related benefits. Integrated care boards can also commission enhanced eye care services from optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma services.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal aid provision for refugees required to reapply for Leave to Remain every 30 months; and what additional funding she plans to provide in light of the shortage of immigration legal aid practitioners.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Government has introduced reforms to the protection system to ensure that protection is provided where it is needed, while also creating a fair and sustainable immigration system.
With regards to costs and legal aid provision, only people who stay on Core Protection will have their status reviewed every 30 months, with a 20-year route to settlement. Those who switch into the work and study route will be able to earn down the 20-year period.
The approach to reviewing status will be efficient and targeted; we will reassess where country conditions or personal circumstances have changed significantly. Renewal applications will be simple, negating the need for applicants to routinely require legal advice prior to applying.
We will build on efficiencies such as our policy search tool or case summarisation which are already assisting asylum decision makers. We will continue to monitor staffing levels and will deploy our workforce flexibly subject to business needs as we have done in the past.
The full details of the Core Protection offer, and the Protection Work and Study route, remain subject to further policy development which will be set out in due course.
Those who need to seek immigration advice from an immigration adviser for help regarding permission to stay in the UK (including how to check the eligibility for legal aid which can help pay for legal advice) can find information here: Find an immigration adviser - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Legal aid is overseen by the Ministry of Justice.
The Asylum and Immigration Bill provides powers to require adults who have received asylum support and accommodation to make a contribution towards those costs where they are financially able to do so. Detailed design of the scheme, including repayment thresholds, exemptions, repayment rates, mechanisms for collection and operational delivery, will be set out in secondary legislation following Royal Assent. As these elements have not yet been finalised it would be premature to provide an estimate of future revenue. The Government will set out further information in due course.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the revenue to be generated from proposals in the Immigration and Asylum Bill for asylum seekers to contribute towards their accommodation costs; and what projections her Department has made of how those proposals will operate in practice.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Government has introduced reforms to the protection system to ensure that protection is provided where it is needed, while also creating a fair and sustainable immigration system.
With regards to costs and legal aid provision, only people who stay on Core Protection will have their status reviewed every 30 months, with a 20-year route to settlement. Those who switch into the work and study route will be able to earn down the 20-year period.
The approach to reviewing status will be efficient and targeted; we will reassess where country conditions or personal circumstances have changed significantly. Renewal applications will be simple, negating the need for applicants to routinely require legal advice prior to applying.
We will build on efficiencies such as our policy search tool or case summarisation which are already assisting asylum decision makers. We will continue to monitor staffing levels and will deploy our workforce flexibly subject to business needs as we have done in the past.
The full details of the Core Protection offer, and the Protection Work and Study route, remain subject to further policy development which will be set out in due course.
Those who need to seek immigration advice from an immigration adviser for help regarding permission to stay in the UK (including how to check the eligibility for legal aid which can help pay for legal advice) can find information here: Find an immigration adviser - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Legal aid is overseen by the Ministry of Justice.
The Asylum and Immigration Bill provides powers to require adults who have received asylum support and accommodation to make a contribution towards those costs where they are financially able to do so. Detailed design of the scheme, including repayment thresholds, exemptions, repayment rates, mechanisms for collection and operational delivery, will be set out in secondary legislation following Royal Assent. As these elements have not yet been finalised it would be premature to provide an estimate of future revenue. The Government will set out further information in due course.