Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 on trans people with Gender Recognition Certificates.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
A Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) allows a trans person to change their legal sex to align with their acquired gender. Those with a GRC are recognised in their acquired sex and gender unless specific exceptions apply. The Supreme Court ruling clarified that the Equality Act is one such exception; it is important to note that the ruling also emphasised that trans people remain protected from harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment in the Equality Act 2010.
A GRC still allows trans people to legally change their sex for a range of reasons that matter in their lives – birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates, for example.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to the letter from Fiona Davidson, dated 4 July 2025.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I can confirm that a response to the correspondence dated 4 July 2025 from Fiona Davidson was sent on 21 July 2025.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61659 on Research: Investment, if the Economic Secretary to the Treasury will meet with the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley to discuss research and development funding.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
R&D funding falls within the portfolio of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Livermore). I have passed on your request, but due to diary constraints Lord Livermore is unable to meet currently.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Trusts uphold their legal obligations under the (a) Equality Act 2010 and (b) duty of care for staff returning from serious illness such as cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We hugely value all National Health Service staff and are committed to improving organisational culture and working conditions, so we can keep staff healthy, motivated, and retain their valuable skills.
A cancer diagnosis is regarded as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means that employers have a duty of care to consider any reasonable adjustments to help the employee to return to work in a timely and safe way, and with their health needs in mind.
NHS trusts are expected to have local policies and procedures in place to support staff who have long-term health conditions, including cancer.
The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook sets out interventions that should be considered under the Employment Rights Act 1996 when managing an employee’s return to work. There are tools and resources available to employers to assist their employees returning to work, and this includes NHS England’s NHS Health and Wellbeing framework, and the Sickness Absence toolkit published by NHS Employers. Further information on the NHS Health and Wellbeing framework and the Sickness Absence toolkit is available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.nhsemployers.org/toolkits/sickness-absence-toolkit
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of not including prostate cancer referral guidance for asymptomatic men in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines on prostate cancer relate to symptomatic patients. Guidance on prostate cancer referral for asymptomatic men can be found in the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overview
NICE guidelines do not provide guidance on screening of asymptomatic people which is the responsibility of the UK National Screening Committee.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the provision of military intelligence to Ukrainian forces.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his US counterpart regarding our collective support to Ukraine’s armed forces in response to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion.
As the hon. Gentlemen will understand, we do not comment on Intelligence matters. However, we have always been clear that the UK will do everything we can to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position across all aspects of our support, particularly defence and security.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing research and development bonds of up to £20 billion per year.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government investment in research and development (R&D) underpins the UK’s excellence in its universities and research institutes and stimulates private sector innovation, driving growth and higher living standards. On average, every £1 of government spending delivers £7 of economic benefits in the long term. At the recent Spending Review, the government therefore prioritised R&D – increasing R&D funding to £22.6 billion per year by 2029-30, an above-inflation increase.
Our core gilt programme is the most stable and cost-effective way of raising finance to fund the day-to-day activities of the government, owing to the depth and liquidity of the market. This is, in part, down to the fungibility of the instruments issued to the market. Issuing bonds aimed at financing specific areas of spending risks fragmenting the gilt market, which would not be consistent with the government’s debt management objective of minimising the long-term cost of financing, taking into account risk.
The government keeps under regular review the introduction of new debt instruments. The government would however need to be satisfied that any new instrument would meet value-for-money criteria, enjoy strong and sustained demand in the long term, and be consistent with wider fiscal objectives.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure the timely delivery of Betchwood Vale Academy.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is engaging with local authorities and trusts and progressing work on special and alternative provision free schools in line with our vision for the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Projects are at different stages of development, which means we have been prioritising operational decisions on those that are due to open in the shorter term.
Departmental officials are in the process of reviewing all the documentation for Betchwood Vale Academy before submitting a new planning application for the school.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, dated 4 June 2025, if he will set out the legislative vehicles his Department are considering to address the identified shortcomings in mental capacity law.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 4 June 2025, I wrote to Fiona Laskaris and the Hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, Chris Coghlan MP to confirm my commitment to review the full range of policy and legislative levers in relation to the practical application of mental capacity law. This important work requires careful consideration. The most recent meeting with officials was on 17 June, and we will set out our plans in due course.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's planned timetable is for its public consultation on the application of mental capacity law.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 4 June 2025, I wrote to Fiona Laskaris and the Hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, Chris Coghlan MP to confirm my commitment to review the full range of policy and legislative levers in relation to the practical application of mental capacity law. This important work requires careful consideration. The most recent meeting with officials was on 17 June, and we will set out our plans in due course.