Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing unannounced Ofsted inspections in early years settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
While Ofsted does typically provide notice before an inspection in early years, inspections without prior notification do happen, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting or if a previous inspection resulted in a grade of ‘Inadequate’.
Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 there were 1,400 unannounced inspections in early years, which was 16% of all inspections. The department recognises the importance of unannounced inspections and they will continue.
Routine announced inspections are also an important part of the system. We are increasing inspection frequency in early years to ensure better oversight of the setting landscape, and more regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory safe sleep training for all early years staff working in nurseries.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which all early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, which can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
Departmental officials recently met with The Lullaby Trust to discuss the lessons that can be learned from previous serious incidents and to ensure that children are kept as safe as possible.
The 'Early years qualification requirements and standards' document sets out the minimum qualification requirements that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including the safe use of equipment, furniture and materials with regard for sleep safety.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to mandate the use of CCTV in nurseries.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
The decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.
The department is currently reviewing with Ofsted how CCTV is used in early years settings and how we can support settings to use it effectively as part of their safeguarding provision.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the prescription of Fampridine as a treatment for MS.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and departmental officials have regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on a range of issues, including in relation to its guidelines.
NICE’s guideline on the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis in adults, published in June 2022, recommends that fampridine should not be offered to treat mobility issues in people with multiple sclerosis as it is not found to be a cost-effective treatment.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
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 the potential merits of introducing standardised charges for (a) non-core GP services and (b) the D4 medical check for drivers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are some medical evidence letters, certificates, or reports that general practices (GPs) may charge for, and other certificates that they must not charge patients for. The legislation that sets this out is the General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations, which forms the basis of the GP Contract with the National Health Service. The D4 medical checks are considered private work.
The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association suggests guideline fees for such services to help doctors set their own fees, and in some instances, have agreed standardised fees directly with organisations for some public services. For GPs setting their own fees, we would expect practices to charge a reasonable sum for any workload involved, and to forewarn patients at the earliest opportunity.
The Government is intent on reducing the burden of administrative tasks and unnecessary bureaucracy. This includes encouraging the use of alternative evidence where medical evidence is not part of the GP Contract, and this may include hospital discharge letters, previous reports, or prescriptions, as in many cases these will be accepted as evidence.
The Government and NHS England have launched a Red Tape Challenge to cut down on bureaucracy, to free up time to spend with patients. The 10-Year Health Plan set outs our commitment to deliver the recommendations of the Red Tape Challenge, which includes ensuring that GPs can spend less time filling in forms and more time caring for patients.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
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 help ensure that essential home adaptations required for hospital discharge are (a) supported and (b) delivered in a timely manner.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory ‘Hospital discharge and community support guidance’ outlines that health and care systems and providers should collaborate to share information early to support a safe and timely discharge, minimise issues that may disrupt care provision, and ensure necessary home adaptations and equipment are considered, while also requiring local authorities to engage housing services to provide support and advice where needed.
In January, we published a new policy framework for the Better Care Fund, which requires local areas to agree joint plans, developed in collaboration with local housing authorities, that achieve more timely and effective hospital discharge.
Housing adaptations, including those delivered through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) play a key role in supporting these objectives by funding changes that help people remain well, safe, and independent at home for longer. We have provided an additional £172 million across this and the last financial year to uplift the DFG, which could provide around 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. This brings the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Alongside this, local authorities have a statutory duty under various legislations, including the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, to ensure provision of community equipment and disability aids in order to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area, which help support independent living at home. This facilitates safe discharge into the community from hospital and prevents avoidable admissions into acute services, such as hospitals or care homes.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence the Child Maintenance Service requires to incorporate (a) additional income from online selling platforms and (b) other additional income sources in their calculations.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately. Any income subject to income tax including bonuses and overtime received by an employed paying parent, is included within their gross weekly income when calculating a child maintenance liability.
For self-employed paying parents, the gross income used in a maintenance calculation is provided by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the first instance. HMRC will provide details of the gross taxable profit of the paying parent's business, for the most recent complete tax year.
People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HMRC can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid.
Variations legislation allows the Child Maintenance Service to look at some circumstances which are not covered by the basic maintenance calculation. Either parent may apply for a variation at any time during the life of their case, provided enough information for an appropriate ground can be identified. If a variation application is successful, the maintenance calculation will be adjusted accordingly.
Cases involving complex income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit. This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment companies and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of information that the CMS is given. If any discrepancies are found, then they can implement a correct maintenance liability that is supported by CMS legislation
The Department has been conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and reflects today’s social trends. The review will also consider the treatment of unearned income and assets within the automatic calculation.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to help tackle cases where undeclared income from the paying parent is found.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately. Any income subject to income tax including bonuses and overtime received by an employed paying parent, is included within their gross weekly income when calculating a child maintenance liability.
For self-employed paying parents, the gross income used in a maintenance calculation is provided by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the first instance. HMRC will provide details of the gross taxable profit of the paying parent's business, for the most recent complete tax year.
People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HMRC can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid.
Variations legislation allows the Child Maintenance Service to look at some circumstances which are not covered by the basic maintenance calculation. Either parent may apply for a variation at any time during the life of their case, provided enough information for an appropriate ground can be identified. If a variation application is successful, the maintenance calculation will be adjusted accordingly.
Cases involving complex income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit. This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment companies and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of information that the CMS is given. If any discrepancies are found, then they can implement a correct maintenance liability that is supported by CMS legislation
The Department has been conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and reflects today’s social trends. The review will also consider the treatment of unearned income and assets within the automatic calculation.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
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 improve paediatric care in hospitals.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and improving paediatric care in hospitals will be critical to achieving this ambition. Through the Elective Reform Plan, we have set out how we will deliver the 18-week referral target for all those waiting for care by March 2029, including children and young people. The Plan is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/reforming-elective-care-for-patients.pdf.
The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26, published jointly by the Department and NHS England on 6 June 2025, also outlines increasing the number of children seen within 4 hours of attending A&E as a priority area. To achieve this, NHS trusts have been asked to make use of urgent treatment centres and to revise services and standards to meet the needs of children and young people. The Plan is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
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 help improve (a) early diagnosis and (b) treatment of osteoporosis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In July, we published the 10 Year Health Plan, which committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030. We have invested in 13 new bone density, or DEXA, scanners, which are expected to provide up to 29,000 extra scans per year to ensure people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.
We are also working to deliver the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working with integrated care board leaders to further reduce musculoskeletal community waiting times and improve data and metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.
In the last three years, two new drugs have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for the treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, Abaloparatide and Romosozumab. These medications help to strengthen the bones and prevent bone loss, thereby reducing the risk of fractures.