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 increase public awareness of Martha's Rule.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has undertaken extensive work to develop, test, and rollout communication products in relation to Martha’s Rule. This includes public communication materials for hospitals that have implemented Martha’s Rule to ensure inpatients, and their families and carers, are aware of and informed about this important patient safety initiative.
NHS England is considering plans for a wider communications campaign once Martha’s Rule is fully implemented in all relevant settings, later in 2026/27. This will take account of feedback in relation to the communication materials produced so far.
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 his Department has made of the potential benefits of removing the three-year statue of limitations for offences under Part 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is extending the statute of limitations period for bringing proceedings for offences under Part 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Section 90(2).
This change aims to give the Care Quality Commission more time to gather evidence, conclude investigations, and prosecute where appropriate.
By extending the period in which proceedings can be brought, the Department seeks to encourage learning from failures in care and provide greater assurance and confidence for families seeking justice. The change will support the ambitions of the 10-Year Health Plan to improve quality of care generally.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure that parking companies (a) behave appropriately towards their customers and (b) have adequate ticketing practices.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.
The government launched a consultation on 11th July 2025 which outlined its proposals for raising standards and protecting motorists.
All of the responses are now being analysed and the government will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is the responsible Minister for the Team Plymouth partership.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The responsible Minister for the Team Plymouth partnership is the Minister of State in the House of Lords, my noble. Friend, The Lord Coaker.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered amending the school admissions code to allow schools to withdraw an offer if new information suggests that their admittance poses a risk to another student.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
All children, from whatever background and no matter what challenges they face, deserve a safe environment in which they can learn. Nothing is more important than safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. Keeping children safe in education is statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Admission authorities must comply with parental preference and can only refuse a place or withdraw a place in limited circumstances, as set out in admissions law.
Admission authorities can refuse a place in year, in specific circumstances, where they have good reason to believe a child may display challenging behaviour, but cannot withdraw a place, once offered, on this basis.
Any changes to the Code will require a statutory process, including a full public consultation and Parliamentary approval.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to review the School Admissions Code.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
All children, from whatever background and no matter what challenges they face, deserve a safe environment in which they can learn. Nothing is more important than safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. Keeping children safe in education is statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Admission authorities must comply with parental preference and can only refuse a place or withdraw a place in limited circumstances, as set out in admissions law.
Admission authorities can refuse a place in year, in specific circumstances, where they have good reason to believe a child may display challenging behaviour, but cannot withdraw a place, once offered, on this basis.
Any changes to the Code will require a statutory process, including a full public consultation and Parliamentary approval.
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 additional support is available to (a) parents and (b) carers of children awaiting neurodevelopmental assessment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including pre-and-post diagnostic support for neurodevelopmental conditions, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and it recognises the need for early intervention and support. The Government is supporting inclusive environments and earlier intervention for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes. In addition, through local commissioning, the Government will ensure that Neighbourhood Health Services work in partnership with family hubs, schools, nurseries, and colleges to offer timely and joined-up support to children, young people, and their families, including for those with SEND.
NHS England commissions Autism Central, a peer education programme, which aims to make it easier for parents and carers to learn more about autism and the services available to them.
NHS England also established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce to better understand the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later in the year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.
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 support is available for (a) parents and (b) children who receive diagnoses of neurodevelopmental conditions.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including pre-and-post diagnostic support for neurodevelopmental conditions, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and it recognises the need for early intervention and support. The Government is supporting inclusive environments and earlier intervention for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes. In addition, through local commissioning, the Government will ensure that Neighbourhood Health Services work in partnership with family hubs, schools, nurseries, and colleges to offer timely and joined-up support to children, young people, and their families, including for those with SEND.
NHS England commissions Autism Central, a peer education programme, which aims to make it easier for parents and carers to learn more about autism and the services available to them.
NHS England also established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce to better understand the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later in the year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.
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 reduce wait times for people requiring new wheelchairs.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services.
NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services. Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs, on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required.
NHS England is taking steps to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of National Health Service wheelchairs, and to support ICBs to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets. The framework is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/
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, whether staff in his Department have access to information about claimants' known (a) disabilities and (b) mental health conditions when the claimant contacts his Department by phone.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Claimants who make an application for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or whose entitlement is being reviewed, are required to provide all relevant evidence relating to their health condition—whether that be a physical disability, mental health condition, or both. This evidence is essential for determining their entitlement to benefit.
All decisions made regarding a claimant’s entitlement are recorded on the PIP Computer System (PIPCS). Staff deployed to our telephone lines, who handle customer calls, have access to PIPCS. They are able to:
This ensures that customer interactions are informed, accurate, and that any updates are promptly reflected in the system.