Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives fellows to improving equality, diversity and social mobility in the legal profession; and what steps he taking to further these aims.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice recognises the contribution of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and its Fellows in improving equality, diversity and social mobility in the legal profession. I reflected this when I delivered a welcome address at the CILEX annual conference this month in Birmingham, noting that CILEX is a valuable engine of social mobility in the profession. Data showing the diversity of CILEX members is published by CILEX Regulation (CRL) in its biennial Diversity Data Survey. The most recent published survey is available here: https://cilexregulation.org.uk/diversity-data/.
The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. Under the Legal Services Act (LSA) 2007, the responsibility for regulating the sector sits with approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board (LSB). CRL is the independent regulatory body of CILEX. Encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession is one of nine regulatory objectives under the LSA 2007, which the LSB, approved regulators, and the Office for Legal Complaints, have a duty to promote.
Recent action by CRL includes publishing its first Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, issuing its next biennial Diversity Data Survey, expanding diversity reporting in enforcement, and revising qualifying employment and experience requirements to remove barriers. CRL is refreshing its EDI Strategy this year. Steps taken by CILEX include establishing the CILEX Foundation in 2021 to remove financial and social mobility barriers and launching the CILEX Judicial Academy in 2024 to help increase diversity within the judiciary by supporting lawyers – including CILEX professionals – aspiring to judicial careers.
While respecting independence, the Ministry of Justice maintains regular dialogue with the legal services representative bodies and regulators on a range of issues including improving equality, diversity, and social mobility in the profession.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of student maintenance grants in meeting students' living costs.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The previous government removed maintenance grants, and the real-terms value of loan support for students has reduced by more than 20% over the last five years. It is essential that our government improves this.
That is why we will reintroduce targeted means-tested maintenance grants before the end of this Parliament, funded by a levy on international student fees. The grants will support students from low-income households studying courses aligned with our missions and the Industrial Strategy, and we will set out further detail at the Autumn Budget.
Additionally, the government will increase maintenance loans in line with forecast inflation every academic year. This will provide students with long-term financial certainty on the financial support they will receive while studying and ensure that students from the lowest income families receive the largest year-on-year cash increases in support.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025 provided to question 86540, how many new radiotherapy treatment machines will be provided to a) Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (b) Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the Government’s £70 million investment in new radiotherapy treatment machines, the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will receive one LINAC radiotherapy machine to replace an existing machine. The Oxford University Hospitals Trust will not receive any new radiotherapy machines from this investment. Responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines remains with local systems.
NHS Trusts which have radiotherapy treatment machines were invited to apply last year to replace a machine, with funding coming from the £70m investment. Machine allocation was based on various criteria such as the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the £2.61 meal rate paid to Oxfordshire schools for providing universal infant free school meals, taking into account rising (a) food, (b) energy and (c) staff costs.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We spend around £600 million per year ensuring close to 1.3 million additional infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal infant free school meal (UIFSM) policy in 2014.
The department has not made a formal assessment of UIFSM funding for Oxfordshire schools, but we meet regularly with the sector, including school food caterers, and draw on these insights to inform our policy thinking.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to support young people living in supported housing to move on.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have invested over £1 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, which can be used flexibly to address a range of local needs, including support for young people. The Spending Review protects this record level of investment to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping for the next three years.
For young people ready to live independently, we are delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, backed by the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme. We are also reforming the private rented sector to give more security to tenants, bringing an end to rental bidding, outlawing discrimination against prospective tenants with children or those who receive social security benefits; and preventing landlords from demanding large amounts of rent in advance.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the role of importers and processors of grain and animal feeds in strengthening food chain security and resilience.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food security is national security and is of the utmost importance. UK Food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Imports supplement domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.
The Department continues to assess the resilience of the agri-food supply chain through regular engagement with industry and cross-government coordination.
Together with the devolved administrations, Defra has established the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG) to monitor and assess the impact of market developments across the UK. It monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 impact of the recent FDA advisory committee discussion on the risks and benefits of HRT, on (a) product labelling and (b) patient information; and whether the MHRA plans to conduct a similar review in the UK.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department which regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring that medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.
Patient safety is our top priority. The MHRA keeps the safety and effectiveness of all medicines under continuous review, drawing on the latest scientific and clinical evidence.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an important treatment that helps many women manage menopause symptoms. We continually review emerging data on HRT to ensure that information and guidance in the UK reflects the latest evidence. The MHRA is currently reviewing the available evidence on HRT risks and considering whether updates to the product information are warranted for certain HRT products. This review remains ongoing, and we are currently determining the appropriate next steps based on the evidence.
Women should not make any changes to their treatment plan without first speaking to their general practitioner or healthcare professional, who can provide advice tailored to their individual circumstances.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to involve Oxfordshire residents in the decision-making process on local government reorganisation, including how communities will be consulted before final decisions are made.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 5 February, the government issued invitations to councils in two-tier areas in England and neighbouring unitary councils to prepare proposals for local government reorganisation. In that invitation, we set out that any proposals involving boundary change or affecting wider public services would need a strong justification on public services and financial sustainability grounds, recognising the additional costs and complexities of implementation. We also asked that areas demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.
Proposals for unitary local government in Oxfordshire are due by 28 November. The government will decide which, if any, of those proposals to implement after a statutory consultation, to which the constituents of Oxfordshire will be able to respond. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications of any local government reorganisation model in Oxfordshire that would involve changes to existing district boundaries.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 5 February, the government issued invitations to councils in two-tier areas in England and neighbouring unitary councils to prepare proposals for local government reorganisation. In that invitation, we set out that any proposals involving boundary change or affecting wider public services would need a strong justification on public services and financial sustainability grounds, recognising the additional costs and complexities of implementation. We also asked that areas demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.
Proposals for unitary local government in Oxfordshire are due by 28 November. The government will decide which, if any, of those proposals to implement after a statutory consultation, to which the constituents of Oxfordshire will be able to respond. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) provide an official NHS definition of dyscalculia and (b) whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including dyscalculia in NHS A-Z conditions.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is used to classify diseases and other health conditions and is set by the World Health Organisation. ICD-11 classifies dyscalculia as a developmental learning disorder with impairment in mathematics. We want all children who struggle with maths or any other subject to be able to receive the appropriate support so they can succeed in their education. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child or young person with Special Educational Needs and Disability does not require a diagnostic label or test.
NHS England advises that the NHS.UK website is not intended to cover every condition, treatment, or service the National Health Service provides. If something is not currently covered, it does not mean the NHS does not recognise it. The key factors considered include:
NHS England appreciates the importance of providing information for conditions like dyscalculia and will continue to review and assess requests to ensure the NHS.UK website best serves the needs of the public.