Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps (a) her Department and (b) its public bodies are taking to (i) develop and (ii) use artificial intelligence approaches to British Sign Language.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Across government, there are opportunities to use AI to accelerate the creation of accessible content across public services. If public bodies trial the use of AI in approaches to BSL (British Sign Language), they would be required to conform with both WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and the Service Standard, and must conduct research with disabled people, including deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Royal Mail on reforming the Universal Service Obligation.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has a duty to secure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service that meets the reasonable needs of users and it is permitted to make limited changes to its regulation accordingly.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of Royal Mail's proposed Optimised Delivery Model.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Royal Mail and the Communication Workers’ Union agreed to run pilots in selected offices to design, test and review the operation of the proposed delivery model in response to the changes made by Ofcom, the independent regulator for postal services, to Royal Mail’s universal service obligation.

The government does not have a role in the operational decisions of the business.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to prevent financial abuse through the misuse of lasting power of attorney.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

When the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registers a lasting power of attorney (LPA), it provides attorneys with access to the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice and supporting guidance which includes information on their legal duties and responsibilities. If someone believes an attorney has breached these duties, they can report it to OPG. Under Section 58 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, OPG has the power to deal with complaints or representations about the way in which an attorney is exercising their powers. Where necessary, OPG refers cases to the Court of Protection and other agencies such as local authorities or the police.

The Government’s modernising lasting power of attorney project will further increase safeguards. It will strengthen the process for witnessing the donor signing the LPA, introduce identity verification and create a clearer process for objecting to the registration of an LPA, so it can be used by a wider group of people and organisations. Where cases of abuse or misuse still arise, OPG’s existing powers to consider concerns about attorneys’ actions will remain.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the powers of the Office of the Public Guardian to investigate abuse of lasting power of attorney.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

When the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registers a lasting power of attorney (LPA), it provides attorneys with access to the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice and supporting guidance which includes information on their legal duties and responsibilities. If someone believes an attorney has breached these duties, they can report it to OPG. Under Section 58 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, OPG has the power to deal with complaints or representations about the way in which an attorney is exercising their powers. Where necessary, OPG refers cases to the Court of Protection and other agencies such as local authorities or the police.

The Government’s modernising lasting power of attorney project will further increase safeguards. It will strengthen the process for witnessing the donor signing the LPA, introduce identity verification and create a clearer process for objecting to the registration of an LPA, so it can be used by a wider group of people and organisations. Where cases of abuse or misuse still arise, OPG’s existing powers to consider concerns about attorneys’ actions will remain.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of safeguards in the lasting power of attorney process.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

When the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registers a lasting power of attorney (LPA), it provides attorneys with access to the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice and supporting guidance which includes information on their legal duties and responsibilities. If someone believes an attorney has breached these duties, they can report it to OPG. Under Section 58 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, OPG has the power to deal with complaints or representations about the way in which an attorney is exercising their powers. Where necessary, OPG refers cases to the Court of Protection and other agencies such as local authorities or the police.

The Government’s modernising lasting power of attorney project will further increase safeguards. It will strengthen the process for witnessing the donor signing the LPA, introduce identity verification and create a clearer process for objecting to the registration of an LPA, so it can be used by a wider group of people and organisations. Where cases of abuse or misuse still arise, OPG’s existing powers to consider concerns about attorneys’ actions will remain.

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 greater deaf awareness among frontline NHS staff.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers have been expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. This includes support for deaf people and ensuring that British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters are provided when needed.

On 30 June 2025, NHS England published a revised AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision.

NHS England revised the AIS e-learning for health module to match the latest version of the standard to support effective implementation. This training module includes specific reference to the needs of deaf people and BSL interpreting.

NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication and engagement. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Dr Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft

Found: Ukraine • Helena Dollimore: Women’s health • Sarah Dyke: Ambulance service response times • Jen Craft

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Danny Beales; Dr Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft; Josh

Found: Jen Craft: A few vitamins and minerals.

Submit Evidence (by 13 Feb 2026)

The Committee is holding an inquiry into what is needed from the NHS estate to deliver the Government’s vision of a ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’ — shifting care from hospitals to integrated, preventative services in local communities.