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 impact of a) the COVID-19 Pandemic and b) social media on the mental wellbeing of children; and what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate these impacts.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government welcomes the COVID-19 Inquiry’s investigations and is committed to learning lessons from the pandemic, including those relating to the potential impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing. We continue to respond openly and transparently to the inquiry’s requests and reports, and will be paying close attention to the Module 8 report, Children and Young People, and the Module 10 report, Impact on Society, which will cover mental health and wellbeing. Whilst we wait for these reports, the Department is already embedding mental health considerations into pandemic preparedness planning.

In 2019, the UK Chief Medical Officers published a commentary on the findings of a systematic review on screen-based activities and children’s mental health. They found an association between screen-based activities and mental health but could not establish causality. The commentary can be accessed at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c5b1510e5274a316cee5be8/UK_CMO_commentary_on_screentime_and_social_media_map_of_reviews.pdf

On 2 March 2026, the Government published a consultation on how to ensure children have a healthy relationship with devices, introduce rapid trials on measures to reduce screentime and limit access at night, and produce evidence-informed screentime guidance for parents of children aged five to 16 years old. The consultation can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation

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 whistleblowing protections for NHS staff who (a) experience and (b) witness sexual misconduct by colleagues.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Employment Rights Act 1996 aims to protect all workers, including National Health Service staff, against unfair dismissal and detriment on the basis that they have made a ‘protected disclosure’. Where detriment occurs, workers can seek remedy through an employment tribunal. In relation to sexual misconduct, the Employment Rights Act 2025 amends the Employment Rights Act 1996 to make clear that workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment can benefit from whistleblowing protections against detriment and unfair dismissal. This will provide welcome clarity for workers and employers. It may also encourage more workers to speak up about sexual harassment in the public interest by using whistleblowing routes. The measure will commence on 6 April 2026.

In addition to legal protections, there is a range of support in place for NHS workers who wish to report concerns. This includes a network of over 1,300 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, who provide an alternative route to support workers to speak up about something in their organisation, a National Freedom to Speak Up policy, providing minimum standards for local NHS speaking up policies, and support from independent organisations such as Speak Up Direct, which provides NHS and social care workers with impartial advice and support.

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 barriers to reporting sexual misconduct by doctors, including for patients and NHS staff.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We acknowledge that the confidence to report sexual misconduct in the National Health Service remains a systemic challenge that is influenced by a range of factors.

For example, NHS staff often do not wish to subject themselves to a formal employment process or are concerned about reprisals from other members of staff or believe they may not be taken seriously by their manager and organisation.

All trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs) have signed up to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/sexual-safety-in-healthcare-organisational-charter/

The principles underpinning the charter contribute to improving workplace sexual safety culture, which should empower more staff to speak up.

In 2024, NHS England produced a national policy framework for sexual misconduct. The framework recommends routes through which reports can be made including Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, line managers, human resources, or via an anonymous reporting form. Every trust and ICB now has a policy in place or is in the process of adopting one, and 76% have implemented anonymous reporting for staff.

The Patient Advice and Liaison service and complaints system provide routes for patients and the public to report incidents of sexual misconduct.

In December 2025, NHS England wrote to NHS trusts and ICBs setting out further actions to take to ensure the sexual safety of both patients and staff. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/an-update-on-actions-to-prevent-sexual-misconduct-in-the-nhs/

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps is the Government taking to protect adults from harmful pornographic content online.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act’s illegal content safety duties cover illegal extreme pornographic content; ensuring companies put in place safety measures which mitigate and manage risks. Providers must implement safety by design measures to mitigate illegal activity, reduce the risk of users carrying out illegal activity, and take down illegal content when it appears.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Department has made of the potential causes of recent trends in levels of crisis‑level mental health referrals among children.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

To understand the rises in prevalence and demand on mental health services, the Government has launched an independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism. The review will examine the evidence around what is driving rising demand, including determining which trends reflect real increases in disorder, which reflect changes in awareness or access, and which are artefacts of measurement or definition.

The review will look at prevalence, early intervention, and treatment, and the current challenges facing clinical services. It will also explore the extent to which diagnosis, medicalisation, and treatment improve outcomes. In addition, the review will look beyond the National Health Service to examine data across education, employment, housing, and digital culture to understand how they interact and where intervention can make the greatest difference.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish data on CAMHS outcomes, broken down by therapy type and delivery method.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England publishes data on children and young people’s mental health services through the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS). This includes information on outcomes following treatment, as well as breakdowns by primary reason for referral and service type.

However, published data are not currently broken down by specific therapy type or by delivery method.

In December 2025, 26.6% of closed referrals for children and young people aged between zero and 17 years old has at least two contacts and any perspective paired score. As a result, published outcome statistics are not fully representative of all those receiving care.

NHS England is the data controller for the MHSDS and is responsible for decisions relating to the publication of further breakdowns. The Department will continue to work with NHS England to consider how data transparency can be improved.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is he taking to support homeowners who can’t get in contact with their leaseholder.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Leaseholders experiencing issues with absent freeholders can access free advice from the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.

Through the measures in the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, the government is seeking to reinvigorate commonhold. Commonhold is a modern homeownership structure that does not involve third party ownership and will thereby resolve the challenges associated with absent freeholders. Instead, homeowners will be members of a commonhold association and will enjoy the ability to engage directly with commonhold association directors.

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 impact of staffing levels and burnout on incidents of avoidable harm in NHS Trusts.

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

The responsibility for determining and reviewing staffing levels remains with National Health Service clinical and other leaders at a local level, responding to local needs, supported by guidelines by national and professional bodies and overseen and regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will have a focus on supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. This includes the development of a new set of staff standards for modern employment. We will also roll out Staff Treatment Hubs to ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health.

NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive, including access to high quality health and wellbeing support.

On staff burnout, relevant questions have been incorporated into the annual NHS National Staff Survey. The Copenhagen Burnout index has been included in the annual survey since 2021, providing a national, regional, and organisational view of burnout over five years. Organisations can use this information to triangulate with other data sets, including on patient safety incidents.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions the Department has had with social media companies regarding the potential impact of their platforms on child mental health.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not undertaken any recent engagement with social media companies regarding the potential impact of their platforms on child mental health.

However, the Government is taking forward wider work to understand and address risks to children in the online world. A national consultation has recently been launched to seek views on measures to improve children’s online safety across social media, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots. We will work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on this consultation, including in relation to understanding the potential impact of social media use on children’s mental health. This forms part of the Government’s broader programme to create a safer digital environment for children and to reduce potential harms linked to these services.

Insights from this consultation will help inform future policy to better protect children’s mental health and ensure that digital platforms play their part in promoting safe and healthy online experiences.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Department has made of the level of experience in the CAMHS workforce and the potential impact of staff turnover on service quality.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England commissions regular workforce censuses of the children and young people’s mental health workforce. The most recent census, covering April 2023 to March 2024, includes information on how long staff have been in post across community and inpatient services, alongside a summary of the skills and training reported by providers. This provides insight into the experience and capability within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) workforce.

The Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of staff turnover on the quality of CAMHS provision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of CAMHS clinicians have received training in PTSD therapies, and what steps the Department is taking to improve training coverage.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Information on the proportion of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) clinicians who have received training in therapies for post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not collected centrally. Providers, such as National Health Service trusts and other organisations delivering CAMHS, remain responsible for ensuring that their clinicians have the appropriate skills and training to meet the needs of children and young people, including where PTSD therapies are required.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has his Department made of the potential merits of moderating online porn companies which promote harmful content.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act’s illegal content safety duties cover illegal extreme pornographic content, ensuring companies put in place safety measures which mitigate and manage risks. Providers must implement safety by design measures to mitigate illegal activity, reduce the risk of users carrying out illegal activity, and take down illegal content when it appears.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were registered at each (a) main practice and (b) branch surgery in Calder Valley constituency in (i) July 2025 and (ii) March 2026.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of registered patients at each practice in the Calder Valley constituency on 1 July 2025, and on 1 February 2026, as this is the most recent available data:

In addition, the following table shows which practices are branches of main practices within the Calder Valley constituency, excluding COVID vaccination service branches:

As patients are registered to main practices, there is no data for the number of patients registered to branch practices.