Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to support workers in the social care sector in Broxtowe constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has an ongoing programme of work to ensure the care profession is recognised and rewarded and to improve domestic recruitment and retention. This includes supporting the professionalisation of the adult social care workforce through the recently expanded Care Workforce Pathway. The pathway provides a framework for progression and development opportunities so people can build their skills and careers in care.
In September 2024, we launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, providing funding for eligible care staff to complete courses and qualifications. This includes the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year.
We are also introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector so that care professionals are rewarded for the important work that they do. As we work towards a Fair Pay Agreement, the Government will engage all those who draw upon care, as well as those that work to provide care and support. We will also consult local authorities. unions, and others from across the sector.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle environmental harm in (a) Broxtowe Constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) advises and regulates businesses across the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. They are the environmental regulator for water companies, prosecute and act against those who pollute the environment, and they reduce and protect against flood risk. As a Category 1 Responder (with the emergency services) under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 they have a duty to warn, inform, and respond to flood incidents and prevent environmental damage.
The EA advises on planning applications within their statutory remit for all local planning authorities, including assessing flood risk and potential impacts to main rivers or controlled waters. They also work with local planning authorities ensuring flood risk, climate change, land contamination, and the water environment are included in their evidence base and policies for local plans.
In addition, they partner with the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, local authorities, and local police forces, to tackle environmental waste crime.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with NICE on providing up-to-date guidance for clinicians on the provision of HRT to people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop guidance on the provision of HRT to people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by a prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer.
NICE makes independent, evidence-based recommendations for the health and care system on best practice. It is right that decisions on the topics to be prioritised for guidance development should be based on the evidence and in line with NICE’s process.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of releasing the investment reserve for British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme pensions to its members.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The then Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones) met the BCSSS Trustees on 22 April, 11 June and 22 July and confirmed the Government’s commitment to considering their proposals regarding the reserve and the future of the scheme. DESNZ will now engage HM Treasury with a view to agreeing a way forward on the transfer of the reserve to members.
The Government is aiming to reach agreement on an outcome that can be implemented later this year which will benefit scheme members.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to support clinical research on the impact of menopause and perimenopause on people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research delivery arm of the Department, funds a range of research to improve health outcomes for women, including on the impacts of menopause and perimenopause on preexisting conditions such as Type 1 diabetes.
For example, the NIHR is currently funding research to identify disparities in key health outcomes in older women, with a focus on the use of hormone replacement therapy. Amongst other aims, this research will explore whether there are differences in outcomes for women who have health conditions, such as sickle cell disease or diabetes.
In addition, the NIHR funds the infrastructure of the James Lind Alliance (JLA). In 2024, the JLA updated the Priority Setting Partnership on Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults. One of the top ten priority questions identified for future research is to investigate the impact of hormonal phases such as the perimenstrual period and menopause on glycaemic management, and to identify what treatments are most effective for managing glucose levels around these times.
The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the impact of menopause and perimenopause on people with Type 1 diabetes.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve the provision of social care in Broxtowe constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people to access quality care.
To ensure high standards of care, local authorities are assessed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in how well they are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The CQC has not yet published the assessment report for Broxtowe and Nottinghamshire County Council.
The CQC also helps ensure high-quality social care by inspecting services, setting standards, taking enforcement action, listening to feedback, and providing transparent information of assessments on their website to protect and empower service users.
To enable local authorities to deliver key services, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent immigration policy changes on the higher education sector.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government has been clear that we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. International students come from all over the world and benefit UK higher education (HE) and our society, boosting our economy by more than £21 billion a year.
The government expects the UK’s HE sector to remain highly attractive. We have four UK universities in the world’s top 10 and 17 in the top 100, alongside a wide array of other high-quality institutions.
The system must, however, ensure that international students make a positive contribution to the communities in which they study. We will not permit anyone who seeks to exploit the system.
The Immigration White Paper, published in May, sets out a balanced approach which helps the government achieve our manifesto commitment of reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support estranged and care-experienced students in higher education.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department is committed to ensuring that care experienced and estranged people can access, participate and achieve in higher education (HE).
All looked-after children must have a personal education plan, which should set out the support needed to help realise their short and long-term academic outcomes. To ensure they have a greater chance of achieving the prior attainment needed to access HE, the government provides £14 million per year of additional funding to support looked-after children up to the age of 19. This is administered by virtual school heads and can be used on attainment raising activity such as tuition, mentoring or careers advice and other activities based on the individual needs of each looked-after child.
In addition to a statutory £2,000 Care Leavers in HE bursary, all HE providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APPs) approved by the OfS. These plans articulate how providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups. Care experienced and estranged students are classed as ‘at risk’ groups in the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register and providers should take account of inequalities they may experience when developing their APPs.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
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 reduce incidents of stillbirths amongst black and Asian families.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that losing a baby or pregnancy loss is extremely difficult for parents and families. We are determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.
While the vast majority of births in England are safe, the stark inequalities in maternity outcomes demonstrate that there are deep-seated issues across maternity and neonatal services.
To address these and other issues within maternity and neonatal care, a rapid independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services is being launched. This will look at the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care, taking into account findings from previous maternity reviews.
This includes the Maternity Outcome Signalling System, a new system that will monitor the rates of term stillbirth, neonatal death, and brain injury. It will immediately flag unusually high rates to prompt a rapid review of any safety concerns. We have already made progress in this area, for example through the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal deaths, and preterm births.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to simplify the planning permission process for pubs.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of community facilities, such as pubs.
On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds (which can be found on gov.uk here) which seeks views on taking a gradated approach to the system as a whole – removing and streamlining disproportionate requirements on small and medium sites, while maintaining and strengthening requirements on major development.