Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with representatives from prisons on allowing prisoners to have virtual visits with their children through longer and high-quality video calls.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Ministry of Justice Ministers have frequent discussions with prison staff on all aspects of the prison experience. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) encourages prisons to make the experience of those visiting prisoners the ‘best it can be’, and to seek feedback from visitors on how to improve services. Information on the quality of social visits, including feedback from stakeholders, is included in the HMPPS Families Performance Improvement Measure.
Supporting consistent contact between parents in prison and their children where it is safe and appropriate, helps to mitigate the harm arising from separation caused by imprisonment.
Making prison visits family‑friendly is an important element of maintaining family ties and supporting effective rehabilitation. Visiting a prison can be a daunting experience for anyone, particularly those already coping with the emotional impact of having a loved-one in custody. A welcoming visiting environment helps to reduce fear, anxiety and stigma, enabling families to feel safe and supported during what may be a stressful experience.
Family‑friendly visits allow relations to interact more naturally, supporting healthy attachment and emotional wellbeing. Simple measures such as clear information, trained staff, suitable facilities and access to play or activity areas can make a significant difference to the experience. These features help visits to feel more like a normal family interaction and allow parents in custody to maintain a meaningful role in their child’s life.
Prison video calling is already an established part of the prison communications offer. The provision of secure social video calls, as a supplement to letters, telephone calls and in‑person visits, supports the maintenance of family ties and reflects key recommendations made in Lord Farmer’s reviews, which highlighted the importance of strong family relationships in reducing the risk of re‑offending.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making support for parents in prisons a Key Performance Indicator.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Decisions on changes to prison key performance indicators, including whether to introduce new or more explicit measures focused on support for parents in prison, must balance the benefits of clearer accountability with the need to ensure performance frameworks remain proportionate, measurable and focused on outcomes.
Any proposed changes are considered alongside inspection evidence and operational priorities.
Families provision in prisons is currently monitored by the family ties performance measure. The Department will continue to consider how best to reflect the role of family and parental support in prison performance measures as we develop the prison performance framework.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
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 9 October 2025 to Question 76643 on Primodos, whether his Department plans to consider scientific evidence from Aaron. P. Adam et al (2026) titled Recurrent Constellations of Embryonic Malformations: Teratogenicity Linked to Transient Hypoxia and Hormone Pregnancy Tests Agrees With RCEM and Suggest a Reactive Oxygen Species Pathogenesis, as part of its review of the evidence on hormone pregnancy tests.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), together with the wider Government, have committed to review any new scientific evidence which comes to light regarding the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In line with this commitment, the MHRA will consider whether the recent publication, Recurrent Constellations of Embryonic Malformations (RCEM): Teratogenicity Linked to Transient Hypoxia and Hormone Pregnancy Tests Agrees With RCEM and Suggest a Reactive Oxygen Species Pathogenesis, by Aaron. P. Adam et al, presents any new scientific evidence and will act as appropriate.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
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 regenerative medicine techniques on surgical recovery.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
Regenerative techniques, such as cell therapies, growth factors, and bioengineered scaffolds, can accelerate wound healing, which is particularly valuable in complex or high‑risk surgeries. NHS England maintains an overview of the advanced therapy medicinal products in development and assesses the potential National Health Service impact and the requirements for individual treatments as part of its due diligence, ensuring the NHS is ready to deliver innovative new treatments that secure a positive Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency licensing decision and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendation.