Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support available to homeowners with children who are claiming Universal Credit, in the context of the difference between non‑repayable housing support for renters and loan‑based Support for Mortgage Interest for homeowners.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The situations of homeowners and renters are not directly comparable. If a tenant does not pay their rent, they face the real possibility of eviction. Homeowners have more flexibility to negotiate repayments with their lenders during periods of financial difficulty, and their mortgage payments allow them to acquire a significant asset.
The help homeowners, with or without children, can receive towards their mortgage payments is designed to provide a level of support that protects them from the threat of repossession. We have broad agreement with the lending industry that the support we provide is sufficient to achieve this aim.
The department has recently published research looking at the impact and effectiveness of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans. This is available here: Impact Assessment of Support for Mortgage Interest loans and was published on 6th May 2025.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
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 address the higher rates of (a) suicide, (b) intentional self‑harm, (c) drug poisoning mortality, (d) depression and (e) anxiety among LGB+ women.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government recognises that some groups, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other sexual minority (LGBTQ+) women, experience poorer mental health outcomes, and we are committed to reducing these inequalities across the system.
We are developing a new mental health strategy for England, to ensure services respond more effectively and equitably to the needs of different groups across the population. The strategy will be informed by the findings from NHS England’s LGBT+ health evidence review which launched last year and which is looking to better understand LGBT+ healthcare needs, including in relation to mental health, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.
In parallel, we are continuing to deliver the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, which aims to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide and address the factors that increase risk, while improving support for people who self‑harm and those affected by suicide. The strategy is supported by updated Staying Safe from Suicide guidance and national training for staff. One of the key principles of this guidance is ensuring practices are inclusive and adaptable, particularly for marginalised and high-risk groups.
We are also expanding NHS Talking Therapies so that more people experiencing anxiety and depression can access evidence‑based treatment earlier. This is supported by work to improve inclusion and reduce barriers to access for LGBTQ+ people, including through published NHS Talking Therapies LGBTQ+ Positive Practice guidance, which sets out practical steps for services to provide more inclusive care and improve outcomes.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support voluntary organisations that improve community pride in Scotland.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Voluntary organisations are essential partners in the UK Government mission to build national and local pride.
While community development is a devolved matter, the Scotland Office works closely with all UK Government departments to ensure UK-wide funding structures empower Scotland's third sector.
Through our targeted £280 million Pride in Place Programme, the £12 million Pride in Place Impact Fund and the new £140 million Local Growth Fund, we are putting real spending power into the hands of communities, to protect vital assets and drive local growth across Scotland.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if their Department will take steps to clarify requirements for aeroplane travel with medical equipment such as adrenaline auto-injectors.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Passengers are allowed to carry essential medicines in hand luggage alongside proof that the medication is prescribed to the individual travelling (for example a doctor’s letter or a copy of the prescription).
With respect to the carriage of syringes and auto-injectors, while these can be carried in hand-luggage, these items may need to be checked separately at airport security and it is also advisable to contact the airline in advance of travel to check if there are any additional requirements.
Commercial airlines must carry approved medical kits and cabin crew must regularly undertake first aid training.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
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 the proposed neighbourhood health service on care coordination for people living with Huntington’s disease and other long-term neurological conditions.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including Huntington’s Disease. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include getting a final diagnosis faster, increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, better coordination of care, and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026 to report on the steps taken to advance these priorities.
The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. It will improve access by making it easier to speak to a general practitioner, providing more care closer to where people live, including in Neighbourhood Health Centres, and move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service.
Integrated neighbourhood teams will support people with conditions like Huntington’s Disease that require specialist care by considering their needs holistically, with reference to health, care, and wider needs.
In the Autumn budget, the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. On 26 March 2026, we announced Wave 1 of Neighbourhood Health Centre schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million.
Neighbourhood health centres will be the place to go for most health needs in every community. Integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities will determine the particular mix of services shaped by local population needs. These will be designed to reflect the priorities and requirements of each community, including the needs of people with Huntington’s disease where appropriate.
In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework to support this service planning. On 15 April 2026, we also published the Neighbourhood Health Centres Guidance and Specification to support regions and ICBs to develop their neighbourhood health estate strategies and pipelines.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
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 that the needs of people living with Huntington’s disease and other long-term neurological conditions are considered in the development of neighbourhood health plans.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including Huntington’s Disease. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include getting a final diagnosis faster, increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, better coordination of care, and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026 to report on the steps taken to advance these priorities.
The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. It will improve access by making it easier to speak to a general practitioner, providing more care closer to where people live, including in Neighbourhood Health Centres, and move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service.
Integrated neighbourhood teams will support people with conditions like Huntington’s Disease that require specialist care by considering their needs holistically, with reference to health, care, and wider needs.
In the Autumn budget, the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. On 26 March 2026, we announced Wave 1 of Neighbourhood Health Centre schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million.
Neighbourhood health centres will be the place to go for most health needs in every community. Integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities will determine the particular mix of services shaped by local population needs. These will be designed to reflect the priorities and requirements of each community, including the needs of people with Huntington’s disease where appropriate.
In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework to support this service planning. On 15 April 2026, we also published the Neighbourhood Health Centres Guidance and Specification to support regions and ICBs to develop their neighbourhood health estate strategies and pipelines.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility and effectiveness of the Personal Independence Payment system for carers supporting disabled family members; and what steps he is taking to reduce delays, the number of repeated assessments, and improve administration, including communication with claimants on the progress of applications.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
It is important that all claimants can access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying and communicating with the Department and its providers, either personally or through a third party such as a carer.
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through PIP in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant and claimants are kept informed and updated at each stage of the process, including through our improved text message service.
Since 6 April 2026, we have reduced the frequency of repeated assessments in PIP. For most claimants over 25, their first review will be after a minimum of 3 years and, assuming they remain entitled, 5 years for their next review.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to ensure the revised Equality Act code of practice for services, public functions and associations allows organisations, such as Girl Guides, to operate on a trans-inclusive basis.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
We have just received the updated draft Code of Practice from the EHRC. We cannot comment on the contents of the Code during the pre-election period, but we intend to lay it as soon as practicable after the elections in May.
We have always been clear that associations should set their policies in line with the law. If associations are uncertain as to how to apply the Equality Act 2010, they should obtain specialist legal advice.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children receive a minimum of two hours of high-quality physical education per week; and are supported to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Spen Valley to the answer of 29 April 2026 to Question 128860.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the introduction of School Sports Partnerships and the new Enrichment Framework is supported by sustained levels of funding.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced in June 2025 the establishment of a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to ensure all children and young people have access to high quality PE and extracurricular sport. Details on the PE and School Sports Partnerships funding will be confirmed in due course.
The Enrichment Framework will be published this academic year, accompanied by a range of support to help schools’ enrichment offers. We will work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the National Youth Strategy implementation, including the £22.5 million Enrichment Expansion Programme and £132.5 million through the ‘Every Child Can’ Dormant Assets funding. This is in addition to international enrichment opportunities through the UK’s association to the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, continuing investment in our national network of Music Hubs, a new £750,000 chess support programme, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s flagship ‘TechYouth’ programme.