Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his department has allocated towards research into (a) Chron's and (b) Colitis in the last year.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
In the financial year 2024/25, the NIHR committed £279,000 for new research projects and programmes into Crohn's and Colitis. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Crohn's and Colitis research.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 adequacy of (a) staff training on support for and (b) support available to deaf residents in care homes.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is taking steps to improve the quality of adult social care, which will include deaf people in care homes.
The Department is committed to enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care. To this end, the Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme in September 2024, providing funding for eligible care staff to complete training courses and qualifications. In April 2025, the Department also published the expanded and revised Care Workforce Pathway. The pathway guides workers in building their careers in adult social care by signposting training and development opportunities, highlighting routes for progression, and giving proper recognition to the highly skilled, complex care and support they provide.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deaf people. The CQC also monitors, inspects, and regulates adult social care services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. For deaf individuals, this includes providing care that is responsive to their communication needs.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase the provision of visually impaired sport in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone. We are committed to breaking down the barriers that contribute to the persisting inequalities in participation and want to ensure that everyone can experience the physical, mental and social benefits that come with being active.
To achieve this, the Government works closely with its Arm's Length Bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, as well as other partners in the sector, to improve access to sports for all.
Sport England's ten-year Uniting the Movement strategy reinforces its commitment to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for those from under-represented groups, including disabled people. Sport England has ensured that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense.
Sport England also launched a partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and British Blind Sport in 2021. This involved investing £1 million into the See Sport Differently programme, which has been designed to tackle the biggest barriers that stop blind and partially blind people from getting involved in sport and activity.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase the provision of disability sport in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone. We are committed to breaking down the barriers that contribute to the persisting inequalities in participation and want to ensure that everyone can experience the physical, mental and social benefits that come with being active.
To achieve this, the Government works closely with its Arm's Length Bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, as well as other partners in the sector, to improve access to sports for all.
Sport England's ten-year Uniting the Movement strategy reinforces its commitment to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for those from under-represented groups, including disabled people. Sport England has ensured that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense.
Sport England also launched a partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and British Blind Sport in 2021. This involved investing £1 million into the See Sport Differently programme, which has been designed to tackle the biggest barriers that stop blind and partially blind people from getting involved in sport and activity.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individual properties are being used as dispersal accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers at a regional and local level. The department does not publish data at a property level, but at a person level.
The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers. These statistics can be found at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 increase awareness of endometriosis amongst medical professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In November 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with a suspected diagnosis. This will help women receive a diagnosis and effective treatment faster. This guideline is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73)www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73
Additionally, the General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health, including endometriosis. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK.
Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a timeline for the transfer of the £2.3bn investment reserve to BCSSS members.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Chancellor announced in the budget the transfer of the full reserve of £2.3bn which will increase member incomes by 41%. The transfer has been completed and the required amendments to the scheme rules agreed and signed.
Implementation is a matter for the Trustees but we understand they have put processes in place so that the first payments will be made on 23 December.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her department are taking to help support university students living with (a) Chron's and (b) Colitis.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to ensuring that all students are well supported during their time at university.
Higher education providers have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students, which includes those with a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.
Wherever possible, disabled students should expect to have their needs met through inclusive learning practices and individual reasonable adjustments made by their provider. In addition to reasonable adjustments, Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is available for the provision of more specialist support.
My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, has recently appointed Sir Steve West as Higher Education Student Support Champion to lead the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. The Taskforce is instrumental in assessing and driving improvements in mental health support across the sector, including taking forward recommendations from the recent national review of higher education student suicides.