Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the ratio of nurses and doctors is in the (a) North and (b) South of England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England publishes monthly statistics showing the size and make up of staff employed in the National Health Service in England, and these include the number of full time equivalent (FTE) doctors and nurses employed by NHS trusts and integrated care boards grouped by the seven regional NHS areas. Further information is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics
The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of populations resident in the seven NHS England regional areas. Further information is available at the following link:
The above information has been used to create the information in the following table which shows, for each of the seven NHS regions, the number of FTE doctors, nurses, and health visitors from which a ratio of nurses to doctors for different geographies can be calculated as well as a comparison of the ratio of the number of doctors and nurses per 10,000 population:
NHS Region | Doctors - FTE April 2026 | Nurses and Health Visitors - FTE April 2026 | Population Estimate for 2026 | Doctors per 10,000 Population | Nurses per 10,000 Population |
England | 153,389 | 372,636 | 59,137,052 | 26 | 63 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
South of England | 82,611 | 185,992 | 31,589,383 | 26 | 59 |
London | 31,667 | 67,498 | 9,285,409 | 34 | 73 |
South West | 14,389 | 33,524 | 5,984,273 | 24 | 56 |
South East | 21,160 | 49,998 | 9,384,784 | 23 | 53 |
East of England | 15,395 | 34,972 | 6,934,918 | 22 | 50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Midlands | 27,100 | 70,767 | 11,326,740 | 24 | 62 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
North of England | 43,678 | 115,877 | 16,220,929 | 27 | 71 |
North West | 20,849 | 56,888 | 7,444,399 | 28 | 76 |
North East and Yorkshire | 22,829 | 58,989 | 8,776,529 | 26 | 67 |
Sources: NHS Workforce Statistics, published by NHS England, and the Population projections for sub-integrated care boards by five-year age groups and sex, England, published by the Office for National Statistics.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on appointing a Chair to the statutory public inquiry into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the inquiry can begin consultation on its Terms of Reference.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Department is fully committed to setting up the Statutory Public Inquiry into the serious harms that have taken place at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.
The Department has begun work to set up the inquiry, the Inquiry Secretary is in post, and we anticipate announcing the Chair soon. The Terms of Reference are the responsibility of the Chair once in post.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office on the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners; and what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of that acquisition on the UK video games sector, player data, creative workers and the integrity of the games industry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK video games sector. In April this year we launched the £30 million Games Growth Package, doubling funding to invest in UK games businesses and develop future talent.
Under competition law, responsibility for investigating the impact of mergers and acquisitions on competition falls to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers and expertise to investigate the benefits and risks of mergers in relation to competition, including those that may impact the video games sector.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the total value of departmental expenditure on breakfast clubs in the Tees Valley region in each of the financial years (a) 2023/24, (b) 2024/25, and (c) 2025/26; and projections for 2026/27.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. There are 34 schools already on the programme within the Tees Valley region.
Early adopter schools opened free breakfast clubs for the first time in April 2025, and the total departmental expenditure on free breakfast clubs in the Tees Valley region was £245,107.23 in the 2025/26 financial year. In the current financial year, total departmental expenditure in the region amounts to £161,156.13.
Details on total spend for the financial year and on future years’ spending are to be confirmed.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of domestically produced polyhalite fertiliser to improving the resilience and security of fertiliser supplies for UK agriculture.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Polyhalite satisfies a proportion of the UK’s sulphur demand, but it is not a direct substitute for nitrogen or phosphate-based fertilisers. It can, however, be blended with other fertilisers to increase nutrient use efficiency and provide a balanced nutrition for plants.
The UK sources fertiliser both domestically and through diverse imports, helping keep supply chains flexible and maintain a diverse nutrient supply.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential role of low-carbon domestic ammonia production in improving the UK's energy security and industrial resilience.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Low carbon ammonia could play a role in reaching net zero as part of a diversified energy mix, as a flexible energy carrier or fuel. Ammonia can also be used as an industrial feedstock for essential products such as fertiliser.
However, the scale of future UK demand for low carbon ammonia is uncertain, with a key factor being the decarbonisation pathways chosen by sectors such as maritime.
DESNZ is working closely with other departments, including the Department for Transport, to understand the potential demand for low carbon ammonia, the role for domestic production, and whether further Government intervention may be required.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the timetable is for the completion of the Second Hydrogen Allocation Round and the announcement of successful projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The next stage of the Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 process is the Invite to Offer stage, and we are working hard across government to begin this as soon as possible. We will be in touch with projects when this commences. We understand that many projects are at critical stages, and that certainty is important to support business planning, resource management and engagement with third parties.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is aware of any cases in the last five years where a child was placed in the primary care of an individual who is a registered sex offender.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not collect data on children placed in households where an individual is a registered sex offender.
We collect data on children’s serious incidents that involve death or serious harm to a child where abuse or neglect is known or suspected and any death of a looked after child. At the notification stage, the data collection system does not include an option to record whether a child was placed with a registered sex offender, and information provided at this point may not clearly identify the perpetrator. More detailed and verified information regarding abuse or neglect incidents, is established through subsequent rapid reviews. The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, which oversees these reviews, may hold such information.
Regulation 26 of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 requires providers to obtain specified information about applicants and adult household members. This includes an enhanced criminal record certificate under section 113B of the Police Act 1997, which contains suitability information relating to children.
For fostering, an enhanced criminal record certificate with a check of the children’s barred list is mandatory. If a person is on the children’s barred list, they are legally prohibited from working in regulated activity with children and would commit a criminal offence if they did so.
Enhanced certificates may also include relevant local police information, such as allegations or investigations. In addition, services must consider the outcomes of any previous fostering or adoption applications involving the applicant or household members.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data relating to children placed in households including a registered sex offender.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not collect data on children placed in households where an individual is a registered sex offender.
We collect data on children’s serious incidents that involve death or serious harm to a child where abuse or neglect is known or suspected and any death of a looked after child. At the notification stage, the data collection system does not include an option to record whether a child was placed with a registered sex offender, and information provided at this point may not clearly identify the perpetrator. More detailed and verified information regarding abuse or neglect incidents, is established through subsequent rapid reviews. The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, which oversees these reviews, may hold such information.
Regulation 26 of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 requires providers to obtain specified information about applicants and adult household members. This includes an enhanced criminal record certificate under section 113B of the Police Act 1997, which contains suitability information relating to children.
For fostering, an enhanced criminal record certificate with a check of the children’s barred list is mandatory. If a person is on the children’s barred list, they are legally prohibited from working in regulated activity with children and would commit a criminal offence if they did so.
Enhanced certificates may also include relevant local police information, such as allegations or investigations. In addition, services must consider the outcomes of any previous fostering or adoption applications involving the applicant or household members.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of Universal Credit in the Tees Valley region; what the total value of Universal Credit payments to claimants in the Tees Valley was in 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26; and what the Department expects that total to be in 2026/27.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Monthly statistics showing the number of people on Universal Credit by local authority, from November 2013 to February 2026, are published in the People on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore.
The department regularly publishes benefit expenditure and caseload tables and the latest benefit expenditure by local authority tables include Universal Credit expenditure from 2019/20 to 2024/25. These figures do not include forecasts of future spending. Further figures will be published in due course.