Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to expand opportunities for veterans to transition into civilian employment.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This Government is fully committed to renewing the nations contract with those who serve and who have served and to ensure veterans and their families have access to the employment support they need. A range of programmes are in place to support those leaving service, which make full use of their skills and experience in finding fulfilling and sustainable careers.

The Career Transition Partnership is the initial point of employment provision for those transitioning into civilian life, with employment assistance available for up to two years before and two years after leaving service.

For veterans who are more than two years post-service, as well as their families, additional support is provided through Op ASCEND. This initiative has already engaged with over 420 employers to create employment opportunities and successfully supported 5,000 veterans and family members.

In addition, the new Veterans Strategy outlines specific and targeted interventions to connect veterans with strategically important industries. This includes a 12-month Clean Energy Jobs pilot in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to connect veterans with high-skilled careers in the high demand clean energy sector.

The recent Budget confirmed that the Employer National Insurance contributions relief for veterans will be extended to April 2028.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to allow frontline workers such as Teachers, Teaching Assistants and all school workers access to the Free Flu Vaccine Programme.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Eligibility for a free National Health Service flu vaccine is guided, each year, by advice and recommendations from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

The aim of the flu vaccination programme is to protect those most at risk from serious illness and hospitalisation. Those eligible to receive a free flu vaccine on the NHS this autumn and winter are:

• pregnant women;
• all children aged two or three years old;
• children with certain long-term health conditions, aged six months to less than 18 years old;
• primary school aged children, from reception to Year 6;
• secondary school aged children, from Year 7 to Year 11;
• all children in clinical risk groups aged from six months to under 18 years old;
• everyone aged 65 years old and over;
• individuals aged 18 to under 65 years old with certain long-term health conditions;
• care home residents;
• carers in receipt of carer's allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person; and
• those living with people who are immunocompromised.

Individuals, such as teachers, teaching assistants and school workers, who meet these criteria are eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine. Frontline health and social care workers can access the flu vaccine through their employer.

Anyone who is unsure about their eligibility can consult their general practitioner, practice nurse, or pharmacist. Pregnant women can also consult their midwife. The NHS website contains further information on eligibility, and is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, What steps are being taken to ensure that data on paediatric traumatic brain injury diagnoses is collected consistently across the NHS to support the development of the Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that consistent and comprehensive data on traumatic brain injury (TBI) is essential to improving care and informing policy. The forthcoming Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan will include measures to strengthen data collection and access across the National Health Service and wider services. This will ensure that information on diagnosis and treatment of TBI is gathered systematically and shared effectively to support integrated care, commissioning decisions and evidence-based planning, and to underpin the action plan’s goal of improving prevention, diagnosis, rehabilitation, and long-term support for children and young people, as well as adults, affected by TBI.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on developing the cross-departmental Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure the plan addresses regional inequalities in neurorehabilitation services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working closely with NHS England, other Government departments, and stakeholders to finalise the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan, which will set out clear priorities for improving prevention, diagnosis, rehabilitation, and long-term support. Work on the plan is well advanced, and we expect to publish the plan in the first half of 2026.

The Department has worked closely with leading ABI charities through stakeholder forums, the ABI All-Party Parliamentary Group, and a national call for evidence. These organisations have provided expert insight on rehabilitation pathways, community support, and service gaps. Their contributions are directly shaping the plan by informing priorities and practical actions to improve outcomes for individuals and families affected by ABI.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent work has been undertaken with voluntary sector organisations supporting families affected by acquired brain injury; and how their expertise is being incorporated into the Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working closely with NHS England, other Government departments, and stakeholders to finalise the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan, which will set out clear priorities for improving prevention, diagnosis, rehabilitation, and long-term support. Work on the plan is well advanced, and we expect to publish the plan in the first half of 2026.

The Department has worked closely with leading ABI charities through stakeholder forums, the ABI All-Party Parliamentary Group, and a national call for evidence. These organisations have provided expert insight on rehabilitation pathways, community support, and service gaps. Their contributions are directly shaping the plan by informing priorities and practical actions to improve outcomes for individuals and families affected by ABI.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of community-based neurorehabilitation provision for children and young people following an acquired brain injury, particularly in regions with high incidence rates such as Teesside.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the importance of timely, high-quality rehabilitation for children and young people with an acquired brain injury (ABI). NHS England’s paediatric neurorehabilitation service specification supports community neurorehabilitation by ensuring that children and young people receive coordinated, specialist care beyond the hospital setting. It requires integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, to work with tertiary centres and local providers to deliver structured rehabilitation programmes in the community, supported by multidisciplinary teams.

The Department expects all National Health Services to follow the guideline for the assessment and early management of head injury in babies, children, young people, and adults, reference code NG232, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The guideline sets out clear standards for discharge advice, risk assessment, and timely referral for further evaluation where symptoms persist or escalate. NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements. NICE provides ICBs with implementation tools, audit templates, training resources, and commissioning guidance to help embed the guideline into local pathways and ensure consistent, evidence-based practice.

The Government is committed to increasing specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East of England as part of wider efforts to improve access and reduce regional variation. Our forthcoming ABI Action Plan will set out practical steps to strengthen commissioning and expand multidisciplinary rehabilitation services. This aligns with commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan to enhance community-based rehabilitation, invest in specialist teams, and ensure timely, high-quality care for people with ABI across England, including the North East.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of (a) the effectiveness of follow-up pathways for children discharged from A&E after a head injury and (b) whether current practice aligns with national clinical guidelines.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the importance of timely, high-quality rehabilitation for children and young people with an acquired brain injury (ABI). NHS England’s paediatric neurorehabilitation service specification supports community neurorehabilitation by ensuring that children and young people receive coordinated, specialist care beyond the hospital setting. It requires integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, to work with tertiary centres and local providers to deliver structured rehabilitation programmes in the community, supported by multidisciplinary teams.

The Department expects all National Health Services to follow the guideline for the assessment and early management of head injury in babies, children, young people, and adults, reference code NG232, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The guideline sets out clear standards for discharge advice, risk assessment, and timely referral for further evaluation where symptoms persist or escalate. NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements. NICE provides ICBs with implementation tools, audit templates, training resources, and commissioning guidance to help embed the guideline into local pathways and ensure consistent, evidence-based practice.

The Government is committed to increasing specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East of England as part of wider efforts to improve access and reduce regional variation. Our forthcoming ABI Action Plan will set out practical steps to strengthen commissioning and expand multidisciplinary rehabilitation services. This aligns with commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan to enhance community-based rehabilitation, invest in specialist teams, and ensure timely, high-quality care for people with ABI across England, including the North East.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans there are to expand specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the importance of timely, high-quality rehabilitation for children and young people with an acquired brain injury (ABI). NHS England’s paediatric neurorehabilitation service specification supports community neurorehabilitation by ensuring that children and young people receive coordinated, specialist care beyond the hospital setting. It requires integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, to work with tertiary centres and local providers to deliver structured rehabilitation programmes in the community, supported by multidisciplinary teams.

The Department expects all National Health Services to follow the guideline for the assessment and early management of head injury in babies, children, young people, and adults, reference code NG232, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The guideline sets out clear standards for discharge advice, risk assessment, and timely referral for further evaluation where symptoms persist or escalate. NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements. NICE provides ICBs with implementation tools, audit templates, training resources, and commissioning guidance to help embed the guideline into local pathways and ensure consistent, evidence-based practice.

The Government is committed to increasing specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East of England as part of wider efforts to improve access and reduce regional variation. Our forthcoming ABI Action Plan will set out practical steps to strengthen commissioning and expand multidisciplinary rehabilitation services. This aligns with commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan to enhance community-based rehabilitation, invest in specialist teams, and ensure timely, high-quality care for people with ABI across England, including the North East.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the economic impact of acquired brain injury on local authorities and health systems; and how that information is informing future funding models for neurorehabilitation.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the significant economic impact of acquired brain injury (ABI) on both the National Health Service and local authorities due to the costs of acute care, long-term rehabilitation, social care, and support for education and employment.

This is informing the development of future funding models for locally commissioned neurorehabilitation by emphasising the value of early, intensive rehabilitation in reducing long-term costs and improving outcomes. The ABI Action Plan will set out proposals to strengthen commissioning frameworks, promote integrated funding approaches between health and social care, and ensure resources are targeted where they deliver the greatest benefit.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what proportion of peatland assessed as degraded is (a) lowland farmland in the Fens,(b) other lowland cropland, (c) grassland, (d) modified heather dominated upland, (e) woodland and (f) land used for peatland extraction; and what proportion of carbon emissions is produced by each category.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The England Peat Map (EPM) does not classify peatlands by land-management definitions or directly test peat health. It provides a detailed national map of peat extent and depth, vegetation and land cover, upland drainage channels, and bare peat—features that are strong indicators of condition.

The Department’s statement that “around 80% of England’s peatlands are in dry and degraded states” reflects widely accepted UK-wide estimates and is consistent with analysis of the EPM. This figure (80%) is cited by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in its UK Peatland Strategy and Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands. It is also referenced by the Office for National Statistics. The figure was neither produced by Natural England nor derived from the EPM. However, analysis of the EPM does show that around 80% of England’s peatlands are associated with vegetation and land use cover associated with drier habitats, such as bare peat, arable land, and heather-dominated vegetation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled England’s peatlands mapped for first time in major step towards their recovery, published on 12 May 2025, whether her Department's assessment of the proportion of peatland that is degraded was based on (a) land management definitions and (b) testing the health of peat.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The England Peat Map has not assessed peatland as degraded or not and so cannot determine the proportions of degraded peatland in each category mentioned.

Work is currently ongoing to incorporate England Peat Map outputs into the Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which will help assess the carbon emissions from England’s peatlands.