Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Key target hit with 8,500 extra mental health workers in the NHS, published on 30 June 2026, what proportion of the additional mental health workers are currently working in (a) child and adolescent mental health services and (b) adult mental health services.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government has delivered on its commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, three years ahead of schedule.

These new staff include over 1,200 new doctors, over 4,500 new nurses, and a range of other support staff, primarily psychological professions, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.

Of the 8,532 new mental health full-time equivalent staff in post between 30 June 2024 and 30 April 2026, 1,552 were recorded in ‘Mental Health Child and Adolescent’ and ‘Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’, the equivalent to 18% of the increase. This is not a full count of all children and young people’s mental health staff, as the published data does not consistently identify where all staff work. It is therefore not possible to provide a reliable breakdown of the additional mental health workforce between child and adolescent mental health services and adult mental health services from the published data.

However, these additional staff are deployed across the system to support a range of national priorities, improving access and reducing waiting times for both adults and children and young people.

Further detail is available in NHS workforce statistics, published monthly by NHS England, available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of delays in HMRC VAT registration processing on construction businesses; and if she will consider changes to the VAT registration rules to allow businesses to recover input VAT on materials purchased for taxable supplies where HMRC processing delays result in those materials being used before a VAT registration application has been processed.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

Businesses can only recover input VAT once they are VAT registered. However, once registered, they may recover VAT on goods purchased up to four years before that date.

HMRC processes the vast majority of VAT registration applications promptly, with 95% currently processed within the service standard of 40 working days. The Government has no plans to change the VAT registration rules in this area.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that young people have access to education, skills, and career opportunities arising from investment in research and innovation in Ribble Valley constituency.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government is investing a record £58.5 billion in research and development between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to support growth and the creation of high-skilled jobs across the UK. This includes funding for UKRI-supported Centres for Doctoral Training in the North West, helping to develop the next generation of researchers and innovators. Around the country, UKRI is investing in around 5000 new PhD studentships each year.

Alongside this, the Government has invested £200m in the TechFirst programme that will reach one million students across every secondary school in the UK, including 400,000 students attending the most disadvantaged schools. This will also provide funding for scholarship, research and employment opportunities for thousands of young people across the country. This includes supporting a pilot in the North West that will combine AI skills training with Level 3 apprenticeships, creating a direct pathway for young people at risk of becoming NEET into skilled employment and informing future national rollout.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support locally led innovation investment in a) Ribble Valley constituency and b) Lancashire.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Through the Lancashire Devolution Deal, the Government is providing up to £20 million in capital funding during the current Spending Review period to support innovation-led growth across Lancashire, including assets to maximise the benefits of the National Cyber Force Headquarters at Samlesbury, which lies within Ribble Valley constituency.

UKRI funding for Lancashire increased from £97 million in 2022–23 to £107 million in 2023–24, demonstrating continued investment in the region's research and innovation strengths.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of guaranteeing every child the opportunity to attend an outdoor residential on pupils' wellbeing.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government recognises outdoor opportunities as a valuable part of the childhood experiences we want all children and young people to have.

Participation in enrichment activities can be associated with a range of positive outcomes, including wellbeing, life satisfaction and better mental health.

Our enrichment framework, published on 15 June, sets an expectation that all schools and colleges should offer a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer. Access to nature, outdoors and adventure, including camps, is specifically identified as one of the five areas that offers should cover as a minimum and highlights examples of offers including residentials.

The department is supporting the provision of more opportunities through the £132 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme and will be supporting 400 schools in deprived areas to develop offers in line with the benchmarks through our £22.5 million Enrichment Enhancement Programme. We will also be working to grow provision in areas where access is limited, working with Baroness Grey-Thompson as enrichment ambassador for this area.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered introducing an entitlement to an outdoor residential experience for every child during their time at school.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government recognises outdoor opportunities as a valuable part of the childhood experiences we want all children and young people to have.

Participation in enrichment activities can be associated with a range of positive outcomes, including wellbeing, life satisfaction and better mental health.

Our enrichment framework, published on 15 June, sets an expectation that all schools and colleges should offer a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer. Access to nature, outdoors and adventure, including camps, is specifically identified as one of the five areas that offers should cover as a minimum and highlights examples of offers including residentials.

The department is supporting the provision of more opportunities through the £132 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme and will be supporting 400 schools in deprived areas to develop offers in line with the benchmarks through our £22.5 million Enrichment Enhancement Programme. We will also be working to grow provision in areas where access is limited, working with Baroness Grey-Thompson as enrichment ambassador for this area.

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 address the decline in the recruitment of learning disability nurses.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the vital role that learning disability nurses play in supporting people with a learning disability and reducing health inequalities.

To support recruitment, the Department provides eligible healthcare students with a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 per academic year via the NHS Learning Support Fund. Students undertaking priority specialisms, including learning disability nursing, can receive an additional incentive payment.

NHS England has also established a learning disability nurse expert group which aims to work with stakeholders to consider how we ensure sustainability of education programmes and attract people onto learning disability nursing and grow the workforce.

More widely, the Government is investing £65 million to deliver 2,000 additional nursing degree apprenticeships over the next three years. We will prioritise areas of greatest need and ensure that communities relying most on the National Health Service benefit from a stronger, more resilient workforce. The forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Single Patient Record could improve the recording of miscarriage across NHS services; and what steps are being taken to reduce the risk of double counting the same miscarriage recorded by different services.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Single Patient Record could improve the recording of miscarriage across NHS services and what steps he is taking to help reduce the risk of double counting the same miscarriage recorded by different services.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether an update to the Digital Maternity Record Standard is planned to limit birth outcome to coded values and ensure that a value is included for second trimester miscarriage.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve the recording of miscarriage experienced by women engaged with NHS services.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans NHS England has to improve the collection of second trimester miscarriage data through the Maternity Services Dataset.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

Found: Thompson to be discharged from the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee and Tom Collins and Maya Ellis

Found: Members present Florence Eshalomi, in the chair Lewis Cocking Chris Curtis Mr Lee Dillon Maya Ellis

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); Tom Collins; Emily Darlington; Maya Ellis

Found: West) (Chair) Tom Collins (Labour; Worcester) Emily Darlington (Labour; Milton Keynes Central) Maya Ellis