Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of women who are employed by companies with more than 250 employees.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 25th March is attached.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of using the Government Statistical Service categories in the Government's response to the consultation on ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting on the risk of legal challenge relating to the inclusion of Sikhs and Jews as distinct ethnicity options.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Public bodies usually collect ethnicity data in line with the ethnicity harmonised standard, which is developed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The current harmonised standard for ethnicity data does not include specific “Sikh” and “Jewish” categories for a person’s ethnic group. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is independent of government, is currently running a public consultation which seeks to review the harmonised standard to ensure it meets the needs of both data users and respondents. The views of Sikh and Jewish communities are being carefully considered as part of the review. We will monitor its progress and consider its findings closely.

We published the government response to the consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting on 25 March. The majority of respondents (77%) agreed with the proposal in the consultation that large employers should collect ethnicity data using the GSS harmonised standards for ethnicity.

The legislation being developed will provide flexibility if the list of ethnicity classifications of the harmonised standard is updated following the review.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether Gender Pay Gap Reporting will use biological sex.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We recognise that the terms “male”, “female”, “men” and “women” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a person’s biological sex, and that this has implications for the guidance provided on gender pay gap reporting.

As currently set out on the “Preparing your data” guidance page, we are reviewing the relevant section of this guidance to ensure it is accurate. Further updates on this will be provided shortly.

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 in establishing Regional Health Innovation Zones as part of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

Work to establish Regional Health Innovation Zones is ongoing. Given the cross-cutting nature of the policy, spanning health, research, local government, and economic systems, significant engagement and careful policy design are essential before any Regional Health Innovation Zones can be formally established.

Officials have conducted substantial internal engagement across Government departments and with NHS England to build out the conceptual model and ensure it is aligned with wider strategic priorities. Substantial engagement with local government, National Health Service systems, and industry will happen in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration has been given to the West Midlands and Birmingham as an early Regional Health Innovation Zone.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

Regional Health Innovation Zones will be selected using a fair and open bidding process.

Initially, two to three regions with strong existing life sciences assets, including data assets, research infrastructure, Health Innovation Networks, industry footprints, and local government support, and a clear plan for how to use the designation will be selected as trailblazers.

Further information on the process and timelines for how regions can secure zone designation will be shared in due course, once finalised, to ensure a fair and transparent opportunity for all interested areas.

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 improve early intervention for strokes.

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

The Department recognises the importance of early access to treatment in the event of a stroke. We have committed to improving ambulance response times for category 2 incidents, which includes strokes, from 30 to 25 minutes on average in 2026/27.

The National Health Service is also working to increase the delivery of thrombolysis and thrombectomy rates as a key intervention to support improved patient outcomes.

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 improve access to radiotherapy for cancer patients in the West Midlands.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients have access to timely diagnosis and treatments, including those in the West Midlands.

Radiotherapy is vital in cancer care, and it remains a key priority for the Government to provide the highest quality of treatment available. We have invested £70 million of central funding into new radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These newer machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen over the same period.

Responsibility for purchasing new machines sits at the local level. Local providers have been allocated £15 billion in operational capital for local priorities, and £5 billion to support a return to constitutional standards on waiting times. We expect local systems to use this capital to deliver further investment into new radiotherapy equipment, to meet local needs, including for patients in the West Midlands.

Through the National Cancer Plan, we are modernising cancer services, expanding the workforce and tackling inequalities in access, so that all patients receive high-quality care regardless of where they live.

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 adequacy of stroke rehabilitation provision across England; and what steps are being taken to reduce regional disparities in access to specialist rehabilitation services for stroke survivors.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities, and foster innovation where it is needed most.

The National Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS) Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.

The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home. NHS England continues to provide the national clinical leadership needed to transform services so there is less fragmented provision, moving from separate delivery of early supported discharge and separate community stroke teams to integrated teams delivering the ICSS model.

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 ensure timely access to mental health services for stroke survivors and their families.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

The National Health Service Integrated Community Stroke Service model sets out that rehabilitation should begin as soon as the patient is medically stable, often within 24 to 72 hours following discharge. Rehabilitation should be tailored to the individual's needs, focusing on regaining independence, improving mobility, and managing cognitive or emotional changes.

Access to community-based stroke rehabilitation services has increased across England, for instance access to Early Supported Discharge/community stroke teams has increased from 64.5% in October 2024 to 67.5% in September 2025.

NHS England is supporting improvements through funding for 20 Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks and the Stroke Quality Improvement for Rehabilitation network, embedded in each NHS England region.

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 improve support for stroke survivors and their families during the transition from hospital to home.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community.

The National Stroke Service Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.

The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.