Rachel Maclean Portrait

Rachel Maclean

Conservative - Redditch

First elected: 8th June 2017


Minister of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
7th Feb 2023 - 13th Nov 2023
Renters (Reform) Bill
8th Nov 2023 - 13th Nov 2023
Women and Equalities Committee
15th Nov 2022 - 22nd May 2023
Online Safety (Re-committed Clauses and Schedules) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 15th Dec 2022
Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 14th Dec 2022
UK Infrastructure Bank Bill [Lords]
16th Nov 2022 - 22nd Nov 2022
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
7th Sep 2022 - 28th Oct 2022
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
16th Sep 2021 - 6th Jul 2022
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
13th Feb 2020 - 16th Sep 2021
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 18th Jun 2018
Business and Trade Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 18th Jun 2018


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Rachel Maclean has voted in 899 divisions, and 3 times against the majority of their Party.

17 Jun 2020 - Health and Personal Social Services - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 104 Conservative Aye votes vs 124 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 253 Noes - 136
18 Oct 2022 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 103 Conservative No votes vs 113 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 297 Noes - 110
7 Mar 2023 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 107 Conservative Aye votes vs 109 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 116 Noes - 299
View All Rachel Maclean Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(43 debate interactions)
Matthew Pennycook (Labour)
Shadow Minister (Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government)
(24 debate interactions)
Jess Phillips (Labour)
(14 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(260 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(236 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(38 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023
(8,119 words contributed)
Nationality and Borders Act 2022
(1,944 words contributed)
Renters (Reform) Bill 2022-23
(1,877 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Rachel Maclean's debates

Redditch Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

Make specialist training mandatory for all police and other government agencies that support black women and girls affected by domestic abuse. Police and agencies should have culturally appropriate training to better understand the cultural needs of black women affected by domestic abuse.

The Government should provide more funding for stalking advocates for victims of stalking. This would help support victims, and should also help the police to investigate cases more thoroughly, potentially helping prevent threats to life.

I would like the UK Government to make it law that nightclubs must search guests on arrival to prevent harmful weapons and other items entering the establishment. This could be a pat down search or metal detector, but must involve measures being put in place to ensure the safety of the public.

To not decide to scrap free travel for those who are under 18. As a teenager who has relied so much on free travel, it has allowed for me to go to school without the worry of an extra expense and explore around the beautiful city of London also. Destroying free travel would hurt so many of us.


Latest EDMs signed by Rachel Maclean

21st February 2024
Rachel Maclean signed this EDM on Monday 26th February 2024

No confidence in the Speaker

Tabled by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)
That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker.
91 signatures
(Most recent: 4 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 45
Scottish National Party: 41
Plaid Cymru: 3
Independent: 2
21st December 2017
Rachel Maclean signed this EDM on Wednesday 28th February 2018

BIRMINGHAM FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2022

Tabled by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
That this House celebrates the news that Birmingham has been chosen to be the venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games; recognises the way the leaders of the West Midlands Combined Authority and hon. Members have worked together to secure this important achievement for our region; congratulates Andy Street, West Midlands …
11 signatures
(Most recent: 28 Feb 2018)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 6
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Scottish National Party: 2
Labour: 1
View All Rachel Maclean's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Rachel Maclean, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Rachel Maclean has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Rachel Maclean has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Rachel Maclean


The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require doctors to inform the appropriate driver licensing agency of a diagnosis of dementia; to require drivers diagnosed with dementia to undertake a supplementary driving assessment; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Tuesday 4th June 2019
(Read Debate)

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, how his Department works with the Department for Work and Pensions to define (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps the ONS takes taken to help participants in the Labour Force Survey distinguish between (a) normal and (b) medical levels of (i) bad nerves and (ii) anxiety.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, when the self-reported conditions of (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety were added to the Labour Force Survey.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what medical research supports the concept of bad nerves.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the definition is of bad nerves.

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

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
23rd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of energy prices on the international competitiveness of British energy intensive manufacturing businesses.

Quantitative and qualitative sector level assessment has been carried out as part of a review of the Compensation Scheme for Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs). Among the outcomes of this assessment was an extension of this scheme for the indirect costs of the UK Emissions Trading System and Carbon Price Support Mechanism for 3 years, with an increased level of aid intensity. This represents more than double the current budget to support EIIs. Additionally, EIIs are eligible for support under the Government’s current Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council has spent in Redditch constituency (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in the Redditch constituency since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessor to the current National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.

Arts Council England funding to Redditch

Year

Funding awarded

2010/11

£ 17,659

2011/12

None

2012/13

£ 9,910

2013/14

None

2014/15

None

2015/16

£ 15,805

2016/17

£ 24,750

2017/18

£ 14,990

2018/19

£ 14,845

2019/20

£ 30,294

2020/21

£ 881,281

2021/22

£ 57,968

2022/23

£ 265,526

2023/24

£ 397,691

Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and people across the country to apply to, including to those in the Redditch constituency.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council spent in Worcestershire (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in Worcestershire since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessors to National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.

Arts Council England funding to Worcestershire

Year

Funding awarded

2010/11

£204,803

2011/12

£223,088

2012/13

£1,174,280

2013/14

£1,254,008

2014/15

£1,633,134

2015/16

£1,203,109

2016/17

£1,424,243

2017/18

£1,587,323

2018/19

£5,078,236

2019/20

£1,610,429

2020/21

£7,172,037

2021/22

£2,651,172

2022/23

£2,212,330

2023/24

£2,183,777

Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and people across the country to apply to, including those in Worcestershire.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council spent in the West Midlands (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in the West Midlands since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessors to National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.

Arts Council England funding to the West Midlands

Year

Funding awarded

2010/11

£ 9,666,079

2011/12

£ 8,647,935

2012/13

£ 66,462,145

2013/14

£ 66,080,822

2014/15

£ 62,956,069

2015/16

£ 62,887,795

2016/17

£ 64,072,560

2017/18

£ 68,410,952

2018/19

£ 73,549,387

2019/20

£ 80,418,153

2020/21

£ 154,252,274

2021/22

£ 91,028,435

2022/23

£ 86,361,062

2023/24

£ 79,826,119

Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and individuals across the country to apply to, including those in the West Midlands.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Arts Council has provided in each (a) county and (b) devolved Administration since 2010; and where Worcestershire ranks in this list.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

National Lottery Project Grants

Developing Your Creative Practice

Investment Programme (2018-2022 NPO)

Investment Programme (2023-2026 NPO)

Cultural Recovery Fund

Emergency Response Fund

Any funding data prior to the last five years is held by Arts Council England.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
9th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how domestic abuse victims will be adequately protected through the Online Safety Bill.

The Online Safety Bill includes stringent provisions to tackle online violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse.

All in-scope services will need to proactively tackle priority illegal content. This includes a number of offences that disproportionately target women and girls, such as offences relating to sexual images, such as revenge and extreme pornography, harassment and cyberstalking. The Government has also announced its intention to add controlling or coercive behaviour as a priority offence during passage through the Lords.

All services will need to ensure that they have effective systems and processes in place to quickly take down other illegal content directed at women and girls once it has been reported or they become aware of its presence.

The Government has also announced its intention to use the Bill to criminalise the sharing of people's intimate images without their consent. This, in combination with the measures already in the Bill to make cyberflashing a criminal offence, will significantly strengthen protections for women.

The strongest protections in the Bill will be for children, ensuring that they are protected from content that is harmful to them. Additionally, major platforms will have a duty to ensure that all adult users, including women, will be able to exercise greater control over the content and other users they engage with. Women and girls will also benefit from better mechanisms to report abuse online.

We also announced our intention to name the Victims’ Commissioner and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner as Statutory Consultees for the codes of practice. These bodies will be consulted by Ofcom ahead of drafting and amending the codes of practice, ensuring the voices of those affected by these issues are reflected in the way this legislation works in practice.

9th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to include specific provisions to tackle violence against women and girls in the Online Safety Bill.

The Online Safety Bill includes stringent provisions to tackle online violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse.

All in-scope services will need to proactively tackle priority illegal content. This includes a number of offences that disproportionately target women and girls, such as offences relating to sexual images, such as revenge and extreme pornography, harassment and cyberstalking. The Government has also announced its intention to add controlling or coercive behaviour as a priority offence during passage through the Lords.

All services will need to ensure that they have effective systems and processes in place to quickly take down other illegal content directed at women and girls once it has been reported or they become aware of its presence.

The Government has also announced its intention to use the Bill to criminalise the sharing of people's intimate images without their consent. This, in combination with the measures already in the Bill to make cyberflashing a criminal offence, will significantly strengthen protections for women.

The strongest protections in the Bill will be for children, ensuring that they are protected from content that is harmful to them. Additionally, major platforms will have a duty to ensure that all adult users, including women, will be able to exercise greater control over the content and other users they engage with. Women and girls will also benefit from better mechanisms to report abuse online.

We also announced our intention to name the Victims’ Commissioner and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner as Statutory Consultees for the codes of practice. These bodies will be consulted by Ofcom ahead of drafting and amending the codes of practice, ensuring the voices of those affected by these issues are reflected in the way this legislation works in practice.

10th Feb 2020
To ask the Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to cultural attractions outside London.

Through the Arts Council England (ACE), we are investing and promoting the arts and culture all around the country and will continue to do so.

There continues to be a shift in the distribution of ACE's National Portfolio funding, with the amount of funding spent outside London increasing from 53.8% in 2012-15 to 60.3% in 2018-22.

As part of this, ACE expects the organisations they fund to ensure that their cultural offer is accessible to as many people as possible

A great example of ACE’s funded national portfolio organisations doing this is the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, which hosts relaxed viewings of it’s performances in order to make them more accessible to those with dementia.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on students who self report (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

The mental health of children and young people is an absolute priority for this government.

The department supports education settings through a range of guidance on mental health and wellbeing, including to support schools and colleges to establish a whole school/college approach to mental health, promoting positive wellbeing among students: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.

This guidance is supported by the opportunity for all state schools and colleges in England to access a senior mental health lead training grant by 2025, with over 14,400 settings having claimed a grant so far. The department is also continuing to roll-out Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and extending coverage of MHST to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.

The department has also commissioned two new resources to help providers that have been published this year, a targeted pastoral support toolkit and a resource hub for mental health leads, which are intended to help colleges to identify the most appropriate and effective support at the early intervention stage.

School-specific resources include guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including conditions relating to mental health, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. Additionally, the department has published guidance on mental health problems manifesting themselves in behaviour, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.

The department is supporting the mental health of higher education (HE) students through an approach focussed on three pillars: funding and resourcing vital services, spreading and implementing best practice, clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.

The department has seen impressive progress with the target for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024, with 96 members now signed up. Members follow a process of continuous improvement as they embed the principles which ensure that student wellbeing is supported in all aspects of university life.

The sector is active in developing best practice which supports HE student mental health and wellbeing. I have written to all HE providers to ensure they are implementing guidance produced by the sector and third sector charities, including around suicide prevention and actions to take following a death by suicide, and information sharing with trusted contact of students.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects data on the number of students declaring a disability, including mental health conditions: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.

From 2022/2023, students with multiple disabilities will disclose each of their disabilities instead of falling under a catch-all "multiple disabilities" category. Depression, bad nerves, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other mental health conditions will continue to be included under one mental health category.

The department also collects data on various aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health, presenting key sources from the department and other stakeholders through the annual State of the Nation report on Children and Young People’s Wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2022-children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides for education settings to help students experiencing (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

The mental health of children and young people is an absolute priority for this government.

The department supports education settings through a range of guidance on mental health and wellbeing, including to support schools and colleges to establish a whole school/college approach to mental health, promoting positive wellbeing among students: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.

This guidance is supported by the opportunity for all state schools and colleges in England to access a senior mental health lead training grant by 2025, with over 14,400 settings having claimed a grant so far. The department is also continuing to roll-out Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and extending coverage of MHST to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.

The department has also commissioned two new resources to help providers that have been published this year, a targeted pastoral support toolkit and a resource hub for mental health leads, which are intended to help colleges to identify the most appropriate and effective support at the early intervention stage.

School-specific resources include guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including conditions relating to mental health, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. Additionally, the department has published guidance on mental health problems manifesting themselves in behaviour, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.

The department is supporting the mental health of higher education (HE) students through an approach focussed on three pillars: funding and resourcing vital services, spreading and implementing best practice, clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.

The department has seen impressive progress with the target for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024, with 96 members now signed up. Members follow a process of continuous improvement as they embed the principles which ensure that student wellbeing is supported in all aspects of university life.

The sector is active in developing best practice which supports HE student mental health and wellbeing. I have written to all HE providers to ensure they are implementing guidance produced by the sector and third sector charities, including around suicide prevention and actions to take following a death by suicide, and information sharing with trusted contact of students.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects data on the number of students declaring a disability, including mental health conditions: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.

From 2022/2023, students with multiple disabilities will disclose each of their disabilities instead of falling under a catch-all "multiple disabilities" category. Depression, bad nerves, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other mental health conditions will continue to be included under one mental health category.

The department also collects data on various aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health, presenting key sources from the department and other stakeholders through the annual State of the Nation report on Children and Young People’s Wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2022-children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
1st Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2023 to Question 132588 on Driving Licences: Gender, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) driving licence applications replace the word gender with the word sex and (b) the driving licence systems record male and female biological sex as essential categories for all purposes.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working to ensure consistency in the way such information is captured across its driving licence application services.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will update the driving license application process to replace the word gender and the options male and female with the word sex and the options male and female.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) already captures ‘sex’ with the option for male and female on its new digital service for first provisional driving licence applications. The DVLA is working to ensure consistency in the way such information is captured across all its driving licence application services.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
28th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve rail services in the Midlands.

Major investment is planned to improve rail services throughout the region. In the West Midlands, £700m is being invested in a fleet of 180 new carriages which will deliver 20,000 more peak hour seats into Birmingham over the next two years,

The East Midlands will benefit from our £1.5 billion upgrade of the Midland Mainline, with faster peak time journeys to London from this December and a brand-new fleet of bi-mode trains entering service from 2022.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
29th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what clinical definition of anxiety his Department uses.

The Department does not use a specific clinical definition of anxiety as Work Capability Assessments and Personal Independence Payment assessments are functional assessments that focus on the impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life, rather than the diagnosis itself.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
10th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to encourage people with (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety to self manage their conditions by engaging with work.

Good work is generally good for health. The Government therefore has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including depression, bad nerves and anxiety, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;
  • Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, how job coaches work with people self reporting (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety.

Work coaches are trained to consider claimant's circumstances and to tailor support according to their individual needs. Staff complete training that covers a wide range of circumstances, including when claimants disclose they are experiencing a range of mental health issues.

The requirements any claimant is asked to meet will be clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment. All requirements are set in discussion with the claimant, tailored to their capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.

Work coaches are also signposted to tools, guidance, support and websites to effectively use resources from both internal and external sites. This ensures that they access the most up to date advice on a particular health condition. They also have access to information on services available in their local area and can signpost to relevant organisations for support.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence of (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety is for each age cohort of (i) men and (ii) and for people (A) in work and (B) who are long term sick.

“Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other.

As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition by age and sex for those (A) in work and (B) economically inactive due to long-term sickness, for the most recent quarter of data available. Note this is unpublished data.

Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety by age and sex, for those in work and those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, April-June 2023 (unpublished)

In work

Economically inactive due to long-term sickness

Total

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

2,682,183

1,026,235

1,655,948

1,360,720

566,368

794,352

16 to 24

317,861

108,056

209,805

106,622

48,054

58,568

25 to 34

801,357

306,992

494,365

206,336

94,522

111,814

35 to 49

895,129

333,752

561,377

328,877

133,968

194,909

50 to 64

667,836

277,435

390,401

718,885

289,824

429,061

Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person data

Note this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether performance differs in helping people to re-engage with work who report (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves as a (i) primary and (ii) secondary condition.

On average between 2014 and 2022, disabled people who reported depression, bad nerves or anxiety as their main long-term health condition were more likely to move into work than those that reported it as a main or secondary condition – 14.8% of those not in work the previous year for main condition compared to 9.5% for main or secondary condition. To note, the way the survey data is structured means we are unable to look at labour market impacts for those with conditions listed only as a secondary condition.

The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses an individual against a set of descriptors to determine how their health condition(s) or disability affects their ability to work. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact that a person’s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself. Therefore, whether the condition is primary or secondary is not relevant to the WCA outcome.

The WCA outcome will determine what work-related requirements, if any, are appropriate.

Those with particular health conditions, regardless of whether they are listed as primary or secondary conditions, may be found in any labour market regime as people’s conditions can impact their ability to work or engage in work related activity in different ways. This varies from claimants experiencing the most severe impacts from their health condition who are placed in the No Work Related Requirement group and cannot be subject to any work-related requirements, to claimants with health conditions but who are nonetheless fit for work who may set up to 35 hours of work search a week. Where claimants are in a group where conditionality is set, conditionality is agreed between the WC and the claimant and always tailored to someone’s circumstances. A work coach will consider the circumstances of the person in front of them when setting requirements and referring them to specific provision or policy interventions, regardless of whether a condition is listed as a ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ condition.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence is of (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety in people aged between 16 and 64 who have been economically inactive because of long term health conditions since (i) 2010 and (ii) 2000.

“Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other.

As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness from 2013 to 2023, published in The Employment of Disabled People 2023 (Table EIA017).

Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety for those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, 2013-2023

Quarter

Number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick (thousands)

Number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick with depression, bad nerves or anxiety (thousands)

Apr 13 to Jun 13

2,071

908

Apr 14 to Jun 14

1,999

908

Apr 15 to Jun 15

2,092

992

Apr 16 to Jun 16

2,048

1,000

Apr 17 to Jun 17

1,986

976

Apr 18 to Jun 18

2,046

980

Apr 19 to Jun 19

2,039

1,034

Apr 20 to Jun 20

2,133

1,143

Apr 21 to Jun 21

2,192

1,149

Apr 22 to Jun 22

2,394

1,256

Apr 23 to Jun 23

2,582

1,361

Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person data

Note this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what guidance his Department provides to employers to help them manage employees who report (a) bad nerves, (b) depression and (c) anxiety to stay in work.

The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps his Department takes to work with the Department of Health and Social Care on clinically recognised approaches to treating (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety to design appropriate work-related interventions to tackle rates of long term sickness.

The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what interventions have proved effective at helping people with (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves into work.

The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
24th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that Alexandra Hospital in Redditch publish updated information on the scope of its services.

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning services for the local area. The services at Alexandra Hospital are delivered by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

A wide range of services are delivered at Alexandra Hospital. The trust publishes information on services available at the Alexandra Hospital on its website. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB plans to increase the amount of planned elective activity carried out at the Alexandra Hospital, especially in orthopaedics.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board has taken to (a) commission and (b) deliver services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning services for the local area. The services at Alexandra Hospital are delivered by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

A wide range of services are delivered at Alexandra Hospital. The trust publishes information on services available at the Alexandra Hospital on its website. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB plans to increase the amount of planned elective activity carried out at the Alexandra Hospital, especially in orthopaedics.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to help ensure the return of maternity and children’s services to the Alexandra hospital in Redditch.

  • I know that my honourable friend has campaigned tirelessly on this issue on behalf of her constituents.

  • As a result, she will understand that the decisions about the reconfiguration of services are made locally, following appropriate engagement with people and communities.

  • However I am pleased to say that by working with the local NHS, we have invested £18 million in the hospital’s operating theatre and secured a long-term workforce pipeline through the Three Counties Medical School.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
10th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has issued recent guidance to integrated care boards on its powers to require hospitals to provide (a) maternity and (b) children's services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory duty to commission most healthcare services in the National Health Service for their respective populations in line with their other statutory duties and guidance. This means that ICBs are responsible for evaluating the needs of their local population and then planning and arranging the delivery of healthcare services to meet those needs by working with local providers as well as people and communities.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) her Department and (b) the NHS collects data on rates of (i) depression, (ii) bad nerves and (iii) anxiety in (A) men and (B) women.

The Adult Psychiatry Morbidity Survey provides data on the prevalence of adult mental health conditions in the England adult population, including common mental health disorders such as ‘depressive episodes’ and ‘generalised anxiety disorders’ split by men and women.

Previous surveys were conducted in 1993, 2000, 2007 and the latest published one is 2014. Fieldwork for the next survey is underway, with reporting scheduled for 2025.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information (a) her Department and (b) the NHS has collected on (i) interventions, (ii) strategies and (iii) policies that are successful at reducing levels of (A) depression, (B) bad nerves and (C) anxiety in the working age population.

Considerable progress has been made in developing effective psychological therapies for these conditions. This progress has been recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which now recommends psychological therapies as first choice interventions for depression and anxiety disorders, including bad nerves. Individuals who are seen within NHS Talking Therapies services can expect to receive a course of NICE-recommended psychological therapy from an appropriately trained individual. Services are delivered using a stepped-care model, which works according to the principle that people should be offered the least intrusive intervention appropriate for their needs first.

In 2021/22, over 1.2 million people were able to access NHS Talking Therapies services. This expansion was the result of training and deploying thousands of new psychological therapists and practitioners, as well as providing additional training modules for existing therapists. The recovery rate was 50% in 2021/22. The 2023 Autumn Statement invested further in NHS Talking Therapies. This will increase the number of sessions per course of Talking Therapies treatment to tackle the root causes of common mental health conditions like anxiety and depression and broaden access, leading to an expected additional 384,000 people completing a course of treatment by 2028/29.

There is an extensive literature showing that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and NHS Talking Therapies more widely have significant positive and durable health impacts, including for those of working age specifically. A University of Sheffield study highlighted a large post-treatment effect in depression and anxiety measures in the United Kingdom.

Another UK study by Professor David Clark found that around 50% of patients treated in NHS Talking Therapies services recover, and two-thirds show worthwhile benefits.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of social media by different age groups on levels of (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

We have funded independent research into the impact of screen-based activities, including use of social media on young people’s mental health outcomes. Following this, in 2019, the United Kingdom’s Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) produced advice for parents and carers on screen and social media use.

The findings of the research were insufficiently conclusive to support evidence-based guidelines by the CMOs on optimal amounts of screen use or online activities. However, we will continue to evaluate this and our policy development in light of any new research. The findings of the research are available at the following link:

http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=3748

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what medical research the Government has funded into anxiety.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The remit of the NIHR is early translational, that is experimental medicine, clinical and applied health research, and social care research. In 2022/23, the NIHR spent approximately £99 million on research into mental health. In the last 10 years, the NIHR has invested approximately £41.5 million into research specifically focused, or including a focus, on anxiety and/or anxiety disorder. The NIHR is not currently funding any research explicitly focused on ‘bad nerves’. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mental health.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what medical research the Government has funded into bad nerves.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The remit of the NIHR is early translational, that is experimental medicine, clinical and applied health research, and social care research. In 2022/23, the NIHR spent approximately £99 million on research into mental health. In the last 10 years, the NIHR has invested approximately £41.5 million into research specifically focused, or including a focus, on anxiety and/or anxiety disorder. The NIHR is not currently funding any research explicitly focused on ‘bad nerves’. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mental health.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided recent guidance to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch on publishing information on the services that are provided at its site.

The Department has not recently provided such specific guidance. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust publishes information on services available at the Alexandra Hospital on its website.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) her Department, (b) NHS England and (c) NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the local workforce to provide (i) maternity and (ii) children's services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

The reconfiguration of services is a clinically led local decision following appropriate engagement with patients and stakeholders. There are no plans to change the current configuration of services.

There have been significant improvements to children’s and maternity services provided by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust since the reconfiguration of services. The presence of consultants for children’s services has increased with reduced reliance on agency locums and the Care Quality Commission has improved the rating for maternity services from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of (a) maternity and (b) children's services in Redditch.

The reconfiguration of services is a clinically led local decision following appropriate engagement with patients and stakeholders. There are no plans to change the current configuration of services.

There have been significant improvements to children’s and maternity services provided by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust since the reconfiguration of services. The presence of consultants for children’s services has increased with reduced reliance on agency locums and the Care Quality Commission has improved the rating for maternity services from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) her Department, (b) NHS England and (c) NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of returning (i) maternity and (ii) children's services to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch in the context of population (A) trends and (B) needs in the local area.

The reconfiguration of services is a clinically led local decision following appropriate engagement with patients and stakeholders. There are no plans to change the current configuration of services.

There have been significant improvements to children’s and maternity services provided by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust since the reconfiguration of services. The presence of consultants for children’s services has increased with reduced reliance on agency locums and the Care Quality Commission has improved the rating for maternity services from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of returning (a) maternity and (b) children's services to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

The reconfiguration of services is a clinically led local decision following appropriate engagement with patients and stakeholders. There are no plans to change the current configuration of services.

There have been significant improvements to children’s and maternity services provided by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust since the reconfiguration of services. The presence of consultants for children’s services has increased with reduced reliance on agency locums and the Care Quality Commission has improved the rating for maternity services from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has established criteria for when it would intervene to require the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board to commission additional services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

The Department does not have any plans to intervene in the commissioning of National Health Service healthcare services undertaken by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory duty to commission most NHS healthcare services for their respective populations in line with their other statutory duties and guidance. The performance of ICBs in the exercise of their functions is assessed, annually, by NHS England. The NHS Oversight Framework describes NHS England’s approach to the oversight of ICBs, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs-oversight-framework/

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) full and (b) part time work on (i) bad nerves, (ii) anxiety and (iii) depression in working age adults.

Research has found strong evidence showing that work is generally good for both physical and mental health and well-being, although this does not distinguish between full-time and part-time work. The research is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c41a540f0b62dffde0df7/hwwb-is-work-good-for-you.pdf

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many funded places his Department intends to provide at the Three Counties Medical School in Worcester.

The Government currently has no plans to provide funding nor to allocate funded places to the Three Counties Medical School in Worcester. However, this is continually under review.

The Government has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term plan for the National Health Service workforce for the next 15 years. This will look at the mix and number of staff required across all parts of the country, including doctors.

6th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he plans to allocate to fund places at the Three Counties Medical School in Worcester.

The Government currently has no plans to provide funding nor to allocate funded places to the Three Counties Medical School in Worcester. However, this is continually under review.

The Government has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term plan for the National Health Service workforce for the next 15 years. This will look at the mix and number of staff required across all parts of the country, including doctors.

15th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the grounds for appeal were of each of the asylum seekers due to be removed to Rwanda on 14 June 2022.

We are unable to comment on the specifics of individual cases however, some of the individuals referred to did issue judicial review claims and the grounds of these claims can be found in the published court judgments.

The court judgments can be found at the following links:

Divisional Court (19 December 2022): AAA v SSHD Rwanda judgment.pdf (judiciary.uk)

Court of Appeal (29 June 2023): AAA-v-SSHD summary (judiciary.uk)

Supreme Court (15 November 2023): R (on the application of AAA (Syria) and others) (Respondents/Cross Appellants) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Appellant/Cross Respondent); (supremecourt.uk)

Michael Tomlinson
Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
9th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been to record and process non-crime hate incidents for each police force in England and Wales this Parliament.

The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.

To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.

The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.

The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.

The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)