Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to include cats as an animal that drivers are required to stop and report an incident when they are involved in a collision.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report a collision involving specified animals including horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats or wild animals. This requirement arises from their status as working animals rather than as domestic pets. To introduce such a measure within the provision of section 170 would require primary legislation
There are no plans to amend section 170 of the Road Traffic Act to make it mandatory for drivers to report road collisions involving cats.
Having a law making it a requirement to report road collisions involving cats would be very difficult to enforce and we have reservations about the difference it would make to the behaviour of drivers, who are aware that they have run over a cat and do not report it.
Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.
Since June 2024, all cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database, unless exempt or free-living. This will make it easier for National Highways and local authorities to reunite cats with their keeper.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 the diagnosis of the menopause for BAME women.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government acknowledges the challenges women face in seeking a diagnosis and support for menopause symptoms and that these are especially acute amongst certain groups, including those from an ethnic minority background.
We are clear that more needs to be done to address these barriers and that is why we announced earlier this year that menopause will be included in routine NHS Health Checks for over 40 year olds, raising awareness of symptoms and giving women the confidence to seek help. To improve uptake of the NHS Health Check we have developed a new NHS Health Check online service, currently being piloted in multiple local authorities, which people can use at home, at a time that is convenient for them.
As part of the Government’s renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy, we will look to identify specific barriers in access to healthcare and set out concrete action to remove them.
Through our National Institute for Health and Care Research, we have invested over £4 million into research on menopause in 2024/25. This includes research to understand Black women's experiences of digitally provided sexual and reproductive healthcare including on the menopause.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of the menopause for BAME women in (i) Hounslow, (ii) West London and (iii) London.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government acknowledges the challenges women face in seeking a diagnosis and support for menopause symptoms and that these are especially acute amongst certain groups, including those from an ethnic minority background.
We are clear that more needs to be done to address these barriers, and that is why we announced earlier this year that menopause will be included in routine NHS Health Checks for those who are 40 years old and over, raising awareness of symptoms and giving women the confidence to seek help. To improve uptake of the NHS Health Check we have developed a new NHS Health Check online service, currently being piloted in multiple local authorities, which people can use at home, at a time convenient to them.
In North West London, our approach to menopause care is guided by the Women’s Health Strategy, which sets out a 10-year vision to improve access, tackle taboos, and ensure that ethnicity does not impact the quality of care. While menopause support is primarily delivered through primary care and specialist referral pathways, the strategy commits to reducing health inequalities by providing culturally appropriate information and improving awareness among underserved communities. We continue to work with local partners to address barriers such as stigma and language, and to ensure that women from all backgrounds, including Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities, can access timely diagnosis and treatment.
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions, our 10-Year Health Plan, and the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide (a) support and (b) training to school staff in respect to teaching pupils about violence against women and girls.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has overhauled the curriculum with a new, reformed relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum that champions healthy attitudes and relationships to equip our children with the tools they need to tackle harmful influences and help them thrive. The government does not prescribe what training resources schools should use. Schools are free to choose the materials and support that best suits their need.
On 18 December, the government published its strategy to address violence against women and girls. The department is investing an additional £11 million to support the strategy and will be piloting three programmes to support teachers implement the RSHE curriculum in the best possible way; to encourage healthy relationships in children; and to tackle harmful sexual behaviours. Further details of the programmes will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of the training resources provided to (a) classroom teachers and (b) senior leadership teams in schools in respect of teaching students about violence against women and girls.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has overhauled the curriculum with a new, reformed relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum that champions healthy attitudes and relationships to equip our children with the tools they need to tackle harmful influences and help them thrive. The government does not prescribe what training resources schools should use. Schools are free to choose the materials and support that best suits their need.
On 18 December, the government published its strategy to address violence against women and girls. The department is investing an additional £11 million to support the strategy and will be piloting three programmes to support teachers implement the RSHE curriculum in the best possible way; to encourage healthy relationships in children; and to tackle harmful sexual behaviours. Further details of the programmes will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 that communications from NHS trusts to deaf and deafblind patients are accessible.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, which includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language interpreters to support deaf patients in the community.
Nationally, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. This includes support for deaf and deafblind patients.
NHS England published a revised AIS on 30 June 2025. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication, and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.