Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the full funding for SME apprenticeships for people under 25 announced in the Budget will cover Level 7 apprenticeships, including architecture.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

As announced at the Budget, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for eligible people aged under 25 from the next academic year.

This does not change the policy on level 7 apprenticeships which the government announced in June. From January 2026, the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships except for apprentices under the age of 22, and those under the age of 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This applies to all employers, including SMEs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the eligibility criteria for fully funded SME apprenticeships for people under 25.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

As announced at the Budget, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for eligible people aged under 25 from the next academic year.

This does not change the policy on level 7 apprenticeships which the government announced in June. From January 2026, the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships except for apprentices under the age of 22, and those under the age of 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This applies to all employers, including SMEs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Ockenden report, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the progress in delivering the Immediate and Essential Actions; and if he will publish an update on the implementation status of each action within every NHS trust providing maternity care.

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

The final report of the Ockenden review contained 96 immediate and essential actions (IEAs), some national and some for local implementation. The IEAs contained in the Ockenden review were brought together, alongside other reports and guidance, into NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. A review of progress against the national actions in April 2025 demonstrated that work has been completed for many actions, but that there have been some challenges, for example in pre-conception care for women with pre-existing medical conditions.

NHS England wrote to all trusts and systems following publication of the review in April 2022, asking them to deliver the recommendations and report to their public boards. The expectation is that local board oversight of progress with implementation should be ongoing. Following discussion, it was agreed that some of the actions should not be universally implemented, for example newly qualified midwives remaining hospital based for one year post-qualifying.

More widely, Baroness Amos is leading a rapid, national, independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to help us to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has agreed with Baroness Amos that the investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in the spring of 2026, bringing together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of recommendations.

The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The taskforce will take forward the recommendations of the investigation to develop a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the condition of maternity wards and equipment across NHS trusts.

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

NHS England’s maternity and neonatal infrastructure review was completed in spring 2024 by all trusts in England that provide maternity and neonatal services. It found various issues with maternity and neonatal service infrastructure, including limited physical space, inadequate capacity for efficient services, and poor building conditions.

However, all trust boards are asked to review their estates data and to seek assurance that all healthcare premises, from which they are delivering maternity and neonatal services, are of appropriate standard. In instances where the estate is not of appropriate standard, trust boards should ensure mitigating action is being taken accordingly.

NHS England is developing a data dashboard to present maternity and neonatal estate survey data. This will enable trusts to capture the latest information on their estates and take action at the local level when required.

The independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, chaired by Baroness Amos, is considering the adequacy of maternity and neonatal infrastructure within its scope.

Homelessness in Wiltshire

Winter NHS corridor care

Found: Mid Derbyshire) Carla Denyer (Green Party; Bristol Central) Barry Gardiner (Labour; Brent West) Sarah Gibson

Found: Environmental Audit Committee members present: Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson

Found: meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Jonathon Davies; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson

Found: meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Jonathon Davies; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson

Found: meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Jonathon Davies; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson