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 (a) improve early diagnosis, (b) increase funding for research and (c) improve access to specialist (i) support and (ii) treatment for patients with scleroderma.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as scleroderma. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the annual England Rare Diseases Action Plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.

Pioneering research is an underpinning theme of the Framework. The Department for Health and Social Care funds and supports research into rare diseases such as scleroderma through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including rare diseases. The usual practice of the NIHR and other research funders is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics.

The 2025 England Rare Disease Action Plan includes information on research for rare diseases through significant investments to support rare disease research. This includes the Rare Disease Research UK Platform, a £14 million investment over five years from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and NIHR, announced in 2023, which is now established and positioned well within the rare disease research landscape. In December 2024, the MRC launched the first two MRC Centres of Research Excellence, both studying gene therapies, and each worth up to £50 million over 14 years.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help resolve the Cambodian-Thai border conflict.

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

The clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border in July were a cause for serious concern. The Government welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached on 28 July, as well as the subsequent framework established to support its implementation. Since then, we have consistently encouraged both parties to uphold the ceasefire and to foster mutual trust and understanding.

Officials from our Embassies in Thailand and Cambodia have conducted site visits to the affected areas to assess the situation first-hand. We continue to work closely with our international partners to support efforts by both countries to de-escalate tensions, strengthen dialogue and maintain lasting peace along the border.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent car insurance premiums from being increased for drivers involved in no-fault accidents.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department has not assessed the potential merits of legislation to prevent premiums rising for drivers involved in no fault accidents.

The setting and the adjustment of premiums following a claim are commercial decisions for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not generally intervene or seek to control the market.

Drivers need to declare incidents that they are involved in, regardless of who or what was at fault. As a result, their premiums may increase, as insurance works on the basis of whether a claim is paid out under the policy, regardless of fault. Where an insurer is able to recover its outlay from the other party, the increase might be readjusted in the future.