Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Whether DHSC has commissioned or received options appraisals since January 2025 concerning dissolution, merger, replacement or substantial restructuring of NHSPS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In January, the Department launched a voluntary policy enabling NHS trusts and foundation trusts to request the transfer of NHS Property Services properties. NHS Property Services will continue to own and manage properties that do not transfer.
The Department keeps the NHS Property Services operating model under review, but it should be noted that the Department's 2020 review concluded that the functions provided by NHS Property Services remained broadly appropriate and found little evidence of overall benefit to the NHS from wholesale divestment of its functions.
Existing arrangements for GP occupiers will remain in place as properties transfer away from NHS Property Services. GP practices can seek reimbursement from their integrated care board for eligible premises costs, including rent, while service charges are levied on a direct cost-recovery basis.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to put safeguards in place to prevent remaining GP occupiers bearing increased central overheads as properties transfer away from NHSPS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In January, the Department launched a voluntary policy enabling NHS trusts and foundation trusts to request the transfer of NHS Property Services properties. NHS Property Services will continue to own and manage properties that do not transfer.
The Department keeps the NHS Property Services operating model under review, but it should be noted that the Department's 2020 review concluded that the functions provided by NHS Property Services remained broadly appropriate and found little evidence of overall benefit to the NHS from wholesale divestment of its functions.
Existing arrangements for GP occupiers will remain in place as properties transfer away from NHS Property Services. GP practices can seek reimbursement from their integrated care board for eligible premises costs, including rent, while service charges are levied on a direct cost-recovery basis.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether DHSC has revisited its 2020 review following the NHS Confederation's 2025 recommendation to consider abolition.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In January, the Department launched a voluntary policy enabling NHS trusts and foundation trusts to request the transfer of NHS Property Services properties. NHS Property Services will continue to own and manage properties that do not transfer.
The Department keeps the NHS Property Services operating model under review, but it should be noted that the Department's 2020 review concluded that the functions provided by NHS Property Services remained broadly appropriate and found little evidence of overall benefit to the NHS from wholesale divestment of its functions.
Existing arrangements for GP occupiers will remain in place as properties transfer away from NHS Property Services. GP practices can seek reimbursement from their integrated care board for eligible premises costs, including rent, while service charges are levied on a direct cost-recovery basis.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, What future role, property portfolio and funding model DHSC envisages for NHSPS after the 2026 property-transfer programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In January, the Department launched a voluntary policy enabling NHS trusts and foundation trusts to request the transfer of NHS Property Services properties. NHS Property Services will continue to own and manage properties that do not transfer.
The Department keeps the NHS Property Services operating model under review, but it should be noted that the Department's 2020 review concluded that the functions provided by NHS Property Services remained broadly appropriate and found little evidence of overall benefit to the NHS from wholesale divestment of its functions.
Existing arrangements for GP occupiers will remain in place as properties transfer away from NHS Property Services. GP practices can seek reimbursement from their integrated care board for eligible premises costs, including rent, while service charges are levied on a direct cost-recovery basis.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s draft schools’ guidance in protecting pupils, parents and staff who hold traditional Christian beliefs on marriage, sex and gender.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 are enforced to prevent discrimination against all protected characteristics, including religious belief, and to provide a legal remedy to people who may have been discriminated against.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent, statutory, non-departmental public body, established to safeguard and enforce the laws that protect people’s rights to fairness, dignity and respect. The EHRC is independent from the government and makes its own operational decisions, including on the content of its guidance.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will ask the Commission to review its draft guidance to include positive examples of schools protecting Christian pupils, parents and staff who hold traditional Christian beliefs about sex, gender and marriage.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 are enforced to prevent discrimination against all protected characteristics, including religious belief, and to provide a legal remedy to people who may have been discriminated against.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent, statutory, non-departmental public body, established to safeguard and enforce the laws that protect people’s rights to fairness, dignity and respect. The EHRC is independent from the government and makes its own operational decisions, including on the content of its guidance.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on ensuring that schools are clearly directed to balance protected Christian beliefs alongside other protected characteristics.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 are enforced to prevent discrimination against all protected characteristics, including religious belief, and to provide a legal remedy to people who may have been discriminated against.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent, statutory, non-departmental public body, established to safeguard and enforce the laws that protect people’s rights to fairness, dignity and respect. The EHRC is independent from the government and makes its own operational decisions, including on the content of its guidance.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that guidance to schools reflects case law protecting freedom of religion and Christian expression, including that offence or complaint alone is insufficient to justify restricting lawful Christian beliefs.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 are enforced to prevent discrimination against all protected characteristics, including religious belief, and to provide a legal remedy to people who may have been discriminated against.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent, statutory, non-departmental public body, established to safeguard and enforce the laws that protect people’s rights to fairness, dignity and respect. The EHRC is independent from the government and makes its own operational decisions, including on the content of its guidance.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has sought assurances that the final guidance will distinguish between self-identification and the protected characteristic of gender reassignment under the Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 are enforced to prevent discrimination against all protected characteristics, including religious belief, and to provide a legal remedy to people who may have been discriminated against.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent, statutory, non-departmental public body, established to safeguard and enforce the laws that protect people’s rights to fairness, dignity and respect. The EHRC is independent from the government and makes its own operational decisions, including on the content of its guidance.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve the adequacy of clinical decision‑making for children with complex cardiac or respiratory conditions across urgent and emergency care settings.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England commissions Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) to manage organisational delivery for the most vulnerable children in need of care, and work with commissioners and providers to improve the quality of that care.