HANSARD
Oral Answers to Questions
Health and Social Care
- The Secretary of State was asked—
- The Secretary of State was asked—
Health of Children and Young People
- 1. What steps he is taking to help improve the health of children and young people.
- The Government are committed to making this generation of children the healthiest ever, as set out in our 10-year health plan. That is why we are investing £200 million to strengthen healthy baby services through Best Start family hubs, expanding mental health support to nearly 6 million young people in school or college, and using interventions, such as the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, which we passed, to create the first smoke-free generation.
- Businesses in Amber Valley are doing brilliant work to improve health outcomes for children and young people. Ferrero in Alfreton is encouraging children to be more active through its “Joy of Moving” programme, while SC Johnson, headquartered in Denby, is launching a hand-hygiene pilot in schools to reduce absences. Will the Minister commit to meeting me to discuss these initiatives, so that we can learn from the excellent work being done in Amber Valley and develop it nationally?
- I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting this important work in her constituency. Initiatives such as those by Ferrero and SC Johnson complement the action that this Government are taking on prevention to improve children’s health, including our £1 billion investment in PE and school sport. I commend those organisations on their work in these important areas, and I am always happy to learn more about them.
- One of the best ways to improve the health of neurodiverse young people is high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments. The Government are proposing to cut substantially the amount paid to providers. Will the Health Secretary speak to providers in this area, because this cut could have significant implications for the standard and quality of autism and ADHD assessments?
- As the right hon. Gentleman will be aware, a White Paper on SEND is out for discussion. The Government will be looking at improving assessment, diagnosis and support for all children with special educational needs and disabilities, and that includes autism.
- Yesterday I had the pleasure of welcoming the Barnsley-based charity LimbBo Foundation, along with the Limb Loss and Limb Difference UK alliance to Parliament to celebrate Disability Pride Month. The alliance launched its campaign to end the postcode lottery of services and support for people with limb loss and limb difference. While the NHS has a strong policy framework in place, including the 2025 prosthetic service specification, the key issue is not policy, but inconsistent delivery across the country. Will the Minister meet with me and the alliance to discuss how we can secure better access to mental health services, fair and consistent prosthetic provision and lifelong joined-up pathways for people with limb loss and limb difference?
- It was an absolute pleasure to join my hon. Friend at the event yesterday to meet campaigners and to mark Disability Pride Month. We are committed to ensuring that no matter where someone is in the country, they have access to the healthcare and support that they need. Ministers would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this issue further.
- Fewer than half of the children in my constituency have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years, exacerbating health inequalities. The supervised toothbrushing programme is being evaluated for its effectiveness, but I hear uptake is low. What other measures does the Minister plan to introduce to tackle oral health inequalities for children? Will she commit to reviewing NHS dental provision in my constituency?
- As I am sure the hon. Lady is aware, the most common reason for children aged five to nine to be admitted to hospitals is tooth decay. That is why since 2025-26, £21.5 million has been allocated to support supervised toothbrushing in schools and nurseries in the most deprived areas in England, and that will include her constituency.
Maternity Services: North-west
- 2. What steps he is taking to improve maternity services in the north-west.
- We know of the devastating impact of failures in maternity care and the courage of women, families and many members of staff. We will reform maternity and neonatal services, translating the recent recommendations of Baroness Amos and Donna Ockenden into a national action plan by the end of the year. We will create a statutory maternity and neonatal commissioner, we are extending Martha’s rule so that the concerns of families are listened to, and we are investing £186 million to improve maternity and neonatal estates.