Written questions by Moran.

What training and guidance is provided to GPs and other frontline clinicians on recognising and managing lipoedema; and whether he plans to review undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development provision relating to that condition.

Doctors are responsible for maintaining their clinical knowledge, including on lipoedema, throughout their careers, and are responsible for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.All doctors registered in the United Kingdom are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. In 2012, the GMC introduced revalidation, which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, giving patients confidence that doctors are up to date with their practice, and promoting improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors are set by the relevant medical royal college and have to meet the standards set by the GMC. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they do emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.Resources for frontline health professionals are available from a number of professional and patient organisations to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients presenting with lipoedema.

Whether lipoedema has a diagnostic code within NHS data systems; what steps he is taking to improve the collection of data on prevalence, diagnosis and outcomes for people with lipoedema; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of improved data collection on future commissioning and service planning.

Lipoedema does not currently have a unique standalone diagnostic code within the National Health Service’s primary coding systems. In clinical practice, it is often recorded under broader World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision categories relating to disorders of subcutaneous tissue or lymphatic disease.NHS England is taking forward a wide programme of work to improve how data is recorded and coded across the health service by expanding the use of modern electronic patient record systems, strengthening national coding standards, and supporting staff to record information consistently and accurately. This includes better use of SNOMED CT in primary care, clearer guidance for hospitals, and investment in shared care records so that patient information is captured once and used safely across services. These improvements are helping to ensure that clinical data is more reliable, more complete, and better able to support high‑quality care, earlier diagnosis, and effective service planning.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for epilepsy research.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Knowsley on 6 January to Question 101055.

What guidance the Government provides to police forces to (a) help deal with racially aggravated sexual assault and (b) support victims of those crimes.

Police are operationally independent and work in line with College of Policing guidance to respond to hate crime and sexual offences.However, the Government expects the police to fully investigate each and every assault and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.The Ministry of Justice will invest £550 million over the next three years to provide counselling, court guidance and children’s services for victims. This funding will be delivered via PCCs, who assess local need and are best placed to commission tailored services, including for victims with protected characteristics such as race.

With reference to the independent report entitled Independent review of children's social care: final report, published on 23 May 2022, how much of the recommended new spending of £2.6 billion has been allocated to date.

This government is driving the biggest transformation of children’s social care in a generation. Long-term investment is essential to shift the system away from high-cost crisis responses towards earlier support.In 2025/26, the department more than doubled direct investment in children’s social care prevention services through the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant. Now we are going even further to reform children’s social care. We are continuing the £523 million available for the Families First Partnership programme in 2025/26 for each year of the Local Government Finance Settlement to 2028/29. We have invested a further £300 million over two years (2026/27 and 2027/28) from the Transformation Fund announced at the Spending Review, and £547 million of new funding announced in the Local Government Funding Policy Statement, meaning £2.4 billion over three years, all ringfenced for prevention and de-escalation. Together this will help to reduce reliance on costly acute services, strengthen earlier intervention and drive forward reforms to children’s social care.We are also investing £560 million capital funding to refurbish and expand children’s homes and provide more high-quality foster care placements.Additional funding beyond 2027/28 is subject to the next Spending Review.

How much funding her Department has committed to implement the recommendations of the Independent review of children's social care: final report, published on 23 May 2022, in each of the next five years.

This government is driving the biggest transformation of children’s social care in a generation. Long-term investment is essential to shift the system away from high-cost crisis responses towards earlier support.In 2025/26, the department more than doubled direct investment in children’s social care prevention services through the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant. Now we are going even further to reform children’s social care. We are continuing the £523 million available for the Families First Partnership programme in 2025/26 for each year of the Local Government Finance Settlement to 2028/29. We have invested a further £300 million over two years (2026/27 and 2027/28) from the Transformation Fund announced at the Spending Review, and £547 million of new funding announced in the Local Government Funding Policy Statement, meaning £2.4 billion over three years, all ringfenced for prevention and de-escalation. Together this will help to reduce reliance on costly acute services, strengthen earlier intervention and drive forward reforms to children’s social care.We are also investing £560 million capital funding to refurbish and expand children’s homes and provide more high-quality foster care placements.Additional funding beyond 2027/28 is subject to the next Spending Review.

Whether provisions of the UK-India trade deal address the freedom and human rights of minority groups in India.

The landmark UK-India trade deal includes chapters on labour, gender, environment and anti-corruption. In common with most free trade agreements it enables the two partners to discuss important matters including human rights on a regular basis. It is not our only means of advancing concerns.The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network across India track human rights across the country. We engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society.

Whether he plans to request that NICE conduct an exceptional (expedited) partial review of the NICE Depression guideline (NG222) to consider the inclusion of intravenous racemic ketamine as an option for patients for whom electroconvulsive therapy is being considered.

The Department has no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to conduct a review of the NICE guideline on the treatment and management of depression, reference code NG222.NICE is an independent body and is responsible for taking decisions on whether its guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence and changes in clinical practice. NICE operates an active surveillance programme and when new evidence emerges, it proactively considers whether existing guidance should be reviewed and, if appropriate, updated. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational prioritisation board. NICE has no current plans to review intravenous racemic ketamine in the context of the depression guideline.

If he will consider specific funding for mesothelioma nursing posts.

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.Funding provided to NHS trusts is not ringfenced for specific items such as staffing levels. Hospitals receive funding allocations which they can use at their discretion, based on local priorities.The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

If he will consider establishing a national clinical audit for people living with mesothelioma to understand a) the need for preventative measures and b) the scale of treatment needed.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Loughborough on 12 May 2025 to Question 46503.

If he will make it his policy to ensure that incidences of asbestos-related disease are accurately and consistently recorded to allow analysis of the scale of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma nationally.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) produces and publishes statistics for asbestosis, mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer and non-malignant pleural disease in Great Britain. The statistics are taken from multiple sources including THOR (The Health and Occupation Reporting Network), Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) and death certificates. There is consistency in how data on asbestos-related disease is collected and analysed to tell us about the changing nature of risk to different populations. However, because of factors such as long latency of asbestos related diseases, the data tells us nothing about the effect of recent exposure or those that could still be occurring today. HSE continues to monitor and assess evidence in this area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 77524, whether he will recommend the work of the UK National Asbestos Register to the HSE in order to accelerate its work to create an asbestos census.

The Health and Safety Executive is aware of the work being undertaken by the UK National Asbestos Register and others and is exploring a phased approach to improving its understanding of the legacy of asbestos remaining in buildings by gathering relevant data, with an initial focus on developing a better understanding of the scale of asbestos in the Government estate. This should help to provide a more objective and reliable evidence base to inform decision making and a longer-term strategy for the management and removal of asbestos.

If he will make it his policy to ensure asbestos awareness training is provided to a) health and education workers or b) all public-sector workers in order to reduce the risk of contracting mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) require all dutyholders such as employers or building occupiers, including those in the public sector, to provide adequate information, instruction and training to workers who are liable to be exposed to asbestos.These requirements extend to ensuring that information about the location and condition of any asbestos is provided to every person liable to disturb it.

What assessment he has made on the potential merits of statutory regulation of therapy titles.

Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions. Some regulated professions include the term ‘therapist’ and as such have protected title status, for example Art therapist, Dental therapist, and Occupational therapist. Therapists in general are not a statutorily regulated profession in the United Kingdom. The Government has not made an assessment on the merits of protecting all therapy titles.The Government is clear that the professions protected in law must be the right ones and that the level of regulatory oversight must be proportionate to the risks to the public.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has drafted a response to the ICJ opinion of 22 October 2025 entitled Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The purpose of the Advisory Opinion is to inform the work of the UN General Assembly, and as such there is no requirement for the UK to draft a response. Since this Government came to office, we have been very clear that Israel has an obligation under International Humanitarian Law to ensure the provision of aid in Gaza and that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a critical role in delivering the humanitarian response. This was reflected in our oral statement to the Court on 1 May. The Court's Advisory Opinion confirms that view. As the Foreign Secretary said on 2 December, we continue to urge the opening of all crossings and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid.

What steps his Department is taking to introduce screening for asymptomatic heart conditions in young people in sports settings.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 October 2025 to Question 78454.

Communities and Local Government, what the planned timetable is for transferring tenants currently on shorthold tenancies to periodic assured tenancies.

The government intends to set out detailed implementation plans for the Renters’ Rights Act in the near future.

What steps his Department is taking to help raise awareness among young people of the risks of sudden cardiac death in (a) grassroots sports clubs and (b) higher education settings.

To reduce the risks of sudden cardiac death, NHS England has a published a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease or as families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised Inherited Cardiac Conditions services to investigate suspected cases.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure social media companies protect consumers from illegal content advertising weight loss jabs.

The Online Safety Act gives online platforms duties to tackle illegal content and activity on their services. This includes content advertising illegal sales of drugs. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime, and it sets out steps that providers can take to comply with their duties. Ofcom has strong powers to enforce against platforms that fail to fulfil their duties to protect users from illegal content.The government is clear that people should only purchase medicines and medical products through legitimate, regulated channels. Anyone with weight or health concerns should consult their GP or a qualified healthcare professional who can provide safe, appropriate treatment options.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to negotiate an agreement with the EU for a reciprocal key scheme to allow access to disabled toilets in Europe.

The Euro key scheme gives access to accessible toilets in 16 countries in the EU and European Economic Area. We have initiated discussions with the organisation of persons with disabilities based in Germany that sells and provides keys for the scheme to understand the situation and identify the barriers that need to be addressed.