Written questions by Morrison.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of introducing legislation that would ensure that all accessible toilets in public places have RADAR key locks on disabled people.

No assessment has been made; the RADAR key scheme is not government-led and there are no plans for legislation to make it statutory.The functional element in Part M of the Building Regulations requires new building works to make reasonable provision for people to access and use a building and its facilities. More broadly, the Equality Act 2010 places a duty on service providers and businesses to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises/buildings and services.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of levels of consistency of safeguarding protocols in multi-academy trusts in relation to unauthorised adult access to school premises.

The safety and wellbeing of children in our schools is the department’s highest priority. We recognise the importance of robust safeguarding measures and take concerns about unauthorised adult access to school premises very seriously. The produced non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges in respect of developing a security policy. The department expects security in schools to be considered alongside statutory safeguarding responsibilities and the legal obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. The department also issues the statutory ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance, including guidance on the use of school premises for non-school activities. When the department has concerns regarding the safeguarding policies of any MATs, they can then enforce compliance through the MAT’s funding agreement, in line with our published statutory guidance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to target (a) gap year students and (b) backpackers as part of methanol poisoning awareness efforts.

Student Brand Ambassadors (SBAs) have played a valuable and strategic role in extending the reach of our safety messaging to young travellers. Through the use of social media, they have delivered key messages on methanol poisoning and drink safety in a voice that is both authentic and relatable. This peer-led approach has proven to be an effective tool in promoting safer travel campaign messages.Our SBAs create targeted posts focused on drink safety, including the risks associated with methanol poisoning. They have recently increased their social media presence to include TikTok. In June-July this year, this resulted in a 300 per cent increase in the number of people our messaging reached. This impressive increase shows the value in tailored focused messaging across the full range of social media. A full analysis of the SBA programme over the summer period will be conducted late Autumn.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of British nationals affected by methanol poisoning abroad in each of the last 10 years.

We fully recognise the serious risks posed by methanol poisoning and remain committed to supporting affected British nationals abroad. Methanol poisoning is not classified as a distinct case type within our case management system. Any consular support provided in these situations would have been recorded under broader categories such as medical care, deaths, or general health concerns. We publish our consular data on a regular basis (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/consular-data). It includes a breakdown of where we have been approached for assistance in relation to, amongst other things, hospitalisation and death. It is broken down by country and date. We continue to monitor health and safety risks abroad and provide guidance to help British nationals stay safe while travelling.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department holds information on the demographic breakdown of people who engaged with the Travel Aware methanol poisoning campaign between November 2024 and March 2025.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not hold demographic data on individuals who engaged with the Travel Aware campaigns, including the methanol poisoning campaign. While the campaign generates engagement metrics in aggregate form - such as reach and interaction rates - these do not include breakdowns by age, gender, nationality, or other demographic categories. Between 28 November 2024 and 6 March 2025, the FCDO's methanol related social media posts received a total of 41,103 views.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Student Brand Ambassadors on raising awareness of methanol poisoning among young travellers.

Student Brand Ambassadors (SBAs) have played a valuable and strategic role in extending the reach of our safety messaging to young travellers. Through the use of social media, they have delivered key messages on methanol poisoning and drink safety in a voice that is both authentic and relatable. This peer-led approach has proven to be an effective tool in promoting safer travel campaign messages.Our SBAs create targeted posts focused on drink safety, including the risks associated with methanol poisoning. They have recently increased their social media presence to include TikTok. In June-July this year, this resulted in a 300 per cent increase in the number of people our messaging reached. This impressive increase shows the value in tailored focused messaging across the full range of social media. A full analysis of the SBA programme over the summer period will be conducted late Autumn.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of (a) the ABTA and (b) other Travel Aware industry partners in increasing methanol poisoning awareness.

The Association for British Travel Agents (ABTA) and Travel Aware partners play a vital role in amplifying information on methanol poisoning as part of our broader proactive messaging efforts. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office collaborates with over 150 partners through the Travel Aware campaign, we engage with selected partners who are best placed to help raise awareness and promote safe travel behaviours in destinations where methanol poisoning is a known risk (their contributions account for 1 in 10 hits to our travel advice website).

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Universal Credit Bill on (a) people with ME and (b) other fluctuating conditions; and whether the forthcoming ME delivery plan will consider the potential impact of this Bill.

Our reforms are not condition specific. People with ME/CFS will be treated equally to those with other health conditions and disabilities. We are aware of the fluctuating nature of ME/CFS, the wide variety of disability associated with this condition and the specific needs of those individuals. The Pathways to Work offer announced in the Green Paper will improve the employment support available for disabled people and people with health conditions, including those with fluctuating chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS. The Department of Health and Social Care published the final ME/CFS delivery plan on 22 July. The plan focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. The latter includes helping people with ME/CFS to find and maintain employment, where appropriate, through our department’s plans to improve employment support available for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

What steps he plans to take to tackle the lack of advertised nursing vacancies through the 10 Year Plan.

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.NHS England is working with employers, universities, and regional nursing leads to ensure that support is in place to help graduating nurses find a role as soon as possible after qualification and transition into the workplace.Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of trends in the level of racism faced by hon. Members during the 2024 election.

The Electoral Commission’s report on the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election found that during the campaign many candidates, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, experienced unacceptable levels of intimidation and harassment. The Commission’s research showed that 34% of candidates from an ethnic minority background reported having a serious problem with intimidation compared to 14% of candidates overall. The Commission did not collect data on this issue prior to 2024 so has not made an assessment of trends in the data.The Commission has welcomed the first report from the Speaker’s Conference on the impact of abuse and intimidation. The Commission is considering how it can support implementation of the report’s proposals for all candidates, including those from an ethnic minority background, ahead of the elections in May 2026.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of disallowing mainstream school students from being given EHCPs on (a) autistic children in mainstream schools and (b) their families.

The government is determined to restore confidence in the system of support for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and ensure they get the chance to achieve and thrive in their education and beyond.We are working with organisations who represent parents, local authorities, SEND organisations, education settings and others on how best we can strengthen the system and deliver better support for children and their parents, and we are committed to getting this right. We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group has brought together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children within mainstream education settings. ​We have made no decisions at the moment on the future of education, health and care plans. There will, however, always be a legal right to additional support for those with SEND.

What assessment has he made of the potential impact of abolishing Healthwatch England on outstanding complaints against these organisations.

Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.

What steps he is taking to ensure that any outstanding complaints are thoroughly investigated by the organisations that take over the responsibilities of Healthwatch England and the 150 local Healthwatch organisations.

Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that practicing nurses are able to find NHS employment and remain on the nursing register.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, this Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals including our nurses. We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan this Autumn setting out how we will ensure all NHS staff including nurses are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more. NHS England is working with employers, universities, and regional nursing leads to ensure support is in place to help graduating nurses find a role as soon as possible after qualification and transition into the workplace.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Electoral Conduct, published in 2013; and whether she has had discussions with the Electoral Commission on that report.

Many of the recommendations made by the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Electoral Conduct have been implemented, including updating the offence of undue influence and rules on digital imprints. The government has published a strategy for modern and secure elections, part of which sets out a package of policies to tackle intimidation and harassment of those involved in elections and improve the tone of political debate. In developing this strategy, we have engaged with key stakeholders – including the Electoral Commission – and will continue to do so as we deliver this package of reforms. We welcome the recent work of groups in this area including the Speaker’s Conference and the Committee on Standards in Public Life and will continue to support their work and carefully consider their recommendations.

How many contracts his Department has awarded to private nursing companies to supplement NHS nurses in hospitals; and what the cost to his Department is of those contracts.

The Department does not hold contracts with companies for the supply of temporary nursing staff into the NHS (i.e. to NHS Trusts). NHS Trusts contract directly with private nursing companies to meet their requirements or call off work from such companies on national and NHS regional contract framework agreements.

How many MRI scans have to be repeated because of errors made in the initial scan each year; and what the cost to the NHS is of each MRI scan performed.

Data on the number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that have had to be repeated due to errors made in the initial scan is not held centrally. The following table shows the cost of MRI scans in the National Health Service broken down by Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) code and name, for 2025/26:HRG codeHRG namePrice, including cost of reportingCost of reportingRD01AMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of One Area, without Contrast, 19 years and over£130£26RD01BMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of One Area, without Contrast, between 6 and 18 years£218£26RD01CMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of One Area, without Contrast, 5 years and under£311£26RD02AMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of One Area, with Post-Contrast Only, 19 years and over£189£26RD02BMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of One Area, with Post-Contrast Only, between 6 and 18 years£331£26RD02CMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of One Area, with Post-Contrast Only, 5 years and under£473£26RD03ZMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of One Area, with Pre- and Post-Contrast£199£26RD04ZMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of Two or Three Areas, without Contrast£156£26RD05ZMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of Two or Three Areas, with Contrast£224£35RD06ZMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan of more than Three Areas£224£35RD07ZMagnetic Resonance Imaging Scan Requiring Extensive Patient Repositioning£263£35RD08ZCardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan without Contrast£450£26RD09ZCardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan with Post-Contrast Only£499£26RD10ZCardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan with Pre- and Post-Contrast£643£26Source: the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, available at the following link under the ‘25/26 pay award prices’ section: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-nhs-payment-scheme/

Whether his Department is taking steps to provide culturally appropriate dementia services for (a) South Asian and (b) other ethnic minority groups.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England has also published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Health Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, which will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, and which will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the individual limit for the Adoption Support Fund for therapy on (a) adoptees and (b) their families.

The new criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children and their families. This includes reviewing the equalities impact assessment, which will be made available in the House Libraries shortly.

What training is provided to health professionals to ensure culturally sensitive dementia care.

We want all relevant staff to have received the appropriate training in order to provide high quality care to people with dementia, whether in hospital or in the community.Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff by providing continuing professional development funding.The required training needs are set out in the Dementia training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/It sets out the essential knowledge and skills and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum. The framework was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector. It notes that person-centred dementia care involves considering the whole person, taking into account not just their health condition, but also each individual’s life history, unique abilities, interests, culture, preferences, and needs.There are a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.NHS England has also published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/