Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP: written questions 2025
722 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Surgery: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71060More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase the use of capacity in local private hospitals to reduce NHS waiting times for surgical procedures.
Answer: As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.Independent sector providers have a role to pl...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgery: Patient Choice SchemesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71059More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to allow patients to (a) view and (b) choose from available operation appointments across different hospitals within the same region.
Answer: Patients in England can choose the hospital for their first outpatient appointments via the NHS e-Referral Service and the NHS App, allowing them to view and choose from available appointments across different hospitals within the same region.The National...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71058More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve coordination between NHS hospitals within the same region to offer patients earlier appointments at alternative sites.
Answer: As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment (RTT) by March 2029.Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets a tar...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgeryDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71057More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase the availability of (a) daily and (b) weekly surgical appointments for operations in NHS hospitals.
Answer: As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for surgical appointments, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by Mar...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgeryDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure patients receive timely updates about the status of their NHS operations through (a) the NHS App, (b) other digital platforms and (c) other means.
Answer: The National Health Service continues to invest heavily in the NHS App, and in the past two years we have been implementing digital integration between acute hospitals and the NHS App, meaning that patients can now view their clinical pathway and appointm...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgery: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for urgent NHS operations in cases where patients are waiting significantly beyond the clinically recommended timeframe.
Answer: It is unacceptable that patients continue to wait lengthy periods for treatment, especially where waits are for high priority surgical procedures.We are committed to driving down waiting times. In January, we published our Elective Reform Plan, which sets...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department collects data on (a) errors and (b) false positives arising from algorithmic fraud detection tools.
Answer: DWP is committed to processing data lawfully, proportionately, and ethically, with meaningful human input and safeguards in place to protect individuals. “Algorithmic fraud detection tool” is not a term we use in DWP however, the department develops, test...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit decisions made using (a) automated and (b) AI-assisted systems have been overturned on appeal since 2020.
Answer: No Artificial Intelligence is currently deployed to make decisions regarding benefit entitlement or value in isolation. There is automation in some benefit processes but decisions regarding entitlement and value will have a human decision maker involved.
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in its use of AI systems in public services.
Answer: We have AI governance in place to ensure we use AI in a safe, ethical, and transparent way. DWP is committed to publishing details of its use of algorithms against the cross-Government Algorithmic Transparency Reporting Standard (ATRS). We ensure our gene...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether benefit claimants are informed when their claims are assessed using algorithmic tools.
Answer: DWP’s Personal Information Charter (PIC) (Personal information charter - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK) outlines how DWP processes personal data related to and its use of both Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Decision Making (ADM). D...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any of the algorithmic systems used by her Department are subject to independent oversight.
Answer: The Department is committed to publishing details of its use of complex algorithms in line with the cross-Government Algorithmic Transparency Reporting Standard (ATRS). We also engage with external bodies, such as the Information Commissioner's Office, th...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69112More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its use of algorithmic decision-making tools on levels of risk of (a) bias and (b) discrimination.
Answer: DWP is committed to regularly assessing AI use in the Department to ensure it meets business needs, is quality assured, and does not lead to a risk of discrimination or harm. In some areas, the Department uses automated decision-making to make benefit awa...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69111More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to eradicate destitution by 2035.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling poverty, including deep poverty across the UK. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the autumn. The Strategy will look at levers across four key them...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by The Big Issue entitled Poverty Zero, published in June 2025.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling poverty, including deep poverty across the UK. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the autumn. The Strategy will look at levers across four key them...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing cyclical target-setting for poverty reduction.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling poverty, including deep poverty across the UK. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the autumn. The Strategy will look at levers across four key them...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce levels of severe poverty.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling poverty, including deep poverty across the UK. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the autumn. The Strategy will look at levers across four key them...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69049More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a judicial-review mechanism to hold the Government accountable for meeting statutory poverty reduction targets.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling poverty, including deep poverty across the UK. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the autumn. The Strategy will look at levers across four key them...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPoverty: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to introduce legally-binding national targets to help reduce levels of child poverty.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling poverty, including deep poverty across the UK. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the autumn. The Strategy will look at levers across four key them...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNurses: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Government’s immigration policies on trends in the level of recruitment of internationally educated nurses into (a) the NHS and (b) soci
Answer: The immediate changes to the skills thresholds outlined in the Immigration White Paper relate to roles below Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 6. Nurses meet the new skill threshold of RQF level 6 and in turn remain eligible for the Health an...
Answered 4 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: Working HoursDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67981More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a working time council to explore the wider implementation of a four-day working across the economy.
Answer: A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. All employees have the right to request flexible working, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that feasible requests are accepted.The go...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: Working HoursDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67980More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support businesses transitioning to a four-day working week.
Answer: A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. All employees have the right to request flexible working, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that feasible requests are accepted.The go...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: Working HoursDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of AI on working hours across sectors.
Answer: The Government is working to harness the benefits that AI can bring in terms of economic growth, productivity gains, rising living standards, and improved worker wellbeing; while mitigating the risks. The Government is planning for a range of plausible ou...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: ProductivityDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67978More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential for AI-driven productivity gains to support reduced working hours without loss of pay.
Answer: The Government is working to harness the benefits that AI can bring in terms of economic growth, productivity gains, rising living standards, and improved worker wellbeing; while mitigating the risks. The Government is planning for a range of plausible ou...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordWorking Hours: Pilot SchemesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67977More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to support a structured forum for businesses to share learning on reduced-hour models.
Answer: A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. All employees have the right to request flexible working, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that feasible requests are accepted.The go...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordWorking Hours: Pilot SchemesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the productivity outcomes of the latest four-day week pilot facilitated by the 4 Day Week Foundation.
Answer: A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. All employees have the right to request flexible working, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that feasible requests are accepted.The go...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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