Sarah Pochin MP: written questions 2025
209 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Health Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99121More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the period between GP referral and a patient being added to an elective waiting list has increased or decreased in the past five years.
Answer: In line with referral to treatment rules, a patient's waiting time clock starts from the moment they are referred for consultant-led elective treatment. According to these rules, there should be no time between a general practice referral and entry onto a...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99120More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department monitors variation between NHS trusts in the time taken to convert GP referrals into entries on consultant led elective waiting lists.
Answer: In line with referral to treatment rules, a patient's waiting time clock starts from the moment they are referred for consultant-led elective treatment. According to these rules, there should be no time between a general practice referral and entry onto a...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99119More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS England and integrated care boards on the recording, monitoring and reporting of delays between referral and formal waiting list entry.
Answer: In line with referral to treatment rules, a patient's waiting time clock starts from the moment they are referred for consultant-led elective treatment. According to these rules, there should be no time between a general practice referral and entry onto a...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the number of patients currently in (a) pre listing triage and (b) referral assessment stages for consultant led elective care pathways.
Answer: For referral to treatment (RTT) pathways that start within an interface service, which is any form of intermediary clinical triage, assessment, and/or treatment between primary and secondary care, a patient's clock start will begin at the point the genera...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have received a GP referral but who have not yet been allocated an NHS number on a consultant led waiting list.
Answer: In line with referral to treatment rules, a patient's waiting time clock starts from the moment they are referred for consultant-led elective treatment. According to these rules, there should be no time between a general practice referral and entry onto a...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department records how many patients are experiencing delays of more than 12 months before being added to a consultant led elective care waiting list following GP referral.
Answer: In line with referral to treatment rules, a patient's waiting time clock starts from the moment they are referred for consultant-led elective treatment. According to these rules, there should be no time between a general practice referral and entry onto a...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that NHS trusts do not manage referral pipelines, triage processes, or administrative allocation methods in ways that reduce the apparent size of the elective waitin
Answer: For referral to treatment (RTT) pathways that start within an interface service, which is any form of intermediary clinical triage, assessment, and/or treatment between primary and secondary care, a patient's clock start will begin at the point the genera...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England includes the period between receipt of a GP referral and the issuing of the first appointment offer within published consultant led referral to treatment waiting time data.
Answer: In line with referral to treatment rules, a patient's waiting time clock starts from the moment they are referred for consultant-led elective treatment. According to these rules, there should be no time between a general practice referral and entry onto a...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the average length of time patients are currently waiting between GP referral and being added to an NHS consultant-led elective care waiting list; and whether any suc
Answer: In line with referral to treatment rules, a patient's waiting time clock starts from the moment they are referred for consultant-led elective treatment. According to these rules, there should be no time between a general practice referral and entry onto a...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to require schools and local authorities to record and centrally report anonymised data on allegations of child-on-child sexual abuse, the actions taken and case outcomes.
Answer: Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government. ‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed o...
Answered 2 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of waiting times for and availability of trauma-informed therapeutic support for child victims of peer-on-peer or child-on-child sexual abuse; an
Answer: We know that timely support is critical for child victims of sexual abuse, and that demand for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has risen significantly. The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambitious reform agenda to transform the Nationa...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersHome OfficeTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent police response standards in cases of child-on-child sexual abuse that arise within school settings; and if she will issue updated guidance on
Answer: This Government remains firmly committed to tackling all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse in all settings across the country. This includes ensuring that statutory safeguarding partners, including the police, have the right resources, tools an...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98580More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will establish a cross-government protocol with the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care setting out roles, referral routes and timescales between schools, police forces and health se
Answer: This government is taking the strongest action to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation. This includes setting up a new national inquiry, with which government departments will cooperate fully, to ensure we are tackling this vile crime and supporting...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to require enhanced training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors on the handling of child-on-child sexual abuse, including training on record keeping, victim
Answer: Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government. ‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed o...
Answered 2 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98578More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department monitors local authority compliance with their duty under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to provide suitable education without delay for children who are out of school following inciden
Answer: Under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, local authorities must arrange suitable education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive it. This education should be full-time, or...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98576More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms currently allow Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate to conduct targeted safeguarding inspections where there is evidence of systemic mishandling of child-on-child sexual abuse; and i
Answer: Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government. ‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed o...
Answered 2 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98574More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce national response timescales for schools and local authorities to investigate allegations of child on child sexual abuse, to provide written outcomes to families and to advise parents on i
Answer: Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government. ‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed o...
Answered 2 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to create an independent stage of complaint for parents in safeguarding cases where a school or governing body has already determined its own conduct in relation
Answer: Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government. ‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed o...
Answered 2 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there are enforceable lines of accountability between schools, governing bodies, local authorities, including Local Authority Designated Officers, Ofsted and the In
Answer: Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government. ‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed o...
Answered 2 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98301More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the supply of illegal drugs into prisons, including through improved searching, staff screening and security technology.
Answer: Prisons in England and Wales have a range of specialist staff and equipment to tackle the smuggling of contraband into prisons, including drugs. This includes X-ray body scanners, airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, X-ray baggage scanners, detection dog...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98300More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many drug related incidents were recorded in prisons in each of the past five years, including instances of possession, supply and related violence.
Answer: We publish the number of drugs finds in prisons in England and Wales in the HMPPS Annual Digest. Please see table 6.1 in the Finds tables and the Finds in Prison – Find Incidents data tool. The latest issue covers the 12-month period to March 2025, with a...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98299More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners tested positive for illegal drugs on arrival and during their time in custody in the latest period for which data is available.
Answer: We recognise that the availability and use of drugs in prisons is too high. Tackling this is a priority in order to reduce reoffending, and improve the safety of our prisons. To drive down supply of drugs, we are investing over £40 million in physical sec...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98298More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent trends in the availability and use of illegal drugs within the prison estate.
Answer: We recognise that the availability and use of drugs in prisons is too high. Tackling this is a priority in order to reduce reoffending, and improve the safety of our prisons. To drive down supply of drugs, we are investing over £40 million in physical sec...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisoners' ReleaseMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of the scale of erroneous prisoner releases on public confidence and public safety.
Answer: Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. The safety of the public is our absolute priority.While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctl...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisoners' ReleaseMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to prevent mistaken releases of prisoners; and whether he plans to (a) allocate additional resource for and (b) implement systemic reforms to prisoner-release protocols.
Answer: Releases in error are never acceptable, and we are bearing down on those errors that do occur.Following the release in error of Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford, the Deputy Prime Minister took immediate steps to make the processes that take place when a ...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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