Tag: public health

Bishop of St Albans asks about health inequalities in rural areas

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on access to mental health support services for those in isolated and rural areas on 20th May 2025, during a discussion on declining life expectancies and poverty related inequalities:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I welcome His Majesty’s Government’s commitment to bringing forward a child poverty strategy. The interaction between mental ill-health and poverty is well known. Will the strategy address access to vital mental health support services, especially for those in more remote rural areas where they are difficult to access?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about women’s health data and microplastics research

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 14th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address (1) the under-representation of women in health data, and (2) the lack of female-only UK clinical trials.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about cosmetic procedure licencing and problem gambling services

The Lord Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 12th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 7 November 2024 (HL1998), when they intend to publish feedback to the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures consultation, which ran from 2 September to 28 October 2023.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about levels of air pollution in the UK

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 3rd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked  His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK complies with World Health Organization air quality guidelines for PM2.5 levels.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of gambling and nicotine on young people

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 2nd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of findings published on 18 March by the City of York Council, Next Generation York: the health of adolescents in our city, particularly that 16 per cent of young people had gambled, and of those 25 per cent took money to gamble without permission, and 14 per cent had conflicts with family or friends over gambling.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about use of nicotine pouches

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 26th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what assessment they have made of the number of children and young people using nicotine pouches.
  • what assessment they have made of the health implications of using nicotine pouches, particularly for oral health.
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Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of reduction in pharmacy opening hours

On 20th March 2025, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question he had tabled on the impact of reduced pharmacy opening hours:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the potential reduction in pharmacy opening hours.

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Bishop of London asks about support for the voluntary sector in assisting integrated care boards

The Bishop of London asked a question on support for integrated care boards to enable VCSE involvement on 19th March 2025, during a discussion on barriers to safe housing and hospital discharge:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the VCSE sector plays a critical role in discharge planning. The Minister may know of a project in Warrington, where a social prescribing link worker and the VCSE team are integrated into the discharge team, and are therefore able to support people on discharge. The pilot has been positive, not least in that it has reduced readmission into hospital. Could the Minister say what support the Government are giving to integrated care boards so that they can enable this type of innovative provision? Can she reassure us that the aspiration to cut the ICBs by 50% will not impact on that potential?

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Bishop of London asks about tackling causes of ill-health

The Bishop of London asked a question on the need to tackle root causes of ill health on 18th March 2025, following a government statement on welfare reform:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I welcome the Government’s focus on and increased investment in supporting people back into good work, and the proposed safeguards through the right to try guarantee. However, I am intrinsically wary of attempts to address the drivers of ill health through the social security system, rather than tackling root causes. We do not know yet the content of the NHS plan. Supporting people who are currently claiming incapacity benefits into work will put considerable pressure on an already stressed health system. What steps is the Minister’s department taking to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that the right support is available for people with physical and mental health needs?

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Bishop of London asks about addressing health inequalities

The Bishop of London asked a question on addressing wider issues in health inequalities in relation to healthy eating on 18th March 2025, during a discussion on the success of the soft drinks industry levy:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, we know well that diet and nutrition, and the infrastructure from which we can access the food that we eat, determine our health. These things continue to be unequal. The proportion of household income required to afford to follow the Eatwell Guide is 11% in the least deprived areas and 45% in the most deprived areas. What consideration will be given in the NHS plan to these wider issues—including the merits of reformulation policies—to improve the critical determinants of health?

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