No specific assessment has been made regarding the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s survey. Data on violence in emergency departments is not centrally held, although the NHS Staff Survey results, with questions on violence, are published at the following link:

https://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/results/national-results/

However, we are clear that any actions of violence, abuse, or harassment towards National Health Service staff, including in accident and emergency units, will not be tolerated. Everyone working in the NHS has a fundamental right to be safe at work, and it is deeply concerning that so many emergency department staff continue to experience this unacceptable behaviour.

That is why, on 6 July 2026, as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government introduced new NHS staff standards, which set out the targeted action that every NHS employer across the country must take to prevent and reduce violence and abuse against their staff and help ensure they can do their jobs safely, including putting in place appropriate security, training, and support services.

That also followed the announcement on 9 April 2025 that the Government had accepted the Social Partnership Forum’s recommendations on tackling violence and aggression towards NHS staff, which included improving data and reporting of incidents and ensuring strengthened risk assessment, training, and support for victims.

Since coming to office, this Government has recruited thousands of extra mental health staff, increased access to National Health Service talking therapies, and announced a major expansion of community mental health support, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres (CMHCs) and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments (MHEDs).

CMHCs provide a single, open-access offer, available 24/7 to anyone who needs it. People with serious mental illness will be able to walk in without an appointment and receive mental health support, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. This will reduce fragmentation in service delivery and improve continuity of care. Working in partnership with primary care, local authorities, the voluntary sector and family support networks, and with strong links to housing and employment support, the centres will deliver care close to home, tailored to local communities of between 30,000 and 50,000 people.

Alongside the community centres, MHEDs will provide fast, same-day access to specialist mental health support for people in crisis. Co-located with emergency departments, ambulance, and police services, they will offer a calm, therapeutic environment and ensure people are connected quickly to the right ongoing care, whether through inpatient admission, home treatment, or community support. In both cases, CMHCs and MHEDs will draw on the existing NHS workforce, including redeployment of staff to the new locations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are rightly responsible for selecting locations for new facilities to make sure they meet local needs best, with schemes prioritised through regional and ICB processes before being subject to national assurance. The overall distribution of MHEDs and CMHCs was considered alongside factors such as population need, existing provision, local care pathways, strategic alignment, and deliverability. Local systems also remain responsible for ensuring that people can access emergency mental health support through the broader care pathway, including A&E units, crisis services, and other locally commissioned provision.

The first facilities in this tranche are expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites opening from March 2027. Further details will be set out in due course as the new centres are rolled out across England. Later this year, we will also publish our new mental health strategy for England, setting out our plans to transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, intervenes earlier, and supports people to stay active and participate in education, work, family, and community life.

Since coming to office, this Government has recruited thousands of extra mental health staff, increased access to National Health Service talking therapies, and announced a major expansion of community mental health support, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres (CMHCs) and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments (MHEDs).

CMHCs provide a single, open-access offer, available 24/7 to anyone who needs it. People with serious mental illness will be able to walk in without an appointment and receive mental health support, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. This will reduce fragmentation in service delivery and improve continuity of care. Working in partnership with primary care, local authorities, the voluntary sector and family support networks, and with strong links to housing and employment support, the centres will deliver care close to home, tailored to local communities of between 30,000 and 50,000 people.

Alongside the community centres, MHEDs will provide fast, same-day access to specialist mental health support for people in crisis. Co-located with emergency departments, ambulance, and police services, they will offer a calm, therapeutic environment and ensure people are connected quickly to the right ongoing care, whether through inpatient admission, home treatment, or community support. In both cases, CMHCs and MHEDs will draw on the existing NHS workforce, including redeployment of staff to the new locations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are rightly responsible for selecting locations for new facilities to make sure they meet local needs best, with schemes prioritised through regional and ICB processes before being subject to national assurance. The overall distribution of MHEDs and CMHCs was considered alongside factors such as population need, existing provision, local care pathways, strategic alignment, and deliverability. Local systems also remain responsible for ensuring that people can access emergency mental health support through the broader care pathway, including A&E units, crisis services, and other locally commissioned provision.

The first facilities in this tranche are expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites opening from March 2027. Further details will be set out in due course as the new centres are rolled out across England. Later this year, we will also publish our new mental health strategy for England, setting out our plans to transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, intervenes earlier, and supports people to stay active and participate in education, work, family, and community life.

Since coming to office, this Government has recruited thousands of extra mental health staff, increased access to National Health Service talking therapies, and announced a major expansion of community mental health support, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres (CMHCs) and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments (MHEDs).

CMHCs provide a single, open-access offer, available 24/7 to anyone who needs it. People with serious mental illness will be able to walk in without an appointment and receive mental health support, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. This will reduce fragmentation in service delivery and improve continuity of care. Working in partnership with primary care, local authorities, the voluntary sector and family support networks, and with strong links to housing and employment support, the centres will deliver care close to home, tailored to local communities of between 30,000 and 50,000 people.

Alongside the community centres, MHEDs will provide fast, same-day access to specialist mental health support for people in crisis. Co-located with emergency departments, ambulance, and police services, they will offer a calm, therapeutic environment and ensure people are connected quickly to the right ongoing care, whether through inpatient admission, home treatment, or community support. In both cases, CMHCs and MHEDs will draw on the existing NHS workforce, including redeployment of staff to the new locations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are rightly responsible for selecting locations for new facilities to make sure they meet local needs best, with schemes prioritised through regional and ICB processes before being subject to national assurance. The overall distribution of MHEDs and CMHCs was considered alongside factors such as population need, existing provision, local care pathways, strategic alignment, and deliverability. Local systems also remain responsible for ensuring that people can access emergency mental health support through the broader care pathway, including A&E units, crisis services, and other locally commissioned provision.

The first facilities in this tranche are expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites opening from March 2027. Further details will be set out in due course as the new centres are rolled out across England. Later this year, we will also publish our new mental health strategy for England, setting out our plans to transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, intervenes earlier, and supports people to stay active and participate in education, work, family, and community life.

As set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan and reinforced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Department is committed to cutting the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up, to under 150 days. I refer the Hon Member to the report, including actions and progress so far against the 150-day target, published by the Government on 9 July 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-plan-one-year-on

The National Cancer Plan, available at the link below, outlines actions to increase the speed, scale, and reliability of cancer clinical trials in detail:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england

The 10-Year Health Plan for England, available at the link below, commits to embedding research as a core component of care:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future

An update on the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will be available in due course.

In July 2026, the Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), published the Research Workforce Update for England which aims to ensure that research opportunities and careers are accessible to a broader range of professions and communities, helping to develop a sustainable and inclusive research workforce across all health and social care settings and geographies for the future. The Research Workforce Update for England is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-workforce-update-england

All NIHR personal awards are open to foreign nationals. The Global Talent visa includes certain NIHR personal awards under the recognised list of personal fellowships that allows people to apply for a fast-track visa. Further details available at the following link:

https://royalsociety.org/grants/global-talent-visa-overview/route-2-individual-fellowships/

The Army has assessed caretaker staffing requirements through the Army Caretaker Review, which considered the ongoing requirement for civilian caretaker roles across the Reserve and University Officers Training Corps estate.

The review found that sites could be maintained through alternative arrangements, including facilities management contracts and security systems.

Since coming to office, this Government has recruited thousands of extra mental health staff, increased access to National Health Service talking therapies, and announced a major expansion of community mental health support, with £187 million allocated for 100 community mental health centres (CMHCs) and £156 million for 59 mental health emergency departments (MHEDs).

CMHCs provide a single, open-access offer, available 24/7 to anyone who needs it. People with serious mental illness will be able to walk in without an appointment and receive mental health support, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. This will reduce fragmentation in service delivery and improve continuity of care. Working in partnership with primary care, local authorities, the voluntary sector and family support networks, and with strong links to housing and employment support, the centres will deliver care close to home, tailored to local communities of between 30,000 and 50,000 people.

Alongside the community centres, MHEDs will provide fast, same-day access to specialist mental health support for people in crisis. Co-located with emergency departments, ambulance, and police services, they will offer a calm, therapeutic environment and ensure people are connected quickly to the right ongoing care, whether through inpatient admission, home treatment, or community support. In both cases, CMHCs and MHEDs will draw on the existing NHS workforce, including redeployment of staff to the new locations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are rightly responsible for selecting locations for new facilities to make sure they meet local needs best, with schemes prioritised through regional and ICB processes before being subject to national assurance. The overall distribution of MHEDs and CMHCs was considered alongside factors such as population need, existing provision, local care pathways, strategic alignment, and deliverability. Local systems also remain responsible for ensuring that people can access emergency mental health support through the broader care pathway, including A&E units, crisis services, and other locally commissioned provision.

The first facilities in this tranche are expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites opening from March 2027. Further details will be set out in due course as the new centres are rolled out across England. Later this year, we will also publish our new mental health strategy for England, setting out our plans to transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, intervenes earlier, and supports people to stay active and participate in education, work, family, and community life.

Page 86 of the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy sets out the central means by which we will measure its success over the short, medium, and long-term, including through a series of clearly measurable objectives, such as reducing the time women spend on gynaecology elective waiting lists. The strategy also sets out the action we are taking to address workforce pressures in roles that are critical for our women’s health objectives, and this will be reinforced in our upcoming 10 Year NHS Workforce Plan.

Yes if their role requires it.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ and in the ‘Migration transparency data’.

Data on asylum claims awaiting an initial decision at the end of each quarter is published in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions datasets’.

Data on the number of asylum caseworking staff per month from 2020 onwards is published in table ASY_05(M) of the ‘Immigration and Protection data’.

What steps his Department has taken to increase the size of the probation workforce.

My hon. Friend should be reassured to know that the retention rate of the Probation Service has improved significantly since this Government came to office. The south-west Probation Service has reported some of the best retention rates in the country, but we are investing £700 million into probation and the community. We are committed to supporting them, and discussions around pay are ongoing.