The Church Commissioners’ property referred to in the question, from the Hon Member for York Outer, relates to the ongoing marketing for sale of approximately 1,600 acres of land at Scoreby, east of York. The Church Commissioners Property Team informed all affected farm tenants directly and in person. This followed a number of years of strategic discussions between the Commissioners' investment team, our tenants and our managing agents regarding the future of the estate and its long-term management.

The Church Commissioners have responded to all enquiries received in connection with the sale and continue to engage with farm tenants and their professional advisers regarding the progress of the marketing process and relevant estate management matters. The Commissioners also remain in contact with relevant industry bodies to maintain open lines of communication and as part of their ongoing stewardship responsibilities. The marketing process remains ongoing

It is not the Church Commissioners’ established practice to consult neighbouring landowners, community groups or other local stakeholders in advance of bringing property to the market. Decisions to sell property are taken in accordance with the Church Commissioners’ investment strategy and fiduciary responsibilities, which support the mission and ministry of the Church of England.

London Northeastern Railway (LNER) has completed the roll out of the very latest colour customer information screens, that also feature British Sign Language, on the main departure boards at York and Newcastle stations. LNER will replace customer information screens on platforms throughout these stations over the next two years. In addition, new ticket vending machines will transform how information is delivered, featuring dual-screen technology for an improved customer experience. This remains on track to be delivered by Spring 2027.

Yes, of course I will.

In October, Nestlé announced 16,000 job losses, including 450 in the UK. In the light of the significant impact that this will have in York, will the Secretary of State ensure that meaningful consultation happens with the trade unions, and will he meet them to save those jobs?

The decision taken at the Spending Review to pause activity on the York Area Capacity and Performance project taken after appropriate consideration of the project’s benefits and its interdependencies with other programmes of activity. Work is now underway with Network Rail and industry colleagues to develop a sustainable long-term strategy for the area.

The Cabinet Office and Government Departments are in the process of concluding their business planning processes before the start of the new fiscal year, so an update will be available very soon.

The York Central 45-hectare development site will be the most powerful outside London. The Government have twice announced that they will have a government hub there. However, the Government Property Agency has not signed that off. The development is going to planning in May. Can the Minister give me an update on when we will hear the good news for York?

The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life. We will fund Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH) in every local authority to ensure all children and families who need support the most can access it. Backed by over £500 million, the rollout will deliver up to 1,000 BSFH nationwide by the end of 2028, reaching an estimated additional 500,000 children.

These Hubs will be key to our vision for joined-up services in the community, bringing together professionals from health and education, and will work with nurseries, childminders, schools, health services, libraries and local voluntary and community groups.

BSFH will be open to all families, but we know they are particularly important for families who are disadvantaged or have additional needs or vulnerabilities. That is why we have set an ambition that 70% of Hubs should be in the 30% most deprived areas nationally. It is for the local authority to decide where a Hub should be located to best meet the needs of the area.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. Our landmark Child Poverty Strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030. The department will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Healthy Babies (formerly Start for Life) services that support babies to have the healthiest start in life, including perinatal mental health, parent infant relationships and infant feeding.

In addition, we raised the early years pupil premium by 45% in April 2025 to support improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children and break the cycle of poverty.

The UK National Screening Committee has not been asked to look at frailty as a screening programme and no specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of York Frailty Hub on the Department's screening and prevention agenda.

The provision of frailty health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs), and may include services like the York Frailty Hub, which contain an element of frailty prevention. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, which will give us a significant opportunity to radically change how resources are deployed across health, social care, and wider services in local communities. There needs to be a stronger focus on prevention and early intervention, both to improve outcomes for people and to reduce pressure on both National Health Service and local government services.

We will also deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is expected this year. The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

The Department and NHS England have not undertaken a formal assessment. However, the Government recognises the York Community Frailty Hub as a positive example of integrated frailty care in supporting safe and timely discharge and moving care into the community. As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, in 84% of cases, the York Community Frailty Hub has helped paramedics avoid hospital transfers by providing advice after an ambulance is dispatched, enabling patients to be safely supported in the community rather than in hospital.

While no formal national evaluation of the York Community Frailty Hub’s specific impact on palliative care access has been undertaken, the evidence set out in our 10-Year Health Plan shows that the hub is an effective model for improving timely and appropriate care for older frail people closer to their home, including those who may require palliative support.

The Government is developing a palliative and end-of-life care modern service framework (MSF) for England. As part of the development of the MSF, we are running an open call for evidence from stakeholders for examples of evidence-based interventions that are demonstrated to be effective at improving the quality of, and/or access to, palliative care. We welcome submissions on the York Frailty Hub in response to this call for evidence.

The York Frailty Hub was established in November 2023 to address the fragmented support for older people in the community. The hub is an integrated multidisciplinary initiative designed to proactively manage frailty within the community. This service provides frailty prevention, crisis response, and discharge support, aiming to reduce hospital admissions and improve the quality of life, and health and social care outcomes for frail individuals in York.

The Frailty Hub team is a multi-disciplinary team comprised of co-located frailty nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, general practitioners with a special interest in frailty, and a palliative care nurse, among other healthcare professionals.

The Frailty Hub is delivering impactful, coordinated, and cost-effective care for some of York’s most vulnerable citizens and is being recognised nationally as an example of excellent integrated delivery of community care. Continued investment in this model promises further efficiencies, reduced hospital admissions, better outcomes, and an enhanced community care experience. This integrated service is evolving at pace and finding efficiencies whenever possible.

The Department provides funding for sexual health services through the Public Health Grant, which is allocated to local authorities in England, including in York. Sexual health is one of a number of public health services funded through the Public Health Grant, and the Department does not specify how much is spent on sexual health specifically. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning sexual health services to meet the needs of their populations.

In 2025/26 the Public Health Grant, which funds Sexual and Reproductive Health services, rose to £3.884 billion. This was a cash increase of £224 million compared to 2024/25, providing local authorities with an average 6.1% cash increase.

We will continue to invest in local authorities' vital public health work, providing over £13.4 billion over the next three years through a consolidated ringfenced Public Health Grant. This will support vital local health services, including sexual health services.

The following table shows the amount of core Public Health Grant funding for the City of York Council for each financial year dating back to the last 10 years:

Source: Public Health Grant and social care charging: local authority circulars, avaiable at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-circulars

We recognise the important role that integrated care services such as the York Frailty Hub play in supporting safe and timely discharge and moving care into the community as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan. While we have not undertaken a formal evaluation, we understand that the hub has proved effective locally in supporting discharge.

We continue to work closely with National Health Service partners to monitor and share best practice in supporting people living with frailty, helping patients to return home or to community settings when clinically appropriate.