Backbenchers Challenge Ministers on Eating Disorders and Faith School VAT

High-Level Summary

Westminster Hall hosted two Backbench Business debates. MPs marked Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2026 with cross-party contributions on access, safety, training and online harms, and a minister outlined current guidance, workforce expansion and plans for a modern service framework. Later, Members debated the impact of VAT on independent faith schools, with proposals to shield low‑fee schools and parties setting out contrasting positions on taxing education. Ministers defended the health approach and the VAT policy, citing service performance, workforce plans, fiscal priorities and closure data. Both debates concluded with the House resolving that it had considered the issues; no divisions were held.

Detailed Summary

Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2026 (Backbench Business) — Valerie Vaz in the Chair

Wera Hobhouse (Chair, APPG on Eating Disorders) called for a dedicated national eating disorders strategy, stronger regulation of online harms, mandatory workforce training, an adult waiting‑time standard, accurate death recording and a confidential inquiry. She highlighted worsening outcomes and delays: “Adults in England wait up to 700 days, almost two years, just to start treatment.” She pressed for “a dedicated national eating disorder strategy.” On online risks, she cited algorithmic amplification, noting YouTube tests where “the platform’s algorithm recommended harmful eating disorder content in one out of every four videos”, and added: “For adults, there is no waiting time standard at all.”

Backbenchers described pressure on services and the benefits of community‑based care. Jim Shannon raised long waits, data gaps and the risks of weight‑loss injections, warning of “toxic social media content”. Scott Arthur stressed local support: “Community care is often the best approach to eating disorder care.” Olly Glover described delays and fragmented pathways as “a Kafkaesque labyrinth”, and cited missed targets: “only 78% of urgent referrals and 82% of routine referrals started treatment within the target timeframe.” Helen Morgan pointed to local improvements—“96% of patients seen within four weeks” in Shropshire—while Dr Caroline Johnson questioned funding trends: “2025-26… will be the first since 2016-17 that mental health spending has not risen as a proportion of health spending.”

Responding, the Minister, Zubir Ahmed, cited recent performance for children and young people (“83.3% of routine referrals” and “78.8% of urgent referrals” in December 2025), a commitment to “providing an additional 8,500 new mental health professionals”, expanded training (including ARFID), and increased funding for children’s services. He said a modern service framework for severe mental illness “will include eating disorders”, with a roundtable to involve charities, clinicians and people with lived experience. On clinical practice, he stated that “no patient with an eating disorder should routinely be placed in palliative care.” On online harms, he referenced the Online Safety Act—“legally responsible for keeping people, especially children, safe online”—and undertook to engage with the digital department. He also committed that “mental health spending in real terms will go up every single year.” The debate concluded: “Resolved, That this House has considered Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2026.”

Independent Faith Schools: VAT — Sir Alec Shelbrooke in the Chair

Jim Shannon argued that VAT changes disproportionately affect low‑fee independent faith schools and families of modest means. He set out the scale of faith provision—“47% of the schools that the ISC represents are faith schools.”—and reported closures since the policy’s introduction: “since the general election in July 2024, 110 independent schools have closed”. He proposed a targeted mitigation to “introduce a VAT registration threshold for independent schools charging below the state-funding benchmark of £7,690 per pupil.” He estimated that “About 54,000 pupils would benefit, and the VAT revenue loss is estimated to be £32 million”.

Setting out party positions, Ian Sollom said: “We did not support the Government’s decision to end the VAT exemption for independent schools”, warning of closures and pressure on state places. Joy Morrissey opposed the policy—“We are the only European country that is taxing education.”—and said Conservatives would reverse it. For the Government, Olivia Bailey said faith schools are valued, but the measure is a “fair and necessary” revenue decision that supports increased schools funding; after considering a low‑fee carve‑out, “faith schools should remain in scope of the VAT policy.” She said closures are within historic norms—“only 60 private schools closed in academic year 2024-25” and “106 private schools registered and opened.” She added that children are entitled to a state‑funded place and some private faith schools may join the state sector. The debate concluded: “Resolved, That this House has considered the impact of VAT on independent faith schools.”