Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 25535 on Viral Diseases, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of means-testing the winter fuel payment on the number of cases of (a) flu, (b) covid-19, (c) norovirus and (d) respiratory syncytial virus.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has no current plans to undertake an assessment of the potential impact of means-testing the winter fuel payment on the number of flu, COVID-19, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus cases.

The relationship between cold weather and respiratory illness in general, such as exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, is well established in scientific evidence. However, a link from cold snaps, or housing temperature, to respiratory infections does not have the same evidential base.

Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/surveillance-of-influenza-and-other-seasonal-respiratory-viruses-in-the-uk-winter-2023-to-2024/surveillance-of-influenza-and-other-seasonal-respiratory-viruses-in-the-uk-winter-2023-to-2024

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more people to become blood donors in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England.

Throughout the year, NHSBT runs campaigns to attract new donors, such as the ‘gift of blood’ campaign in the run up to Christmas. This involved paid media activity across several platforms including, social media, radio and TV. NHSBT also worked with the BBC’s Casualty to support development of its Christmas special focussing on the need for blood. To reach new audiences and find new ways to inspire donors to donate, NHSBT partners with organisations such as Disney, the Civil Service, NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards.

This activity takes place across England, including in the county of Lincolnshire.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce speech and language therapy workforce shortages.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We want to remove the barriers to training as a speech and language therapist (SLT), which is why eligible SLT students can get a non-repayable grant of £5,000 a year through the NHS Learning Support Fund. Further financial support is also available for childcare, dual accommodation costs, and travel. This is in addition to the student support package available from Student Finance England, which includes loans for tuition fees and living costs.

We will also publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan which will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, including those who work in speech and language therapy, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been referred by the NHS’s Gender Dysphoria National Referral Support Services for masculinising chest surgery in the last five years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Referrals for masculinising chest surgery are made by the specialist clinical teams in the NHS Gender Dysphoria Clinics, not by the NHS Gender Dysphoria National Referral Support Service (GDNRSS). The non-clinical role of the GDNRSS is to process the referrals on behalf of the providers.

Between 1 April 2020 and 31 December 2024, the GDNRSS received 5,463 requests for masculinising chest surgery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to he Answer of 27 January 2025 to question 24346 on NHS: Standards, how many additional Value Weighted Activity appointments have been delivered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Between July 2024 and November 2024, the latest available data, there were 1,635,136 more value-weighted activity appointments compared to the period July 2023 to November 2023.

This includes elective ordinary and day case admissions, outpatient first appointments, and outpatient follow-up appointments with a procedure. It does not include other outpatient follow-ups, or diagnostic tests, except for endoscopy tests which are included within elective admissions or outpatient procedures as appropriate.

Including diagnostic tests, between July 2024 and November 2024, the latest available data, there were 2,199,579 more appointments compared to the period July 2023 to November 2023.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide additional funding to ICBs.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

At the Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over 2024/25 and 2025/26. The recently published recurrent integrated care board core allocations will grow by 4.1% in 2025/26, compared to 2024/25. These growths exclude funding allocations that are made after convergence, including additional elective funding and transfers in from the Service Development Fund, which are treated separately.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS audiology services in rural areas.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since June 2022, 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England have been responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services, including audiology, which meet the needs of their respective populations.

ICBs are responsible for developing a joint plan with its members and partner local authorities, arranging the provision of health services in the integrated care system area and managing the NHS budget.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility to people who are digitally excluded of the DHSC group accounting manual 2025 to 2026 consultation exercise, published on 7 February 2025.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department launched the consultation, Changes to the DHSC Group Accounting Manual 2025 to 2026, on the GOV.UK website on 7 February 2025, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-dhsc-group-accounting-manual-2025-to-2026

In accordance with the Government’s Publishing Accessible Documents guidance, the consultation document is published in Hypertext Markup Language format to enhance readability and ease of navigation. The digital survey for submitting responses is also hosted on an accessible platform.

Due to the length and technical nature of the accompanying Group Accounting Manual, it is provided as a Portable Document Format to preserve formatting and technical content. Users who require the document in an accessible format, for use with screen readers, can request a copy by emailing publications@dhsc.gov.uk.

For any queries related to the consultation, users are encouraged to contact the relevant sector leads, whose details are available on the GOV.UK website.

There has been no change in Government policy on ensuring the accessibility of consultations. We continue to follow the same approach as the previous administration to ensure accessibility standards are maintained.

We are carefully considering the best approach to making future consultations accessible to people who are digitally excluded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions for financial year 2025-26.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget 2024, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.

The Employer National Insurance rise will be implemented from April 2025. The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments in the usual way, in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the NHS is of (a) surgery to transplant a kidney and (b) medication for a year for a kidney transplant recipient.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for transplant services across the United Kingdom. Transplants represent a cost-efficient treatment and in the case of kidneys is a cost saving to the National Health Service.

The following table shows the estimated national average unit cost of a kidney transplant for 2023/24 for people aged 19 years old and over:

Source: NHSBT

The cost to the NHS of medication for a kidney transplant recipient for the first year after transplant can range on average between £9,000 and £13,000. Following this, costs can range on average between £5,000 and £8,000 per patient per year. These estimated costs are based on British National Formulary list price. For some drugs, the NHS can access confidential prices that cannot be shared outside of the NHS. The average cost does not take into consideration additional treatments in the event of complications such as infections and post-transplant rejections.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting lists for NHS (a) surgeries and (b) scans.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Additional funding of £1.8 billion was announced as part of the October 2024 budget to directly support elective recovery and activity in 2024/25. This funding will support the National Health Service to deliver an additional two million operations, scans and appointments during the first year in Government, as a First Step to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.

We will support NHS performance across secondary and emergency care with approximately £1.5 billion capital funding in 2025/26. This will support new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners to build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come on-line.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals to cardiology there were in 2024.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There were 1,007,365 referrals to cardiology in England in 2024. The data is publicly available on NHS England’s website, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the long-term sustainability of air ambulance charities.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government supports the longstanding independent air ambulance charities model for the successful operation of helicopter emergency medical services in England, including through the training and provision of National Health Service clinicians.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of rogue operators who do not observe visa employment rules in the social care sector.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have seen unacceptable increases in unethical practices and exploitation of international recruits in the adult social care sector. The Code of Practice for International Recruitment sets out high ethical standards and best practice for recruiters and employers to follow to ensure people coming from overseas are treated fairly and provided with the appropriate support.

The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence about illegal or unethical practices in adult social care. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority investigates reports of worker exploitation and illegal activity, such as human trafficking, modern slavery, forced labour, and other labour market offences. The Government is also delivering the legislation for a new flagship Fair Work Agency, ensuring fair and strong employment rights for all.

The Home Office has also begun delivery of new measures meaning that any business found guilty of serious employment law breaches, such as failing to comply with National Minimum Wage, will have action taken against them – up to and including having their visa sponsorship licences refused or revoked. The changes will also prohibit sponsors of Skilled Workers from the unethical practice of charging or recovering costs from workers for the cost of sponsoring them.

In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care has provided £16 million to regional partnerships this financial year to support them to prevent and respond to unethical practices. This includes support for international recruits to understand their rights and establishing operational processes with regional partnerships to support individuals to switch employers and remain working in the care sector when they have been impacted by their sponsor’s licence being revoked.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of clinical academics in the UK.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that clinical academics are crucial to training future generations of healthcare professionals and leading research across the health and care system. In 2023, NHS England published an Educator Workforce Strategy, setting out the actions required to ensure the sufficient capacity and quality of clinical educators. This includes planning for career pathways, both in practice and in higher education institutions and across sectors and professions.

Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department is the largest funder of research training for clinical academics in the United Kingdom, supporting clinical academics at all career stages and from all professions and specialties. Since 2006, the NIHR has supported 16,000 career development awards and 13,000 awardees across 200 different professions and specialties. We are committed to working with the devolved administrations, other funders, and wider stakeholders to ensure there is a comprehensive, clear, and rewarding career pathway for clinical academics in research, addressing issues raised in the report, Clinical researchers in the UK: reversing the decline to improve population health and promote economic growth.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the 7.5% cap on international student numbers at medical and dental schools in England.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are currently no such plans. We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

This summer we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, to treat patients on time again.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the upcoming National Cancer Strategy will outline what steps the NHS will take to work with cancer support charities to support people with cancer (a) physically and (b) mentally (i) before, (ii) during and (iii) after treatment.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has announced that a National Cancer Plan for England will be published this year. The Prime Minister’s health mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future, and an essential part of this is achieving our goal to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer.

The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care including both physical and mental health, to improve the experience and outcomes for people with all cancer types, and at all stages, including metastatic cancers. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.

We are committed to working closely with partners and patient groups to shape the long-term vision for cancer. The Department plans to engage cancer partners, charities and those within the cancer community, seeking the views of individuals, professionals and organisations to understand how we can do more to achieve this ambition.

To do this, on 4 February 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence, in which the views of people across the country will inform our plan to improve cancer care. Those who wish to share their views can do so on the new online platform, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what purposes the Care Quality Commission has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has used AI to support how they fulfil their role as the independent regulator of health and social care, focussing on supporting their operational colleagues with identifying risk in health and care services, making operational efficiency improvements, and making better use of unstructured data.

Over the last 12 months, the CQC’s AI usage has been in an initialisation phase. They have been developing governance approaches, AI platforms and tooling, and making sure their staff have the right skills to use AI platforms, tools, and processes.

Their current priority AI projects include developing an adult social care risk model, which takes multiple complex data sources and gives a predictive score of risk, as well as the key drivers of that risk for a given provider. They have also explored how generative AI capabilities can support the CQC’s work, both in the form of bespoke chatbot solutions to increase operational efficiencies, and in a small-scale Microsoft 365 Copilot trial.

The CQC has not yet submitted any Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard records. They are however, in the process of adopting that standard and are trialling it with their risk model for residential adult social care services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the number of qualified pathologists specialising in paediatric pathology (a) in total and (b) in the Scarborough Hull York Pathology Service.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of the number of qualified pathologists or paediatric pathologists either across England or at the Scarborough, Hull, and York Pathology Service.

The Department is aware that workforce shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathology have led to longer turnaround times for hospital post-mortem reports in some areas of England. NHS England has therefore established a national work programme to address shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathologists. A £20,000 recruitment incentive for new trainees has been introduced, with further initiatives underway to review the training pathway, develop advanced practitioner roles, and implement a retention strategy for existing staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the number of qualified pathologists working (a) in total and (b) in the Scarborough Hull York Pathology Service.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of the number of qualified pathologists or paediatric pathologists either across England or at the Scarborough, Hull, and York Pathology Service.

The Department is aware that workforce shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathology have led to longer turnaround times for hospital post-mortem reports in some areas of England. NHS England has therefore established a national work programme to address shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathologists. A £20,000 recruitment incentive for new trainees has been introduced, with further initiatives underway to review the training pathway, develop advanced practitioner roles, and implement a retention strategy for existing staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to ensure that there is adequate supply of lidocaine.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is aware of the supply issues affecting some products that contain lidocaine. For all of these, there are alternatives available, and we are working with the suppliers of each product to expedite resupply and minimise the impact on patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) identify and (b) address the distinct Sexual Reproductive Health needs of younger men.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains committed to providing good sexual and reproductive health services to everyone in England, regardless of age and gender.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual and reproductive health services through the Public Health Grant (PHG). Individual local authorities decide on spending priorities based on an assessment of local need and commission the blend of services that best suit their population, including considering the distinct needs of younger and older men. In 2025/26, we are increasing funding through the ringfenced PHG to £3.858 billion. This represents a turning point for local health services, marking the biggest real-terms increase after almost a decade of reduced spending between 2016 and 2024.

We are currently developing a new HIV Action Plan which will be published this year, with key objectives to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment for HIV across all demographics. We are working to push this commitment forward through engagement with a range of system partners and stakeholders to understand the challenges we face, including the distinct needs of younger and older men.

The distinct sexual and reproductive health needs of younger men are also captured through statutory health education which is taught in all state-funded schools. The Department for Education is currently reviewing relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance, and revised guidance will be published at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address the Sexual Reproductive Health needs of older men through his policies.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains committed to providing good sexual and reproductive health services to everyone in England, regardless of age and gender.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual and reproductive health services through the Public Health Grant (PHG). Individual local authorities decide on spending priorities based on an assessment of local need and commission the blend of services that best suit their population, including considering the distinct needs of younger and older men. In 2025/26, we are increasing funding through the ringfenced PHG to £3.858 billion. This represents a turning point for local health services, marking the biggest real-terms increase after almost a decade of reduced spending between 2016 and 2024.

We are currently developing a new HIV Action Plan which will be published this year, with key objectives to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment for HIV across all demographics. We are working to push this commitment forward through engagement with a range of system partners and stakeholders to understand the challenges we face, including the distinct needs of younger and older men.

The distinct sexual and reproductive health needs of younger men are also captured through statutory health education which is taught in all state-funded schools. The Department for Education is currently reviewing relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance, and revised guidance will be published at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times for (a) diagnosis and (b) beginning treatment for patients with Interstitial Lung Disease and Pulmonary Fibrosis in West Oxfordshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No formal assessment has been made. Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. Tackling waiting lists, including in respiratory medicine, is a key part of our Health Mission. We have delivered almost 2.2 million extra appointments, seven months ahead of schedule, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks. This includes operations, consultations, diagnostic tests, and treatments.

The Elective Reform Plan, launched as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, sets out how we will get back to the NHS Constitutional Standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by the end of this Parliament, while also ensuring that patients have the best possible experience of care.

The Government has also secured an investment of £1.5 billion to fund new surgical hubs, diagnostics scanners, and beds across the estate, which will support the diagnosis and treatment of patients with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to engage with universities as part of the 10-year Health Plan.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Universities across England and the United Kingdom have been engaged throughout the 10-Year Health Plan’s engagement process to inform policy making. Everyone, including universities, continues to be able to share their views via the Change NHS portal in what is biggest conversation to fix the National Health Service since its creation.

36 universities and university faculties in the UK have submitted organisational responses, which have now been analysed and used to inform the next stage of the Plan’s development. Universities UK are also represented at the Partner’s Council. The Council convenes over 150 leaders from organisations across the UK health and care sector, including charities and the Royal Colleges, to provide progress updates on the 10-Year Health Plan and a forum to discuss and comment on emerging themes from the engagement and policy development to date.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle medication shortages in Gloucester constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has a responsibility to work with medicine license holders in the United Kingdom to help ensure continuity of supply. We monitor and manage medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand and therefore measures are not specific to Gloucester.

We have inherited ongoing global supply problems that continue to impact medicine availability under the new government. We know how frustrating and distressing this can be for patients, and we are working closely with industry, the National Health Service, manufacturers and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global and highly regulated and there are several reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the UK and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we cannot always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and strengthen our resilience.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking ensure that heterosexual men’s (a) access to and (b) awareness of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis reach the same level as other demographics.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are firmly committed to increasing access to, and awareness of, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for all population groups, including heterosexual men. This will be a key objective in our new HIV Action Plan which is currently being developed, and which we aim to publish this year.

PrEP is funded via the Public Health Grant and delivered via local sexual health services, whilst the cost of the drug itself is funded by NHS England. In 2025/26 we are increasing funding through the ringfenced Public Health Grant to £3.858 billion. This represents a significant turning point for local health services, marking the biggest real-terms increase after nearly a decade of reduced spending, between 2016 and 2024. This additional funding has been provided to support local government with the pressures facing the sector, including from potential additional costs relating to HIV PrEP.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to to help support the families of patients with aplastic anaemia; why aplastic anaemia does not have a page detailing its symptoms on the NHS website; and if he will have discussions with NHS England on the potential merits of adding such a page to its website.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as aplastic anaemia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs.  We remain committed to delivering under the framework and will publish an annual England action plan in 2025.

There are over 7,000 rare diseases often needing highly specialised input, and so the National Health Service’s website is not always the most appropriate platform to disseminate such information. At this stage there are no plans to add aplastic anaemia to the NHS website, but we will re-review the position in the future, should things change.

The majority of the treatment pathway for aplastic anaemia is an integrated care board commissioning responsibility. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is an NHS England specialised commissioned service that covers aplastic anaemia, and NHS England has published two national service specifications, one for adults and one for children. The HSCT specifications set out the standards that providers of the service must meet, which includes access to a range of multidisciplinary staff, including psychological support and nurse specialists trained in communication and counselling. Specifically for children, there should be access to appropriately trained paediatric dieticians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, social workers, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, within nationally defined access standards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential role of family hubs in moving healthcare from hospitals into communities.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer.

Family hubs are a community-based way of improving access to healthcare, with Start for Life services for families from conception to the age of two years old at their heart. They offer joined-up support through access to local services, including maternity, perinatal mental health, parent-infant relationships, and infant feeding.

Ministers and officials have engaged with stakeholders on the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in the context of community-based healthcare. The Neighbourhood Health model will build on existing good practice from across the country and on the feedback received from the 10-Year Health Plan engagement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help to care for the estimated 47,000 people affected by polio in the UK.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Although there is currently no cure for post-polio syndrome, a range of treatments and support is available to help manage the symptoms and improve quality of life.

Once post-polio syndrome is identified, patients with the condition can usually be managed through routine access to primary or secondary care provided via a general practitioner or consultant. Treatment will depend on the severity of a patient’s condition, but may involve pain-relieving medication, physiotherapy, dietary and exercise advice, and counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.

Commissioners, providers and clinicians, supported by relevant clinical practice, determine the best treatment for people with post-polio syndrome.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to extend eligibility for the NHS Learning Support Fund to include pharmacy students.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no immediate plans to make changes to the NHS Learning Support Fund scheme design. The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review. At all times, the Government must strike a balance between the level of support students receive and the need to make best use of public funds to deliver value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand sexual reproductive health services for men who have sex with men beyond (a) STI and (b) HIV (i) prevention and (ii) treatment services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains committed to providing good sexual and reproductive health services in England for everyone, including for men who have sex with men, both including and beyond sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV prevention and treatment services.

We are committed to ensuring the National Health Service is there for everyone when they need it. As such, we will work closely with NHS England and the National Advisor on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and others (LGBT+) Health, Dr Michael Brady, and cross-Government, to identify how we can make the most difference in access to healthcare, patient experience, reducing inequalities, and improving health outcomes for LGBT+ people. This will underpin the work we take forward on LGBT+ health, including sexual and reproductive health services for men who have sex with men, both including and beyond STI and HIV prevention and treatment services.

In terms of STI and HIV prevention and treatment services, local authorities are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual and reproductive health services through the Public Health Grant (PHG). Individual local authorities decide on spending priorities based on an assessment of local need and commission the blend of services that best suit their population. In 2025/26, we are increasing funding through the ringfenced PHG to £3.858 billion. This represents a turning point for local health services, marking the biggest real-terms increase after almost a decade of reduced spending between 2016 and 2024. From April 2025, HIV care will be commissioned by NHS integrated care boards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, What recent assessment has he made of the potential merits of developing an (a) regulatory framework and (b) NHS style oversight for the aesthetic industry.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to taking action to address concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and is exploring options for further regulation in this area. We will set out the details of our approach in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services in (a) Beckenham and Penge and (b) England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Dental Statistics - England 2023-24, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

In NHS South East London Integrated Care Board, which includes Beckenham and Penge constituency, 43% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England; and 57% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the decrease to the Agenda For Change mileage payments for community nurses that will come in July 2025.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Agenda for Change mileage reimbursement rates are reviewed twice a year in line with the process set out in the national contract. These reviews incorporate the latest information on the cost of fuel. The next review is scheduled for April 2025 and any changes required would then be implemented in July 2025. We cannot pre-empt the outcome of this review, however it does not necessarily mean that changes will be made to the reimbursement rates.

The Government is aware that some National Health Service trusts may have local arrangements in place for reimbursing mileage. This would be for local employers and trade unions to manage in partnership.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the document entitled Guidance for the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence, published by the Royal College of Nursing and the Association for Continence Professionals in February 2023, whether he has made an assessment of whether the recommended number of incontinence products issued per 24 hours is consistent with the NICE guidance entitled Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: management, reference NG123 published on 24 June 2019, Faecal incontinence in adults, reference QS54 published on 6 February 2014, and Faecal incontinence in adults: management, reference CG49 published on 27 June 2007; and if he will ensure that the Guidance for the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence is followed by (a) NHS England and (b) social care providers.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of the most recent publication by the Royal College of Nursing relating to continence pads. NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, and health and social care staff. This guidance covers both urinary and bowel, also known as faecal, incontinence, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/excellence-in-continence-care/

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for making decisions on whether its published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence or emerging issues not in the scope of the original guideline.

NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance and would consult on proposed changes with a wide range of stakeholders if significant new evidence was to emerge.

Both integrated care boards and healthcare providers are expected to take national guidance into consideration when commissioning and delivering services, respectively.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding will be made available to NHS trusts to integrate AI technology.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS AI Lab has already provided £113 million, through the NHS AI Health and Care Awards, to 86 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which have been used in 40% of National Health Service acute trusts in England and hundreds of Primary Care Networks across the United Kingdom. The awards have helped accelerate the testing and evaluation of AI technologies and developed an evidence base to support the commissioning of technologies that are clinically safe and cost effective.

Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated in NHS England to aid clinical decision-making, healthcare diagnostics, and imaging. For example, the Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest x-ray and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, sponsored by the Department, has funded an £11 million trial, which will use artificial intelligence for breast cancer screening. The trial will be launched across the country and showcases our commitment to embracing innovative technologies in healthcare.

The Department is also supporting the NHS to adopt the latest innovations in digital technology, such as artificial intelligence, with £2 billion having been allocated to digitise the NHS.

All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be dependent on the outcome of Phase 2 of the Spending Review process, which will conclude and be published in late spring of 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP practices there (a) are and (b) were in 2010 in Worsley and Eccles constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data provided has been sourced from NHS England and shows the number of general practices (GPs) in the Worsley and Eccles constituency in January 2025 and January 2014, as no data is available prior to this. The data only includes main practices and does not include branch practices. The data is as follows:

- as of January 2025, there are 14 GPs in the Worsley and Eccles constituency; and

- as of January 2014, there were 20 GPs in the Worsley and Eccles constituency.

Practices close for a variety of reasons, including mergers or retirement, and so this does not necessarily indicate a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice does close, patients are informed of the closure and advised to register at another local practice of their choice within their area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many A&E Departments have permanently closed since 2010; and if he will list them.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost for the storage of PPE related to Covid-19 was in 2024.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The cost of storing personal protective equipment (PPE) bought in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the calendar year 2024 was approximately £60 million. The programme of work to reduce excess PPE stock has now concluded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on (a) external tenders and (b) contracts for (i) translation and (ii) interpretation services in the NHS in 2024.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department’s expenditure with external suppliers of translation or interpretation services in the 2024 calendar year was £16,833. This was mainly for providing accessible, easy to understand versions of technical and legal documents for patients and the public.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 137239 on Prescription Drugs, what information his Department holds on the number of patients who have been prescribed drugs categorised under the (a) (i) clonazepam and (ii) other benzodiazepines, (b) z-drugs, (c) antidepressants, (d) opioids, (e) pregabalin and (f) gabapentin drug groups in the (A) last 12 months and (B) the previous 12 month period for which data is available.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of items dispensed and claimed for reimbursement for each of the categories requested, covering the most recently published 12-month period and the 12 months prior:

Source: NHS Business Services Authority.

In addition, the following table shows the patient identifiable information for the number of items dispensed and claimed for reimbursement for each of the categories requested, for the most recently published 12-month period and the 12 months prior:

Source: NHS Business Services Authority.

Notes:

1. for clonazepam and other benzodiazepines, this is the number of unique patients who have received any combination of clonazepam and/or other benzodiazepines, and no patient is counted twice even where multiple medications have been received;
2. the figures for pregabalin and gabapentin refer to the combined category of gabapentinoids; and
3. the data in this answer in both tables on opioids, is not directly comparable to data from the previous Parliamentary Questions, PQ137238 and PQ137239, referenced in the question, as these tables refer to opioids in general, while the previous Parliamentary Questions referred to opioid analgesics only.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions were issued for each drug categorised under the (a) (i) clonazepam and (ii) other benzodiazepines, (b) z-drugs, (c) antidepressants, (d) opioids, (e) pregabalin and (f) gabapentin drug groups in the (i) last 12 months and (ii) previous 12 month period for which data is available.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of items dispensed and claimed for reimbursement for each of the categories requested, covering the most recently published 12-month period and the 12 months prior:

Source: NHS Business Services Authority.

In addition, the following table shows the patient identifiable information for the number of items dispensed and claimed for reimbursement for each of the categories requested, for the most recently published 12-month period and the 12 months prior:

Source: NHS Business Services Authority.

Notes:

1. for clonazepam and other benzodiazepines, this is the number of unique patients who have received any combination of clonazepam and/or other benzodiazepines, and no patient is counted twice even where multiple medications have been received;
2. the figures for pregabalin and gabapentin refer to the combined category of gabapentinoids; and
3. the data in this answer in both tables on opioids, is not directly comparable to data from the previous Parliamentary Questions, PQ137238 and PQ137239, referenced in the question, as these tables refer to opioids in general, while the previous Parliamentary Questions referred to opioid analgesics only.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the levels of grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain on NHS (a) capacity and (b) waiting times.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes in the levels of grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain on National Health Service capacity or waiting times, and there are no current plans to undertake such an assessment.

Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. The Government remains committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS.

In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of an increase in Indefinite Leave to Remain visa grants on NHS capacity.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes in the levels of grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain on National Health Service capacity or waiting times, and there are no current plans to undertake such an assessment.

Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. The Government remains committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS.

In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a table of the total amount spent on (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) tertiary and (d) community care in the NHS in each of the last 5 financial years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England does not routinely collect expenditure data against the categories requested. However, the table attached shows the total spend in billions for specialised services, primary medical care, community services, continuing care, acute services, core mental health services, and others, as well as total integrated care board and direct commissioning spend, from 2015/16 to 2023/24.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 30 January (HL3972), what the total value is of the five special severance payments currently pending approval by the Treasury; and whether any of these payments have already been disbursed or remain withheld pending approval.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

All five cases are pending retrospective approval. The National Audit Office, as disclosed on page 47 of the consolidated provider accounts, put a value to these cases of £180,688. Final values may change subject to the approval process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve musculoskeletal health, and how they will include chiropractors in this.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Improving health outcomes for the over 20 million people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in the United Kingdom forms a key part of the Government's missions to build a National Health Service fit for the future, and to kickstart economic growth.

We are making a start by delivering a joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First Time MSK Community Delivery Programme, working with integrated care board leaders to reduce NHS community waiting times, improve data, metrics, and referral pathways.

Part of the recently published Elective Reform Plan also sets out funding to boost bone density scanning capacity. This will provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year, supporting improvements in early diagnosis and bone health.

Healthcare professionals play a vital prevention and early intervention role in supporting people to self-manage their MSK condition, and the Government recognises the role complementary and alternative medicine treatments such as chiropractic can play in supporting people. NHS England does not currently support or commission chiropractic care in the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any likely increase in GP appointments as a result of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's recommendation to limit COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for the autumn 2025 vaccination campaign.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The aim of the COVID-19 immunisation programme is to prevent serious disease, leading to hospitalisation and/or mortality, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme in 2025 and spring 2026. This advice is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.

For spring 2025, the JCVI advises that, as with previous spring campaigns, a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over. The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice on eligibility for the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Government is considering the advice for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully and will respond in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve treatments for Lyme disease.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department commissioned four reviews on Lyme disease, published by the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information group in December 2017. These reviews were undertaken alongside reviews conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, who developed definitive advice on the treatment, testing, and diagnosis of Lyme disease in April 2018.

If recognised promptly and treated with a full course of appropriate antibiotics, acute Lyme disease will usually resolve without further complications. Further information on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is available on the GOV.UK website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many GP practices achieved an overall Quality and Outcomes Framework score of 95 percent or higher in the most recent financial year; what proportion of all GP practices this represents; and what was the total value of payments made to these practices.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the 2023/24 reporting year, 2,867 general practices (GPs) had an overall achievement greater than or equal to 95%. This equates to 45.7% of GPs included in the published Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) dataset, or 6,267 GPs. The total estimated value of payments calculated based on these achievement figures was £413,953,264.95.

While the QOF remains an important mechanism for understanding performance and incentivising quality care, it is not the only measure of GP standards. We are committed to reducing administrative burdens and outdated performance targets. To shift care from sickness to prevention, subject to consultation, in the 2025-2026 GP contract we are proposing renewed focus of the QOF. This will offer financial incentives to reward GPs who go above and beyond to prevent the most common killers like heart disease.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how their vaccination policies are being aligned with broader public health outcomes, beyond immediate capacity savings in the NHS.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vaccination plays an important role in the Government’s Plan for Change and Health Mission, including in the shift from sickness to prevention. The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, with expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, to design, implement, and deliver 17 programmes offering high levels of long-term protection. These include seasonal and routine programmes as set out in the national schedule.

Our vaccination and immunisation programmes therefore support multiple public health objectives, including contributing to efforts to eliminate or eradicate disease, prevent outbreaks of infectious disease, reduce the burden of ill-health, and to reduce health inequalities, for example by ensuring that targeted outreach can offer vaccinations to underserved populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of specialist allergy nurses at the primary care level on (1) waiting times, (2) secondary care referrals, and (3) patient satisfaction.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Most services for people living with allergies are commissioned locally through integrated care boards, which are best placed to commission services according to local need.

Work is ongoing across the Government, the National Health Service, voluntary organisations, and patient representative groups to consider how allergy care and support could be improved through the Expert Advisory Group for Allergy, which has been established to inform policy making and identify priorities in relation to the care of people with allergies.

We are working to transform the health services, shift care from hospitals to local communities, and increase access to support for people with long-term conditions across the country, including for people living with allergic conditions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deliver late effects services for patients with cancer.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service keeps the range of services it offers patients under review, and many trusts are using late effects services as part of the care pathway for their cancer patients.

There are 2.8 million people living after a cancer diagnosis, and that number is growing by approximately 100,000 people a year. We know that many patients can go onto life-changing disabilities and poor health long after cancer treatment.

We will do more to support people living with and beyond cancer. The National Cancer Plan, which is being released later this year, will seek to improve the experience and outcomes for people at every stage of the cancer pathway. It will look at how we can improve communication and coordination for patients, so that they feel informed and in control of their care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled AI technology to help cut cancer waiting lists, published on 21 May 2024, whether his Department has distributed all of the announced funding.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The funding for artificially intelligent (AI) radiotherapy contouring quoted in the press release was announced under a previous administration, and was not taken forward at the time.

However, AI presents significant opportunities within NHS England to improve the delivery of care and outcomes for patients by increasing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, and improving staff productivity, by freeing up staff time from some routine and administrative work.

Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated in NHS England to aid clinical decision-making, healthcare diagnostics, and imaging. For example, the Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest x-ray and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.

All future spending commitments beyond 2025 to 2026 will be dependent on the outcome of Phase 2 of the Spending Review process, which will conclude and be published in late spring of 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average NHS waiting time for hip replacement surgery; and how many patients are currently waiting.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are currently 31,323 patients waiting for a hip replacement. The average mean National Health Service waiting time for hip replacement surgery is 27.4 weeks.

The Government is working to reduce the number of patients awaiting treatment across the country. The Elective Reform Plan, launched as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, sets out how we will get back to the NHS Constitutional Standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment RTT by the end of this Parliament and also ensure patients have the best possible experience of care.

We have set an ambition for 2025/26 that we reach 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks nationally, and for all trusts to deliver a minimum five percentage point improvement by March 2026.

The Elective Reform Plan has committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical procedures by opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025, so more operations can be carried out.

Dedicated and protected surgical hubs are transforming the way the NHS providers elective care by focusing on high volume low complexity surgeries. There are currently 113 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England as of February 2025. These surgical hubs help separate elective care facilities from urgent and emergency care, improving outcomes for patients and reducing pressures on hospitals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average NHS waiting time for knee replacement surgery; and how many patients are currently waiting.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are currently 49,509 patients waiting for a knee replacement. The mean average National Health Service waiting time for this procedure is 28.7 weeks.

The Government is working to reduce the number of patients awaiting treatment across the country. The Elective Reform Plan, launched as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, sets out how we will get back to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by the end of this Parliament, and will also ensure that patients have the best possible experience of care.

We have set an ambition for 2025/26 that we reach 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks nationally, and for all trusts to deliver a minimum 5% improvement by March 2026.

The Elective Reform Plan has committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical procedures by opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025, so more operations can be carried out. Dedicated and protected surgical hubs are transforming the way the NHS provides elective care by focusing on high volume low complexity surgeries.

There are currently 113 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England as of February 2025. These surgical hubs help separate elective care facilities from urgent and emergency care, improving outcomes for patients and reducing pressures on hospitals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the cost to the NHS of (1) hip replacement surgery, (2) knee replacement surgery, and (3) cataract surgery.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the financial year 2023/24, there were 120,172 hip procedures performed at a total cost of £1,241,784,028.35, with an average unit cost of £10,333.39. There were 86,781 knee procedures performed at a total cost of £737,241,451.39, with an average unit cost of £8,495.42. There were an additional 13,811 complex cases for hip or knee procedures performed at a total cost of £220,792,075.13, with an average unit cost of £15,986.68. The total cost for 246,995 cataract procedures was £363,849,348.97, with an average unit cost of £1,473.10.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of mandatory training for NHS England employees Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights Skills, published in August 2024; and whether they will place a copy of any training materials in the Library of the House.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights Skills training has been withdrawn by NHS England. There are currently no plans to have a copy of the training materials in the Library of the House.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 23 January (HL4187), what assessment they have made of the pace at which international applicants are registered by the General Medical Council for the purposes of enabling them to become economically independent and reducing the shortfall of trained personnel in the NHS.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made of the pace at which international applicants are registered by the General Medical Council (GMC) for the stated purposes.

All medical practitioners wishing to practise in the United Kingdom must be registered with the GMC and hold a licence to practise. The GMC is statutorily independent of the Government and sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to its register. This ensures registrants are safe to practise, and that patients receive a high standard of care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) improve awareness of pancreatic cancer symptoms and (b) help ensure GPs receive appropriate training on recognising the symptoms of pancreatic cancer at an early stage.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is already taking steps to deliver a range of interventions to improve awareness of pancreatic cancer symptoms. NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, including symptoms of pancreatic cancer, as well as encouraging body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an early point.

NHS England is also working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to develop a public-facing Family History Checker, which enables people, and their families, affected by pancreatic cancer to self-assess if they have inherited risk. People identified of being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trail, which aims to understand inherited conditions of the pancreas. Referrals to the trail can be made by any healthcare professional across all health sectors, or by individuals via self-referral.

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many plastic spacers for asthma inhalers (1) have been prescribed, and (2) at what cost, in each of the last five years; what guidance there is on how often such spacers need to be replaced; when such guidance was given to providers in the NHS; and what assessment they have made of the cost to the NHS of the implementation of this guidance.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the total number of prescription items, quantities and Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of spacer/holding chamber devices that were dispensed in England regardless of where prescribed from January 2019 to November 2024:

Source: NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA)

Notes:

1. Data was based on the information within the Prescription Cost Analysis published statistics, using Part IXA of the Drug Tariff for Spacer/Holding Chamber device as the basis to provide a list of spacer products held in the NHSBSA drn+d database
2. Items have been dispensed, but not necessarily prescribed, in England.

Information on how to look after a spacer device is included in the patient information leaflet that is provided to patients with their device. This can be found in the section on how to look after the device and includes cleaning and storage instructions as well as advice on when the device should be replaced. The general advice for the spacers available in the United Kingdom is that they should be replaced after one year.

Guidance for patients on device replacement can also be found on patient support websites such as Asthma and Lung UK which includes similar advice: ‘You should replace your spacer at least every year, especially if you use it daily, but some may need to be replaced sooner – ask your GP, nurse or pharmacist if you’re unsure.’

Guidance for healthcare professionals can be found on the Right Breath website and on the NHS clinical guidance page which recommend that all spacers should be replaced annually while the British National Formulary which provides healthcare professionals with up-to-date information about the use of medicines recommends that spacer devices should be replaced every six to 12 months.

NHS England is not aware of any additional clinical guidance it has issued, other than that contained in the product information, about replacing spacers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 11 May 2023 (HL7210), what progress they have made in developing and promoting to NHS trusts and integrated care systems in England an effective methodology for assessing value, including on patient experience and outcomes, and on whole system costs, rather than item price, when purchasing medical devices and consumables; and what future plans they have to do so.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working with NHS England and the NHS Supply Chain to develop and promote a standardised methodology for National Health Service trusts and integrated care systems (ICS) to assess value when procuring medical technologies, including devices and consumables. As part of this, the Department is engaging medical technology suppliers, patient forums, as well as broader networks of financial teams, clinicians, and NHS procurement professionals.

The methodology will provide a consistent and transparent approach to assessing value, for use at both the national and local levels. This aims to shift the majority of the weighting in procurement decisions towards value over upfront cost. The guidance will include a bank of questions, model answers, and scoring criteria showing how to assess defined values consistently, such as patient experience and outcomes, and whole system costs.

The Department will be testing this guidance with the NHS at the ICS and NHS trust level over the coming months, with the ambition to refine and publish the guidance in Autumn 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any rise in excess deaths in the 2025 autumn and winter periods due to changes to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's recommendations on eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccination, particularly among at-risk groups; and what consideration they have given to preventive measures to address any such rise.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is guided by the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) on eligibility for vaccination programmes. Given the continued effectiveness of vaccines and improved treatments, for most people there is a much lower risk of severe illness compared to earlier in the pandemic.

The JCVI advises that older people and those who are immunosuppressed are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of severe disease and death, and that vaccination every six months remains appropriate given the durability of protection afforded by the currently available vaccines. Its advice is to offer vaccination in autumn 2025 and spring 2026 to these groups, and also any individuals living in care homes for older adults, as care homes for older people are particularly high-risk settings and may include some younger individuals. This advice is available at the GOV.UK website, in an online only format. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average number of hours spent by doctors and nurses in statutory and mandatory training; and what is the cost to the NHS of the time they spend undertaking such training.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The exact amount of statutory and mandatory training completed varies, depending on which organisation they work for, their role or roles, and the frequency of their movement between organisations, for instance resident doctors rotating between organisations may have to repeat some of the training.

On average, it is estimated that nationally defined statutory and mandatory training takes up to eight hours or one day per person per year and locally mandated training will add to this. This considerable investment of time has to be balanced against the fact that this training is both important, for instance safety training and emergency preparedness training, and often required by law.

In early 2024, NHS England commenced work in partnership with the Department, the Care Quality Commission, the Health Services Safety Investigations Branch, and NHS Resolution to reform statutory and mandatory training through a programme to optimise, rationalise, and redesign.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether any physical checks are required on medical products or medical devices moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; and, if so, which legislation requires them.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Internal market movements of medical devices and products follow the same rules as other goods and can avail the support provided by the United Kingdom’s Government to move goods into Northern Ireland free of unnecessary paperwork, checks, and duties.

Regarding specific regulations for medical devices or medicines, no regulatory declarations are required for the movement of medicines or medical devices from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Medical devices across the whole of the UK are highly regulated, and devices placed in the Northern Irish market must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity in line with the EU Medical Device Regulations (2017/745) and EU In Vitro Device Regulations (2017/746), which apply under the Windsor Framework, in order to ensure dual market access to the UK’s internal market and the European Union's single market. Regulations in Great Britain are broadly similar to those applying in the Northern Ireland, including the conformity assessment process.

No physical checks are required for medicines or medical devices moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what declarations are required for the movement of medical products, including medical devices, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; and which legislation requires them.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Internal market movements of medical devices and products follow the same rules as other goods and can avail the support provided by the United Kingdom’s Government to move goods into Northern Ireland free of unnecessary paperwork, checks, and duties.

Regarding specific regulations for medical devices or medicines, no regulatory declarations are required for the movement of medicines or medical devices from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Medical devices across the whole of the UK are highly regulated, and devices placed in the Northern Irish market must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity in line with the EU Medical Device Regulations (2017/745) and EU In Vitro Device Regulations (2017/746), which apply under the Windsor Framework, in order to ensure dual market access to the UK’s internal market and the European Union's single market. Regulations in Great Britain are broadly similar to those applying in the Northern Ireland, including the conformity assessment process.

No physical checks are required for medicines or medical devices moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve transparency in the decision-making processes of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; and whether this includes publishing detailed evidence underlying its recommendations.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As per the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) code of practice, committee minutes are published within six weeks of the meeting, via its webpage. These minutes outline the information presented to members and summarise the considerations and discussion. The JCVI also publishes advice statements on the GOV.UK website, and these statements outline the advice given and the rationale.

Where possible, data considered by the committee is referenced in minutes and statements. On occasion, data reviewed by the committee may remain unpublished when the minutes are released. This could be due to the data being new, sensitive, or subject to confidentiality. For transparency and public interest, the JCVI encourages all researchers who present to the committee to publish data once appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to evolve the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's methods to assess the broader socio-economic benefits of vaccination.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As an independent Departmental Expert Committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on matters related to vaccination and immunisation. The JCVI bases its advice and recommendations on evidence of the burden of disease, of vaccine safety and efficacy, and of the impact and cost effectiveness of immunisation strategies.

Broader socio-economic factors, such as productivity costs from illness, improved educational attainment from reduced school absences, and out-of-pocket expenses and opportunity costs from attending a vaccination, are not included in the cost-effective analysis which is presented to the JCVI for its consideration. However, these impacts may be highlighted by the JCVI to inform policy-making.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the application of section 7A of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 on the introduction of a generational smoking ban in Northern Ireland, as proposed in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government intends to apply the Tobacco and Vapes Bill across the United Kingdom and it has been developed in partnership with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

In the drafting of the Bill, the Government has considered all its domestic and international obligations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of whether air quality is a contributing factor to autism.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary on autism states that the precise cause of autism is unknown, but that genetic factors play a substantial role in the aetiology, and a number of environmental factors are also thought to play a part in development. Further information is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/autism-in-adults/background-information/causes-risk-factors/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many patients were recorded as waiting in accident and emergency for over 24 hours in January.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England publishes monthly data on accident and emergency performance. This includes information on those accident and emergency attendances that are 12 hours or longer for type one and two accident and emergency providers. The latest provisional data shows that in January 2025, there were a total of 172,515 such accident and emergency attendances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of all people in England between the ages of 18 and 24 were prescribed anti-depressants in each year since 2015.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Business Services Authority publishes statistics for anti-depressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of population. Data for 18 to 24 year-olds specifically is not published, but data for 15 to 24 year-olds is available. The following table shows the total number of male and female patients aged 15 to 24 years-old prescribed antidepressants, British National Formulary section 0403, and that number as a percentage of the estimated mid-year population, in the first financial quarter of each year from 2015 to 2023:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many anti-depressant prescriptions have been prescribed to patients (1) under the age of 18, and (2) under the age of 25, in each year since 2015.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Business Services Authority publishes statistics for anti-depressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. The following table shows the total number of items for antidepressants, British National Formulary section 0403, dispensed to patients aged under 18 years old and patients aged under 25 years old, which includes the items for under 18 year-olds, for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24, and a year-to-date figure for 2024/25:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care on 22 October 2024 (4235), what their policy is on the use of the phrase "pregnant people" by the NHS, in place of sex-specific language such as “pregnant women” or “pregnant women and girls”.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service website aims to provide health advice and guidance that is clear and easy to understand, and that helps everyone who uses the website find the information they need, so they can make informed decisions about their own health.

This Government believes in an approach to equality that benefits all groups, not some groups at the expense of others. As part of this, we understand the need for health information to be as clear as possible and to use language that is grounded in biological sex. Using the right language is crucial to ensure patients, including women, receive the dignity and inclusion they should expect when accessing services. However, we recognise that for some people, their gender identity is different from their biological sex.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many category 2 ambulance responses in England were over an hour in (1) November 2024, (2) December 2024, and (3) January 2025.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information requested. NHS England publishes monthly official statistics for ambulance response times. This includes data on the 90^th centile response time performance for category 2 incidents.

The following table shows the total count of category 2 incidents in England for November 2024, December 2024 and January 2025 and the 90^th centile response time data for category 2 incidents in England:

Source: NHS England https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for asthma nurses to be upskilled in allergy care.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursing and Midwifery Council sets the standards for nurse education and there are no mandated post registration education requirements for nurses working with people with asthma or allergies. Employers develop specialist roles to meet community and service need.

NHS England supports the development of nurses into such roles through our education budget which supports nurse education, for example by funding non-medical prescribing programmes. In addition, nurses working in the National Health Service have access to a personal continuing professional development budget of approximately £330 per year to enhance their development.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the total cost to the public purse for the provision of diversity, equality and inclusion courses for staff in her Department in 2024.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the 12 months from January 2024 to December 2024, the Department has not delivered any diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) courses centrally. This refers to any courses where the training includes awareness of DEI as the main theme of the training.

All Departmental staff are required to complete the ‘Civil Service Expectations’ mandatory learning that includes aspects of DEI and is delivered centrally through Civil Service Learning at no additional cost to the Department. Since May 2024, the department has aligned itself with the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, which stipulates measures to enact greater control over DEI spend and activity across the Civil Service, providing assurance and alignment with Government priorities. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-equality-diversity-and-inclusion-expenditure-guidance/civil-service-equality-diversity-and-inclusion-expenditure-guidance

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 23857 on NHS Business Services Authority: Workplace Pensions, if he will undertake a review of the practices of the NHS Business Service Authority.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has investigated the recent pension savings calculation error that affected 2023/24 Pension Savings Statements. This established that the annual consumer price index increase was incorrectly applied to the opening value of 2023/24 pension savings calculations, resulting in the Pension Input Amount being lower than it should be. In light of the findings, robust measures have been put in place to ensure this error does not happen again. NHSBSA reported the issue to The Pensions Regulator and will take any actions that the regulator may require.

We will work with the NHS Pensions Board to monitor and hold NHSBSA to account for the quality of scheme administration.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a mutual recognition agreement with the European Medicines Agency; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such an agreement on access to (a) medicines and (b) medical devices.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are focused on strengthening our relationship with the European Union, forging a stable, positive relationship that benefits the United Kingdom. We have always been clear that we will not return to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU currently provides for mutual recognition of inspections and acceptance of official Good Manufacturing Practice documents. In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency works closely with a range of international regulatory authorities, including the European Medicines Agency, through several international regulatory groups such as the International Council for Harmonisation, the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities and the International Medical Device Regulators Forum.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the proposals of the East Midlands fertility policy review on the number of IVF cycles set out in that review.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made of the East Midlands fertility policy review, at a national level. It is for local integrated care boards to decide on local health policies for their population, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fertility guidelines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to reduce instances of infant deaths in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), within the Department, has looked in detail at the drivers of infant mortality. Most infant deaths occur in the first four weeks of life. The leading causes of death are prematurity and congenital abnormalities, and a large proportion of these deaths are preventable. This work has been used to drive work through regional teams working with integrated care systems and local authorities to target specific interventions.

In London, the OHID regional team has developed, with partners, an infant mortality reduction action plan, setting out 10 recommendations, based on the best available data and evidence. The OHID London is working with all London local authorities and the National Health Service to implement the action plan, including working with Havering and Romford. Learning from infant deaths is being shared across London to identify opportunities to avoid future infant deaths and address potentially modifiable causes wherever possible.

The local authority, the acute hospital trust, primary care, and the integrated commissioning board are coordinating efforts in Romford and Havering to reduce infant mortality, working in partnership with the OHID London, NHS England, and the Greater London Authority.

The Department continues to work across directorates, and with NHS England and other Government departments to maximise opportunities to improve pre-conception health and the wider building blocks of health that contribute to infant deaths.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many individual cases of overseas visitors' debt have been written off by NHS Trusts in respect of maternity care in the last 12 months; and if he will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of this.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held in the format requested. The consolidated National Health Service provider accounts for 2023/24 were published by NHS England, and recorded £44 million as written-off from overseas visitors.

The information requested regarding written-off debt for maternity care is not held centrally, and there are no current plans to make an estimate. The consolidated NHS provider accounts for 2023/24 are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consolidated-nhs-provider-accounts-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to support people suffering with Endometriosis in Greater Manchester across regional healthcare settings.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the care that those suffering from gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, receive. We have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres.

Work is ongoing across Greater Manchester to improve women’s healthcare. NHS Greater Manchester’s Gynaecology Transformation programme aims to reduce health inequalities by bringing care closer to home, improving access, and reducing fragmentation in women’s health care. This is focused on developing a general practice-led community service for some elements of gynaecology services to improve access and reduce long waits. Medical and surgical treatment of non-severe endometriosis is undertaken by gynaecologists with a special interest in locally commissioned services. Specialised gynaecological surgery for severe endometriosis is based at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern Care Alliance.

In addition to this, NHS Greater Manchester is contributing to the North East and West of England endometriosis transformation programme. This programme is addressing long waits for patients with severe endometriosis and improving patient pathways, from presentation in general practice through to management in secondary care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to improve access to the NHS for transgender adults.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government wants all patients, including transgender adults, to feel safe and confident in accessing National Health Service health services. This is part of our mission to ensure that the NHS is there for everyone when they need it, providing equal access to health care which promotes choice and inclusivity.

Transgender adults may seek access to NHS gender services specifically and these should be available when needed. NHS England has increased the number of adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics in England from seven to 12. The rollout of these new clinics is helping to tackle long waiting times, which had increased due to a shortage of specialist clinical staff to meet the rapidly rising demand.

NHS England is currently undertaking a review of adult gender services, chaired by Dr David Levy. The review will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients, with the aim of producing an updated service specification.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 27757 on Department of Health and Social Care: Public Relations, what the purpose of the contract with Mullen Lowe was; which programmes were funded; whether there were key performance indicators; and if he will place a redacted copy of the contract in the House of Commons Library.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Mullen Lowe holds a contract with the Department for a range of marketing services to support the delivery of campaigns. This includes advertising, creative and production, digital partnerships, and public relations services, among others. In the current financial year, this has included delivery of smoking cessation, adult social care recruitment, vaccinations, and early years campaigns.

Service level agreements and performance monitoring arrangements are detailed in the contract in pages 82 to 87. Regular performance review meetings are held with Mullen Lowe. A redacted version of the contract is stored on the publicly available contract finder and is available at the following link:

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/3a9662e5-85bd-40b9-83fb-e5a6615d7a05?origin=SearchResults&p=1

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of debt has been written off by NHS Trusts as a result of overseas visitors in each of the last 12 months.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held in the format requested. The consolidated National Health Service provider accounts for 2023/24 were published by NHS England, and recorded £44 million as written-off from overseas visitors.

The information requested regarding written-off debt for maternity care is not held centrally, and there are no current plans to make an estimate. The consolidated NHS provider accounts for 2023/24 are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consolidated-nhs-provider-accounts-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with counterparts in the Welsh Government on making baby loss certificates available in Wales.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Healthcare in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. The Department is in discussions with our Welsh counterparts regarding the possibility of extending the Baby Loss Certificate service to Wales.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals for masculinising chest surgery there were from the NHS Gender Dysphoria National Referral Support Service in each year for which data is available since 1997.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Referrals for masculinising chest surgery are made by the specialist clinical teams in the NHS Gender Dysphoria Clinics, not by the NHS Gender Dysphoria National Referral Support Service (GDNRSS). The non-clinical role of the GDNRSS is to process the referrals on behalf of the providers.

The GDNRSS was established in 2020. Between 1 April 2020 and 31 December 2024, the GDNRSS received 5,463 requests for masculinising chest surgery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a table of the number of (a) doctors, (b) registered nurses and (c) medical scientists were employed as locums in each (i) month and (ii) year since 2021 and what the total cost was for each group in each of those (A) months and (B) years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information requested. NHS England publishes quarterly information on total agency and bank expenditure by National Health Service providers as part of financial reporting, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/financial-performance-reports

The 2025/26 NHS Planning Guidance states that trusts should reduce their agency spend by a minimum of 30% and bank spend by a minimum of 10%. The accompanying Revenue Finance and Contracting Guidance sets the ambition that agency spend should be eliminated in the coming years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of cases of (a) avoidable skin infections, (b) pressure ulcers and (c) urinary tract infections that were (i) caused or (ii) aggravated by using continence products that are not clinically appropriate in the last 12 months; and how much the annual cost was to (A) NHS England and (B) social care as a result of (1) additional treatments being required, (2) laundry and other associated costs, including energy and (3) associated staff time.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold this information, although this type of data may be recorded and monitored at an individual trust level. Whilst trusts will report the incidence of associated adverse outcomes, such as pressure ulcers, it is unlikely that the cause will be correlated to the product used.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on regulating sports therapists.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to sports therapists. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations. There are currently two voluntary registers for organisations relating to sports therapy accredited by the PSA.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve access to and (b) reduce waiting lists for the UK's 9 independent NHS pelvic mesh centres.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are nine specialist mesh centres across England, ensuring that women in every region with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse get the right support. Each mesh centre is led by a multi-disciplinary team to ensure patients get access to the specialist care and treatment that they need, including pain management and psychological support. NHS England publishes data on referral to treatment waiting times. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/

The Department does not have information on the average waiting times specifically for mesh centres.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission, and we are taking steps to return to the 18-week standard. The Elective Reform Plan sets out how the National Health Service will reform elective care services and meet the 18-week referral to treatment standard by March 2029.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of NHS staff pay increases on the (a) availability and (b) quality of patient services.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government values the expertise of the independent Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) who, as part of their Terms of Reference, make pay recommendations based on a range of factors, including recruitment, retention, motivation, morale, and the Government's affordability figure. National Health Service pay is a decision for the Government, and ministers consider the PRB’s recommendations carefully. In 2024/25, the Government accepted the recommendations in full.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation on the 111 NHS contact number in 2024.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS 111 service is nationally specified and locally commissioned. Each NHS 111 provider is responsible for procuring language interpretation services. The only centrally procured interpreting service is British Sign Language, as this is a seperate video relay channel not linked to the NHS 111 voice number

NHS England does not hold information relating to the cost of locally procured language interpretation services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the impact of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's advice for the Spring and Autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme on the delivery of their core health shifts.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vaccination plays an important role in the Government’s Plan for Change and the Health Mission, including in the shift from sickness to prevention. The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the approach to vaccination and immunisation.

The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness, namely hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025 and spring 2026. This advice is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online-only format.

On 12 December 2024, the Government accepted the JCVI advice that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in spring 2025 to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months and over. Eligibility for the spring 2025 campaign is the same as in previous spring campaigns.

The JCVI also advised on eligibility for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 programmes. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the National Cancer Plan will reduce waiting times for cancer treatment and reduce the length of time from referral to diagnosis.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As we set out in our new plan for reforming elective care, we are committed to improving performance on cancer waiting times to meet national targets. Further details are available in the National Health Service’s annual operational planning guidance.

Meeting these targets for cancer will ensure no patient waits longer than they should for diagnosis or treatment, and we have started by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support faster diagnosis and access to treatment.

NHS Planning Guidance set stretching targets for cancer. By March 2026, approximately 100,000 more people every year will be told whether they have cancer or not within 28 days, and 17,000 more people will begin treatment within two months of a referral.

To achieve this, we have launched a National Cancer Plan call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations to help shape this plan, including ideas on how to meet national targets. The call for evidence is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of people diagnosed with lung cancer over the past five years who have never smoked.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made on this issue, as smoking data is not routinely collected, except for specific circumstances such as data on access to stop smoking services. A difficulty in collecting and using data on smoking is that ‘never’ smoked can be interpreted in different ways and can result in under-estimation of smoking.

Found: DfE is working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the government’s Women’s Health

Found: departments such as the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: This would be supported by clear policies from the Department of Health and Social Care. 6.

Found: child’s needs as best they can. 18.We are concerned that the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: , and therefore a cross-departmental approach – including the department for local government and DHSC

Found: Central Government, DHSC, DfE, and Public Health England initiatives linked to CYP’s mental health

Found: Recommendation Four relates to the work of JCDU and Department of Health and Social Care to address

Found: aware that the following recommendation remains outstanding: NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Andy Brittain Director General – Finance and Group Operations Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Secretary of the Department for Health and Social Care relating to the 31st Report of Session 2023-24, DHSC

Found: NHP) had one final outstanding recommendation from the PAC’s report on the NHP, recommendation 6: DHSC

Found: Whilst NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are expected to have completed their

Found: This recommendation was not accepted by DHSC and in a test for assessing competence was not included

Found: In November 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a consultation on regulations and

Found: plans to digitise social care records, with guidance and funding provided by the NHS England and DHSC

Found: 1,426.820 NHS Impairments (RAME) 37.728 NHS Infected Blood Interim Payments (CAME) - BCT from DHSC

Found: 0.0 1.2 1.2 0.9 Transfer from MHCLG for Building Safety Regulator 0.0 19.6 19.6 2.0 Transfer from DHSC

Found: involved in looking at indoor air— DLUHC, Defra, DESNZ and the building safety regulator involved in DHSC

Found: 1 Written evidence submitted by the Department of Health and Social Care (PPCM0052) Foreword The Department

Found: For instance, there is a DHSC issue and there is clearly an HMRC/HMT issue, but those are well understood

Found: Communities and Local Government Department for Work and Pensions Home Office Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Office for contribution to Civil Service Live 50 50 From the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: Page 1 of 7 Written evidence submitted by the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care have agreed that I can share

Found: London: Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: I think—and I thought this when I was permanent secretary at DHSC—that for an office-based mode of working

Found: 0 Other changes agreed during 2022-23 for 2024-25 MOG from DHSC

Found: It includes representatives from the Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care,

Found: The Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care assist the Youth Sport Trust

Found: It is in the context of the Department of Health and Social Care being one of the high-spending Departments

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding his Department has provided for research into nutrition in the last 12 months; and whether he has had recent discussions with UK Research and Innovation on nutrition research.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ministers and official meet regularly with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on a range of issues. UKRI funds a broad range of high-quality research relating to nutrition, spanning different research councils.

During the last 5 years UKRI has spent £251 million on nutrition research, with £65 million spent during the most recent financial year for which full data is available (2023-24).

In addition to this, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds research, including on nutrition, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

NIHR spent £11.8 million on nutrition research in the last year and £23.3 million in the last 5 years across a broad spectrum of areas related to nutrition to inform Government policy to improve patient care and help people stay well for longer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government has provided for nutrition research in each of the last five years.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ministers and official meet regularly with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on a range of issues. UKRI funds a broad range of high-quality research relating to nutrition, spanning different research councils.

During the last 5 years UKRI has spent £251 million on nutrition research, with £65 million spent during the most recent financial year for which full data is available (2023-24).

In addition to this, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds research, including on nutrition, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

NIHR spent £11.8 million on nutrition research in the last year and £23.3 million in the last 5 years across a broad spectrum of areas related to nutrition to inform Government policy to improve patient care and help people stay well for longer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions has she had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of living under a flight path on people's (a) health and (b) wellbeing.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

My Department seeks to minimise the impact of aviation on people’s health and wellbeing, in the context of other government priorities. My officials are in regular contact on this issue with other government departments and their agencies, including the Department of Health and Social Care sponsored UK Health Security Agency.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on the proportion of general practitioners who place medical markers on the medical notes of patients who are firearms certificate holders.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing sets out clearly the different factors that police forces must consider when deciding whether someone is suitable to have a firearms licence. The Statutory Guidance requires that medical information is supplied by the applicant before a firearms licence can be granted by a police force.

The firearms licensing system is supported by the placing of a firearms marker by the GP on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence. As part of the medical arrangements for firearms licensing, GPs are asked to place a marker on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence and guidance is issued by the British Medical Association to support doctors in using the marker. The marker prompts the GP to alert the police if the licence holder begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition.

Since 2023, a digital firearms marker has been available to all GP surgeries in England to use with a person’s medical record and replaces the previous marker. The Home Office is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to put measures in place to monitor the use of the digital marker to ensure that it is operating as intended.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy that firearms certificate holders should have a marker placed on their medical notes.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing sets out clearly the different factors that police forces must consider when deciding whether someone is suitable to have a firearms licence. The Statutory Guidance requires that medical information is supplied by the applicant before a firearms licence can be granted by a police force.

The firearms licensing system is supported by the placing of a firearms marker by the GP on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence. As part of the medical arrangements for firearms licensing, GPs are asked to place a marker on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence and guidance is issued by the British Medical Association to support doctors in using the marker. The marker prompts the GP to alert the police if the licence holder begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition.

Since 2023, a digital firearms marker has been available to all GP surgeries in England to use with a person’s medical record and replaces the previous marker. The Home Office is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to put measures in place to monitor the use of the digital marker to ensure that it is operating as intended.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason she is not making placing of a marker on the medical notes of firearms certificate holders mandatory for general practitioners.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing sets out clearly the different factors that police forces must consider when deciding whether someone is suitable to have a firearms licence. The Statutory Guidance requires that medical information is supplied by the applicant before a firearms licence can be granted by a police force.

The firearms licensing system is supported by the placing of a firearms marker by the GP on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence. As part of the medical arrangements for firearms licensing, GPs are asked to place a marker on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence and guidance is issued by the British Medical Association to support doctors in using the marker. The marker prompts the GP to alert the police if the licence holder begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition.

Since 2023, a digital firearms marker has been available to all GP surgeries in England to use with a person’s medical record and replaces the previous marker. The Home Office is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to put measures in place to monitor the use of the digital marker to ensure that it is operating as intended.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for (a) speech and language therapy, (b) occupational therapy and (c) other therapy services for SEND students in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department recognises the impact that long waits to access speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and other therapy services can have on children, their families and carers. The department is committed to reducing these long waits and improving timely access to therapy services, working closely with DHSC and NHS England.

The department is continuing to improve access to speech and language therapy by funding the Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinder project in partnership with NHS England. We are also continuing to build the pipeline of future therapists by introducing the speech and language level 6-degree apprenticeship. This is now in its third year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the priorities are of the joint Work and Health Unit.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care Joint Work and Health Directorate (JWHD) (formerly Unit) was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to improve employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions.

The goal of the JWHD is to open up opportunities to good work and to support a healthier, more productive and inclusive nation, by helping more disabled people and people with health conditions to: get appropriate work, get on in that work, and to return to work as quickly as possible if they leave it. This supports the Government priority of tackling economic inactivity, set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper.

The JWHD works to join up the health and employment systems, including the addition of employment support in existing care pathways, such as placing Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapy services and WorkWell, which is part of the plan to Get Britain Working and enables local areas to lead, design and deliver work and health support that meets the needs of their communities.

It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, JWHD is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025. Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, and continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, if she will take steps with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to ensure that written Parliamentary questions are answered on time.

Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Parliament has a right to hold Ministers to account. I have written to all members of Cabinet to remind Ministers of their responsibilities to provide helpful and timely responses to Members' PQs.

The Procedure Committee monitors individual department’s PQ performance and it recently published a report into performance in the 2023–24 Session (available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8673/written-parliamentary-questions-departmental-performance-in-session-202324/publications/). I look forward to working with the Committee on this and other matters.

I encourage hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself and my office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will make an assessment of the adequacy of existing health checks for retired firefighters; and if she will work with (a) NHS Trusts and (b) local healthcare providers in Essex to improve healthcare for firefighters.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The health and safety of firefighters is of paramount importance.

We will continue to engage with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Health and Safety Executive and the National Fire Chiefs Council on the development of policy in this area, including examining the potential benefits of health screening programmes for current and retired firefighters.

Fire and rescue authorities, as the employers, are responsible for the health and wellbeing of firefighters, and so it is for those authorities to take the appropriate action to protect their workforces.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 28486 on Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry, which Ministers sit on the cross-Government ministerial group that are considering remaining Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommendations.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office set up an inter-ministerial group in late 2024, which I chaired the first meeting on the 12^th November 2024.

Ministers from the Home Office, Cabinet Office, Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, Department of Culture, Media and Support and Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government are involved in these discussions.

This forum will continue to meet regularly to support the Government’s action on the IICSA recommendations and broader efforts to tackle child sexual abuse across government.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into hidradenitis suppurativa in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into epidermolysis bullosa in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into rosacea in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into scleroderma in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into atopic dermatitis in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into alopecia in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into pemphigus in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into acne in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into psoriasis in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into basal cell carcinoma in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into squamous cell carcinoma in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into vitiligo in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into melanoma in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into actinic keratosis in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.

In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.

- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of the public's right to roam on levels of (a) mental health, (b) obesity and (c) stress.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We will be working across Government departments to achieve this, including with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Defra is already working closely with DHSC, alongside other partners, in the delivery of the Green Social Prescribing programme which directly examines the impact of increased use of nature-based interventions and activities on participants’ health and wellbeing. The first phase of the programme ran from October 2020 - March 2023, achieving around 8,500 referrals and demonstrating statistically significant improvements in participants’ mental health.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate his Department has made of the total level of funding allocated by the Medical Research Council into specific research on the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of lobular breast cancer in each of the last five years.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government does not ringfence funding for specific cancers. DSIT invests approximately £200 million into cancer research annually via UK Research and Innovation, including the Medical Research Council (MRC). The average annual funding awarded by UKRI to breast cancer research (including diagnosis and treatment) between 2018 and 2022 was approximately £10 million. The MRC invests approximately £125 million into cancer annually. DHSC spent £121.8 million in 2022/23 on cancer research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research infrastructure funding supports Biomedical Research Centres and the NIHR Research Delivery Network, which has enabled the delivery of 10 lobular breast cancer studies.

Found: Defra, with input from the Department for health and Social Care (DHSC) and the UK Health Security

Found: Estimates Day debate: The spending of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ); • the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: and Local Government” was “Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities”.6 Department of Health and Social Care

Found: , 2024-2512 Department of Health and Social Care, 2024-25 Departmental Expenditure Limit

Found: Technology, the Home Office, the Department for Business and Trade, HM Treasury and the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Scheduled: Autumn 2025 Topics: Health and social care, Public health Departments: Department of Health and Social Care

Found: system-wide risks. 3.3 Other government departments, including the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC

Found: Risk and resilience Departments: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Department of Health and Social Care

Found: UK, such action involves multiple public bodies including the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC

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Found: (DHSC), National Health Service England (NHSE) and Local Authorities.

Found: 36 expenditure are heavily influenced by policies from other government departments (such as DfE, DHSC

Found: on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Sector - Npish Dsit - Science, Innovation And Growth - Dsit - Office For Life Sciences Department Of Health And Social Care

Found: DWP, HMT, MoD, NS&I, Royal Mail Pensions, and SIA Gary.Hansman@hmtreasury.gov.uk DfE, DHSC

Found: 2025 The Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme is jointly overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 2025 The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is jointly overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: From: Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care Published 25 February 2025

Found: 2025 The Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme is jointly overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 2025 The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is jointly overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: From: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Department of Health and Social Care, Department

Found: Education (DfE), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: contract with one of these organisations: an NHS organisation in England or Wales the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This is a partnership between the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: sexual health services: • Integrated sexual health service specification 2023 (Department of Health and Social Care

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: In 2013, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) set out an ambition in their document A Framework

Found: The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. 

Found: Performance at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and worked within the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: at McKinsey and Company working on healthcare globally, and Head of Strategy at the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: It shows how NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have listened and delivered on

Found: (DHSC), National Health Service England (NHSE) and Local Authorities.

Found: impairment in Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy in people 12 years and over The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: platinum-based chemotherapy for untreated advanced non- small-cell lung cancer The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UK Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: Draft guidance consultation Sparsentan for treating primary IgA nephropathy The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Draft guidance consultation Sparsentan for treating primary IgA nephropathy The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Over the course of the last year, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have

Found: NHS Health Check per year, per quarter and in the last 5 years is reported by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Current UK practice The DHSC Fingertips NHS Health check data shows that for the period 2020/2021 to

Found: Introduction 2.1 How allocations were set 2.1.1 Overall allocation quantum The DHSC budget for 2025

Found: Trust Cybex Ventures Daiichi Sankyo UK Ltd Department of Health - Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Care

Found: non-small-cell lung cancer after complete tumour resection (review of TA761) The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma caused by house dust mites (review of TA834) The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: autotemcel for treating severe sickle cell disease in people 12 years and over The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Pathologists • Royal College of Physicians • Royal College of Radiologists Others • Department of Health and Social care

Found: Pathologists • Royal College of Physicians • Royal College of Radiologists Others • Department of Health and Social care

Found: Society The scope is not accurate in that the numbers of people living with SCD is at least 18,000 (DHSC