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 improve access to speech and language therapy for people with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), particularly for people who are linguistically and ethnically diverse.

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

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, including those with primary progressive aphasia, which is why we have funded the work of the Dementia 100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for busy system leaders and will help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia.

A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool, and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the tool. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool can be found at the following link:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-tool

NHS England has published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding is available to local authorities to improve oral hygiene education in primary schools.

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

Local authorities in England are responsible for assessing oral health needs and for improving the oral health of their local population. Public health services commissioned by local authorities in England are funded through a ring-fenced Public Health Grant. As part of a multi-year settlement, we will be investing £10.5 million in 2026/27, to enable local authorities to continue to implement the national supervised toothbrushing programme and for other local initiatives that improve education on oral hygiene. Dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene are also part of statutory guidance on health education for schools in England. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria the Department used to determine which providers were included in the Neighbourhood Health Framework; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the exclusion of optometrists from the list of providers on eye health.

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

The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.

General practice, primary care, pharmacies, mental health providers, community health services, social care services, local authorities, and civil society partners are included, to illustrate how services can work together to shift care from hospital to communities, improve access, and provide proactive, holistic care for people with complex needs. This is not an exhaustive list and does not prescribe which providers must be involved locally.

No specific criteria were used to determine which providers were included in the framework. The framework does not prevent other providers, including optometrists, from being part of neighbourhood health services.

The framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as ICBs and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can therefore choose to go further than the minimum, including in relation to optometry.

ICBs are already able to commission enhanced services from high street optometrists including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral filtering services.

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 impact of adult social care capacity on delivering the 10-year health plan.

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

A fairly paid adult social care workforce with the right training, qualifications, and values will be able to provide high quality tailored care and support to those who need it and will support the priorities that we set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, namely shifting care from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treating sickness to promoting prevention.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out how the Government’s aims to shift towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and wrap around people’s lives to help people stay independent for longer. This speaks to the heart of what adult social care, done well, already is. More integrated working between the National Health Service, adult social care, local government, and civil society will be crucial to the delivery of neighbourhood health.

The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and improve the recruitment and retention of the workforce. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028 to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce, backed by £500 million of new investment.

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 integrate NHS national communications and local GP surgery communications.

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

As part of the Government’s investment in digital channels, the NHS App currently provides patients with a National Health Service ‘front door’ through which they can access primary care services, including making appointments, ordering prescriptions, and viewing test results.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will develop further to give patients greater control and choice over their healthcare, enabling them to see their whole health record and contribute to it in one place.

NHS England guidance sets out a digital-first approach to patient communications, with the NHS App increasingly used as the primary channel for patient communications, including for general practice (GP) services, followed by text messages and emails where appropriate. However, digital-first does not mean digital-only, and we will continue to communicate with patients in a way that is comfortable and convenient for them.

NHS England is linking local GP surgery communications with national NHS digital channels through NHS Notify, which includes messaging in the NHS App. NHS England does not currently mandate that all clinical systems utilise NHS Notify, but it is available for all suppliers to use, including those supporting GPs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to help prevent delays to spinal operations including where infrastructure such as operating room seals are broken leading to operations being cancelled and delayed.

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

The Government recognises the significant impact that delays to spinal surgery can have on patients and is taking action to reduce waiting times and minimise cancellations.

As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, we are increasing elective capacity and improving productivity across the National Health Service, including through the expansion of dedicated surgical hubs. These hubs use ringfenced staff and facilities to protect planned operations from urgent and emergency pressures.

NHS England also provides targeted national and regional support to trusts with the greatest waiting list pressures, including through the clinically led Getting It Right First Time programme and their Further Faster programme for spinal services.

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 impact of delayed and cancelled spinal operations on patients' lives and b) what support is available to patients awaiting spinal operations for months or years.

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

The Government recognises the significant impact that delays to spinal surgery can have on patients and is taking action to reduce waiting times and minimise cancellations.

As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, we are increasing elective capacity and improving productivity across the National Health Service, including through the expansion of dedicated surgical hubs. These hubs use ringfenced staff and facilities to protect planned operations from urgent and emergency pressures.

NHS England also provides targeted national and regional support to trusts with the greatest waiting list pressures, including through the clinically led Getting It Right First Time programme and their Further Faster programme for spinal services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what dates the An NHS Fit for the Future Mission Board met since it ceased to be a Cabinet committee in November 2025.

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

Mission Boards ceased to be Cabinet Office committees at the end of last year. Since then, my ministerial colleagues and I have continued to engage stakeholders through a variety of fora to take forward the 10-Year Health Plan, through which we are delivering our Health Mission. Oversight is maintained by the Departmental Board, chaired by My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, details of which can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

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

The following table shows recorded disciplinary cases which were upheld and included breaches of the Civil Service Code, for 2024 and 2025:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the Earned Settlement proposals on recruitment and retention rates in the NHS.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has the Department made of the potential impact of the Earned Settlement proposals on NHS waiting lists.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

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 regional differences in funding for patients trying to conceive through IVF, in the context of NICE guidelines on offering people under 40 up to three full cycles of IVF.

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

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population.

On 31 March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated fertility guideline, which recommends that women under 40 years old who meet the clinical eligibility criteria should be offered up to three full cycles of in vitro fertilisation.

We expect ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision. 

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 accessibility of hearing tests for those 18 years old and under, including by audiologists who are not registered with the CQC.

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

The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services in England and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity, including for audiology services for those 18 years old and under.

The National Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity dataset includes data on the percentage of patients waiting more than six weeks for an audiology assessment, and can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/

However, this data cannot be split by adult/child, therefore the Department has not made a formal assessment of the accessibility of hearing tests for those 18 years old and under. As of January 2026, the dataset showed that 45% of patients were waiting more than six weeks for an audiology assessment.

Audiology services are not required to be registered with Care Quality Commission where the services provided do not fall under the regulated activities, as set out in the regulations. Audiology activities, such as hearing tests, hearing aid fittings, and tympanometry/routine assessments are not regulated activities. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/registration/scope-registration/regulated-activities/diagnostic-and-screening-procedures

When an audiologist is a practicing clinical scientist or a hearing aid dispenser, they must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.hcpc-uk.org/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether ICBs that are clustered have developed individual 5-year plans as set out in the medium term planning framework or if these have been developed jointly across cluster arrangements.

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

Most integrated care boards (ICBs) who are clustering have provided combined plans. Where ICBs have provided individual plans, they have referenced their clustering arrangements to ensure that the strategies are aligned.

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 (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Putney constituency compared with national averages during the last five years.

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

Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Putney and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.

Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Wandsworth can be found at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/par/E92000001/ati/502/are/E09000032/iid/90933/age/314/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

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 improve early intervention for strokes.

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

The Department recognises the importance of early access to treatment in the event of a stroke. We have committed to improving ambulance response times for category 2 incidents, which includes strokes, from 30 to 25 minutes on average in 2026/27.

The National Health Service is also working to increase the delivery of thrombolysis and thrombectomy rates as a key intervention to support improved patient outcomes.

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 address the shortage of anaesthetists across the UK.

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

Next steps on delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to create 1,000 new specialty training posts over the next three years with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need will be set out in due course.

Alongside this, the Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later this spring. It will set out a clear roadmap to improve working lives in the National Health Service, providing better treatment of staff, higher-quality training, and more fulfilling roles.

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 impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.

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

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.

There are currently no plans to issue guidance to National Health Service trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has issued guidance to NHS Trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.

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

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.

There are currently no plans to issue guidance to National Health Service trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.

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 impact of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act on UK citizens who received their medical training abroad.

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

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, British citizens who have graduated from medical schools outside of the United Kingdom will not be prioritised for foundation training places, and graduates from a medical school in the UK will not be prioritised if they spent the majority of their time studying outside the British Islands.

For specialty training places starting in 2026, we are using immigration statuses as a practical proxy to capture applicants who are most likely to have significant experience working in the health service in the UK. The effect of this is that British citizens will be prioritised.

From 2027, immigration status will no longer automatically determine priority for specialty training. Instead, we will be able to make regulations to specify any additional groups who will be prioritised by reference to criteria indicating significant experience as a doctor in the health service, or by reference to immigration status.

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for postgraduate medical training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have received offers.

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 working conditions including pay for those in the mental health sector.

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

We are committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals, including those working in the mental health sector. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will deliver this change by making sure that staff are better treated, have more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.

We are taking a number of steps to improve working conditions for NHS staff including the development of a new set of staff standards for modern employment. The standards will focus on the areas that we know matter the most to staff, including: supporting line management; improving staff health and wellbeing; promoting flexible working; violence prevention and reduction; and tackling racism and sexual safety.

On 5 February we received the NHS Pay Review Body report and on 12 February we accepted their independent recommendation for a 3.3% consolidated headline pay award for 2026/27. For the first time in six years, this pay increase for NHS Agenda for Change staff will be in April pay packets, demonstrating our commitment to getting money to NHS staff earlier than in previous years.

Additionally, on 17 March, we received the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration’s report and on 20 March accepted their independent recommendations for a headline pay increase of 3.5% for doctors and 3.75% increase to the pay element of high-street dental contracts and community dental service dentists.

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 9 January 2026 to Question 101943 on Anaesthetics: Recruitment, what steps his Department has taken to increase anaesthetist training posts available to start in 2026.

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

Next steps on delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to create 1,000 new specialty training posts over the next three years with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need will be set out in due course.

Alongside this, the Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later this spring. It will set out a clear roadmap to improve working lives in the National Health Service, providing better treatment of staff, higher-quality training, and more fulfilling roles.

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 ensure that there are adequate (a) resources and (b) workforce capacity in community health services, particularly in areas served by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System.

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

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. The formula takes account of population, age, need, deprivation, health inequality considerations, and unavoidable costs, for example the increased costs caused by lower population density in rural areas. Therefore, the ICB allocations issued by NHS England for 2026/27 to 2028/29 will take account of the demographics of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System in providing a fair share of overall National Health Service resources. We recently published the Neighbourhood Health Framework, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neighbourhood-health-framework/neighbourhood-health-framework#introduction-to-neighbourhood-health

This framework will help systems deliver neighbourhood health, which will improve people’s health and care outcomes, reduce health inequalities, and help them stay well at home, partly by strengthening primary and community care services. NHS England then wrote to ICBs and NHS providers setting out the expectations on local action to advance neighbourhood health in 2026/27 to 2027/28, including commissioning for population health, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/next-steps-on-neighbourhood-health-and-new-delivery-models/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on public service exemptions for Earned Settlement proposals.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

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 estimate of the potential cost to the NHS from Earned Settlement proposals.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of the Earned Settlement proposals on NHS patient care.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

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 help ensure that delays to spinal operations are mitigated against and minimised.

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

The Government recognises the significant impact that delays to spinal surgery can have on patients and is taking action to reduce waiting times and minimise cancellations.

As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, we are increasing elective capacity and improving productivity across the National Health Service, including through the expansion of dedicated surgical hubs. These hubs use ringfenced staff and facilities to protect planned operations from urgent and emergency pressures.

NHS England also provides targeted national and regional support to trusts with the greatest waiting list pressures, including through the clinically led Getting It Right First Time programme and their Further Faster programme for spinal services.

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 the General Dental Council on reducing the waiting time for fitness to practice cases to be heard.

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

The Department has regular discussions with the General Dental Council (GDC) on regulatory matters. While the GDC is an independent regulator responsible for managing its fitness to practise processes, the Government expects the GDC to take steps to improve the efficiency and timeliness of case handling.

The GDC recently published its strategy, Trusted and effective: A strategy for dental regulation 2026-2028, which sets out its vision and objectives, and the work it will do to achieve them. One of those objectives is to improve fitness to practise, maximising patient safety and reducing unintended impacts. The published strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/about-us/corporate-strategy-2025/gdc_strategy_2026_2028_final.pdf?sfvrsn=3ec0b80f_1

In parallel, the Department is progressing wider, longer-term reforms to the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare professional regulators. These will enable them to be more responsive to changes in the health and care workforce and give them the flexibility to modernise their fitness to practise processes whilst maintaining public protection.

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 merits of amending Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation forms to include a confirmation of consultation field that must be signed by the patient or family to make it effective.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment of the potential merits of amending Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) forms to include a confirmation of consultation field that must be signed by the patient or family has been undertaken.

When a DNACPR decision is being made, the clinician should consider the patient’s wishes and every effort should be taken to reach an agreement with the patient or, if they lack capacity, their family or representative. If the patient or their family or representative do not agree with the decision, they should be given time to ask for a second opinion or review. This is in line with the National Health Service guidance for DNACPR decisions. Guidance and information for the public on DNACPR decisions is available on the NHS website, including information on asking for a second opinion or a review and what to do if there are concerns about, or disagreement with, a DNACPR form in a patient’s or family member’s medical records.

Professional guidance on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is provided by clinical bodies such as the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council UK, and Royal College of Nursing, to support consistent decision-making, and to reflect these principles.

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 merits of conducting a national audit of Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation orders for patients with learning disabilities.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is clear that the inappropriate or blanket use of Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions is wholly unacceptable, and that no one should have a DNACPR decision in place simply because they have a learning disability. All DNACPR decisions must be made on an individual basis, involving the person concerned and, where appropriate, their family or legally recognised advocate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is provided to recruit and retain staff in coastal and rural health economies such as Torbay and South Devon.

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

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

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 potential impact of a respiratory modern Service Framework on winter pressures on the NHS.

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

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.

NHS England, working with the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and other partners, took action to reduce the impact of respiratory conditions on the National Health Service during the winter of 2025/26. Further details of the actions taken to reduce demand on acute services during winter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether interim capital support will be provided for the estate at Torbay Hospital ahead of full redevelopment.

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

We are supporting the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to ensure Torbay Hospital remains safe, comfortable, and capable of delivering high quality National Health Service care ahead of the delivery of a replacement hospital. As a first step towards this, Torbay Hospital received over £9.7 million from the Estates Safety Fund in 2025/26 for vital works.

The Estates Safety Fund will continue over the next nine years with a total of £6.75 billion of investment to continue addressing poor quality estate. The NHS South West Region, responsible for Torbay Hospital, has been allocated £271.2 million from the Estates Safety Fund for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, alongside a further £339.0 million in planning assumption to 2034/35.

The regional teams are currently prioritising the funding between hospital sites across the South West, including allocations for this financial year, and will be considering the needs of Torbay Hospital as part of this process.

In addition to national capital, the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has been allocated £82.4 million in operational capital across 2026/27 to 2029/30, which can be allocated to local priorities, including estates works.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will require that healthcare professionals involved in the care of people with very severe ME complete condition-specific (a) training and (b) e-learning.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England, with support from the Department, has developed an e-learning programme to support healthcare professionals in the care of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), of all levels of severity. All four sessions of the e-learning programme are now available, with sessions one, two, and three having universal access, whilst the fourth session, which includes support and clinical management of severe ME/CFS, is only available to healthcare professionals. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288

The Medical Schools Council will promote the e-learning programme to all United Kingdom medical schools and will encourage those medical schools to provide undergraduates with direct patient experience of ME/CFS.

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has developed guidance on the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, including mental health support for people with ME/CFS and their families. NICE guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice, and although NICE guidelines are not mandatory, healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ongoing restructuring of NHS England and the reduction in Integrated Care Systems on (a) the pace of service development and transformation and (b) access to healthcare services for rural and semi‑rural communities (i) in Leicestershire and (ii) elsewhere in England.

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

The new Department will operate in a leaner, more agile, and more efficient way and will empower staff at all levels of the health system. These reforms will give more power and autonomy to local leaders and systems, stripping away red tape and bureaucracy and providing more freedom to better deliver health services for their local communities.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out the need for a leaner national centre, one that sets clearer priorities, provides strategic direction, and supports local systems rather than relying on command and control. By integrating the Department and NHS England and significantly reducing duplication, the programme directly delivers this aspect of the 10-Year Health Plan vision, and compliments the other system changes happening at an integrated care board and provider level.

Delivery expectations are embedded throughout the plan, which will shift care from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention, which will benefit local constituencies.

We are moving towards fewer but larger integrated care boards, with a renewed focus on the local level as part of our commitment to delivering care closer to home, and this includes rural and semi rural areas. As outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan, neighbourhood health plans will be created, including for Leicestershire, and will be brought together as part of the integrated care boards’ plans to improve population health locally. All integrated care boards will continue to focus on their role as strategic commissioners, supporting service transformation and development to deliver the priorities set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on complications arising from male circumcision for non-medical purposes.

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

Information on complications arising from male circumcision for non-medical purposes is not held in the format requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has made of research published by Cardiac Risk in the Young on the importance of cardiac screening in young people.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. Where the committee is confident that offering screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.

The UK NSC will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death this spring.

While the committee is aware of the research recently published by Cardiac Risk in the Young, any evidence published in February 2026 will not be included in the current UK NSC consultation document, as the literature review commissioned by the committee must be completed and analysed before a consultation is published. However, the public consultation provides an opportunity for members of the public and stakeholders to draw the committee’s attention to any relevant questions or evidence that may not have been captured by the review, and which could inform its recommendation.

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 12 March to Question 114810, whether the underlying cost data from the Realist evaluation of Autism ServiCe Delivery (RE-ASCeD) paper referred to in the Answer was critically appraised; and whether NHS England, when interpreting the data from this research to inform guide prices, (a) took into account inflation since publication and (b) checked that the hourly rate for clinical time included appropriate adjustments for patient facing time.

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

The Realist evaluation of Autism ServiCe Delivery (RE-ASCeD) paper was considered as part of the development of guide prices for 2026/27. Specifically, the amount of professional time linked to an average assessment and the evidence of increased cost for children and young people over adult assessment.

During the process of determining guide prices, NHS England considered that the costs reported would have changed since publication of the NHS England commissioned RE-ASCeD evaluation, due to various reasons, including changes in practice. As a result, NHS England did not use these costs directly to inform the guide prices, but noted some of the helpful components such as the amount of professional time linked to an average assessment and the evidence of increased cost for children and young people over adult assessments.

We reflected that practices have changed over time and therefore not all elements of the RE-ASCeD evaluation remain relevant. Whilst we did not consider the hourly rates within the evaluation, we continued to be guided by optimal assessment pathway practice as outlined in the National Autism Framework and Operational Guidance from 2023 and current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

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 12 March 2026 to Question 114810 Neurodiversity: Mental Health Services, what weight was given to the autism assessment cost data in the Realist evaluation of Autism ServiCe Delivery (RE-ASCeD) paper in determining guide prices.

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

The Realist evaluation of Autism ServiCe Delivery (RE-ASCeD) paper was considered as part of the development of guide prices for 2026/27. Specifically, the amount of professional time linked to an average assessment and the evidence of increased cost for children and young people over adult assessment.

During the process of determining guide prices, NHS England considered that the costs reported would have changed since publication of the NHS England commissioned RE-ASCeD evaluation, due to various reasons, including changes in practice. As a result, NHS England did not use these costs directly to inform the guide prices, but noted some of the helpful components such as the amount of professional time linked to an average assessment and the evidence of increased cost for children and young people over adult assessments.

We reflected that practices have changed over time and therefore not all elements of the RE-ASCeD evaluation remain relevant. Whilst we did not consider the hourly rates within the evaluation, we continued to be guided by optimal assessment pathway practice as outlined in the National Autism Framework and Operational Guidance from 2023 and current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Home Office's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to the immigration system on the NHS.

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

The Government has published impact assessments alongside the Spring 2025 Immigration Rules, which implement proposals set out in the White Paper, Restoring control over the immigration system. These impact assessments set out the expected effects of the reforms on the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker routes, including modelling of changes in overall visa volumes. The impact assessments are published on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-assessments-covering-migration-policy

The forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.

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 level of NHS provision of continence containment products for people with severe disabilities; and whether he plans to issue guidance to integrated care boards and NHS trusts to ensure that provision levels reflect individual clinical assessments, particularly in cases where current prescribing limits are considered insufficient to meet need.

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

The Department has not made a specific assessment as integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning continence services in their areas. These services include assessment, treatment, and, where clinically appropriate, the supply of continence products. Decisions on the type and quantity of products are made by clinicians following individual assessment, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on incontinence and professional standards.

NHS Supply Chain supports trusts with the procurement of continence products through value-based procurement initiatives to ensure products are safe, effective, and cost-efficient. Further information on continence commissioning is available at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/continence/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration his Department has given to the potential role of a respiratory Modern Service Framework in reducing winter pressures on the NHS by improving outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illnesses such as flu.

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

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.

NHS England, working with the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and other partners, took action to reduce the impact of respiratory conditions on the National Health Service during the winter of 2025/26. Further details of the actions taken to reduce demand on acute services during winter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to improve NHS capacity in Accident and Emergency departments in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.

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

Decisions on the commissioning and configuration of local National Health Services, including accident and emergency (A&E) departments and urgent treatment centres, are the responsibility of integrated care boards, working with their local NHS trusts. These organisations are best placed to determine how services should operate to meet the needs of their local populations.

Within Slough and Berkshire, a range of steps have been taken over the past year to improve A&E capacity and patient flow. These include expansion of Same Day Emergency Care, improved discharge and community capacity, enhanced access to urgent care alternatives such as urgent treatment centres, and focused work on patient flow and ambulance handovers.

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 (a) prevalence and (b) impact of respiratory conditions on health outcomes in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Respiratory conditions are a leading cause of hospital admissions and the third biggest cause of death in England. Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Surrey Heath and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.

Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for the Surrey Heath unitary authority can be found at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/ati/501/iid/90933/age/314/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

The Fingertips data shows that on most respiratory indicators Surrey Heath is better than the England average.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the UK Health Security Agency has made of the public health risk associated with poliovirus detections in wastewater surveillance systems in the last 12 months.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency, working with the World Health Organization Polio Global Specialised Laboratory and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, conducts routine environmental surveillance for polio in England as part of our commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The purpose of the sewage surveillance is to provide an early warning system of poliovirus importations which may then lead to community transmission. More information on this surveillance system and reports of detections of note can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/polio-global-eradication-nac-and-environmental-surveillance/environmental-surveillance-for-polio

In 2025 there were three detections of Vaccine Derived Polio Virus type 2 (VDPV2), one in the Shoreham Sewage Treatment Works (STW) and two from the Sheffield Blackburn Meadows STW. In 2026, up to 26 March 2026, there have been two unrelated VDPV2 detections from the London Beckton STW. Evidence strongly suggest that all these detections are due to multiple independent importation events from unidentified sources and there is no evidence of local transmission. Accordingly, the overall risk to the public remains low.

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 role of community pharmacies in delivering a MenB vaccination catch-up programme for students and other at-risk groups.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started, with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North-West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old as well as the year-round Pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.

NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two and three year olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care as soon as practicable.

The Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England will continue to ensure arrangements are place to ensure that everyone who is eligible for MenB vaccination can access vaccinations via appropriate care routes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is considering commissioning MenB vaccination programmes through community pharmacies.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started, with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North-West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old as well as the year-round Pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.

NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two and three year olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care as soon as practicable.

The Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England will continue to ensure arrangements are place to ensure that everyone who is eligible for MenB vaccination can access vaccinations via appropriate care routes.

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 role community pharmacy could play in providing a MenB vaccine catch-up service to students and young people at risk.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North-West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old, as well as the year-round Pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.

NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two and three year olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as soon as practicable.

The Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England will continue to ensure arrangements are in place to ensure that everyone who is eligible for MenB vaccination can access vaccinations via appropriate care routes.

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 cost-effectiveness of commissioning a MenB vaccination programme through community pharmacy.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North-West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old, as well as the year-round Pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.

NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two and three year olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as soon as practicable.

The Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England will continue to ensure arrangements are in place to ensure that everyone who is eligible for MenB vaccination can access vaccinations via appropriate care routes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department would consider commissioning MenB vaccination programmes through community pharmacy.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North-West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old, as well as the year-round Pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.

NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two and three year olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as soon as practicable.

The Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England will continue to ensure arrangements are in place to ensure that everyone who is eligible for MenB vaccination can access vaccinations via appropriate care routes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support the Department is providing to families of children affected by trauma; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the Adoption Support Fund (ASGSF) on individuals that would benefit from that Fund.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care provides support through funding a range of health services, including targeted services, that can support children who are affected by physical and mental trauma.

For example, in December 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced a three-year pilot project to improve mental health support for children in care and their families. “Adoption support that works for all”, published in February, confirmed that this pilot will be designed so that it includes support for adoptive families.

The Department for Education revised criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) in April 2025 to ensure support for all those applying for ASGSF funding. An equalities impact assessment was published in July 2025. My Hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Families and Wellbeing, recently announced the continuation of the ASGSF for 2026 to 2028, and a consultation on the longer-term future of adoption support, including a call for evidence on what works for children and families.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the scope of the Torbay Hospital rebuild has been revised in the context of the 10-year health plan.

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

The scope of individual New Hospital Programme (NHP) schemes, including Torbay Hospital, are only confirmed and agreed through the approval of a Full Business Case. The NHP will build “right-sized” hospitals, based on consistent and robust assumptions appropriate for local health needs that supports the shift from hospital to community care. To support this, the programme has developed a National Health Service demand and capacity model reflecting demographic change, including population growth, which will inform future business case development.

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 phone companies on rates charged to the NHS for sending text messages.

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

The Department does not set or negotiate the rates charged to National Health Service organisations for sending text messages. Telephony and messaging services are procured locally by NHS bodies through established commercial arrangements, including framework agreements. Rates are set by suppliers in accordance with agreed contractual terms and published rate cards, providing a transparent and standardised basis for pricing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on improving continuity of care between secondary care and primary care following A&E attendance.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out clear ambitions as part of the 10-Year Health Plan around moving the National Health Service from analogue to digital, harnessing technology to allow patients to better manage their own care. The Medium Term Planning Framework reiterates this focus, including achieving full compliance with the minimum standards set out in the Digital Capabilities Framework.

NHS England is supporting integrated care boards and providers to improve information sharing and coordination at discharge from urgent and emergency care, so primary care teams have timely access to relevant clinical information and can arrange appropriate follow‑up.

This includes continued rollout of the NHS Federated Data Platform, which supports integrated care systems to connect data across urgent, acute, and community services, helping to improve care transitions and follow‑up after accident and emergency attendance.

We are continuing to work across Government to cut red tape and improve ways of working, including work to improve the patient experience at the interface of primary and secondary care.

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 cost-effectiveness of commissioning MenB vaccination programmes through community pharmacies.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started, with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North-West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old as well as the year-round Pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.

NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two and three year olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care as soon as practicable.

The Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England will continue to ensure arrangements are place to ensure that everyone who is eligible for MenB vaccination can access vaccinations via appropriate care routes.

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 estimate of the number of operations (a) cancelled and (b) delayed for longer than one month as a result of industrial action by resident doctors in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.

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

The Department does not hold data centrally on the number of operations cancelled or delayed for longer than one month specifically as a result of industrial action by resident doctors.

NHS England routinely publishes information on postponed inpatient and outpatient appointments during periods of industrial action, and this information will be published in due course. Further information will be available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/#heading-3

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been spent by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust on (a) legal fees and (b) other costs associated with terminating the employment of David Perrin and defending legal action brought by him.

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

National Health Service trusts are separate legal entities and handle their own employment matters in accordance with employment law and regulatory requirements. The Department does not centrally hold information on legal fees or other costs incurred by individual trusts in specific employment cases.

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 (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency compared with national averages; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally.

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

Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Harpenden and Berkhamsted and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.

Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Hertfordshire can be found at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E10000015/iid/90933/age/314/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.

Through our community diagnostic centres, we are building capacity for respiratory testing and enabling people to get diagnosed closer to home. 101 community diagnostic centres across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around busy working lives. This is alongside action being taken to expand capacity and improve the quality of pulmonary rehabilitation services to support patients living with respiratory condition.

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 number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in (a) South Warwickshire, (b) the West Midlands region, and (c) England.

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

NHS England routinely collects data on emergency admissions, including the chief complaint recorded at attendance.

In February 2026, there were 273,367 emergency admitted attendances in England, 14.9% of which recorded airway or breathing-related conditions as the chief complaint.

In the West Midlands, there were 57,805 emergency admitted attendances, with 15.8% relating to airway or breathing‑related conditions.

At the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, there were 2,025 emergency admitted attendances, 12.8% of which were for airway or breathing‑related conditions as the chief complaint.

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 levels of NHS funding for children living in areas of high deprivation and inequality.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and to ensuring that all children can access timely support that meets their health needs. We are delivering on the vision for neighbourhood health set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to babies, children, and young people. Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges so that children get support quickly, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

We are targeting resources where they are most needed. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are gradually ending the practice of providing deficit support funding and moving organisations to what is their fair share of National Health Service funding, worth £2.2 billion in 2025/26. This allows funding to be redirected more quickly to areas with the greatest health need across the country as part of integrated care board (ICB) allocations. We are also reviewing the general practice funding formula, the Carr-Hill formula, to ensure that resources are targeted most effectively.

ICBs are responsible for commissioning services that meet the diverse needs of their local populations, including children. All ICBs in England are required to have an Executive Lead for Children and Young People, to ensure the interests of children are reflected in decision-making. Further information on the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation and on ICB allocations for 2026/27 to 2028/29 is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/

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 radiotherapy for cancer patients in the West Midlands.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients have access to timely diagnosis and treatments, including those in the West Midlands.

Radiotherapy is vital in cancer care, and it remains a key priority for the Government to provide the highest quality of treatment available. We have invested £70 million of central funding into new radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These newer machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen over the same period.

Responsibility for purchasing new machines sits at the local level. Local providers have been allocated £15 billion in operational capital for local priorities, and £5 billion to support a return to constitutional standards on waiting times. We expect local systems to use this capital to deliver further investment into new radiotherapy equipment, to meet local needs, including for patients in the West Midlands.

Through the National Cancer Plan, we are modernising cancer services, expanding the workforce and tackling inequalities in access, so that all patients receive high-quality care regardless of where they live.

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 disparities in the early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Reducing disparities in the early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities. Core20Plus25 targets the most deprived 20% of the population and other underserved groups, prioritising five clinical areas where faster improvement can most effectively reduce health inequalities. This is a key way that the National Health Service will work to end variation in early diagnosis of breast cancer and ensure that access to the best diagnosis is possible for everyone.

We are determined to close inequalities in screening and early diagnosis for ethnic minority communities and underserved communities through our new Neighbourhood Early Diagnosis Fund, which is part of £200 million for Cancer Alliances.

The NHS in England collects and analyses data to identify disparities, including in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England is the cancer registry for England and collects data on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. The data collected captures a patient’s complete journey from referral, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, experience, and survival. NDRS’s strategic priorities focus on making data more timely and accessible, and better understanding health inequalities. To reduce unwarranted variation in outcomes for breast cancer patients, NHS England also funds National Clinical Audits, including for breast cancer. By analysing routine clinical data from NHS settings, these audits identify regional variations in care quality and establish best practices.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered integrating Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and overlapping conditions such as PoTS, Mast Cell Activation, ME/CFS and Long Covid into NHS service specifications and clinical frameworks to improve outcomes for people with EDS, HSD and related conditions.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that people with Ehlers‑Danlos syndromes (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and related conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, mast cell activation disorders, myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and Long Covid often experience complex, multisystem symptoms that require joined‑up care.

There is currently no single National Health Service service specification covering all these conditions collectively. However, care for people with EDS, HSD, and overlapping conditions is supported through a range of existing NHS service specifications, clinical guidelines, and frameworks. NHS England continues to keep service specifications and clinical frameworks under review to ensure they reflect emerging evidence and patient need.

The Department also recognises the concerns raised by patients and clinicians about craniocervical instability (CCI), particularly where it is suspected in people with EDS, HSD, and related conditions.

At present, the Department has not established a national multi‑disciplinary neurosurgical service for CCI. Neurosurgical services in England are commissioned by NHS England and are provided through established regional neuroscience centres, which already operate within multidisciplinary team arrangements to support complex spinal and neurological cases.

The evidence base for the diagnosis and surgical management of CCI remains limited and is an area of ongoing clinical debate. Decisions about service configuration, including whether to develop new national service models, must be informed by robust clinical evidence on effectiveness, safety, and patient outcomes, as well as by advice from NHS England and relevant clinical experts.

NHS England continues to keep specialised neurosurgical service arrangements under review, and patients with complex or rare presentations can be considered for assessment and management through existing specialist pathways. The Department will continue to work with NHS England and others to ensure that services for people with rare and complex conditions are safe, evidence‑based, and focused on improving patient outcomes.

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 merits of integrating (a) Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and (b) hypermobility spectrum disorders with overlapping conditions such as (i) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, (ii) Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and (iii) Long Covid in (A) NHS service specifications, (B) long-term condition strategies and (C) clinical frameworks.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (hEDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and overlapping conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and Long Covid can have a significant impact on people’s health and quality of life, and that symptoms may be complex, multisystem, and fluctuate over time.

In England, services for these conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards, which have a statutory responsibility to meet the needs of their populations. Care is typically delivered through existing primary, community, and secondary care pathways, including musculoskeletal, rehabilitation, pain, cardiology, neurology, and mental health services.

There is no single national service specification or clinical framework covering these conditions, reflecting the variability of presentations and the absence of definitive diagnostic tests for some conditions. These conditions are best managed through personalised, multidisciplinary care across existing services rather than a standardised national specification or framework.

More broadly, the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out reforms to improve care for people living with long‑term and complex conditions, including greater use of multidisciplinary teams, improved coordination between services, and a shift towards more personalised, community‑based care, which will benefit people with hEDS, HSD and related conditions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what average waiting times were for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus in West Dorset constituency in the last 12 months.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.

Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.

At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what average waiting times were for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus in the last 12 months.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.

Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.

At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.

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 impact of the timing of the start of the rollout of fracture liaison services on whether there will be full coverage of those services across England by 2030.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.

Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.

Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative 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 economic impact on UK businesses of any restriction or ban on ashwagandha food supplements; and whether that impact has been considered as part of the Food Standards Agency's risk management process.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not assessed the economic impact on United Kingdom businesses of any restriction or ban on ashwagandha for use in food supplements. Legislation on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods sets out the legal framework for the use of substances such as ashwagandha in food supplements, with further information available at the following link:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02006R1925-20190515

Scientific assessments of food safety risks are carried out by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA has asked its expert committee, the Committee on Toxicity (COT), to assess the available scientific evidence on the safety of food supplements containing ashwagandha. This work is ongoing and focuses on potential risks to human health. It is outside the remit of COT to look at economic impact.

A subsequent risk management decision would be informed by this scientific evidence and would consider actions that are proportionate and necessary to protect public health. This would be a matter for the Department and the devolved administrations to consider together once that scientific advice is available.

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 diagnostic pathways for patients presenting with suspected (a) hypermobility spectrum disorders and (b) hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndromes in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that timely and accurate diagnosis of hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and hypermobile Ehlers‑Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is important in supporting people to access appropriate care and management, including people in Surrey Heath.

Responsibility for the planning and delivery of diagnostic pathways sits with local National Health Service integrated care boards, working with primary, community, and secondary care services to meet the needs of their populations.

The EDS GP Toolkit, which was developed by the Royal College of General Practitioners in collaboration with Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, supports the diagnosis of HSD and hEDS by providing primary care clinicians with practical, evidence‑based guidance on recognising hypermobility‑related conditions, applying established clinical diagnostic criteria, and distinguishing between HSD, hEDS, and other causes of joint hypermobility.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the UK Health Security Agency has made of the levels of lead exposure of populations living near historic lead mines.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not specifically assessed exposures to lead in communities living near historic lead mines in England. This is because the UKHSA advises regulators and other stakeholders on the overall health risk assessment process but does not have a statutory role in relation to contaminated land.

The UKHSA is a partner in the Elevated Childhood Lead Interagency Prevalence Study, which was set up to determine the prevalence of elevated levels of lead in children in Leeds. It is envisaged that this study may inform the feasibility of a lead screening programme in children.

The UKHSA is also evaluating current background exposure to lead and other environmental pollutants. A human biomonitoring module was implemented into the NHS Health Survey for England 2022 to 2023 programme. Data on background levels of heavy metals, including lead, in the population samples are expected to be published in Autumn 2026. These data may allow us to determine if there are areas of England where exposures are above average.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered establishing a national multi‑disciplinary team for neurosurgery for craniocervical instability (CCI) to improve outcomes for people with EDS, HSD and related conditions.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that people with Ehlers‑Danlos syndromes (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and related conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, mast cell activation disorders, myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and Long Covid often experience complex, multisystem symptoms that require joined‑up care.

There is currently no single National Health Service service specification covering all these conditions collectively. However, care for people with EDS, HSD, and overlapping conditions is supported through a range of existing NHS service specifications, clinical guidelines, and frameworks. NHS England continues to keep service specifications and clinical frameworks under review to ensure they reflect emerging evidence and patient need.

The Department also recognises the concerns raised by patients and clinicians about craniocervical instability (CCI), particularly where it is suspected in people with EDS, HSD, and related conditions.

At present, the Department has not established a national multi‑disciplinary neurosurgical service for CCI. Neurosurgical services in England are commissioned by NHS England and are provided through established regional neuroscience centres, which already operate within multidisciplinary team arrangements to support complex spinal and neurological cases.

The evidence base for the diagnosis and surgical management of CCI remains limited and is an area of ongoing clinical debate. Decisions about service configuration, including whether to develop new national service models, must be informed by robust clinical evidence on effectiveness, safety, and patient outcomes, as well as by advice from NHS England and relevant clinical experts.

NHS England continues to keep specialised neurosurgical service arrangements under review, and patients with complex or rare presentations can be considered for assessment and management through existing specialist pathways. The Department will continue to work with NHS England and others to ensure that services for people with rare and complex conditions are safe, evidence‑based, and focused on improving patient outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what average waiting times were for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus in the South West in the last 12 months.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.

Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.

At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.

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 improve the diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus in the NHS.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.

Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.

At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to establish a metastatic breast cancer data taskforce to (a) identify barriers to data collection, (b) share best practice and (c) monitor progress on improving data completeness across England.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the importance of robust and timely data on people diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer to support service planning and improve outcomes.

The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England collects, curates, quality assures, and analyses data about people with cancer across the whole of England. The NDRS data improvement team is working with National Health Service trusts to provide support and guidance to improve their reporting of non-primary cancers, focused on the specific recurrence and progression data fields included in the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset.

The recently published National Cancer Plan for England sets out an ambition to define and count recurrent cancers, starting with metastatic breast cancer. This provides a unique opportunity to identify barriers to data collection, share best practice, and monitor progress on improving data completeness across England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for the NHS to do cardiac testing on young people.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises how worrying heart health can be for the families of young people. The National Health Service already offers cardiac tests for young people who present with symptoms that could indicate a cardiac issue. Testing young people who have no symptoms in order to look for potential cardiac problems would, however, be classed as a screening programme.

In considering whether any screening programme should be introduced, the Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. Where the committee is confident that offering screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.

The UK NSC last reviewed screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019. The conclusion of that review was that population screening should not be offered, as research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use on young people with no symptoms.

The UK NSC is due to open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death this spring, and we would encourage those with an interest to contribute.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the definition of substantial discount will be under the Tobacco and Vapes Act and how it will be enforced.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is currently no restriction on the free distribution of samples of nicotine or non-nicotine vapes. It is completely unacceptable that a child could be given a harmful product that could lead them to a lifetime of addiction.

That is why the Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduces a ban on businesses giving away any tobacco, herbal smoking, vaping, or nicotine products, as well as cigarette papers, to a member of the public.

To support this, it will also be an offence to sell one of these products at a substantial discount. The bill does not give a definition of what constitutes a substantial discount because this will be different depending on the product and circumstances in question. However, further guidance will be provided after the bill becomes law.

Enforcement action will be taken by the relevant enforcement authority if businesses do not comply.

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 develop a national plan for a sudden unexplained death in childhood plan.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the devastating impact of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities. There are currently no plans to develop a national plan for SUDC. However, during a recent Westminster Hall Debate on this issue, I highlighted the Government’s commitment to strengthening pathology services, ensuring high-quality bereavement support, and growing the evidence base.

A national programme to strengthen National Health Service perinatal and paediatric pathology services was launched in 2022 to help reduce waitlists for death certification and access to screening, alongside additional funding to expand training posts.

We are encouraging research applications on any aspect of SUDC through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, alongside supporting the National Child Mortality Database which is improving our understanding of deaths in children over the age of one years old. Continued support and information for bereaved families is provided through the When a Child Dies leaflet, which is available at the following link:

https://www.ncmd.info/publications/when-a-child-dies-a-guide-for-parents-and-carers/

The When a Child Dies leaflet was updated in 2025 to include refreshed bereavement guidance and links to organisations such as SUDC UK and the Lullaby Trust. Families are also assigned a key worker to guide them through the child death review process and to help them access appropriate support and services. Further bereavement support can be found on the NHS help page, Get help with grief after bereavement or loss, and the GOV.UK page, What to do after someone dies: Bereavement help and support, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-bereavement-loss/

https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/bereavement-help-and-support

NHS Bereavement support is commissioned locally to help ensure services are shaped around the needs of their community. Anyone affected by SUDC is encouraged to contact their general practice, who can offer advice and refer them to local bereavement support services. We are also exploring options to ensure parents and professionals can access appropriate information and signposting, including via the NHS website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of families are eligible to participate in the Healthy Start scheme.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We do not hold data on the proportion of families eligible to participate in the Healthy Start Scheme. As of 26 March 2026, there were 354,989 people on the digital scheme across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household.

The data includes the number of people on the digital scheme, formerly entitled beneficiaries, who have been accepted onto the scheme through an online application and issued a prepaid card at a specific point in time. This includes the number of children under the age of four years old and the number of pregnancies over ten weeks.

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 increase public awareness of the health risks associated with inhaling nitrous oxide.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Association to develop lesson plans on drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, which include specific references to the dangers of nitrous oxide. The lesson plans target primary and secondary students, teaching them how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. They are available at the following link:

https://pshe-association.org.uk/drugeducation

The Government also has a drug and information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug and alcohol misuse and its harms by providing awareness to young people, parents, and concerned others. Information on nitrous oxide and the danger of its misuse is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/nitrous-oxide

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 stroke rehabilitation provision across England; and what steps are being taken to reduce regional disparities in access to specialist rehabilitation services for stroke survivors.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities, and foster innovation where it is needed most.

The National Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS) Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.

The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home. NHS England continues to provide the national clinical leadership needed to transform services so there is less fragmented provision, moving from separate delivery of early supported discharge and separate community stroke teams to integrated teams delivering the ICSS model.

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 prevent the advertising of vapes and tobacco products alongside items such as toys and sweets in retail settings; and what assessment he has made of the potential steps of further restricting advertisements to ensure such products are not marketed in a way that could appeal to children.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Evidence shows that comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising have had a significant impact on reducing consumption, but partial bans have had no significant effect. This is why most forms of advertising and promotion of tobacco products are already banned under the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002. These products are also hidden from display in most retail settings to protect children and young people from the harms of tobacco.

We know that vapes and other nicotine products are being deliberately branded and advertised to appeal to children, and it is concerning that youth vaping has more than doubled over the past five years.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children and will extend current tobacco advertising restrictions to vaping products and nicotine products. The bill also gives us the powers to make regulations to restrict the display of these products in stores. We will consult on display proposals later this year.

The Government has published a thorough impact assessment of the measures included in the bill, including on the prohibition on the advertising of vaping and nicotine products. The Government will monitor the impact of these restrictions following their implementation.

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 support the adoption of new (a) treatments and (b) innovations for respiratory conditions across NHS services in Surrey.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Improving respiratory care for both adults and children remains a priority, and this forms part of the Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Boards’s CORE20Plus5 ambitions for both adults, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and children and young people, for asthma.

Recent areas of focus have included implementing new asthma prescribing guidelines and providing resources to primary care colleagues to support regular reviews in relation to prescribing, which supports reducing admissions and the delivery of respiratory care.

Work is also underway, as part of developing the Surrey Joint Strategic Needs Analysis, in relation to priority populations and key neighbourhoods, including people living in close proximity to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, as well as the M25, where there tends to be higher levels of respiratory illness.

In addition, considering wider risk factors, the integrated care board is working closely with public health to ensure smoking cessation support is available to everyone in Surrey, including those with respiratory conditions. Other related initiatives include joint work with partners to improve aspects of asthma care and recently launching the lung cancer screening programme in Surrey to support earlier detection.

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 tackle increases in the level of kidney disease.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease. Eight commissioned regional renal clinical networks are implementing the renal service transformation toolkit in collaboration with providers, with a clear focus on improving early diagnosis, slowing disease progression, and reducing the number of patients reaching advanced stages of kidney disease. This work is supported nationally by the Renal Clinical Reference Group.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease are closely linked, with shared risk factors, as well as being risk factors for each other. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework. As part of its development, officials are also considering opportunities for earlier identification and diagnosis of CKD and are engaging widely to identify the best evidenced interventions.

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 ICBs provide an annual health check to adults with cerebral palsy.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to making sure that people with cerebral palsy receive quality care. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on cerebral palsy in adults, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119

The guidance recommends that people with cerebral palsy should have an annual review of their clinical and functional needs, carried out by a healthcare professional with expertise in neurodisabilities. This review should consider mobility, communication, pain, mental and physical health, participation, and any new or changing support needs.

While NICE guidelines are not mandatory, they reflect best practice, and the Government expects healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time. Recommendations in NICE guidance are based on rigorous clinical and economic evidence and ensure that services are both clinically effective and cost‑effective, and support more consistent, sustainable care across the country.

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 ensure that any risk management decision on ashwagandha food supplements is proportionate to the available evidence and preserves consumer access to a herb with thousands of years of documented safe use.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not assessed the economic impact on United Kingdom businesses of any restriction or ban on ashwagandha for use in food supplements. Legislation on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods sets out the legal framework for the use of substances such as ashwagandha in food supplements, with further information available at the following link:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02006R1925-20190515

Scientific assessments of food safety risks are carried out by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA has asked its expert committee, the Committee on Toxicity (COT), to assess the available scientific evidence on the safety of food supplements containing ashwagandha. This work is ongoing and focuses on potential risks to human health. It is outside the remit of COT to look at economic impact.

A subsequent risk management decision would be informed by this scientific evidence and would consider actions that are proportionate and necessary to protect public health. This would be a matter for the Department and the devolved administrations to consider together once that scientific advice is available.

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 coordinated care for patients living with multiple long-term conditions with overlapping symptomatology in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that people living with multiple long‑term conditions with overlapping symptoms can face challenges in navigating health services, including in Surrey Heath, and that coordinated, person‑centred care is essential to improving outcomes.

Responsibility for planning and delivering coordinated care for people with multiple long‑term conditions sits with local National Health Service integrated care boards, working with primary, community, mental health, and secondary care services to meet the needs of their local populations.

Nationally, the NHS is taking a number of steps to improve coordination of care for people with complex and multiple long‑term conditions. These include the development of integrated neighbourhood teams, expanded multidisciplinary working, personalised care and support planning, and greater use of primary care networks to coordinate care across services. These approaches are intended to reduce fragmentation and improve continuity for patients with overlapping symptomatology.

NHS England continues to support integrated care systems to design services that better join up care for people with long‑term and complex conditions, and the Department will continue to work with the NHS to improve access to coordinated, high‑quality care across England, including in Surrey Heath.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the development of national linkable datasets for screening programmes will enable uptake data to be reported by (a) ethnicity and (b) level of deprivation.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our NHS Screening Programmes can save lives and reduce ill health by finding out if people have a higher chance of having a health problem, so that early treatment can be offered, or information can be given to help them make informed decisions.

NHS England is currently leading an ambitious transformation programme in screening, building new digital services for the National Health Service, by the NHS, designed to improve staff and participant experience. This work includes activity designed to improve the consistent capture and reporting of data on screening uptake by ethnicity and deprivation level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the uptake figures were for the Healthy Start scheme in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We do not hold data on the proportion of families eligible to participate in the Healthy Start Scheme. As of 26 March 2026, there were 354,989 people on the digital scheme across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household.

The data includes the number of people on the digital scheme, formerly entitled beneficiaries, who have been accepted onto the scheme through an online application and issued a prepaid card at a specific point in time. This includes the number of children under the age of four years old and the number of pregnancies over ten weeks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of postal delays on national screening programmes, including bowel, cervical and breast cancer screening.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our National Health Service screening programmes reduce mortality and morbidity from cancer and other conditions in the population who appear healthy and have no symptoms, by detecting conditions at an earlier, more treatable stage.

Bowel cancer screening relies on the provision of faecal immunochemical test (FIT) home testing kits to those eligible people. The bowel cancer screening hubs have a contract in place which includes 48 hour tracked returns via Royal Mail. This allows participants to return completed FIT kits, which must then be tested within 14 days of completion. Adherence to the 48-hour return is monitored within the contract by NHS trusts. If a kit is returned after 14 days, it cannot be tested so a new kit is sent out to the participant.

Multiple incidents of late returns by Royal Mail, some of up to a month, have been reported across England. However, there is no evidence from customer contact centre that enquiries and complaints on this issue have been increasing.

Since June 2025, invitations have been digitised and we are using the NHS App and text messaging. The figures for January and February 2026 show that approximately 100,000, or 11%, of all invitations are sent via Royal Mail.

Since October 2025, normal result correspondence has been digitised using NHS App. Figures for January and February 2026 show that approximately 207,000, 38%, of normal results are sent via Royal Mail.

We will be digitising correspondence for results requiring referral for further assessment by the end of March 2026 using the NHS App. Currently, these results are sent out by first class business mail which is prioritised by Royal Mail, which will continue if it is not possible to send by the NHS App.

Cervical screening sample takers, for example, general practice nurses, are flagging with patients that results may be sent to them via the NHS App and are encouraging them to switch on notifications on the app.

Providers have reported delays in invitations for screening and assessment appointments being delivered. Where receipt has been very close to, or after the appointment date, another appointment has been made.

Providers send out SMS text message reminders ahead of appointments, which should potentially reduce the impact of delayed post.

Additionally, where providers are aware of local postal delays, they have been advised to telephone women ahead of appointment, particularly in the case of assessment appointments. Some services have also introduced digital invitation letters at a local level.

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 available (a) clinical and (b) cost-effectiveness evidence on including spinal muscular atrophy in the newborn screening programme.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the challenges faced by those living with rare diseases and their families and is committed to improving outcomes. This is why the National Health Service is planning a large-scale in-service evaluation (ISE) of screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in newborn screening services.

Following a recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee to gather further evidence in live NHS settings, an ISE of newborn screening for SMA is being planned. The research component of the ISE is being commissioned through the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Technology Assessment Programme and will assess the clinical benefits and potential harms of screening for SMA, as well as its cost-effectiveness for the NHS, to inform future decision-making.

The ISE, which was due to start in January 2027, will now start three months earlier, in October 2026. The evidence from this ISE will inform a decision on whether to extend the NHS newborn blood spot screening programme and include screening for SMA.

We are aware that families are concerned that the evaluation will only cover part of the country and as such some babies may be diagnosed too late for effective treatment. We have asked our officials to work at pace to determine if the ISE can be expanded to cover all of England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures are in place to support those recovering from long-term COVID-related condition.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is aware that post-acute infection conditions, such as Long Covid, can have a devastating effect on those who suffer from them. We are committed to taking a comprehensive and compassionate approach to supporting individuals with post-acute infection conditions such as Long Covid, recognising the unique challenges these conditions present.

NHS England has invested significantly in supporting people with Long Covid. This includes setting up specialist post- Covid, or Long Covid, services nationwide for adults, and children and young people, and investing in ensuring general practice teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.

Since April 2024, in line with the National Health Service operating framework and the establishment of integrated care systems, commissioning of post-COVID services has been the responsibility of local integrated care boards to meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding.

Where referral into a Long Covid service is not possible, for example because a service has closed or is due to close, general practitioners can refer patients into other appropriate existing NHS pathways, depending on their clinical needs.

To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to establish the International Post Covid and Post Infection Conditions Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by Long Covid.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to set a target for reducing smoking among people living in social housing.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to delivering a smoke-free United Kingdom where no one is left behind. We are supporting current smokers to quit, particularly amongst priority groups such as those living in social housing, where smoking prevalence remains higher. We are investing an additional £260 million over three years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in local Stop Smoking Services through the Public Health Grant, meaning at least £153 million per year will be ringfenced for these services.

As part of the conditions of the Public Health Grant, local authorities are expected to meet a minimum standard of delivery by aiming to support at least 5% of their local smoking population to quit, ensuring effective reach across priority groups, including people living in social housing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to support smokers who live in social housing to quit.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to delivering a smoke-free United Kingdom where no one is left behind. We are supporting current smokers to quit, particularly amongst priority groups such as those living in social housing, where smoking prevalence remains higher. We are investing an additional £260 million over three years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in local Stop Smoking Services through the Public Health Grant, meaning at least £153 million per year will be ringfenced for these services.

As part of the conditions of the Public Health Grant, local authorities are expected to meet a minimum standard of delivery by aiming to support at least 5% of their local smoking population to quit, ensuring effective reach across priority groups, including people living in social housing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in England with epilepsy who experience tonic-clonic seizures and are not seizure-free despite treatment.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data the number of people in England with epilepsy who continue to experience tonic‑clonic seizures despite treatment. Detailed national data on seizure type, seizure frequency, and individual treatment response are not routinely collected centrally.

However, independent prevalence studies indicate that approximately one‑third of people with epilepsy have drug‑resistant epilepsy, meaning their seizures are not fully controlled despite appropriate treatment. For some of these individuals, seizures may include ongoing tonic‑clonic seizures, although the specific proportion varies depending on factors such as epilepsy type, underlying cause, and access to specialist care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the UK National Screening Committee will complete its review of its recommendation not to screen children for lead poisoning.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises how concerning lead exposure can be for parents and carers and remains committed to reducing the risk to children. Lead levels are therefore kept under stringent control, and exposures to lead in water, air, and/or food are reduced to the lowest practical level to minimise any risk to health.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) will only make a positive recommendation to screen where it is confident there is robust evidence that screening provides more good than harm. In 2018, the committee reviewed the evidence for screening children for lead poisoning and recommended not to screen at that time because:

- treatments for children with mild symptoms have not been proven to be effective and may also cause harm;

- the number of children affected in the United Kingdom is currently not known; and

- the test was not reliable enough.

The UK NSC is planning to review the evidence for screening children for lead poisoning and will undertake an evidence map, which is the first step in the evidence review process. This work is on the UK NSC’s 2026/27 workplan.

Anyone who is worried that they or their child may have been exposed to a high level of lead is advised to speak to their doctor. The local public health team can also offer advice, including practical steps to avoid further lead exposure and information on any treatment that may be needed.

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 4 November 2025 to Question 85312 on Chemicals: Health and Wildlife, when the UK Health Security Agency plans to publish biomonitoring data on the exposure of UK citizens to flame retardants.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As a result of the Human Biomonitoring for Europe work carried out by the UK Health Security Agency in collaboration with Imperial College London, a human biomonitoring module was implemented into the NHS Health Survey for England 2022-2023 programme. Samples collected in this study are currently being analysed to ascertain exposure within England to a number of priority substances.

Data on background levels of flame retardants in the population samples are expected to be published in Autumn 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that osteoporosis in women is not underdiagnosed or treated as a normal consequence of ageing within NHS services.

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

We recognise that women are at greater risk of osteoporosis due to the decrease in oestrogen production at the menopause, which accelerates bone loss.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research has published a clinical knowledge summary on osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures, which is designed to support healthcare professionals in the early diagnosis of osteoporosis.

The Royal College of General Practitioners has an e-learning module for general practitioners on the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis, which was developed in collaboration with the Royal Osteoporosis Society. The e-learning module supports the early diagnosis of osteoporosis by highlighting which groups are at higher risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. The module also discusses the monitoring of patients at risk of fragility fractures.

Since 2022, two new drugs have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for the treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, namely abaloparatide and romosozumab. These medications help to strengthen the bones and prevent bone loss, reducing the risk of fractures.

The renewed women’s health strategy commits to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) nationwide by 2030, recognising FLS as a proven, evidence-based approach to preventing secondary fractures, particularly for women aged 50 years old and over who have experienced a fragility fracture.

The strategy expects FLSs to be integrated with wider local services, including community diagnostic centres, neighbourhood health centres, women’s health hubs, rehabilitation services, and falls and frailty services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 24 March (HL15443), what steps they have taken in the past year to meet their legal duty to keep under review the question of when uncommenced legislation concerning health and social care should be brought into force.

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

Policy teams within the Department of Health and Social Care keep the commencement and implementation of legislation under review. In line with established processes, we are in contact with the Health and Social Care Committee in the House of Commons to undertake required post-legislative scrutiny of relevant legislation, which includes a review of the operation of the legislation, and highlighting any measures not commenced and plans to commence them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 24 March (HL15339), whether they have plans to discuss with the charity Anthony Nolan the potential for children and young people with non-malignant conditions, who travel long distances to receive stem cell transplants and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, to be included in the new travel cost scheme.

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

Through the National Cancer Plan for England, the Government is committing up to £10 million a year to a new fund open to all children and young people in England with cancer and their families regardless of income, to support them with the cost of travelling to and from their treatment. This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.

The Department is currently working with its partners to define the scope and parameters of the scheme and further detail will be announced in due course.

Currently, the National Health Service runs schemes in England to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist treatment or diagnostics tests, following referral from a primary healthcare professional. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. The Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services provide funded transport where it is considered essential to ensuring an individual’s safety, safe mobilisation, condition management, or recovery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what executive powers will be held by the newly appointed Mayoral Health Commissioners in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire; and how these roles will facilitate improvements in health outcomes in the absence of formal powers over NHS Integrated Care Boards.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently announced plans for NHS England to appoint new National Health Service integrated care board chairs in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, who will also serve as the Mayor’s Health Commissioner.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill allows a commissioner to be delegated some functions of the combined authority, if considered necessary.

Reporting jointly to the health service and democratically elected local mayors, these new leaders will be expected to mobilise partners locally to improve health outcomes for the local population, including by supporting delivery of the three key shifts we have set out in the 10-Year Plan: from hospital to community; from sickness to prevention; and from analogue to digital. No additional NHS performance indicators have been set centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what performance metrics and key performance indicators will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the new powers granted to the Mayors of Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire under the recent health devolution deals.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently announced plans for NHS England to appoint new National Health Service integrated care board chairs in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, who will also serve as the Mayor’s Health Commissioner.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill allows a commissioner to be delegated some functions of the combined authority, if considered necessary.

Reporting jointly to the health service and democratically elected local mayors, these new leaders will be expected to mobilise partners locally to improve health outcomes for the local population, including by supporting delivery of the three key shifts we have set out in the 10-Year Plan: from hospital to community; from sickness to prevention; and from analogue to digital. No additional NHS performance indicators have been set centrally.

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 merits of extending eligibility for the meningococcal B vaccination to children and young people who were not eligible for the routine infant immunisation programme introduced in 2015.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school years 9 and 10. However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as Meningitis B (MenB), can circulate among young adults.

Decisions on vaccination programmes follow independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI does not currently recommend a routine MenB booster vaccination for adolescents and young adults, however the JCVI routinely reviews new evidence as it emerges and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked them to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines.

The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers, and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency, co-branded with the National Health Service, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many new Fracture Liaison Services have been established since July 2024.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services (FLSs) across every part of the country by 2030.

The Department does not routinely collect data on the number of FLSs. The Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme, which includes a dedicated FLS database, is a clinical audit of fracture prevention care, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians. The FLS database collects, measures, and reports on the care provided by FLSs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It does not include opening and closing dates of FLSs but provides an annual snapshot of the number of FLSs that have submitted data. The database is available at the following link:

https://www.fffap.org.uk/FLS/charts.nsf/benchmarks?ReadForm&yr=2025&vw=BALL&org1=

The Royal College of Physicians publishes an annual report on FLSs in England and Wales, which is available at the following link:

https://www.rcp.ac.uk/95436

Found: with digital technology suppliers HC 640 26th Tackling Violence against Women and Girls HC 644 25th DHSC

Found: One question DHSC has entirely 1 Page 9 of the consultation 2 If we were writing this later in the summer

Found: www.parliament.uk/lords Baroness Merron Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department of Health and Social Care

Found: of the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care

Found: the moment I think the ammonia issue is very much within DEFRA, but if we had the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: health effects studies, and I have been an adviser to DEFRA and its predecessor Departments and to DHSC

Found: cross-departmental collaboration between the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Aligning NEET responsibilities across DfE–DWP–DHSC This mirrors the view that fragmentation and variable

Found: for the new hospitals ranges from 1% to 34%, an average increase of 12%.40 34 Q 47 35 Letter from DHSC

Found: Fund, jointly governed by the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: As the Chief Medical Officer (Department of Health and Social Care and MoJ, 2025) identifies: ‘a core

Found: central co-ordination is probably going to be a conclusion when the covid inquiry comes out, with DHSC

Found: children to recognise what is advertising and what is independent content.x We have identified that DHSC

Found: My research is funded by the NIHR, which is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found:  Existing Liabilities Scheme (DHSC) – pre-1995 clinical liabilities of NHS organisations.

Found: In order to preserve its independence the Redress Agency would not be a creature of DHSC but to preserve

Found: We heard from the DHSC and NHS England that it is in development and these ancillary services such

Found: A recent news article suggested that the “Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) [had] proposed

Found: Letter from Baroness Merron (DHSC) to Lord Carlile of Berriew re: Tobacco and Vapes Bill, 16 March 2026

Found: We have not seen any kind of workforce plan from DHSC to try to support this.

Found: We have not seen any kind of workforce plan from DHSC to try to support this.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses and levels of employment.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses. Responsibility for healthcare service provision sits with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS bodies.

The Government’s priority is to ensure that affected workers are supported, and the Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to provide assistance through Jobcentre Plus and its Rapid Response Service where required. The Government continues to work with local partners to understand and mitigate any wider impacts on employment in affected areas.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has the Department made of the potential merits of funeral directors becoming a a) licensable or b) inspectable activity under existing environmental health frameworks.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has the department made of the adequacy of environmental health inspections with regard to the case of Elkin & Bell Funeral Directors, Portsmouth Crown Court 2026.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data does the department collect on environmental health breaches associated with a) poor hygiene, b) storage of bodies or c) handling practices in funeral premises.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has the department made of possible regulatory gaps concerning funeral directors with particular regard to a) environmental health and b) public safety.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of standards of environmental health particular to funeral directors as settings which could impact public health.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder on SEND provision.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is prioritising early, local support for families by strengthening family services and access to high quality early education for children with additional needs. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education are working together through the 10 Year Health Plan, Best Start Family Hubs, Healthy Babies and neighbourhood health. New clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment released in November includes guidance on supporting mothers to reduce alcohol use to improve maternal outcomes.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the governance and accountability of the NHS Business Services Authority.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Cabinet Office Ministers have not met with DHSC to discuss the governance and accountability of the NHS Business Services Authority.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will issue guidance to local authorities and other public bodies on the retention of historic records that may be relevant to investigations into group-based child sexual exploitation.

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

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the risk that relevant records may have been destroyed before formal retention notices were issued; and what steps she has taken to ensure no loss of material occurs.

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

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of whether all relevant public bodies have taken the necessary steps to preserve records that may be required by the independent inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what systems her department has put in place to ensure that local authorities, police forces and other agencies cannot delete or destroy records that may be relevant to the independent inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government regarding the operation of cross-border ophthalmology care between England and Wales.

Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Whilst Health is a devolved matter, the Secretary of State for Wales has regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that primary and secondary school pupils in Greater Manchester are provided with nutritious, healthy and minimally processed food in schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We are consulting on proposed updates to the school food standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including at breakfast and lunch, better reflects current nutritional guidance and supports children’s health, wellbeing and learning. The consultation will run for nine weeks, closing on 12 June 2026. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework.

We have worked with the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care and consulted health and academic experts on the issue of ultra-processed foods, to ensure all changes are evidence-based. We know that many products classified as ultra-processed foods are often high in free sugars, saturated fats and/or salt, and it is levels of these which we are trying to reduce, including processed meats, confectionery and savoury snacks.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research into myalgic encephalomyelitis.

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

UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020.

MRC is working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to deliver on agreed actions from the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan. This includes funding strategic initiatives to increase research capacity and hosting engagement events to bring together research funders, commercial and academic researchers and patient representatives.

In November 2025, DHSC, NIHR and UKRI, co-hosted a research showcase to discuss and explore the ongoing research in the fields of ME/CFS and long COVID. MRC continues to liaise with the ME/CFS research community to support future applicants.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the use of cross-border treatments to reduce waiting times for glaucoma care and the associated risk of irreversible sight loss.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Whilst Health is a devolved matter, I have regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. Both the UK and Welsh Governments support improvements in patient access and drive down waiting lists as a key priority. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of patient travel requirements for cross-border ophthalmology care on levels of treatment refusal and delayed care.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Whilst Health is a devolved matter, I have regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. Both the UK and Welsh Governments support improvements in patient access and drive down waiting lists as a key priority. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (2026). The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England.

Found: Ombudsman Chair, Pensions Regulator Chair, Social Security Advisory Committee Department of Health and Social Care

Found: statistics publication from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, part of the Department of Health and Social Care

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

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

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

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

Found: (DHSC) - Guidance for compliance with criterion 3: antimicrobial use in the Health

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Found: statistics publication from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, part of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care