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 cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to asylum seekers.

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

DHSC and NHSE do not hold the information requested. The overall management of people seeking asylum is a matter for the Home Office.

The NHS is a residency-based system; this means that people who do not live here on a lawful, settled basis must contribute to the cost of their care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of bureaucracy for trusts participating in the national provider improvement programme.

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

The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.

NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.

The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what factors led to the decision to exclude (1) University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, (2) Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, (3) Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (4) Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (5) Medway NHS Foundation Trust, and (6) Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, from the intensive recovery programme; and whether that exclusion is based on an assessment of improved performance since 4 March.

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

The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.

NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.

The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria or performance improvements will determine whether a trust included in the national provider improvement programme will be (1) included in the intensive recovery programme, or (2) removed from intensive oversight.

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

The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.

NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.

The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to implement recommendation nine of the Infected Blood Inquiry's report.

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

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.

This includes peer review of UK comprehensive care centres, which has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.

The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, will be shared with the NHSE Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to Integrated Care Boards and Trust Boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and ask for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.

The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in, and act upon peer review findings.

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 the performance of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium on improving the treatment of glioblastoma brain tumours.

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

The Department invests over £1.7 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

We are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress and build scientific capacity to do research on brain cancer.

In January 2026, the NIHR announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours - ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.

Activity is still in the early stages of delivery however, we will ensure that the impact of these investments reaches patients as quickly as possible.

Information on all awards will be made available on NIHR Funding and Awards pages in due course. NIHR is working to ensure that new investments can get up and running as soon as possible.

In addition, the NIHR continues to strongly encourage brain cancer research applications through its regular funding opportunities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department made of the potential merits of including a Director of Midwifery on the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce.

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

When setting up the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, careful consideration has been given to ensuring a diversity of experience, region, and discipline across the maternity and neonatal system.

We recognise that the inclusion of midwifery perspectives and expertise is vital to developing an action plan that drives real, lasting change. For example, its membership includes the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, and the Chief Midwifery Officer at the Norwegian Directorate of Health.

The taskforce will also be supported by a wider range of experts as part of expert reference groups that will bring broader views and perspectives. This includes a dedicated workforce, clinical, and academic group, bringing together Directors of Midwifery with other senior and frontline professionals, ensuring the taskforce benefits from a wide range of perspectives. Other groups span charitable and grassroots organisations, families and seldom heard voices, and regulatory and investigatory bodies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Mast Cell Activation Syndrome is recognised within NHS England; whether national diagnostic guidelines for MCAS are being developed, including in relation to its association with neurological, psychiatric and autonomic conditions such as dysautonomia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken for diagnosis of patients presenting with multisystem inflammatory, allergic and autonomic symptoms.

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

NHS England recognises mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and that patients may experience a spectrum of clinical presentations and symptoms making diagnosis challenging.

NHS England is considering publishing guidance to help integrated care commission services locally that meet the needs for people with MCAS.

The Department has published the 10-Year Health Plan which will shift care out of hospitals and into virtual and neighbourhood services in the community. Planned care will be more efficient and patients will wait less time for their care.

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 national awareness, research, and coordination of work relating to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC).

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. I addressed this issue during a recent Westminster Hall Debate, underlining the Government’s commitment to strengthening pathology services, ensuring high-quality bereavement support, and growing the evidence base.

To help reduce waitlists for death certification and access to screening, in 2022 NHS England launched a national programme to strengthen National Health Service perinatal and paediatric pathology services.

SUDC is an under-researched area. Through the National Child Mortality Database, we have a growing body of data on child deaths to support high‑quality research that can improve understanding. The Government welcomes research applications on any aspect of child health, including SUDC, through the National Institute of Health and Care Research.

Parents who have lost a child to SUDC should be able to access the advice and support that they need. 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, allowing services to be shaped around the needs of local communities. For anyone seeking help after a bereavement, we encourage them to speak to their general practitioners, who can advise on and refer into local bereavement support services. Department officials are also exploring opportunities to include signposting on the NHS website to SUDC UK, to ensure families have access to information when they need it most.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the intensive recovery programme replaced the national provider improvement programme (NPIP); and if so, what assessment they have made of the impact of the programme changes on the stability of the NHS trusts identified for intervention as part of the NPIP.

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

The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.

NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.

The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research published by PSE Healthy Energy and Stanford University in Environmental Research Letters on 25 March on the harmfully high levels of benzene measured in UK homes emitted by gas cooktops.

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

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has noted the published research but has not made a full assessment of the study, which is based on a small number of stoves. Currently, there are limited studies that have investigated benzene concentrations in United Kingdom homes. Further research is needed to better understand exposure to indoor air pollutants and the effects on health.

Reducing emissions of pollutants and ensuring adequate ventilation within indoor environments are important. The UKHSA continues to consider and evaluate the evidence of exposure to indoor air pollutants and the potential health effects.

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 acute mental health inpatient units.

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

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 outcomes for invasive lobular breast cancer patients.

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

Lobular breast cancer impacts many lives. According to Cancer Research UK, lobular is the second most common breast cancer in the UK.

We are backing world-leading AI trials to improve diagnostic capacity and early detection. On 4 February 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading Early Detection using Information Technology in Health, or EDITH, trial backed by £11 million of government support via National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NHS in England will also monitor the emerging evidence from the Breast Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density, or BRAID, trial, which aims to determine whether additional imaging with one of several types of scans, is helpful in diagnosing breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue. This will target screening programmes at women who are at greater risk of cancer.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) are committed to continuing to support the development of fundable research proposals and help drive a stronger collective understanding of the biology behind lobular breast cancer, as well as effective treatment and management of this disease. In order to further stimulate research in this area, the NIHR launched a highlight notice in late 2025, encouraging applications across its research programmes and training.

Under our National Cancer Plan for England, we will take action to raise awareness locally, improve pathways and offer better treatments to ensure more patients survive and live well with cancer than ever before, including for lobular breast cancer.

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 rates of bowel cancer diagnosis through screening.

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

Too many people are still suffering and dying from bowel cancer. We have already taken steps to address this, including expanding the eligible age range for screening so it is now available from age 50 to 74.

And, from this year, we are improving the sensitivity of the screening test. By 2028, each year over 600 more cancers will be detected and 2000 cancers prevented by identifying and removing pre-cancerous polyps.

While uptake of bowel cancer screening has increased, we know that some groups struggle with barriers to engagement, leaving them at risk. We are providing £200m funding for Cancer Alliances, to reduce inequalities in communities among groups where screening uptake is lower.

To further increase coverage, NHS England:

• is delivering new approaches to communicating with people about screening through the NHS App;

• is incorporating the reasonable adjustment flag into screening to ensure people get information in the way they want and adjustments are made to support people at appointments;

• has recently updated the bowel cancer screening leaflets and are updating the bowel cancer screening letters to improve accessibility;

• and has made the bowel cancer screening FIT kit more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted.

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 tackle inequalities in bowel cancer screening participation.

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

While uptake of bowel cancer screening has increased, some groups struggle with barriers to engagement, leaving them at risk. We are providing £200m funding for Cancer Alliances, to reduce inequalities in communities among groups where screening uptake is lower.

To further increase coverage, NHS England:

• is delivering new approaches to communicating with people about screening through the NHS App;

• is incorporating the reasonable adjustment flag into screening to ensure people get information in the way they want and adjustments are made to support people at appointments;

• has recently updated the bowel cancer screening leaflets and are updating the bowel cancer screening letters to improve accessibility;

• and has made the bowel cancer screening FIT kit more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted.

We are also increasing the sensitivity of the screening test from 120ug/g to 80ug/g. By 2028 this will annually detect over 600 more cancers and prevent 2000 cancers by identifying and removing pre-cancerous polyps.

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 dedicated lung health plan for respiratory conditions and lung disease.

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

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, we are rolling out lung cancer screening, and the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom. We are also expanding access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres to enable faster diagnosis of lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with Cardiac Risk in the Young on the use of its cardiac screening dataset to support the development of AI-enabled diagnostic tools.

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

Sudden cardiac death in the young is always a tragedy. Officials and Ministers from the Department have met with representatives from Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) on several occasions.

The Department understands that the data set was recently published. The UK National Screening Committee (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. This public consultation will provide an opportunity for members of the public and stakeholders, including CRY, to draw the UK NSC’s attention to any relevant evidence 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, whether his Department is considering mandating routine cereulide toxin screening in all powdered infant and follow-on formula products placed on the UK market.

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

Infant formula regulations set robust nutritional and compositional standards, to ensure that all infant formulas for sale in the United Kingdom are suitable for meeting the nutritional requirements of babies. While these regulations do not specify testing for individual toxins, infant formula is also subject to the UK’s overarching food safety legislation which requires food business operators to ensure that products placed on the market are safe.

At present, the Government does not have plans to introduce mandatory testing of cereulide or other toxins in infant formula. While recent product recalls demonstrate that contamination can occur and must be taken seriously, contamination of infant formula is rare and the UK has processes in place to rapidly identify and manage risks when they arise, including through investigation and product recalls. Any decision to mandate routine testing would need to be evidence based and proportionate while prioritising infant safety.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the new anti-stigma programmes commissioned across trusts will be delivered in partnership with voluntary and community sector organisations with lived experience expertise, and how this will be monitored.

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

As part of the blood borne virus (BBV) emergency department opt-out testing programme, NHS England currently promotes and funds HIV peer support services in partnership with voluntary and community sector organisations, recognising the role of lived-experience facilitators in reducing isolation and stigma.

NHS England is in the process of commissioning new HIV anti‑stigma training as part of delivery of the HIV Action Plan, for trusts participating in the BBV emergency department opt‑out testing programme. NHS England strongly expects a voluntary and community sector partner with lived experience expertise to lead this work, recognising the critical role such organisations play in tackling stigma and discrimination effectively. Delivery of the programme will be overseen by the national BBV emergency department opt‑out team. Progress will be monitored through quarterly meetings and update reports, aligned to the agreed deliverables, including trust engagement and risk management.

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 community-based healthcare in Rochester and Strood constituency.

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

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 community pharmacies.

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects to publish draft regulations on the ban on high-caffeine energy drink sales to under 16s; what lead in time she considers appropriate for vending operators; and whether the Government plans a staged implementation or any pilot programme for new enforcement technologies.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has explored the use of existing contactless or mobile payment infrastructure as part of a potential age restriction mechanism for vending machines, rather than requiring new hardware.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what engagement his Department has had with Trading Standards on enforcement capacity for vending machine restrictions; and how enforcement would be considered relative to retail and online sales.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has modelled compliance expectations for unmanned 24 hour vending machines in (a) workplaces and (b) leisure settings.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s Impact Assessment entitled Banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years, published on 23 June 2025, whether his Department has assessed the potential implications for his Department's policies of the Vending and Automated Retail Association's estimate that over 80% of vending machines operate in closed environments without routine access for under 16s; whether his Department has assessed the proportion of vending machines that operate in closed environments without routine access for under 16 year olds; and what assessment he has made of the proportionality of applying a blanket ban of the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks through vending machines in closed settings where under 16 year olds do not have access.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s Impact Assessment entitled Banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years, published on 23 June 2025, what steps his Department is taking to tackle access to high-caffeine energy drinks by children under 16 years at home or through friends; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of banning vending machine sales of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years on the level of overall consumption; and what plans his Department has to take further regulatory steps towards a wider ban of such drinks.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s Impact Assessment entitled Banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years, published on 23 June 2025, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the proportion of high-caffeine energy drinks sold to children under 16 years by (i) vending machines (ii) corner shops and convenience stores and (b) the primary sources of high-caffeine energy drinks sold to children under 16 years.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

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 to undertake trials or pilots of restrictions on high-caffeine energy drink sales through vending machines prior to national implementation, including to improve the evidence base and inform future policy decisions.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

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 (a) improve procedures to tackle kidney disease and (b) to help prevent a future rise in cases.

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. NHS England has published a renal services transformation toolkit to support earlier identification of chronic kidney disease and more joined up services. These changes are intended to make it easier to deliver improvements along the whole patient pathway including earlier diagnosis and treatment, that can potentially prevent or delay the need for dialysis and transplants.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) 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 assessment he has made of the economic cost of working-age stroke survivors not receiving suitable stroke rehabilitation.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that stroke survivors receive high quality rehabilitation, recognising the economic, personal and wider impacts of strokes.

The National Stroke Service Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support. The model sets that that local stroke systems need to ensure that all stroke survivors are appropriately offered a comprehensive holistic and person-centred six-month post-stroke review.

The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.

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 increase awareness of early screening for cardiovascular disease among people under 40.

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

This Government is focused on increasing awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people aged under 40 years old by targeting key risk factors for disease through prevention and behavioural change. The National Health Service website includes a Better Health section which offers advice, tools and apps to support small, achievable behavioural changes such as increasing physical activity through the Couch to 5k app and guidance on how to quit smoking. Behavioural support services such as smoking cessation and weight management are also available locally for those who need them.

There is no national CVD screening programme in England for people aged under 40 years old. Cardiovascular risk increases significantly with age, which is why the NHS Health Check is offered to eligible adults aged between 40 and 74 years old. The NHS Health Check is a core component of England’s CVD prevention programme and aims to detect people at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease and refer them to further support through behavioural interventions, clinical assessment and treatment where appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 19 March (HL15393), how many doctors have been subject to (1) suspension, and (2) erasure, for dishonestly claiming to be neurodivergent or have learning disabilities in 2025–26 up to and including the latest period for which figures are available.

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

The Department does not hold this data centrally.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator of all medical doctors, physician assistants (PAs), and physician assistants in anaesthesia (PAAs), still legally known as anaesthesia associates and physician associates, practising in the United Kingdom. It sets and enforces the standards all doctors, Pas, and PAAs must adhere to. The GMC is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties.

The GMC owns data on its fitness to practise processes and publishes annual fitness to practise statistics reports on its website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 19 March (HL15393), how many doctors have been subject to (1) suspension, and (2) erasure, for dishonestly claiming to be neurodivergent or have learning disabilities in 2024–25.

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

The Department does not hold this data centrally.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator of all medical doctors, physician assistants (PAs), and physician assistants in anaesthesia (PAAs), still legally known as anaesthesia associates and physician associates, practising in the United Kingdom. It sets and enforces the standards all doctors, Pas, and PAAs must adhere to. The GMC is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties.

The GMC owns data on its fitness to practise processes and publishes annual fitness to practise statistics reports on its website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide support to women for (1) the impact of menopause on mental health, and (2) accessing affordable resources for menopause, by opening more community diagnostic centres.

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

The Government acknowledges that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace.

We have made strong progress in turning the commitments in the last government’s Women's Health Strategy into tangible action. Our renewed strategy will address gaps from the 2022 strategy, and go further to create a system that listens to women and tackles health inequalities across England.

Renewing the strategy will help identify and remove enduring barriers to high-quality care across England, such as long waits for diagnosis, and ensuring professionals listen and respond to women’s needs.

As announced in October, we will be asking local authorities to include menopause in the NHS Health Check later this year. This will support eligible women across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and a diagnosis.

Menopause and menstrual problems will be among the priorities for the National Health Service’s revolutionary new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.

We recognise that for some women symptoms of menopause can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Women experiencing anxiety or depression can get support from NHS Talking Therapies. They can ask their general practitioner to refer them or they can self-refer. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are expanding Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people can complete a course of treatment by March 2029.

Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are a shining example of how we’re shifting care out of hospitals and into the community, making life easier and more convenient for patients. As of March 2026, 170 CDCs across England are open, 108 of which offer at least one service for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning that people can fit appointments, such as diagnostics for women on gynaecology pathways, around their lives, not the other way around. NHS England is working with local NHS systems to identify the most appropriate locations for additional investment, including new CDCs. New CDCs will be positioned in a location which addresses local need and address health inequalities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of supporting the use of digital stethoscopes in primary care to aid earlier diagnosis of heart valve disease.

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

The Government agrees with the importance of assessing new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) stethoscopes to see how they can improve the diagnoses of heart conditions. This has been supported though, two trials related to AI stethoscopes and diagnosis which have been undertaken in England, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many women having uterine transfer of one or more embryo(s) produced from frozen oocytes after thawing had a positive pregnancy test between 2014-24; and how many of these pregnancies resulted in a spontaneous abortion (1) before 12 weeks of gestation, and (2) after 13 weeks of gestation.

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

The information is not available in the format requested. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) holds information on the number of pregnancies, interpreted as instances where one of more foetal heart pulsation was recorded, and records of total numbers of miscarriages, not by weeks, from 2014 to 2023 which is shown in the following table:

The data is as shown on the HFEA’s register database on 17 December 2025. This is a live database so these figures reflect the data on this day and are likely to change over time. This reflects time needed for clinics to submit data and undergo validation as stated on the HFEA register. Data shown includes only treatments using patients own thawed eggs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reports that the Joint Chair of the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative advised Palantir while privately advocating for the integration of patient-level data into that company’s platform, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of conflict of interest protections within the NHS.

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

Detailed guidance for National Health Service organisations on Managing conflicts of interest in the NHS was issued in 2024. NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts must have regard to this guidance and comply with the Code of Governance for NHS provider trusts.

This states that board of directors should take action to identify and manage conflicts of interest and ensure that the influence of third parties does not compromise or override independent judgement. Directors must declare any business interests, or any connection with bodies contracting for NHS services. These declarations must be entered into a publicly available register.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many embryos derived from frozen eggs were transferred to the uterus for the purpose of producing a baby between 2014-24.

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

Information is not available in the format requested. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has provided information on the total number of embryos transferred from patients’ own thawed eggs for the period 2014 to 2023, rather than a subset of eggs stored, which is shown in the following table:

The data is as shown on the HFEA’s register database on 17 December 2025. This is a live database so these figures reflect the data on this day and are likely to change over time. This reflects time needed for clinics to submit data and undergo validation as stated on the HFEA register. Data shown includes only treatments using patients own thawed eggs.

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 adequacy of the level of regulation on vending operators following the implementation of the planned ban on high-caffeine energy drinks for under 16s and the Deposit Return Scheme.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce restrictions on the sale of coffee and other high caffeine beverages to under 16s.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what duties the proposed policy on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16s would place on gyms supervising under 16 sessions to enforce possible vending machine restrictions; and what assessment he has made of (a) the level of customer intervention required to enforce such restrictions and (b) the potential risks of confrontation or conflict arising from those duties.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

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) how gyms with existing over 18 membership policies could enforce restrictions on sales via vending machines where a parent purchases a high-caffeine energy drink for a child and (b) the potential impact of this policy on predominantly adult only facilities.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it remains his Department's policy to restrict the age threshold to 16 for purchasing high-caffeine energy drinks; whether he is considering increasing that threshold to 18; and what assessment he has made of the compatibility of this policy with plans to lower the voting age to 16.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has reviewed international deployment of age verification technology for vending machines, including jurisdictions trialling such systems, associated costs and measured outcomes, prior to assessing its suitability for the UK.

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

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

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 increase the number of GP services in South Dorset constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social 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 whether the newborn screening programme is fit for purpose and screens for all conditions.

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

The NHS Newborn Blood Spot Programme screens for ten rare but serious conditions and consistently achieves very high coverage, with the most recent figure at 98% in quarter two of 2025/26.

Coverage of babies who move into the area after birth is lower, at 83%, so the programme is less effective for this subgroup, although numbers are much smaller.

A total of 570,865 babies were screened in 2024/25, demonstrating the programme is operating effectively at scale, and the system is robust enough to deliver screening across a large cohort.

Over one million babies have been screened for severe combined immunodeficiency since the launch of the in-service evaluation (ISE) in 2017. NHS England’s report on the 30-month ISE evaluation period found that screening detected ten babies with the condition who would otherwise have gone undetected until infections developed, thus preventing serious illness.

NHS England is currently planning a large-scale ISE of screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in newborn screening services, which will help inform a future UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendation on whether screening for SMA should be added to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, asked officials to explore whether the ISE, which was due to start in January 2027, could be expanded to cover the whole of England and start earlier. It has now been confirmed that the ISE will start three months earlier, in October 2026. We will announce further updates regarding its expansion in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Diabetes One Stop Shop pilots in Cornwall and Sheffield; and whether these pilots are scalable.

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

This Government recognises the importance of innovation and new care models in tackling preventable ill health such as type 2 diabetes head-on. We thank those involved in the pilots in Cornwall and Sheffield for their support for those with diabetes by testing this innovative care model.

NHS England has not made a specific assessment on the effectiveness or scalability of the Diabetes One Stop Shop pilots, as innovation and new care models are often shared via regional and clinical networks for integrated care boards (ICBs) to consider and implement where appropriate.

Nationally, we continue to support programmes such as the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme which has offered support to over 2.4 million people at risk of type 2 diabetes since its establishment in 2016, and the NHS Health Check, which aims to detect those at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease aged between 40 and 74 years old.

For those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, this Government continues to support the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme, ensuring those already living with the condition are identified and effectively treated.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Merron on 12 March (HLWS1401), what estimate they have made of how much higher real terms NHS mental health spending in England in 2026–27 would be if mental health spending as a proportion of overall NHS spending had not been reduced since 2023–24.

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

As my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out in his Written Ministerial Statement on expected mental health spend on 12 March, National Health Service mental health spending is forecast to reach £16.1 billion in 2026/27, a real‑terms increase of £140 million compared with 2025/26. Since 2023/24, this represents £0.9 billion of real‑terms growth in mental health investment.

The Government does not have an estimate of how much higher spending would be in real terms if the share of spend had remained consistent since 2023/24. The change in proportion of total NHS spend allocated to mental health reflects significant additional investment in other core areas of the NHS, including technology and digital transformation, strengthened general practice, and the establishment of neighbourhood health centres. These wider improvements, even if not counted as “pure” mental health spend, will deliver important benefits for mental health patients, supporting earlier intervention and addressing key drivers of long‑term mental wellbeing.

The headline share of spend measure does not capture the full range of investment supporting mental health, including significant capital funding of £473 million over the next four years for rolling out community‑based mental health centres and mental health emergency departments.

While the share of spend rose prior to 2024 to 2025, it did not in itself deliver the improvements in outcomes that patients rightly expect. That is why, as set out in the 10‑Year Health Plan and the Medium‑Term Planning Framework, the Government is shifting from input‑based requirements towards a clearer focus on the outcomes that matter most for people with mental health needs.

Improving mental health services cannot simply be about more funding. We need a new approach that reduces waiting times, improves the quality of care, and strengthens prevention and early intervention. This includes ensuring people can access a wider range of support models within and beyond the NHS, helping them receive support earlier, avoid reaching crisis, and experience better outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, of the human eggs which were harvested and frozen by vitrification from 2014-24 for social purposes, how many (1) did not thaw satisfactorily or were considered unsuitable for an attempt at fertilisation, (2) of those thawed underwent attempts at fertilisation with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and (3) of those fertilised produced viable embryos suitable for uterine transfer.

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

The information is not held in the format requested. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it does not hold information on the method of freezing for the whole period requested, the reasons the eggs were frozen, or how many eggs did not thaw satisfactorily or were considered unsuitable and how many of the eggs thawed underwent attempts at fertilisation. The following table shows the number eggs fertilised, the number of embryos created, and the number of embryos transferred from 2014 to 2023:

Data is as recorded by the HFEA on 17 December 2025 and reflects the data on this date and therefore may change over time.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria were used to determine which providers were included in the Neighbourhood Health Framework.

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.

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 choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework.

General practice, primary care, pharmacies, mental health providers, community health services, social care services, local authorities, and civil society partners are included, to deliver the ambition 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 of all possible providers of neighbourhood health services but illustrates the types of providers with whom we are actively working.

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

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 support children's hospices in Lincolnshire.

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

We recognise that access to high-quality, personalised palliative care can make all the difference for seriously ill children and their families.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including NHS Lincolnshire ICB, must commission.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end-of-life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including children and young people’s hospices, also play in providing support to seriously ill children at the end of life and their loved ones.

Children and young people’s hospices received £26 million in revenue funding in 2025/26. This was a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children’s Hospice Grant. From this funding, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People in Loughborough, and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, which serve Lincolnshire, received £1,462,000 and £673,000 respectively.

In 2025/26, we announced the continuation of this funding for a further three financial years. This funding will see at least £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, covering 2026/27 to 2028/29, amounting to approximately £80 million over the three-year period.

Children and young people’s hospices and ICBs have recently been informed of their allocations for 2026/27 although we are not yet in a position to share those individual allocations publicly. Communication regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once the 2026/27 process is complete.

We also supported both the children and young people, and adult, hospice sectors with a £125 million capital funding boost to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. From that funding stream, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People in Loughborough, and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice received £740,169 and £410,308 respectively in total.

For the long-term, the Government is developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care for England, with a planned publication date of autumn 2026. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, and we will also consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of this work.

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 regional variation in access to children’s hospice services; and what steps he is taking to ensure equitable provision across England.

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

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end-of-life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including children and young people’s hospices, also play in providing support to children at the end of life, as well as their loved ones.

We recognise that there is variation in access to children and young people’s hospice services across England. This reflects a range of factors, including the way in which the independent hospice sector has historically developed, which was largely not planned with a view to ensure even geographical coverage or to prioritise areas of greatest need based on demographics. However, it is worth recognising that hospices are not the sole providers of palliative care and end of life care, much of which is provided by NHS statutory services.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment.

We supported the hospice sector in England with a £125 million capital funding boost for adult, and children and young people’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing approximately £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices over three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, giving them the stability they need to plan ahead.

For the long-term, the Government is developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care for England, with a planned publication date of Autumn 2026. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, and we will also consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of this work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dental care for (a) children and (b) adults in deprived areas.

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

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. We are broadening the scope of the commitment to deliver additional appointments so that they can be used for more patients, not just those who meet the clinical criteria for “urgent” care.

1.8 million additional courses of NHS dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April 2025 to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election. Half of these additional treatments were delivered to children.

The 10-Year Health Plan confirms that child dental health is a priority and we are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. In the meantime, we are introducing changes to dental access that will benefit children.

From April 2026, we began introducing a package of reforms to address some of the pressing issues that dentists and dental teams have been experiencing. We have introduced a new course of treatment for fluoride varnish for children to be applied by suitably trained dental nurses in between regular check-ups. We have also increased remuneration for dentists for fissure sealants, an effective intervention for children aged seven years old and over, and young people up to 18 years old, to support increased use for primary prevention purposes. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments.

Reducing rates of tooth decay is central to our commitment to help children to live healthier lives. Tooth decay is also almost entirely preventable. We are delivering the national targeted supervised toothbrushing programme for up to 600,000 three to five-year-olds in the most deprived areas.

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 neighbourhood health centres meet the needs of people with Huntington's disease.

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

The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. It will improve access by making it easier to speak to a general practitioner (GP), providing more care closer to where people live, including in neighbourhood health centres, and will move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service.

Integrated neighbourhood teams will support people with conditions like Huntington’s disease that require specialist care by considering their needs holistically, with reference to health, care, and wider needs.

In the Autumn budget, the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. On 26 March 2026, we announced Wave 1 of the neighbourhood health centre schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million.

Neighbourhood health centres will be the place to go for most health needs in every community. These centres bring together GPs, with a mix of community, local authority, and voluntary sector services. Integrated care boards and local authorities will determine the particular mix of services shaped by local population needs. These will be designed to reflect the priorities and requirements of each community, including the needs of people with Huntington’s disease where appropriate. In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework to support this service planning, and we are shortly due to publish additional guidance on neighbourhood health centres.

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 £80 million funding announced for children’s hospices in October 2025 on the (a) availability and (b) sustainability of community-based social palliative care services for children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses.

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

Children’s hospices often provide holistic care, wrap-around services and additional support to children and their families that extend beyond core healthcare provision. This, for example, includes complementary therapies, respite care, and short breaks. The £80 million of revenue funding should help give children’s hospices the stability they need to plan ahead and will help them to continue to offer social palliative care services, such as respite care and short breaks, for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as their families.

We see children’s hospices and children’s social palliative care services as playing an important role in neighbourhood health and the shift to community. Achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will rely critically on strong partnership working between health and social care, also working closely with wider local government services and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. Our aim is to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.     

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-based social palliative care services for children in the context of his policy on shifting care from hospital to community settings.

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

Children’s hospices often provide holistic care, wrap-around services and additional support to children and their families that extend beyond core healthcare provision. This, for example, includes complementary therapies, respite care, and short breaks. The £80 million of revenue funding should help give children’s hospices the stability they need to plan ahead and will help them to continue to offer social palliative care services, such as respite care and short breaks, for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as their families.

We see children’s hospices and children’s social palliative care services as playing an important role in neighbourhood health and the shift to community. Achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will rely critically on strong partnership working between health and social care, also working closely with wider local government services and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. Our aim is to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.     

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis who applied for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding were (a) assessed as eligible following a Decision Support Tool assessment and (b) refused following a Decision Support Tool assessment in each of the last five years.

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

NHS England does not collect data on the proportion of people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis who are found eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), or any other condition. Eligibility for CHC is not determined by diagnosis or condition, but is assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the totality of an individual’s needs, and whether they constitute a ‘primary health need’.

Operational delivery of CHC is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs), including conducting CHC assessments using the standardised Decision Support Tool. NHS England holds ICBs to account, including through robust assurance mechanisms, to ensure they are delivering their statutory functions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will outline a timeline for legislative proposals to guarantee visiting rights of family and friends of vulnerable people in health and social care settings.

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

The Government recognises the importance of maintaining meaningful contact between people receiving care and their family and friends. Care Quality Commission Regulation 9A places a legal duty on health and social care providers to facilitate visiting, and on 18 March 2026 the Government announced plans to further strengthen visiting rights. We are exploring options for legislative changes that promote the importance of family and carers as equal partners in care as part of wider reform work, when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government in light of the proposal contained in the National Cancer Plan for England for the appointment of a national lead for rare cancers, what is the name of (1) the employing body and paymaster, and (2) the governance body responsible for the appointment; what is the expected management line of the post-holder by job title; whether the role is to be full-time or part-time: and what are the expected contracted or Full-Time Equivalent weekly hours.

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

The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions, to be delivered within the next 10 years.

This includes appointing a national clinical lead for rare cancers, to sit on the National Cancer Board and advise on delivery of actions in the rare cancers chapter of the plan, and a National Institute for Health and Care Research National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers to support delivery of research on rare cancers, as part of implementation of the Rare Cancers Act.

Responsibility for supporting the role of the national clinical lead for rare cancers, including governance and renumeration, will reside with the Department and NHS England.

Selecting the national clinical lead for rare cancers requires an appropriate appointment process. NHS England and Department officials are following public appointment procedures, including drafting a job specification, determining contract length, weekly hours, renewal and review details, probation terms, and line management.

Until the appointment is made, NHS England’s Clinical Advisory Group has leads for specific rare cancers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to proposed appointment of a national lead for rare cancers, what is the expected term length of the appointment in months; what are the proposed the contract start and end dates; and what are the details of any renewal, review, or probation points with corresponding dates.

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

The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions, to be delivered within the next 10 years.

This includes appointing a national clinical lead for rare cancers, to sit on the National Cancer Board and advise on delivery of actions in the rare cancers chapter of the plan, and a National Institute for Health and Care Research National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers to support delivery of research on rare cancers, as part of implementation of the Rare Cancers Act.

Responsibility for supporting the role of the national clinical lead for rare cancers, including governance and renumeration, will reside with the Department and NHS England.

Selecting the national clinical lead for rare cancers requires an appropriate appointment process. NHS England and Department officials are following public appointment procedures, including drafting a job specification, determining contract length, weekly hours, renewal and review details, probation terms, and line management.

Until the appointment is made, NHS England’s Clinical Advisory Group has leads for specific rare cancers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the interim leadership arrangements until the national lead for rare cancers takes up their post, including the name or title of the accountable post holder and the start date.

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

The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions, to be delivered within the next 10 years.

This includes appointing a national clinical lead for rare cancers, to sit on the National Cancer Board and advise on delivery of actions in the rare cancers chapter of the plan, and a National Institute for Health and Care Research National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers to support delivery of research on rare cancers, as part of implementation of the Rare Cancers Act.

Responsibility for supporting the role of the national clinical lead for rare cancers, including governance and renumeration, will reside with the Department and NHS England.

Selecting the national clinical lead for rare cancers requires an appropriate appointment process. NHS England and Department officials are following public appointment procedures, including drafting a job specification, determining contract length, weekly hours, renewal and review details, probation terms, and line management.

Until the appointment is made, NHS England’s Clinical Advisory Group has leads for specific rare cancers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 16 February (HL14349), on what evidence they base the conclusion that including wider societal benefits in vaccination appraisals would disadvantage programmes unable to evidence such benefits; and whether they have carried out a recent assessment of those benefits.

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

Our approach to decisions about vaccination programmes is informed by expert recommendations and advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Working closely with the UK Health Security Agency‑based JCVI secretariat, the Department ensures that the cost-effectiveness methodology for assessing vaccination programmes enables the committee to advise on programmes that deliver the greatest health benefit to the greatest number of people.

Understanding the wider impacts of vaccination beyond health benefits is important in making the broader case for investment in vaccines and in encouraging uptake of vaccines amongst those who are offered them, and can be considered in exceptional cases in addition to the cost effectiveness assessment. In recognition of this, the Department strives to remain abreast of work demonstrating the benefits of vaccination to the wider economy.

However, changing the cost-effectiveness methodology itself to consider a broader range of costed benefits runs the risk of unintended consequences for vaccination programmes which cannot robustly demonstrate these benefits.

That is because decisions are required on how best to spend public funds. If wider socio-economic benefits can be robustly demonstrated for some vaccination programmes but not others due to data availability, there is a risk that changing the cost-effectiveness methodology to include wider benefits could result in programmes with high-quality data being considered more valuable. These programmes could therefore be prioritised for funding over other vaccination programmes, not because they deliver greater overall benefit, but because the data on their wider economic impact is more complete.

The potential impact of this, and potential consequences for the vaccine supply market, including vaccine price, would need to be carefully considered and risks properly evaluated, before any systematic change to methodology.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with Prostate Cancer UK and research partners to close the evidence gaps identified by the UK National Screening Committee's prostate cancer screening review 2025, particularly in relation to (1) Black men, and (2) men with a family history of prostate cancer.

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

The Department invests over £1.7 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) have partnered together on the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the NIHR.

The TRANSFORM trial will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis. For example, one in four Black men will develop prostate cancer, double the risk of other men, and often at a younger age. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of the men who are invited to participate in the trial are Black.

Following my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s round table on prostate cancer screening in January 2026, Prostate Cancer UK agreed to carry out further work to look at the issue of defining ‘family history’. Conversations have also taken place with Cancer Research UK regarding the definition of family history.

The UK National Screening Committee has committed to assessing evidence as it becomes available throughout the trial rather than waiting right until the end for final data to be published. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including prostate cancer.

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 assessment he has made of the adequacy of and the capacity in the specialist spinal cord injury service.

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

Specialised spinal cord injury services are currently commissioned by NHS England Specialised Commissioning, in line with the service specification published by the Clinical Reference Group. This translates to 385 spinal cord injury beds commissioned from eight providers in England. NHS England provides annual funding of approximately £80 million to spinal cord injury centres to deliver inpatient care and outreach to secondary care prior to admission and to community services following discharges to support transition.

NHS England recognises that services have experienced increasing referrals alongside complexity of presentations. NHS England plans to undertake work during 2026/27 to assess the adequacy of treatment pathways within specialised spinal injury services and will consider if any further updates are required to the national service specification based on the findings.

All spinal cord injury providers are required to submit outcome data to the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard. These data enable the National Health Service to monitor of the quality of care, including clinical outcomes and equitability of access. The data is linked to the national spinal cord injury (SCI) registry, which provides audit data.

The dashboard is a key tool in monitoring the quality of services, enabling comparison between service providers, and supporting improvements over time in the outcomes of services commissioned by NHS England.

Additionally, in March 2025, NHS England published the Spinal Services Clinical Network Specification, which establishes expectations for spinal clinical networks to standardise pathways and reduce variation, with the aim of improving access to care for patients.

Spinal Cord Injury services in England are commissioned against the published national service specification, which sets out the mandated standards that all providers are required to meet for all patients, including in relation to rehabilitation. The service specification mandates that spinal cord injury centres must provide restorative rehabilitation and re-enablement, and support patients’ reintegration into the community. When a patient is admitted to a spinal cord injury centre, there must be a focus on rehabilitation from the outset, with treatment by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team. The specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/service-spec-spinal-cord-injury-services-all-ages.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of service specifications and commissioning plans for spinal cord injury.

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

Specialised spinal cord injury services are currently commissioned by NHS England Specialised Commissioning, in line with the service specification published by the Clinical Reference Group. This translates to 385 spinal cord injury beds commissioned from eight providers in England. NHS England provides annual funding of approximately £80 million to spinal cord injury centres to deliver inpatient care and outreach to secondary care prior to admission and to community services following discharges to support transition.

NHS England recognises that services have experienced increasing referrals alongside complexity of presentations. NHS England plans to undertake work during 2026/27 to assess the adequacy of treatment pathways within specialised spinal injury services and will consider if any further updates are required to the national service specification based on the findings.

All spinal cord injury providers are required to submit outcome data to the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard. These data enable the National Health Service to monitor of the quality of care, including clinical outcomes and equitability of access. The data is linked to the national spinal cord injury (SCI) registry, which provides audit data.

The dashboard is a key tool in monitoring the quality of services, enabling comparison between service providers, and supporting improvements over time in the outcomes of services commissioned by NHS England.

Additionally, in March 2025, NHS England published the Spinal Services Clinical Network Specification, which establishes expectations for spinal clinical networks to standardise pathways and reduce variation, with the aim of improving access to care for patients.

Spinal Cord Injury services in England are commissioned against the published national service specification, which sets out the mandated standards that all providers are required to meet for all patients, including in relation to rehabilitation. The service specification mandates that spinal cord injury centres must provide restorative rehabilitation and re-enablement, and support patients’ reintegration into the community. When a patient is admitted to a spinal cord injury centre, there must be a focus on rehabilitation from the outset, with treatment by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team. The specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/service-spec-spinal-cord-injury-services-all-ages.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commit to making the 2022 SCI Rehabilitation Standards mandatory.

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

Specialised spinal cord injury services are currently commissioned by NHS England Specialised Commissioning, in line with the service specification published by the Clinical Reference Group. This translates to 385 spinal cord injury beds commissioned from eight providers in England. NHS England provides annual funding of approximately £80 million to spinal cord injury centres to deliver inpatient care and outreach to secondary care prior to admission and to community services following discharges to support transition.

NHS England recognises that services have experienced increasing referrals alongside complexity of presentations. NHS England plans to undertake work during 2026/27 to assess the adequacy of treatment pathways within specialised spinal injury services and will consider if any further updates are required to the national service specification based on the findings.

All spinal cord injury providers are required to submit outcome data to the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard. These data enable the National Health Service to monitor of the quality of care, including clinical outcomes and equitability of access. The data is linked to the national spinal cord injury (SCI) registry, which provides audit data.

The dashboard is a key tool in monitoring the quality of services, enabling comparison between service providers, and supporting improvements over time in the outcomes of services commissioned by NHS England.

Additionally, in March 2025, NHS England published the Spinal Services Clinical Network Specification, which establishes expectations for spinal clinical networks to standardise pathways and reduce variation, with the aim of improving access to care for patients.

Spinal Cord Injury services in England are commissioned against the published national service specification, which sets out the mandated standards that all providers are required to meet for all patients, including in relation to rehabilitation. The service specification mandates that spinal cord injury centres must provide restorative rehabilitation and re-enablement, and support patients’ reintegration into the community. When a patient is admitted to a spinal cord injury centre, there must be a focus on rehabilitation from the outset, with treatment by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team. The specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/service-spec-spinal-cord-injury-services-all-ages.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, where data on payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector will be published, following the publication of the Government’s forthcoming guidance on payment disclosure for industry.

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

The Government recognises the importance of transparency and public trust in the health system. In line with Recommendation 8b of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, the Government consulted in 2023 on proposals to improve transparency of payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector.

Following consideration of the consultation responses, the Government has decided to implement guidance, rather than introduce secondary legislation under section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022, in the first instance. The forthcoming guidance, which is expected to be published this year, will set out how and where payment information should be disclosed to ensure it is publicly accessible. Legislation remains an option for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish an impact assessment of the proposed changes to NICE’s cost-effectiveness threshold in the context of a pharmaceutical agreement with the US.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on 4 March to question 114047.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish an impact assessment of changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on 4 March 2026 to question 114047.

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 informing parents/guardians of the estimated wait time for an autism or ADHD assessment upon application.

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

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD and autism assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance.

This guidance highlights that, for each integrated care system, the following information should be publicly available and proactively shared across multiple locations, for example, social media and local authority publications, as well as all service provider websites:

- accurate and up-to-date information about the autism assessment offer in each area, including details for services providing autism assessments, such as name, address, contact details, general remit, eligibility criteria, referral process, and documentation; and

- an indication of waiting times for an autism assessment at each service, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/operational-guidance-to-deliver-improved-outcomes-in-all-age-autism-assessment-pathways-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards/#stage-1-identification-and-referral

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October 2025, was explicit that integrated care boards and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for ADHD and autism assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD, and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions in the social care workforce on the level of delayed discharges from hospitals.

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

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions in the social care workforce on the level of delayed discharges from hospitals.

Achieving timely and effective discharge for hospital patients relies on effective joint working between the National Health Service, local authorities, and social care providers. Through the Better Care Fund, NHS integrated care boards and local authorities are required to pool over £9 billion of funding and agree how to use that funding to join up health and social care services. This includes agreeing local goals for both preventing avoidable hospital admissions and reducing delayed hospital discharges.

English local authorities are responsible under the Care Act 2014 for meeting social care needs and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.

The Government is committed to transforming adult social care and supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. 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 secure alternative treatments for people at risk of adrenal crisis following the discontinuation of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate solution, which is commonly known as liquid hydrocortisone, in the UK.

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

The Department is aware of the discontinuation of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate 100 milligram/1 millilitre solution for injection, and we continue to work with industry to find a longer-term solution.

Hydrocortisone sodium succinate 100 milligram powder remains available for patients. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to healthcare professionals on how to manage patients while supply is disrupted. The guidance highlighted the differences between the two hydrocortisone injections. It also included resources for patients and healthcare professionals on how to administer the alternative hydrocortisone injection.

We also understand that The Addison’s Self Help Group have also published information on this discontinuation to keep patients informed, along with resources for patients on how to administer the alternative hydrocortisone.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NIHR, in line with the Medical Research Council’s Place Framework, also uses the location of the host organisation as a tiebreaker in funding decisions to support a more geographically balanced spread of health research investment across the UK.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) does not use location as a formal tie-breaker criterion in assessment. In the instances of a tie break scenario, the NIHR will typically use strategic fit to make a decision. The NIHR does, however, use 'Working with people and communities' and 'Inclusive research' as part of its assessment criteria, and as part of determining strategic fit, funding committee’s consider aspects such as location. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/application-support/domestic-funding-programmes-assessment-criteria

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 the timeliness of NHS appointment notifications; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of different communication methods, including letters, text messages and email.

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

The Government is committed to supporting access to care and reducing missed appointments. The NHS App provides a core national channel for patients to view, receive, and manage appointment information across a range of care settings whilst ‘NHS Notify’ enables National Health Service organisations to send letters, text messages, and emails from a single platform.

Communication assessment work done by NHS England’s Behavioural Science Unit showed that such tailored messaging significantly increased patient response rates.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria the NIHR use to make funding decisions in the event of a tiebreaker.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) does not use location as a formal tie-breaker criterion in assessment. In the instances of a tie break scenario, the NIHR will typically use strategic fit to make a decision. The NIHR does, however, use 'Working with people and communities' and 'Inclusive research' as part of its assessment criteria, and as part of determining strategic fit, funding committee’s consider aspects such as location. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/application-support/domestic-funding-programmes-assessment-criteria

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 ministerial colleagues regarding the potential for the UK to become a global leader in AI-enabled cardiac diagnostics through partnerships with the third sector and academic institutions.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and ministers across the Government regularly engage with colleagues, the National Health Service, academia, and industry on how the United Kingdom can strengthen its position as a global leader in the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

The Government recognises the significant potential of AI‑enabled technologies, including in cardiac diagnostics, to support earlier detection, improve clinical decision‑making, and deliver better outcomes for patients. The UK already benefits from a strong life sciences ecosystem and world‑leading academic research, which play an important role in developing, evaluating, and deploying innovative diagnostic tools.

Historically through programmes such as the NHS AI Lab, and current ongoing support for health data research through partnerships with universities, charities, and industry, the Government is creating the conditions for innovation to be translated safely into clinical practice. Any adoption of AI‑enabled diagnostics in the NHS is subject to robust evaluation, regulation, and clinical oversight to ensure patient safety and effectiveness through regulatory bodies such as The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if it is his policy to make interim payments to valporate and pelvic mesh victims this calendar year.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, including options for interim payments.

The Government has deep sympathy for all those affected and recognises the profound impact that these harms have had on individuals and their families.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he wants to make meaningful progress during this Parliament, although a decision to provide compensation has not yet been made. We recognise how difficult and disappointing this uncertainty is for those affected, and will ensure that the public is kept informed as soon as any decision on redress is made.

I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes since I have been in post, and had a very productive discussion about the ongoing health initiatives led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Details of the Government’s work to date are set out in recent letters to the Dr Hughes, which are published on her website.

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 the availability of information to (a) patients and (b) family members of deceased patients about making a formal complaint in the event of (i) injury and (ii) death following medical treatment.

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

There are a wide range of sources of information for patients and family members about making a complaint about any aspect of National Health Service care, treatment, or services.

Under the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009, NHS organisations must make information available on their arrangements for handling complaints, and those arrangements should ensure complainants receive assistance to enable them to understand the complaints procedure.

Patient Advice and Liaison Services is a free, confidential service, available in most NHS hospitals, that provides information, advice, and support to resolve issues affecting NHS patients, including how to make a formal complaint. Other sources of independent advocacy are available to support those thinking about making a complaint about NHS services, including the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service, which local authorities have a legal duty to provide.

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 schools to recognise early signs of rare mental health disorders.

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

We recognise the importance of early intervention for children and young people’s mental health, which is why we are accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in schools and colleges in England.

MHSTs are transforming access to mental health support for children and young people by bringing skilled, trusted professionals directly into schools, where support can be delivered early and effectively to make the greatest difference. They offer a clear route to practical help and, where signs of rare mental health disorders are recognised, ensure children and young people are identified quickly and signposted to the specialist care they need.

MHSTs represent a step-change in how we look after children’s mental health and wellbeing, so that it is proactive, preventative, and rooted in the places young people trust. Up to 900,000 additional children and young people will have access to a National Health Service funded MHST in their school or college by spring 2026, and with full national coverage by 2029, MHSTs will create a universal foundation of mental health support across England’s schools.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he made of the rate of turnover for mental health support workers in CAMHS.

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

NHS England commissions an annual census of the children and young people’s mental health workforce in England which receives data from National Health Service trusts as well as local authorities, voluntary sector organisations, independent providers, and the youth justice system. The latest report found that staff retention in Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services of NHS providers, staff in post on 1 April 2023 and still in post on 31 March 2024, averaged 75% in the community setting, and 69% in the inpatient setting.

This was calculated using submissions that had provided both a numerator, based on whole time equivalent (WTE) staff in post on 1 April 2023 and still in post on 31 March 2024 by team type, and a denominator, based on WTE staff in post as of 1 April 2023 and by team type, which was a maximum of 82% of NHS trusts. Further information can be found in the latest annual census at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/mental-health-national-workforce-census/

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

Found: The food security working group, convening the Department of Health and Social Care, DEFRA, the FSA

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

Found: stakeholders on managing wildfires”.154 We heard that St Helena has “strong relationships” with Defra, DHSC

Found: and other Salaries Act 1975 (Amendment) Order 2026 Appendix 2: Memorandum from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: NHS data clean rooms (Lead: DHSC / NHS England / UKRI) — On-site access to sensitive data (health, genomics

Found: that the following changes and measures could be made by the Welsh Government and Department of Health and Social Care

Found: .  DHSC has taken a liberal approach to the development of new neighbourhood models, with freedom for

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the Welsh Government and NHS Wales are responsible

Found: Without strong direction from DHSC, existing regional variations may persist, reinforcing postcode inequalities

Found: responsibilities are clarified and sets out a dispute resolution route. [2] Key recommendations ● DHSC

Found: those Departments that seem to receive a greater amount of WPQs, for example, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: With regards to the NHS, the Department of Health and Social Care have shared that the NHS Ten Year

Found: Letter from Department of Health and Social Care to the Public Services Committee - Government Response

Found: Effective targets require: Joined-up action across DfE, DWP and DHSC Long-term, stable funding rather

Found: Government departments, including the DfE, DWP and DHSC, must take a joined-up approach, recognising

Found: expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: ” rather than “opt-in” system (this will involve resolving data sharing issues between the DWP and DHSC

Found: responsibility for child poverty outcomes, and with membership drawn from the Treasury, DWP, MHCLG, DfE, DHSC

Found: recommendation will work with the national cancer plan for England; what commitments the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: So the primary departments are probably the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department

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

Found: Replacing Animals in Science (Reference #3002) The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is a joint unit between DHSC

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: STRATEGIC ENABLER 2: UK SCIENCE BASE, HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR (DHSC/DSIT/DBT) A world-class

Found: Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at 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: UKHSA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Found: Health Security Agency (UKHSA) (previously Public Health England) in conjunction with Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, supported by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: CIS'ters College of Paramedics COMI Department of Health - Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This systematic review is being completed by NICE which receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department of Health - Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Care DexCom International Ltd

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

Found: The 2021 ‘Women’s Health – Let’s talk about it’ survey by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Daisy Network Defence Medical Welfare Service Department of Health - Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 2023 Country: UK Type of economic analysis: Cost utility Source of funding: Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department of Health and Social Care 005 General Could the scope be expanded to include a review of

Found: We have been unable to find publicly available information on the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Clinical Commissioning Group Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Daisy Network Department of Health and Social Care

Found: of Justice Baroness Gillian Merron Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care