Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects to receive the finalised report of the study into mesh complication surgery by the National Institute for Health and Care Research study.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research delivery arm of the Department, funds and supports a range of research to support women’s health conditions, including pelvic organ prolapse.

In May 2023 the NIHR commissioned a £1.6 million study to develop a validated patient reported outcome measure for prolapse, incontinence, and mesh complication surgery, to better understand the short and long-term health impacts of pelvic mesh surgery. Further information is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR152187

This study is expected to report its findings in April 2026. The NIHR is also funding a study which will look at the long term effectiveness of surgical treatment for prolapse including pelvic mesh, with further information available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR133665

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health including the use of vaginal mesh to treat pelvic organ prolapse. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87431 on Congenital Abnormalities, what use is made of consanguinity data collected by NHS England through the Maternity Services Data Set in (a) regional public health planning, (b) genetic counselling services and (c) maternal and neonatal clinical risk assessments; and if he will publish any guidance issued to Integrated Care Boards which either references or is a result of that data.

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

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities supports the delivery of national and regional priorities for prevention and health inequalities across the regional system. The NHS Genomic Medicine Service delivers genomic testing, guided by eligibility criteria set out in the National Genomic Test Directory, including in cases where genetic disorders may be linked to consanguinity. In maternity and neonatal services, clinicians carry out individual risk assessments of the women and babies in their care, and this may include discussing risks relating to parental genetic conditions, including consanguinity. These services do not use Maternity Services Dataset (MSDS) data, which is population-level. NHS England has published guidance on how to submit data about consanguinity and pregnancy to the MSDS, but NHS England is not planning to publish further guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to improve patient access to clinically effective new blood cancer treatments for NHS patients.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NHS England funds NICE-recommended cancer medicines from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of positive draft NICE guidance, bringing forward patient access by approximately five months than would otherwise be the case.

For the years 2023/24 to 2024/25, NICE recommended 25 medicines to treat blood cancer that are now available for the treatment of NHS patients.

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 develop national guidelines and quality standards for vision rehabilitation services; and if he will commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop evidence-based standards in this area.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidelines and quality standards for the health and care system on best practice. Topics for the development of NICE guidelines and quality standards are identified by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE does not currently have any plans to develop a guideline or quality standard on vision rehabilitation. The NICE prioritisation board considered vision rehabilitation as a potential topic for the development of guidance in August 2024 and concluded that there is insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance.

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 (a) availability and (b) affordability of hormone replacement therapy; and what steps he is taking to reduce regional disparities in access to menopause-related healthcare.

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

While there are no plans to review the inclusion of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) within the prescription charge exemption list, the HRT prescription pre-payment certificate is available for patients who are prescribed HRT on the National Health Service. The price of the HRT prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC) is the equivalent of two single prescription charges, currently £19.80, and covers all qualifying prescribed HRT medicines for the 12-month period of its validity, representing significant saving for patients compared to the single prescription charge. In financial year 2024/25, approximately 13.3 million HRT items were dispensed without charge, either because they were covered by the HRT PPC or the patient held an exemption from prescription charges.

There are over 70 HRT products, and the majority are in good supply. We are aware of shortages affecting Estradot (estradiol) patches. We are engaging with the supplier to expedite deliveries. We have issued guidance to healthcare professionals and Serious Shortage Protocols to enable community pharmacists to supply specified alternative estradiol patches.

We will also be asking local authorities to include menopause in the NHS Health Check from 2026. This will support eligible women from across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support.

Further data on HRT prescriptions is available via the NHS Business Services Authority at the following link:

https://nhsbsa-opendata.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/hrt/hrt_June_2025_v001.html

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the minutes of the Food Standards Agency’s Committee on Toxicity meeting of 25 March 2025; and whether he plans to hold discussions with the Food Standards Agency on the potential merits of (a) withdrawing its review of the safety of nitrites in processed meats, (b) publishing (i) correspondence, (ii) criteria and (iii) communications relating to its preparation and (c) commissioning a multidisciplinary study considering (A) animal, (B) human and (C) mechanistic evidence.

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

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) review of nitrates and nitrites as food additives is an important piece of work and will not be withdrawn. Its purpose was to summarise recent evidence from human studies to inform policy decisions, rather than to provide a full risk assessment. Current policy continues to align with NHS dietary advice, which recommends limiting consumption of red and processed meat, some of which contain nitrites, to 70g per day. We understand public concern about potential long-term health effects, including cancer risk, and remain committed to monitoring emerging evidence closely.

To maintain transparency, the full report, including its scope, search criteria, and details of the external contract, has been published on Government websites. This allows stakeholders and the public to see exactly how the review was conducted and how conclusions were reached.

The published report clearly sets out the methodology and criteria used, providing clarity and confidence in the process. While the FSA does not routinely publish internal correspondence or preparatory communications, due to the potential inclusion of commercially sensitive or personal information, the report itself provides full transparency on the evidence base and decision-making approach.

There are no plans to commission a broader multidisciplinary study. Existing permitted nitrite levels are based on robust international risk assessments and remain appropriate to protect public health. Commissioning a new study would require significant resource and is not justified without new evidence indicating a change in risk.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the inclusion of hormone replacement therapy within the prescription charge exemption list.

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

While there are no plans to review the inclusion of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) within the prescription charge exemption list, the HRT prescription pre-payment certificate is available for patients who are prescribed HRT on the National Health Service. The price of the HRT prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC) is the equivalent of two single prescription charges, currently £19.80, and covers all qualifying prescribed HRT medicines for the 12-month period of its validity, representing significant saving for patients compared to the single prescription charge. In financial year 2024/25, approximately 13.3 million HRT items were dispensed without charge, either because they were covered by the HRT PPC or the patient held an exemption from prescription charges.

There are over 70 HRT products, and the majority are in good supply. We are aware of shortages affecting Estradot (estradiol) patches. We are engaging with the supplier to expedite deliveries. We have issued guidance to healthcare professionals and Serious Shortage Protocols to enable community pharmacists to supply specified alternative estradiol patches.

We will also be asking local authorities to include menopause in the NHS Health Check from 2026. This will support eligible women from across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support.

Further data on HRT prescriptions is available via the NHS Business Services Authority at the following link:

https://nhsbsa-opendata.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/hrt/hrt_June_2025_v001.html

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the international frozen food storage standard from –18°C to –15°C, including the potential impact on (a) energy costs for producers and retailers, (b) efficiencies in the food supply chain and (c) consumer prices; and whether the Government plans to support such a change in international standards.

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

The Government welcomes new and innovative steps taken by any businesses to produce and supply food sustainably, providing they can demonstrate the food they place on the market is safe.

There is no legal requirement for frozen food to be stored at -18°C in general, but freezing remains a critical control step in some cases, such as killing parasites in fish intended to be eaten raw, and these requirements continue to apply.

We are aware that parts of the food industry are exploring raising frozen food storage temperatures from -18°C to -15°C to reduce energy use and support sustainability goals. While this evidence has not yet been shared with the Food Standards Agency, we are engaging with food businesses to understand potential implications. The Government will continue to monitor industry trials and evidence related to international frozen food storage standards.

Raising frozen food storage temperatures could reduce energy use for food business operators, which may help lower operating costs. At present, there is no clear evidence that such changes would lead to lower prices for consumers.

Any food business considering changes to frozen food storage temperatures must ensure food safety management systems remain compliant with legal requirements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will consider providing financial support for children living with Coeliac disease.

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

We recognise the pressures families face in managing coeliac disease, particularly the additional costs of maintaining a strict gluten-free (GF) diet, which is the only effective treatment for this condition.

The national prescribing position in England remains that GF bread and mixes can be provided to coeliac patients on a National Health Service prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions, based on a shared decision between prescriber and patient, while also being mindful of local and national guidance. Children under 16 years old, and those aged between 16 to 18 years old in full-time education, are entitled to free NHS prescriptions, ensuring that where integrated care boards support GF prescribing, eligible children can access these products without charge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department will take to raise awareness of the symptoms of gynaecological cancers.

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

NHS England is undertaking a wide range of activity to increase awareness of the symptoms of gynaecological cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign in 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice symptoms that they are worried could turn out to be cancer.

NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including gynaecological cancers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide additional support for women who face additional prescription costs due to (a) menorrhagia and (b) other menstrual issues caused by (i) miscarriage and (ii) other significant traumas.

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

There are no plans to review the support available to women facing these issues.

A maternity exemption certificate can be applied for as soon as a healthcare professional has confirmed that the patient is pregnant or has given birth, including still-birth, in the previous twelve months, and this provides exemption from prescription costs until 12 months after the due date. The certificate remains valid if the patient has a miscarriage. The certificate is automatically backdated one month from the date the application is received by the NHS Business Services Authority.

If a patient is not entitled to the maternity exemption, they can purchase a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC), which allows them to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost. A three-monthly PPC, costing £32.05, or an annual PPC, costing £114.50, will save people money if they need four or more items in three months or 12 or more items in 12 months. To help spread the cost, people can pay for an annual PPC by ten monthly direct debits. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.

Approximately 40% of the population are currently liable to pay the prescription charge though approximately 89% of the items dispensed in the community are dispensed free of charge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate funding for grassroots organisations delivering peer support to people bereaved by suicide.

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

Commissioning responsibility for local suicide bereavement services, sits with integrated care boards (ICBs) and it is for them to commission appropriate services for their local population while considering their overall financial position.

The NHS Long Term Plan committed that, from 2019/20, every area of the country would receive funding for suicide prevention and bereavement services by 2023/24. £57 million was allocated from the overall investment in mental health services in three annual waves via specific System Development Funding. Local systems had the flexibility to design bereavement services to best meet the needs of their local population, which could include peer support and specialist postvention services.

From 2023/24, funding for local suicide bereavement services has been included within System Development Funding allocations for adult crisis services. ICBs are able to spend this wider allocation flexibly according to the needs of their local population and the amounts invested in local suicide prevention and bereavement services cannot be separately identified.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that families bereaved by suicide have access to local, specialist postvention support.

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

Commissioning responsibility for local suicide bereavement services, sits with integrated care boards (ICBs) and it is for them to commission appropriate services for their local population while considering their overall financial position.

The NHS Long Term Plan committed that, from 2019/20, every area of the country would receive funding for suicide prevention and bereavement services by 2023/24. £57 million was allocated from the overall investment in mental health services in three annual waves via specific System Development Funding. Local systems had the flexibility to design bereavement services to best meet the needs of their local population, which could include peer support and specialist postvention services.

From 2023/24, funding for local suicide bereavement services has been included within System Development Funding allocations for adult crisis services. ICBs are able to spend this wider allocation flexibly according to the needs of their local population and the amounts invested in local suicide prevention and bereavement services cannot be separately identified.

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 increase the level of exercise undertaken by children.

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

The Government recognises the physical and mental health benefits that an active lifestyle can bring for children and young people.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Education co-fund the Primary School PE and Sport Premium, which enables schools to support children to have fun and move more through PE, sport, play and other forms of physical activity.

As committed to in the 10-Year Health Plan’s Prevention chapter, both departments are also working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop a new School Sport Partnerships network that will drive collaboration between schools and break down barriers for those who are less active, increasing opportunities for all children to move more. This is alongside wider cross sector action to reduce physical inactivity and get millions moving more. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future

In the summer, DHSC teamed up with Joe Wicks to launch ‘Activate’, a series of animated, fun five-minute workouts to help families and schools tackle inactivity among children.

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 prostate-specific antigen tests among travel insurers.

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

PSA tests are blood tests that measure the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in blood. Raised levels, often in combination with other symptoms, can be an indication of prostate cancer, though not exclusively. PSA tests have previously been used as a screening tool in asymptomatic populations, but their limitations mean they are not currently recommended for population-level screening. To find better ways of testing for prostate cancer, the Government is investing £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which aims to identify more effective approaches for detecting prostate cancer earlier.

While the Department has no plans to target insurers with information about PSA, the NHS website has clear and accurate information about PSA testing that can be referred to. Where someone has had a PSA test and they are concerned about their travel insurance, they should discuss this directly with their insurers. Different insurers may take a different view of the relevant factors in determining the price of insurance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will answer Questions (a) 81421 of 13 October 2025 on Covid-19 (b) 82016 of 14 October 2025 on prostate cancer screening and (c) 83882 of 21 October 2025 on health misinformation.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 10 November 2025 to Question 81421, on 26 November 2025 to Question 82016, and on 19 November 2025 to Question 83882.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease in the last year for which figures are available.

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

The Department does not hold information in the format requested. The cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention audit provides a count of the number of people with a general practice record of CVD. This information is available publicly at the following link:

https://www.cvdprevent.nhs.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which health bodies from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were involved in Exercise Pegasus.

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

Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in the United Kingdom’s history, involved all four nations and thousands of participants across different parts of the exercise. Participants that are health bodies included, but were not limited to:

• the Department of Health and Social Care;
• the Welsh Government, via the Health, Social Care and Early Years Group;
• the Scottish Government, via the Directorate General, Health and Social Care;
• Northern Ireland’s Department of Health;
• the UK Health Security Agency;
• Public Health Wales;
• Public Health Scotland;
• the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency;
• NHS England, including all seven regions;
• NHS Supply Chain;
• NHS Wales, including the Performance and Improvement, and Shared Servies Partnership;
• NHS Scotland, including all 14 territorial health boards;
• NHS Blood and Transplant;
• the Scottish Ambulance Service;
• Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection Scotland;
• the Office for Life Sciences;
• the Food Standards Agency;
• the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency;
• the Health Research Authority;
• the Health and Safety Executive; and
• the Care Quality Commission.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring that rare autoimmune rheumatic disease patients have named care coordinators.

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

We are aware there remains unmet need on coordination of care for people with rare diseases and work is underway to improve this.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for working with their local communities to understand the needs of the local populations and make decisions about how best to commission services, including for those with rare autoimmune rheumatic disease.

We are improving coordination of care for all rare diseases as a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. England’s Rare Diseases Action Plans details a range of measures to improve coordination of care, including work against Action 37 on co-ordination of care for multi-system disorders. NHS England is also committed to include the definition of coordination of care in all new and revised services specifications for patients with rare diseases. The National Institute of Health and Care Research has commissioned research to provide the evidence needed to operationalise better co-ordination of care for rare diseases in the National Health Service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason NHS England has not approved abiraterone for use in high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer.

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

Abiraterone is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for use in the treatment of high-risk hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final draft guidance on 30 October and has been able to recommend abiraterone (originator and generics) for treating newly diagnosed high-risk hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer. NICE reviewed its guidance to determine whether to recommend abiraterone for use in this indication following the patent expiry for the medicine.

Abiraterone is not licensed for use in the treatment of high-risk, non-metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and as such, it has not been evaluated by NICE through its technology appraisal programme. NICE makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the vast majority of new medicines and significant licence indications for existing medicines but does not evaluate medicines that are used outside their marketing authorisations, also known as “off-label”.

Funding decisions for off-label medicines are the responsibility of NHS commissioners who are required to make decisions on the basis of the available evidence. For cancer medicines, NHS England is the responsible commissioner and has an established mechanism to make funding decisions on medicines that are not evaluated by NICE through its clinical prioritisation process. NHS England considered abiraterone as an off-label treatment for hormone-sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer through its clinical policy development process in 2024/25. Through this process, NHS England confirmed that there was sufficient supporting evidence to support the routine commissioning of abiraterone in this indication and it was ranked as the top priority for routine commissioning.

However, NHS England has not been able to identify the necessary recurrent funding to support the commissioning of abiraterone, or any other treatments within the prioritisation round. This position in being kept under review and will be progressed as soon as recurrent funding is identified.

This position takes into account the need to ensure the affordability of introducing any new routine commissioning policies, alongside maintaining existing services for patients, and meeting their legal requirement to fund all NICE approved drugs. Abiraterone for the treatment of high-risk, hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer remains the top priority for routine commissioning.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has issued (a) a national strategy and (b) guidance for NHS trusts on genetic disorders linked to consanguinity.

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

Genomic testing is delivered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and guided by the National Genomic Test Directory, which outlines the eligibility criteria for genomic testing based on specific clinical indications. These eligibility criteria support clinicians to decide whether genetic testing is appropriate, including in cases where genetic disorders may be linked to consanguinity. In addition, through the Genetic Risk Equity Project, NHS England is piloting and evaluating new models of care in nine sites to improve equity of access to genetic services for the small proportion of consanguineous couples at increased genetic risk. NHS England has published training modules about close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, as well as guidance on how to submit data around consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allocate funding to support mental health provision in rural communities in the Autumn Budget 2025.

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

We know that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we recognise that people living in rural communities may face particular challenges in accessing the mental health services they need. For 2025/26, mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant uplift of £688 million in real terms spending on mental health compared to the previous financial year.

Following publication by NHS England of the Medium Term Planning Framework on 24 October 2025, details of funding arrangements, including integrated care board allocations over the next three years, will be set out across revenue finance and contracting guidance, capital guidance, and published allocations in due course.

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 reduce waiting times from referral to specialist appointment in the Black Country.

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise public awareness of foods that are high in fat and salt, and their associated health risks.

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

The Department has a series of websites and digital tools that support adults and families to eat better, providing guidance on healthy eating, including raising awareness about foods that are high in fat and salt and suggesting healthier alternatives.

The Government recently launched the NHS Healthy Choices Quiz to help adults to identify changes that they can make to improve their health. It includes questions on their eating habits to enable them to assess their diet across five key areas, including fat and salt.

The NHS Food Scanner app shows people how much saturated fat, sugar, and salt is in everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. It helps people to choose foods that are lower in saturated fat and salt by encouraging them to look for more ‘greens’ and ‘ambers’ and cut down on 'reds'. It also suggests healthier alternatives, where these exist, with products that are lower in saturated fat/salt.

The new Best Start in Life campaign and website provide support and guidance on topics including healthy eating in pregnancy, and healthy weaning.

Better Health Families supports those with primary aged children to eat well and move more. It uses personalised email programmes, for instance Healthy Steps, social media, and other tools, for instance the Food Scanner app, to support families on their diet. Specific guidance is provided on the website for both salt and saturated fat.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 85256 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 84679 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 85848 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the Question 85844 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the Question 85845 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will work with patients and charities in the development of a successor to the UK Rare Diseases Framework.

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

Patient voice is an underpinning theme of the UK Rare Diseases Framework, and we are committed to ensuring that the patient voice is a key driver of the action plans published under this framework. The UK Rare Diseases Framework was published following the National Conversation on Rare Diseases, which received nearly 6,300 responses. This helped identify the four priorities of the framework in tackling rare diseases: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatment, and drugs.

The Government remains committed to improving the lives of those living with rare conditions, and will be publishing the next England Rare Diseases Action Plan for rare disease day in 2026, as in previous years. We recognise that despite the progress that has been made, there remains considerable unmet need for people living with rare conditions. Ministers from all four nations have agreed to extend the UK Rare Diseases Framework by one year, recognising the continued relevance of its four priorities. We will continue to engage with the rare diseases community to help shape the next steps.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a timeline for refreshing the UK Rare Diseases Framework.

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

Patient voice is an underpinning theme of the UK Rare Diseases Framework, and we are committed to ensuring that the patient voice is a key driver of the action plans published under this framework. The UK Rare Diseases Framework was published following the National Conversation on Rare Diseases, which received nearly 6,300 responses. This helped identify the four priorities of the framework in tackling rare diseases: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatment, and drugs.

The Government remains committed to improving the lives of those living with rare conditions, and will be publishing the next England Rare Diseases Action Plan for rare disease day in 2026, as in previous years. We recognise that despite the progress that has been made, there remains considerable unmet need for people living with rare conditions. Ministers from all four nations have agreed to extend the UK Rare Diseases Framework by one year, recognising the continued relevance of its four priorities. We will continue to engage with the rare diseases community to help shape the next steps.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address regional variation in access to rare disease care.

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

Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. England’s 2025 Rare Diseases Action Plan was published in February and reports on actions to address health inequalities for people with rare conditions.

Within the National Health Service specialised commissioning portfolio, there are over 80 highly specialised services (HSS) including for rare diseases. Every three to four years, the geographical spread of patients accessing NHS England commissioned highly specialised services is reviewed, most recently in 2024. The analysis looks for variations in the spread of patients accessing the service that may warrant further investigation. Where the analysis found unexpected variation, providers have been asked to develop action plans to address these inequities. Providers who have been successful in reducing variation have also been asked to share this good practice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the GP funding formula review plans to consider the challenges of providing primary care services in rural areas.

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

The review of the general practice funding formula, the Carr-Hill formula, is being conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The purpose of the review is to ensure that funding for general practice is distributed equitably and is targeted towards areas that need it most. The review will consider unavoidable costs based on geographical areas, including delivering services in rural areas.

The review has commenced and will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts. Implementation of any new funding approach will be subject to ministerial decision, in the context of the available funding and our commitment to substantively reform the General Medical Services Contract within this Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals to dementia specialists were made in England in each year since 2010 by local authority.

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

This data is not held centrally. While counts of patients who have received a dementia assessment and subsequently been referred to a memory clinic have been collected since the 2016/17 reporting year, the figures are not provided at an integrated care board level and are also not aggregated by local authority. This data captures the number of patients who have received such a referral, and does not capture the following:

• the total number of referrals, as one patient may have more than one referral to a memory clinic, but they will only be included in the count once;
• referrals made to memory clinics where the referral is not made following a dementia assessment recorded by the general practice; and
• referrals made to specialists where they are not via a memory clinic.
• Data from 2016 to 2022 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/recorded-dementia-diagnoses

In addition, data from 2022 to 2025 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication: Primary care dementia data publication, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-data

The counts available in the March publication of each year will provide the number of referrals made within that reporting year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals to dementia specialists were made in England in each year since 2010 by Integrated Care Board.

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

This data is not held centrally. While counts of patients who have received a dementia assessment and subsequently been referred to a memory clinic have been collected since the 2016/17 reporting year, the figures are not provided at an integrated care board level and are also not aggregated by local authority. This data captures the number of patients who have received such a referral, and does not capture the following:

• the total number of referrals, as one patient may have more than one referral to a memory clinic, but they will only be included in the count once;
• referrals made to memory clinics where the referral is not made following a dementia assessment recorded by the general practice; and
• referrals made to specialists where they are not via a memory clinic.
• Data from 2016 to 2022 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/recorded-dementia-diagnoses

In addition, data from 2022 to 2025 can be found in the recorded dementia diagnoses publication: Primary care dementia data publication, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-data

The counts available in the March publication of each year will provide the number of referrals made within that reporting year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring vision rehabilitation services under the same regulatory and monitoring framework as other adult social care services; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of doing so.

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

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people, including those with sight loss, have a choice of appropriate services and equipment that maximises independence.

Although the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not currently required to assess vision rehabilitation services, as regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, do form part of CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care.

CQC assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, in their delivery of their duties under part 1 of the Care Act. This facilitates the sharing of good practice and helps us to target support where it is most needed. It may be helpful to know that the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the number of registered patients per GP is (a) across Earley and Woodley constituency, (b) the south Reading area and (c) West Berkshire.

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

As of September 2025, the number of registered patients per full time equivalent doctor in general practice was:

• 2,698 in the Woodley and Earley constituency; and
• 1,615 in West Berkshire.

We cannot provide data for South Reading as it is not a formal geography.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made to ensure women in North East Somerset & Hanham have access to menopause treatments on the NHS.

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

The Government recognises 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.

The number of women in Bath and North East Somerset receiving hormone replacement therapy, commonly used to relieve menopause symptoms, has increased by approximately 85%, from 15,770 women in 2021/22, to 29,140 in 2024/25. The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire integrated care board (ICB) has also commissioned its general practices (GPs) to provide testosterone replacement to menopausal women, who are affected by low libido as a result of ongoing hormone replacement therapy treatments.

Hanham falls within the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System area, within which seven primary care networks are trialling the use of group education and group consultations for menopause. Over 1,000 people have attended a group education session. The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust Menopause Service is running a training clinic for six GPs with additional qualifications in menopause, to upskill further in menopause care and help reduce waiting lists.

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 GP appointment availability in the West Midlands; and what assessment he has made of primary care staffing levels in Walsall.

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

West Midlands sits within the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) where appointment availability in general practice (GP) has increased by 13.8% in September 2025 compared to the same period last year. In October 2024, we invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to give additional flexibilities to recruit 2,500 new GPs into primary care networks across England. We have invested an additional £1.1 billion into GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. Additionally, the new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 GPs across England to deliver 8.3 million more appointments each year.

As of 30 September 2025, Walsall has seen an increase of 17.4 full-time equivalent GPs compared to September 2024. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England. In 2024/25, there were 57 dentists per 100,000 population in the Black Country ICB, which includes the Walsall constituency. This is above average, compared to a national average of 50 dentists per 100,000 people in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) adults (b) children are not registered with a dentist in (1) Greater Manchester (2) Oldham.

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

Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. Therefore, data is not available on the number of adults and children not registered with a dentist in Greater Manchester and Oldham.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton constituency, this is the Greater Manchester ICB.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients on waiting lists for dementia diagnosis have informed their GP they are receiving private treatment since 2010 in England, broken down by (a) Integrated Care Board and (b) year.

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

This information is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients on waiting lists for dementia diagnosis have informed their GP they are receiving private treatment since 2010 in England, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) year.

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

This information is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that hospital and community services effectively prevent and manage malnutrition among people with severe and very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis in England.

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

We published the final delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), on 22 July, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.

The commissioning of ME/CFS services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards based on the needs of their local population. The ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of conditions like ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance for ME/CFS in October 2021, a copy of which is attached.

It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietitian with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and at risk of malnutrition. The guidance also states that clinicians should recognise that symptoms of severe and very severe ME/CFS may mean that people are unable to eat and digest food easily and may need support with hydration and nutrition, and that the support provided could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.

NICE guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Although NICE guidelines are not mandatory, healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of NHS care for patients in England with severe and very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis; and what steps they are taking to improve it.

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

We published the final delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), on 22 July, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.

The commissioning of ME/CFS services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards based on the needs of their local population. The ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of conditions like ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance for ME/CFS in October 2021, a copy of which is attached.

It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietitian with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and at risk of malnutrition. The guidance also states that clinicians should recognise that symptoms of severe and very severe ME/CFS may mean that people are unable to eat and digest food easily and may need support with hydration and nutrition, and that the support provided could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.

NICE guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Although NICE guidelines are not mandatory, healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to diagnose Parkinson's.

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

We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and remain committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard for 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029. We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring lists and waiting times down. Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard.

By expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow-up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases, including specialist diagnostic assessments, which are critical for people with suspected Parkinson’s.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population, including for Parkinson’s. In doing so, the Government expects ICBs to take account of the relevant guidelines and best practice in designing their local services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on Parkinson’s disease (NG71) states that people with Parkinson’s should have an accessible point of contact with specialist services, which can be provided by a Parkinson’s nurse specialist, and that all individuals should be offered access to the services provided by these specialist nurses to support ongoing care and advice.

The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71

We acknowledge the significant neurology workforce challenges across the country, including the need for more specialist nurses. The forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to make it more accessible, proactive, and tailored for all patients, including those with Parkinson’s.

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 specialist Parkinson’s nurses.

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

We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and remain committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard for 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029. We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring lists and waiting times down. Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard.

By expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow-up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases, including specialist diagnostic assessments, which are critical for people with suspected Parkinson’s.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population, including for Parkinson’s. In doing so, the Government expects ICBs to take account of the relevant guidelines and best practice in designing their local services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on Parkinson’s disease (NG71) states that people with Parkinson’s should have an accessible point of contact with specialist services, which can be provided by a Parkinson’s nurse specialist, and that all individuals should be offered access to the services provided by these specialist nurses to support ongoing care and advice.

The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71

We acknowledge the significant neurology workforce challenges across the country, including the need for more specialist nurses. The forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to make it more accessible, proactive, and tailored for all patients, including those with Parkinson’s.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025 provided to question 86540, how many new radiotherapy treatment machines will be provided to a) Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (b) Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

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

As part of the Government’s £70 million investment in new radiotherapy treatment machines, the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will receive one LINAC radiotherapy machine to replace an existing machine. The Oxford University Hospitals Trust will not receive any new radiotherapy machines from this investment. Responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines remains with local systems.

NHS Trusts which have radiotherapy treatment machines were invited to apply last year to replace a machine, with funding coming from the £70m investment. Machine allocation was based on various criteria such as the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of internationally recruited NHS workers were required to retake the International English Language Testing System more than once to meet employment eligibility criteria between 2020 and 2025.

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

The Department does not collect data on repeat International English Language Testing System (IELTS) attempts or average test scores for National Health Service staff. Information on English language competence for professional registration is held by the relevant United Kingdom healthcare regulators. Any assessment data for candidates applying to join the NHS Performers List would be managed by NHS England, while local NHS trusts and employers may hold records of candidate performance where assessments form part of their recruitment process. Additionally, IELTS publishes global test statistics on its website, at the following link:

https://ielts.org/researchers/our-research/test-statistics

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average International English Language Testing System scores were for internationally recruited healthcare professionals entering the NHS via the international recruitment programme in each of the last three years.

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

The Department does not collect data on repeat International English Language Testing System (IELTS) attempts or average test scores for National Health Service staff. Information on English language competence for professional registration is held by the relevant United Kingdom healthcare regulators. Any assessment data for candidates applying to join the NHS Performers List would be managed by NHS England, while local NHS trusts and employers may hold records of candidate performance where assessments form part of their recruitment process. Additionally, IELTS publishes global test statistics on its website, at the following link:

https://ielts.org/researchers/our-research/test-statistics

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS staff were subject to Maintaining High Professional Standards procedures in each of the last five years.

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

The Department does not hold data centrally on how many National Health Service staff were investigated under the Maintaining High Professional Standards framework in each of the last five years. This data is also not held by NHS England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 86270 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on departmental responsibility for cannabis-based medicinal products.

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

The Home Office leads on drug legislation and the Department of Health and Social Care and its Arm’s Length Bodies oversee healthcare and medicine regulation. This regulatory framework applies to all drugs under Schedules 1-5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, including cannabis-based products for medicinal use.

No changes are planned to the current responsibilities. The Government has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the impact of the 2018 change in the law, which enabled the widened use of cannabis-based products for medicines, and will consider the recommendations in the usual way.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the role of school nurses in tackling health inequalities.

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

School nurses are crucial in tackling health inequalities but we know we can do more to support them. That is why we are updating the Healthy Child Programme guidance, informed by the Department for Education, which will strengthen school nurses’ impact.

Alongside this, our commitment to publishing a new Professional Strategy for all nurses and midwives will help increase their impact in reducing health inequalities across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS patients in Bracknell Forest can access clinical trials.

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

There is a revolution taking place in medical science, and we want the next generation of treatments to be discovered, developed and distributed here in Britain. As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will fast-track clinical trials set up times to 150 days by March 2026.

The Department is supporting National Health Service patients in Bracknell Forest to access clinical trials through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the government plans to publish the National Cancer Plan.

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

The National Cancer Plan is due to be published in the new year. We have received more than 11,000 responses to our Call for Evidence and have had significant ongoing engagement with patients, clinicians, and charities. This decision has been taken in consultation with patient groups and key stakeholders. It is right to take time to ensure the National Cancer Plan is ambitious, strategic, and sustainable, setting the direction for the next 10 years. This is essential in achieving the Prime Minister's Health Mission goal to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer and build a National Health Service that is fit for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 86272 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 86271 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:

• 19 November 2025 to Question 85259;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 85256;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 84679;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 85844;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85845;
• 12 November 2025 to Question 85848;
• 19 November 2025 to Question 86271;
• 13 November 2025 to Question 86272; and
• 25 November 2025 to Question 86270.

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 the expansion of Pharmacy First services in areas with GP access pressures.

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

The Government is committed to providing more services in the community, closer to people’s homes. The 10-Year Health Plan is clear that we need to do things differently with more integrated neighbourhood health services, shifting care from hospital to community and from treatment to prevention.

Community pharmacies will have a vital role in the Neighbourhood Health Service, as the 10-Year Health Plan brings healthcare to high streets as part of a shift in care to the community. This includes exploring ways to expand the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as we continue to embed the Pharmacy First service.

We continue to promote Pharmacy First to increase public awareness and engagement. This has included the recent national media campaign to promote the service, as well as coordinated communications across the healthcare system. Action is also being taken to increase referrals into Pharmacy First, with targeted engagement with integrated care boards, general practice stakeholders, and the community pharmacy sector to encourage and improve the referral pathways to support better access for patients.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. There is also additional funding available for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

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 levels of awareness of tongue ties, also called ankyloglossia, of (a) midwives and (b) expectant mothers.

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

The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and support for infant feeding plays an important role in achieving this.

Midwifery, health visiting, and infant feeding teams are central to supporting families with infant feeding. This includes identifying feeding challenges and providing tailored support for breastfeeding and bottle feeding. We are currently refreshing the guidance for The Healthy Child Programme, which includes health visiting services, to strengthen service quality and promote consistency in service delivery.

Dedicated paediatric surgery days are being introduced within integrated care boards, using existing NHS estate in day surgery or hub settings, to boost surgical activity for children and young people. Surgical hubs play a key role in delivering increased activity and ensuring timely access to planned care.

We are also strengthening local support for tongue-tie through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, which is investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 to improve infant feeding services in 75 local authorities in England. Local authorities are working with local health partners to improve access to timely tongue-tie support and treatment. In some areas, new tongue-tie clinics have been set up so that more families can access timely support.

For expectant parents, the majority of NHS trusts offer free antenatal education services, including caring for the baby and feeding. We are working with NHS England to improve the quality of antenatal classes.

Information about the symptoms and treatment of tongue-tie is also available on the NHS website and the Best Start in Life email programme for parents.

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 (a) speed and (b) quality of (i) detection and (ii) treatment of tongue ties, also called ankyloglossia, in babies.

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

The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and support for infant feeding plays an important role in achieving this.

Midwifery, health visiting, and infant feeding teams are central to supporting families with infant feeding. This includes identifying feeding challenges and providing tailored support for breastfeeding and bottle feeding. We are currently refreshing the guidance for The Healthy Child Programme, which includes health visiting services, to strengthen service quality and promote consistency in service delivery.

Dedicated paediatric surgery days are being introduced within integrated care boards, using existing NHS estate in day surgery or hub settings, to boost surgical activity for children and young people. Surgical hubs play a key role in delivering increased activity and ensuring timely access to planned care.

We are also strengthening local support for tongue-tie through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, which is investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 to improve infant feeding services in 75 local authorities in England. Local authorities are working with local health partners to improve access to timely tongue-tie support and treatment. In some areas, new tongue-tie clinics have been set up so that more families can access timely support.

For expectant parents, the majority of NHS trusts offer free antenatal education services, including caring for the baby and feeding. We are working with NHS England to improve the quality of antenatal classes.

Information about the symptoms and treatment of tongue-tie is also available on the NHS website and the Best Start in Life email programme for parents.

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 improve care for bottle-fed babies with tongue ties.

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

The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and support for infant feeding plays an important role in achieving this.

Midwifery, health visiting, and infant feeding teams are central to supporting families with infant feeding. This includes identifying feeding challenges and providing tailored support for breastfeeding and bottle feeding. We are currently refreshing the guidance for The Healthy Child Programme, which includes health visiting services, to strengthen service quality and promote consistency in service delivery.

Dedicated paediatric surgery days are being introduced within integrated care boards, using existing NHS estate in day surgery or hub settings, to boost surgical activity for children and young people. Surgical hubs play a key role in delivering increased activity and ensuring timely access to planned care.

We are also strengthening local support for tongue-tie through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, which is investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 to improve infant feeding services in 75 local authorities in England. Local authorities are working with local health partners to improve access to timely tongue-tie support and treatment. In some areas, new tongue-tie clinics have been set up so that more families can access timely support.

For expectant parents, the majority of NHS trusts offer free antenatal education services, including caring for the baby and feeding. We are working with NHS England to improve the quality of antenatal classes.

Information about the symptoms and treatment of tongue-tie is also available on the NHS website and the Best Start in Life email programme for parents.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish an implementation plan to ensure that each Integrated Care Board commissions a Fracture Liaison Service.

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

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

Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.

Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS trusts in areas with higher prevalence of consanguineous unions receive additional (a) funding, (b) training and (c) genetic counselling resources to help tackle related health needs.

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

Genomic testing is delivered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and guided by the National Genomic Test Directory, which outlines the eligibility criteria for genomic testing. These criteria support clinicians to decide whether genetic testing is appropriate, including in cases where genetic disorders may be linked to consanguinity. Seventeen NHS Clinical Genetics Services are commissioned by NHS England and deliver a comprehensive clinical genetics and genetic counselling service that directs the diagnosis, risk assessment, and lifelong clinical management of patients of all ages and their families who have, or are at risk of having, a genetic condition. In addition, through the Genetic Risk Equity Project, NHS England is piloting and evaluating new models of care in nine sites to improve equity of access to genetic services for the small proportion of consanguineous couples at increased genetic risk. NHS England has published training modules about close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, as well as guidance on how to submit data around consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dementia specialists were recruited in England in each year since 2010 by local authority.

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

We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dementia specialists were recruited in England in each year since 2010 by Integrated Care Board.

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

We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.

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 male carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

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

The Government recognises the vital role of unpaid carers and is committed to ensuring they receive the support they need. Through measures set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining caring tasks through a new ‘MyCarer’ section in the NHS App. We are also expanding access to mental health care through 24/7 neighbourhood services, new emergency mental health departments, and enhanced support via the NHS App, all of which will be available to carers experiencing mental ill health.

Local authorities have duties under the Care Act 2014 to support unpaid carers. To help them fulfil these duties, the 2025 Spending Review provides for an increase of over £4 billion in funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.

On 19 November, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

As Minister of State for Care, I also chair a regular cross-Government meeting with ministers across departments to consider how we can work together to provide unpaid carers with the recognition and support they deserve.

The Department has no current plans to introduce a multi-year funding scheme for support groups specifically for male carers, but we will continue working across government and with local authorities to ensure that unpaid carers of all genders are able to access appropriate support.

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 trends in the rates of mental ill health among male carers.

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

The Government recognises the vital role of unpaid carers and is committed to ensuring they receive the support they need. Through measures set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining caring tasks through a new ‘MyCarer’ section in the NHS App. We are also expanding access to mental health care through 24/7 neighbourhood services, new emergency mental health departments, and enhanced support via the NHS App, all of which will be available to carers experiencing mental ill health.

Local authorities have duties under the Care Act 2014 to support unpaid carers. To help them fulfil these duties, the 2025 Spending Review provides for an increase of over £4 billion in funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.

On 19 November, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

As Minister of State for Care, I also chair a regular cross-Government meeting with ministers across departments to consider how we can work together to provide unpaid carers with the recognition and support they deserve.

The Department has no current plans to introduce a multi-year funding scheme for support groups specifically for male carers, but we will continue working across government and with local authorities to ensure that unpaid carers of all genders are able to access appropriate support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider the potential merits of a multi-year funding scheme for support groups for male carers.

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

The Government recognises the vital role of unpaid carers and is committed to ensuring they receive the support they need. Through measures set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining caring tasks through a new ‘MyCarer’ section in the NHS App. We are also expanding access to mental health care through 24/7 neighbourhood services, new emergency mental health departments, and enhanced support via the NHS App, all of which will be available to carers experiencing mental ill health.

Local authorities have duties under the Care Act 2014 to support unpaid carers. To help them fulfil these duties, the 2025 Spending Review provides for an increase of over £4 billion in funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.

On 19 November, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

As Minister of State for Care, I also chair a regular cross-Government meeting with ministers across departments to consider how we can work together to provide unpaid carers with the recognition and support they deserve.

The Department has no current plans to introduce a multi-year funding scheme for support groups specifically for male carers, but we will continue working across government and with local authorities to ensure that unpaid carers of all genders are able to access appropriate support.

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 support groups for male carers.

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

The Government recognises the vital role of unpaid carers and is committed to ensuring they receive the support they need. Through measures set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining caring tasks through a new ‘MyCarer’ section in the NHS App. We are also expanding access to mental health care through 24/7 neighbourhood services, new emergency mental health departments, and enhanced support via the NHS App, all of which will be available to carers experiencing mental ill health.

Local authorities have duties under the Care Act 2014 to support unpaid carers. To help them fulfil these duties, the 2025 Spending Review provides for an increase of over £4 billion in funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.

On 19 November, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

As Minister of State for Care, I also chair a regular cross-Government meeting with ministers across departments to consider how we can work together to provide unpaid carers with the recognition and support they deserve.

The Department has no current plans to introduce a multi-year funding scheme for support groups specifically for male carers, but we will continue working across government and with local authorities to ensure that unpaid carers of all genders are able to access appropriate support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what engagement did Exercise Pegasus have with pharmaceutical providers on the procurement of pre-prophylactic drugs for immunocompromised patients.

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

Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in United Kingdom history, involved thousands of participants across different parts of the exercise. Multiple other non-Governmental organisations representing the breadth of society were engaged and will continue to be in advance of phase four of the exercise in 2026. This includes engagement with partners from across the pharmaceutical industry, a focus group with those who are clinically vulnerable, and engagement with our key personal protective equipment (PPE) delivery partner SCCL on the PPE requirements across health and social care on the core anchor days of the exercise.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what engagement did Exercise Pegasus have with providers in the procurement of adequate Personal Protective Equipment for immunocompromised patients.

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

Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in United Kingdom history, involved thousands of participants across different parts of the exercise. Multiple other non-Governmental organisations representing the breadth of society were engaged and will continue to be in advance of phase four of the exercise in 2026. This includes engagement with partners from across the pharmaceutical industry, a focus group with those who are clinically vulnerable, and engagement with our key personal protective equipment (PPE) delivery partner SCCL on the PPE requirements across health and social care on the core anchor days of the exercise.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what engagement did Exercise Pegasus have with pharmaceutical providers on the procurement of vaccinations.

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

Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in United Kingdom history, involved thousands of participants across different parts of the exercise. Multiple other non-Governmental organisations representing the breadth of society were engaged and will continue to be in advance of phase four of the exercise in 2026. This includes engagement with partners from across the pharmaceutical industry, a focus group with those who are clinically vulnerable, and engagement with our key personal protective equipment (PPE) delivery partner SCCL on the PPE requirements across health and social care on the core anchor days of the exercise.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Exercise Pegasus involved consultation with clinically vulnerable patient groups.

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

Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in United Kingdom history, involved thousands of participants across different parts of the exercise. Multiple other non-Governmental organisations representing the breadth of society were engaged and will continue to be in advance of phase four of the exercise in 2026. This includes engagement with partners from across the pharmaceutical industry, a focus group with those who are clinically vulnerable, and engagement with our key personal protective equipment (PPE) delivery partner SCCL on the PPE requirements across health and social care on the core anchor days of the exercise.

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 reduce the number of deaths in hospital.

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

The Government is prioritising patient safety and a learning culture in the National Health Service to prevent harmful events from happening to patients. The NHS Patient Safety Strategy, originally published in 2019, and updated in 2021 and 2023, includes key programmes to support the NHS to improve patient safety continuously and reduce patient harm. Further information on the NHS Patient Safety Strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/the-nhs-patient-safety-strategy/

As part of this, the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework reforms the way providers respond to patient safety incidents, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-insight/incident-response-framework/engaging-and-involving-patients-families-and-staff-following-a-patient-safety-incident/

In addition, the Learn From Patient Safety Events service also enables the NHS to learn from more than three million patient safety incidents reported annually, including through the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence tools for analysis. Further information on the Learn From Patient Safety Events service is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-insight/learning-from-patient-safety-events/learn-from-patient-safety-events-service/

Other examples of key patient safety initiatives include rollout of Martha’s Rule, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/marthas-rule/

From September 2024 to July 2025, this policy has resulted in changes in treatment for roughly 1,000 patients, with more than 260 patients requiring transfers of care to high dependency or intensive care units, enhanced levels of care, or a tertiary centre. The Government also introduced the statutory medical examiner system from September 2024 which means that medical examiners independently scrutinise every death in England and Wales not referred to a coroner. This is estimated as more than half a million deaths in 12 months. Medical examiners support local learning and improvement by detecting and referring concerns through established local clinical governance processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to specialist wheelchairs for children in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services.

The Lincolnshire ICB and Lincolnshire County Council jointly commission an all-age wheelchair service. To support access to specialist wheelchairs, the Lincolnshire wheelchair service has a close working relationship with bespoke seating services who support with wheelchair fittings and assessments. In addition, the service also operates a personal wheelchair budget option that supports the provision of equipment outside of the standard service and that helps assess the equipment sourced to make sure it is appropriate and meets the patient’s needs.

NHS England is taking steps to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of National Health Service wheelchairs, and to support ICBs to reduce delays in people receiving intervention and equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on the 9 April 2025 which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/

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 closure of the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled Peoples on wheelchair provision for children aged under six.

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

This assessment has not been made. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of local wheelchair services, based on the needs of their local population.

NHS England has developed policy, guidance, and legislation to support ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services. On 9 April 2025, NHS England published the Wheelchair Quality Framework which is designed to assist ICBs and National Health Service wheelchair service providers in delivering high-quality provision that offers improved access, outcomes, and experience.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure anticancer agents can be offered on the NHS for the duration of people’s cancer treatment.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based recommendations on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines in line with NICE’s recommendations.

These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken independently and on the basis of the evidence. NICE’s methods and processes for making its recommendations are internationally respected and have been developed through extensive consultation. NICE is able to recommend the vast majority of new licensed medicines for use on the NHS, and many thousands of patients have benefited from access to medicines as a result.

NICE’s guidance on the use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of untreated PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer recommends that treatment should be stopped at two years. This recommendation was based on the best available clinical evidence and was made in the interest of patient safety. During the development of guidance, NICE’s appraisal committee was informed by clinical experts that the optimal duration of treatment was unknown and, despite the medicine having low toxicity, long courses of intravenous infusion may be a burden to patients. Further information is set out in paragraph 3.6 of NICE’s published guidance at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta531/chapter/3-Committee-discussion

The Department and NHS England do not hold any data on the number of patients who are unable to self-fund treatment of medicines beyond any stopping rule set out in NICE’s guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) schools, (b) nurseries and (c) early years settings have signed up to the Big Brush Club supervised toothbrushing scheme.

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

The Big Brush Club is commissioned across seven integrated care boards (ICBs) in the National Health Service South West region in England to deliver supervised toothbrushing at schools and nurseries. The total number of schools participating is 738. The number of nurseries and early years settings are not available separately, but the total number of nurseries and early years settings participating, combined, is 462.

The national supervised toothbrushing programme now being implemented across England will reach up to 600,000 children between the ages of three and five years old in the 20% most deprived Lower Super Output Areas according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation. This is backed by £11 million funding to local authorities in 2025/26 and a five-year partnership with Colgate-Palmolive. Where there are existing schemes in place, there is local flexibility to provide additional programmes, including those for older or younger children, those with special educational needs and disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dementia specialists there were in England in each year since 2010 by Integrated Care Board.

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

We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dementia specialists there were in England in each year since 2010 by local authority.

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

We do not hold this information centrally. Dementia care involves multiple specialties. We hold data by profession rather than by specific skills or areas of knowledge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the risk of increasing flu cases amid NHS strikes.

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

The National Health Service in England has been preparing for winter with the development and better testing of winter plans with surge capacity and escalation plans in place across all NHS and urgent care services. In September NHS England ran seven regionally-led exercises to enable integrated care boards and trusts to stress test whether their plans are sufficient and robust to mitigate winter pressures from baseline, moderate, and extreme levels of respiratory illness and/or flu surge.

As set out in the 2025/26 Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, the NHS is focussing on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter. This includes expanding community access to urgent care, for example for patients to be treated in virtual wards, and improving vaccination uptake among frontline staff.

The priority is to keep patients as safe as possible during any industrial action. The NHS makes every effort through rigorous contingency planning to minimise disruption as a result of industrial action and its impact on patients and the public. Assessments are made by local trusts about the level of resourcing, and they can escalate via regions and nationally, where appropriate.

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 offering CT scans to former miners.

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

No assessment has been made on the potential merits of offering computed tomography (CT) scans to former miners. As set out in the recently published Men’s Health Strategy for England, we will expand the existing Respiratory Pathways Transformation Fund initiative by investing an additional £1 million this year through the Oxfordshire Health Innovation Network to develop targeted case-finding initiatives in former coalfield areas, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This will help us to identify the individuals who need support to access appropriate local services. Investigations such as CT scans will be considered for those reporting symptoms in areas in which we are targeting support, if clinically appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government will commit to publishing outcome data and not only referral figures for Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE as set out in the Veterans Strategy.

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

NHS England has been working with the regional providers of Op COURAGE to ensure that they are meeting the needs of veterans. This includes reviewing the time that veterans wait for assessment and treatment. Any required changes identified through this internal review will be implemented from April 2026.

All primary care networks in Wiltshire have at least one general practice (GP) accredited as being veteran friendly. NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, are continuing to encourage GPs to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access.

NHS England is working with Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE to develop more meaningful data on outcomes, patient satisfaction, and to demonstrate progress on continuous improvement in services and clinical provision. This work will focus on ensuring that future reporting is both purposeful and proportionate, to avoid detracting from the delivery of frontline services.

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 reduce waiting times for veterans accessing Op COURAGE services, including for those in rural counties such as Wiltshire.

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

NHS England has been working with the regional providers of Op COURAGE to ensure that they are meeting the needs of veterans. This includes reviewing the time that veterans wait for assessment and treatment. Any required changes identified through this internal review will be implemented from April 2026.

All primary care networks in Wiltshire have at least one general practice (GP) accredited as being veteran friendly. NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, are continuing to encourage GPs to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access.

NHS England is working with Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE to develop more meaningful data on outcomes, patient satisfaction, and to demonstrate progress on continuous improvement in services and clinical provision. This work will focus on ensuring that future reporting is both purposeful and proportionate, to avoid detracting from the delivery of frontline 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 GP accreditation coverage for Veteran Aware practices in Wiltshire, and what steps are being taken to close any gaps.

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

NHS England has been working with the regional providers of Op COURAGE to ensure that they are meeting the needs of veterans. This includes reviewing the time that veterans wait for assessment and treatment. Any required changes identified through this internal review will be implemented from April 2026.

All primary care networks in Wiltshire have at least one general practice (GP) accredited as being veteran friendly. NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, are continuing to encourage GPs to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access.

NHS England is working with Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE to develop more meaningful data on outcomes, patient satisfaction, and to demonstrate progress on continuous improvement in services and clinical provision. This work will focus on ensuring that future reporting is both purposeful and proportionate, to avoid detracting from the delivery of frontline services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has made available to local authorities for (a) housing (b) other support to Gazan evacuees.

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

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is funding local authorities, in the form of an accommodation tariff, so they can provide suitable accommodation for families from Gaza for up to two years in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care is providing local authorities a fixed flat-rate tariff to fund wraparound services to families. Local authorities are also able to claim additional funding to cover exceptional adult social care, children’s social care, and educational costs.

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 ensure that people who cannot afford anticancer treatment will continue to receive treatment beyond the stopping date of their anticancer agent being available on the NHS.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based recommendations on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines in line with NICE’s recommendations.

These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken independently and on the basis of the evidence. NICE’s methods and processes for making its recommendations are internationally respected and have been developed through extensive consultation. NICE is able to recommend the vast majority of new licensed medicines for use on the NHS, and many thousands of patients have benefited from access to medicines as a result.

NICE’s guidance on the use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of untreated PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer recommends that treatment should be stopped at two years. This recommendation was based on the best available clinical evidence and was made in the interest of patient safety. During the development of guidance, NICE’s appraisal committee was informed by clinical experts that the optimal duration of treatment was unknown and, despite the medicine having low toxicity, long courses of intravenous infusion may be a burden to patients. Further information is set out in paragraph 3.6 of NICE’s published guidance at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta531/chapter/3-Committee-discussion

The Department and NHS England do not hold any data on the number of patients who are unable to self-fund treatment of medicines beyond any stopping rule set out in NICE’s guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of cancer patients who could not afford to continue using their anticancer agent beyond its NHS availability.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based recommendations on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines in line with NICE’s recommendations.

These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken independently and on the basis of the evidence. NICE’s methods and processes for making its recommendations are internationally respected and have been developed through extensive consultation. NICE is able to recommend the vast majority of new licensed medicines for use on the NHS, and many thousands of patients have benefited from access to medicines as a result.

NICE’s guidance on the use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of untreated PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer recommends that treatment should be stopped at two years. This recommendation was based on the best available clinical evidence and was made in the interest of patient safety. During the development of guidance, NICE’s appraisal committee was informed by clinical experts that the optimal duration of treatment was unknown and, despite the medicine having low toxicity, long courses of intravenous infusion may be a burden to patients. Further information is set out in paragraph 3.6 of NICE’s published guidance at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta531/chapter/3-Committee-discussion

The Department and NHS England do not hold any data on the number of patients who are unable to self-fund treatment of medicines beyond any stopping rule set out in NICE’s guidance.

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 systems for determining the duration of NHS funding for anticancer agents.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based recommendations on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines in line with NICE’s recommendations.

These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken independently and on the basis of the evidence. NICE’s methods and processes for making its recommendations are internationally respected and have been developed through extensive consultation. NICE is able to recommend the vast majority of new licensed medicines for use on the NHS, and many thousands of patients have benefited from access to medicines as a result.

NICE’s guidance on the use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of untreated PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer recommends that treatment should be stopped at two years. This recommendation was based on the best available clinical evidence and was made in the interest of patient safety. During the development of guidance, NICE’s appraisal committee was informed by clinical experts that the optimal duration of treatment was unknown and, despite the medicine having low toxicity, long courses of intravenous infusion may be a burden to patients. Further information is set out in paragraph 3.6 of NICE’s published guidance at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta531/chapter/3-Committee-discussion

The Department and NHS England do not hold any data on the number of patients who are unable to self-fund treatment of medicines beyond any stopping rule set out in NICE’s guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making pembrolizumab available on the NHS for longer than two years.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based recommendations on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines in line with NICE’s recommendations.

These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken independently and on the basis of the evidence. NICE’s methods and processes for making its recommendations are internationally respected and have been developed through extensive consultation. NICE is able to recommend the vast majority of new licensed medicines for use on the NHS, and many thousands of patients have benefited from access to medicines as a result.

NICE’s guidance on the use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of untreated PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer recommends that treatment should be stopped at two years. This recommendation was based on the best available clinical evidence and was made in the interest of patient safety. During the development of guidance, NICE’s appraisal committee was informed by clinical experts that the optimal duration of treatment was unknown and, despite the medicine having low toxicity, long courses of intravenous infusion may be a burden to patients. Further information is set out in paragraph 3.6 of NICE’s published guidance at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta531/chapter/3-Committee-discussion

The Department and NHS England do not hold any data on the number of patients who are unable to self-fund treatment of medicines beyond any stopping rule set out in NICE’s guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that concerns raised by NHS whistleblowers on patient safety are (a) recorded, (b) escalated and (c) reviewed.

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

There are a number of avenues through which healthcare workers can speak up and raise concerns, with established procedures in place to record, act on, and escalate issues as needed.

In England, more than 1,300 Freedom to Speak Up Guardians now support staff in speaking up. Their role involves working alongside governance, risk, and safety teams to ensure that speaking up translates into improvements in patient care, as well as identifying patterns and trends, for example, in patient safety incidents. Freedom to Speak Up Guardians collect and report anonymised data on the issues raised with them, including patient safety. This data is published by the National Guardian’s Office at the following link:

https://nationalguardian.org.uk/learning-resources/speaking-up-data/

The National Guardian’s Office and NHS England are ‘prescribed persons’, authorised to receive protected disclosures, including those in relation to safety and quality concerns. They are legally required to publish annual reports on protected disclosures and their outcomes.

Every National Health Service organisation in England should be following the national Freedom to Speak Up policy, which outlines minimum standards for handling and addressing concerns. This policy ensures that all reported concerns are considered carefully and investigated objectively when necessary.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he is providing to international medical and humanitarian partners to help with child amputees and life-altering injuries resulting from explosive weapons in conflict.

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

The Government recognises the appalling toll that explosive weapons in conflict zones exact on children. We recognise that children are among the most vulnerable in any crisis, suffering not only immediate physical harm but also enduring emotional and psychological trauma with lifelong consequences.

The Department has three strands of work which support those who have been injured in this way. First, we have partnered with the David Nott Foundation to support the delivery of life-saving medical training to Ukrainian clinicians under the International Medical Partnership initiative. Second, with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, we work closely with UKMed, a frontline medical age charity, who run clinical support programmes in both Ukraine and Gaza with National Health Service clinicians volunteering to provide life-saving medical aid to people affected by the conflict. Third, the Government has medically evacuated a small number of children from Gaza for specialist treatment in the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with stakeholders on compensation for people affected by in-utero exposure to sodium valproate.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

The Department will consider further meetings with the community and relevant stakeholders, when we have a substantive update to ensure that discussions can be productive, as part of our work on these important issues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to conduct a survey of medical professionals to assess willingness to partake in assisted suicide.

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

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament is not a piece of Government legislation. As such, the Government does not currently have a plan to conduct a survey of medical professionals as per the question.

As currently drafted, clause 31 of the Bill “No obligation to provide assistance etc” subsection (1) describes that “No person is under any duty to participate in the provision of assistance in accordance with this Act.”

Should the Bill gain Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken. As part of this work, the Government would work closely with relevant stakeholders, including medical professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the ability of doctors to detect coercion accurately should the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill become law.

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

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament is not a piece of Government legislation.

Should the Bill gains Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken. This work would include developing guidance for medical practitioners on all aspects of the Bill, including detecting coercion if necessary.

Further considerations for information regarding Provision and Training of a Voluntary Assisted Dying service can be found in section 10 of the Bill’s impact assessment. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage healthy eating.

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

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

With measures like mandatory business reporting and targets, we are moving to a more strategic, outcomes-based approach focussing on reducing less healthy food consumption, in line with United Kingdom dietary guidelines. We are implementing restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food or drink products on television before 9:00pm and all paid-for advertising online. Volume price promotion restrictions came into force in England on 1 October 2025. This restricts volume price promotions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink in stores and their equivalent places online.

The UK dietary guidelines, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, advise that people should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and wholegrain or higher-fibre foods, as well as less processed meat, and food and drink that is high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt. The Eatwell Guide principles are communicated through a variety of channels, including the NHS.UK website and Government social marketing campaigns. The guide also underpins Government catering guidance and standards.

The Department also has a series of websites and digital tools that support adults and families to eat better, providing guidance on healthy eating. These include the Food Scanner app, NHS weight loss plan app, email programmes and websites such as Better Health, Better Health Families, and Best Start in Life.

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 promote NHS innovation in liquid biopsies.

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

The Government is committed to funding innovative technologies, including multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests such as liquid biopsies, to improve early cancer diagnosis rates for cancer patients in the National Health Service. The Office for Life Sciences’ Cancer Healthcare Goals programme is providing funding for a National Institute for Health and Care Research led trial to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of MCD tests in primary care for patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms. The programme has also provided £2.35 million of funding to support the research and development of the miONCO-Dx multi-cancer early detection test, which can identify 12 of the most lethal and common cancers at even the earliest stages of the disease course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of waiting times for children’s mental health services in the West Midlands; and what steps he is taking to reduce delays.

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

We know that too many children and young people are waiting too long for mental health support, and through our Plan for Change, we’re determined to give children and young people the best start in life, including in the West Midlands.

The Government is expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools and colleges to reach all pupils by 2029, ensuring that every pupil has access to early support services. This expansion will ensure that up to 900,000 more children and young people will have access to support from trained education mental health practitioners in 2025/26.

More widely, we are rolling out Young Futures Hubs. The Government’s first 50 Young Futures Hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure that there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health.

We have also committed to hiring 8,500 more mental health staff to reduce waiting times. Thus far, we have hired almost 7,000 extra mental health workers since July 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding is provided to community based organisations in (a) Greater Manchester (b) Oldham to support men's mental health and wellbeing.

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

Mental health remains a core priority for England, including in Greater Manchester and Oldham. That's why nationally, we're investing £688 million to transform services, including £26 million to support people in mental health crisis. We are introducing Neighbourhood Mental Health Care for adults, which will bring together community, crisis, and inpatient mental health care into a single, seamless offer.

On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community, and family networks, and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention.

Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience. We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk of taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.

Responsibility for onward commissioning of mental health services sits with integrated care boards (ICB). It is the role of local ICB decision-makers to consider the implications of mental health services, specific to each geography and including the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups, and local authorities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on reducing delayed discharges from hospitals.

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

The Government is committed to tackling delayed discharges, to ensure patients do not remain in hospital longer than necessary and to free up hospital beds for patients that need them.

The Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 sets as a priority that hospitals should tackle the delays in patients waiting to be discharged. They should eliminate discharge delays of more than 48 hours caused by in-hospital issues, and work with local authorities to tackle the longest delays, starting with those over 21 days, and to profile discharges by pathway to support local planning.

In January 2025, we published a new policy framework for the £9 billion Better Care Fund, which gives the National Health Service and local authorities accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays. Starting in the financial year 2026/27, we will reform the Better Care Fund, focusing on ensuring consistent joint NHS and local authority funding for services essential to integrated health and social care, such as hospital discharge, intermediate care, rehabilitation, and reablement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the taxpayer of raising NICE’s value for money threshold by 25 percent.

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

The pharmaceutical sector and the innovative medicines it produces are critical to our national interest, helping people access life changing treatments, reducing pressure on the health service over the longer-term, and ensuring we have a National Health Service that is fit for the future.

That is why through our Life Sciences Sector Plan, we have committed to working with industry to accelerate growth in spending on innovative medicines, compared to the previous decade. Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will reform 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, whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of increasing the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effectiveness threshold by 25%.

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

The pharmaceutical sector and the innovative medicines it produces are critical to our national interest, helping people access life changing treatments, reducing pressure on the health service over the longer-term, and ensuring we have a National Health Service that is fit for the future.

That is why through our Life Sciences Sector Plan, we have committed to working with industry to accelerate growth in spending on innovative medicines, compared to the previous decade. Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will reform 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, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for the specialist (a) care, (b) advice and (c) assessment provided by hospices.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England, due to be published in Spring 2026. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.   St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford is receiving £667,020 from this funding. We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that hospice contracts reflect the (a) cost of the services they provide and (b) needs of their local populations.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England, due to be published in Spring 2026. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.   St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford is receiving £667,020 from this funding. We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure a sustainable funding settlement for hospice and palliative care in (a) Herefordshire and (b) the country.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England, due to be published in Spring 2026. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.   St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford is receiving £667,020 from this funding. We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish data on (a) the average waiting time from referral to first appointment and (b) other assessment capacity for ADHD in each Integrated Care Board.

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

For the first time, NHS England published management information on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment waiting times at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and data is now released each quarter, with the latest release in August 2025.

Data on ADHD waiting times at an integrated care boards (ICB) level is not currently held centrally. NHS England has released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits and diagnosis data as well as publishing more localised data. NHS England intends to publish data at an ICB level in 2026/27.

NHS England established an independent ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. The final report was published 6 November, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of palliative care services in Broxbourne constituency.

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

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England, due to be published in Spring 2026. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. St Clare Hospice, which cares for patients from the Broxbourne constituency, is receiving £579,780 from this funding.

We are also providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients. Haven House Children’s Hospice and Noah’s Ark Children's Hospice near Broxbourne will both benefit from this funding.

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 promote NHS innovation in robotics.

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

Robotics is one of the Department’s 10-Year Health Plan’s five "big bets” and by supporting the innovation pipeline from research through to adoption we aim to stimulate greater innovation and more rapid delivery of these technologies for improved patient outcomes and an improved health system.

To support adoption, our 10-Year Health Plan commits to expand surgical robot adoption over the next decade, support National Health Service trusts to increase robotic process automation, and scale the use of robots in pharmacy. We have also committed to establishing national registries for robotic surgery data from 2029 and to developing telesurgery networks. Earlier this year, NHS England published the first national guidance for the implementation of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) in the NHS, offering guidance on procurement, commissioning, implementation, training, and evaluation. A national steering committee is already in place to support the adoption of RAS, ensure safe implementation, and to oversee the training requirements for surgeons and surgical teams. The NHS aims to increase the number of robotic-assisted procedures to 500,000 by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023/24.

The Department supports innovation in NHS robotics research by funding the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and its NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Devices, Digital and Robotics, which is one of fourteen HRCs. This centre supports safe, effective, and efficient translation of new healthcare technologies, such as robotics, into routine care for NHS patients and follow-on 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 promote NHS innovation in nano surgery.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Department encourages innovation in the health sector that helps to support the three big shifts in healthcare: moving care from hospitals to communities; transitioning from analogue to digital; and focusing on prevention over treatment.

The Department is actively supporting the development and evaluation of game-changing innovations as well as the adoption of technologies to give our world leading clinicians the technology and skills to improve outcomes for patients.

Improving innovation, adoption, and procurement of game-changing technology, including nano surgery, will help the National Health Service secure the best possible outcomes for patients whilst also delivering greater value-for-money and unlocking further economic growth. In addition, the National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As well as funding research directly through NIHR programmes, the Department also funds NIHR infrastructure which are centres of excellence and collaborations, services, and facilities to support health and care research.

The NIHR research infrastructure drives innovation through research across a range of health and care areas, including nano surgery. For example, the Surgical and Perioperative Care Translational Research Collaboration brings together NIHR infrastructure to develop new surgical interventions, improving patient safety and patient care before and after surgery.

The NIHR HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs) work with industry to develop medical devices, diagnostics, and digital technologies. The NIHR Accelerated Surgical Care HRC’s focus is on minimally invasive therapies which enable surgical care to be delivered with greater precision, minimal trauma, and improved outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement standardised regulations for the (a) collection and (b) storage of rare cancer tissue samples obtained for the purposes of (i) medical treatment and (ii) future research.

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

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) regulates organisations that remove, store, and use human tissue for scheduled purposes, including research and medical treatment.

Under the Human Tissue Act 2004, appropriate consent is always required to remove tissue from the deceased for research purposes. Tissue from living patients, for example biopsy or blood samples, can ordinarily be used for research only with the person's consent. The HTA ensures that it is removed and stored in an appropriate and well managed way.

Consent is not required for research on tissue from living patients if the samples are anonymised or coded to make sure patient or participant information is not identifiable, and the project has recognised ethics committee approval, or if the tissue samples were obtained before 1 September 2006, when the Human Tissue Act came into force.

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 increases in legal costs for clinical negligence.

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

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

As announced in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn.

The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to hold further meetings with (a) people affected by in-utero exposure to sodium valproate and (b) other relevant stakeholders on the progress made in implementing the recommendations outlined in the Hughes Report.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

The Department will consider further meetings with the community and relevant stakeholders, when we have a substantive update to ensure that discussions can be productive, as part of our work on these important issues.

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Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI technologies on early cancer detection.

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

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invests in cancer research via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Department of Health and Social Care via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). UKRI and NIHR support research which explores the impact of AI on cancer diagnosis, including the NIHR £11 million Edith trial (using AI to assist radiologists in breast cancer screening). AI presents significant opportunities for improving outcomes and diagnosis for cancer patients and driving faster triage of patients with suspected symptoms. Evaluations of the impact of AI on cancer diagnosis are ongoing.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will outline how his Department monitors delivery and outcomes of the Neurodiversity Action Plan across the prison and probation service.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will provide an update on the 2022 Neurodiversity Action Plan.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made in producing Easy-Read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what percentage of prisons have introduced Neurodiversity Rep jobs.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to strengthen cross-government collaboration on neurodiversity in the criminal justice system, particularly with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to (a) publish an updated progress report on delivery of the Neurodiversity Action Plan and (b) replace it with a new plan.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what funding has been allocated to support specialist interventions for neurodivergent individuals in custody and in the community.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons currently have dedicated neurodiversity leads or champions in place.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure all front-line staff receive training to support neurodivergent people in custody and under supervision.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made on improving screening and identification of neurodivergent individuals at the point of entry into the criminal justice system.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prison and probation staff have completed neurodiversity awareness training since 2022.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether neurodiversity screening tools have been standardised across all prisons and probation regions.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice remains committed to improving support for neurodivergent individuals in the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity Action Plan

The Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, along with subsequent progress updates published in January and September 2023 set out how the department, working alongside health and justice partners, has made progress and monitored delivery and outcomes across the criminal justice system. We are committed to publishing a final update to the Action Plan shortly, which will set out the significant improvements made in improving support for those with neurodiverse needs and next steps.

Cross-Government Collaboration

NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare services in prisons, including the provision of clinical interventions. We continue to work closely with partners including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the Health and Justice National Neurodiversity Programme Board to improve support for neurodiverse individuals in the criminal justice system.

The Youth Custody Service operates under the Framework of Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) co-commissioned by NHS England. Young Offender Institutions have Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators and psychologists to meet the needs of children. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) are requested from the community, and we work closely with Department for Education and DHSC to ensure effective delivery.

Funding

We do not hold data centrally on the funding allocated to interventions for neurodivergent people in prison or on probation. HMPPS provides a range of interventions, including educational interventions delivered as part of the Prisoner Education Service, therapeutic interventions specifically for neurodivergent individuals and tailoring of interventions, including Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, to be inclusive of neurodivergence.

Screening

HMPPS screens all prisoners as part of the induction process following entry into prison to identify any needs that may affect their ability to engage with the regime and navigate its environment and opportunities.

To improve prison screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them.

Reasonable adjustments differ at each stage and therefore, a universal screening tool would not be practical to identify individual needs across the criminal justice system.

Neurodiversity leads

NSMs have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. As of November 2025, there are NSMs in 116 prisons across England and Wales, with seven sites recruiting. NSMs use a range of methods to ensure that sufficient support for neurodiversity is available in their prisons, including introducing Neurodiversity Staff Champions or Neurodiversity Peer mentors. Regular networking and training opportunities are provided to NSMs, providing them with ongoing support and development.

As of September 2025, 99 prisons had reported progress on implementing this support. 45 reported having Neurodiversity Support Champions and 66 (two-thirds) reported having Neurodiversity Reps or Peer mentors.

Training and support for staff

We do not hold data centrally on the proportion of staff who have completed neurodiversity training. However, a key priority for NSMs is to provide training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support neurodivergent individuals. This includes training on neurodiversity supportive practice and ensuring that all staff members have the support, and resources they need to facilitate reasonable adjustments as required.

In probation, HMPPS offer neurodiversity learning packages for all staff as part of the Probation Learning and Development curriculum, and new Probation Service Officers and those undertaking the Professional Qualification in Probation are required to undertake learning that includes neurodiversity.

Easy Reads

We aim for all prisoner-facing documents to be written in clear, simple English. When our staff write new or revised policies, or other documents which prisoners need to read, we require them to use plain language, keep text brief, spell out acronyms on first use, and avoid unnecessary words or jargon.

NSMs have received training on creating easy-read documents. As part of their role in making prison environments more supportive of neurodivergence, many have produced easy-read versions of key prison documents, including a Prison Induction Handbook for prisoners with low literacy.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of excess winter deaths.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

A very wide range of factors impact changes in mortality – and details of excess deaths can be found across several sets of government statistics. Causes are multiple – including cold homes, fuel poverty, respiratory infections, and pressures on health and social care systems, and as such, multiple government departments offer relevant support.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) leads on winter preparedness measures each year and on public health strategies; The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) addresses energy affordability and housing efficiency through schemes such as the Warm Home Discount and Warm Homes Plan, which help reduce cold exposure and fuel poverty; and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides financial support to vulnerable households through a range of pensions, benefits and payments. Together these measures work to mitigate risks associated with cold temperatures.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a teacher is authorised to use a pupils' prescribed Adrenaline Auto-Injector device on a different pupil in the event of an anaphylactic emergency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Regulations allow, but do not mandate, schools to obtain and hold spare adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs). Since 1 October 2017, the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 has allowed all schools to purchase AAI devices without a prescription, for use in an emergency situation. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published non-statutory guidance to accompany this legislative change, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schools. This guidance gives advice to schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered. The guidance states that children at risk of anaphylaxis should have their prescribed AAIs at school for use in an emergency, and that any AAIs held by a school should be considered a spare device, and not a replacement for a pupil’s own AAIs.

The department is working with DHSC and NHS England to consider how we might extend the availability of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with the Department of Health and Social Care to reduce the number of people discharged from NHS care into homelessness.

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

In January 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care published Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, guidance to help staff plan safe discharges and prevent homelessness after NHS care.

We will look closely at the issue of people being discharged from NHS care into homelessness in our cross-government Homelessness Strategy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with the Department of Health and Social Care to reduce the number of people discharged from NHS care into homelessness.

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

In January 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care published Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, guidance to help staff plan safe discharges and prevent homelessness after NHS care.

We will look closely at the issue of people being discharged from NHS care into homelessness in our cross-government Homelessness Strategy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with the Department of Health and Social Care to reduce the number of people discharged from NHS care into homelessness.

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

In January 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care published Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, guidance to help staff plan safe discharges and prevent homelessness after NHS care.

We will look closely at the issue of people being discharged from NHS care into homelessness in our cross-government Homelessness Strategy.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the role and remit of the Office for Life Sciences.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is a joint unit between the Department of Health and Social Care, Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department of Business and Trade. It exists to support the UK’s life sciences sector by championing research, innovation and technology, helping everyone live well for longer and kickstarting economic growth.

OLS is committed to renewing the UK’s leadership in life sciences – a cornerstone of the UK's success – deepening ties between the public, private and third sector to ensure growth across every region of the country. OLS has responsibility for the oversight of delivery of the Life Science Sector Plan, which was published in July 2025, as part of the Industrial Strategy and developed in tandem with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the All Party-Parliamentary Group on Afrikan-Reparations's report entitled Laying Ancestors to Rest, published in March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of banning the (a) sale and (b) public display in UK institutions of African ancestral remains.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is aware of the issues this report raises and, whilst no such assessments have been made, The Museums Minister met separately recently with DHSC to discuss options on the sale of human remains following the Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling’s commitment in a Lords debate in March.

Under the current framework it is for businesses to decide whether to prohibit sales of human remains, while taking into account provisions in the Human Tissue Act 2004 and their own professional standards. We would however expect those involved to consider the ethical implications of this activity. All human remains should be treated with respect and dignity.

DCMS issued Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums in 2005 which covers the curation, care and display of human remains in museums. We are considering how best to update the guidance, which is now 20 years old.

Museums are independent of the government and are responsible for decisions relating to the care and management of their collections, including the display of human remains, and publish policies on their approach, based on the legal and ethical framework set out in the DCMS guidance.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the All Party-Parliamentary Group on Afrikan-Reparations's report entitled Laying Ancestors to Rest, published in March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the Human Tissue Act 2004 to require the repatriation of human remains over 100 years old.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Museums are independent of the government and are responsible for decisions relating to the care and management of their collections, including the return of human remains, therefore no such assessment has been undertaken.

However, DCMS has previously issued Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums which encouraged museums to establish an advisory framework to assist in determining repatriation claims and provided a set of criteria which need to be taken into account in assessing claims. Individual museums publish policies on their approach. We are considering how best to update the guidance, which is now 20 years old.

A number of museums, including the Natural History Museum, the Horniman Museum, and the Pitt Rivers Museum, working in close partnership with the communities or countries of origin, have returned human remains.

Separately, the Museums Minister met this month with DHSC to discuss broader issues of human remains including those relating to the Human Tissue Act 2004.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education on reforming Child Benefit rules to better support children experiencing mental-health crises who cannot attend school.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Child Benefit remains in payment until 31 August following a child’s 16th birthday. This applies without any conditions on education, so there is no impact on children of this age if they are unable to attend school for any reason.

For young people who are over 16 and under 20, Child Benefit remains payable if they continue in full-time non-advanced education or training. Legislation allows for Child Benefit to continue being paid when this education is interrupted. This can be for a period of up to six months, or for as long as is reasonable if it is attributable to the illness or disability of mind or body. Child Benefit can also still be paid in respect of young people who cannot attend education for an average of more than 12 hours per week due to an illness or disability.

The Government does not hold data on the number of families where Child Benefit has stopped because a young person over 16 has not been able to attend education due to mental ill health.

Where a young person is unable to return to education because of mental ill-health or trauma, disability benefits may provide a more suitable form of long-term support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to transfer oversight of cannabis-based medicinal products to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is the lead department for controlled drug legislation. The Department for Health and Social care and its arms’ length bodies, including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (‘MHRA’), have responsibility for healthcare and medicines policy.

The Government has no plans to change this. The two departments work together with the MHRA and other agencies on issues related to the use of controlled drugs in healthcare and therefore share responsibility for policy and governance relating to cannabis-based medicinal products.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the nutritional value of food and drinks available to school breakfast clubs in England.

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

The department supports the provision of nutritious food in schools to enable pupils to be well nourished, develop healthy eating habits and to concentrate and learn in school.

The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 regulate the food and drink provided at both lunchtime and at other times of the school day, including at free breakfast clubs, and are available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made.

Compliance with the school food standards is mandatory for maintained schools, academies and free schools. Alongside the school food standards practical guide, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/school-food-standards-practical-guide. Our free breakfast clubs guidance includes examples of healthy breakfast offers to help support schools to provide a healthy, balanced breakfast offer to pupils. This guidance has been produced in collaboration with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) track school days lost due to dental problems and (b) reduce that number through preventive oral health programmes.

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

The use of absence Code M and Code I allows schools to track pupils’ medical appointments and illness respectively. Accurate use and tracking of absence codes enables schools to know their pupils, understand why they are absent and provide appropriate support when it is needed.

Medical appointments and dental appointments are both marked using Code M. Schools are not expected to routinely request evidence of a medical or dental appointment. However, parents should get the school’s agreement in advance if it has not been possible to book the appointment outside of school hours.

If schools request further information about the nature of the medical appointment or illness, additional details may be recorded on the school’s Management Information System.

The Department of Health and Social Care is taking action to prevent dental problems, where tooth decay is the most significant for children. This includes implementing a national supervised toothbrushing programme, introducing healthier baby food standards and placing restrictions on junk food advertising.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85794 on Shops: Planning Permission, whether powers to block unwanted shops would apply to shops that are not otherwise long-term empty.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is introducing a number of powers to block unwanted shops that are not otherwise long-term empty.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will provide powers for ministers to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products to support legitimate businesses. The scheme will be subject to consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care before regulations are introduced.

Furthermore, we will introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing, when parliamentary time allows. This will give councils greater control over the number of gambling outlets in their areas, helping to ensure a healthy mix of premises on their high streets.

Wider powers, such as streamlined compulsory purchase orders and community right to buy, will support local control and curation of high streets.

Found: Moreover, the DCMS, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Gambling Commission are jointly

Found: Department of Health and Social Care (2025). 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future.

Gambling executives' profits

DHSC and NHS England should not be replacing qualified doctors with Physician Assistants and various other 'practitioners' or 'consultants'. Patients are being misled and confused whilst receiving dangerous and substandard healthcare. Retain and recruit fully qualified doctors.

Found: DHSC and NHS England should not be replacing qualified doctors with Physician Assistants and various

Found: This study will focus on whether MoJ and the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) are taking effective

Found: An additional, £5 million a year will be invested by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: These changes build on recent Department of Health and Social Care plans to halve the time it takes to

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are

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