Submit Evidence (by 13 Feb 2026)

The Committee is holding an inquiry into what is needed from the NHS estate to deliver the Government’s vision of a ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’ — shifting care from hospitals to integrated, preventative services in local communities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they considered the impact of ongoing COVID-19 circulation on shielding immunocompromised patients as part of Exercise Pegasus.

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

The pandemic scenario designed in Exercise PEGASUS and given to participants was based on the emergence and spread of a novel pathogen and provided a realistic representation of its impact on the United Kingdom’s population, including those with existing conditions. The exercise included the circulation of existing pathogens such as COVID-19. Focus groups and surveys were carried out after each core exercise day to test the public reaction to the decisions taken by officials and ministers, and respondents were drawn from a broad cross-section of society, including those who were immunocompromised.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he Department is taking to improve integration between NHS services and social care provision in West Dorset.

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

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for Neighbourhood Health will see local government and the National Health Service working more closely together, with a revitalised role for Health and Wellbeing Boards and reform of the Better Care Fund (BCF).

Through the BCF, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable NHS bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This includes setting shared goals to reduce delayed discharges, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and support people to live independently at home. Dorset has also received additional support from expert advisors working on behalf of NHS England and the Department.

Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the impact of closer NHS-social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset, local Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to agree plans under the BCF framework to provide timely and coordinated support for people with complex needs. These plans prioritise effective discharge from hospital and recovery in the community.

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 25 November 2025 to Question 92292, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the requirement for pre-visit notifications on the uptake of free eye health screening on people experiencing long term homelessness.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds information on the number of resident doctors who, whilst on strike, work for another trust.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessments his department has made of the predicted total cost of UK-US pharmaceutical deal on the NHS budget.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve integration between social care and NHS services nationally.

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

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for Neighbourhood Health will see local government and the National Health Service working more closely together, with a revitalised role for Health and Wellbeing Boards and reform of the Better Care Fund (BCF).

Through the BCF, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable NHS bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This includes setting shared goals to reduce delayed discharges, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and support people to live independently at home. Dorset has also received additional support from expert advisors working on behalf of NHS England and the Department.

Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the impact of closer NHS-social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset, local Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to agree plans under the BCF framework to provide timely and coordinated support for people with complex needs. These plans prioritise effective discharge from hospital and recovery in the community.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of closer NHS–social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset.

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

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for Neighbourhood Health will see local government and the National Health Service working more closely together, with a revitalised role for Health and Wellbeing Boards and reform of the Better Care Fund (BCF).

Through the BCF, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable NHS bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This includes setting shared goals to reduce delayed discharges, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and support people to live independently at home. Dorset has also received additional support from expert advisors working on behalf of NHS England and the Department.

Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the impact of closer NHS-social care integration on reducing hospital discharge delays in West Dorset, local Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to agree plans under the BCF framework to provide timely and coordinated support for people with complex needs. These plans prioritise effective discharge from hospital and recovery in the community.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing appropriately skilled professionals using a competency-based framework to undertake Initial Health Assessments.

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

Local authorities are responsible for making sure a health assessment of physical, emotional and mental health needs is carried out for every child they look after, regardless of where that child lives. Integrated care boards (ICBs) commission a health provider to undertake initial health assessments (IHAs). The service specification for this service is aligned to the current Children Act 1989 regulations.

The regulations for health assessments are set out in the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010, the Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations colume 2: care planning, placement and case review and supported within the statutory guidance Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children.

Regulation 7(3) of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 states that IHAs are required to be undertaken within twenty days of a child coming into the care of the local authority. The current regulations for the Children Act 1989 state that the IHA should be undertaken by a registered medical practitioner.

This is different to a review health assessment, which may be carried out by a registered medical practitioner, or by a registered nurse or registered midwife, under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner, as stated in regulation 7(3).

No assessment has been made on the potential merits of allowing additional appropriately skilled professionals using a competency-based framework to undertake IHAs.

If IHAs are not happening on time, ICBs are the first line of statutory safeguarding assurance, which includes identifying early warning signs and responding to risks at local levels. NHS England, through ICBs, also undertake annual checks on how safeguarding, and other statutory commitments, are working in practice and across the system. NHS England is working with ICBs to improve the timeliness of IHAs and review health assessments.

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 progress against the commitment in the NHS 10 Year Plan for Health to launch a new large-scale study to sequence the genomes of 150,000 adults and assess how genomics can be used in routine preventive care.

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

The 10-Year Health Plan for England committed to launching a large-scale study, led by Genomics England, to sequence 150,000 adult genomes and assess how genomics can support routine preventive care. Work is now underway to design the study, develop scientific and clinical methodologies, and establish governance in line with major programme standards. Genomics England has commissioned a structured literature review and launched the Genomics, Healthcare and You engagement programme to understand the diverse public and professional perspectives on pre-emptive, preventative population healthcare, while building trust and transparency. This engagement will run through 2025/26, with interim findings shaping study design and recruitment strategies which will be developed in 2026/27. Subject to ethics approval, the recruitment and sequencing of participants is expected to begin from 2027.

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 online healthcare provision reflects the needs of diverse modern families.

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

The Government will establish an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Before NHS Online goes live, the National Health Service will learn from existing research on patient experience of online care over the last five years and build it into the programme as it develops, with a commitment to patient partnership in design and delivery. Inclusive service design is a key priority to ensure people continue to have greater access, choice, and control over their care.

Digital health tools will be part of a wider offering that includes traditional face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. Digital inclusion is a key priority for the NHS as it will support the shift from ‘analogue to digital’. It is one of the five national NHS England Health Inequalities Strategic Priorities, and they published a Digital Healthcare Framework which has guided the integrated care boards’ approach.

To improve digital awareness and access, the NHS App team are working with through the National Health Literacy Partnership to provide an NHS App support offer to public libraries in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve a) awareness of and b) access to online health care services among families and carers.

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

The Government will establish an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Before NHS Online goes live, the National Health Service will learn from existing research on patient experience of online care over the last five years and build it into the programme as it develops, with a commitment to patient partnership in design and delivery. Inclusive service design is a key priority to ensure people continue to have greater access, choice, and control over their care.

Digital health tools will be part of a wider offering that includes traditional face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. Digital inclusion is a key priority for the NHS as it will support the shift from ‘analogue to digital’. It is one of the five national NHS England Health Inequalities Strategic Priorities, and they published a Digital Healthcare Framework which has guided the integrated care boards’ approach.

To improve digital awareness and access, the NHS App team are working with through the National Health Literacy Partnership to provide an NHS App support offer to public libraries in England.

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 NHS Online is accessible to people with limited a) digital skills and b) internet access.

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

The Government will establish an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Before NHS Online goes live, the National Health Service will learn from existing research on patient experience of online care over the last five years and build it into the programme as it develops, with a commitment to patient partnership in design and delivery. Inclusive service design is a key priority to ensure people continue to have greater access, choice, and control over their care.

Digital health tools will be part of a wider offering that includes traditional face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. Digital inclusion is a key priority for the NHS as it will support the shift from ‘analogue to digital’. It is one of the five national NHS England Health Inequalities Strategic Priorities, and they published a Digital Healthcare Framework which has guided the integrated care boards’ approach.

To improve digital awareness and access, the NHS App team are working with through the National Health Literacy Partnership to provide an NHS App support offer to public libraries in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what timeframes his Department will set out to implement the findings of Exercise Pegasus.

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

Live participation in Exercise PEGASUS has now concluded, although a fourth phase, centred around recovery, is planned to be exercised in 2026. A published post-exercise report will include learning and findings from this and all preceding phases and this will be delivered in due course following detailed evaluation. The United Kingdom uses a Lead Government Department model to cover all phases of emergency planning, response, recovery, and risk assessment. Ministers within the Department, as the Lead Government Department for a pandemic response, will continue to actively consider the implementation of the findings from Exercise PEGASUS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which minister will be responsible for implementing the findings from Exercise Pegasus.

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

Live participation in Exercise PEGASUS has now concluded, although a fourth phase, centred around recovery, is planned to be exercised in 2026. A published post-exercise report will include learning and findings from this and all preceding phases and this will be delivered in due course following detailed evaluation. The United Kingdom uses a Lead Government Department model to cover all phases of emergency planning, response, recovery, and risk assessment. Ministers within the Department, as the Lead Government Department for a pandemic response, will continue to actively consider the implementation of the findings from Exercise PEGASUS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will publish the report findings from Exercise Pegasus.

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

Live participation in Exercise PEGASUS has now concluded, although a fourth phase, centred around recovery, is planned to be exercised in 2026. A published post-exercise report will include learning and findings from this and all preceding phases and this will be delivered in due course following detailed evaluation. The United Kingdom uses a Lead Government Department model to cover all phases of emergency planning, response, recovery, and risk assessment. Ministers within the Department, as the Lead Government Department for a pandemic response, will continue to actively consider the implementation of the findings from Exercise PEGASUS.

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 include a) Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and b) hypermobility spectrum disorders in plans to improve the delivery of treatment for people with chronic illnesses.

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

The National Health Service recognises that people with chronic conditions, including Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), require personalised, coordinated care. EDS comprises 13 rare inherited connective-tissue disorders affecting multiple body systems. Hypermobile EDS (hEDS) is the most common sub-type and, along with HSD, is frequently associated with chronic, high-impact musculoskeletal pain. Patients may be managed across primary care, community services, and secondary care services, and diagnosis and management of the most complex cases is supported by the nationally commissioned diagnostic centres in London and Sheffield.

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Rheumatology report published in July 2021 highlighted that non-inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions, such as hypermobility-related chronic pain, benefit most from multidisciplinary, personalised pain-management strategies delivered in primary and community care, rather than routine referral to rheumatology. The GIRFT Chronic Pain workstream, introduced in 2025, is reviewing service delivery across all care settings to improve access, equity, and outcomes for patients with persistent pain.

These initiatives align with wider NHS and Government plans to improve care for people with chronic illnesses by promoting integrated, proactive, and person-centred management, including multidisciplinary support in primary care networks, enhanced specialist input where needed, and better access to evidence-based interventions. For people with hEDS and HSD, this means earlier recognition, holistic management of chronic pain, and coordinated pathways that reduce unnecessary specialist referrals while ensuring complex cases are referred to appropriate tertiary services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the Government’s plans to bring NHS England into the Department of Health and Social Care and (b) the planned 50% reduction in integrated care board staffing on those boards’ capacity to safeguard children, including their effective participation in multi-agency child protection teams proposed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

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

The Government will publish an impact assessment of its plan to bring NHS England into the Department alongside the primary legislation to enact this reform. We do not expect the integration to have an impact on the capacity of integrated care boards (ICBs) to safeguard children, as the existing safeguarding functions of ICBs will be retained.

To ensure ICBs maintain effective safeguarding functions throughout the reform, NHS England has shared best practice on safeguarding with ICBs earlier this year. In November 2025, NHS England also published a strategic commissioning framework for ICBs with a focus on collaboration with local government and wider system partners.

Safeguarding partners, including health, have a legal duty to work together to safeguard and promote children’s welfare, including through the proposed Multi Agency Child Protection Teams. There is no intention to change this duty through the ICB reform.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Recommendations 6 and 7 of Module 1 of the UK Covid 19 Inquiry, what steps he is taking to (1) gather and (2) publish findings, lessons and recommendations within the recommended 3 month window; and whether he will publish an action plan based on the findings from Exercise Pegasus.

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

Live participation in Exercise PEGASUS has now concluded, although a fourth phase, centred around recovery, is planned to be exercised in 2026. A published post-exercise report will include learning and findings from this and all preceding phases and this will be delivered in due course following detailed evaluation. The United Kingdom uses a Lead Government Department model to cover all phases of emergency planning, response, recovery, and risk assessment. Ministers within the Department, as the Lead Government Department for a pandemic response, will continue to actively consider the implementation of the findings from Exercise PEGASUS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the neighbourhood health centres announced in the autumn budget 2025 will be based in Lincolnshire.

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

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years and new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through public private partnerships and public capital.

Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. Both ICBs and local health systems will be responsible for determining the most appropriate locations for Neighbourhood Health Centres.

We have also launched wave 1 of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 areas across England, including North East Lincolnshire. The NNHIP is supporting systems across the country in driving innovation and integration at a local level to improve the care they provide to their communities.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean the service will look different in rural communities such as Lincolnshire.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the effectiveness of the monitoring of early foetal development in patients by trusts and (b) trends in the level of variations in that monitoring by those trusts.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

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 expand BRCA testing to men, including those with male relatives of confirmed BRCA carriers.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a modern service framework for respiratory health.

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

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

The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients waited more than (a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 48 and (d) 60 hours at A&E at Lincoln County Hospital in the last 12 months.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he plans to fund the UK-US pharmaceutical deal.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the recent decision to pass details from a government-commissioned opinion poll of resident doctors by Savanta to The Times newspaper was made by ministers or by civil servants.

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

The Government holds contracts with polling companies to conduct research on public opinion. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and as such is required to abide by its rules. The results of polling by Savanta of resident doctors are published online and can be found on their website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the decision was made to pass the results of question 10 of the government-commissioned opinion poll of resident doctors by Savanta to The Times, while withholding the results of question 9.

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

The Government holds contracts with polling companies to conduct research on public opinion. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and as such is required to abide by its rules. The results of polling by Savanta of resident doctors are published online and can be found on their website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether Exercise Pegasus assessed the adequacy of government communication with clinically vulnerable populations during health emergencies.

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

Exercise PEGASUS rigorously tested communications capabilities, which included testing communications from Government and public health bodies to clinically vulnerable populations. Officials used behavioural science insights to segment audiences based on a variety of factors, and developed tailored, accessible messaging for these groups. This will be considered in the evaluation of the exercise.

Organisations who advocate for clinically vulnerable patient groups were also engaged through focus groups, which sought perspectives on the outcomes of the exercise. These insights will contribute towards the exercise report.

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 amount the Exchequer has received from fines against NHS trusts since 2020.

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

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has criminal enforcement powers to fine a health or social care provider where they identify a breach of regulations. The CQC can directly serve a fixed penalty notice to a provider, or a fine may be issued by the court following prosecution brought by the CQC.

The size of the fine following prosecutions brought by the CQC is a decision made by the court and is informed by sentencing guidelines. The CQC does not have influence over this decision. The money raised by court fines is paid to HM Treasury. The following table shows the fines served by the court following prosecution brought by the CQC against National Health Service trusts since 2020:

Note: where an NHS trust is fined more than once in a given fiscal year, the fines relate to individual cases.

Any fixed penalty paid to the CQC is passed on by the CQC to My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The CQC transfers the penalties received to the Department on a quarterly basis. The following table shows the fixed penalty notices served by the CQC to NHS trusts since 2020:

Note: where an NHS Trust is served a fixed penalty notice more than once in a given fiscal year, this could be due to multiple breaches of regulations.

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 leverage emerging technologies to combat falsified medicines and improve patient safety.

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

No assessment of the impact of the disapplication of the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (EU FMD) on the United Kingdom’s medicine supply chain has been made by the Department. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is not aware of any falsified medicines reaching patients through the legal supply chain in at least the last five years.

The MHRA leads work to combat falsified medicines and protect patient safety, including through the application of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to online and retail sales. The MHRA uses several different approaches to support its work to combat falsified medicines entering the UK supply chain, including by leveraging emerging technology, for instance:

• Its FakeMeds campaign guides the public on how to buy medicines online from safe and legitimate sources;
• suspected side effects or falsified medicines can be reported through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme;
• it is exploring the use of artificial intelligence to proactively identify illicit internet domains for enforcement action;
• it is working with Ofcom to use the new preventative powers provided by the Online Safety Act for regulating online platforms;
• it is developing an online service enabling users to check whether a website has been classified as ‘Not Recommended’; and
• it is developing a new web-based reporting tool to allow users to report suspicious online sellers directly to its Criminal Enforcement Unit.

Any additional initiatives to use emerging technologies, such as smartphone verification scanning, would require careful consideration of the evidence of the reduction of the risk to patients, as well as investment needed for infrastructure, and further regulatory changes for manufacturers and wholesalers. There are provisions in the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021 providing powers to enable the introduction of a similar system to the EU FMD with ‘safety features’ and verification in the UK. However, the powers allow us to go beyond the EU FMD and use derived data from any system for other health related purposes. For example, to support the recall of medicines, to support patient care, research, policy development, medicine supply, preventing diversion, supporting patient access to medicines, and countering fraud in primary care. However, regulations would be needed to set out the detail of any scheme, which would require consultation. Consideration is being given as to whether to consult on options for a potential UK system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of the disapplication of the EU Falsified Medicines Directive on the UK’s medicine supply chain.

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

No assessment of the impact of the disapplication of the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (EU FMD) on the United Kingdom’s medicine supply chain has been made by the Department. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is not aware of any falsified medicines reaching patients through the legal supply chain in at least the last five years.

The MHRA leads work to combat falsified medicines and protect patient safety, including through the application of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to online and retail sales. The MHRA uses several different approaches to support its work to combat falsified medicines entering the UK supply chain, including by leveraging emerging technology, for instance:

• Its FakeMeds campaign guides the public on how to buy medicines online from safe and legitimate sources;
• suspected side effects or falsified medicines can be reported through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme;
• it is exploring the use of artificial intelligence to proactively identify illicit internet domains for enforcement action;
• it is working with Ofcom to use the new preventative powers provided by the Online Safety Act for regulating online platforms;
• it is developing an online service enabling users to check whether a website has been classified as ‘Not Recommended’; and
• it is developing a new web-based reporting tool to allow users to report suspicious online sellers directly to its Criminal Enforcement Unit.

Any additional initiatives to use emerging technologies, such as smartphone verification scanning, would require careful consideration of the evidence of the reduction of the risk to patients, as well as investment needed for infrastructure, and further regulatory changes for manufacturers and wholesalers. There are provisions in the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021 providing powers to enable the introduction of a similar system to the EU FMD with ‘safety features’ and verification in the UK. However, the powers allow us to go beyond the EU FMD and use derived data from any system for other health related purposes. For example, to support the recall of medicines, to support patient care, research, policy development, medicine supply, preventing diversion, supporting patient access to medicines, and countering fraud in primary care. However, regulations would be needed to set out the detail of any scheme, which would require consultation. Consideration is being given as to whether to consult on options for a potential UK system.

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 efficacy of smartphone-enabled barcode scanning in the verification of medicines.

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

No assessment of the impact of the disapplication of the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (EU FMD) on the United Kingdom’s medicine supply chain has been made by the Department. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is not aware of any falsified medicines reaching patients through the legal supply chain in at least the last five years.

The MHRA leads work to combat falsified medicines and protect patient safety, including through the application of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to online and retail sales. The MHRA uses several different approaches to support its work to combat falsified medicines entering the UK supply chain, including by leveraging emerging technology, for instance:

• Its FakeMeds campaign guides the public on how to buy medicines online from safe and legitimate sources;
• suspected side effects or falsified medicines can be reported through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme;
• it is exploring the use of artificial intelligence to proactively identify illicit internet domains for enforcement action;
• it is working with Ofcom to use the new preventative powers provided by the Online Safety Act for regulating online platforms;
• it is developing an online service enabling users to check whether a website has been classified as ‘Not Recommended’; and
• it is developing a new web-based reporting tool to allow users to report suspicious online sellers directly to its Criminal Enforcement Unit.

Any additional initiatives to use emerging technologies, such as smartphone verification scanning, would require careful consideration of the evidence of the reduction of the risk to patients, as well as investment needed for infrastructure, and further regulatory changes for manufacturers and wholesalers. There are provisions in the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021 providing powers to enable the introduction of a similar system to the EU FMD with ‘safety features’ and verification in the UK. However, the powers allow us to go beyond the EU FMD and use derived data from any system for other health related purposes. For example, to support the recall of medicines, to support patient care, research, policy development, medicine supply, preventing diversion, supporting patient access to medicines, and countering fraud in primary care. However, regulations would be needed to set out the detail of any scheme, which would require consultation. Consideration is being given as to whether to consult on options for a potential UK system.

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 allocated towards research into (a) Chron's and (b) Colitis in the last year.

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

The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

In the financial year 2024/25, the NIHR committed £279,000 for new research projects and programmes into Crohn's and Colitis. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Crohn's and Colitis research.

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 logistical challenges affecting rapid vaccine deployment in rural areas.

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

The Department, NHS England, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) work together to ensure a new vaccine is rolled out in a timely manner after a policy decision has been made, ensuring that all the components are in place to provide an accessible and safe programme. Supplies of centrally procured vaccines for the routine immunisation programme are available to order from UKHSA by all registered general practices, hospitals, maternity services, and other sites commissioned to deliver the programme. Sites have deliveries at least once a week, regardless of where in England they are located, and the coverage is across the country, including rural areas.

To improve public access to vaccinations, including in rural areas, we are expanding the use of community pharmacies giving vaccinations, including through delivering flu vaccines for two and three-year-olds this autumn. An evaluation will assess whether the use of community pharmacies improves coverage and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the National Health Service vaccination strategy.

To ensure pharmacy access in rural areas, local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review.

We are also exploring ways of delivering our commitment to administer vaccinations as part of health visits. Local pathfinders for health visitor delivery will begin from January 2026, across a mix of urban and rural geographies.

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 increase the availability of defibrillators in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

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

Over 110,000 defibrillators are registered in the United Kingdom on The Circuit, the independent automated external defibrillator (AED) database. The Department’s Community AED Fund delivered 3080 new AEDs to local communities between September 2023 and February 2025. The Department has no current plans to fund the purchase of additional AEDs, as local communities are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating and maintaining AEDs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many diagnoses have been made for diabetes so far in 2025.

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

The information requested is available from the National Diabetes Audit which provides a count of the number of people with a general practice record of diabetes. The latest published data from the audit for April 2024 to March 2025 is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-diabetes-audit/core-q4-24-25/national-diabetes-audit-nda-2024-25-quarterly-report-for-england-integrated-care-board-icb-primary-care-network-pcn-and-gp-practice

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 provide long-term funding arrangements for the Nursery Milk Scheme and the School Milk Subsidy Scheme to ensure continuity of provision for early years and primary education settings.

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

The Nursery Milk Scheme is operated by the Department of Health and Social Care and provides reimbursement to early years childcare settings to cover the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to all children under the age of five years old who attend the setting for more than two hours per day. The School Milk Subsidy Scheme is the responsibility of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and partly finances the cost of similar milk provision to children in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales. There are no current plans to change these schemes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the organisations his Department has consulted on its upcoming acquired brain injury action plan.

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

I attended the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum’s (UKABIF’s) annual summit in Manchester on 3 November 2025, where I discussed our forthcoming acquired brain injury (ABI) plan with a number of stakeholders, patients with lived experience and healthcare professionals with a specialist interest in ABI.

The Government’s ABI action plan will be published in the first half of 2026. It will be a landmark step in delivering the joined-up approach that people with ABI deserve.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department intends to publish the acquired brain injury action plan.

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

I attended the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum’s (UKABIF’s) annual summit in Manchester on 3 November 2025, where I discussed our forthcoming acquired brain injury (ABI) plan with a number of stakeholders, patients with lived experience and healthcare professionals with a specialist interest in ABI.

The Government’s ABI action plan will be published in the first half of 2026. It will be a landmark step in delivering the joined-up approach that people with ABI deserve.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the total number of food hygiene officers in English local government for each year from 2010 to date.

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

Local authorities must ensure they perform official controls on all food businesses regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency. The Food Law Code of Practice provides these food hygiene intervention frequencies with a higher risk and/or non-compliant will receive an intervention more frequently than those compliant or lower risk.

Data pertaining to the average time between food hygiene visits undertaken for hot food takeaway venues in England is not held by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as we do not categorise food establishment in that way. This data could be gathered individually from local authorities.

Data reported to the FSA on the number of authorised food hygiene officers in England by local authorities via their returns data is as follows:

- 1,178 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2021/22;

- 1,605 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2022/23;

- 1,797 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2023/24; and

- 1,828 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2024/25.

This information does not include regulatory support officers or trainees working towards suitable qualifications. Prior to 2021/22 only questions relating to full time equivalent posts were requested from local authorities in relation to their resources.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current average time is between food hygiene visits undertaken for hot food takeaway venues in England.

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

Local authorities must ensure they perform official controls on all food businesses regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency. The Food Law Code of Practice provides these food hygiene intervention frequencies with a higher risk and/or non-compliant will receive an intervention more frequently than those compliant or lower risk.

Data pertaining to the average time between food hygiene visits undertaken for hot food takeaway venues in England is not held by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as we do not categorise food establishment in that way. This data could be gathered individually from local authorities.

Data reported to the FSA on the number of authorised food hygiene officers in England by local authorities via their returns data is as follows:

- 1,178 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2021/22;

- 1,605 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2022/23;

- 1,797 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2023/24; and

- 1,828 authorised officers were in post at the end of 2024/25.

This information does not include regulatory support officers or trainees working towards suitable qualifications. Prior to 2021/22 only questions relating to full time equivalent posts were requested from local authorities in relation to their resources.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve integration between NHS services and social care provision in Lincolnshire.

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

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for neighbourhood health will see local government and the National Health Service working more closely together, with a revitalised role of Health and Wellbeing Boards and reform of the Better Care Fund (BCF).

Through the BCF, approximately £9 billion is being invested in 2025/26 to enable NHS bodies and local authorities to pool budgets and deliver joined-up care. This includes setting shared goals to reduce delayed discharges, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and support people to live independently at home.

In Lincolnshire, local Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to agree plans under the BCF framework to provide timely and coordinated support for people with complex needs. These plans prioritise effective discharge from hospital and recovery in the community.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have received checks under the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check and NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme per month in each of the last three years.

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

The National Health Service is currently rolling out the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme to people with a history of smoking. The following table shows the number of participants who attended an appointment through the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme each month, between April 2022 and September 2025:

Source: the NHS England Lung Cancer Screening Programme.

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 Government funding for public health is not use to promote disinformation about vaccines.

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

National Health Service bodies and upper tier and unitary local authorities in England are responsible for making effective, appropriate use of the resources allocated to them, including funding for public health. Local authorities receive a Public Health Grant from the Department, totalling £3.884 billion in 2025/26. This grant, other than funding allocated to Greater Manchester authorities via their retained business rate arrangement, is ring-fenced for use on public health functions, and the local authority Director of Public Health must certify annually that the funding has been used for appropriate purposes. NHS England commissions national NHS public health services, including national immunisation programmes. It does so to evidence-based standards and is accountable for performance to the Department.

The Government is focused on combating vaccine misinformation as part of its 10-Year Health Plan, working with local authorities and community groups to support vaccine trust.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) treatment and (b) prevention of cardiovascular diseases that disproportionately impact women, including (i) Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, (ii) Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries and (iii) Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

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

In 2023, 31% of those who died prematurely from cardiovascular disease (CVD) were women. We are committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years through improvements in prevention and treatment.

To accelerate progress towards this ambition, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) in 2026. The CVD MSF will support consistent, high quality and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are currently being treated for Mesothelioma.

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

The latest data for England from Cancer Waiting Times shows that for the month of September 2025 the number of people that started first or subsequent treatment for Mesothelioma after a decision to treat was 168, and the number of people that started their first treatment for Mesothelioma following referral was 107.

We have now launched our first Men’s Health Strategy which includes targeted support to address health inequalities in ex-mining and industrial communities, who often face persistent respiratory and cardiovascular disease burdens. We will expand the existing Respiratory Pathways Transformation Fund initiative by investing an additional £1 million to develop targeted case-finding initiatives in former coalfield areas to help us to identify the individuals who need support to access appropriate local 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 improve recruitment and retention of general practitioners in Bristol North East.

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

Since October 2024 we have funded primary care networks with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). In the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) 44 GPs have been recruited via the scheme since October 2024.

Within the 2025/26 GP Contract, a number of changes have been confirmed to increase the flexibility of ARRS and allow primary care networks to respond better to local workforce needs. This includes GPs and practice nurses included in the main ARRS funding pot, an uplift of the maximum reimbursable rate for GPs in the scheme, and no caps on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme.

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion into GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest cash increase in over a decade and will facilitate the recruitment of GPs. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB also has a successful GP and Nurse fellowship scheme to support retention of staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the number of recorded incidents of (a) verbal abuse (b) physical assault (c) sexual assault and (d) harassment against staff in (i) GP practices (ii) pharmacies (iii) dentists in England.

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

The Department does not hold data on the number of recorded incidents in these settings, which are each independent contractors to the National Health Service.

We know how challenging disgraceful incidences of abuse and violence can be for staff. The Government is clear that there is never a justification for this unacceptable behaviour towards healthcare staff, who have the right to work free from fear of abuse or assault.

There is a range of NHS commissioned services available to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff across settings.

Incidents of criminal behaviour should be reported to the police. In May 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service updated guidance to prosecutors which will bring swifter justice against those that assault our frontline workers.

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 value for money of management and service charges paid by GP surgeries to related parties in England.

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

General practice surgeries are independent contractors, and as private businesses it is within their own remit to consider the value for money of management and service charges paid to related parties in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the (a) availability and (b) levels of use of tan-enhancing products containing Melanotan II is being considered in the development of the forthcoming cancer plan.

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

The Government is taking steps to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancers more quickly, including skin cancers. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. It will set out how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including by speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates. We will publish the National Cancer Plan in the new year to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years.

We received over 11,000 responses to our call for evidence from individuals, professionals, and organisations, and we are reviewing the submissions from skin cancer partners. While no formal assessment has been made of the availability and levels of use of tan-enhancing products containing Melanotan II, respondents shared concerns about tanning products and their potential links to cancer, particularly melanoma. Our expansive engagement will allow the National Cancer Plan to have patients at its heart.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicinal products and medical devices in the United Kingdom. Although tanning is not considered to be a medical purpose, injectable products containing Melanotan I or Melanotan II have been determined as medicinal products due to their similarity to the authorised medicine Scenesse.

In relation to nasal sprays containing Melanotan I or Melanotan II, there are no equivalent authorised medicines and in the absence of medicinal claims, they are not regarded as medicinal products.

Medicinal products must hold a relevant Marketing Authorisation to be legally sold and supplied in the UK. This also guarantees that the medicines have been tested for conformity with strict standards of quality, safety, and efficacy.

The MHRA takes action when a medicinal product without appropriate authorisations is 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 reduce variations in the approaches of commissioners in meeting local population need for palliative and end of life care services.

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 (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access to, and quality of, palliative and end of life care services at local and regional levels.

This is further made clear in the recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium Term Planning Guidance, which make clear the expectations that integrated care boards should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.

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 regional inequalities in (a) access to and (b) quality of palliative and end of life care.

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 (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access to, and quality of, palliative and end of life care services at local and regional levels.

This is further made clear in the recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium Term Planning Guidance, which make clear the expectations that integrated care boards should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.

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 patients have timely access to innovative cancer medicines.

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

In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS is legally required to fund NICE recommended medicines, normally within three months of final guidance, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation. NICE aims wherever possible to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients are able to benefit from rapid access to clinically and cost effective new medicines.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out the measures we are taking that will mean that patients are able to access medicines three to six months faster, including improved alignment between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s decisions and NICE guidance publication.

In England in 2024/25, 93% of NICE recommendations for cancer treatments were positive. Positive includes recommended, optimised, recommended in the cancer drugs fund (CDF), and optimised in the CDF.

Health is a devolved matter and as such it would not be appropriate for me to comment on access to medicines within the devolved administrations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication Updating labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives, published on 28 September 2023, and pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025, to Question 41063, on Low Alcohol Drinks: Labelling and Marketing, whether the Government intends to publish a response to the 2023 consultation.

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

In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to exploring whether to raise the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV, as set out in the current labelling guidance for no and low (NoLo) alcohol drink alternatives.

Department officials are progressing work to take forward this commitment, and we will update stakeholders in due course. The consultation referred to was undertaken by the previous administration. A decision on publishing a response will be made as part of determining the delivery timescales of the NoLo commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage healthy eating habits in young people, separate from Out of Home Calorie Labelling Regulations.

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

The Government’s advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide applies to most people from the age of two years old, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide#

The Eatwell Guide’s principles are communicated through a variety of channels, including the NHS.UK website and Department social marketing campaigns, which encompass Better Health, Better Health Families, and Best Start in Life. This includes a series of websites and digital tools that support families with young children to eat better, providing guidance on healthy eating, such as the Food Scanner app and email programmes.

Education around healthy eating is also covered through a number of school curriculum subjects.

The Eatwell Guide also underpins Government catering guidance and standards. Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. These standards are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/school-food-standards-practical-guide

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, the Government has committed to actions to encourage a food environment that supports everyone, including young people, to make healthier choices, including:

• implementing restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food or drink products on television before 9:00pm and all paid-for advertising online;
• consulting on our plans to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old; and
• using our Revised National Planning Policy Framework to give local authorities stronger powers to block new fast-food outlets near schools.

Further information on the 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:

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

There are a range of actions that have already been taken, including the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, location promotions restrictions, and calorie labelling. Prior to the General Election in July 2024, the Department also legislated to introduce restrictions on the volume price promotions retailers can offer on ‘less healthy’ food and drink in stores and their equivalent places online. These measures came into force in England on 1 October 2025.

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 patient safety risks, including those relating to malnutrition, among people with severe and very severe ME/CFS in England.

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

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

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, as set out in the FDP, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme, with sessions one and two having universal access, whilst the third session is only available to healthcare professionals, are now available at the following link:

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

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206

It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietician with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and are 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. It suggests that managing this risk could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.

The FDP 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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he made of the difference in uptake rates between maternal and infant RSV immunisations when developing the national immunisation programme.

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

The policy for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert advisory committee. The JCVI considered RSV modelling that included different levels of uptake for maternal or infant immunisation. The JCVI advised that either antenatal maternal vaccination or infant monoclonal antibody immunisation strategies could be suitable for a universal United Kingdom programme and did not have a preference. Maternal vaccination became the UK programme from September 2024 following a competitive tender.

The JCVI had noted that protection of preterm infants would need to be looked at if the UK adopted a maternal vaccination programme. At the October 2024 meeting the JCVI advised that a programme to extend a potential offer of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody, to very and extremely premature infants could be cost effective.

Based on JCVI’s advice, the RSV selective immunisation programme for high-risk infants switched in September 2025 from using palivizumab to using nirsevimab, and was extended to include premature babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultant geriatricians in England have specialist training in Parkinson’s disease.

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

While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.

These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.

The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence’s guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many specialist Parkinson’s nurses are employed in the NHS in England.

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

While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.

These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.

The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence’s guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.

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 delayed access to specialist heart valve treatment has on (a) avoidable unscheduled hospitalisations, (b) deaths on waiting lists and (c) other patient outcomes.

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

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of delayed access to specialist heart valve disease (HVD) treatment on avoidable unscheduled hospitalisations, deaths on waiting lists, or other patient outcomes.

Cutting waiting times, including for cardiology services, is a key priority for the Government. The cardiology waiting list decreased from 412,164 in September 2024 to 393,400 in September 2025, although this data includes estimates for missing data.

Cardiology is a priority specialty for significant transformation, as outlined in the Elective Reform Plan. The ambition is, where possible and clinically appropriate, to increase specialist care closer to home, and outside of hospitals so that hospital capacity is freed up, enabling patients' timely access to care, as well as improving outcomes.

NHS England has committed to optimising pathways of care for patients with HVD, including earlier detection and improved treatment pathways. To achieve this, the NHS England Cardiac Programme has established an expert advisory group and carried out work including, in 2024/25, providing targeted funding for pathway improvement projects. These included projects that focussed on improving referral processes and local diagnostic pathway provision, as well as fast-tracking patients on valve disease pathways.

To accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework in 2026.

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 health services for men in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

We know that we need to do more to improve health outcomes for men across the country, including men in Surrey Heath. On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy which aims to improve the health of all men and boys in England. 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.

This strategy is a crucial first step, laying the foundation from which we can learn, iterate and grow to create a society where all men and boys are supported to live longer, healthier and happier lives. As a first step, we will work with the Men’s Health Academic Network and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to develop and publish a one-year-on report, highlighting the improvements made and where future efforts will need to be targeted.

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 raise awareness of grief awareness week.

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

The Government understands the importance and significance of National Grief Awareness Week. Grief is something we will all encounter during our lives, and it’s important that grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones have access to the support they need, when they need it.

As part of National Grief Awareness Week 2025, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health met with the UK Commission on Bereavement. This was highlighted on social media, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/baroness-gillian-merron-a5130330_yesterday-during-national-grief-awareness-activity-7402274226902040576-PSWO

Furthermore, the Department chairs the cross-Government Bereavement Working Group, with representatives from over 10 departments, to consider options to improve bereavement support and services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timeline is for the establishment of the naloxone supply network coordinators.

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

Naloxone is a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, including highly potent synthetic opioids which are growing in prevalence in the United Kingdom. It is more important than ever to increase access to naloxone products, which will save lives.

Last year, the Department amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to further expand access to naloxone. The legislation enabled more services and professionals to supply this medication, making it easier to access for people at risk, and for their loved ones.

Route 1 of the legislation increased the number of services and professionals specified in regulations who can provide take home naloxone. However, not all services and professions had an agreed statutory definition across the four nations of the UK. As such, route 2 of the legislation set up the legal framework, which includes supply network coordinators, for the creation of a registration service for services and professions who fall outside the definitions listed in route 1 to apply and to be able to provide take home naloxone. These legislative changes were the first step in expanding access to naloxone, which has resulted in naloxone being more readily available to supply in the community. Since these changes came into effect, the Government has worked with the devolved administrations and front-line services to explore the set-up and delivery of this registration service. We have encountered operational difficulties in establishing supply network co-ordinators in England which has delayed implementation. However, we have identified further legislative amendments to increase access to take-home and emergency use naloxone and, as such, we intend to launch a public consultation by the end of this year.

The Department has also published guidance, Supplying take home naloxone without a prescription, that sets out essential practical information such as who can supply naloxone, the products available, how to use naloxone and other basic lifesaving tools, and the training required. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supplying-take-home-naloxone-without-a-prescription

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 time to diagnosis for children and young people with suspected Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

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

Services for children with suspected juvenile idiopathic arthritis are commissioned in line with the national service specification for paediatric rheumatology services.

The national service specification helps to reduce waiting times for diagnosis by mandating clear referral pathways and rapid access to specialist paediatric rheumatology teams. It sets national standards requiring timely triage of suspected cases, prioritisation of urgent referrals, and availability of multidisciplinary expertise for early assessment. The specification ensures consistency across regions, minimises delays caused by local variation, and supports faster initiation of diagnostic tests and treatment planning.

Additionally, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitments to expand community diagnostic centres for quicker access to tests, introduce digital tools to support early symptom monitoring and triage, and improve the integration between primary care and specialist services will further streamline referral pathways and ensure children receive timely assessment and treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultant neurologists in England have specialist training in Parkinson’s disease.

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

While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.

These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.

The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence’s guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.

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 patients awaiting elective surgery are provided with clear and timely information about their position on waiting lists; and whether his Department has considered introducing a system that allows patients to (a) track their approximate place in the queue and (b) receive regular updates on expected waiting times.

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

The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure patients are seen on time and have the information they need to have the best possible experience of care.

As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, published January 2025, patients should expect clear communications that meet their needs throughout their time on a waiting list. This includes information about how long they might wait for their appointment and details about how and when to contact their provider. We are currently working with patients and carers to publish minimum standards patients should expect while they wait for planned care. This includes considering patients’ communication needs.

We have also taken steps to deliver important digital interventions to ensure patients can receive clear and timely information whilst waiting for care. Since March 2025, patients at 87% of hospitals can view information about their elective appointments, estimated waiting times, and average waiting times by specialty on the NHS App. By March 2027, we will significantly improve information about waiting times on the NHS App for patients in elective care and will expand proxy access for parents and carers. We will also review the role and functionality of My Planned Care, which currently provides average waiting times and other information for patients waiting for care. High quality non-digital options should always be in place for those that need them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England has made an estimate of the number and proportion of women diagnosed with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who receive timely treatment compared to men.

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

The following table shows the count of elective hospital admissions where there was a primary diagnosis of 'aortic stenosis', by patient gender, as well as the median duration from the receipt of referral by the hospital to admission for 2022/23 to 2024/25:

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS Trusts and clinical directors on ensuring surgical trainees have adequate access to operating theatres.

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

The Department has held no discussions with National Health Service trusts and clinical directors on surgical trainees’ access to operating theatres.

It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure their staff have appropriate access to ongoing training and professional development to provide safe and effective care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has assessed the importance of including accessible behaviour-change and drinking moderation tools, including links to digital health support, as part of the new mandatory alcohol labelling standards.

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

In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to strengthening and expanding existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.

Department officials are currently working at pace to develop the policy. We are reviewing all available evidence and engaging with stakeholders to assess the potential content of the mandatory labels.

The Government currently provides drinking moderation tools like the new NHS Healthy Choices Quiz which is designed to help people to improve their health and wellbeing. It asks a range of lifestyle questions, including those about alcohol consumption, provides an overall score out of ten, and directs people to relevant National Health Service support services such as the Drink Free Days app.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has assessed how alcohol labelling reforms could support local public-health and community-based initiatives aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm, particularly in areas with significant health inequalities.

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

In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to strengthening and expanding existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.

Clear and consistent labelling is expected to increase awareness of the health risks and to empower consumers to make more informed choices, complementing local public health strategies and community-level interventions.

The Government also committed to supporting community level innovations where they have shown promise in reducing alcohol harm. Officials are working at pace to take forward these commitments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will review the current eligibility criteria for NHS-funded COVID-19 vaccinations, in light of the emergence of a new variant and rising hospitalisations.

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

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation carefully considered the latest evidence on the risk of hospitalisation and mortality in specific groups, as well as cost-effectiveness analysis, in order to provide the Government with advice on the autumn 2025 programme. The evidence indicates that whilst the risk from COVID-19 is now much lower for most people, adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and those who are immunosuppressed are those at highest risk of serious COVID-19 disease.

Therefore, a more targeted vaccination programme aimed at individuals with a higher risk of developing serious disease, and where vaccination was considered potentially cost-effective, was advised for autumn 2025.

The latest UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) data in the national flu and COVID-19 surveillance report supports the current eligibility, showing that there is a strong association between age and COVID-19 hospitalisation rates. The highest hospital admission rate for COVID-19 in the report published on 27 November 2025 was in those aged 85 years old and over.

Currently XFG and its sub lineages, sometimes called the ‘Stratus’ variant, are the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 lineages in England. This lineage is closely related to previous variants that circulated in the United Kingdom. At this time there is no indication that XFG causes more serious disease, or that the vaccines being used in the autumn 2025 campaign will not be effective against it. The UKHSA will continue to monitor both COVID-19 outcomes and variant prevalence as we enter the winter season.

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 (a) staff training on support for and (b) support available to deaf residents in care homes.

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

The Government is taking steps to improve the quality of adult social care, which will include deaf people in care homes.

The Department is committed to enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care. To this end, the Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme in September 2024, providing funding for eligible care staff to complete training courses and qualifications. In April 2025, the Department also published the expanded and revised Care Workforce Pathway. The pathway guides workers in building their careers in adult social care by signposting training and development opportunities, highlighting routes for progression, and giving proper recognition to the highly skilled, complex care and support they provide.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deaf people. The CQC also monitors, inspects, and regulates adult social care services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. For deaf individuals, this includes providing care that is responsive to their communication needs.

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 potential merits of introducing routine finger-prick blood glucose testing or urine testing for children who display one or more recognised symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.

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

A national task and finish group has been established by NHS England which brings together key experts from across the health system, including academia/research and leading national clinicians, to jointly assess the opportunities and challenges that are associated with a national screening programme for diabetes and to inform future national policy.

Through our National Institute for Health and Care Research, we have supported the establishment of the Early Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes, or “ELSA” study. This study is exploring the feasibility and benefits of screening for type 1 diabetes.

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 developing a Modern Service Framework for respiratory health.

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

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

The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

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 tackle elective care waiting times, including joint replacement surgery, in North Herefordshire constituency.

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

The Government is committed to putting patients first, nationally and in North Herefordshire. That is why, in the Elective Reform Plan, we committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. Having delivered 5.2 million extra appointments, we have more than doubled our pledge to deliver an extra two million during our first year in office.

Thanks to our modernisation and record investment, waiting lists have been falling for the first time in over a decade. Since the Government came into office it has decreased by over 230,000, despite over 26.4 million referrals onto the waiting list.

North Herefordshire is predominantly served by the Wye Valley NHS Trust, which has seen recent performance improvement in the trauma and orthopaedic (TO) waiting list. Between July 2024 and September 2025, the proportion of waits within 18 weeks for patients on the TO list increased by 5.7%, to 51.8%. The number waiting more than 52 weeks has also fallen by nearly 40%. Since November, high volume weekend lists for joint replacement procedures have also commenced at the Wye Valley Trust.

Nationally, the number of patients on TO waiting lists waiting within 18 weeks has improved by 3.7% and the number waiting more than 52 weeks has fallen by almost 16,000 over the same period.

We know there is more to do to tackle elective waiting lists including for joint replacement surgery. That is why we have invested £1.65 billion in capital funding in 2025/26 to expand and enhance surgical capacity, which includes funding for surgical hubs, the majority of which offer joint replacement surgeries.

As of December 2025, 123 surgical hubs are operational across England including three in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System, the most recent being the Wye Valley Elective Surgical Hub which opened in July 2024. These dedicated and protected surgical hubs focus on high volume low complexity surgeries and protect elective care from winter and emergency pressures by using ring-fenced staff and facilities, reducing cancellations and improving efficiency.

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 the number of community diagnostic hubs in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

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

Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are delivering additional, digitally connected diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with a co-ordinated set of tests in the community in as few visits as possible, to enable fast and accurate diagnoses.

There are no CDCs in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency. However, there are three CDCs located within the NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, including the Grantham CDC in Grantham. CDCs, even if not local to a constituent, will add capacity to the wider integrated care system and will benefit more than just those patients immediately close to them. Diagnostic services can also be accessed across existing acute capacity, such as at Peterborough City Hospital.

CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks in 170 sites across the country and have delivered over 9.4 million tests, checks, and scans, including large, standard, and hub and spoke models, since July 2024.

The Elective Reform Plan sets out that the Government will deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new CDCs. This is funded as part of the £600 million of capital investment for diagnostics in 2025/26, which my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the June 2025 statement.

NHS England is working with local National Health Service systems to identify the most appropriate locations for additional investment, including new CDCs. New CDCs should be positioned in a location which addresses local need and address health inequalities. Details of future sites will be set out in due course.  The locations of both new and expanded CDC schemes will be confirmed in due course.

Over the longer term, as set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we expect more care to be delivered in community settings, and nearer to patients’ home by default, for example through greater use of point of care tests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will commit extra funding for social prescribing, including to support individuals to engage in nature-based interventions and activities.

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

The Government has underlined its commitment to taking a preventive approach to address health inequalities.  We are determined to improve people’s physical and mental health to support them to live longer and healthier lives and we recognise the role that social prescribing can play in this.

The Department funds social prescribing link workers in primary care through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme.  In March 2025, the Department agreed a further year of grant funding for the National Academy for Social Prescribing, securing £1.5 million to advance and expand social prescribing.  Future funding allocations have yet to be confirmed.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads on green social prescribing and, together with Natural England, has recently invested £300,000 to track the uptake and impact of green social prescribing using primary care data. The evidence will inform future policy for the spread and scale of nature-based health interventions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of economic factors and the consumption of ultra-processed foods on the prevalence of diet-related illnesses and mental health conditions, and what steps are being taken to address these upstream determinants of public health.

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

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) considered the evidence on the impact of processing on health, including mental health, in 2023 and 2025. The SACN concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of processed and ultra processed foods and adverse health outcomes are concerning. The SACN noted that studies to date appear to inconsistently account for important factors such as socioeconomic status.

The SACN recommend that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. These recommendations align with existing policies for supporting healthier diets and advice to consumers. The SACN will keep the topic of food processing and health under review.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ 2024 report on Food Insecurity also considered inequalities in access to a healthy sustainable diet. Data from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey report shows that participants in higher income households, and households in less deprived areas, were closer to meeting some dietary recommendations. However, where diets failed to meet recommendations, this was consistent across the range of income and deprivation.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop their cross-Government Food Strategy, which aims to improve affordability and access to healthier food, to help both adults and children live longer, healthier lives.

Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. Free school meals will also be extended to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026.

Healthy Start provides funding to pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households to support a healthier diet. In April 2026, the value of weekly payments will increase by 10%.

The Department is working closely with the Child Poverty Taskforce to develop and deliver an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty.

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 Local Authorities in Suffolk on taking steps to help increase the take up of NHS Health Checks in the county.

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

Regional cardiovascular disease leads and regional directors hold discussions with local authorities, including in Suffolk, regarding NHS Health Check performance and steps to increase uptake of the programme.

The Suffolk General Practice Federation and Public Health and Communities at Suffolk County Council work collaboratively to increase the uptake of the NHS Health Check programme in a range of ways, including delivering the programme at a variety of community venues, such as community libraries, and raising awareness through printed and social media activities. Further work includes participation in the recent Department-led pilot of heart health checks in workplaces.

Work to improve the impact of the NHS Health Check across England is ongoing and we are carefully considering the recommendations from the National Audit Office’s 2024 report, Progress in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the projected cost is of the abolition of NHS England, including staff redundancy packages, consultancy fees, administration and restructuring costs.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve early diagnosis of COPD.

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

To enable faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is growing and will continue to do so as more sites come online. The first five months of 2025/26 saw an increase in CDC spirometry testing of approximately 2,000 tests per month more than in the previous year.

As of November 2025, CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks in 170 sites across the country. 101 CDCs across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around their busy working lives.

Diagnosis times for COPD from spirometry tests are not routinely collected or available in a centralised dataset.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps they are taking to help reduce wait times for diagnosis of (a) Crohn's and (b) Colitis.

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

The Government is committed to improving care for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in the Ashfield constituency. NHS England supports local integrated care boards to deliver high-quality, timely services through initiatives such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GIRFT promotes earlier diagnosis, proactive management of flare-ups, and consistent adoption of best practice. Its gastroenterology report and updated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathway recommend measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity. These changes aim to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life, and ensure equitable access to specialist nurses and multidisciplinary support across the country. The GIRFT programme has recently published a new handbook pulling together examples of innovative practice, proven solutions, and practical actions to help optimise the care of National Health Service patients with IBD. The GIRFT IBD pathway and associated handbook include specific guidance for paediatric care and the transition to adult services, recognising the unique needs of children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The handbook is available at the following link:

https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/practical-advice-and-key-actions-in-new-girft-handbook-for-optimising-the-care-of-patients-with-ibd/

The 10-Year Health Plan will further improve care and support for people with IBD by expanding community diagnostic centres, reducing waiting times for endoscopy and imaging, and integrating digital tools to streamline referrals and follow-up care. It prioritises early diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and better coordination between primary and specialist services. Investment in multidisciplinary teams will ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care. In addition, initiatives such as Diagnosis Connect will, from 2026, provide newly diagnosed patients with tailored information and support, empowering them to manage their condition confidently.

The NHS website provides comprehensive, accessible information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, helping to raise public awareness and understanding of these conditions. The site explains what Crohn’s and colitis are, outlines common symptoms, and gives clear guidance on when to seek medical advice. It also details how these conditions are diagnosed and managed, including available treatments and support services.

To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.

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 the symptoms of (a) Crohn's and (b) Colitis.

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

The Government is committed to improving care for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in the Ashfield constituency. NHS England supports local integrated care boards to deliver high-quality, timely services through initiatives such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GIRFT promotes earlier diagnosis, proactive management of flare-ups, and consistent adoption of best practice. Its gastroenterology report and updated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathway recommend measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity. These changes aim to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life, and ensure equitable access to specialist nurses and multidisciplinary support across the country. The GIRFT programme has recently published a new handbook pulling together examples of innovative practice, proven solutions, and practical actions to help optimise the care of National Health Service patients with IBD. The GIRFT IBD pathway and associated handbook include specific guidance for paediatric care and the transition to adult services, recognising the unique needs of children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The handbook is available at the following link:

https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/practical-advice-and-key-actions-in-new-girft-handbook-for-optimising-the-care-of-patients-with-ibd/

The 10-Year Health Plan will further improve care and support for people with IBD by expanding community diagnostic centres, reducing waiting times for endoscopy and imaging, and integrating digital tools to streamline referrals and follow-up care. It prioritises early diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and better coordination between primary and specialist services. Investment in multidisciplinary teams will ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care. In addition, initiatives such as Diagnosis Connect will, from 2026, provide newly diagnosed patients with tailored information and support, empowering them to manage their condition confidently.

The NHS website provides comprehensive, accessible information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, helping to raise public awareness and understanding of these conditions. The site explains what Crohn’s and colitis are, outlines common symptoms, and gives clear guidance on when to seek medical advice. It also details how these conditions are diagnosed and managed, including available treatments and support services.

To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.

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 support people living with (a) Crohn's and (b) Colitis in Ashfield.

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

The Government is committed to improving care for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in the Ashfield constituency. NHS England supports local integrated care boards to deliver high-quality, timely services through initiatives such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GIRFT promotes earlier diagnosis, proactive management of flare-ups, and consistent adoption of best practice. Its gastroenterology report and updated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathway recommend measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity. These changes aim to cut emergency admissions, improve quality of life, and ensure equitable access to specialist nurses and multidisciplinary support across the country. The GIRFT programme has recently published a new handbook pulling together examples of innovative practice, proven solutions, and practical actions to help optimise the care of National Health Service patients with IBD. The GIRFT IBD pathway and associated handbook include specific guidance for paediatric care and the transition to adult services, recognising the unique needs of children and young people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The handbook is available at the following link:

https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/practical-advice-and-key-actions-in-new-girft-handbook-for-optimising-the-care-of-patients-with-ibd/

The 10-Year Health Plan will further improve care and support for people with IBD by expanding community diagnostic centres, reducing waiting times for endoscopy and imaging, and integrating digital tools to streamline referrals and follow-up care. It prioritises early diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and better coordination between primary and specialist services. Investment in multidisciplinary teams will ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care. In addition, initiatives such as Diagnosis Connect will, from 2026, provide newly diagnosed patients with tailored information and support, empowering them to manage their condition confidently.

The NHS website provides comprehensive, accessible information on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, helping to raise public awareness and understanding of these conditions. The site explains what Crohn’s and colitis are, outlines common symptoms, and gives clear guidance on when to seek medical advice. It also details how these conditions are diagnosed and managed, including available treatments and support services.

To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.

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 reduce the rates of cardiovascular disease in South Suffolk constituency.

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

The Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years. To accelerate progress on this mission and tackle unwarranted variation across the country, we will publish a cardiovascular disease (CVD) modern service framework in 2026. The framework will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway.

The Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board has a number of initiatives to reduce the rates of CVD, including:

- having an integrated pathway for general practitioners and pharmacies to find and support the estimated 22,500 people with undiagnosed high blood pressure and 17,000 people who are not on the correct dose of cholesterol medication;

- identifying women at high risk of CVD through general practice records, enabling earlier detection and helping to address gender disparities in diagnosis and care; and

- helping increase the uptake of the NHS Health Check, including improving the invite process, offering a choice of venue to participants, and raising awareness through print and social media.

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 diagnosis times for COPD.

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

To enable faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is growing and will continue to do so as more sites come online. The first five months of 2025/26 saw an increase in CDC spirometry testing of approximately 2,000 tests per month more than in the previous year.

As of November 2025, CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks in 170 sites across the country. 101 CDCs across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around their busy working lives.

Diagnosis times for COPD from spirometry tests are not routinely collected or available in a centralised dataset.

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 implementation of national early-detection programmes for Type 1 Diabetes in England compared to other countries such as Italy, in the context of around a third of people experiencing life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis.

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

A national Task and Finish Group has been established by NHS England which brings together key experts from across the health system, including academia/research and leading national clinicians, to jointly assess the opportunities and challenges that are associated with a national screening programme for diabetes and to inform the national direction of travel with regard to the development of national policy in this area.

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

Found: Science, Research and Innovation and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This will be further supported with annual increases and an additional £5 million from DHSC each year

Found: This will be further supported with annual increases and an additional £5 million from DHSC each year

Found: This will be further supported with annual increases and an additional £5 million from DHSC each year

Found: Samantha Jones OBE Permanent Secretary Department of Health and Social Care 39 Victoria

Found: developed by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) – supported by DHSC

Found: Department for Health and Social Care relating to recommendations of the Committee’s Twenty-fifth Report on DHSC

Found: Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Health and Social Care relating to the DHSC-NHSE

Found: on establishing the digital centre of government • Nesil Caliskan: Spending of the Department of Health and Social Care

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

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

Found: requirement on all marketing authorisation holders to inform the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: Cross-departmental Workforce Strategy and Specialist Workforce The Department is working closely with DHSC

Found: requirement on all marketing authorisation holders to inform the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Oral Evidence

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (and forerunners) received the highest proportion of WPQs both

Found: Will it come from within the existing Department of Health and Social Care budget?

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

Found: ● Policy coherence: Aligning ODA, trade and foreign policy across FCDO, DHSC, Treasury, and Cabinet

Found:  The Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care should scale up investment

Found: of government departments and ministries—for example, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: We are also working very closely with other Government Departments such as DHSC, as they roll out their

Found: have talked about in this Committee before, we have work going on jointly with the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: There is further to go with the DHSC, the Department for Education and the Department for Work and

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in her Department.

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

Please see a list of all the Direct Ministerial Appointments (DMAs) in DSIT to date, including job title, renumeration, time commitment and expected end date.

Live Appointments:

• Matt Clifford: the Prime Minister’s AI Opportunities Advisor. 1 day per week, Term Dates: 13/01/2024 - 13/01/2026.
• Dr Dan Mahoney: Life Sciences Investment Envoy. 15 days per year, Term Dates:18/11/2024 - 18/05/2026.
• Theo Blackwell: Local Digital Champion. 2 days per week, Term Dates: 13/01/2025 - 31/12/2025.
• Yoshua Bengio: International AI Safety Report Chair. 26 days per year, Term Dates: 29/01/2025 - 31/03/2026.
• Lord David Willetts: Regulatory Innovation Office Chair. 36 days per year, Term Dates: 07/03/2025 - 07/03/2027
• Steve Bates: Office for Life Sciences Executive Chair. Full-time, Term Dates: 29/09/2025 - 29/03/2027.
• Anne Lingford-Hughes, Peter Johnson, Hilary Evans-Newton, Nadeem Sarwar, Husseini Manji, Kathryn Abel and Naveed Sattar: OLS Healthcare Goals Chairs, 4-8 days per month, Term Dates: 30/09/2025 - 05/03/2027 (DHSC appointments with joint accountability between DHSC, DSIT and DBT)
• Simon Johnson, Tom Blomfield and Raia Hadsell: AI Ambassadors. 2 days per year, Term Dates: 21/11/2025 - 21/11/2026.
• James Wise: Sovereign AI Champion, 10 days per year. Term Dates: 21/11/2025 - 21/11/2026.
• Anne Marie Imafidon: Women in Tech Envoy. 20 days per year, Term Dates: 15/12/2025 - 15/06/2027.
• Prof. Sir Jonathan Irving Bell: Life Sciences Champions, 30 days per year, Term Dates: 01/01/2011 - 31/122025
• Sir Jon Symonds: Life Sciences Champions, 30 days per year, Term Dates: 01/01/2021- 31/12/2025.

Appointments that have now ended

• Matt Clifford: Lead Reviewer of the Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. 4-8 days per month, Term Dates: 22/07/2024 - 03/09/2024.
• Martha Lane Fox (Co-Chair), Poppy Gustafsson, Paul Willmott (Co-Chair), Jeni Tennison, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, Lou Cordwell, Aaron Maniam, David Eaves, Sarah Hunter, Lisa Harrington, Josie Cluer and Lord Richard Allan: Digital Centre Design Panel Members. 1 day a month, Date: 30/09/2024 - 04/01/2025.
• Ian Hogarth: AI Safety Institute Chair. 10 days per year, Term Dates: 10/02/2025 - 09/12/2025.

Appointments made before July 2024 (publicly available information)

• David Morris: UK Government Space Advisor. 2022 to 2024.
• Simon Fell: Rural Connectivity Champion. 2023 to 2024.
• Hilary Evans: Co-Chair for Dementia Mission. 2023 to 2024.
• Nadeem Sarwar: Co-Chair for the Dementia Mission. 2023 to 2024.
• Stephen McPartland: Chair of the McPartland Review. 2024.
• Alice Sullivan: Independent Reviewer of Data Collection. 2024.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on reducing clinical trial set-up times.

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

Reducing clinical trial set-up times is a priority across government, and the Department of Health and Social Care and Department of Science, Innovation and Technology are working closely together to fulfil the Prime Minister’s target of achieving study set-up in under 150 days by March 2026.

Cross-departmental monitoring takes place via the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme, a cross-sector programme that brings together delivery partners and key stakeholders, and through the joint-ministerial Life Sciences Delivery Board, which provides strategic oversight of progress on the Government’s ambitions for the Life Sciences sector, including targets to reduce set-up times for clinical trials.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will establish a cross-government protocol with the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care setting out roles, referral routes and timescales between schools, police forces and health services when responding to allegations of child-on-child sexual abuse.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is taking the strongest action to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation. This includes setting up a new national inquiry, with which government departments will cooperate fully, to ensure we are tackling this vile crime and supporting victims and survivors.

Working Together is the national multi-agency statutory guidance for all practitioners working with children and their families. Local safeguarding partners (local authorities, police and health) already have a statutory duty to set out in their threshold document and local protocols the process for referrals, assessments, support and services for children who need help or protection. This guidance underpins Ofsted’s Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services framework.

We are also delivering the biggest reform to children’s social care in a generation, investing £2.4 billion in the Families First Partnership programme, introducing multi-agency child protection teams through our landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill and establishing a national Child Protection Authority.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve (a) universal, (b) targeted and (c) specialist speech, language and communication support for children in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. This includes extending the Early Language Support for Every Child programme, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.

We are also continuing to grow the pipeline. In addition to the undergraduate degree route, speech and language therapists can also train via a degree apprenticeship. This route is now in its fourth year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to promote research into treatments for glioblastoma.

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

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invests approximately £200 million annually in cancer research via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spent £141.6 million in 2024/25 via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Government does not ringfence funding for specific cancers, but is committed to advancing brain tumour research, including glioblastoma. In recent years, NIHR directly invested £11.8 million and UKRI invested £46.8 million into brain tumour research. This included two new glioblastoma research projects funded by the Medical Research Council in 2023.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration her Department has given to including milk in government-funded breakfast clubs without reducing funding for existing milk provision schemes.

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

The department funds schools taking part in the free breakfast clubs programme to buy breakfast foods and drinks, as well as to cover staffing and delivery costs.

Schools are required to provide a breakfast adhering to the school food standards, which could include a glass of lower fat milk. However, it is up to schools to decide what they serve in line with the standards. Where schools provide milk, they can also choose whether to participate in the national school milk subsidy scheme which can be used to reduce the cost of the milk

Additionally, the Nursery Milk Scheme is operated and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and provides free milk to children under five at participating schools and childcare settings.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research teams undertaking long-term cancer prevention and early-detection research.

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

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invests approximately £200 million annually in cancer research via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spent £141.6 million in 2024/25 via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Office for Life Science’s Cancer Healthcare Goal Programme has invested over £16 million to support development of early detection innovations, such as multi cancer detection tests. DHSC will be publishing a National Cancer Plan for England in the new year. This will set out the Government’s long-term strategy to improve outcomes for cancer patients, including prevention and early-detection R&D.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that specialist speech and language therapies are available to children with education, health and care plans in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. This includes extending the Early Language Support for Every Child programme, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.

In addition to the undergraduate degree route, speech and language therapists can also train via a degree apprenticeship. This route is now in its fourth year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist, helping to grow the pipeline.

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 support people with mental health illnesses into work in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and supporting people into work.

Disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with mental health conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work including those that join up employment and health systems.

In Surrey, Work Coaches refer customers to Talking Therapies via the Healthy Surrey website, ensuring timely access to professional mental health support. Additionally, DWP has strong relationships with We Are With You (Talking Therapies), particularly through Woking Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and other Surrey sites, enabling seamless referrals.

Our Youth Hub in Surrey Heath plays a key role in supporting young people with mental health needs. Mental health services such as Mind Matters, Social Prescribing, and WorkWell feed into the hub, ensuring young people can access wraparound support for wellbeing alongside employment advice. WorkWell has a twice-weekly presence at Guildford JCP, offering mental health and employment support.

Connect to Work is opening across all of England and Wales throughout 2025 and early 2026 and the Surrey Connect to Work delivery area is open for referrals. This new voluntary, locally commissioned Supported Employment programme is suitable for individuals with mental health conditions to find and stay in work. Participants are given a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside them to understand their career goals and help them to address any specific barriers to employment. The employment adviser works with both the employer and the participant to ensure that the transition into work is smooth and that the workplace is inclusive.

Other measures to support people with mental health conditions into work include support from Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants.

Our Health Work Coaches provide personalised support, including Pathways to Work and Additional Work Coach Time (AWCT) interventions, ensuring individuals receive consistent and empathetic guidance. The GP Outreach and GP Integrated Mental Health Service intersect many mental health referrals, providing holistic support and signposting.

In recognition of employers’ vital role in addressing health-related economic activity, we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working independent review, which was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC we are launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work, putting his key recommendations into action from day one. In the review, Sir Charlie recommended that mental health in young people should be a priority area for the Vanguards to explore.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what formal guidance, policies and risk assessments he has issued to research institutions, NHS bodies and private genomics companies on the sharing of genomic data with foreign entities.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The 2023 UK Biological Security Strategy (BSS) sets out how the country is strengthening resilience to a spectrum of biological threats. As part of the BSS, DSIT is ensuring the UK is a world leader in responsible innovation in engineering biology – working closely with academia and industry to improve shared awareness of security risks, and ensuring any measures to mitigate risks (including those related to genomic data) remain proportionate.

All organisations holding health data (including genomics data) must comply with GDPR. To comply with GDPR, DSIT and DHSC require safeguards to be in place when health data is transferred outside the UK, including a risk assessment for countries not recognised as offering an equivalent level of data protection by the UK.

On behalf of DSIT, the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), have developed the Trusted Research campaign to advise academia on international collaborations, by informing them of the threat and helping them make decisions about research and research partners. NPSA and NCSC have also developed the Secure Innovation campaign to help new start-ups in the emerging and critical technology sectors think carefully about their partners and investment.

Alongside this work, DSIT’s Research Collaboration Advice Team offers the research sector tailored advice on managing the risks of international research collaboration. DSIT also engages in a two-way dialogue with policymakers, academia and industry on the responsible use of engineering biology and life sciences, through the Responsible Innovation Advisory Panel.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people living with mental health conditions and on benefits into the workplace.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.

Disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with mental health conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work including those that join up employment and health systems. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, and has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.

In recognition of employer’s vital role in addressing health-related economic activity we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working independent review, which was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC colleagues we are immediately launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work, putting his key recommendations into action from day one. In the review, Sir Charlie has recommended that mental health in young people should be a priority area as a deep dive for the Vanguards.

The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Found: Explanatory notes and an impact assessment have been provided by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found:  Plan Pharmaceuticals, medical technologies (medtech) DBT , Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC

Found: Financial audit Date: 11 Dec 2025 Topics: Health and social care Departments: Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Coordinate efforts, led by the Home Office, across the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This will be further supported with £5 million each year from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: The MoJ are working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England (NHSE), the Welsh Government

Found: the first 1% of pay awards by maximising value from existing budgets2, whilst the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Government, Home Office, Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care

Found: (DHSC, with MHCLG) • Work with councils and Integrated Care Boards to improve how existing funding

Found: Security and Net Zero 10 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 11 Department of Health and Social Care

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Found: adult social care notional allocations will be set out in the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC

Found: Introduction The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities

Found: The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) will continue to the pay the consolidated PH Grant

Found: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Q3 2025 Department of Health and Social Care

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