Found: Correspondence with Baroness Merron and the Chief Scientific Adviser, re FGM, dated 15.07.2026 and 3.09.2026

Found: session Correspondence from the Department- CQC Chair Preferred Candidate Correspondence from Baroness Merron

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols. 2–4), whether they consider the cited figure that 23 out of 25 reconfigured integrated care board groups having at least one fracture liaison service represents an increase in provision since July 2024; and what proportion of the population do they consider to be covered by such a service within their local area, given the size of the integrated care board groups.

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

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 1 September in response to Question HL2030, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

Our 10-Year Health Plan is clear that the future National Health Service must be more preventative, more integrated, and deliver more care closer to home, including for people with osteoporosis.

The Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030, and we are clear that everyone at risk of fragility fractures should be able to benefit from high-quality, timely care that supports prevention, early intervention, and effective management. We are pursuing those goals across the whole pathway of fracture prevention, including improving access to diagnosis, supporting the adoption of effective treatments, and encouraging local systems to develop services that identify people at the highest risk of future fractures and intervene early.

Earlier this year, the Government announced £2.6 million of funding for 20 new DEXA bone density scanners across England. Tens of thousands of patients will benefit from faster access to bone scans as a result, helping to ensure that people with bone conditions, such as osteoporosis, get diagnosed earlier. This builds on the first wave of 13 DEXA scanners announced last year. In 2025, over 21,000 extra DEXA scans were delivered in England compared with 2024.

We continue to work closely with NHS England to improve access to fracture prevention services and to explore the best ways of supporting local systems to deliver high-quality care which meets the needs of their populations. The Government has been clear that integrated care boards are best placed to shape services for their localities and we have set expectations, through the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, that they should prioritise community-based models when commissioning new services.

Progress in this area can be monitored through activity and outcomes reported through the Fracture Liaison Service Database.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols 2–3), how many patients were identified by, assessed by and commenced on treatment through Fracture Liaison Services in England in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025; and what the equivalent figures are for the latest date for which figures are available.

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

The Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme, which includes a dedicated Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) database, is a clinical audit of fracture prevention care, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians. The FLS database collects, measures, and reports on the care provided by FLSs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The data is based on an annual data collection from all FLSs that have registered and participated in the audit in a given year. The following table shows the latest estimates of the number of FLSs in England for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Complete data for 2026 is not yet available, and data for 2025 is still being updated:

Source: the FLS Database, accessed on 20 August 2026.

The FLS Database does not provide specific dates for when each service became operational, nor does it provide estimates of how many patients have been identified by FLSs on a monthly basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols 2–3), how many Fracture Liaison Services were operating in England in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025; how many were operating on the latest date for which figures are available; and what definition they use of an operating Fracture Liaison Service.

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

The Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme, which includes a dedicated Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) database, is a clinical audit of fracture prevention care, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians. The FLS database collects, measures, and reports on the care provided by FLSs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The data is based on an annual data collection from all FLSs that have registered and participated in the audit in a given year. The following table shows the latest estimates of the number of FLSs in England for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Complete data for 2026 is not yet available, and data for 2025 is still being updated:

Source: the FLS Database, accessed on 20 August 2026.

The FLS Database does not provide specific dates for when each service became operational, nor does it provide estimates of how many patients have been identified by FLSs on a monthly basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols 2-3), how many additional Fracture Liaison Services have become operational since July 2024; and how many additional patients have been identified, assessed or treated by those services as a result.

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

The Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme, which includes a dedicated Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) database, is a clinical audit of fracture prevention care, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians. The FLS database collects, measures, and reports on the care provided by FLSs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The data is based on an annual data collection from all FLSs that have registered and participated in the audit in a given year. The following table shows the latest estimates of the number of FLSs in England for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Complete data for 2026 is not yet available, and data for 2025 is still being updated:

Source: the FLS Database, accessed on 20 August 2026.

The FLS Database does not provide specific dates for when each service became operational, nor does it provide estimates of how many patients have been identified by FLSs on a monthly basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 28 August (HL2592), what specific national body will be responsible for formulating and issuing evidence-based national recommendations to reduce avoidable mortality for people with a learning disability, following the conclusion of the national LeDeR annual report.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory duty to reduce health inequalities within their local area. LeDeR is a service improvement tool for ICBs to identify opportunities to reduce health inequalities for people with a learning disability, and ICBs are responsible for identifying learning from reviews and implementing local actions to improve services. The ICB board is responsible for ensuring that the ICB is meeting its statutory duties, overseen by NHS England which has powers of intervention is the ICB is failing or at risk of failing to meet its statutory duties. NHS England, working with my Department, will continue to consider national-level actions to reduce health inequalities, including avoidable mortality for people with a learning disability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 July (HL1814), what evidence they relied on when describing reviews conducted using the Perinatal Mortality Review Tool as “high-quality”, “objective” and “robust”; and how that description is reconciled with the finding of the December 2023 Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK state of the nation report that, of 66 local PMRT reviews considered, only three were assessed as being of “good” quality.

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

The Government recognises the concerns raised about how perinatal mortality reviews are carried out. The Perinatal Mortality Review Tool provides a framework which needs to also be supported by effective implementation to deliver the objectives of these reviews.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is chairing the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan to reform maternity and neonatal services. As Baroness Amos’ report makes clear, there is a pressing need to improve the quality, transparency, oversight, and accountability of investigations and we are working with the taskforce to review this.

With regard to coronial investigation of stillbirth, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1814, which, for ease of reference, has been reproduced below:

“All bereaved parents have the option to be involved in a high-quality review of the death of their baby, from 22 weeks' gestation up to 28 days post birth, through a perinatal mortality review. While this is carried out by the hospital or hospitals where the mother and baby were looked after, a national tool is in place, namely the national Perinatal Mortality Review Tool, to ensure such reviews are objective, robust, and standardised.

“There are a range of views on how stillbirths should be investigated, and it is important that the Government’s conclusions on coronial investigations of stillbirths reflect the recommendations Baroness Amos has made through the final report of her independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, and supports the most effective model for maternity investigations.

“As recommended in Baroness Amos’ report, we will publish the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation, jointly with the Ministry of Justice, in due course.”

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 July (HL1814), which specific findings or recommendations in the final report of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation they consider relevant to determining whether coroners should be permitted to investigate stillbirths, other than the recommendation that the Government publish its response to the consultation conducted in 2019; and when that response will be published.

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

The Government recognises the concerns raised about how perinatal mortality reviews are carried out. The Perinatal Mortality Review Tool provides a framework which needs to also be supported by effective implementation to deliver the objectives of these reviews.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is chairing the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan to reform maternity and neonatal services. As Baroness Amos’ report makes clear, there is a pressing need to improve the quality, transparency, oversight, and accountability of investigations and we are working with the taskforce to review this.

With regard to coronial investigation of stillbirth, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1814, which, for ease of reference, has been reproduced below:

“All bereaved parents have the option to be involved in a high-quality review of the death of their baby, from 22 weeks' gestation up to 28 days post birth, through a perinatal mortality review. While this is carried out by the hospital or hospitals where the mother and baby were looked after, a national tool is in place, namely the national Perinatal Mortality Review Tool, to ensure such reviews are objective, robust, and standardised.

“There are a range of views on how stillbirths should be investigated, and it is important that the Government’s conclusions on coronial investigations of stillbirths reflect the recommendations Baroness Amos has made through the final report of her independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, and supports the most effective model for maternity investigations.

“As recommended in Baroness Amos’ report, we will publish the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation, jointly with the Ministry of Justice, in due course.”

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 July (HL1814), whether they consider a review conducted by the hospital or hospitals responsible for the care under review to constitute an independent investigation; and, if not, what independent investigatory route is available following an antepartum stillbirth where the parents do not dispute that the baby was stillborn.

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

The Government recognises the concerns raised about how perinatal mortality reviews are carried out. The Perinatal Mortality Review Tool provides a framework which needs to also be supported by effective implementation to deliver the objectives of these reviews.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is chairing the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan to reform maternity and neonatal services. As Baroness Amos’ report makes clear, there is a pressing need to improve the quality, transparency, oversight, and accountability of investigations and we are working with the taskforce to review this.

With regard to coronial investigation of stillbirth, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1814, which, for ease of reference, has been reproduced below:

“All bereaved parents have the option to be involved in a high-quality review of the death of their baby, from 22 weeks' gestation up to 28 days post birth, through a perinatal mortality review. While this is carried out by the hospital or hospitals where the mother and baby were looked after, a national tool is in place, namely the national Perinatal Mortality Review Tool, to ensure such reviews are objective, robust, and standardised.

“There are a range of views on how stillbirths should be investigated, and it is important that the Government’s conclusions on coronial investigations of stillbirths reflect the recommendations Baroness Amos has made through the final report of her independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, and supports the most effective model for maternity investigations.

“As recommended in Baroness Amos’ report, we will publish the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation, jointly with the Ministry of Justice, in due course.”

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 July (HL1814), what safeguards exist to prevent uncertainty or error in the assessment of gestational age, or in the retrospective classification of a stillbirth as antepartum or intrapartum, from determining whether bereaved parents have access to an independent investigation.

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

The Government recognises the concerns raised about how perinatal mortality reviews are carried out. The Perinatal Mortality Review Tool provides a framework which needs to also be supported by effective implementation to deliver the objectives of these reviews.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is chairing the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan to reform maternity and neonatal services. As Baroness Amos’ report makes clear, there is a pressing need to improve the quality, transparency, oversight, and accountability of investigations and we are working with the taskforce to review this.

With regard to coronial investigation of stillbirth, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1814, which, for ease of reference, has been reproduced below:

“All bereaved parents have the option to be involved in a high-quality review of the death of their baby, from 22 weeks' gestation up to 28 days post birth, through a perinatal mortality review. While this is carried out by the hospital or hospitals where the mother and baby were looked after, a national tool is in place, namely the national Perinatal Mortality Review Tool, to ensure such reviews are objective, robust, and standardised.

“There are a range of views on how stillbirths should be investigated, and it is important that the Government’s conclusions on coronial investigations of stillbirths reflect the recommendations Baroness Amos has made through the final report of her independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, and supports the most effective model for maternity investigations.

“As recommended in Baroness Amos’ report, we will publish the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation, jointly with the Ministry of Justice, in due course.”

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols 2–3), what integrated care board groups do not have at least one fracture liaison service.

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

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 1 September in response to Question HL2030, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

Our 10-Year Health Plan is clear that the future National Health Service must be more preventative, more integrated, and deliver more care closer to home, including for people with osteoporosis.

The Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030, and we are clear that everyone at risk of fragility fractures should be able to benefit from high-quality, timely care that supports prevention, early intervention, and effective management. We are pursuing those goals across the whole pathway of fracture prevention, including improving access to diagnosis, supporting the adoption of effective treatments, and encouraging local systems to develop services that identify people at the highest risk of future fractures and intervene early.

Earlier this year, the Government announced £2.6 million of funding for 20 new DEXA bone density scanners across England. Tens of thousands of patients will benefit from faster access to bone scans as a result, helping to ensure that people with bone conditions, such as osteoporosis, get diagnosed earlier. This builds on the first wave of 13 DEXA scanners announced last year. In 2025, over 21,000 extra DEXA scans were delivered in England compared with 2024.

We continue to work closely with NHS England to improve access to fracture prevention services and to explore the best ways of supporting local systems to deliver high-quality care which meets the needs of their populations. The Government has been clear that integrated care boards are best placed to shape services for their localities and we have set expectations, through the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, that they should prioritise community-based models when commissioning new services.

Progress in this area can be monitored through activity and outcomes reported through the Fracture Liaison Service Database.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 10 June (HL392), whether regulations establishing the Single Patient Record operator as a data controller will restrict its powers strictly to direct patient care, or whether central processing will be permitted for secondary purposes, research, or commercial access without local GP data controller approval.

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

Under the Single Patient Record (SPR), patient information will still be held in the system where it was originally created, such as in a general practice (GP) surgery or hospital. These bodies, GPs and hospitals, will continue to be responsible for ensuring health data is handled securely, lawfully, and accessed for valid reasons only.

The Department is currently undertaking a national programme of deliberative engagement events with GPs and practice managers to help shape implementation of the SPR, and we will continue to work with stakeholders, including clinicians, to understand how best to support them in using the data in the record effectively to improve outcomes.

As set out in NHS England’s guidance on amending patient and service user records, current policy already enables patients to request amendments to their health record. This will continue to be the case for the SPR. We will agree a protocol with health and care professionals as to how information will be updated, and the SPR will provide a technical basis for rectification of errors in line with this policy.

Regulations made under the powers in the Health Bill cannot affect the ability of clinicians to make decisions about patient care and cannot make any provision relating to secondary uses of data. The regulations can only make provision relating to data being shared with patients, or with professionals involved in patient care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 10 June (HL392), what operational mechanisms will ensure that patient requests for data rectification under Article 16 of the UK GDPR which are processed centrally by the Single Patient Record operator are automatically reflected in local primary care electronic health records without compromising record integrity.

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

Under the Single Patient Record (SPR), patient information will still be held in the system where it was originally created, such as in a general practice (GP) surgery or hospital. These bodies, GPs and hospitals, will continue to be responsible for ensuring health data is handled securely, lawfully, and accessed for valid reasons only.

The Department is currently undertaking a national programme of deliberative engagement events with GPs and practice managers to help shape implementation of the SPR, and we will continue to work with stakeholders, including clinicians, to understand how best to support them in using the data in the record effectively to improve outcomes.

As set out in NHS England’s guidance on amending patient and service user records, current policy already enables patients to request amendments to their health record. This will continue to be the case for the SPR. We will agree a protocol with health and care professionals as to how information will be updated, and the SPR will provide a technical basis for rectification of errors in line with this policy.

Regulations made under the powers in the Health Bill cannot affect the ability of clinicians to make decisions about patient care and cannot make any provision relating to secondary uses of data. The regulations can only make provision relating to data being shared with patients, or with professionals involved in patient care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 10 June (HL392), what assessment they have made of the legal and administrative resources required by individual GP partnerships to negotiate and manage joint data controllership arrangements under Article 26 of UK GDPR with the Single Patient Record operator.

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

Under the Single Patient Record (SPR), patient information will still be held in the system where it was originally created, such as in a general practice (GP) surgery or hospital. These bodies, GPs and hospitals, will continue to be responsible for ensuring health data is handled securely, lawfully, and accessed for valid reasons only.

The Department is currently undertaking a national programme of deliberative engagement events with GPs and practice managers to help shape implementation of the SPR, and we will continue to work with stakeholders, including clinicians, to understand how best to support them in using the data in the record effectively to improve outcomes.

As set out in NHS England’s guidance on amending patient and service user records, current policy already enables patients to request amendments to their health record. This will continue to be the case for the SPR. We will agree a protocol with health and care professionals as to how information will be updated, and the SPR will provide a technical basis for rectification of errors in line with this policy.

Regulations made under the powers in the Health Bill cannot affect the ability of clinicians to make decisions about patient care and cannot make any provision relating to secondary uses of data. The regulations can only make provision relating to data being shared with patients, or with professionals involved in patient care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 10 June (HL392), where will primary statutory data controllership and legal liability rest in instances where a clinical decision resulting in patient harm is made based on incomplete, inaccurate, or delayed source data rendered through the Single Patient Record.

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

Under the Single Patient Record (SPR), patient information will still be held in the system where it was originally created, such as in a general practice (GP) surgery or hospital. These bodies, GPs and hospitals, will continue to be responsible for ensuring health data is handled securely, lawfully, and accessed for valid reasons only.

The Department is currently undertaking a national programme of deliberative engagement events with GPs and practice managers to help shape implementation of the SPR, and we will continue to work with stakeholders, including clinicians, to understand how best to support them in using the data in the record effectively to improve outcomes.

As set out in NHS England’s guidance on amending patient and service user records, current policy already enables patients to request amendments to their health record. This will continue to be the case for the SPR. We will agree a protocol with health and care professionals as to how information will be updated, and the SPR will provide a technical basis for rectification of errors in line with this policy.

Regulations made under the powers in the Health Bill cannot affect the ability of clinicians to make decisions about patient care and cannot make any provision relating to secondary uses of data. The regulations can only make provision relating to data being shared with patients, or with professionals involved in patient care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 2 March (HL14550), how many NHS England employees they currently expect (1) to transfer into the Department of Health and Social Care, (2) to transfer to integrated care boards or other NHS bodies, and (3) to leave employment, as a consequence of the abolition of NHS England.

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

I refer the Noble Baroness to the detailed plans set out in my Written Statement HLWS1049 made on 12 November 2025, and to the impact assessment that has been laid before the House, a copy of which is attached. We will provide further updates on staffing matters on an ongoing basis as the plans we have set out are delivered.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 28 August (HL2592), what assessment they have made of the reliability of mortality data for individuals with learning disabilities in the light of reports by Mencap that around three-quarters of people with a learning disability are not on general practice learning disability registers.

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

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 28 August in response to Question HL2592, in which I set out that we will share next steps in due course regarding the new patient level data set.

In the meantime, work is ongoing to improve identification of people with a learning disability within General Practice (GP) Learning Disability Registers. New guidance was published on 1 September to support the development and maintenance of those registers, enabling patients to access support and services, and improve data on learning disability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 28 August (HL2592), what steps they will take to identify deaths of individuals with a learning disability which are not correctly flagged on primary care records; and whether they will be included in future early mortality statistics.

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

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 28 August in response to Question HL2592, in which I set out that we will share next steps in due course regarding the new patient level data set.

In the meantime, work is ongoing to improve identification of people with a learning disability within General Practice (GP) Learning Disability Registers. New guidance was published on 1 September to support the development and maintenance of those registers, enabling patients to access support and services, and improve data on learning disability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 4 September (HL2165), at what administrative level data on Accessible Information Standard compliance in pharmacies is collected; which local bodies, including Integrated Care Boards and NHS trusts, hold records on compliance; and whether the Department of Health and Social Care plan to request these local records to evaluate national compliance with this statutory obligation.

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

Data on compliance with the Accessible Information Standard is held locally by healthcare providers, whilst responsibility for monitoring compliance rests with the commissioner of the service such as integrated care boards and NHS England.

The Department does not currently hold these records centrally and has no immediate plans to request them for a national evaluation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL894), what discussions have taken place between (1) the Department of Health and Social Care, (2) the Department for Work and Pensions, and (3) HM Treasury, on addressing the £4.9 billion annual loss in workplace productivity associated with obesity-related absence.

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

The Government remains committed to delivering the moonshot to end the obesity epidemic. I refer the Noble Baroness to the prevention chapter of the 10-Year Health Plan that sets out our package of policies to improve the healthiness of the food environment and reduce obesity rates.

I also refer the Noble Baroness to Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent Keep Britain Working review report. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Work and Pension and the Department of Business and Trade on the Keep Britain Working Vanguard Phase, focused on tackling health-related economic inactivity and promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces. No discussions have taken place between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and HM Treasury on addressing the £4.9 billion annual loss in workplace productivity associated with obesity-related absence.

After the initial wave of modern service frameworks (MSFs) is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.

Proposals for new MSFs will be assessed by the National Quality Board against a clear set of criteria, including: the strength of the case for change; the presence of consensus around a genuinely ambitious, long term outcome goal; the existence of a strong coalition of cross-system partners; and the potential for digital by default models and service transformation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 16 July (HL1674), what estimate have they made of public expenditure on glioblastoma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma between 2015–16 and 2024–25, identifying separately NIHR, UKRI, MRC, attributed infrastructure expenditure and other public funding; stating what proportion of each figure derives from attributed infrastructure expenditure; and what proportion of total public expenditure each tumour type represents.

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

I refer the Noble Lord Hunt to the answers provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677 and 16 July in response to Question HL1674.

Further to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677, over eight years, from 2018/19 to 2025/26, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) committed £66.3 million to brain tumour research. UKRI also supported 93 studentships over this period. All associated work packages for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium have now been fully executed.

The information requested is not held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Information on trials supported through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) can be found on their website. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Other information is not available as it is not held in the format requested or is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols 2–3), whether a reconfigured integrated care board group may be classified as having completed rollout of Fracture Liaison Services solely because it contains a service that pre-dated the reconfiguration; and, if so, how that classification is consistent with their commitment to national rollout by 2030.

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

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 1 September in response to Question HL2030, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

Our 10-Year Health Plan is clear that the future National Health Service must be more preventative, more integrated, and deliver more care closer to home, including for people with osteoporosis.

The Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030, and we are clear that everyone at risk of fragility fractures should be able to benefit from high-quality, timely care that supports prevention, early intervention, and effective management. We are pursuing those goals across the whole pathway of fracture prevention, including improving access to diagnosis, supporting the adoption of effective treatments, and encouraging local systems to develop services that identify people at the highest risk of future fractures and intervene early.

Earlier this year, the Government announced £2.6 million of funding for 20 new DEXA bone density scanners across England. Tens of thousands of patients will benefit from faster access to bone scans as a result, helping to ensure that people with bone conditions, such as osteoporosis, get diagnosed earlier. This builds on the first wave of 13 DEXA scanners announced last year. In 2025, over 21,000 extra DEXA scans were delivered in England compared with 2024.

We continue to work closely with NHS England to improve access to fracture prevention services and to explore the best ways of supporting local systems to deliver high-quality care which meets the needs of their populations. The Government has been clear that integrated care boards are best placed to shape services for their localities and we have set expectations, through the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, that they should prioritise community-based models when commissioning new services.

Progress in this area can be monitored through activity and outcomes reported through the Fracture Liaison Service Database.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb col 1), which two newly reconfigured Integrated Care Board (ICB) areas do not currently have a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS); whether the statement that 23 of the 25 newly reconfigured ICB areas have at least one FLS now represents the Government’s measure of progress towards national rollout by 2030; if so, when that measure was adopted; if not, by what metric the Government measures progress towards delivering FLS "across every part of the country"; and whether the Government would regard their commitment to universal coverage as fulfilled if every newly reconfigured ICB area had at least one FLS.

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

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 1 September in response to Question HL2030, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

Our 10-Year Health Plan is clear that the future National Health Service must be more preventative, more integrated, and deliver more care closer to home, including for people with osteoporosis.

The Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030, and we are clear that everyone at risk of fragility fractures should be able to benefit from high-quality, timely care that supports prevention, early intervention, and effective management. We are pursuing those goals across the whole pathway of fracture prevention, including improving access to diagnosis, supporting the adoption of effective treatments, and encouraging local systems to develop services that identify people at the highest risk of future fractures and intervene early.

Earlier this year, the Government announced £2.6 million of funding for 20 new DEXA bone density scanners across England. Tens of thousands of patients will benefit from faster access to bone scans as a result, helping to ensure that people with bone conditions, such as osteoporosis, get diagnosed earlier. This builds on the first wave of 13 DEXA scanners announced last year. In 2025, over 21,000 extra DEXA scans were delivered in England compared with 2024.

We continue to work closely with NHS England to improve access to fracture prevention services and to explore the best ways of supporting local systems to deliver high-quality care which meets the needs of their populations. The Government has been clear that integrated care boards are best placed to shape services for their localities and we have set expectations, through the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, that they should prioritise community-based models when commissioning new services.

Progress in this area can be monitored through activity and outcomes reported through the Fracture Liaison Service Database.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 30 June (HL570), whether all the guidance referred to has now been published by NHS England; and whether that published guidance covers accesses for which NHS England, general practices, or pharmacies are the responsible employers.

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

Stopping unlawful access to records - Guidance for health and care professionals has now been published on the NHS England website in an online-only format. It applies to any patient data, and to anyone working in the National Health Service, or under contract to the NHS, with the potential to access patient records.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 16 February (HL14539), what steps they are taking to refurbish the water fluoridation scheme in Bedfordshire.

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

The Government is working with Anglian Water to construct a new fluoride dosing plant to reinstate water fluoridation across Bedfordshire. The project is currently in a detailed design phase, with fluoridation expected to re-commence from June 2027.

Found: Minister for Women’s Health and Maternity, Baroness Merron said: My thoughts are with every family whose

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Found: Barkworth-Nanton, Julian Hendy, Leon Westcarr, Linda Westcarr and Susan Westcarr Joint meeting with Baroness Merron

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Found: Baroness Merron stated from the dispatch box: “I can say, as I have said before, that it is absolutely