Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the National Cancer Plan for England, published on 4 February, whether funding for travel costs for children and young people with cancer will be available to those in Wales and other devolved nations; and whether any Barnett formula consequentials will result from that funding.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families across the United Kingdom.
Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committing up to £10 million a year to a new fund open to all children and young people in England with cancer and their families regardless of income, to support them with the cost of travelling to and from treatment This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.
Health is predominately devolved. Devolved administrations receive funding through the Barnett Formula, and it is ultimately for them to allocate, prioritise, and manage their budgets. This funding is not new and so Barnett consequentials do not apply. However, the Department does work closely with our counterparts in the devolved administrations to share expertise and identify new opportunities to improve health and social care delivery across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the variation in life expectancy among the different nations and regions of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Of the four nations in the United Kingdom, England consistently has the highest life expectancy at birth for males and females, and Scotland the lowest. Life expectancy at birth in 2021 to 2023 was estimated to be: in England, 79.1 years for males and 83 years for females; in Scotland, 76.8 years for males and 80.8 years for females; in Wales, 78.1 years for males and 82 years for females; and in Northern Ireland, 78.8 years for males and 82.5 years for females.
The 10 highest local area male life expectancies at birth were all located in the south of England, with the 10 lowest being in Scotland, in the north of England and in Wales. The 10 highest local area female life expectancies at birth were also all located in the south of England, with the 10 lowest being mostly in Scotland.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the baby loss certificate scheme, and whether they have plans to extend it further.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The baby loss certificate scheme was launched by the Department in February 2024, initially for losses that occurred after 1 September 2018. In October 2024, the scheme was extended to make the service available for all losses. The scheme has received very positive feedback from families, enabling those who have experienced pregnancy loss to receive a certificate recognising their loss, if they wish to do so. To date, over 100,000 certificates have been issued. The scheme currently only applies to losses that took place in England.
A formal assessment of the implementation of the baby loss certificate scheme has not been made. As part of plans for the future of the scheme, the Department and its Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts have discussed the possibility of the Baby Loss Certificate scheme becoming available in Wales and Northern Ireland. As healthcare in Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of their respective governments, Welsh and Northern Irish officials are leading on this piece of work.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial implications for the devolved authorities of the decision to abolish NHS England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The budgets of devolved nations are primarily funded through block grants from the Government, with annual changes determined by the Barnett formula, which aims to allocate funding based on population and the extent of devolved services.
Any saving from the decision to bring NHS England and the Department together to form a joint centre will be reinvested in frontline services within the National Health Service. The formation of a new joint centre will not impact on the Barnett formula, and the finances of the devolved nations.