Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings have been held to date by the task and finish group for the Modern Service Framework for Cardiovascular Disease; when these meetings took place; and when future meetings are scheduled to take place.

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

The new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) Task and Finish Group is co-chaired by Dr. Jessica Randall-Carrick and Sir Andrew Goddard. The CVD MSF will be published in 2026, and will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway. The membership of the task and finish group has representation from over 30 stakeholders representing a wide range of organisations, including patient experience groups, charities, think tanks, and professional bodies related to CVD and associated conditions.

The CVD MSF Task and Finish Group has convened twice to date, on 7 October 2025 and most recently on 18 November 2025. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in mid-January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what appointments they have made to the task and finish group responsible for developing the modern service framework for cardiovascular disease.

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

The new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) Task and Finish Group is co-chaired by Dr. Jessica Randall-Carrick and Sir Andrew Goddard. The CVD MSF will be published in 2026, and will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway. The membership of the task and finish group has representation from over 30 stakeholders representing a wide range of organisations, including patient experience groups, charities, think tanks, and professional bodies related to CVD and associated conditions.

The CVD MSF Task and Finish Group has convened twice to date, on 7 October 2025 and most recently on 18 November 2025. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in mid-January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in developing the modern service framework for cardiovascular disease.

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

The Department is making good progress on the development of the Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF), with stakeholder task and finish groups held in October and November 2025. We will provide further information in due course.

The CVD MSF will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the cardiovascular disease pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a public consultation as part of the development of the Modern Service Framework for Cardiovascular Disease.

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

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) will help accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade.

The Department has no plans to conduct a formal public consultation as part of the development of the CVD MSF. However, the Department and NHS England are engaging widely with stakeholders to co-produce the CVD MSF, ensuring that experts, people, and communities are at the heart of its development.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what resources they are providing towards finding a cure for HIV, and which international groups and drug companies they are working with to find a cure.

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

On 1 December 2025, the Department published the new HIV Action Plan to support the Government’s ambition to end new HIV transmissions by 2030. The new HIV Action Plan encourages research and development with an action for the Medical Research Council to support high quality proposals in HIV vaccine and therapeutic development research. The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including HIV research.

These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on HIV to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.