Lord Hunt of Kings Heath Portrait

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Labour - Life peer

Became Member: 20th October 1997


Public Services Committee
13th Feb 2020 - 16th Jun 2022
Middle Level Bill Committee
4th Jun 2018 - 12th Jul 2018
Shadow Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
8th Jan 2018 - 24th May 2018
Shadow Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
27th Jun 2017 - 24th May 2018
Shadow Spokesperson (Education)
27th Jun 2017 - 24th May 2018
Shadow Spokesperson (Health)
6th Sep 2012 - 1st Nov 2017
Liaison Committee (Lords)
14th Dec 2015 - 11th Jul 2017
Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
8th Oct 2010 - 27th Jun 2017
House Committee (Lords)
14th Dec 2015 - 31st Aug 2016
Shadow Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
8th Oct 2010 - 6th Sep 2012
Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
8th Oct 2010 - 6th Sep 2012
Leader's Group on Members Leaving the House (L)
1st Jul 2010 - 13th Jan 2011
Minister of State (Department of Energy and Climate Change)
5th Oct 2008 - 6th May 2010
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
5th Oct 2008 - 6th May 2010
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (Sustainable Development, Climate Change Adaptation and Air Quality) (also in the Department for Energy and Climate Change)
5th Oct 2008 - 9th Jun 2009
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
2nd Jul 2007 - 5th Oct 2008
Minister of State (Department of Health) (NHS Reform)
5th Jan 2007 - 28th Jun 2007
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
10th May 2005 - 4th Jan 2007
Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee
17th Dec 2003 - 7th May 2005
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health)
1st Jan 1998 - 17th Mar 2003
Consolidation, &c., Bills (Joint Committee)
30th Apr 1998 - 11th Nov 1999


Scheduled Event
Tuesday 12th December 2023
Short debate - Main Chamber
Impact of the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019
View calendar
Division Votes
Monday 27th November 2023
Immigration (Age Assessments) Regulations 2023
voted Aye - in line with the party majority
One of 96 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 164 Noes - 75
Speeches
Thursday 30th November 2023
National Health Service: 75th Anniversary
That this House takes note of the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service and its performance in waiting times.
Written Answers
Monday 4th December 2023
NHS England: Databases
To ask His Majesty's Government why the answer to the "Frequently Asked Question" on the NHS England website about NHS …
Early Day Motions
None available
Bills
Thursday 30th November 2023
Protection of Care Recipients and Carers Bill [HL] 2023-24
A Bill to make provision for the protection of care recipients and their carers; and for connected purposes.
MP Financial Interests
None available

Division Voting information

During the current Parliamentary Session, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath has voted in 401 divisions, and 2 times against the majority of their Party.

23 Jun 2020 - Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 10 Labour Aye votes vs 104 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 155 Noes - 326
16 Mar 2022 - Health and Care Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 24 Labour No votes vs 51 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 145 Noes - 179
View All Lord Hunt of Kings Heath Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Bethell (Conservative)
(92 debate interactions)
Lord Kamall (Conservative)
(65 debate interactions)
Lord Markham (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
(51 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(333 debate contributions)
Home Office
(82 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(62 debate contributions)
Leader of the House
(54 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Health and Care Act 2022
(29,798 words contributed)
Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021
(22,608 words contributed)
Schools Bill [HL] 2022-23
(18,666 words contributed)
Domestic Abuse Bill 2019-21
(15,874 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Lord Hunt of Kings Heath's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


6 Bills introduced by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath


A Bill to make amendments to the Human Tissue Act 2004 concerning consent to activities for the purposes of transplantation outside the United Kingdom and consent for imported cadavers to be on display

Lords Completed

Last Event - 3rd Reading
Friday 4th March 2022
(Read Debate)

A Bill to require Her Majesty’s Government to introduce a Bill to regulate health and social care professions.

Lords - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading : House Of Lords
Friday 3rd February 2017
(Read Debate)

A Bill to make provision for the protection of care recipients and their carers; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Thursday 30th November 2023

A Bill to make provision for the protection of care recipients, their carers and for connected purposes.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 6th December 2022
(Read Debate)

A bill to amend the Human Tissue Act 2004 concerning consent to activities done for the purpose of transplantation outside the United Kingdom and consent for imported cadavers on display

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 28th January 2020
(Read Debate)

A Bill to require Her Majesty's Government to introduce a Bill to regulate health and social care professions

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Tuesday 16th June 2015

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


724 Written Questions in the current parliament

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
3 Other Department Questions
24th Jul 2023
To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 19 June (HL8246), what explanations he has had from the Department of Health and Social Care concerning the number of questions allocated to that department that remain unanswered after 10 working days.

As Leader of the House of Lords I have reiterated to all Front Bench Ministers the importance of adhering to the 10 day target for responses to questions for written answer. As stated in my response on 19 June (HL8246) the Department for Health and Social Care faced significant disruption to the delivery of parliamentary support due to the pressures they faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have since implemented a Written Parliamentary Question Recovery Plan to deal with the backlog of written questions. At the time of writing, DHSC’s PQ on-time rate for July is 89.6%, the highest percentage during a sitting month since early 2020.


The Permanent Secretary has further reassured me that they are committed to improving the process and have taken further steps to bring performance levels back to pre-pandemic levels including streamlining the drafting process. I will be looking for further improvements on their record as a result of the Department's Recovery plan. It is important that the highest standards are achieved by all Departments in replying to members of the House.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
5th Jul 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Government departments treat any of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, excluding disability, as taking precedence over any other.

The Equality Act 2010 does not recognise any precedence of rights beyond the special circumstances of disability. However, in situations where there are multiple protected characteristics to be considered, Government Departments, like other employers or service providers, need to take decisions based on the facts.

Where the relevant conditions apply, Departments may also choose to take targeted action to advance the interests of and/or meet the specific needs of groups with a particular protected characteristic in accordance with the positive action provisions in the Act.

8th Dec 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they undertook any review in 2018 into the reasons for the increase in the number of girls seeking gender reassignment; and if so, what was the outcome of that review.

The work by the Government Equalities Office has been superceded by NHS England commissioning an independent review into adolescent transgender healthcare, led by Dr Hilary Cass. One of the issues it will consider is the increase in the number of adolescents seeking the use of gender identity services.

18th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the results of the inquiry by Lord Hunt of Tanworth in 1996 into allegations of a security service plot against Harold Wilson.

I refer the Noble Lord to the previous answer (HL1897) on 27 July 2021. To reiterate, official papers relating to these allegations are retained by the Cabinet Office. Retained papers are reviewed regularly to decide whether they can be released.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
18th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the new Inter-Ministerial Advisory Group on Science and Technology will be afforded the same decision-making status as its predecessor, the National Science and Technology Council.

The National Science and Technology Council was established as a Cabinet committee in October 2021 to consider matters relating to strategic advantage through science and technology. The Cabinet committee list was updated in September 2022. In October 2022, the National Science and Technology Council was established as an inter-ministerial group responsible for delivering an ambitious UK science and technology strategy and to consider key science and technology issues. Where collective agreement is necessary for issues covered by an inter-ministerial group, it is sought in the usual way through a committee or ministerial correspondence.

Cabinet committees support the principle of collective responsibility, ensuring that policy proposals receive thorough consideration and collective agreement. Cabinet committee decisions have the same authority as Cabinet decisions.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
6th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will withdraw their support for the civil service 'inclusion workshops' run by A:gender.

This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.

The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.

The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
6th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact of the civil service 'inclusion workshop' run by A:gender on the development of Government policy.

This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.

The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.

The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
6th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the contents of the civil service 'inclusion workshop' run by A:gender.

This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.

The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.

The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
6th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contents of the civil service 'inclusion workshop' run by A:gender in respect of its compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the protected characteristics as set out in section 4 of the Act.

This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.

The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.

The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
6th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they take to ensure that material used in training programmes for civil servants is in accordance with the law.

This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.

The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.

The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
10th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they have undertaken in advance of the development of proposals regarding the review of language used in drafting legislation, following the passage of the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021.

Following consideration by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, the Government has today issued a written ministerial statement setting out its approach to the use of gendered language in legislative drafting.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
10th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the outcome of the review of language used in drafting legislation, following the passage of the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021.

Following consideration by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, the Government has today issued a written ministerial statement setting out its approach to the use of gendered language in legislative drafting.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
15th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the review into the language used in drafting legislation.

A response on this issue is in the process of being finalised. I hope to respond to Noble Lords before the House rises for the Christmas recess.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
26th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the functions of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to ensure that it investigates a higher proportion of complaints received than is current practice.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not responsible to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for practice in how it handles complaints. I understand the Noble Lord is in contact with the Ombudsman who can explain in further detail the organisation's current practice in this area. Further to this the Noble Lord may wish to write to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that acts as the primary accountability body for the Ombudsman.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
26th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the functions of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to ensure that it (1) collects, (2) analyses, and (3) publishes, data on complaints involving the death of patients that it has decided not to investigate.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not responsible to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for practice in how it handles complaints. I understand the Noble Lord is in contact with the Ombudsman who can explain in further detail the organisation's current practice in this area. Further to this the Noble Lord may wish to write to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that acts as the primary accountability body for the Ombudsman.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
6th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will next review retained papers relating to allegations of a security service plot against Harold Wilson to decide whether they can be released; and what criteria will be used in this review.

Under the Public Records Act these papers were originally recommended for closure for at least 100 years. However, in line with current best practice, these papers will be reviewed in 2026 and every ten years thereafter.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
12th Jul 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the results of the inquiry by Lord Hunt of Tanworth in 1996 into allegations of a security service plot against Harold Wilson.

Official papers relating to allegations of a security service plot against Harold Wilson are retained by the Cabinet Office. Retained papers are reviewed regularly to decide whether they can be released.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
30th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government which of their departments take part in (1) Stonewall's Diversity Champion scheme, and (2) Stonewall's Workplace Index scheme.

A list of which Government departments take part in Stonewall’s Diversity Champion or Workplace Index scheme is not held centrally.

We are looking into the matter and I will write to the Noble Lord with further information in due course.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
30th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to recent statements by the Equality and Human Rights Commission about its withdrawal from the Stonewall Diversity Champion scheme, what steps they are taking to ensure their expenditure on workplace diversity and inclusion initiatives (1) offers value for money, (2) is fairly balanced, and (3) is reasonable and proportionate, taking into account the rights of all persons with any of the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010.

The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East.

It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
30th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to recent statements by the Equality and Human Rights Commission about its withdrawal from the Stonewall Diversity Champions scheme, what steps they are taking to ensure their departments are (1) inclusive workplaces, (2) attracting people from all backgrounds, and (3) workplaces where every employee is treated in line with the Equality Act 2010.

The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East.

It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
30th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure their workplace policies and procedures do not potentially infringe any person's ability to enjoy their fundamental rights and freedoms under the Human Rights Act 1998.

When formulating and reviewing workplace policies and procedures, government departments have due regard for all legal requirements, including the rights and freedoms in Schedule 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
14th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy for the use of self-destructing messages in communications with Government departments where no record of these messages is retained.

The Government acts in accordance with the Code of Practice on the management of records issued under section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

This includes advice on the disposal of ephemeral information and how to keep records needed for business, regulatory, legal and accountability purposes.

The Government is reviewing how guidance can be updated to reflect contemporary information management practice in the modern digital working environment.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
9th Mar 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many care home residents and staff (1) tested positive for, and (2) died as a result of, COVID-19 in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland, and (d) Wales, in (i) November 2020, (ii) December 2020, (iii) January, and (iv) February.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

The Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

15 March 2021

Dear Lord Hunt,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many care home residents and staff (1) tested positive for, and (2) died as a result of, COVID-19 in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland, and (d) Wales, in (i) November 2020, (ii) December 2020, (iii) January, and (iv) February (HL14039).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. National Records for Scotland[1] and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency[2] are responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

Table 1 below shows the number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents registered for the months November 2020 to February 2021 in England and Wales. The term "care home residents" refers to all deaths where either (a) the death occurred in a care home or (b) the death occurred elsewhere but the place of residence of the deceased was recorded as a care home.

We do not hold any information on the number of care home staff who have died as a result of COVID-19 therefore we are not able to provide this information. The Department of Health and Social Care are responsible for data on care home infections.[3]

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents registered from November 2020 to February 2021 in England and Wales[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10]

Month

England

Wales

Nov-20

2,321

239

Dec-20

3,393

284

Jan-21

7,587

482

Feb-21

5,067

191

Source: Office for National Statistics

[1]https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/

[2]https://www.nisra.gov.uk/

[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care

[4] Deaths for England and Wales exclude non-residents.

[5] Figures are provisional for 2020 and 2021.

[6] The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) definitions are as follows: coronavirus (COVID-19) (U.071, U.072, U.099, U.109).

[7] Deaths "involving COVID-19" includes deaths that have COVID-19 mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether as underlying cause or not.

[8] These figures are calculated using the most up-to-date data we have available to get the most accurate estimates.

[9] Based on boundaries as of November 2020.

[10] Based on deaths registered in each calendar month.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
27th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many care home residents in England have died from COVID-19 (1) in hospital, (2) in hospices, and (3) in residential care and nursing homes, in total to date.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

04 February 2021

Dear Lord Hunt,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many care home residents in England have died from COVID-19 (1) in hospital, (2) in hospices, and (3) in residential care and nursing homes, in total to date (HL12649).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes mortality data that are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. The term ‘care home residents’ refers to all deaths where either (a) the death occurred in a care home or (b) the death occurred elsewhere but the place of residence of the deceased was recorded as a care home.

Table 1 below shows the number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents by place of death, registered up to the 22nd January 2021 in England. We do not hold any information on the breakdown of residential or nursing homes therefore we have provided the number of care home residents who have died in a care home, which could be either residential or nursing care homes.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents by place of death registered up to 22nd January 2021, England[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Place of death

Number of deaths

Care home

23,324

Hospital

8,012

Hospice

70

Source: ONS

[1] All figures for 2020 and 2021 are provisional.

[2] Deaths for England exclude non-residents.

[3] The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) definitions are as follows: coronavirus (COVID-19) (U07.1 and U07.2).

[4] Deaths "involving COVID-19" includes deaths that had COVID-19 mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether as underlying cause or not.

[5] These figures are calculated using the most up-to-date data we have available to get the most accurate estimates.

[6] Based on boundaries as of November 2020.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
19th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 1 October (HL8184), which (1) processes, (2) structures, and (3) operations, of the Digital Data and Technology function were considered as part of the review they carried out over the summer.

The review was commissioned and overseen by the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, Alex Chisholm. Announcements will be made in the usual way.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
19th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 1 October (HL8184), what were the terms of reference of the recent review into their Digital Data and Technology function.

The review was commissioned and overseen by the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, Alex Chisholm. Announcements will be made in the usual way.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
19th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 1 October (HL8184), which members of the Digital Economy Council were invited to contribute to the review of their Digital Data and Technology function over the summer.

The review was commissioned and overseen by the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, Alex Chisholm. Announcements will be made in the usual way.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
17th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises are appointed to Cabinet Office advisory panels; and what plans they have, if any, to increase this number.

The Small Business Advisory Panel provides feedback and challenge on increasing government spend with small and medium-sized enterprises. Information about the work of the panel is published at gov.uk/government/publications/sme-panel.

Martin Traynor OBE serves as the Small Business Crown Representative, making sure that small businesses have improved access to government contracts.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
16th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, when Doug Gurr will take up his role as an advisor to the Government Digital Service; what his role and responsibilities will be; and whether he will remain in post as head of Amazon UK.

As part of the wider Civil Service Modernisation and Reform programme, several members of the Digital Economy Council were invited to contribute to a review of HMG's Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Function over the summer. The review was limited to the processes, structures and operations of the DDaT function, and did not consider particular strategies for government. The Cabinet Office will continue to consult members of the Digital Economy Council as it considers how to implement the recommendations. As always, robust measures are in place to manage possible conflicts and the perception of conflicts.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
16th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what interests were declared by Doug Gurr as part of his appointment as an advisor to the Government Digital Service; and what plans they have to address any conflicts of interest.

As part of the wider Civil Service Modernisation and Reform programme, several members of the Digital Economy Council were invited to contribute to a review of HMG's Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Function over the summer. The review was limited to the processes, structures and operations of the DDaT function, and did not consider particular strategies for government. The Cabinet Office will continue to consult members of the Digital Economy Council as it considers how to implement the recommendations. As always, robust measures are in place to manage possible conflicts and the perception of conflicts.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
16th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Doug Gurr will advise on their cloud computing strategy in his role as advisor to the Government Digital Service.

As part of the wider Civil Service Modernisation and Reform programme, several members of the Digital Economy Council were invited to contribute to a review of HMG's Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Function over the summer. The review was limited to the processes, structures and operations of the DDaT function, and did not consider particular strategies for government. The Cabinet Office will continue to consult members of the Digital Economy Council as it considers how to implement the recommendations. As always, robust measures are in place to manage possible conflicts and the perception of conflicts.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
20th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took following the conclusion of Exercise Cygnus to ensure that the potential for staff absences to reach 50 per cent was built into business continuity planning in the event of a pandemic.

I refer the noble Lord to published documents, including for example the modelling of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling from November 2018, which detailed a reasonable worst case scenario that up to 50% of the population could be ill - not that staff absences could reach 50%.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
25th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the G-Cloud 8 call-off contract agreed with Amazon Web Services in 2016 specified that Amazon Web Services had no liability for "direct loss, destruction, corruption, degradation or damage to the Buyer Data or the Buyer Personal Data or any copy of such Buyer Data".

It is the responsibility of individual buying authorities to agree terms and conditions with their chosen supplier when calling off from a framework agreement.

Specific terms and conditions agreed between parties when calling off from framework agreements are not reported back centrally to the Cabinet Office or the Crown Commercial Service.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
25th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many contracts they have agreed in the last five years with public cloud providers which specify that the server has no liability for direct loss, destruction, corruption, degradation or damage to the Buyer Data or the Buyer Personal Data or any copy of such Buyer Data.

It is the responsibility of individual buying authorities to agree terms and conditions with their chosen supplier when calling off from a framework agreement.

Specific terms and conditions agreed between parties when calling off from framework agreements are not reported back centrally to the Cabinet Office or the Crown Commercial Service.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
28th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of misinformation and disinformation on the last General Election; and what plans they have to mitigate any risks to the UK’s electoral system arising from such misinformation and disinformation.

The Government has a coordinated structure in place working with relevant organisations to identify and respond to emerging issues, and protect the safety and security of democratic processes. We have worked with a large number of organisations to do this, including social media companies and civil society organisations.

One way to combat the spread of misinformation or disinformation online and limit its potential impact on democratic debate is to ensure that people have the critical literacy skills and digital skills to enable them to assess and analyse the information they read online. In the Online Harms White Paper the Government committed to developing a new online media literacy strategy. This strategy will ensure a coordinated and strategic approach to online media literacy education and awareness for children, young people and adults. The Government is also taking action to increase public awareness with our Don’t Feed The Beast campaign. This aims to educate and empower those who see, inadvertently share and are affected by false and misleading information.

The Government remains committed to the integrity of UK elections and ensuring they are secure and fit for the modern age. We have announced that it will implement an imprints regime for digital election material. This will ensure greater transparency and make it clearer to the electorate who has produced and promoted online political materials.

Earl Howe
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
3rd Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to permanently removing the six per cent import duty on urine drainage bags by re-classifying them as medical devices under the UK Global Tariff regime.

In 2021 the Government implemented temporary tariff suspensions on a set of goods, including urine drainage bags, to support the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has extended the majority of these suspensions until 31 December 2023.

HM Revenue and Customs has reviewed the classification of urine drainage bags and although these are used in conjunction with medical products (e.g. catheters), they are not considered to be medical devices. As such they are classified as articles of plastic (tariff heading 3926). This is in line with classification decisions previously issued by the World Custom Organization, which member countries are expected to follow. Businesses can direct queries on classification to classification.enquiries@hmrc.gov.uk or through this link https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/customs-international-trade-and-excise-enquiries.

The Government have recently received stakeholder feedback on tariffs on urine drainage bags. We are considering the evidence provided alongside wider UK Government analysis.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
15th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance by UK Biobank with NHS England’s assertion that “information is never passed to insurance companies without patient consent.”

The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.

Viscount Camrose
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what income UK Biobank has received from the selling of information to insurance companies.

The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.

Viscount Camrose
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what information held by UK Biobank has been sold to insurance companies.

The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.

Viscount Camrose
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government when and how members of the public were informed that the assurance that data held by UK Biobank would not be given to insurance companies would no longer apply.

The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.

Viscount Camrose
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government when a decision was made that the assurance that data held by UK Biobank would not be given to insurance companies would no longer apply.

The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.

Viscount Camrose
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
25th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership Fulfilling the potential identified in the Government's Life Sciences Vision, published on 24 January, what assessment they have made of its findings that since 2010, the UK has fallen from 4th to 98th place in overall trade balance in pharmaceuticals.

Life Sciences pharmaceutical manufacturing was responsible for $27.7bn exports in 2021. Official statistics from the Office for Life Sciences show that employment in core biopharmaceutical manufacturing employment declined between 2009 and 2019, but increased by 5% between 2019 and 2021. The Life Sciences Vision sets out an ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Science manufacturing investments. To help meet these ambitions, the Government launched the £60m Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund in March 2022 to incentivise globally mobile manufacturing investments in the UK.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
18th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for allocating the remaining £176 million of the Additional Funding Programme for Mathematical Sciences announced in January 2020.

Following the Government announcement to invest additional funding into mathematical sciences, BEIS published its funding allocations for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in May 2022. The total UKRI allocation as published was £25.1 billion for 2022-25, providing UKRI and its constituent councils with the funding needed to deliver world class research and innovation, including in the Mathematical Sciences.

The Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council’s core funding for Mathematical Sciences will continue at the level of circa £25-30 million per annum for grants, fellowships, and studentships. This is alongside the £124 million Additional Funding Programme for Mathematical Sciences funding provided to support activities that have been started to date. UKRI will seek further opportunities to support mathematical research as it establishes a portfolio of investments

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with environmental and public health organisations when reviewing existing EU regulation.

The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is an enabling Bill that will give departments powers to amend, repeal or replace their retained EU law more easily. Any decisions regarding retained EU law will be for departmental ministers to take.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
11th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have invested in mathematical sciences in each higher education institution in the UK for (1) teaching, and (2) research.

The UK is a world leader in Mathematics, accounting for the 5th largest share of publications but the third largest share of the top 1% and 10% most cited publications.

Between Financial Year 2015-2016 and September 2021, EPSRC committed £259.9m to research grants Mathematical Sciences. This includes commitment from the Additional Funding Programme. At this current time, EPSRC are unable to make a direct comparison to international averages.

Following the Government’s announcement in January 2020 to invest additional funding into Mathematical Sciences, UKRI has awarded around £104 million of additional funding to the discipline, over and above EPSRC’s core Mathematical Sciences Theme budget. The additional funding has covered institutes, small and large research grants, fellowships, doctoral studentships and postdoctoral awards.

On the 27 October 2021, the Government will announce the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Once that has concluded, BEIS and UKRI will set out how we meet the commitment to invest additional funding into Mathematical sciences in forthcoming years, as part of the allocations process.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
11th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the breakdown of (1) actual, and (2) planned, expenditure of their £300 million investment in the mathematical sciences.

The UK is a world leader in Mathematics, accounting for the 5th largest share of publications but the third largest share of the top 1% and 10% most cited publications.

Between Financial Year 2015-2016 and September 2021, EPSRC committed £259.9m to research grants Mathematical Sciences. This includes commitment from the Additional Funding Programme. At this current time, EPSRC are unable to make a direct comparison to international averages.

Following the Government’s announcement in January 2020 to invest additional funding into Mathematical Sciences, UKRI has awarded around £104 million of additional funding to the discipline, over and above EPSRC’s core Mathematical Sciences Theme budget. The additional funding has covered institutes, small and large research grants, fellowships, doctoral studentships and postdoctoral awards.

On the 27 October 2021, the Government will announce the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Once that has concluded, BEIS and UKRI will set out how we meet the commitment to invest additional funding into Mathematical sciences in forthcoming years, as part of the allocations process.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
7th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the research of all forms of mathematics at universities in England.

In academic year 2020-21, Research England allocated £66.4 million to Mathematical Sciences. This financial year the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is forecasting a spend of £50.975 million on Mathematical Sciences research in English universities. Plans for funding for future years will be dependent on the outcome of the recently announced Spending Review.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
7th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote the study and research of mathematics at universities in England.

In academic year 2020-21, Research England allocated £66.4 million to Mathematical Sciences. This financial year the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is forecasting a spend of £50.975 million on Mathematical Sciences research in English universities. Plans for funding for future years will be dependent on the outcome of the recently announced Spending Review.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
15th Dec 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) pressure from activist groups, and (2) decisions not to allow academics to speak at universities, on the amount of research commissioned by universities into the number (a) of girls presenting with gender dysphoria at clinics, and (b) of people who regret that they undertook medical treatment for their gender dysphoria; and what steps, if any, they intend to take in response.

Universities are independent, autonomous organisations and are therefore responsible for their decisions relating to research priorities and which activities to support.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
7th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that Amazon staff working on the contract with Amazon to provide health data from the NHS will receive a living wage and be treated with dignity and decency.

The Government is committed to ensuring fair pay and we are clear that all workers should be treated with dignity and decency. We have announced that in April 2020 the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 6.2 per cent to £8.72 for those aged 25 and over. This increase will mean that a full-time worker will see their pay increase by £930 over the year.

The Government considers the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) when setting the rates. The LPC draws on a wide range of analysis to make its recommendations – this includes independent research, stakeholder evidence and a consideration of impacts on businesses.

Workers who believe that they have been underpaid the minimum wage or treated unfairly at work may wish to contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration service (Acas) for impartial information and advice.

4th Jul 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that youth arts are sufficiently funded to help young people with mental health problems.

Her Majesty’s Government recognises the benefits that non-medical interventions can have on physical and mental health.

Arts Council England works with Bridge Organisations and Music Education Hubs which play a key role in working with local authorities and schools to support the good health of children and young people. They are also working in partnership with the Youth Endowment Fund on research into the links between creativity and improved mental health.

The Arts Council also funds a number of organisations across the country which provide arts programmes that aim to help and support young people with mental health problems. These include the Knotted Project in Cumbria, the Thriving Communities project delivered by Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council, and the North Tyneside Cultural Education Partnership which is piloting cultural social prescribing delivered through schools for 5-19 year olds.

In addition, DCMS will be providing £560 million of taxpayer’s money to deliver the National Youth Guarantee which includes the delivery of up to 300 new and refurbished youth spaces and services in areas of the country which may not have benefitted as much as they should have done in the past.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
6th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have agreed (1) a budget, and (2) a programme, to support the legacy of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

Birmingham and the West Midlands region will benefit from a £778 million investment to stage the 2022 Commonwealth Games, including £594 million of funding from central government. This significant investment is driving legacy opportunities across both the West Midlands and UK, including job creation, community and sports facilities and a timely boost to businesses.

An additional £24 million investment from the government and the West Midlands Combined Authority to create a Tourism, Trade and Investment Programme will ensure the city, region and the UK can take advantage of the economic opportunities hosting the Games provides.

Games legacy is being planned and delivered by a collaboration of Games partners including the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport, Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Organising Committee. A Legacy Plan is being prepared and will be published later in 2021.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
16th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to regulate the relationship between technology companies and the Government.

The Government’s approach to governing digital technologies seeks to drive growth and innovation across the UK, while ensuring the safety and security of the UK's citizens and promoting our democratic values.

Our approach to governing digital technology companies will be pro-innovation, agile and proportionate and we will ensure our regulators are equipped for the digital age. This will build confidence and clarity for businesses and consumers, boost innovation and investment, and reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader in innovation-friendly regulation.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a UK National Capability which treats data held by public bodies in the UK as a national asset.

Data is a critical resource for government, which enables more efficient, effective public services. The Public Accounts Committee held an inquiry in the use of data across government in June 2019. Government accepted many of its recommendations in late January 2020. DCMS and Cabinet Office are aiming to write to the Committee to set out our plans for the use of data across government.

While there are no specific plans for establishing a UK National Capability, DCMS is continuing to lead cross-government work to progress the UK's National Data Strategy, so that we can fully and responsibly unlock the power of data, for people and organisations across the UK.

We are not waiting for the strategy to refine our approach to data as a strategic asset. One recent example is the announcement in the March 2020 Budget that HM Land Registry, which holds location data that is important for the government and the economy, will be provided with £392 million to transition from a Trading Fund into part of central government.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of the United States’ Cloud Smart strategy; and what consideration they have given to adopting a similar strategy.

Emerging technologies can enable effective use of data for improving public services. DCMS is continuing to lead cross-government work to progress the UK's National Data Strategy, so that we can fully and responsibly unlock the power of data, for people and organisations across the UK.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) conducted extensive user research in August 2019 on the UK's Cloud Strategy which concluded that Cloud First is as relevant to government today as it was when it was introduced, and will remain a flagship technology policy.

This research considered international cloud strategies, such as Cloud Smart in the US, but concluded that Cloud First was a better fit for the UK government. This is for a number of reasons, including that many departments consider Cloud First to be a core part of their technology strategy, and that there is a need for government to provide a strong cloud message from the centre to encourage transformation. The user research showed that Cloud Smart was seen as “watering down” the high-level cloud message and many participants considered the name “Cloud Smart” to be confusing.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any potential conflicts of interest in grant decisions by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, including for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music is a registered charity (charity number 292182). The Charity Commission for England and Wales expects charities to have and adhere to a robust conflict of interests policy.

The Charity Commission is aware of, and assessing, concerns raised about the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Protect Student Choice campaign Desperate measures: data and the reform of Level 3 qualifications, published in September, which found that at least 155,000 students could be left without a suitable study programme from 2026, given the planned reduction in Applied General Qualifications and slow growth of T levels.

The post-16 qualification reforms are based on three principles: simplifying a complex system difficult for students and employers to navigate, improving progression outcomes, and creating a new, world-class technical offer that meets the needs of employers. These changes are designed to create a ladder of opportunity that young people of all backgrounds can climb.

Despite the report’s premise that removing an existing qualification means students are left without a suitable alternative, students will have a range of options to choose at level 3. This will include large qualifications that can be studied as whole programmes such as T Levels, large Alternative Academic Qualifications (for example in sport or the performing arts), or a newly created large Technical Occupational Entry qualification in a non-T Level route (such as Travel and Tourism). Students will also be able to choose to study A levels, or a mixed study programme comprising of A levels and a small Alternative Academic Qualification or small technical qualifications.

Over 16,000 students have studied all or part of a T Level since their launch in 2020, and the department expects many more young people to benefit in the years to come. We are supporting providers to deliver the additional teaching hours, industry placements and high-quality learning environments needed to make T Levels a success, by increasing the national funding rates for T Levels by 10% for 2023/4 and making £450 million capital funding available alongside a £12 million Employer Support Fund. The department is helping colleges to deliver the additional teaching hours, industry placements and high-quality learning environments needed to make T Levels a success with over £500 million of funding.

For students who aspire to study at level 3 but need additional time and support, the department will fund technical and academic progression qualifications which offer a subject specific focus alongside their study of English and maths. This includes T Level Foundation Qualifications that would be taken in the T Level Foundation Year. The department will also fund large technical occupational entry qualifications at level 2, which will offer broad route-specific content in addition to the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to become occupationally competent and enter the workforce.

The department’s impact assessment for the Level 3 second stage consultation response can be found in the attachment. The assessment estimated that 4% of 16-19 year olds currently studying level 3, may not be able to directly access it in the future.

The department is confident that the new system includes provision for all students. There are currently a wide range of approaches to entry criteria for T Levels amongst colleges, and T Levels will embrace a broader range of young people as they become universally available, with more providers offering the T Level Foundation Year.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what advice they sought, and from whom, when considering the licensing model for Oak National Academy resources.

Oak National Academy’s Board made the decision on its approach to licensing. Oak decided to make the majority of its resources available on an Open Government Licence (OGL). This decision considered that, under the UK Government Licensing Framework (UKGLF), it is government policy that government funded materials should be available on a licence which allows anyone to access them directly. This ensures that the benefit of public funding is maximised, promotes transparency, and enables wider economic and social gain.

When deciding to make new materials available on an OGL, Oak carried out a review of end-user licensing terms, which incorporated advice and feedback from a range of organisations, including schools and multi-academy trusts, curriculum organisations, EdTech providers, publishers, and trade bodies.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether providers of education materials to Oak National Academy were informed in advance that such materials would be make available on an Open Government Licence without geographical restrictions, and what steps they are taking with providers to ensure such materials do not undercut the educational publishing export market.

The Department published its Full Business Case and Market Impact Assessment setting out the rationale for an intervention by the Government to establish an arm’s length body (ALB) incorporating Oak National Academy (ONA). The ALB supports teachers to teach and enables pupils to access a high quality curriculum, whilst also reducing teacher workload.

Following a review, ONA made the decision to make the majority of its new curricula and teaching resources available on an Open Government Licence (OGL). This decision was informed by an assessment of the implications conducted by ONA’s Accounting Officer.

Under the UK Government Licensing Framework (UKGLF), it is Government policy that Government funded materials will be available on a licence which allows anyone to access them directly. This ensures that the benefit of public funding is maximised, promotes transparency, and enables wider economic and social gain. In making its decision to make new materials available on an OGL, ONA carried out a review which incorporated representations by the publishing industry. These were considered alongside the views of others and Oak’s remit.

The decision to publish Oak’s content on an OGL only applies to the curriculum resources that are currently being developed with Oak’s new curriculum partners, and who have agreed to these terms as part of their contract. OGL does not apply to existing curriculum resources that were transferred at the ALB’s creation.

All of ONA’s new curriculum partners, with whom they are working to develop new high quality curriculum content, were aware of, and agreed to, licensing terms up to and including an OGL. This was confirmed as part of the procurement and contracting process which launched in autumn 2022. Following the decision of the Oak Board to make Oak’s curriculum resources available on an OGL without geo-restrictions, these arrangements were confirmed with Oak’s new curriculum partners.

Under ONA’s founding principles, no individual can make a direct profit from its materials. ONA’s resources continuing to be freely available to all removes the ability for others to make direct profit from its content. The decision of ONA’s Board not to geo-restrict ONA’s new materials is consistent with Government policy on licensing, more generally, and with the founding principles of ONA itself.

Oak’s resources are based on the English National Curriculum and its remit is to support UK teachers and pupils. Oak is not undertaking any activities to promote or grow use of its resources overseas. Oak will continue to monitor international use to ensure it remains minimal and will continue to focus on delivering its objectives in the UK and will not promote its resources abroad.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a market impact assessment to inform the decision not to include geographical restrictions in the licensing structure for Oak National Academy resources was conducted; and if so, what plans they have for its publication.

The Department published its Full Business Case and Market Impact Assessment setting out the rationale for an intervention by the Government to establish an arm’s length body (ALB) incorporating Oak National Academy (ONA). The ALB supports teachers to teach and enables pupils to access a high quality curriculum, whilst also reducing teacher workload.

Following a review, ONA made the decision to make the majority of its new curricula and teaching resources available on an Open Government Licence (OGL). This decision was informed by an assessment of the implications conducted by ONA’s Accounting Officer.

Under the UK Government Licensing Framework (UKGLF), it is Government policy that Government funded materials will be available on a licence which allows anyone to access them directly. This ensures that the benefit of public funding is maximised, promotes transparency, and enables wider economic and social gain. In making its decision to make new materials available on an OGL, ONA carried out a review which incorporated representations by the publishing industry. These were considered alongside the views of others and Oak’s remit.

The decision to publish Oak’s content on an OGL only applies to the curriculum resources that are currently being developed with Oak’s new curriculum partners, and who have agreed to these terms as part of their contract. OGL does not apply to existing curriculum resources that were transferred at the ALB’s creation.

All of ONA’s new curriculum partners, with whom they are working to develop new high quality curriculum content, were aware of, and agreed to, licensing terms up to and including an OGL. This was confirmed as part of the procurement and contracting process which launched in autumn 2022. Following the decision of the Oak Board to make Oak’s curriculum resources available on an OGL without geo-restrictions, these arrangements were confirmed with Oak’s new curriculum partners.

Under ONA’s founding principles, no individual can make a direct profit from its materials. ONA’s resources continuing to be freely available to all removes the ability for others to make direct profit from its content. The decision of ONA’s Board not to geo-restrict ONA’s new materials is consistent with Government policy on licensing, more generally, and with the founding principles of ONA itself.

Oak’s resources are based on the English National Curriculum and its remit is to support UK teachers and pupils. Oak is not undertaking any activities to promote or grow use of its resources overseas. Oak will continue to monitor international use to ensure it remains minimal and will continue to focus on delivering its objectives in the UK and will not promote its resources abroad.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they gave to any representations made by the publishing industry in making Oak National Academy resources available on an Open Government Licence without geographical restrictions.

The Department published its Full Business Case and Market Impact Assessment setting out the rationale for an intervention by the Government to establish an arm’s length body (ALB) incorporating Oak National Academy (ONA). The ALB supports teachers to teach and enables pupils to access a high quality curriculum, whilst also reducing teacher workload.

Following a review, ONA made the decision to make the majority of its new curricula and teaching resources available on an Open Government Licence (OGL). This decision was informed by an assessment of the implications conducted by ONA’s Accounting Officer.

Under the UK Government Licensing Framework (UKGLF), it is Government policy that Government funded materials will be available on a licence which allows anyone to access them directly. This ensures that the benefit of public funding is maximised, promotes transparency, and enables wider economic and social gain. In making its decision to make new materials available on an OGL, ONA carried out a review which incorporated representations by the publishing industry. These were considered alongside the views of others and Oak’s remit.

The decision to publish Oak’s content on an OGL only applies to the curriculum resources that are currently being developed with Oak’s new curriculum partners, and who have agreed to these terms as part of their contract. OGL does not apply to existing curriculum resources that were transferred at the ALB’s creation.

All of ONA’s new curriculum partners, with whom they are working to develop new high quality curriculum content, were aware of, and agreed to, licensing terms up to and including an OGL. This was confirmed as part of the procurement and contracting process which launched in autumn 2022. Following the decision of the Oak Board to make Oak’s curriculum resources available on an OGL without geo-restrictions, these arrangements were confirmed with Oak’s new curriculum partners.

Under ONA’s founding principles, no individual can make a direct profit from its materials. ONA’s resources continuing to be freely available to all removes the ability for others to make direct profit from its content. The decision of ONA’s Board not to geo-restrict ONA’s new materials is consistent with Government policy on licensing, more generally, and with the founding principles of ONA itself.

Oak’s resources are based on the English National Curriculum and its remit is to support UK teachers and pupils. Oak is not undertaking any activities to promote or grow use of its resources overseas. Oak will continue to monitor international use to ensure it remains minimal and will continue to focus on delivering its objectives in the UK and will not promote its resources abroad.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any analysis of the actuarial advantages to ending the arrangements by which private schools are permitted to participate as employers in the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

For the 2021/22 financial year, the government contributed over £1.6 billion to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. For the 2020/21 financial year, the Government contributed over £1.7 billion.

The government does not make any explicit contribution on behalf of any sector but does contribute to the overall cost of pension payments where these exceed the total contributions received in any year.

Independent schools are allowed to participate in the scheme, on a voluntary basis, to help facilitate the movement of staff between the state and private sectors. This benefits all sectors by enhancing opportunities for sharing best practice.

The government has not undertaken any such analysis of the potential advantages of ending arrangements by which private schools are permitted to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons why private schools are permitted to participate as employers in the Teacher’s Pension Scheme.

For the 2021/22 financial year, the government contributed over £1.6 billion to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. For the 2020/21 financial year, the Government contributed over £1.7 billion.

The government does not make any explicit contribution on behalf of any sector but does contribute to the overall cost of pension payments where these exceed the total contributions received in any year.

Independent schools are allowed to participate in the scheme, on a voluntary basis, to help facilitate the movement of staff between the state and private sectors. This benefits all sectors by enhancing opportunities for sharing best practice.

The government has not undertaken any such analysis of the potential advantages of ending arrangements by which private schools are permitted to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any government contribution is made to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme explicitly in respect of members of the scheme who are not employed in state schools; and if so, how much is contributed each year.

For the 2021/22 financial year, the government contributed over £1.6 billion to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. For the 2020/21 financial year, the Government contributed over £1.7 billion.

The government does not make any explicit contribution on behalf of any sector but does contribute to the overall cost of pension payments where these exceed the total contributions received in any year.

Independent schools are allowed to participate in the scheme, on a voluntary basis, to help facilitate the movement of staff between the state and private sectors. This benefits all sectors by enhancing opportunities for sharing best practice.

The government has not undertaken any such analysis of the potential advantages of ending arrangements by which private schools are permitted to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what total contribution they have made each year to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

For the 2021/22 financial year, the government contributed over £1.6 billion to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. For the 2020/21 financial year, the Government contributed over £1.7 billion.

The government does not make any explicit contribution on behalf of any sector but does contribute to the overall cost of pension payments where these exceed the total contributions received in any year.

Independent schools are allowed to participate in the scheme, on a voluntary basis, to help facilitate the movement of staff between the state and private sectors. This benefits all sectors by enhancing opportunities for sharing best practice.

The government has not undertaken any such analysis of the potential advantages of ending arrangements by which private schools are permitted to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what were the (1) revenue, and (2) capital costs, of the General Teaching Council for England (including disbursements associated with its creation) for each financial year in which it existed.

The General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) was in place from 2000 to 2012 and was funded through registration fees. The department’s data retention policy is 6+1 years. As such, we no longer have access to data relating to the period 2000 to 2012.

The ‘Transparency and Freedom of Information releases’ contains information about the GTCE’s Annual Report and Financial Statements from 2005 to 2012. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?organisations%5B%5D=general-teaching-council-for-england&parent=general-teaching-council-for-england.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any changes to employer contributions for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme on (1) maintained schools, and (2) academies.

Work on finalising the 2020 valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is still ongoing and the department expects to be able to publish the outcome in late summer.

There are several policy decisions and scheme-based assumptions still to be determined that could affect the final outcome, which means it is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the likely impact on scheme employers. Following His Majesty’s Treasury’s (HMT) announcement on 30 March 2023 of the Government’s response to the consultation on the methodology for determining the discount rate to be applied in the valuation of public service schemes, it is expected that the contribution rate for the TPS will need to rise. That is why the Government has committed to providing funding for the 2024/25 financial year for centrally funded employers, like maintained schools and academies, to help address the impacts involved.

The Department is working with HMT and the actuary for the TPS, the Government Actuary’s Department, to progress the TPS valuation as quickly as possible. Regular updates will continue to be provided to the groups representing employers and members.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many employers providing private education for school age children have stopped participating in the Teacher’s Pension Scheme in each of the last five years.

Work on finalising the 2020 valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is still ongoing and the department expects to be able to publish the outcome in late summer.

There are several policy decisions and scheme-based assumptions still to be determined that could affect the final outcome, which means it is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the likely impact on scheme employers. Following His Majesty’s Treasury’s (HMT) announcement on 30 March 2023 of the government’s response to the consultation on the methodology for determining the discount rate to be applied in the valuation of public service schemes, it is expected that the contribution rate for the TPS will need to rise.

The department appreciates that the independent schools that choose to participate in the TPS will therefore be faced with an increase in employee-related costs. Mindful of this and their need to plan, the department is working with HMT and the actuary for the TPS, the Government Actuary’s Department, to progress the TPS valuation as quickly as possible. Regular updates will continue to be provided to the groups representing employers and members.

817 employers providing private education for school age children are currently participating in the TPS.

A total of 333 employers providing private education for school age children have stopped participating in the TPS in the last five years. This comprises 96 in 2019, 110 in 2020, 82 in 2021, 38 in 2022 and 7 in 2023. Additionally in the last five years, a further 90 such employers have taken the option of a phased withdrawal meaning they will continue participating for existing teaching staff only. This comprises 14 in 2021 (when the phased withdrawal policy was introduced), 62 in 2022 and 14 in 2023 (the latter including two establishments with future withdrawal dates).

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many employers providing private education for school age children are currently participating in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Work on finalising the 2020 valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is still ongoing and the department expects to be able to publish the outcome in late summer.

There are several policy decisions and scheme-based assumptions still to be determined that could affect the final outcome, which means it is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the likely impact on scheme employers. Following His Majesty’s Treasury’s (HMT) announcement on 30 March 2023 of the government’s response to the consultation on the methodology for determining the discount rate to be applied in the valuation of public service schemes, it is expected that the contribution rate for the TPS will need to rise.

The department appreciates that the independent schools that choose to participate in the TPS will therefore be faced with an increase in employee-related costs. Mindful of this and their need to plan, the department is working with HMT and the actuary for the TPS, the Government Actuary’s Department, to progress the TPS valuation as quickly as possible. Regular updates will continue to be provided to the groups representing employers and members.

817 employers providing private education for school age children are currently participating in the TPS.

A total of 333 employers providing private education for school age children have stopped participating in the TPS in the last five years. This comprises 96 in 2019, 110 in 2020, 82 in 2021, 38 in 2022 and 7 in 2023. Additionally in the last five years, a further 90 such employers have taken the option of a phased withdrawal meaning they will continue participating for existing teaching staff only. This comprises 14 in 2021 (when the phased withdrawal policy was introduced), 62 in 2022 and 14 in 2023 (the latter including two establishments with future withdrawal dates).

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any changes to employer contributions for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme on private schools which participate in the Scheme.

Work on finalising the 2020 valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is still ongoing and the department expects to be able to publish the outcome in late summer.

There are several policy decisions and scheme-based assumptions still to be determined that could affect the final outcome, which means it is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the likely impact on scheme employers. Following His Majesty’s Treasury’s (HMT) announcement on 30 March 2023 of the government’s response to the consultation on the methodology for determining the discount rate to be applied in the valuation of public service schemes, it is expected that the contribution rate for the TPS will need to rise.

The department appreciates that the independent schools that choose to participate in the TPS will therefore be faced with an increase in employee-related costs. Mindful of this and their need to plan, the department is working with HMT and the actuary for the TPS, the Government Actuary’s Department, to progress the TPS valuation as quickly as possible. Regular updates will continue to be provided to the groups representing employers and members.

817 employers providing private education for school age children are currently participating in the TPS.

A total of 333 employers providing private education for school age children have stopped participating in the TPS in the last five years. This comprises 96 in 2019, 110 in 2020, 82 in 2021, 38 in 2022 and 7 in 2023. Additionally in the last five years, a further 90 such employers have taken the option of a phased withdrawal meaning they will continue participating for existing teaching staff only. This comprises 14 in 2021 (when the phased withdrawal policy was introduced), 62 in 2022 and 14 in 2023 (the latter including two establishments with future withdrawal dates).

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any changes to employer contributions for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme on universities

Work on finalising the 2020 valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is still ongoing and the department expects to be able to publish the outcome in late summer.

There are several policy decisions and scheme-based assumptions still to be determined that could affect the final outcome, which means it is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the likely impact on scheme employers. Following His Majesty’ Treasury’s (HMT) announcement on 30 March 2023 of the government’s response to the consultation on the methodology for determining the discount rate to be applied in the valuation of public service schemes, it is expected that the contribution rate for the TPS will need to rise. That is why HMT has committed to continue discussions with the department on the impact for TPS employers in the higher education sector.

The Department is working with HMT and the actuary for the TPS, the Government Actuary’s Department, to progress the TPS valuation as quickly as possible. Regular updates will continue to be provided to the groups representing employers and members.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any changes to employer contributions for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme on further education colleges.

Work on finalising the 2020 valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is still ongoing and the department expects to be able to publish the outcome in late summer.

There are several policy decisions and scheme-based assumptions still to be determined that could affect the final outcome, which means it is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the likely impact on scheme employers. Following His Majesty’s Treasury’s (HMT) announcement on 30 March 2023 of the government’s response to the consultation on the methodology for determining the discount rate to be applied in the valuation of public service schemes, it is expected that the contribution rate for the TPS will need to rise. That is why the government has committed to providing funding for the 2024/25 financial year for centrally funded employers, including those in the further education sector, to help address the impacts involved.

The department is working with HMT and the actuary for the TPS, the Government Actuary’s Department, to progress the TPS valuation as quickly as possible. Regular updates will continue to be provided to the groups representing employers and members.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the impact on attendance at school of (1) World Book Day, and (2) other non-uniform days.

While the department is now collecting daily attendance data from 78% of schools, data is not held specifically on the effect of days such as World Book Day or other non-uniform days on school attendance.

The government does not determine whether schools have non-uniform days. Many pupils enjoy such events, and they can help to support worthy causes.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for more long-term investment to raise the quality of school buildings.

Safe and well-maintained school buildings that support a high-quality education are a priority for the department. That is why we have committed £1.8 billion in the 2022/23 financial year to improve school buildings across England, as part of over £13 billion allocated since 2015.

In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will carry out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at 500 schools across England, with buildings prioritised based on their condition. There are now 400 projects in the programme. The most recent set of 239 schools were announced in December 2022. All new buildings in the programme are designed to the department’s standards, including being net zero carbon in operation.

This financial year, eligible schools have also received an allocation from an additional £447 million in capital funding for improvements to buildings and facilities, prioritising works to improve energy efficiency.

The department has carried out the Condition Data Collection (CDC) to understand the condition of the school estate in England and how it is changing over time. This directly informs investment in the condition of school buildings. Individual CDC reports are shared with every school and the academy trusts and local authorities responsible for those schools, to help inform their investment plans alongside their own more detailed condition surveys and safety checks. CDC2 is currently underway to ensure the department maintains an up-to-date understanding of the condition of school buildings.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
23rd Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to reform childcare, particularly staff-child ratios; and if so, what is their timetable for doing so.

The department is committed to supporting working families and parents back into employment, by improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We are currently exploring a wide range of options to achieve this ambition.

The consultation on Childcare: Regulatory Changes, closed on 16 September 2022, and the department will respond in due course. We consulted on:

  • Moving to the Scottish staff-to-child ratios for two-year-olds, from a ratio of 1:4 to 1:5.
  • Amending early years foundation stage framework wording on childminder ratios, so it is clear that childminders have flexibility within their ratios in circumstances where they are caring for sibling children, or their own child.
  • Seeking views on further options for reforming ratios in future, working with the sector and parents to shape the future regulatory framework.

The department’s priority continues to be to provide safe, high-quality, and affordable early years provision for our youngest children.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
10th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still plan to publish a prospectus covering each Education Investment Area in early autumn.

Officials have discussed with local authorities and Dioceses in Education Investment Areas (EIAs) the strategic needs of their areas and how area-based commissioning of trusts might take place. That exercise is leading to the development of statements that the department expects to publish later this year.

In addition, regulations came into force on 1 September enabling the Secretary of State for Education to intervene in schools judged as Requires Improvement by Ofsted which were also judged below Good at their previous inspection, where they are not making the necessary improvements. The department plans to write to schools in EIAs informing them that they are eligible for intervention and inviting them to make representations.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
10th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the area-based approach to commissioning trusts which will be rolled out in the Education Investment Areas this term.

Officials have discussed with local authorities and Dioceses in Education Investment Areas (EIAs) the strategic needs of their areas and how area-based commissioning of trusts might take place. That exercise is leading to the development of statements that the department expects to publish later this year.

In addition, regulations came into force on 1 September enabling the Secretary of State for Education to intervene in schools judged as Requires Improvement by Ofsted which were also judged below Good at their previous inspection, where they are not making the necessary improvements. The department plans to write to schools in EIAs informing them that they are eligible for intervention and inviting them to make representations.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
10th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government which local authorities have submitted applications to launch their own multi-academy trusts as part of the pilot scheme.

The department has received 29 registrations of interest from local authorities interested in establishing a multi-academy trust through a test-and-learn exercise. The department is withholding the release of the names of the local authorities who submitted a registration of interest, as it has previously applied a Freedom of Information Act exemption to this information: Section 35(1)(a) relating to the formulation and development of government policy.

The department undertook a public interest test as required by the Act and concluded that not disclosing the information outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

The department will publish the names of the successful applications for the test-and-learn in due course.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
10th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they will use as the basis for the expansion of multi-academy trusts within the area-based approach to commissioning.

Details of what Regional Directors consider when making decisions about trust growth are set out in 'Building strong academy trusts: Guidance for academy trusts and prospective converters' published in May 2021. Before approving a decision about growth, Regional Directors will consider the evidence about the educational and financial capacity of the academy trust. In doing so, they will consider the particular circumstances and maturity of the academy trust.

In addition, 'Implementing school system reform in 2022/23', published in May 2022, sets out that Regional Directors will adopt an area-based approach to commissioning. This will focus on quality first, identifying those trusts which are best placed to take on underperforming schools in these areas. Area-based commissioning will commence initially in education investment areas, prior to being rolled out across the country in due course.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Jul 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken an impact assessment on the decision to end the provision of the BTEC qualification in Health and Social Care with regard to (1) NHS workforce numbers, (2) social care workforce numbers, and (3) patient safety.

The department has been clear that we will continue to fund some BTECs and other qualifications in future, where there is a clear need for skills and knowledge that A levels and T Levels cannot provide, and where they meet new quality standards. These will continue to play an important role for 16 to 19 year olds and adults. This includes for students taking qualifications such as BTECs as their full programme of study, where there is no A level or T Level, and those taking mixed programmes of A levels and other qualifications. We expect to fund small academic qualifications that should typically be taken alongside A levels in priority subject areas such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and in areas where an A level is not available, such as health and social care. We will set out the full approval criteria in due course.

The health T Level will help raise awareness amongst young people of the occupational choices within the healthcare sector and provide an opportunity for employers to strengthen their engagement with local schools and colleges. In addition, the health T Level will provide a pipeline of young talent who may move into Trainee Nursing Associate and Assistant Health Practitioner roles, later progressing to the registered occupations.

In November last year the department announced an extra year before our reforms are implemented, including the removal of overlapping qualifications. This extra year will allow the department to continue to support the growth of T Levels and gives more notice to providers, awarding organisations, employers, students and parents so that they can prepare for the changes.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
5th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consistency of the guidance issued for completion of the School Census 2021/22 in relation to the recording of gender with the Education (Information about Individual Pupils) (England) Regulations 2013.

The department’s guidance for completing the school census specifies that in this context, gender should be specified as either 'M' (male) or 'F' (female) (which may be different from the individual’s legal sex). This should be self-declared and recorded according to the wishes of the parent and/or pupil. The school census does not collect the ‘sex’ of pupils.

The department believes that this guidance is consistent, but the changing use of language in this area, and the evolving needs of the school population, have led to the department reviewing its data standards. The department intends to publish a new standard making a distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in the coming months. School census guidance will need to be updated to conform to the new data standard.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
5th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what meaning they ascribe to the word 'gender' in the context of the Education (Information about Individual Pupils) (England) Regulations 2013.

The department’s guidance for completing the school census specifies that in this context, gender should be specified as either 'M' (male) or 'F' (female) (which may be different from the individual’s legal sex). This should be self-declared and recorded according to the wishes of the parent and/or pupil. The school census does not collect the ‘sex’ of pupils.

The department believes that this guidance is consistent, but the changing use of language in this area, and the evolving needs of the school population, have led to the department reviewing its data standards. The department intends to publish a new standard making a distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in the coming months. School census guidance will need to be updated to conform to the new data standard.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
15th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was their response to the letter from Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, about Ofsted's monitoring of inspectorates for independent schools, sent to the Secretary of State for Education on 6 November 2018.

In her letter of 6 November 2018, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) recommended a review of the monitoring arrangements in place at the time and that new ones should be put in their place. Such a review was carried out by departmental officials, working alongside officials in Ofsted and at the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Following this review, new directions were issued to HMCI on 4 November 2019.

The new arrangements outlined above were aimed at giving greater flexibility to Ofsted and ISI to develop a joint programme of work to exchange and develop their mutual knowledge and understanding of inspecting independent schools.

It is worth noting that the School Inspection Service, which previously undertook inspections of some independent schools, has now closed and that there is now only one independent inspectorate, ISI. As such, and given the new directions issued on 4 November 2019, HMCI should no longer have regard to the matters in the February 2015 directions, which were the subject of the 6 November 2018 letter.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Jul 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Berridge on 13th July (HL1530, HL1531 and HL1532), why they do not collect data on the use of handcuffs on looked after children; whether the regulations cited apply to those transporting looked after children from one location to another; what specific steps are taken during Ofsted inspections to assess compliance with the regulations both (1) in children’s homes, and (2) in transport between locations; and whether they intend to review the policy and its practical implementation in these areas.

Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and accompanying statutory guidance, ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, include provisions around behaviour and restraint. Responsibility for the welfare of children while transported, including from one location to another, from a secure children’s home is noted in the protection of children quality standard, Regulation 12. The registered person and local authority overall have a responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe, and their welfare promoted.

All incidents of restraint when a young person is cared for by a children’s home must be recorded and made available to Ofsted during an inspection. If transportation is arranged by the local authority who has responsibility for the child, then the care of the child would fall to them. Where local authorities have contract arrangements with transport services, restraint should only be used in very limited circumstances, in accordance with government guidance on the use of restraint, and must always be necessary and proportionate.

During all inspections of children’s homes, inspectors assess all incidents of restraint. Where a provider has restrained a child in a way that does not comply with the regulations, Ofsted will take action. This can include suspension of a service if they believe that children are at risk due to the inappropriate use of restraint or restrictive practices.

Data is not collected by the Department for Education on the use of restraint. This is collected by Ofsted.

29th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they hold on (1) the numbers of children who are handcuffed whilst in the care of local government and not charged with or convicted of any offence, and (2) the reasons for such restraints being used.

Legislation is in place to ensure that the use of restraint in respect of looked-after children is used in very limited circumstances and must be necessary and proportionate. Under the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations (2015), all incidents of restraint when a young person is cared for by a children’s home must be recorded.

Regulation 20(1) states that the only purposes for which restraint can be used in a children's home are to prevent injury to any person (including the child who is being restrained) or to prevent serious damage to the property of any person. In addition, restraint may be used on a child in a secure children's home for the purpose of preventing a child from absconding from the home. Regulation 20(2) states that restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

Similar regulations apply to children in foster care. Regulation 13(2)(b) of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 states that fostering service providers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that no child placed with a foster parent is subject to any measure of control, restraint or discipline which is excessive or unreasonable.

Ofsted regularly inspect all children’s homes in England to ensure they are complying with their legal duties, which include detailing incidents of restraint. Ofsted also inspects local authorities’ fostering services and independent fostering agencies to ensure they are meeting their duties and responsibilities. The department does not collect data on the use of handcuffs for children in the care system.

29th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding the handcuffing of children in the care of local government and who are not charged with or convicted of any offence; and what plans they have, if any, to review that policy.

Legislation is in place to ensure that the use of restraint in respect of looked-after children is used in very limited circumstances and must be necessary and proportionate. Under the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations (2015), all incidents of restraint when a young person is cared for by a children’s home must be recorded.

Regulation 20(1) states that the only purposes for which restraint can be used in a children's home are to prevent injury to any person (including the child who is being restrained) or to prevent serious damage to the property of any person. In addition, restraint may be used on a child in a secure children's home for the purpose of preventing a child from absconding from the home. Regulation 20(2) states that restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

Similar regulations apply to children in foster care. Regulation 13(2)(b) of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 states that fostering service providers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that no child placed with a foster parent is subject to any measure of control, restraint or discipline which is excessive or unreasonable.

Ofsted regularly inspect all children’s homes in England to ensure they are complying with their legal duties, which include detailing incidents of restraint. Ofsted also inspects local authorities’ fostering services and independent fostering agencies to ensure they are meeting their duties and responsibilities. The department does not collect data on the use of handcuffs for children in the care system.

29th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the article 'Children in care as young eleven handcuffed like 'dangerous animals' published by the Sunday Express on 27 June; and what steps they intend to take in response to the claim that children in the care of local government, who are not charged with or convicted of any offence, are routinely being handcuffed.

Legislation is in place to ensure that the use of restraint in respect of looked-after children is used in very limited circumstances and must be necessary and proportionate. Under the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations (2015), all incidents of restraint when a young person is cared for by a children’s home must be recorded.

Regulation 20(1) states that the only purposes for which restraint can be used in a children's home are to prevent injury to any person (including the child who is being restrained) or to prevent serious damage to the property of any person. In addition, restraint may be used on a child in a secure children's home for the purpose of preventing a child from absconding from the home. Regulation 20(2) states that restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

Similar regulations apply to children in foster care. Regulation 13(2)(b) of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 states that fostering service providers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that no child placed with a foster parent is subject to any measure of control, restraint or discipline which is excessive or unreasonable.

Ofsted regularly inspect all children’s homes in England to ensure they are complying with their legal duties, which include detailing incidents of restraint. Ofsted also inspects local authorities’ fostering services and independent fostering agencies to ensure they are meeting their duties and responsibilities. The department does not collect data on the use of handcuffs for children in the care system.

7th Dec 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether all guidance provided by the PHSE Association to schools, including the resources produced by other organisations recommended in that guidance, is in line with (1) the law, and (2) the current advice issued by the Department for Education.

The department does not comment on resources from subject associations or other providers. The statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance sets out clear advice on choosing resources: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education. Schools should assess each resource they intend to use, to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and sensitive to their needs.

The RSHE guidance and training resources have been designed to equip all schools to provide comprehensive teaching in these areas in an age-appropriate way. The guidance and materials should give schools the confidence to construct a curriculum that meets the needs of their pupils and reflects a diversity of views and backgrounds, whilst fostering all pupils’ respect for others, understanding of healthy relationships, and ability to look after their own wellbeing.

The department expects schools to consult with parents and to make reasonable decisions about the content of their curriculum.

29th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet with organisations which work with care leavers to discuss access to digital devices and the internet.

In April 2020, the government invested £100 million into laptops and 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged students to enable them to engage in remote learning. This was also made available for children with a social worker and care leavers, to improve digital access to support and services. The department has so far delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets, and over 50,000 routers to local authorities to distribute to vulnerable children and young people in their local areas.

Of these devices, 148,000 have been provided specifically to children with a social worker and care leavers and the guidance issued to local authorities identified care leavers as a priority group. Responsibility for identifying which young people require devices lies with local authorities. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-provided-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

These devices are an important injection of support from the government for care leavers who are at greater risk of isolation and, alongside many excellent local initiatives, have helped to improve digital access for this cohort.

All local authorities have a duty to consult on and publish a local offer for their care leavers. This includes care leavers’ statutory entitlements, as well as any discretionary support and services that the local authority chooses to provide. Some local authorities have included supplying mobile phones, data packages or other forms of digital access for their care leavers during the COVID-19 outbreak, and may consider making this part of their local offer going forward.

Mark Riddell, the government’s National Adviser for care leavers, and departmental officials from the Care Leavers Policy Team are actively engaged with the organisations campaigning for better digital access for care leavers.

29th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that all services provided by local authorities for care leavers include access to a digital device and the internet.

In April 2020, the government invested £100 million into laptops and 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged students to enable them to engage in remote learning. This was also made available for children with a social worker and care leavers, to improve digital access to support and services. The department has so far delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets, and over 50,000 routers to local authorities to distribute to vulnerable children and young people in their local areas.

Of these devices, 148,000 have been provided specifically to children with a social worker and care leavers and the guidance issued to local authorities identified care leavers as a priority group. Responsibility for identifying which young people require devices lies with local authorities. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-provided-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

These devices are an important injection of support from the government for care leavers who are at greater risk of isolation and, alongside many excellent local initiatives, have helped to improve digital access for this cohort.

All local authorities have a duty to consult on and publish a local offer for their care leavers. This includes care leavers’ statutory entitlements, as well as any discretionary support and services that the local authority chooses to provide. Some local authorities have included supplying mobile phones, data packages or other forms of digital access for their care leavers during the COVID-19 outbreak, and may consider making this part of their local offer going forward.

Mark Riddell, the government’s National Adviser for care leavers, and departmental officials from the Care Leavers Policy Team are actively engaged with the organisations campaigning for better digital access for care leavers.

29th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure every care leaver in England has access to a digital device and the internet for at least 12 months when they first live independently.

In April 2020, the government invested £100 million into laptops and 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged students to enable them to engage in remote learning. This was also made available for children with a social worker and care leavers, to improve digital access to support and services. The department has so far delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets, and over 50,000 routers to local authorities to distribute to vulnerable children and young people in their local areas.

Of these devices, 148,000 have been provided specifically to children with a social worker and care leavers and the guidance issued to local authorities identified care leavers as a priority group. Responsibility for identifying which young people require devices lies with local authorities. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-provided-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

These devices are an important injection of support from the government for care leavers who are at greater risk of isolation and, alongside many excellent local initiatives, have helped to improve digital access for this cohort.

All local authorities have a duty to consult on and publish a local offer for their care leavers. This includes care leavers’ statutory entitlements, as well as any discretionary support and services that the local authority chooses to provide. Some local authorities have included supplying mobile phones, data packages or other forms of digital access for their care leavers during the COVID-19 outbreak, and may consider making this part of their local offer going forward.

Mark Riddell, the government’s National Adviser for care leavers, and departmental officials from the Care Leavers Policy Team are actively engaged with the organisations campaigning for better digital access for care leavers.

29th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the uptake of their scheme to provide digital devices and internet access for care leavers.

In April 2020, the government invested £100 million into laptops and 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged students to enable them to engage in remote learning. This was also made available for children with a social worker and care leavers, to improve digital access to support and services. The department has so far delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets, and over 50,000 routers to local authorities to distribute to vulnerable children and young people in their local areas.

Of these devices, 148,000 have been provided specifically to children with a social worker and care leavers and the guidance issued to local authorities identified care leavers as a priority group. Responsibility for identifying which young people require devices lies with local authorities. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-provided-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

These devices are an important injection of support from the government for care leavers who are at greater risk of isolation and, alongside many excellent local initiatives, have helped to improve digital access for this cohort.

All local authorities have a duty to consult on and publish a local offer for their care leavers. This includes care leavers’ statutory entitlements, as well as any discretionary support and services that the local authority chooses to provide. Some local authorities have included supplying mobile phones, data packages or other forms of digital access for their care leavers during the COVID-19 outbreak, and may consider making this part of their local offer going forward.

Mark Riddell, the government’s National Adviser for care leavers, and departmental officials from the Care Leavers Policy Team are actively engaged with the organisations campaigning for better digital access for care leavers.

24th Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all resources recommended or promoted for use by schools by the Department for Education are checked for compliance with (1) safeguarding procedures, (2) the Equality Act 2010, (3) the Public Sector Equality Duty, and (4) the statutory guidance on Relationship Education, Relationship and Sex Education and Health Education.

We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy, and safe. We also want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. That is why we are making Relationships Education compulsory for primary school-aged pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for secondary school-aged pupils, and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools from September 2020.

In light of the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, and following engagement with the sector, the department is reassuring schools that although the subjects will still be compulsory from 1 September 2020, schools have flexibility over how they discharge their duty within the first year of compulsory teaching.

The safety of children is our top priority. We expect all schools to ensure that the materials and teaching resources they use are appropriate, and to ensure that they comply with their statutory duty to safeguard children’s welfare. The statutory guidance sets out clear advice on choosing resources. Schools should assess each resource they intend to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and sensitive to their needs, where relevant.

The department does not recommend specific resources but has suggested resources for schools to consider as set out in Annex B of the statutory guidance. We encourage schools to use resources that have been quality assured by reputable organisations, such as the NSPCC on safeguarding issues. The department will be providing further advice to schools on choosing appropriate resources and is developing teacher training modules for these subjects, which the department has quality assured and recommends.

Schools must consult with parents on the school’s RSE policy. Schools should also ensure that, when they engage parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use, for example the books or materials they will use in lessons. The statutory guidance can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

In covering the content of the new subjects, the guidance also sets out schools’ duty to comply with relevant requirements of the Equality Act 2010 including the Public Sector Equality Duty. Schools should also be aware of their duties regarding impartiality and balanced treatment of political issues in the classroom to ensure content is handled in an appropriate way.

At the heart of these subjects there is a focus on keeping children safe, and schools can play an important role in preventative education. Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) sets out that all schools and colleges should ensure children are taught about safeguarding, including how to stay safe online, as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum. The guidance can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.

8th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied that the process being adopted by Ofqual for exceptional arrangements for awarding calculated grades in GCSEs, AS and A Levels takes sufficient account of recent improvement trends in the educational establishment the student is from.

Ofqual conducted a public consultation from 15-29 April, seeking views on aspects of the proposed assessment arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels, including standardisation of centre assessment grades. Ofqual received over 12,500 responses to their consultation, and on 22 May they published their decisions.

Ofqual have decided not to include the trajectory of exam centres’ results in the statistical standardisation process. This is due to potential unfairness caused by the unreliability of any trajectory predictions and the disadvantage that this might cause students in those centres with stable results.

Whilst this is a matter for Ofqual as the independent regulator of qualifications, I am satisfied that Ofqual’s approach is the best solution given these extraordinary circumstances.

28th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in updating their School Food Standards to reduce sugar consumption, as set out in their childhood obesity plan for action, published in June 2018.

We are working with Public Health England to update the School Food Standards in relation to sugar and fibre.

On 7 May and 6 November 2019, we brought together an advisory group comprising of key stakeholders in the food, nutrition and health sectors. These stakeholders hold a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise in relation to school food. This was to discuss the proposed updates to the standards; we are considering those views and the next steps.

We will release more information on our plans for the update shortly.

20th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the remit of the Office for Students so that it can make direct grants to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire commensurate with (1) the level of similar institutions in London, and (2) its national status.

Birmingham City University, of which The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a part, is registered with the Office for Students (OfS) in the approved (fee cap) category of the OfS’s register. It is funded by government, via the OfS, in a way that is consistent with the approach the OfS takes to other such providers, including those in London. While the Secretary of State for Education issues strategic guidance to the OfS, including its funding priorities, the OfS is ultimately responsible for funding decisions. The OfS is planning to review its funding method, including for specialist providers, and will consult on those changes in due course.

We do not have any plans to review the remit of the OfS in relation to their funding powers.

20th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether funding for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is consistent with funding for similar institutions based in London.

Birmingham City University, of which The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a part, is registered with the Office for Students (OfS) in the approved (fee cap) category of the OfS’s register. It is funded by government, via the OfS, in a way that is consistent with the approach the OfS takes to other such providers, including those in London. While the Secretary of State for Education issues strategic guidance to the OfS, including its funding priorities, the OfS is ultimately responsible for funding decisions. The OfS is planning to review its funding method, including for specialist providers, and will consult on those changes in due course.

We do not have any plans to review the remit of the OfS in relation to their funding powers.

13th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the survey by the British Association for Social Workers, launched in May 2018, which found that social workers spend 20 per cent of their time in direct contact with families, with one out of three social workers not working directly with children.

Securing further improvement in the quality of the children’s social care system is a priority. We welcome the contribution both of these reports make to these efforts. Whilst local authorities are responsible for the deployment of child and family social workers, the government is continuing to invest in practice improvement. This includes our £84 million investment in the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme; and securing better research and evidence about practice and the social work workforce such as through the What Works for Children’s Social Care. Our large-scale longitudinal study of child and family social workers will provide significant insights into the experience of child and family social workers and will help both the government and employers identify priorities for action.

13th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Frontline and the Centre for Public Impact A Blueprint for Children's Social Care, published on 20 November 2019, outlining a new model for children’s social care that allows social workers to spend more time with families and that aims to improve standards through increased supervision and transparency.

Securing further improvement in the quality of the children’s social care system is a priority. We welcome the contribution both of these reports make to these efforts. Whilst local authorities are responsible for the deployment of child and family social workers, the government is continuing to invest in practice improvement. This includes our £84 million investment in the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme; and securing better research and evidence about practice and the social work workforce such as through the What Works for Children’s Social Care. Our large-scale longitudinal study of child and family social workers will provide significant insights into the experience of child and family social workers and will help both the government and employers identify priorities for action.

13th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their introduction of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022, what assessment they have made of the UK’s food and environmental standards.

Defra is in the process of analysing and assessing its REUL stock, including in relation to food standards and environmental protections, to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, and what should be repealed, or amended. This work will determine how we use the powers in the Bill and therefore inform assessments of the Bill’s impact.

The United Kingdom is a world leader in environmental protection and in reviewing our retained EU law, we want to ensure that environmental law is fit for purpose for the UK’s unique environment and able to drive improved environmental outcomes, whilst ensuring regulators can deliver efficiently. Maintaining the UK’s high food standards remains our priority. HM Government remains committed to promoting robust food standards nationally and internationally, to protect consumer interests, facilitate international trade, and ensure that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

Lord Benyon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
13th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to protect UK food and environmental standards if all associated EU regulation is removed from the UK statute book

Defra is in the process of analysing its Retained EU Law (REUL) stock to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, and what should be repealed, or amended. This work will determine how we use the powers in the Bill, including in relation to food and environmental standards.

The United Kingdom is a world leader in environmental protection and in reviewing our retained EU law, we want to ensure that environmental law is fit for purpose for the UK's unique environment and able to drive improved environmental outcomes, whilst ensuring regulators can deliver efficiently. Any changes to environmental regulations will be driven with those goals in mind.

Maintaining the UK's high food standards also remains our priority. HM Government remains committed to promoting robust food standards nationally and internationally, to protect consumer interests, facilitate international trade, and ensure that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

Lord Benyon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Equality Act 2010 as to change the protected characteristic of "sex" to "gender".

The Government has no plans to do this.

12th May 2020
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment has been made of the time available to members of the House to participate in (1) Private Notice Questions, and (2) urgent questions from the House of Commons repeated as statements, which are being considered in Virtual Proceedings; and what plans there are to change the time available.

The Procedure Committee agreed on 11 May that the time allowed for a Private Notice Question should be increased from ten minutes to fifteen minutes. This change was approved by the House on 14 May. The allocation of time for the answers to Urgent Questions in the House of Commons repeated in the form of Oral Statements remains as if it were taking place in the Chamber, and there are currently no plans to extend the time allowed for these. The Procedure Committee will continue to keep these arrangements under review.

6th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to hold discussions with the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 organising committee and Network Rail over the case for improving the signage at Birmingham New Street Station for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

The West Midlands Combined Authority, the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee and Birmingham City Council are already working together and with other transport partners, on transport preparations and planning for the Games, covering the transportation of spectators, athletes and the Games Family, whilst at the same time ensuring that any disruption to transport users is kept to a minimum.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
7th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report Destitution in the UK 2023, published on 24 October, which found that "approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children".

This government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. We are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising bills.

Furthermore, government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families and has overseen significant falls in absolute poverty since 2009/10.

In 2021/22 there were 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10, including 400,000 fewer children, 1 million fewer working age adults and 200,000 fewer pensioners. Rates of absolute poverty after housing costs for individuals in families in receipt of Universal Credit have also fallen by 12ppt since 2019/20.

With almost one million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting people, including parents, to move into and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. The latest statistics show that in 2021/22 children living in workless households were 5 times more likely to be in absolute poverty, after housing costs, than those where all adults work.

To help people into work, our core Jobcentre offer provides a range of options, including face-to-face time with work coaches and interview assistance. In addition, there is specific support targeted towards young people, people aged 50 plus and job seekers with disabilities or health issues.

To support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW. In addition, the voluntary in-work progression offer started to roll-out in April 2022. It is now available in all Jobcentres across Great Britain. We estimate that around 1.4m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work.

To further support parents into work, on 28th June 2023, the maximum monthly amounts that a parent can be reimbursed for their childcare increased by 47%, from £646.35 for one child and £1,108.04 for two or more children to £950.92 and £1,630.15 respectively. Importantly, we can now also provide even more help with upfront childcare costs when parents move into work or increase their hours. This means that a parent who needs this additional financial help can now be provided with funding towards both their first and second set of costs (or increased costs), upfront, thereby easing them into the UC childcare costs cycle.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
25th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government why those with Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder are required to re-apply for (1) Personal Independence Payment, and (2) Disability Living Allowance, given that the condition is lifelong and does not present changing symptoms.

Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Award rates and their durations are set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing, including where childhood developmental milestones are reached. Award reviews allow for the correct rate of DLA or PIP to remain in payment, including where needs have increased as a consequence of a congenital, degenerative or progressive condition.

25th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) value, and (2) use, of the Condition Insight Report for Valproate in enabling (a) Personal Independence Payment, and (b) Disability Living Allowance, assessors to understand Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder.

Both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment providers have a Condition Insight Report (CIR) on Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder. CIR provide condition-based information which Health Professionals (HPs) have access to during the course of the PIP assessment process. CIRs are often developed with input from stakeholder groups that advocate for those with the relevant condition. While it is not possible to objectively assess the specific impact of a CIR on HPs’ knowledge, the CIR on Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder is a welcome addition to the information available to HPs.

Claims to DLA are dealt with by DWP case managers. Case managers refer to Departmental guidance The Children’s A-Z of Medical Conditions which sets out the main care and mobility needs likely to arise from different disabling conditions. If necessary, further information is gathered from health professionals, or in the case of a child, from their school.

25th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people with Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder have been refused the award of (1) Personal Independence Payment, or (2) Disability Living Allowance, over the last 12 months.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

13th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England received the Carer's Allowance in (1) April 2019, and (2) April 2021.

DWP statistics on the number of Carer’s Allowance claims in payment are publicly available online via StatXplore. These statistics are released on a quarterly basis, for the following months: February, May, August and November. The most recent available statistics are for February 2021.

The figures requested are therefore not available for April 2021. The figure from the most recent release of these statistics is included in the response instead. For an annual comparison, the figure for February 2019 is also included in this response.

The number of people in England who received Carer’s Allowance in February 2019 was 736,624.

The number of people in England who received Carer’s Allowance in February 2021 was 794,816.

22nd Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason the accessible version of the easy read PDF about NHS England’s Federated Data Platform says "No" in answer to the question "Can patients opt out of their data being shared in the FDP?", after the main "Frequently Asked Questions" page was changed to say that opt-outs will be respected.

The Frequently Asked Questions have been developed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders and the public. The National Data Opt-Out applies when confidential patient information is used for planning and research, not when it is used for direct care. Although the Federated Data Platform (FDP) will not use such information for planning or research, the answer was revised to make clear that, as with any system handling patient data, the National Data Opt-Out would be respected for any relevant uses of data.

We are committed to providing public information that is meaningful and accessible for a range of audiences. The easy read accessible version has been co-produced with representatives of the audience for whom it is designed. We will continue to keep this under review to make sure it is aligned with the other information available on the FDP.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government why the answer to the "Frequently Asked Question" on the NHS England website about NHS England’s Federated Data Platform "Can patients opt out of sharing their data with the Federated Data Platform?" was changed at some point after 20 November, from starting with "No" to saying that the national data opt-out "will always be respected".

The Frequently Asked Questions have been developed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders and the public. The National Data Opt-Out applies when confidential patient information is used for planning and research, not when it is used for direct care. Although the Federated Data Platform (FDP) will not use such information for planning or research, the answer was revised to make clear that, as with any system handling patient data, the National Data Opt-Out would be respected for any relevant uses of data.

We are committed to providing public information that is meaningful and accessible for a range of audiences. The easy read accessible version has been co-produced with representatives of the audience for whom it is designed. We will continue to keep this under review to make sure it is aligned with the other information available on the FDP.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to publish the report of its investigation into the medicine manufacturing unit of Sciensus.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not routinely publish a specific report but information which is held in inspection reports and internal review documents is subject to release in accordance with the 2001 Freedom of Information Act. While the company is subject to ongoing regulatory action, and any decision by the police regarding possible enforcement action remains pending, MHRA regards this information to be subject to certain exemptions within the Act which preclude its release. Once this action is complete, MHRA will consider any requests on their merit and in line with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment it has made of the governance arrangements at the Royal Marsden Foundation Trust following reported concerns by external auditors about a £9 million donation it made to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Following this payment by Royal Marsden being brought to our attention by the auditors, the Government did not provide retrospective special payment approval for the grant.

The Department and NHS England are taking steps to recommunicate expectations to trusts that they are required to seek approval ahead of time, with the circumstances of each case being considered on a case-by-case basis.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the partial suspension of Sciensus's manufacturing licence.

The partial suspension will remain in place until the company instigates measures to ensure the manufacturing error cannot not re-occur and we continue to monitor the company’s progress. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not been informed that the regulatory action has had any deleterious impact on patients receiving their medicines.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent commissioners from manipulating procurement processes in the NHS, following the High Court’s decision in Consultant Connect Limited v NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board [2022] EWHC 2037 (TCC).

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England should have procurement policies in place that provide assurances to their respective Boards that procurement processes are conducted in a fair and open process which is compliant with relevant legislation such as:

- National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013;

- Public Contracts Regulations 2015;

- Health and Social Care Act 2012;

- Equality Act 2010; and

- Managing Public Money 2023.

All three ICBs have undertaken “lessons learnt” reviews following the judgement of the Court.

NHS Gloucestershire ICB’s Lessons Learnt report was approved by its Audit Committee on 8 September 2022. All recommendations from this report have been implemented by the ICB’s Board. The report has not been published externally but is used by NHS Gloucestershire ICB to train and educate its staff.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take, following the High Court’s decision in Consultant Connect Limited v NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board [2022] EWHC 2037 (TCC), to ensure that procurement processes are followed properly by integrated care boards and without “considerable organisational bias”.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England should have procurement policies in place that provide assurances to their respective Boards that procurement processes are conducted in a fair and open process which is compliant with relevant legislation such as:

- National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013;

- Public Contracts Regulations 2015;

- Health and Social Care Act 2012;

- Equality Act 2010; and

- Managing Public Money 2023.

All three ICBs have undertaken “lessons learnt” reviews following the judgement of the Court.

NHS Gloucestershire ICB’s Lessons Learnt report was approved by its Audit Committee on 8 September 2022. All recommendations from this report have been implemented by the ICB’s Board. The report has not been published externally but is used by NHS Gloucestershire ICB to train and educate its staff.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government when Gloucestershire integrated care board’s review of “detailed lessons learnt” from its procurement process will be published.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England should have procurement policies in place that provide assurances to their respective Boards that procurement processes are conducted in a fair and open process which is compliant with relevant legislation such as:

- National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013;

- Public Contracts Regulations 2015;

- Health and Social Care Act 2012;

- Equality Act 2010; and

- Managing Public Money 2023.

All three ICBs have undertaken “lessons learnt” reviews following the judgement of the Court.

NHS Gloucestershire ICB’s Lessons Learnt report was approved by its Audit Committee on 8 September 2022. All recommendations from this report have been implemented by the ICB’s Board. The report has not been published externally but is used by NHS Gloucestershire ICB to train and educate its staff.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the High Court decision in Consultant Connect Limited v NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board [2022] EWHC 2037 (TCC), whether those integrated care boards conducted a “lessons learnt” review relating to matters raised in that case.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England should have procurement policies in place that provide assurances to their respective Boards that procurement processes are conducted in a fair and open process which is compliant with relevant legislation such as:

- National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013;

- Public Contracts Regulations 2015;

- Health and Social Care Act 2012;

- Equality Act 2010; and

- Managing Public Money 2023.

All three ICBs have undertaken “lessons learnt” reviews following the judgement of the Court.

NHS Gloucestershire ICB’s Lessons Learnt report was approved by its Audit Committee on 8 September 2022. All recommendations from this report have been implemented by the ICB’s Board. The report has not been published externally but is used by NHS Gloucestershire ICB to train and educate its staff.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a senior official in NHS England has been asked to take responsibility for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

NHS England is currently scoping a national programme of work on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a senior official will be asked to lead the work on NHS England’s behalf.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the APPG on Brain Tumours report Pathway to a Cure, published in February, what consideration they have given to developing or extending National Institute for Health and Care Research fellowships specifically to support brain tumour researchers.

The Department is taking actions to help develop or extend fellowships to support brain tumour researchers. For example, in July 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) jointly funded with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM), the first two TJBCM Neuro-Oncology Fellowships, a new Fellowship Programme to support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.

Other capacity-building initiatives underway include, the designation of 28 TJBCM adult Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, creating a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice; the Tessa Jowell Academy Programme, a free national learning and networking digital platform for National Health Service brain tumour professionals to share excellence in research, treatment and care, and the TJBCM Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator programme, to review and provide guidance on the translation and development of novel treatments, guided by a multidisciplinary international group of experts.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 9 February (HL5209), why the Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board continues to re-review liothyronine patients already assessed in the NHS despite national guidance that “patients who have already had a review by an NHS consultant endocrinologist should continue to be prescribed liothyronine under existing arrangements”.

The current Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board guidance on the prescribing of liothyronine was agreed by the former Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group in April 2023. Any patients new to Gloucestershire will have their current clinical status reviewed within the existing local clinical pathway. This process will involve an initial ‘advice and guidance’ specialist review which, based on individual patient circumstances, will inform a decision on whether a more detailed specialist clinical review is indicated or not.

The intention is that ongoing treatment of a patient’s condition will normally continue whilst the clinical review process is completed. The outcome of this process is that local specialists, general practitioners, and patients can have a high level of confidence in the quality and standards of care provided to patients indicated for liothyronine on the National Health Service in Gloucestershire.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to place in the Library of the House a copy of all current data agreements between NHS England and UK Biobank.

NHS England publishes details of data sharing agreements through a data uses register available on the NHS England website in an online-only format. Current and previous agreements with UK Biobank can be viewed by searching for them as a data controller.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the integration of accredited counsellors and psychotherapists into the existing mental health workforce to bolster recruitment and retention.

Accredited counsellors and psychotherapists constitute a significant proportion of the NHS Talking Therapies workforce. A collaborative campaign to encourage accredited counsellors and psychotherapists to apply to work in NHS Talking Therapies services has been developed by NHS England with several of the counselling and psychotherapy professional bodies. These professionals are a vital part of our mental health workforce and are fully integrated within it, delivering psychological therapies for depression recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours Inquiry Report Pathway to A Cure, published in February 2023, what steps the Department for Health and Social Care is taking to support early-stage researchers to develop their skills in the field of brain tumour research.

The Department is working closely with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) in hosting customised workshops for researchers, and training for clinicians. These actions will grow capacity for brain cancer research, attracting new researchers, developing the community, and supporting researchers to submit high-quality research funding proposals.

The TJBCM recently announced two appointments to the inaugural Tessa Jowell Fellowship programme. These 12-month fellowships will support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research, to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.

Additionally, the TJBCM have designated 28 adult Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, which has created a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions took place with NHS bodies with a view to any encouragement for them to contract with Babylon Health.

Contracting decisions are made by commissioners, who must have the flexibility to commission partnerships, individuals, and private and third sector organisations to deliver general practitioner services within the National Health Service to meet the specific needs of their populations.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to utilise the expertise of trained counsellors and psychotherapists in the 10 newly announced mental health support hubs for children and young people.

We are investing at least £2.3 billion extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England by March 2024. This funding will help hubs to hire counsellors, youth workers and other local experts.

The drop-in centres offer mental health support and advice to local young people who will not need a referral by a doctor or school. Services provided include group work, counselling, psychological therapies, specialist advice and signposting to information and other services.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the supply of qualified and experienced counsellors and psychotherapists to meet the severity and range of mental health problems experienced by people across the country.

The NHS England Workforce, Training and Education directorate has developed a pilot programme to train graduates to become fully accredited psychotherapeutic counsellors who are qualified to work in NHS Talking Therapies services, providing therapies for depression recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This is a fully funded education pathway where trainees are salaried and their full tuition fees funded by the National Health Service. Counsellors and psychotherapists are also contributing to other pathways across the range of severity and types of mental health problems, where they have the required qualifications to deliver the relevant NICE recommended treatments.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings took place in the last 10 years between Ministers and representatives of Babylon Health.

Ministerial meetings with external organisations are routinely published on GOV.UK on a quarterly basis in an online-only format. A review of this data shows that there were five meetings between Departmental ministers and representatives from Babylon Health within the period 2013-2023.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will commission an independent review into their (1) relationship with, and (2) outcomes, from their work with Babylon Health.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not have any current plans to commission an independent review of Babylon Health.

In 2018, NHS Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England commissioned Ipsos Mori to undertake an independent evaluation of the Babylon GP at Hand practice. The final report was published in May 2019 and is publicly available.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of money that (1) they, and (2) the NHS, spent on Babylon Health.

The 2022/23 payments made by the National Health Service to general practice is published by NHS Digital. Over £11 million was paid to Babylon GP Practice, including Primary Care Network and COVID-19 payments (minus deductions) in 2022/23.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Oct 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the High Court decision in Consultant Connect Limited v NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board [2022] EWHC 2037 (TCC), whether those integrated care boards conducted a “lessons learnt” review relating to matters raised in that case.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Oct 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government when Gloucestershire integrated care board’s review of “detailed lessons learnt” from its procurement process will be published.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Oct 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take, following the High Court’s decision in Consultant Connect Limited v NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board [2022] EWHC 2037 (TCC), to ensure that procurement processes are followed properly by integrated care boards and without “considerable organisational bias”.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Oct 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent commissioners from manipulating procurement processes in the NHS, following the High Court’s decision in Consultant Connect Limited v NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board [2022] EWHC 2037 (TCC).

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Oct 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 9 October (HL10239), what guidance they have issued to the NHS to prevent the removal of language in relation to biological sex and women in view of the potential for unintended adverse health consequences.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 19 September (HL10083), whether they intend to direct NHS England to change the name of the Advisory Group for Data to avoid confusion with the National Data Advisory Group.

Following discussion at the National Data Advisory Group in March, the Department raised with NHS England the possibility of changing the name of the interim Advisory Group for Data. There are no plans to direct NHS England to change the name.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what are (1) the remit, and (2) the work programme, of the Department for Health and Social Care’s Private Office Data Science unit.

The Department’s aim is to ensure Ministers receive the right insights to support their decisions, and ensure Ministers understand performance in the sector. The Private Office Data Science unit is a small, flexible team of analysts and data scientists from the Department’s analytical community that support the direct needs of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Steve Barclay MP). The unit follows the same standards and governance as all analysts under the Director of Analysis, working directly with the rest of the analytical community to deliver data and analysis to support decision making. They are supported by expert data and analysis, from others in health and care system, working closely with our agencies and partners, with the unit as a conduit for these insights. As this is a flexible Private Office function, it does not have a pre-specified work programme.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversed published on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, what steps they intend to take to make general practice deliverable by reducing the administrative and financial burden on GP partners.

The ‘Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care’, published by NHS England in May 2023, set out actions on how bureaucracy and workload can be cut by improving the interface between primary and secondary care, cutting unnecessary burdens on general practitioners through the Bureaucracy Busting Concordat, which was published in August 2022, and streamlining the Investment and Impact Fund from 36 to five indicators from 2023/24. Copies of both the delivery plan and the Concordat are attached.

Spending on general practice rose by nearly a fifth in real terms between 2017 and the most recent data in 2021. More specifically, spending grew from £11.3 billion in 2016/17 to £13.5 billion in 2021/22, representing a 19% increase in real terms.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversed published on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, what consideration they have given to the introduction of new business models for general practices; and what discussions they have had with general practices about the introduction of new business models.

General Practice (GP) partnerships, individually and through Primary Care Networks, deliver high quality care to patients all over the country. The Government continues to support the partnership model which has underpinned general practice since before the establishment of the National Health Service, and has many advantages. While partnerships holding a GP contract will continue to be in the majority, it is important that sustainable alternative models are available to mitigate difficulties in recruitment and retention.

The partnership model is not the only model currently delivering general practice. GP practices can and do choose to organise themselves in different ways to support scale and resilience, many of which cite evidence of good outcomes in terms of staff engagement and patient experience.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversed published on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of non-GP staff in practices on the continuity of patients’ care.

NHS England has committed to a review of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme by the end of 2023. This work will cover the performance of the scheme to date and inform the Government’s approach to any future support for additional clinical roles in general practice.

In addition, the Department has funded, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research, a project to look at the impact of non-general practitioner staff in practices on patient care.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversed published on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, what plans they have to ensure targets for GPs reflect the real-life needs of patients.

In response to feedback from the profession, work is being undertaken to review the current incentive schemes in primary care, with the aim of making them more focussed and streamlined to give clinicians the flexibility to provide care that is aligned with patient needs. We will consult the profession, patients, and the broader system on primary care incentives this year to inform future reform.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversed published on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, how they intend to make sustainable work schedules an integral part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan commits to implementing the actions from the NHS People Plan, including ensuring staff can work flexibly. However, as independent contractors, it is for general practitioner practices to decide staffing levels and distribution of work across their teams.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the differences in (1) the remit, and (2) the membership, of NHS England’s Advisory Group on Data and the Department of Health and Social Care's National Data Advisory Group.

The Advisory Group for Data (AGD) is convened by NHS England and builds on the previous work by the Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data (IGARD). Currently operating in interim form, it includes the members of IGARD, alongside a representative of the Caldicott Guardian of NHS England, the Data Protection Officer, and senior staff supporting on Data and Analytics.

It provides NHS England with access to expert advice and assurance on internal and external access to data in relation to the exercise of NHS England’s functions transferred to it from NHS Digital, including on specific requests for the dissemination of information in accordance with the statutory guidance issued by my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Its minutes are published on the NHS England website.

The National Data Advisory Group (NDAG) is convened by the Department to provide strategic policy advice on data and data sharing, including the implementation of Data Saves Lives, the data strategy. It does not advise on specific data sharing requests and has a different membership to the ADG. NDAG includes, among others, the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care, the Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the Chief Executive of the Patient’s Association.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of continence care specialists in the NHS workforce; and what plans they have to further support continence care specialists following the publication of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan in June.

No specific assessment has been made of the number of continence care specialists within the National Health Service workforce. NHS England publishes Hospital and Community Health Service workforce statistics for England, including by NHS trust. The published data is not though able to identify staff specialising in continence care.

The modelling and staff training plans presented in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan look at the NHS as a whole at a high level to inform Government decisions on the workforce the NHS will need to meet the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. This is designed to identify the right supply of staff across all clinical pathways and specialisms rather than workforce plans for specific services.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide (1) an update on the timeframe for the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project, and (2) details of which stakeholders have been consulted in respect of that project, since it recommenced following the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHS England's Excellence in Continence Care guidance published in July 2018 brings together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for integrated care boards (ICBs), National Health Service providers, health and social care staff. It indicates that personalised care including personal health budgets can be arranged locally by ICBs to help people manage and pay for their continence care needs. A copy of the guidance is attached.

There are no plans at this stage to conduct a new National Audit of Continence Care.

NHS England will report on the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project setting out progress of development of Incontinence care pathways to its Excellence in Continence Care Board in October 2023. This will be published shortly afterwards setting out next steps for improving incontinence care pathways and will be shared with stakeholders for their consideration and input.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the development of care pathways by the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project since it recommenced following the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHS England's Excellence in Continence Care guidance published in July 2018 brings together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for integrated care boards (ICBs), National Health Service providers, health and social care staff. It indicates that personalised care including personal health budgets can be arranged locally by ICBs to help people manage and pay for their continence care needs. A copy of the guidance is attached.

There are no plans at this stage to conduct a new National Audit of Continence Care.

NHS England will report on the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project setting out progress of development of Incontinence care pathways to its Excellence in Continence Care Board in October 2023. This will be published shortly afterwards setting out next steps for improving incontinence care pathways and will be shared with stakeholders for their consideration and input.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a new National Audit of Continence Care.

NHS England's Excellence in Continence Care guidance published in July 2018 brings together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for integrated care boards (ICBs), National Health Service providers, health and social care staff. It indicates that personalised care including personal health budgets can be arranged locally by ICBs to help people manage and pay for their continence care needs. A copy of the guidance is attached.

There are no plans at this stage to conduct a new National Audit of Continence Care.

NHS England will report on the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project setting out progress of development of Incontinence care pathways to its Excellence in Continence Care Board in October 2023. This will be published shortly afterwards setting out next steps for improving incontinence care pathways and will be shared with stakeholders for their consideration and input.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that current guidance on quality continence care has been transitioned into Integrated Care Systems since April 2022.

NHS England's Excellence in Continence Care guidance published in July 2018 brings together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for integrated care boards (ICBs), National Health Service providers, health and social care staff. It indicates that personalised care including personal health budgets can be arranged locally by ICBs to help people manage and pay for their continence care needs. A copy of the guidance is attached.

There are no plans at this stage to conduct a new National Audit of Continence Care.

NHS England will report on the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project setting out progress of development of Incontinence care pathways to its Excellence in Continence Care Board in October 2023. This will be published shortly afterwards setting out next steps for improving incontinence care pathways and will be shared with stakeholders for their consideration and input.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the campaign by Young Lives vs Cancer to establish a fund to help cover the cost of travelling to treatment for young cancer patients.

The Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care (Will Quince MP) is aware of this campaign and has exchanged correspondence with Young Lives vs Cancer on this matter.

The Government recognises that the cost of travel should not be a barrier to treatment. There are schemes, such as the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, in place to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other National Health Service premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the contribution made by each integrated care board to (1) hospices, and (2) other end of life services, for the 2023/24 financial year; and what proportion of the total funding raised by hospices each such contribution represents.

NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of individual resources to integrated care boards (ICBs), which are responsible for commissioning palliative and end of life care in response to the needs of their local population.

NHS England has no plans to publish the contribution made by each ICB to hospices or other end of life services, nor the proportion of total funding raised by hospices each contribution represents. ICB annual reports and accounts are published by each individual ICB and are available to the public via their websites.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to fund individual hospices directly where integrated care boards are unable to provide sufficient support.

There are no plans for the Government to fund individual hospices directly.

As stated in the Health and Care Act 2022, integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative and end of life care services, which may include services delivered by independent charitable hospices, in response to the needs of their local population. NHS England has actively increased its support to local commissioners to improve the accessibility, quality and sustainability of palliative and end of life care services for all. This has included the publication of statutory guidance and service specifications.

The exception to funding hospices via ICBs is the Children’s Hospice Grant, which has provided funding direct to hospices since 2007. In June 2023, NHS England confirmed that it would be renewing the grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices. NHS England will confirm details of the allocation mechanism in due course.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce a model NHS hospice contract for integrated care boards.

The NHS Standard Contract is mandated by NHS England for use by commissioners for all contracts for healthcare services, other than primary care, and may be used in relation to hospices. The Contract (in full-length and shorter-form versions) has now been updated for 2023/24. As such, NHS England has no plans to introduce a model NHS hospice contract for integrated care boards.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to encourage more medical researchers to enter into brain tumour research.

Brain tumour research remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community. We are working closely with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) in hosting customised workshops for researchers, and training for clinicians. These actions will grow the capacity for brain cancer research, attracting new researchers, developing the community, and supporting researchers to submit high-quality research funding proposals.

The TJBCM recently announced two appointments to the inaugural Tessa Jowell Fellowship programme. These 12-month fellowships will support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research, to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.

Additionally, the TJBCM have designated 28 adult Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, which has created a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme to ensure that brain tumour patients are able to access the most promising treatments.

The early access to medicines scheme (EAMS) aims to give patients with life threatening or seriously debilitating conditions access to medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation when there is a clear unmet medical need.

Under the scheme, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will give a scientific opinion on the benefit/risk balance of the medicine, based on the data available when the EAMS submission was made and the EAMS criteria. The MHRA will make an evaluation of products, including drugs such as for brain tumour treatments, once an application is received.

If we do receive an application, it is only made public where an EAMS Scientific Opinion (SO) is awarded. All EAMS SOs are published on the EAMS webpage. All drugs that have previously held an EAMS SO are also published on the EAMS webpage.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that more cancer drugs can transition from a Phase 1 study to Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware that customers who have submitted initial applications and amendments to our Clinical Investigations and Trials team have experienced extended timeframes in some cases, and understands how this unpredictability may be reducing the number of cancer drugs that can transition from a Phase 1 study to MHRA approval. To help improve the predictability of decision making in applications for clinical trials, the MHRA have implemented several actions.

The MHRA are looking at novel ways to develop staff capability and expertise. New assessor capacity is being supplemented with an additional fixed-term resource of appropriately experienced and qualified specialists to support the training and supervision of new staff and to help reduce the current backlog. The MHRA has also established links with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the BioIndustry Association on clinical trials, to reduce the backlog of delayed applications, which may include applications for cancer drugs. Additionally, they have already reallocated work, and are evaluating queued applications for complexity, to improve the speed of assessment, and are changing processes to take a joined-up risk-proportionate approach.

The MHRA is committed to reducing these backlogs so that it makes regulatory decisions in accordance with statutory timeframes for all new fully compliant clinical trial applications received from 1 September 2023. This will enable more cancer drugs to progress from Phase 1 studies to MHRA approval where appropriate.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with European health ministers regarding working together to capture data from clinical trials for less common cancers, such as brain tumours.

Following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not had recent discussions with European health ministers regarding collaboration to capture data from clinical trials for less common cancers, such as brain tumours.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there is any link between benzodiazepine prescribed drugs and an increased risk of (1) Alzheimer's disease, (2) brain damage, (3) lung cancer, and (4) seizure.

The class of medicines known as benzodiazepines include a number of active substances and have been extensively studied. Benzodiazepines are indicated for short-term (two to four weeks) use. All medicines are associated with some risks and these medicines are no exception.

Safety concerns that are established to be associated with a medicine are outlined in the product information available for each medicine, this includes possible side effects. The product information for benzodiazepines do not currently include a risk of Alzheimer's disease or lung cancer. However, there is a warning that patients with severe liver impairment may develop encephalopathy (damage or disease which affects the brain). In addition, the drug withdrawal reactions may include seizure and this may be more common in patients with pre-existing seizure disorders or who are taking other medicines which lower the seizure threshold such as antidepressants.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to establish (1) a helpline, and (2) specialist services, to enable patients to break free from addiction to benzodiazepine prescribed drugs.

Local authorities (LAs) in England are responsible for commissioning drug treatment services, including specialist services for prescribed drug dependency. The Government’s 10-year drug strategy is underpinned by record new investment, including £532 million for LAs to invest in drug treatment and recovery services in addition to the public health grant. LAs’ individual financial allocations and assessment of local need will determine if specialist services for prescribed drug dependency are a viable intervention, and it is for LAs to make the assessment to resource this from their drug treatment funding.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities provide oversight of local delivery at a national level and continue to monitor implementation against the aims of the drug strategy.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people in England addicted to benzodiazepine prescribed drugs.

The data requested is not held centrally.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how they will measure the effectiveness of actions set out in 'Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: Framework for action for integrated care boards (ICBs) and primary care', published on 2 March.

The framework for action sets out five actions for integrated care boards (ICBs) to consider to further reduce inappropriate prescribing of high-strength painkillers and other addiction-causing medicines, like opioids and benzodiazepines.

ICBs should take a population health management approach using data on primary care prescribing and health inequalities to monitor implementation of the actions. This includes looking at data on access to services, patient experience feedback and outcomes for communities within the integrated care system that often experience health inequalities.

There are several data resources used to give insights to ICBs and foster improvement at the local level, with data being available on an Opioid Prescribing Comparators dashboard. This dashboard can be used to review up-to-date data, highlight variation, and support local work to reduce harm from the prescribing of dependence and withdrawal forming medicines, as well as equip users with the tools for ongoing monitoring. The dashboard will be continually reviewed and updated with more metrics and views. More data is also available on duration of treatment of opioids, benzodiazepines, and z-drugs, as well as the number of patients prescribed a dependence forming medicine who have received a structured medication review.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what data they collect on dependence on prescribed drugs and treatment for such dependence.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to appoint a National Clinical Director or National Specialty Adviser for fracture prevention.

Andrew Bennett is NHS England’s national clinical director for musculoskeletal conditions. His portfolio includes osteoporosis and fracture prevention.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend that the data set, General Practice Extraction Service data for pandemic planning and research will contribute to the NHS England service ‘Cohorting as a Service’.

General Practice Extraction Service data for pandemic planning and research has been used by Cohorting as a Service to identify patients in clinically at-risk groups to receive COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. There are no plans to use this data within Cohorting as a Service for other purposes.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to conduct a review of efficacy, safety and risk of addiction relating to the long-term use of benzodiazepines.

The safety of medicines on the United Kingdom market are continuously monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). There are currently no plans to conduct any further reviews into the harms associated with benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and antidepressants, however, any new data would be carefully considered. Details about the possible risks and side effects are outlined in the product information available for each medicine.

Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs are authorised for short term use, two to four weeks, and should not be used long term due to the risk of dependence and subsequent withdrawal reactions. Healthcare professionals have been reminded of these risks by the MHRA, the Department and professional bodies which have highlighted the extensive warnings about the risks of dependence, the need to limit prescribing and advice about gradual withdrawal.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of long-term and permanent harm caused by the use of benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and antidepressants.

The safety of medicines on the United Kingdom market are continuously monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). There are currently no plans to conduct any further reviews into the harms associated with benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and antidepressants, however, any new data would be carefully considered. Details about the possible risks and side effects are outlined in the product information available for each medicine.

Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs are authorised for short term use, two to four weeks, and should not be used long term due to the risk of dependence and subsequent withdrawal reactions. Healthcare professionals have been reminded of these risks by the MHRA, the Department and professional bodies which have highlighted the extensive warnings about the risks of dependence, the need to limit prescribing and advice about gradual withdrawal.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evaluation published on 7 June 2022 by Public Health Scotland of Minimum Unit Pricing in Scotland on people who are drinking at harmful levels, which found that alcohol specific deaths fell by 13.4 per cent and hospitalisations by 4.1 per cent.

Legislative competence for alcohol pricing policy is devolved. A formal assessment has not been carried out, however we are following developments on alcohol policies in other nations closely to see what works.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of BUPA dental care in Bishop Auckland and Shildon on patients’ access to NHS dental services.

Following BUPA’s notice to NHS England of closures, regional teams and integrated care boards across England are working together to ensure that patients continue to have access to National Health Service dental care. This includes an assessment to identify potential gaps in NHS dental service provision and to consider what actions may be required.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to require the Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to submit proposals to ensure that NHS patients have access to NHS dental services near to where they live.

The Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is proactively issuing regular communications updates to patients and local stakeholders regarding the pressures facing National Health Service dentistry locally, whilst seeking to build resilience through local initiatives that seek to improve access to unscheduled urgent dental care for those in greatest clinical need.

Since taking on NHS Primary Care regulatory dental commissioning responsibility from NHS England on 1 April 2023, the Northeast and North Cumbria ICB have agreed to the establishment of a Local Dental Crisis Task and Finish Group to explore further ways in which the ICB could seek to address NHS dental access and workforce pressures in addition to the

NHS Long term workforce strategy, and also committed to an independent oral health review of the North East & North Cumbria area with a view to the findings becoming available by October 2023.

The steps outlined above will help to inform the ICB's future commissioning of NHS dental services. There are no plans to require ICBs to submit proposals on their commissioning of NHS dental services.

In July 2022, we announced a package of dental system improvements which outlined the steps we are taking to meet oral health need and increase access to dental care across all regions in England. We know more needs to be done and we continue to work with the sector and NHS England to consider further changes which will be announced shortly.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board has undertaken sufficient analysis of the access problems facing NHS dental patients in that area.

The Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is proactively issuing regular communications updates to patients and local stakeholders regarding the pressures facing National Health Service dentistry locally, whilst seeking to build resilience through local initiatives that seek to improve access to unscheduled urgent dental care for those in greatest clinical need.

Since taking on NHS Primary Care regulatory dental commissioning responsibility from NHS England on 1 April 2023, the Northeast and North Cumbria ICB have agreed to the establishment of a Local Dental Crisis Task and Finish Group to explore further ways in which the ICB could seek to address NHS dental access and workforce pressures in addition to the

NHS Long term workforce strategy, and also committed to an independent oral health review of the North East & North Cumbria area with a view to the findings becoming available by October 2023.

The steps outlined above will help to inform the ICB's future commissioning of NHS dental services. There are no plans to require ICBs to submit proposals on their commissioning of NHS dental services.

In July 2022, we announced a package of dental system improvements which outlined the steps we are taking to meet oral health need and increase access to dental care across all regions in England. We know more needs to be done and we continue to work with the sector and NHS England to consider further changes which will be announced shortly.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take, if any, to increase access to NHS dental services in County Durham.

The Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is proactively issuing regular communications updates to patients and local stakeholders regarding the pressures facing National Health Service dentistry locally, whilst seeking to build resilience through local initiatives that seek to improve access to unscheduled urgent dental care for those in greatest clinical need.

Since taking on NHS Primary Care regulatory dental commissioning responsibility from NHS England on 1 April 2023, the Northeast and North Cumbria ICB have agreed to the establishment of a Local Dental Crisis Task and Finish Group to explore further ways in which the ICB could seek to address NHS dental access and workforce pressures in addition to the

NHS Long term workforce strategy, and also committed to an independent oral health review of the North East & North Cumbria area with a view to the findings becoming available by October 2023.

The steps outlined above will help to inform the ICB's future commissioning of NHS dental services. There are no plans to require ICBs to submit proposals on their commissioning of NHS dental services.

In July 2022, we announced a package of dental system improvements which outlined the steps we are taking to meet oral health need and increase access to dental care across all regions in England. We know more needs to be done and we continue to work with the sector and NHS England to consider further changes which will be announced shortly.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability of patients in Shildon, Bishop Auckland, and across County Durham to access NHS dental services

The Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is proactively issuing regular communications updates to patients and local stakeholders regarding the pressures facing National Health Service dentistry locally, whilst seeking to build resilience through local initiatives that seek to improve access to unscheduled urgent dental care for those in greatest clinical need.

Since taking on NHS Primary Care regulatory dental commissioning responsibility from NHS England on 1 April 2023, the Northeast and North Cumbria ICB have agreed to the establishment of a Local Dental Crisis Task and Finish Group to explore further ways in which the ICB could seek to address NHS dental access and workforce pressures in addition to the

NHS Long term workforce strategy, and also committed to an independent oral health review of the North East & North Cumbria area with a view to the findings becoming available by October 2023.

The steps outlined above will help to inform the ICB's future commissioning of NHS dental services. There are no plans to require ICBs to submit proposals on their commissioning of NHS dental services.

In July 2022, we announced a package of dental system improvements which outlined the steps we are taking to meet oral health need and increase access to dental care across all regions in England. We know more needs to be done and we continue to work with the sector and NHS England to consider further changes which will be announced shortly.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 27 June (HL8439), what is the (1) product category, (2) scope, (3) timing, (4) methodology, and (5) assessment criteria, adopted for each of the two value-based procurement projects for absorbent continence products to which the answer refers; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which the Rothwell Scale measures the effectiveness and suitability of absorbent continence products, in addition to absorbency.

For the value-based procurement projects for absorbent continence products the proposed product category is disposable continence containment products. The scope is any patients/users who are receiving continence care from the NHS, at home, in care homes or residential homes and acute wards. Once the pilot site has been identified it is estimated to be six to eight weeks for completion. The methodology looks at baseline data of current impact of care pathway delivered in practice, review of information, clinical changes based on baseline, a review of impact of changes and a sign of savings before scaling across a trust. The assessment criteria will be confirmed with the pilot site.

The Rothwell scale is an industry standard to measure the working absorbency of disposable continence products, enabling transparency and comparability of products fluid management. Subjective quality metrics like ease of use and comfort, will be user dependent. Objective elements that contribute to subjective elements such as comfort are included. For example, specifications include elasticated flexible sides, guard channels to reduce leakage, super absorbent polymers to remove fluid from skin contact. When a trust selects a supplier, the trust will evaluate potential suppliers on the framework, evaluating the subjective, qualitative features of ease of use, comfort, comparative reduction in leakages, quality of life and health outcomes.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the age limits on each of the NHS screening programmes and the justification for each limit.

All National screening programmes are introduced based on recommendations made by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC assesses and evaluates the evidence to offer screening when it will offer more good than harm. Screening age ranges are selected based on the range where the evidence supports that balance.

The National Health Service breast screening programme invites eligible women to be screened every three years from the age of 50 up to their 71st birthday.

The NHS bowel screening programme invited men and women every two years from ages 60 to 74 years old. The programme is expanding to make it available to everyone aged 50 to 59 years old. This is happening gradually over four years and started in April 2021.

The NHS cervical screening programme invites people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 49 for screening every three years, whilst people aged 50 to 64 receive an invitation every five years.

The NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme offers men a screening the year they turn 65.

The NHS diabetic eye screening programme is offered to anyone with diabetes who is 12 years old or over. Those eligible are invited for an annual screening.

The NHS targeted lung cancer screening programme that has been recently announced will invite people aged 55 to 74 identified as being at high risk of lung cancer for screening.

For antenatal screening programmes, pregnant women are invited early for screening once the pregnancy has been confirmed. This includes the NHS foetal anomaly screening programme and NHS infectious diseases in pregnancy.

Screening for newborns is also offered early at a time when conditions can be detected and where early treatment can improve the baby’s health and prevent severe disability or even death. Newborn screening programmes include the NHS newborn blood spot screening programme, the NHS newborn hearing screening programme, the NHS newborn and infant physical examination screening programme and the NHS sickle cell and thalassaemia screening programme.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a list of organisations from whom views have been sought, whether formally or informally, on drafts of the new terms of reference for NHS England’s Advisory Group for Data.

NHS England advises that it has sought views on the draft terms of reference for its Advisory Group for Data from the Department, The National Data Guardian, The Independent Group Advising (NHS Digital) on Release of Data prior to the legal merger, and subsequently the interim data advisory group established until terms of reference are finalised and approved and NHS England's Cyber Security and Risk Committee. The draft terms of reference are currently being updated to take into account feedback and once they have been approved by the Board or a sub-committee of the Board, NHS England advises it will publish them in line with the Statutory Guidance.

The statutory guidance on NHS England’s protection of patient data states that the data advisory group should, among other functions, be able to provide NHS England with advice as requested on "streamlining and continuously improving internal and external data access processes, using a clearly understood risk management framework, precedent approaches and standards that requests must meet". Once the terms of reference for the new group are approved and the group is in place NHS England will work, with the new group's advice, to agree an appropriate risk management framework including considering the form that might take, how it might be summarised or articulated, and what information about it should be published. Interim arrangements are in place while this new group is being established and advice is sought based on the published Data Access Request Service (DARS) Standards and Precedents in relation to applications for access to data. These arrangements and the advice provided by the group are reflected in the minutes of each meeting of the interim group.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to place a copy of the risk management framework, which was referred to in NHS England’s protection of patient data, published on 23 May, in the Library of the House.

NHS England advises that it has sought views on the draft terms of reference for its Advisory Group for Data from the Department, The National Data Guardian, The Independent Group Advising (NHS Digital) on Release of Data prior to the legal merger, and subsequently the interim data advisory group established until terms of reference are finalised and approved and NHS England's Cyber Security and Risk Committee. The draft terms of reference are currently being updated to take into account feedback and once they have been approved by the Board or a sub-committee of the Board, NHS England advises it will publish them in line with the Statutory Guidance.

The statutory guidance on NHS England’s protection of patient data states that the data advisory group should, among other functions, be able to provide NHS England with advice as requested on "streamlining and continuously improving internal and external data access processes, using a clearly understood risk management framework, precedent approaches and standards that requests must meet". Once the terms of reference for the new group are approved and the group is in place NHS England will work, with the new group's advice, to agree an appropriate risk management framework including considering the form that might take, how it might be summarised or articulated, and what information about it should be published. Interim arrangements are in place while this new group is being established and advice is sought based on the published Data Access Request Service (DARS) Standards and Precedents in relation to applications for access to data. These arrangements and the advice provided by the group are reflected in the minutes of each meeting of the interim group.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to add advice on calories and exercise to the NHS body mass index calculator.

The National Health Service body mass index (BMI) calculator was temporarily removed from the NHS.UK website on 29 March 2023 due to the requirement to update the disclaimer and to remove the physical activity and calorie information which was no longer in line with latest health guidance. The BMI calculator, without the physical activity and calorie information, was made available again on 30 May 2023.

A new version of the BMI calculator is being developed to reflect the latest health guidance. A first release is expected to be available by November 2023.

Information about physical activity and guidance about eating a healthy, balanced diet continues to be available on the NHS.UK website.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government why they took almost two years to respond to the concerns of Dr Stuart Flint regarding the NHS body mass index calculator.

The National Health Service body mass index (BMI) calculator was temporarily removed from the NHS.UK website on 29 March 2023 due to the requirement to update the disclaimer and to remove the physical activity and calorie information which was no longer in line with latest health guidance. The BMI calculator, without the physical activity and calorie information, was made available again on 30 May 2023.

A new version of the BMI calculator is being developed to reflect the latest health guidance. A first release is expected to be available by November 2023.

Information about physical activity and guidance about eating a healthy, balanced diet continues to be available on the NHS.UK website.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what were the circumstances under which the NHS body mass index calculator was taken offline from March until earlier this month.

The National Health Service body mass index (BMI) calculator was temporarily removed from the NHS.UK website on 29 March 2023 due to the requirement to update the disclaimer and to remove the physical activity and calorie information which was no longer in line with latest health guidance. The BMI calculator, without the physical activity and calorie information, was made available again on 30 May 2023.

A new version of the BMI calculator is being developed to reflect the latest health guidance. A first release is expected to be available by November 2023.

Information about physical activity and guidance about eating a healthy, balanced diet continues to be available on the NHS.UK website.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Markham on 21 June (HL7941, HL7942 and HL7945), how they define "bed equivalents from patient flow initiatives".

NHS England defines bed equivalents as beds freed up through steps taken to avoid an admission to a general and acute bed in hospital, or to support a patient to leave a general and acute bed when they are medically fit to do so. This could include for example capacity within virtual wards or hospital at home schemes.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the review Preventing illness and improving health for all: a review of the NHS Health Check programme and recommendations, published in December 2021, what progress they have made in bringing forward the recommendations for the NHS Health Check contained in that review.

Following publication of the 2021 evidence-based review, the Department is taking forward a programme of work to modernise the NHS Health Check and deliver recommendations from the review. So far this has included, investing nearly £17 million for the development of an innovative digital NHS Health Check to bolster current local authority delivery of the programme. The digital health check, will be rolled out from Spring 2024, which will give users choice about where and when to have a check and enable increased overall uptake and improved efficiency of the programme. We are also improving uptake by supporting local authorities with the recovery of the programme following the COVID-19 pandemic by launching a training hub, showcasing innovative local delivery models and facilitating communities of practice, with activity reaching over 91% of pre-pandemic levels at the end of December 2022.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to improve the uptake of NHS health checks in England to spot early signs of a stroke, such as atrial fibrillation.

Following publication of the 2021 evidence-based review, the Department is taking forward a programme of work to modernise the NHS Health Check and deliver recommendations from the review. So far this has included, investing nearly £17 million for the development of an innovative digital NHS Health Check to bolster current local authority delivery of the programme. The digital health check, will be rolled out from Spring 2024, which will give users choice about where and when to have a check and enable increased overall uptake and improved efficiency of the programme. We are also improving uptake by supporting local authorities with the recovery of the programme following the COVID-19 pandemic by launching a training hub, showcasing innovative local delivery models and facilitating communities of practice, with activity reaching over 91% of pre-pandemic levels at the end of December 2022.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure consistency in the interpretation of the concept of value-based procurement in purchasing items in the health and social care sector; whether they intend to produce and publish a clearer tool for the assessment of such value based procurement; and whether patient groups and manufacturers of (1) medical devices, and (2) absorbent continence products, will be involved in the development of any such tool.

NHS Supply Chain has a value based procurement programme with a standard approach and principles in place to build a consistent interpretation of the concept of value based procurement. There are 30 projects across the organisation’s categories which are in scope for NHS Supply Chain’s pipeline for value-based procurement. NHS Supply Chain continues to work closely with NHS England on a joint evaluation approach.

NHS Supply Chain is running two value-based procurement projects specifically in the continence category area, which encompasses absorbent continence products. The relevant NHS organisations and suppliers are involved in the development of these projects to ensure that the outcomes fit the NHS’s requirements. These projects are following the standard approach and principles as outlined on NHS Supply Chain’s website.

The Department’s Medical Technology Directorate is working closely with NHS Supply Chain and NHS England to implement a consistent methodology for value-based procurement to be adopted at a national and local level. The directorate will continue to engage with both industry and patients in the development of this and other policies.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the national procurement deal secured by the NHS on direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) to help realise the atrial fibrillation aims in the The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019.

As of February 2023, 877,000 patients on atrial fibrillation registers from their general practice who were eligible for anticoagulation received treatment. The percentage of patients treated with anticoagulation increased by 7% between April 2022 and February 2023, equivalent to over 130,000 additional patients.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 2 August 2022 (HL1602), what is the current list of 'purposes' available today in NHS England’s Palantir platform; and how many users are currently able to access each purpose listed.

A list of ‘purposes’ and how many users there are for each individual purpose is attached, due to the size of the data. Notes have been included indicating those purposes that are for administrative use and those that have been deprecated since the previous answer and so no longer exist.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 7 June (HL7873), what assessment they have made of the implications for (1) openness, (2) transparency, and (3) accountability in public procurement, of their decision not to place those items in the Library of the House.

As part of the Value Based Procurement (VBP) programme, NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) has developed a toolkit and two VBP models. The toolkit and models are designed for internal use by NHSSC’s procurement teams and Category Management Service Providers and are not available for publication as they are commercially sensitive.

Recognising the public interest in openness, transparency and accountability in public procurement, NHSSC is supporting awareness of VBP across the National Health Service and the supplier community. NHSSC has a dedicated VBP website that is updated as the programme evolves. This website contains the 2021 ‘Value Based Procurement Project Report and Findings’ that has an overview of the VBP toolkit.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy justification for deciding not to define an integrated care board as a “relevant body” in regulation 2 of the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, with the effect that a range of patient rights formerly imposed on clinical commissioning groups are not now imposed on integrated care boards.

The Health and Care Act 2022 (Consequential and Related Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022 SI/634 has made consequential amendments to regulation 2 of the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, replacing references to Clinical Commissioning Groups with integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are now the statutory bodies responsible for patient rights.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 7 June (HL7873), what assessment they have made of whether the use of the current toolkit and models ensures that patients have clinically appropriate absorbent incontinence products, without any (1) increase in leaks, (2) reduction in mobility, (3) loss of dignity, (4) reduction in quality of life, or (5) any risk of (a) skin infections, and (b) pressure ulcers.

The disposable continence framework in place at NHS Supply Chain runs until August 2025. All suppliers and products on the NHS Supply Chain framework must meet industry standards and a quality specification to be awarded onto the framework. Products are categorised using the Rothwell scale which measures the level of absorbency.

NHS Supply Chain are currently in the process of working on two separate value-based procurement projects, both of which aim to concentrate on the key fundamental areas outlined in the question.

In addition, the Government's new Medical Technology Strategy, published in February 2023, identified incontinence products as one area of focus. The Department will work with clinicians to review, assess and categorise similar products to lay the foundations for value-based procurement. This assessment of products will be shared with NHS Supply Chain and other organisations involved in the purchase of incontinence products.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Markham on 25 May (HL Deb col 1032), whether decisions about changes to the reference case discount rate applied to new technologies for costs and health effects are a matter solely for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes it uses in the development of its guidance, including the discount rate, taking into account its responsibilities under Managing Public Money.

NICE concluded a comprehensive review of its methods and processes in 2022, including consideration of the discount rate. Following public consultation, NICE concluded that it was appropriate to maintain the existing rate of 3.5% due to policy and fiscal implications and interdependencies beyond the scope of the review. The Department and HM Treasury were engaged throughout the review.

NICE is introducing a new modular approach for further methods updates, where it will work with its system partners on the methodological priorities for the healthcare system.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Markham on 25 May (HL Deb col 1032), whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently considering changing the reference case discount rate for costs and health effects that is applied to new health technologies.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes it uses in the development of its guidance, including the discount rate, taking into account its responsibilities under Managing Public Money.

NICE concluded a comprehensive review of its methods and processes in 2022, including consideration of the discount rate. Following public consultation, NICE concluded that it was appropriate to maintain the existing rate of 3.5% due to policy and fiscal implications and interdependencies beyond the scope of the review. The Department and HM Treasury were engaged throughout the review.

NICE is introducing a new modular approach for further methods updates, where it will work with its system partners on the methodological priorities for the healthcare system.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th May 2023
IVF
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure all NHS commissioners follow NICE guidelines on the number of cycles of IVF women under 40 are entitled to on the NHS.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

The Women’s Health Strategy was published on 20 July 2022 and contained a number of important changes and future ambitions to improve the variations in access to National Health Service funded fertility services. Among the initial priorities, we will work with NHS England to eliminate unfair financial burdens faced by female same-sex couples when accessing NHS funded services and to remove non-clinical access criteria.

In preparation for the new NICE fertility guideline due to be published in 2024, which sets the standard for clinical care, we expect local NHS commissioners to be improving their offer to fertility patients in anticipation of implementing the new guideline.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Progress Education Trust into the variation in policy amongst NHS commissioners in eligibility criteria for NHS funded treatment for infertility.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

The Women’s Health Strategy was published on 20 July 2022 and contained a number of important changes and future ambitions to improve the variations in access to National Health Service funded fertility services. Among the initial priorities, we will work with NHS England to eliminate unfair financial burdens faced by female same-sex couples when accessing NHS funded services and to remove non-clinical access criteria.

In preparation for the new NICE fertility guideline due to be published in 2024, which sets the standard for clinical care, we expect local NHS commissioners to be improving their offer to fertility patients in anticipation of implementing the new guideline.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their plan for publishing an update on the progress being made on initiating new water fluoridation schemes.

The Government has stated its intention to expand water fluoridation across the North-East of England, subject to consultation, to reach an additional 1.6 million people. It plans to hold the public consultation on the proposed expansion in the North-East in 2023. Following the consultation, we will provide an update on the proposals for water fluoridation.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify and prosecute unregulated overseas prescribers.

The Government has no powers to prosecute unregulated overseas prescribers, but arrangements are in place to safeguard patients as follows.

The UK currently recognises prescriptions from countries on an approved list. A prescription from a country not on the list would not be recognised. We will only recognise prescriptions issued by prescribers of equivalent professional status to those eligible to prescribe in the UK.

We would expect all registered pharmacies and pharmacists to meet the regulatory standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland when considering dispensing any lawfully valid prescription. Any registered pharmacy or pharmacist failing to meet the relevant regulatory standards may be subject to action by the regulator.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reasons UK-regulated independent online providers in England are permitted to issue and dispense prescriptions without any requirement for pseudonymised prescribing and dispensing data to be collated.

The requested information is not held centrally. The Care Quality Commission does not have a regulated activity of prescribing or dispensing.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies in England, Scotland and Wales. The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland regulates pharmacists and pharmacies in Northern Ireland.

All pharmacies in Great Britain, including those providing internet services, must be registered with the GPhC. The Department does not hold information on the number of independent online providers offering GPhC regulated dispensing services.

Medicines and medical devices are not ordinary consumer goods and their supply is tightly controlled in the United Kingdom. All service providers must adhere to high standards when prescribing and supplying medications to patients, particularly if the patient’s journey is not face to face.

The regulation of providers delivering general practitioner consultations over the internet and providers prescribing medications in response to online forms is the responsibility of Care Quality Commission. General Pharmaceutical Council sets standards for professional practice for all registered pharmacies, including non-NHS distance selling pharmacies. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK.

To ensure remote supply of medicines to patients is safe, regulators have issued guidance for online providers on how to comply with the legislation and meet expected standards of services and provided guidance for patients about the importance of checking that services they access are statutory regulated. The regulators are working together to address various concerns about remote practice.

The decision about data collection required to support these regulatory activities is at the discretion of the regulatory bodies.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the increase in each year since 2000 in the number of UK regulated independent online providers offering (1) Care Quality Commission regulated prescribing, and (2) General Pharmaceutical Council regulated dispensing services, to the public.

The requested information is not held centrally. The Care Quality Commission does not have a regulated activity of prescribing or dispensing.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies in England, Scotland and Wales. The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland regulates pharmacists and pharmacies in Northern Ireland.

All pharmacies in Great Britain, including those providing internet services, must be registered with the GPhC. The Department does not hold information on the number of independent online providers offering GPhC regulated dispensing services.

Medicines and medical devices are not ordinary consumer goods and their supply is tightly controlled in the United Kingdom. All service providers must adhere to high standards when prescribing and supplying medications to patients, particularly if the patient’s journey is not face to face.

The regulation of providers delivering general practitioner consultations over the internet and providers prescribing medications in response to online forms is the responsibility of Care Quality Commission. General Pharmaceutical Council sets standards for professional practice for all registered pharmacies, including non-NHS distance selling pharmacies. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK.

To ensure remote supply of medicines to patients is safe, regulators have issued guidance for online providers on how to comply with the legislation and meet expected standards of services and provided guidance for patients about the importance of checking that services they access are statutory regulated. The regulators are working together to address various concerns about remote practice.

The decision about data collection required to support these regulatory activities is at the discretion of the regulatory bodies.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, in each of the nine English regions, how many patients medically fit to be discharged from hospital are unable to leave because of delays due to lack of capacity in domiciliary and residential care.

We do not have data that shows how many patients are unable to leave hospital due to a lack of capacity in domiciliary or residential care. For some patients, there is data on the number for whom the primary reason is that they are awaiting availability of resource for assessment and start of care at home (pathway 1) and the number awaiting availability of a bed in a residential or nursing home that is likely to be permanent (pathway 3). Pathway 1 includes domiciliary care but will also include other types of care at home provided by the National Health Service or local authority.

The following table shows the number of patients with a Length of Stay (LOS) of seven days or over on pathway 1 or pathway 3 for the week ending 14 May 2023.

Region

LOS

East of England

490

London

618

Midlands

623

North East and Yorkshire

961

North West

741

South East

949

South West

553

National

4,935

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the total numbers of new NHS beds have been outsourced to private healthcare providers.

As of March 2023, NHS England had delivered an additional 7,820 beds or bed equivalents. Of these, 4,805 were general and acute beds and community beds, 628 were virtual ward beds and 2,387 were bed equivalents from patient flow initiatives. The additional general and acute beds delivered are beds in National Health Service hospitals.

NHS England does not hold the number of outsourced beds. Systems may commission private providers for the provision of step down intermediate care capacity outside of hospital either on a spot purchase or block purchase basis.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the commitment by the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Thérèse Coffey on 22 September 2022 (HC Deb, col 830), how many of the promised 7,000 new NHS beds are classified as virtual ward or hospital at home beds.

As of March 2023, NHS England had delivered an additional 7,820 beds or bed equivalents. Of these, 4,805 were general and acute beds and community beds, 628 were virtual ward beds and 2,387 were bed equivalents from patient flow initiatives. The additional general and acute beds delivered are beds in National Health Service hospitals.

NHS England does not hold the number of outsourced beds. Systems may commission private providers for the provision of step down intermediate care capacity outside of hospital either on a spot purchase or block purchase basis.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the commitment by the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Thérèse Coffey on 22 September 2022 (HC Deb, col 830), how many of the promised 7,000 new NHS beds are now available for patients.

As of March 2023, NHS England had delivered an additional 7,820 beds or bed equivalents. Of these, 4,805 were general and acute beds and community beds, 628 were virtual ward beds and 2,387 were bed equivalents from patient flow initiatives. The additional general and acute beds delivered are beds in National Health Service hospitals.

NHS England does not hold the number of outsourced beds. Systems may commission private providers for the provision of step down intermediate care capacity outside of hospital either on a spot purchase or block purchase basis.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 11 May (HL7210), whether they will place copies of the “internal toolkit” and the “two models” referred to in that answer in the Library of the House.

As part of the Value Based Procurement (VBP) programme, NHS Supply Chain has developed a toolkit and two VBP models. One model can be applied to the renewal of existing frameworks or contracts for product ranges, and the other is for the procurement of innovation. The toolkit and models are designed for internal use by NHS Supply Chain’s procurement teams and Category Management Service Providers and are not available for publication.

However, to support awareness of VBP across the National Health Service and the supplier community, NHS Supply Chain has a dedicated VBP website that is updated as the programme evolves. This website contains the 2021 ‘Value Based Procurement Project Report and Findings’ that has an overview of the VBP toolkit. A copy is attached.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional (1) practical, and (2) financial, support they intend to provide to unpaid careers, given new research by Carers UK which shows they are providing unpaid care worth £162 billion each year, equivalent to NHS spending in England and Wales.

The Governments of the United Kingdom provide financial support to unpaid carers through Carer’s Allowance, the Carer Element in Universal Credit and through other benefits. As adult social care is a devolved matter, Devolved Administrations are responsible for delivery of services and support to carers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carers who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer. We have earmarked £327 million in the Better Care Fund for 2023/24 to provide short breaks and respite services, as well as additional advice and support for carers.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the production of nitrogen oxides at waste incinerators in relation to (1) decreased lung function, (2) increases in respiratory symptoms, (3) asthma prevalence and incidence, (4) cancer incidence, (5) adverse birth outcomes, and (6) mortality.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) position on incinerators is that modern, well run and regulated municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants.

Public Health England funded a study by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit at Imperial College London which found no link between exposure to emissions from, or living close to, MWIs and infant deaths or reduced foetal growth. The study also found no evidence of increased risk of congenital anomalies from exposure to MWI chimney emissions, but a small potential increase in risk of congenital anomalies for children born within ten kilometres of MWIs. A causal association between the increased risk of congenital anomalies for children born close to MWIs has not been established.

UKHSA has not received or commissioned any assessments on disposing of plastic waste by incineration. UKHSA’s position is that well run and regulated modern MWIs are not a significant risk to public health when incinerating the general municipal waste mix which includes plastic.

When consulted, UKHSA provides an expert and independent opinion to the regulator (Environment Agency) on the potential impacts on human health of emissions including nitrogen oxides arising from existing or proposed regulated facilities, such as MWIs. Emissions from existing regulated facilities are closely monitored and regulated by the Environment Agency.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of burning of plastics on respiratory disease in areas surrounding incinerator plants.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) position on incinerators is that modern, well run and regulated municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants.

Public Health England funded a study by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit at Imperial College London which found no link between exposure to emissions from, or living close to, MWIs and infant deaths or reduced foetal growth. The study also found no evidence of increased risk of congenital anomalies from exposure to MWI chimney emissions, but a small potential increase in risk of congenital anomalies for children born within ten kilometres of MWIs. A causal association between the increased risk of congenital anomalies for children born close to MWIs has not been established.

UKHSA has not received or commissioned any assessments on disposing of plastic waste by incineration. UKHSA’s position is that well run and regulated modern MWIs are not a significant risk to public health when incinerating the general municipal waste mix which includes plastic.

When consulted, UKHSA provides an expert and independent opinion to the regulator (Environment Agency) on the potential impacts on human health of emissions including nitrogen oxides arising from existing or proposed regulated facilities, such as MWIs. Emissions from existing regulated facilities are closely monitored and regulated by the Environment Agency.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of emissions from incinerators on the health of (1) the local population as a whole, and (2) babies and children in particular.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) position on incinerators is that modern, well run and regulated municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants.

Public Health England funded a study by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit at Imperial College London which found no link between exposure to emissions from, or living close to, MWIs and infant deaths or reduced foetal growth. The study also found no evidence of increased risk of congenital anomalies from exposure to MWI chimney emissions, but a small potential increase in risk of congenital anomalies for children born within ten kilometres of MWIs. A causal association between the increased risk of congenital anomalies for children born close to MWIs has not been established.

UKHSA has not received or commissioned any assessments on disposing of plastic waste by incineration. UKHSA’s position is that well run and regulated modern MWIs are not a significant risk to public health when incinerating the general municipal waste mix which includes plastic.

When consulted, UKHSA provides an expert and independent opinion to the regulator (Environment Agency) on the potential impacts on human health of emissions including nitrogen oxides arising from existing or proposed regulated facilities, such as MWIs. Emissions from existing regulated facilities are closely monitored and regulated by the Environment Agency.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure that the report of the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service on congenital anomaly annual statistics breaks down data in relation to anomalies by local authority area.

There are no current plans to present data by local authority. It would be technically possible to do so, but the number of babies in each local authority would be too small, especially when stratified by anomaly group, and would likely lead to much of the data being supressed for reasons of information governance.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what is meant by the term "value-based procurement" in the context of NHS Supply Chain; whether it is their policy that such a value-based procurement approach applies to medical devices and similar product procurements by the NHS; and what steps they are taking to promote the widespread adoption of this approach to procurement of medical devices and similar products.

Value-based procurement (VBP) is a procurement approach that delivers a reduction in the whole life costs of healthcare where value can be created from financial, efficiency, patient, and environmental benefits.

In May 2019, NHS Supply Chain launched a project to consider the potential benefits and practical application of VBP. This involved a series of pilot projects to test the concept of VBP in practice, with a view to producing a scalable model for potential wider deployment.

An internal toolkit for the use of Category Tower Service Providers was produced as an output of the VBP project. It is designed to be flexibly applied to the varying product ranges procured through NHS Supply Chain. Central to the guide has been the creation of two models: one can be applied to the renewal of existing frameworks/contracts for product ranges, the other for the procurement of innovation. Activity will be delivered across a wide range of categories including cardiology, orthopaedics, sterile intervention equipment and ward-based consumables.

The Government's new Medical Technology Strategy, published in February 2023, commits to developing an environment that supports the understanding and delivery of value for money and affordability across the whole patient pathway, using high quality data to ensure that prices are both reasonable for the health system and sustainable for suppliers. The application and adoption of VBP in the National Health Service is a key priority under the strategy to realise the potential of medical technology to improve patient outcomes and support the NHS workforce. The Department’s Medical Technology Directorate is working closely with NHS Supply Chain and NHS England to build on the work already undertaken to ensure that a consistent methodology is now developed and adopted at both a national and local level.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 6 March (HL5675), how many individual patients had their NHS number, date of birth, and diagnoses shared for potential inclusion in the “flu and COVID-19 cohorts”.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 6 March (HL5675), which dataset(s) was the source of the SNOMED CT codes and dates shared; and why unprotected NHS numbers and unprotected dates of birth were included.

Cohorting as a Service uses SNOMED CT Codes from general practitioner (GP) practice extracts, with data being collected using the General Practice Extraction service. This collection is supported by the British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners and National Data Guardian, and collects a specific set of patient data from GP practices in England on a fortnightly basis.

The data includes personally identifiable information such as National Health Service number and date of birth because the information is required for delivering direct care. The NHS England vaccination programme uses the information to identify and contact patients who fall within clinically ‘at-risk’ groups within an age group.

The Secretary of State or NHS England issue Directions for information collection, then approval for collection is obtained, confirming that the Information Standard, Collection or Extraction has been through assessment and is demonstrated to meet the quality assurance criteria set by the Data Alliance Partnership Board.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received from (1) the MedTech Directorate, (2) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (3) HMRC, and (4) the Department for Business and Trade, about (a) the import of urine drainage bags, (b) the security of supply of such devices, and (c) the cost to the NHS of imposing tariffs on such imports.

Information relating to representations made on this matter by different Departments and agencies is not held centrally. In 2021, the Government implemented temporary tariff suspensions on a set of goods, including urine drainage bags, to support the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has extended the majority of these suspensions until 31 December 2023. We have recently received stakeholder feedback on tariffs on urine drainage bags and are considering the evidence provided alongside wider United Kingdom Government analysis.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Department of Health and Social Care’s ongoing Voluntary Pricing and Access Scheme (VPAS) pre-negotiation workshops, how the discussions and insights gathered from (1) industry, and (2) civil society, will inform negotiations for VPAS 2024.

The Department invited a range of stakeholders including industry bodies, patient organisations and civil society organisations to workshops which took place from January 2023 until March 2023. These workshops were a listening exercise that aimed to illicit a diverse range of perspectives. The insights taken from these workshops will be used to inform the preparations for negotiation of a successor to the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines and pricing access.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Department of Health and Social Care’s ongoing Voluntary Price and Access Scheme (VPAS) pre-negotiation workshops, what assessment they have made of the (1) the impact of VPAS 2019 on the UK life science sector, and (2) the implications for their negotiations on VPAS 2024.

The Government is working to better understand the impacts of the operation of the current voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS) on the United Kingdom life sciences industry. We are in direct conversations with pharmaceutical companies, including in the recent pre-negotiation workshops, as well as with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Business and Trade about the business environment for life sciences.

The Government is open to ideas about how a successor to VPAS should operate from 2024 onwards. We are working with industry to agree a mutually beneficial successor that supports better patient outcomes; ensures the sustainability of National Health Service spend on branded medicines; and enables a strong UK life sciences industry.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the UK maintains a leadership role in the number of phase 1 trials being delivered in the UK, by comparison to international competitors.

The multi-year vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2021 to 2022 implementation plan was published on 23 March 2021 and sets out our ambition to create a patient-centred, pro-innovation and digitally enabled clinical research environment including phase 1 trials. A copy is attached. Implementing the vision will unleash the true potential of our clinical research environment to improve health, capitalise on our renowned research expertise, and make the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to design and deliver research.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure spans early translational experimental medicine, through clinical and onto applied health and care research. NIHR has recently invested over £969 million to strengthen the infrastructure supporting Phase 1 trial capacity over the next five years. This includes funding for the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, the NIHR Clinical Research Facilities, and Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government why they decided to delay the establishment of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body by six months until October 2023.

On 1 April 2023, Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) national investigation programme was expected to transition into the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), a new body established under the Health and Care Act 2022.

We have been working on transitional arrangements to set up both bodies by April. However, there have been some delays to this, including appointments to the Board of the new organisation which will not be completed by April 2023. Whilst we could legally establish HSSIB by commencing the relevant provisions in the Health and Care Act 2022, we believe the delay will allow us to ensure a smooth transition of the investigation programme from HSIB to HSSIB.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 27 February (HL5458), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of examples of (1) the YAML specifications, and (2) the python code, currently used to create or define dashboards within the NHS installation of Palantir Foundry.

NHS England is not releasing technical details, including specifications or code from the Foundry system, as it would go beyond details provided to bidders as part of the commercial process to procure its replacement, the Federated Data Platform and Associated Services.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many integrated care systems have established services for Huntington’s disease patients in their local areas.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Department or NHS England.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to set up a public inquiry into the Gender Identity Development Service for Children (GIDS) at the Tavistock Clinic to establish whether the well-being and safeguarding of children were sufficiently protected.

The Government has no plans to set up a public inquiry into the Gender Identity Development Service for Children and supports the ongoing Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People currently being carried out by Dr Hilary Cass, also known as the Cass Review. The review is expected to set out findings and make recommendations in relation to pathways of care, clinical models and management, and the use of, and research into the long-time effects of, hormone treatment. The Cass Review published an interim report in March 2022 and is due to conclude by the end of 2023.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government which secure data environment is used by NHS England’s Cohorting as a Service system; and whether this is used by all current cohorting service projects.

Cohorting uses the same underlying technology platform as NHS England’s Secure Data Environment service. Cohorting is carried out in other national programmes such as screening, which do not use the Cohorting as a Service system. There are forms of cohorting for other purposes such as population health and research; the Cohorting as a Service system is not currently intended to be used for these.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 14 February (HL5455), whether they will direct NHS England to publish the agenda and minutes of its Data, Digital and Technology committee and other board committees, in the interests of transparency.

There are no plans to direct NHS England to publish the agenda and minutes of its Data, Digital and Technology committee and other board committees. NHS England should consider how best to ensure transparency in its governance arrangements.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people’s GP records have been made accessible to contractors and sub-contractors working on NHS England’s Cohorting as a Service system in 2023; and what data fields have been shared.

The clinical data used in the Cohorting as a Service system covers between 15 and 20 million people in the flu and COVID-19 cohorts. The system is built and maintained by NHS England employees and one main contractor, with less than fifteen people in the team having access to the relevant clinical cohorting data. This data is only accessed by exception, for example to investigate or resolve problems. The remainder of the team use test data for building the service and do not have access to the clinical data.

The system accesses the following data fields:

- NHS Number;

- surname and forename;

- date of birth/age;

- address and postcode;

- ethnicity;

- sex;

- the associated SNOMED5 CT codes and dates for medical conditions and drug treatment(s) relevant to the cohort criteria.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to deliver their clinical research vision, and (2) to provide funding to support the growth of the UK’s phase 1 trial capacity.

The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery 2022-2025 implementation plan summarises the progress made in 2021-22 towards delivering the vision and the actions that are being taken by the various delivery partners (the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Health Research Authority and Devolved Administrations) between 2022 and 2025 to make progress to achieve our vision in full by 2031. This plan is being delivered under the UK Recovery, Resilience and Growth Programme.

To support the growth of phase 1 trial capacity the NIHR has confirmed an investment of £969 million over the next five years in its early translational research infrastructure, which includes the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, NIHR Clinical Research Facilities and NIHR/Cancer Research UK Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the patients discharged early through the North Tees discharge pilot described in the NHS England board papers for 2 February were readmitted inside 60 days; and what was the equivalent national average for such early discharges and readmissions.

NHS England does not hold a dataset that nationally monitors readmissions for this cohort but has plans to collect data in the near future which will allow review of, and feedback on, this metric.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the board of NHS England will list the members of its Data, Digital and Technology committee; and publish agendas and minutes of that committee's meetings.

Membership, attendance, and a summary of the business considered by the Data, Digital and Technology Committee will be published in the NHS England annual report. This is the process followed for all NHS England Board Committees, and NHS England do not intend to publish agenda and minutes of Committee meetings.

The membership of the Committee includes the NHS England Chair, at least two NHS England Non-Executive Directors, external subject matter expert members, the National Director of Transformation, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Information Officer and the Head of the combined Digital Policy Unit within NHS England and the Department.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether NHS England's Data promise 4, as updated on 31 January, is compatible with the Written Answer by Lord Markham on the same day (HL4714).

I believe the answer given is compatible with NHS England’s Data Promise 4.

Specifications will be placed in the Library of the House when they are available.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what independent assessment has been made of the removal of 16 per cent of the East Sussex waiting list through "error identification" as described in the NHS England board papers for 2 February; and how many of those removed were subsequently added back on to the waiting list.

Whilst no independent assessment has been carried out on the removal of patients from the waiting list at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, this has been investigated by NHS England and identified as an error in reporting.

The correct percentage of the waiting list that was flagged for removal through error identification is 14%.

At a local level, there is a requirement to follow three stages in waiting list validation: technical, administrative and clinical. Patients who are initially flagged for removal then undergo a manual validation stage whereby trust staff validate that the identified patients should be removed before actioning this themselves. This is supported by local governance arrangements and clinical oversight, to ensure that patients are removed safely and appropriately. All patients removed from waiting lists following validation are notified of this stage in their care pathway. Therefore, it is not expected that any patients would need be ‘readded’ due to the processes in place.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
31st Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which people with organic brain disorders who require mental health support are able to access community mental health services.

No such assessment has been made. Access to National Health Service mental health services is based on clinical need, including for patients with Huntington’s disease and organic brain disorders.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion and transformation of mental health services in England by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people, including those with Huntington’s disease and organic brain disorders, can get the NHS-funded mental health support that they need.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
31st Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which people with Huntington’s disease who are displaying mental health symptoms are able to access community mental health services.

No such assessment has been made. Access to National Health Service mental health services is based on clinical need, including for patients with Huntington’s disease and organic brain disorders.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion and transformation of mental health services in England by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people, including those with Huntington’s disease and organic brain disorders, can get the NHS-funded mental health support that they need.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
31st Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to develop specific national guidelines about Huntington’s disease to ensure patients with the disease have a clear, consistent and coordinated care pathway.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on best practice. Topics for guideline development are identified and prioritised through a topic selection process that considers the evidence base, variation in practice and burden of disease.

Following the Westminster Hall debate on Huntington’s Disease on 9 November 2022, the Department is preparing an evidence-based paper on a potential guideline on Huntington’s Disease for consideration through the NICE topic selection process.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will raise with NHS England the concerns of the Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data regarding the amount of time they had to comment on the draft guidance on NHS England’s protection of patient data.

The Independent Advisory Group on the Release of Data (IGARD) was asked to provide feedback on Draft guidance on NHS England’s protection of patient data, which was published on 23 January 2023 in an online-only format. We expect to continue receiving feedback from members of IGARD and other stakeholders on this draft and identify issues to address before the guidance is finalised, which we intend to do by the end of February 2023.

IGARD has also been actively involved in developing draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for the new data advisory group to be established in line with the draft statutory guidance. The ToR will continue to be developed and will be finalised to reflect the statutory guidance once finalised.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the NHS costs incurred by sending thyroid patients to secondary care for liothyronine, given NHS England national guidance only requires initiation of treatment in secondary care but allows regular prescribing in primary care.

No specific assessments have been made of the costs of reviewing patients currently prescribed liothyronine in secondary care.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) policy on liothyronine to assess the extent to which it (1) follows national guidance, by asking new patients who have already been reviewed by specialist NHS consultants to be reviewed again if they move into Gloucestershire from another ICB area, and (2) incurs higher costs and additional use of NHS resources.

The Department has no plans for a review. The current Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board guidance on the prescribing of liothyronine, agreed by the former Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group in April 2022, is under a local review to be completed within the next four months and will consider the position on new patients already on liothyronine moving into Gloucestershire.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish (1) the assessment of the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative of technologies from the company Healthy.io, (2) any contracts or agreements between Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and that company, and (3) an estimate of how many Oxfordshire patients had data about them provided to that company.

The NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) made a Phase 4 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Award to Healthy.io under Round 1 of the AI Award programme. As part of the award process, the AAC commissioned an independent service evaluation and a randomised controlled trial, supported by Leicester Clinical Trials Unit. The results of these will be published as part of the Award process by September 2024. All 20 Primary Care Networks in Oxfordshire are taking part in the Healthy.io AI Award programme pilot and 2760 patients have been asked if they would like to take part.

The Department does not hold a copy of the contract between Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board and Healthy.io. Our understanding is that this contract was for a pilot project and has not been continued. During the pilot, 38 general practices in Oxfordshire signed up to Healthy.io and submitted 6473 patients, of which 6053 were eligible.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what cost assessment they have undertaken of the daily dose rationing of liothyronine regardless of clinical need by the (1) NHS Devon, (2) NHS Buckinghamshire, and (3) NHS Hertfordshire, Integrated Care Boards; and what comparative assessment they have made of (a) the NHS England national guidance, and (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence British National Formulary guidance on liothyronine, given the risk of harm to patients and that smaller doses lead to higher costs.

No assessments have been made.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data only received draft guidance on NHS England’s protection of patient data on 18 January for comment by 20 January.

The Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data (IGARD) were asked to provide feedback on the latest draft of the guidance on a quick turnaround, as the transfer of NHS Digital’s functions to NHS England was conducted at pace because we are keen to see the benefits of creating a single statutory body responsible for data and digital technology for the National Health Service delivered quickly.

This was not intended to be a hard deadline for receiving comments, or the end of the process, as the guidance has not been finalised. We have been reviewing the feedback from IGARD and other stakeholders. The Department would welcome any further feedback that those who were members of IGARD, and others, wish to provide, as we finalise the guidance and then keep it under review.

My officials have discussed the concerns raised by IGARD with NHS England officials.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership Fulfilling the potential identified in the Government's Life Sciences Vision, published on 24 January, what assessment they have made of its findings that the UK has seen (1) a significant loss of traditional medicines manufacturing capacity over the last 25 years, (2) 7,000 jobs lost, and (3) a fall in production volumes of 29 per cent since 2009.

Life Sciences pharmaceutical manufacturing was responsible for approximately £20.1 billion worth of exports in 2021. This figure is based on a US dollar figure of $27.7 billion, using the 2021 OECD average conversion rate.

The official statistics from the Office for Life Sciences show that employment in core biopharmaceutical manufacturing employment declined between 2009 and 2019 but increased by 5% between 2019 and 2021. The Life Sciences Vision sets out an ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Science manufacturing investments. To help meet these ambitions, the Government launched the £60 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund in March 2022 to incentivise globally mobile manufacturing investments in the United Kingdom.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government where ministerial responsibility lies for NHS Wheelchair Services.

Maria Caulfield MP is the minister responsible for NHS Wheelchair Services. As Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy, disabilities including autism are part of her portfolio. The minister has held this role since 27 October 2022.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what processes have been established within Integrated Care Boards to audit Wheelchair Service standards of service.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the development, provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services. NHS England has committed to develop a framework for ICBs to support them in commissioning effective, efficient and personalised wheelchair services. The framework will include the updated Wheelchair Charter.

Regarding the processes established within individual ICBs to audit Wheelchair Service standards of service, the Government does not hold this information centrally.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards adopt the Wheelchair Charter, as supported by NHS England.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the development, provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services. NHS England has committed to develop a framework for ICBs to support them in commissioning effective, efficient and personalised wheelchair services. The framework will include the updated Wheelchair Charter.

Regarding the processes established within individual ICBs to audit Wheelchair Service standards of service, the Government does not hold this information centrally.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
23rd Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 27.5 per cent proposed increase to the statutory scheme payment included in the Proposed update to the 2023 statutory scheme to control the costs of branded health service medicines, published on 16 December 2022; and whether this increase is part of their commitment to their Life Sciences Vision.

The Government remains firmly committed to the statutory and voluntary schemes for branded medicines and to working with the pharmaceutical industry to deliver on the ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Vision to create an environment that facilitates innovation for the development of medicines in the United Kingdom.

The Department is consulting on a proposed update to the statutory scheme payment percentage for 2023. The proposed increase to the payment percentage of 27.5% will ensure continued broad commercial equivalence between the Statutory Scheme and the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access. We published an impact assessment of this policy titled Autumn 2022 update to the Statutory Scheme controlling the costs of branded health service medicines. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of access to innovative medicines by (1) region, and (2) socioeconomic status; and what steps they are taking to (a) ensure equity, and (b) assess the impact of inequitable access to innovative medicines on the economy.

Existing reporting tools, such as NHS Digital’s Innovation Scorecard, monitor the use of innovative medicines and medicinal products. To further analyse the extent of regional variation in the uptake of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved medicines, the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is working with NHS England and jointly engaging with stakeholders across the health system to understand the drivers of variation and the barriers to equitable uptake.

No specific assessment has been made of variation in access to innovative medicines by socioeconomic status, nor of the impact of inequitable access to innovative medicines on the economy.

The Strategic Metrics Group, with representatives across Government, the National Health Service, NICE and industry are working to deliver on commitments set out in the Life Sciences Vision. This will improve the NHS use of proven and cost-effective innovations, including new medicines, through strengthened innovation metrics and a focus on identifying and addressing unwarranted variation in uptake.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the (1) resources, and (2) capacity, of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Association (MHRA); and whether they have made an assessment of the current capacity of the MHRA to keep pace with the expected launches of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved medicines to the UK market.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the Department, regulates medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom. MHRA employs over 1380 staff and for 2021/22, its total resources were £167 million, funded mostly by income from fees and charges for both statutory and non-statutory sales of products and services. The fees that MHRA charges for its services reflect the cost of providing that service and these are set in legislation, following public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny.

MHRA and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) work closely together to ensure that there is a joined-up, and timely approach to supporting access for National Health Service patients to new medicines. NICE aims wherever possible to publish final guidance on new medicines within 90 days of MHRA granting a marketing authorisation.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the decline in the number of clinical trials, and (2) its impact on patient outcomes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) supports study sites to deliver research across England. In 2021/22 there were 6,383 studies on the NIHR CRN portfolio which has seen year-on-year growth in study numbers, recruiting more than one million participants. Overall, this suggests there are greater opportunities for people to participate in clinical trials that could benefit patient outcomes. The Department, in partnership with NHS England, is taking action to recover the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) capacity to deliver clinical research through the Research Reset programme to ensure new studies can open and be delivered within planned timescales, while addressing the backlog caused by the pandemic to ensure the UK remains an attractive global destination for new research.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the finding by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) that there has been a 41 per cent decline in clinical trial numbers since 2017, what assessment they have made of the reasons why the recovery in the number of clinical trials is slow; and what additional steps they are taking to address this.

Data published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry highlights a decline in the number of commercial contract clinical trials initiated in the United Kingdom (UK), primarily in 2020 and 2021. This was the result of the pandemic when many studies were paused to focus on nationally prioritised COVID-19 studies. There has, however, been a year-on-year growth in the number of studies overall and by December 2021, the number of studies on the National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network portfolio was higher than ever before. Increased workload pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) research & development workforce, in the context of the recovery of wider NHS services and changes to care pathways, means the UK has seen a growing backlog of studies waiting to start or taking longer to complete. The Department, in partnership with NHS England, is taking action to recover the UK’s capacity to deliver commercial research through the Research Reset programme to ensure new studies can open and be delivered within planned timescales, while addressing the backlog to ensure the UK remains an attractive global destination for new research.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to NICE’s recommendation to broaden access to statins for the prevention of strokes and heart attacks, what plans they have, if any, to ask NICE whether this approach could be extended to low-dose blood pressure drugs combined into a single formulation.

We have no current plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop any such recommendation. NICE is responsible for developing its guidelines independently in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders based on a broad remit referred to it by either the Department or NHS England.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 15 December 2022 (HL4328), what assessment they have made of whether the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board has sufficiently taken account in its policies to support patients with hypothyroidism; and in particular, whether the Board has ensured that (1) national recommendations to not alter medication if a patient is stable on thyroid treatment are followed, (2) blanket reductions in the T3 dose to 10 μcg for all patients do not take place regardless of (a) individual needs, or (b) the recommendations of NICE, which gives 10μcg as a starting dose, rising up to 60μcg as necessary, and (3) regardless of whether patients can take levothyroxine or not, it is substituted it for (a) armour thyroid medicine, or (b) doses of T3 in excess of 10μcg.

No assessment has been made. Decisions about prescribing are made with the healthcare professional concerned, who has clinical responsibility for that particular aspect of a patient’s care. Prescribers must ensure that the medicines considered appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and take account of the appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness and the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England formally oversees ICBs and has a legal duty to annually assess the performance of each ICB and publish their findings.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the NHS to take forward plans related to the performance of A&E departments and ambulance services.

Ministers and officials at the Department meet with senior National Health Service leaders on a regular basis to discuss NHS performance, including accident and emergency and ambulance services. As announced at the Autumn Statement, plans for the recovery of urgent and emergency care services will be published in early 2023.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to prioritise funding for public health and primary, community, and social care, in order to resolve capacity problems in A&E and hospital trusts.

The ‘2023/24 priorities and operational planning guidance’, published on 23 December 2022, sets out the action and funding agreed with NHS England to begin recovering National Health Service core services and productivity, including additional capacity for Urgent and Emergency Care. A copy of the guidance is attached.

There will be £1 billion of funding through system allocations to increase capacity based on agreed system plans. It is anticipated that capacity will be focused on increasing General & Acute capacity, intermediate and step-down care and community beds with an expectation of an increase in the utilisation of virtual wards. £600 million will be distributed in 2023/24 and £1 billion in 2024/25 through the Better Care Fund to get people out of hospital on time into care settings, freeing up NHS beds for those that need them. In addition, a £400 million ring-fenced local authority grant for adult social care will support discharge among other goals. There will also be an increase in allocations for systems that host ambulance services to increase ambulance capacity.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address staffing shortages to ensure that patients receive high-quality, allied healthcare professional and ancillary care, including those patients occupying the additional 7,000 hospital beds announced in August 2022.

Local National Health Service trusts are responsible for managing its own staffing levels and for recruiting the number of health professionals required to meet local service need as part of their workforce planning. The NHS published plans for increasing capacity in urgent and emergency care over winter. The plans looked to reduce hospital occupancy through increasing capacity by the equivalent of at least 7,000 general and acute beds, through a mix of new physical beds, virtual wards and improvements elsewhere in the pathway. This intervention was developed with integrated care boards responsible for developing plans to achieve this increase in bed capacity based on realistic assumptions, including how many staff can be recruited and at what speed.

To help address staff shortages Health Education England (HEE) National Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Workforce Supply Project delivered valuable recruitment initiatives including improved return to practice pathways, pre-registration apprenticeships and more jobs for new graduates helping to improve staffing shortages. A HEE national programme started in 2022/23 to support NHS trusts with AHP international recruitment.

Furthermore, all-eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health profession degree students have received a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year. To support future workforce planning the Department have commissioned NHS England to develop a long term plan for the NHS workforce for the next 15 years. The plan will help ensure that we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills to transform and deliver high quality services fit for the future.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the funding announced by the Prime Minister on 9 January to support patients who are medically fit but need care after discharge from hospital will be ring-fenced to address the national shortage of front-line domiciliary and residential care staff.

The additional £200 million announced on 9 January is specifically for short term care, to allow local areas to purchase bedded step-down capacity and associated clinical and therapeutic support for those patients who do not meet the criteria to remain in hospital. It will be for integrated care boards to determine how best to address need in line with the guidance set out by NHS England.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassure families that relatives discharged from hospital into home care will be adequately supported, given the current staff shortages.

We are making available £500 million to support safe and timely discharges from hospital and can be used to boost workforce capacity. We committed a further £200 million to fund short term National Health Service step-down care packages and wrap-around primary and community health services to support patient’s recovery.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) identify, and (2) address, the needs of patients who are medically fit to be discharged from hospital but are unable to leave because of delays in transfers of care.

We are making available £500 million to support safe and timely discharges from hospital. We committed a further £200 million to fund short term National Health Service step-down care packages and wrap-around primary and community health services to support patients' recovery. The Government has also provided an extra £50 million in capital funding to expand ambulance hubs and hospital discharge lounges, designed to accommodate patients waiting for short term delays to transfers of care.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how the urgent action promised by the Prime Minister on 3 January to increase NHS hospital bed stock by 7,000 will be achieved; and by when.

The winter plan set out a commitment to increase general and acute bed capacity by the equivalent of at least 7,000 beds, through a mix of new physical beds and innovative virtual wards. NHS England report that additional capacity has continued to be put in place across the winter period and that the Nation Health Service is on track to deliver the total additional beds by the end of March this year.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 2 August 2022 (HL1602), how many users of NHS England’s installation of Palantir Foundry software currently have access to data or dashboards for each purpose listed.

A copy of a spreadsheet which lists how many users there are for each individual purpose is attached.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 2 August 2022 (HL1602), whether they will (1) publish, or (2) place in the Library of the House, copies of the specifications for any dashboards for the purposes listed, in the manner NHS England expect to make available similar specifications for interoperability with the Federated Data Platform, if the Palantir Procurement were to be successful.

It is expected that all existing dashboards within Foundry will be interoperable. Over the coming months, an assessment will be undertaken to determine which dashboards will be migrated to the new Federated Data Platform and which will be decommissioned. The format of the specifications for these dashboards will be developed as part of the planned transition activities of the programme.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 2 August 2022 (HL1602), whether they will (1) publish, or (2) place in the Library of the House, a copy of the form(s) for NHS England staff to request access to data in Palantir Foundry software and any associated training materials about making such requests.

There are 4 steps to register access to the NHS National Data Platform (Foundry).

1. Register for an Okta account - Okta is a cloud-based identity management service.

2. Submit a Foundry Access Request Form – used to record contact details, purpose of the request, required products/tools, and information governance compliance.

3. Download and register two factor authentication - to ensure that only the applicant can use the account. It will also ensure the security of the data within the Foundry platform.

4. Launch the Foundry platform

A copy is attached of the Foundry System Access Form.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the policy rationale for the reduction to the NHS England hospital bed stock between January 2010 and January 2020.

The number of hospital beds provided is an operational matter for National Health Service commissioners and providers. NHS trusts will make decisions on their bed stock based on the demand within the local population and other factors such as the increase in the proportion of elective care day cases over time, which reduces the number of hospital beds required for overnight stays. Accounting for the impact of the pandemic, the number of NHS general and acute hospital beds has remained relatively stable from 2015/16, at around 102,000 beds.

The NHS is working hard to deliver their winter plan, increasing hospital bed capacity by the equivalent of 7,000 beds. In addition, under the Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services published on 30 January sets a further 5,000 new beds will be established in 2023/24, alongside expanded use of virtual wards so that up to 50,000 patients a month can benefit from them. This is backed by a £1 billion dedicated fund.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what medicines are currently not available due to stock shortages.

Medicines frequently go in and out of stock. The latest up to date information about medicine supply issues being managed by the Department is available in an online only format, on the Specialist Pharmacy Services website, which also hosts comprehensive management advice for NHS healthcare professionals.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to direct NHS England to ensure that when patients are (1) currently prescribed, and (2) previously prescribed, Armour Thyroid medicine for the treatment of hypothyroidism, their GP should be permitted to continue to prescribe the medicine.

Prescribers must ensure that the medicines considered appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and take account of the appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness and the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.

The National Institute for Health and Care and Excellence recommends that natural thyroid or armour thyroid extract should not be offered for the management of primary hypothyroidism due to insufficient evidence that it offers greater benefits than levothyroxine.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what alternative medicine will be made available to patients for the treatment of hypothyroidism in the event that (1) Liothyronine (T3), and (2) Levothyroxine (T4), medications prove to be ineffective.

In the event of a medicine proving ineffective, a general practitioner or other responsible clinician should work with the patient to determine the most appropriate course of action or further treatment. Prescribers should ensure that the medicines considered appropriate for the patients can be safely prescribed and take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness and the local commissioning decisions of the local integrated care board. Arrangements for monitoring the effects of the medicines should be agreed with the patient on prescribing.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they intend to have with NHS England concerning the policy of the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board to withdraw funding from the prescribing of Armour Thyroid medicine for the treatment of hypothyroidism.

There are no current plans to have discussions with NHS England. NHS Devon Integrated Care Board has policies in place to support patients with hypothyroidism and follows national guidance which states that there is no convincing evidence to support routine use of thyroid extracts, armour thyroid, in managing hypothyroidism.

The National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) recommends that natural thyroid extract should not be offered for the management of primary hypothyroidism as there is not enough evidence that it offers benefits over levothyroxine. Natural thyroid extract does not have a United Kingdom marketing authorisation.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to roll out on the NHS the Minderoo Precision Brain Tumour Programme (MPBTP) introduced at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge to improve care for brain cancer patients.

The Minderoo Precision Brain Tumour Programme has recruited over 100 patients for whole genome sequencing in its first year and has returned results within three weeks of surgery on average. This has led to funding for a United Kingdom precision platform trial in brain cancer, which is anticipated to be available to patients at specific centres in 2023. The deployment dates and locations of these centres will be determined by a separate selection process.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the funding they provide for cancer research is spent on brain tumours.

The Department invests £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s research expenditure for all cancers in 2020/21 was £73.5 million and 7.3% was spent on brain tumour research. Information on expenditure in 2021/22 will be available in 2023.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to increase research into the (1) causes of, and (2) treatments for, brain tumours.

In May 2018, the Government announced £40 million over five years for brain cancer research through the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). While the NIHR requested funding applications on brain tumour research, this a difficult area with a relatively small research community. The NIHR will provide funding for research training elements of the Tessa Jowell Fellowships to train specialist brain tumour oncologists.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve after care for patients who have received surgery for the treatment of brain tumours.

Where appropriate, every person diagnosed with cancer will have access to personalised care, including needs assessment, a care plan and health and wellbeing information and support. This is being delivered through the National Health Service comprehensive model of personalised care, empowering patients to manage their care and and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support. All patients will have access to the appropriate expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker. After treatment, patients move to a follow-up pathway to suit their needs, which ensures rapid access to clinical support is available should they have concerns regarding their health.

NHS England is reviewing and updating all service specifications, which describe the relevant specialists involved in clinical multidisciplinary teams to optimise patient care.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to commission the Cambridge Children’s Hospital; and when they expect the hospital to become operational.

In 2018, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was allocated £100 million of Wave 4 Sustainability and Transformation Partnership funding for Cambridge Children’s Hospital. The Department and NHS England are working with the Trust regarding plans for the scheme, including delivery timescales.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the letter sent from the National Data Guardian to NHS Integrated Care Systems and Senior Information Risk Owners on 1 November (NDG reference 299/1541); and whether they will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

A copy of the letter sent by the National Data Guardian to National Health Service integrated care systems and Senior Information Risk Owners on 7 November is attached. This letter was published by the National Data Guardian on 23 November 2022.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions they have made to enable patients to dissent from the secondary use of their patient data within the Federated Data Platform, including pursuant to rights under (1) the National Data Opt-Out, and (2) the Data Protection Act 2018, incorporating the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

Any patient can opt out from the sharing of their data for secondary use purposes in line with the National Data Opt-Out policy. This can be done at any time through the NHS App, online, by phone, email or post. Implementation of the National Data Opt-Out policy has been mandatory for health and adult social care organisations since 31 July 2022.

The procurement process for the Federated Data Platform has not yet commenced. Once operational, data will be treated in accordance with the provisions set out in the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation. Opted out data will be separated from non-opted out data prior to the commencement of secondary use.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government on what statutory basis NHS Digital has made the judgment that individual level pseudonymised data is not personal data.

NHS Digital has not judged that individual level pseudonymised data is not personal data. NHS Digital processes this data on the basis that it is personal data, in line with the definition within the UK General Data Protection Regulations and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reports on 13 November that Shared Care Record systems will be moved into the proposed Federated Data Platform without the seeking of further patient consent, what assessment they have made of (1) the Summary Care Record system, (2) the implications for this System of the proposed moves.

Shared Care Records and the Federated Data Platform will operate separately. Shared Care Records will ensure that authorised health and care professionals providing direct care to patients have safe, secure and ready access to the person-based records and care plans required to provide high quality, individual and integrated care.

There must be a clear, legal basis to use data held in Shared Care Records for purposes other than direct care, which includes explicit patient consent. Approval may be given under the Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002, subject to advice from the Confidentiality Advisory Group of the Health Research Authority, which protects and promotes the interests of patients and the public while facilitating appropriate use of confidential patient information for purposes beyond direct patient care.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
31st Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist on 26 September (HL2123), how many of the 30 clinical negligence claims taken to trial in 2021/22 went to (1) the High Court, or (2) the County Courts.

Following our previous response, NHS Resolution has reviewed the 30 cases taken to trial. It has subsequently identified that one claim was incorrectly classified as having been taken to trial. NHS Resolution has confirmed that of the 29 clinical negligence claims taken to trial in 2021/22, nine were heard in the higher courts, including the High Court and 20 in the county courts.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will require the NHS to ensure that there is high level responsibility held by a named individual within the NHS for commissioning wheelchair and postural seating services throughout England.

There are no plans to do so. NHS England determines policy and strategy for integrated care boards (ICBs), with the Director of Personalised Care and Community Services having responsibility for wheelchair services. ICBs are responsible for commissioning and ensuring healthcare needs of local communities are met and providers are required to ensure statutory responsibilities are met for the delivery of safe, effective, efficient, high quality services.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the annual spend on wheelchair and postural seating services over the last 10 years.

The Minister of State for Social Care (Helen Whately MP) has Ministerial responsibility for disabilities.

From 2015, the former clinical commissioning groups were required to report total expenditure to include assessment, service and equipment provision, repair and maintenance. The following table shows annual reported expenditure on National Health Service wheelchair and postural seating services in England in each year from 2015/16 to 2021/22. Data is not available for 2020/21 as wheelchair services were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and data collection was paused from Quarter 4 2019/20. This also affects the total reported expenditure in 2019/20.

2015/16

£206,591,040.77

2016/17

£316,185,584.99

2017/18

£323,756,903.84

2018/19

£326,799,889.59

2019/20

£278,109,614.50

2020/21

N/A

2021/22

£355,300,084.00

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that there is a named minister with responsibility for wheelchair and postural seating services specifically stated in their portfolio.

The Minister of State for Social Care (Helen Whately MP) has Ministerial responsibility for disabilities.

From 2015, the former clinical commissioning groups were required to report total expenditure to include assessment, service and equipment provision, repair and maintenance. The following table shows annual reported expenditure on National Health Service wheelchair and postural seating services in England in each year from 2015/16 to 2021/22. Data is not available for 2020/21 as wheelchair services were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and data collection was paused from Quarter 4 2019/20. This also affects the total reported expenditure in 2019/20.

2015/16

£206,591,040.77

2016/17

£316,185,584.99

2017/18

£323,756,903.84

2018/19

£326,799,889.59

2019/20

£278,109,614.50

2020/21

N/A

2021/22

£355,300,084.00

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the information given to users of wheelchair services as to (1) how, and (2) where, to (a) access services, and to (b) report feedback and concerns, as identified in the report by Frontier Economics, commissioned by Motability and the Wheelchair Alliance An Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England, published on 6 May.

NHS England has assessed the report by Frontier Economics and has compared the findings to existing policy and data requirements for wheelchair provision for integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for commissioning and providing wheelchair services for local populations, supported by NHS England. NHS England has established a national wheelchair dataset which reviews waiting times during care pathways to enable targeted action if improvements are required. It has also developed a wheelchair currency model for providers, commissioners and systems to understand complexities in patient populations and support commissioning using the currencies as an evidence base. The model also supports benchmarking across localities and nationally.

NHS England’s service specification for wheelchair services enables ICBs to review and improve local wheelchair services and the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets and legal rights offers a framework to commission personalised and integrated wheelchair services. ICBs are responsible for providing information on local provision of wheelchair services and providers have a responsibility to ensure that users can provide feedback and or raise concerns.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the delays in people receiving (1) timely intervention, and (2) wheelchair equipment, identified in the report by Frontier Economics and commissioned by Motability and the Wheelchair Alliance An Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England, published on 6 May.

NHS England has assessed the report by Frontier Economics and has compared the findings to existing policy and data requirements for wheelchair provision for integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for commissioning and providing wheelchair services for local populations, supported by NHS England. NHS England has established a national wheelchair dataset which reviews waiting times during care pathways to enable targeted action if improvements are required. It has also developed a wheelchair currency model for providers, commissioners and systems to understand complexities in patient populations and support commissioning using the currencies as an evidence base. The model also supports benchmarking across localities and nationally.

NHS England’s service specification for wheelchair services enables ICBs to review and improve local wheelchair services and the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets and legal rights offers a framework to commission personalised and integrated wheelchair services. ICBs are responsible for providing information on local provision of wheelchair services and providers have a responsibility to ensure that users can provide feedback and or raise concerns.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the regional variation in (1) quality, and (2) provision, of NHS wheelchair services, identified by Frontier Economics in their report An Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England, published on 6 May.

NHS England has assessed the report by Frontier Economics and has compared the findings to existing policy and data requirements for wheelchair provision for integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for commissioning and providing wheelchair services for local populations, supported by NHS England. NHS England has established a national wheelchair dataset which reviews waiting times during care pathways to enable targeted action if improvements are required. It has also developed a wheelchair currency model for providers, commissioners and systems to understand complexities in patient populations and support commissioning using the currencies as an evidence base. The model also supports benchmarking across localities and nationally.

NHS England’s service specification for wheelchair services enables ICBs to review and improve local wheelchair services and the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets and legal rights offers a framework to commission personalised and integrated wheelchair services. ICBs are responsible for providing information on local provision of wheelchair services and providers have a responsibility to ensure that users can provide feedback and or raise concerns.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Frontier Economics, commissioned by Motability and The Wheelchair Alliance An Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England, published on 6 May.

NHS England has assessed the report by Frontier Economics and has compared the findings to existing policy and data requirements for wheelchair provision for integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for commissioning and providing wheelchair services for local populations, supported by NHS England. NHS England has established a national wheelchair dataset which reviews waiting times during care pathways to enable targeted action if improvements are required. It has also developed a wheelchair currency model for providers, commissioners and systems to understand complexities in patient populations and support commissioning using the currencies as an evidence base. The model also supports benchmarking across localities and nationally.

NHS England’s service specification for wheelchair services enables ICBs to review and improve local wheelchair services and the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets and legal rights offers a framework to commission personalised and integrated wheelchair services. ICBs are responsible for providing information on local provision of wheelchair services and providers have a responsibility to ensure that users can provide feedback and or raise concerns.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by researchers at the University of Cambridge, Preparing for the next pandemic: reserve laboratory staff are crucial, published on 27 September, which recommends that a system of reservist lab scientists should be set up to provide surge capacity to support the response to future outbreaks of infectious disease.

The UK Health Security Agency is the permanent standing capacity to prepare for, prevent and respond to threats to health. The Centre for Pandemic Preparedness within the UKHSA, will work with the Department and NHS England to ensure the United Kingdom is protected against future health threats.

The UKHSA has specialist staff, including laboratory-based staff in specialities such as epidemiology, genomics, microbiology, toxicology and other areas. A workforce model, including a register of reserves, is under development with other measures to ensure sufficient expertise is available to deploy on an emergency basis.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research by scientists at the University of Cambridge Pre-diagnostic cognitive and functional impairment in multiple sporadic neurodegenerative diseases published on 12 October; and what steps they plan to take to support early diagnoses of dementia-related diseases.

While no specific assessment has been made, we welcome research on the early detection of dementia and neurodegeneration which may enable targeted treatments for those most at risk.

In November 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Research issued a £9 million invitation for research proposals on digital approaches to the early detection and diagnosis of dementia. In addition, in 2021/22 we made £17 million available to clinical commissioning groups to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government how many clinical negligence cases brought against the NHS in England were funded by (1) a conditional fee agreement, (2) legal aid, or (3) by some other form of funding, in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The following table shows the number of cases notified through NHS Resolution’s clinical negligence indemnity schemes in each year since 2017/18, by funding arrangement. This excludes cases under the Existing Liabilities Scheme for General Practice, which addresses inherited liabilities.

Funding arrangement

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

Conditional fee agreement

8,444

8,303

8,409

8,262

8,172

Legal Aid

157

148

105

100

58

Other funding

2,067

2,221

3,163

3,427

3,556

Total

10,668

10,672

11,677

11,789

11,786

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken since March 2021, other than rolling out vaccinations, to ensure that the UK healthcare system is better prepared for (1) a further surge of COVID-19, and (2) a new pandemic, than it was in March 2020 and January 2021.

The National Health Service winter resilience plans will increase capacity for winter 2022/23, with the equivalent of at least 7,000 general and acute beds, including the use of innovative virtual wards to treat patients safely at home.

To prepare for future pandemics, updated planning scenarios have been developed that reflect the impact of a broader range of pathogens with pandemic potential. These scenarios are being used to inform the requirements for robust, flexible and deployable capabilities which can be adapted to outbreaks of different scales and characteristics.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) became fully operational on 1 October 2021 and includes the new Centre for Pandemic Preparedness. Working with the Department and NHS England, the UKHSA will ensure that measures are in place to protect against all future health threats, including pandemics, through the enhanced capabilities deployed to address COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government how much Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they currently have in stock in preparation for a further surge of COVID-19; and whether they will list the main suppliers for the current stock.

As of September 2022, the Department holds 9.4 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE), which could be used in response to a further wave of COVID-19. The Department has committed to providing PPE for free until the end of March 2023 and holds sufficient stocks to meet projected demand across all categories.

We are unable to provide the information requested on the suppliers for current stocks. When a product is quality assured and joins the supply chain, its source is not recorded.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK manufacturing base for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been strengthened.

The Department signed contracts with approximately 30 United Kingdom-based companies for 3.9 billion units of personal protective equipment (PPE), which have been successfully delivered. UK manufacturers remain on NHS Supply Chain’s framework agreements to provide PPE to the National Health Service. NHS Supply Chain and the Department continue to work with UK PPE manufacturers to ensure resilience in supplies.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Sep 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, with reference to figure 8 in the NHS Resolution annual report and accounts 2021/22, whether they will specify the number of clinical negligence claims settled in the year 2021/22.

The following table shows the number of clinical negligence claims settled in 2021/22, whether damages were paid and the status of the proceedings of these claims.

No proceedings

Proceedings with no trial

Trial

Damages paid

4,555 claims

2,207 claims

11 claims

Nil damages

5,539 claims

739 Claims

19 claims

Source: NHS Resolution

Notes:

  1. The percentage figures in the table may not add to exactly 100% due to rounding.
  2. NHS Resolution has identified that the text accompanying figure 8 of the Annual Reports and Accounts refers to the percentage of clinical negligence claims that have resolved without damages in 2021/22 as 48.5%. The correct figure is 48.2%. NHS Resolution is arranging for an update to the amendments section of its annual report and accounts.
8th Jul 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide an update on the procurement of Palantir as the preferred supplier of NHS England's Federated Data Platform.

The Federated Data Platform will be procured by NHS England via an open competition, in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The competition is open to all suppliers and will abide by all the core principles of the Regulations, including transparency, non-discrimination, equal treatment and proportionality. It is anticipated that the procurement will launch in September 2022. A preferred supplier will not be selected until the competition has completed.

8th Jul 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the complete list of 'Purposes' currently active in the COVID-19 Data Store's National Data Platform, as defined by the 'Purpose-Based Access Control' feature in Palantir’s Foundry software.

A copy of the ‘purposes’ and the associated work areas or ‘capabilities’ contained in NHS England’s COVID-19 Data Store National Data Platform is attached, due to the size of the data.

7th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 17 May (HL71), what is the average rate of staff turnover within the Coronavirus Test Device Approval team since its implementation; and what steps they are taking to ensure that this does not affect the ability of the review team, including new scientific advisors, to address the ongoing COVID diagnostics application backlog.

We are unable to provide the information requested on average staff turnover as it is not held in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The number of scientific advisors has remained stable. There are six new posts currently advertised to recruit permanent civil servants as scientific advisors, to replace contractors in these roles. In addition, organisational learning is being recorded to ensure continuity, including a new management information system and appropriate handover periods as staff are replaced.

25th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 17 May (HL147), how the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraisals of (1) Sacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy), and (2) Tucatinib (Tukysa) with trastuzumab and capecitabine, were included in the statistic cited as 100 per cent of guidance of new medicines being issued within three months of a licence in 2021/22, where NICE proceeded to appraisal.

The appraisal of sacituzumab govitecan is not included in this statistic as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not yet issued its final guidance. The appraisal of tucatinib is not recorded by the timeliness metric for 2021/22 as NICE’s final guidance was issued in the 2022/23 business year.

NICE issued final guidance within 90 days of licensing for 100% of published appraisals of new active substances where timelines were within NICE’s control. Topics outside of this timeframe were impacted by external factors such as where a company requested a delay to NICE’s evaluation.

25th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Research to Reality, published in April, what discussions they have had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about embedding patient reported outcomes in their (1) methods, and (2) processes, for reviewing (a) medicines, and (b) medical devices.

The Department participated in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) recent review of its methods and processes for health technology evaluations. Patient-reported outcome measures are embedded throughout NICE’s process and methods for reviewing medicines and medical devices.

25th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by JDRF Research to Reality, published in April, what discussions they have had with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) around embedding patient reported outcomes in their procedures.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will develop processes for patient engagement and involvement and has committed to publish information on how this is achieved. The MHRA intends to embed these processes by December 2022.

23rd May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 20 April (HL7747), whether the "Immunisation and Vaccination Management Capability" includes non-COVID vaccinations such as influenza; what is the legal basis for that capability; and what are the legal bases for the processing by Palantir of (1) individual-level, (2) identifiable, and (3) named, patient data for the "Trust Care Coordination Solution".

The Immunisation and Vaccination Management Capability includes non-COVID-19 vaccinations, such as influenza and is compliant with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), specifically in the category of “provision of health and social care” and “public interest in the area of public health”. The Capability does not process patient-identifiable data.

National Health Service trusts using the Trust Care Co-ordination Solution remain the controllers of patient data and appoint processors such as Palantir to undertake processing tasks at its direction or on its behalf. The Solution directly supports patient care delivered by NHS trusts under the UK GDPR as the processing of “public task/official authority”

11th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address capacity issues being experienced by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) commits to publishing draft recommendations on new medicines approximately at the time of licensing, with final guidance within three months of licensing wherever possible. In 2021/22, guidance was issued within three months of a licence for 100% of new medicines where NICE proceeded to appraisal and 98 technology appraisals were published, meeting the target in its business plan.

The Department holds regular accountability meetings with NICE to discuss a range of issues, including the delivery of its commitments. NICE is prioritising the flexibility and capacity of its technology appraisal programme through a more proportionate approach to assessments. From April 2023, NICE aims to expand its capacity for technology appraisals by 20% to respond to the increasing numbers of topics referred for appraisal.

11th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence in relation to its plans to deal with capacity issues.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) commits to publishing draft recommendations on new medicines approximately at the time of licensing, with final guidance within three months of licensing wherever possible. In 2021/22, guidance was issued within three months of a licence for 100% of new medicines where NICE proceeded to appraisal and 98 technology appraisals were published, meeting the target in its business plan.

The Department holds regular accountability meetings with NICE to discuss a range of issues, including the delivery of its commitments. NICE is prioritising the flexibility and capacity of its technology appraisal programme through a more proportionate approach to assessments. From April 2023, NICE aims to expand its capacity for technology appraisals by 20% to respond to the increasing numbers of topics referred for appraisal.

11th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) impact on technology appraisals, and (2) timely access to medicines, of current capacity issues experienced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) commits to publishing draft recommendations on new medicines approximately at the time of licensing, with final guidance within three months of licensing wherever possible. In 2021/22, guidance was issued within three months of a licence for 100% of new medicines where NICE proceeded to appraisal and 98 technology appraisals were published, meeting the target in its business plan.

The Department holds regular accountability meetings with NICE to discuss a range of issues, including the delivery of its commitments. NICE is prioritising the flexibility and capacity of its technology appraisal programme through a more proportionate approach to assessments. From April 2023, NICE aims to expand its capacity for technology appraisals by 20% to respond to the increasing numbers of topics referred for appraisal.

11th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with the diagnostics industry to (1) solicit, and (2) implement, feedback on the (a) efficiency, and (b) transparency, of regulatory bodies as part of ongoing reviews of the Coronavirus Test Device Approvals process.

The UK Health Security Agency regularly engages with the diagnostics industry in the United Kingdom and others on the Coronavirus Test Device Approvals (CTDA) process. We will review the CTDA process due by the end of the year and consider its efficiency and transparency.

11th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held, if any, with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in relation to the delay in its committee meeting to discuss the use of the drug Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan) for certain patients living with triple negative secondary breast cancer.

The Department and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have discussed the decision to reschedule the committee meeting for the appraisal of Trodelvy to June 2022. This was due to the large number of other items, including other cancer treatments, on the agenda for the meeting in May and ensuring all topics were given the appropriate time and diligence. The consultation for this appraisal received a high number of responses and NICE wishes to ensure sufficient time for the committee to consider this feedback. NICE expects to issue final guidance on Trodelvy in August 2022.

11th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to re-evaluate the Coronavirus Test Device Approvals process in relation to future pandemics; and whether the approval process for new diagnostic tests for other infectious diseases will remain under the authority of the UK Health Security Agency.

The Coronavirus Test Device Approvals (CTDA) process is designed to evaluate mature COVID-19 testing technologies and the scope of the policy is kept under review. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has consulted with industry and the public on the expansion of the CTDA process and is currently analysing the responses received. The UKHSA is considering its regulatory role in relation to testing for other infectious diseases and we have committed to reviewing the CTDA process by the end of 2022.

10th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the reported bottleneck in the Coronavirus Test Device Approval process.

Current delays in the Coronavirus Test Device Approval (CTDA) process have been due to further information being sought from applicants during the validation process. However, to ensure applications meet the required standards, expert support has been provided by officials, with 60% of approvals being processed in the last three months.

The number of scientific advisors has also been increased to meet demand. Online guidance for applicants has also been updated to provide greater clarity for acceptance criteria for the range of viral loads within positive samples. Officials continue to work with applicants to provide support during the process and minimise any potential delays.

10th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they conducted a cost analysis before the implementation of the Coronavirus Test Device Approvals process; and how the desktop review fee amount for test applications was decided.

The Department’s online only impact assessment included a cost analysis and calculations on the implementation of the Coronavirus Test Device Approvals process. It is intended that this regulation should be cost neutral for taxpayers and as such, the Government recovers the costs from applicants, while ensuring fees are as low as possible. However, through engagement in a public consultation and with industry, we recognised concerns on ensuring smaller businesses can access the market. Therefore a discounted rate of 55% is offered, in line with taxation benefits for research and development spending offered to small to medium-sized enterprises. We have committed to review the policy at the end of 2022.

10th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish the names of the organisations which took part in the early engagement programme with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence before the publication of its new methods and processes for its health technology evaluation programme.

While there was no specific early engagement programme, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) recent review of its methods and processes for health technology evaluation was overseen by a steering group and working group. The organisations which participated in these groups are as follows:

Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, NICE;

Centre for Guidelines, NICE;

Centre for Health Economics, University of York;

NHS England and NHS Improvement;

The Office for Life Sciences;

The Department of Health and Social Care;

NICE appraisal committee;

British In Vitro Diagnostics Association;

The Association of the British Pharmaceuticals Industry;

The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance;

The British Medical Journal Technology Assessment Group;

The Ethical Medicines Industry Group;

The BioIndustry Association;

Genetic Alliance;

ReCor Medical UK, Association of British HealthTech Industries;

School of Health and Related Research, the University of Sheffield;

Alzheimer's Research UK.

10th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they are currently undertaking, if any, to identify topics which require modular updates by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and which may be facilitated for entry to managed access.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) outline for future modular updates was published in the January 2022 board paper Review of methods, processes and topic selection for health technology evaluation programmes: conclusions and final update. The paper states that NICE has identified potential topics for future modular reviews, including processes to facilitate rapid entry to managed access, methods issues for digital, genomic and antimicrobial technologies and the societal value of health benefits in severe diseases and health inequalities. A copy of the paper is attached. During the implementation of NICE’s strategy 2021 to 2026, it will prioritise developing a proportionate approach to health technology appraisals and MedTech early value assessment in the next 12 months.

26th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the NHS meets core targets on performance, including (1) the standard of 95 per cent of patients being admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours of arrival, (2) the 18 week referral-to-treatment target for planned (elective) consultant-led care, and (3) the 62 day wait standard for cancer.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

26th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address social worker shortages in (1) specialist adult cystic fibrosis centres, and (2) specialist paediatric cystic fibrosis centres.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

26th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the state of primary care in the NHS.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

6th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of the projects that have been given access to the Palantir Foundry parts of NHS England’s COVID-19 Data Store.

Palantir provide the National Health Service with a software platform for the secure, reliable and timely processing of data. Within the platform, NHS analysts have developed dashboards, forecasts and planning tools, using de-identified data. These are known as use cases, which are as follows:

  • The Strategic Decision-Makers Dashboard, which provides a unified dashboard to assist executives across the health and care system to coordinate the national response to COVID-19;

  • The Recovery of Critical Services Dashboard supports service recovery planning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;

  • The Early Warning System forecasts COVID-19 patient admissions and types of bed capacity three weeks in advance;

  • The Supply Management Capability provides tools to manage the supply and demand of classification resources such as personal protective equipment, ventilation and oxygen equipment and intensive care unit consumables, supporting end-to-end management of these resources;

  • The Immunisation and Vaccination Management Capability enables the end-to-end management of the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme; and

  • The Trust Care Coordination Solution provides trusts with functionality and modules to cleanse elective waiting lists and optimise theatre scheduling and capacity.

4th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the endorsement by the Ockenden Review, published on 30 March, of the recommendations of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee's report The safety of maternity services in England (Session 2021–22, HC19).

We have committed to implement the specific recommendations made by the Ockenden Review. This includes £127 million for maternity services in England to increase the workforce and fund programmes to strengthen leadership and retention. This is in addition to £95 million announced in 2021 to support the recruitment of 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians and multi-disciplinary team training.

The Review endorsed the Department’s plans to create a special health authority to continue the maternity investigation programme run by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch. We will continue to plan for the special health authority to commence its work from April 2023.

17th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government which sectors have been consulted as part of (1) the Health Education England's review of long-term strategic trends for the health and social care workforce, and (2) the upcoming NHS England strategy.

In July 2021, the Department commissioned Health Education England (HEE) to with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Skills for Care and stakeholders in the health and social care sectors to develop a long term strategic framework for health and social care workforce planning. Engagement has taken place with senior leaders, frontline staff, the future workforce, academics, think tanks, charities, trade unions, those who receive and care and support and their representatives.

A call for evidence took place in autumn 2021. which elicited 322 responses. Over half of responses were from individuals, which included members of the health and social care workforce, people who need and receive care and support and interested individuals. The remaining responses were received from organisations, including trade unions, charities, professional bodies and Royal Colleges. HEE has held three large-scale events to support the development of the framework, engaging over 200 senior leaders and professionals in the health and social care system, as well as people who need and receive care and their representatives.

The Department has recently commissioned NHS England and NHS Improvement to develop a workforce strategy. Further information on the strategy and its conclusions will be available in due course.

17th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the terms of reference for NHS England's upcoming workforce strategy.

Further information on the strategy, its conclusions and terms of reference will be published in due course.

17th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether community pharmacists have been considered as part of NHS England's upcoming workforce strategy.

Further information on the strategy, including which staff groups will be within its scope, will be available in due course.

15th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of removing free lateral flow testing for care home visitors on unpaid carers.

The testing regime in adult social care from 1 April 2022 is currently under review and further details will be available shortly. We will continue to keep the impact of these COVID-19 policies on people with caring responsibilities, including unpaid carers, under review.

15th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the role of the Care Quality Commission in addressing (1) residential care home visits being blocked following a complaint being raised, and (2) evictions from residential care homes following a complaint being raised.

Blocking visits or evicting a patient following a complaint being raised would be a breach of existing regulations and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is clear that appropriate action will be taken if it finds a provider has failed in its responsibilities. Any such cases shared with the CQC will be investigated as part of its ongoing monitoring of providers. The CQC reinforces the principle that care homes must enable, rather than restrict, visiting and blanket bans on visiting are unacceptable. The CQC seeks assurances from care home providers on how visits are enabled and verifies this information during inspections.

Although the CQC is not able to address individual complaints, it can direct people to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which can investigate such complaints in all adult care services.

15th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to grant the Care Quality Commission the authority to investigate individual complaints.

We have no plans to do so. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigates individual complaints about adult social care services, whereas the Care Quality Commission monitors, inspects and regulates health and care services to ensure they meet standards of quality and safety. While independent, the two organisations share information where appropriate.

15th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the complaints system for people raising concerns about care or a care setting.

By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints and those who have experienced poor-quality care have the right to complain to the organisation which provided or paid for the care. If an individual is not satisfied with the way a provider or local authority has dealt with a complaint, they may escalate it to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The Care Quality Commission also reviews how providers address complaints when reviewing how responsive and well-led a care home is, in addition to ensuring residents and relatives know how to raise concerns and feel they are listened to. We will keep the potential for further action to improve the complaints system under review.

3rd Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the publication by NICE of NICE healthy technology evaluations: the manual on 22 January, how they plan to define “sufficient evidence” while recognising that in early-stage development and “true” innovation there may not be a comparator for evidential purpose.

There is no plan to define sufficient evidence. Decisions on whether there is sufficient evidence to recommend a technology as clinically and cost effective are taken by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in line with its established methods and processes and through consultation with interested parties.

Where there is uncertainty, NICE is able to recommend the most promising new cancer medicines for use through the Cancer Drugs Fund, which supports patient access while further information is collected on effectiveness to inform a future decision on routine funding. NICE and NHS England and NHS Improvement have recently consulted on proposals to create an Innovative Medicines Fund that will extend the Cancer Drugs Fund model to non-cancer drugs.

3rd Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further the publication by NICE of NICE healthy technology evaluations: the manual on 22 January, how they plan to fast-track any “true innovation” which is supported by (a) NICE MedTech Innovation Briefing, or (b) other “sufficient” evidence, into the relevant NHS Supply Chain Framework agreement.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has no current plans to fast-track any ‘true innovation’ supported by MedTech Innovation Briefings (MIBs) or other ‘sufficient’ evidence. NICE’s MIBs are designed to support the National Health Service, social care commissioners and staff considering using new medical devices and other medical or diagnostic technologies. MIBs aim to be fast, flexible and responsive to the need for information on innovative technologies, which do not make recommendations or constitute NICE guidance and follow a much shorter development process.

In addition, technologies where NICE has issued a MIB are not automatically adopted into the NHS Supply Chain. It is for the relevant commissioner to make decisions on usage, taking into account the available evidence. Should production capacity be unable to meet MIBs’ demand in a given period, prioritisation of the commissioning schedule will be made based on the importance of the topics to the NHS and in discussion with NHS England where necessary.

The MedTech Funding Mandate was introduced in April 2021 to support an accelerated uptake of clinically effective and cost-saving medical devices, diagnostics and digital technologies recommended through NICE’s medical technologies or diagnostics guidance. NHS Supply Chain was the agreed route for the first four products selected by NHS England and NHS Improvement to be funded in 2021/22.

28th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further recent decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS in England, what steps they will take (1) to develop a definition of innovation that differentiates transformative technologies, and (2) to consult on such a definition.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has embedded relevant considerations for innovative technologies throughout its health technology evaluations. NICE has not defined innovation in its updated methods and processes manual for health technology assessments. However, NICE will work with other partners from the Accelerated Access Collaborative to develop a definition of ‘disruptive technologies’. NICE keeps its methods and processes under review and will consult with stakeholders on any proposed changes.

28th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with providers of care homes in England on the impact of changes in models of care that have resulted in decisions to close care homes.

The Department has engaged with over 200 stakeholders, including providers of care across every region in England. We will continue to engage with providers as social care reform plans are implemented. As part of the reforms, we are aiming to support a range of models of care that will promote personalisation to better meet individuals’ needs.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their populations and to develop and build local market capacity. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a temporary duty to ensure continuity of care if a provider fails or exits the market.

28th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of care home closures in England since 2019 on the ability of the NHS to discharge elderly patients from hospital.

No formal assessment has been made. We have established a national discharge taskforce to reduce delayed discharges and ensure patients are only in hospital for as long as they need to be. In addition, we have provided £462.5 million via local authorities during the winter for care providers to increase recruitment and existing care support.

28th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) number of care home closures in England in the past three years, and (2) the impact these closures have had on the health and wellbeing of the residents affected.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) publishes data on locations that were previously regulated by the CQC and have since been deactivated. A location can be deactivated for several reasons and does not mean that the service has closed in every instance. For example, it may have re-registered due to changes in its legal structure or its address.

The following table below shows the number of care home deactivations in England in each year from 2019 to January 2022.

Year of deactivation

Total number of care home deactivations

2019

544

2020

426

2021

486

2022

52

Note:

A nursing home is a ‘care home service with nursing’ and a residential home is a ‘care home without nursing’. A care home location which has both service types is also classified as a nursing home.

The figures provided represent the number of care homes that have deactivated excluding locations that have a published 'successor' organisation where the service continues, but under new registration due to a legal entity change or a change in the provider. It may take several months for a ’successor’ location to be published following a location deactivating and a new location activating. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities also have a temporary duty to ensure continuity of care if a provider fails or exits the market.

No specific assessment has been made of the impact of care home closures on the health and wellbeing of residents.

28th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the transparency and accountability of (1) charitable, and (2) private, care home providers in England.

We are exploring ways to allow more transparent feedback about services and offer other comparative information, including on price. Providers are accountable to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The CQC regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of safety and quality. When registering with the CQC, providers must demonstrate they meet a range of suitability criteria, including suitable premises and that they have the financial resources needed to provide and continue to provide the services as described in their application to the required standards.

24th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that members of the public are given a direct opportunity to raise concerns about matters relating to (1) health, and (2) care, at the meetings of (a) Integrated Care Boards, (b) Integrated Care Partnerships, and (c) Health and Well-Being Boards.

The Health and Care Bill proposes duties on integrated care boards (ICBs) to involve people in their decisions about health and care. Subject to the passage of the Bill, ICBs, integrated care partnerships and Health and Wellbeing Boards will have duties to consult with or involve the public in their plans and strategies. Currently, NHS England assesses each clinical commissioning group on its delivery against the patient and public involvement duties through the NHS Oversight Framework. We expect that this will continue for Integrated Care Boards. Each area should determine how to involved its population most effectively, including through attendance at meetings.

24th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that meetings of (1) Integrated Care Boards, (2) Integrated Care Partnerships, and (3) Health and Well-Being Boards, are held in public.

The government expects integrated care boards (ICBs), integrated care partnerships (ICPs), and Health and Wellbeing Boards to operate in an open and transparent manner, including holding meetings in public. ICBs and Health and Wellbeing Boards will be subject to the requirement in the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 to hold meetings in public, excepting certain specific circumstances. While not subject to the 1960 Act, we have been clear that we expect ICPs to follow the same principles.

22nd Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that it is not discriminating against people with protected beliefs within its employment process.

No formal assessment of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s appointments process for non-executives has been made. The appointment of chairs and non-executive directors of National Health Service foundation trusts is conducted by the council of governors which is obliged to comply with all equality laws and recruitment best practice.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, as with other NHS trusts and foundation trusts, apply equality laws and best practice during recruitment and welcome applications from any suitably qualified candidate. This includes whether the candidate meets the NHS-wide criteria of promoting and respecting equality, diversity, and inclusion.

In 2013, Monitor published Your statutory duties: A reference guide for NHS foundation trust governors. This guidance sets out the statutory duties for governors of NHS foundation trusts, including appointing and removing the chair and other non-executive directors. The guidance states that the procedure for all appointments or reappointments must be formal, rigorous and transparent. The appointment must be awarded on merit and based on objective criteria

developed in the best interests of the trust. The process should be described in the NHS foundation trust’s annual report. A copy of the guidance is attached.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is now receiving mandated support from NHS England and NHS Improvement under the System Oversight Framework.

22nd Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to issue advice to NHS Foundation Trusts on the appointment process of Chairs and non-executives to ensure that applicants’ views on gender are not used to exclude them from consideration.

No formal assessment of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s appointments process for non-executives has been made. The appointment of chairs and non-executive directors of National Health Service foundation trusts is conducted by the council of governors which is obliged to comply with all equality laws and recruitment best practice.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, as with other NHS trusts and foundation trusts, apply equality laws and best practice during recruitment and welcome applications from any suitably qualified candidate. This includes whether the candidate meets the NHS-wide criteria of promoting and respecting equality, diversity, and inclusion.

In 2013, Monitor published Your statutory duties: A reference guide for NHS foundation trust governors. This guidance sets out the statutory duties for governors of NHS foundation trusts, including appointing and removing the chair and other non-executive directors. The guidance states that the procedure for all appointments or reappointments must be formal, rigorous and transparent. The appointment must be awarded on merit and based on objective criteria

developed in the best interests of the trust. The process should be described in the NHS foundation trust’s annual report. A copy of the guidance is attached.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is now receiving mandated support from NHS England and NHS Improvement under the System Oversight Framework.

22nd Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the appointments process for non-executives on the Board of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that applicants are not excluded from consideration based on their views of gender.

No formal assessment of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s appointments process for non-executives has been made. The appointment of chairs and non-executive directors of National Health Service foundation trusts is conducted by the council of governors which is obliged to comply with all equality laws and recruitment best practice.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, as with other NHS trusts and foundation trusts, apply equality laws and best practice during recruitment and welcome applications from any suitably qualified candidate. This includes whether the candidate meets the NHS-wide criteria of promoting and respecting equality, diversity, and inclusion.

In 2013, Monitor published Your statutory duties: A reference guide for NHS foundation trust governors. This guidance sets out the statutory duties for governors of NHS foundation trusts, including appointing and removing the chair and other non-executive directors. The guidance states that the procedure for all appointments or reappointments must be formal, rigorous and transparent. The appointment must be awarded on merit and based on objective criteria

developed in the best interests of the trust. The process should be described in the NHS foundation trust’s annual report. A copy of the guidance is attached.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is now receiving mandated support from NHS England and NHS Improvement under the System Oversight Framework.

10th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in their review of single-sex wards, NHS England will consult women’s groups.

A wide range of stakeholders are being consulted, including women’s groups.

10th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether NHS England will consider local authority members for appointment to the Chairs of Integrated Care Boards.

The minimum membership of integrated care boards (ICBs) includes at least one member from the local authority or local authorities with statutory social care responsibility whose area falls partly or wholly within the area of the ICB. Appointments, or designate appointments, for these ICB board members have not yet been made.

A process has taken place to identify intended ICB chairs, or designate chairs, in preparation for establishment of ICBs. These appointments are anticipated to be confirmed following the completion of the passage of the Health and Care Bill. Individuals with a role in any health and care organisation in a particular area are not eligible for these independent chair roles due to perceived or actual conflicts of interest. This exclusion is not specific to local authority members and applies to anyone with a role in a local health or care organisation.

10th Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether NHS England, in its guidance to the NHS on the appointment of members to Integrated Care Boards, will ask for a rerun of local authority appointments so that local authority members will have an opportunity for appointment.

The minimum membership of integrated care boards (ICBs) includes at least one member from the local authority or local authorities with statutory social care responsibility whose area falls partly or wholly within the area of the ICB. Appointments, or designate appointments, for these ICB board members have not yet been made.

A process has taken place to identify intended ICB chairs, or designate chairs, in preparation for establishment of ICBs. These appointments are anticipated to be confirmed following the completion of the passage of the Health and Care Bill. Individuals with a role in any health and care organisation in a particular area are not eligible for these independent chair roles due to perceived or actual conflicts of interest. This exclusion is not specific to local authority members and applies to anyone with a role in a local health or care organisation.

27th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS, what steps they will take to develop a definition of innovation which differentiates transformative technologies, together with the consultative process that will achieve this.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has embedded relevant considerations for innovative technologies throughout its health technology evaluations. NICE has not defined innovation in its updated methods and processes manual for health technology assessments. However, NICE will work with other partners from the Accelerated Access Collaborative to develop a definition of ‘disruptive technologies’. NICE keeps its methods and processes under review and will consult with stakeholders on any proposed changes.

27th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS, how "sufficient evidence" will be defined recognising that in respect of early-stage development and “true” innovation, there may be no comparator for evidential purpose.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) updated health technology evaluation manual sets out how different types of evidence will be used to inform the evaluation and how comparators will be identified. The potential comparators used in each evaluation are set out in a scope developed through consultation with stakeholders. Decisions on the most appropriate comparator used to make recommendations are taken by expert committees guided by established practice in the National Health Service.

A copy of NICE health technology evaluations: the manual is attached.

27th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS, how they will ensure fast-tracking any true innovation is supported by the NICE MedTech Innovation Briefing (MIB) or other "sufficient evidence" into the relevant concurrent NHS Supply Chain Framework agreement, in order to facilitate the opportunity and time to enable the gathering of "sufficient evidence".

The Medtech Funding Mandate was introduced in April 2021 to support the use of clinically effective and cost-saving medical devices, diagnostics and digital technologies that have been recommended through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) medical technologies or diagnostics guidance. NHS Supply Chain is the agreed route for the first four products selected by NHS England and NHS Improvement to be funded in 2021/22.

NICE’s Medtech innovation briefings are designed to support National Health Service and social care commissioners and staff considering using new medical devices and other medical or diagnostic technologies. The briefings do not constitute NICE guidance but are designed to be fast, flexible and responsive to the need for information on innovative technologies.

26th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish a list of (1) organisations, and (2) project titles, that in 2021 had any access to data via NHS England's National Commissioning Data Repository; and for each organisation or project, whether they will provide a brief description of its purpose.

The National Commissioning Data Repository is only used by NHS England and NHS Improvement employees for commissioning data purposes and does not share data with external organisations. Therefore, NHS England and NHS Improvement do not publish the information requested.

19th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the provision of care homes in Derbyshire, and (2) proposals by Derbyshire County Council to close care homes in the county.

The commissioning of care and support services is a matter for local authorities, who are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their local populations. There are currently 271 active locations registered as care homes in the county of Derbyshire. Of these, nine are rated outstanding, 200 are rated as good, 52 are rated as requires improvement and seven are rated as inadequate. Three services do not currently have a rating.

No assessment has been made of the proposals by Derbyshire County Council.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a temporary duty to ensure people’s needs for care and support continue to be met if a provider fails or exits the market due to business failure. This ensures that people continue to receive the care and support they need if their adult social care provider is no longer able to carry on delivering services.

18th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with Derbyshire County Council regarding the council’s proposals to close care homes in the county.

We have had no such discussions. The commissioning of care and support services is a matter for local authorities, who are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their local populations. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to shape their local markets and ensure that people have a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support options available to them.

Providers entering and exiting, including changes to local authority provided services, is a normal part of a functioning market and local authorities should have appropriate plans in place to minimise any impacts.

18th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to confirm the appointment of the National Clinical Director for Eye Care.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised they are planning to commence the recruitment process shortly for the role of a National Clinical Director for Eye Care.

18th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement targets for NHS eye care services to reduce waiting times for follow-up appointments.

We have no plans to introduce targets. All follow up appointments should take place when clinically appropriate.

13th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) support, and (2) care for, those suffering from Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder.

Services for children with all neurodevelopmental disorders is primarily managed as local to the families as possible by multidisciplinary teams within local Child Development Centres. This ensures joined up local services across health, maternity, education and social care systems.

The National Health Service has commissioned the Paediatric Neurosciences Clinical Reference Group to support the development of pathways of care service specification and to support improvements for patient support and co-ordination. Clear, structured communication between these teams will ensure targeted follow-up of infants at risk.

A multi-disciplinary expert clinical group with experience in responding to and managing teratogen exposure has been established, chaired by Dr Charlie Fairhurst and will report its recommendations to NHS England and NHS Improvement in March 2022.

6th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the MedTech Directorate is taking to ensure effective engagement during the development of strategy for the medical devices market with (1) patient associations, (2) clinician nurse specialist groups, and (3) manufacturers and suppliers of relevant medical devices.

The MedTech strategy is planned for publication in the first half of 2022. It will consider regulation, resilience, sustainability and innovation to ensure safety, clinical efficacy and value for money. It aims to ensure resilience in supply chains, enhance innovation, build infrastructure including data and collaboration with industry.

The MedTech Directorate has engaged stakeholders in public bodies and with industry on the strategy’s objectives and priorities. The strategy does not meet the formal requirement to undertake a public consultation. Engagement has focused on those stakeholders most impacted by the strategy in industry and the healthcare system. Once the strategy is drafted, we will seek their feedback and endorsement including through the NHS Medical Advisory Group. This is formed of clinicians, nurses, public bodies and industry via trade associations, manufacturers and suppliers of relevant medical devices.

6th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the MedTech Directorate will publish their strategy on the medical devices market; when the strategy will be opened up for public consultation; and in what form the consultation will take place.

The MedTech strategy is planned for publication in the first half of 2022. It will consider regulation, resilience, sustainability and innovation to ensure safety, clinical efficacy and value for money. It aims to ensure resilience in supply chains, enhance innovation, build infrastructure including data and collaboration with industry.

The MedTech Directorate has engaged stakeholders in public bodies and with industry on the strategy’s objectives and priorities. The strategy does not meet the formal requirement to undertake a public consultation. Engagement has focused on those stakeholders most impacted by the strategy in industry and the healthcare system. Once the strategy is drafted, we will seek their feedback and endorsement including through the NHS Medical Advisory Group. This is formed of clinicians, nurses, public bodies and industry via trade associations, manufacturers and suppliers of relevant medical devices.

6th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the (1) objectives, and (2) timeline, of the strategy being developed by the MedTech Directorate in relation to innovation, resilience, effectiveness and value for money in the medical devices sector.

The MedTech strategy is planned for publication in the first half of 2022. It will consider regulation, resilience, sustainability and innovation to ensure safety, clinical efficacy and value for money. It aims to ensure resilience in supply chains, enhance innovation, build infrastructure including data and collaboration with industry.

The MedTech Directorate has engaged stakeholders in public bodies and with industry on the strategy’s objectives and priorities. The strategy does not meet the formal requirement to undertake a public consultation. Engagement has focused on those stakeholders most impacted by the strategy in industry and the healthcare system. Once the strategy is drafted, we will seek their feedback and endorsement including through the NHS Medical Advisory Group. This is formed of clinicians, nurses, public bodies and industry via trade associations, manufacturers and suppliers of relevant medical devices.

5th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that irreversible electroporation for the treatment of prostate cancer is made available more widely in the NHS, following the pilot by University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

At present, nanoknife or irreversible electroporation treatment should only be provided to prostate cancer patients in the National Health Service in England as part of research studies, in line with recommendations made by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). As this procedure would fall within NHS England and NHS Improvement’s direct commissioning responsibility for specialised services, clinicians can submit new policy applications at any time, where they consider that there is clear evidence of benefit for patients.

29th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the survey by the Association of Directors in Adult Social Services, published on 29 November, and (2) in particular, the findings that (a) almost 400,000 people are now waiting for an assessment of their needs, and (b) more than 1.5 million hours of commissioned home care could not be provided between August and September because of a lack of staff.

We have noted the results of this survey, which improves the evidence base for the demand for social care and current issues of concern to local authority leaders in the sector. Local authorities are responsible for assessing an individual’s eligibility for care and support and for meeting care needs in their local area. On 10 December 2021 we announced £300 million to support local authorities and care providers to recruit and retain staff through winter. This is in addition to the existing £162.5 million Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund. We have also launched a new phase of our national recruitment campaign which will run until March 2022.

22nd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect to publish the (1) Wade-Gery, and (2) Goldacre, reviews before the committee stage of the Health and Care Bill in the House of Lords.

The Wade-Gery Review was published on 23 November. The Goldacre Review will be published early in 2022, which is likely to be after Committee stage of the Bill in the House of Lords.

15th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the quality of lateral flow tests.

All tests are robustly assessed through laboratory validation, as precursor to procurement. To improve the quality of lateral flow tests The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently introduced additional criteria that devices must meet to be accepted for validation. The criteria focus on improvements to the usability, sustainability and performance of lateral flow antigen tests, compared to devices currently available. In addition, the UKHSA works with suppliers to improve the sustainability and usability of lateral flow devices, such as reducing the amount of packaging.

15th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many suppliers of COVID-19 tests have submitted information regarding their products for desktop reviews.

As of 16 November 2021, 173 applications for COVID-19 test device products have been subject to desktop review by the UK Health Security Agency. As of 16 November, 108 suppliers have submitted information as part of the desktop review validation process. However, in order to be triaged for desktop review, every application must submit accompanying data in the first instance regarding their product. There are currently 93 COVID-19 test device product applications which are ‘pending information’, where further information has been requested from the supplier.

15th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 test device products have been subject to desktop reviews by the UK Health Security Agency.

As of 16 November 2021, 173 applications for COVID-19 test device products have been subject to desktop review by the UK Health Security Agency. As of 16 November, 108 suppliers have submitted information as part of the desktop review validation process. However, in order to be triaged for desktop review, every application must submit accompanying data in the first instance regarding their product. There are currently 93 COVID-19 test device product applications which are ‘pending information’, where further information has been requested from the supplier.

8th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 26 October (HL3010) and the statement by the Home Secretary on 23 October about the distortion caused to female crime statistics by the recording of offences by transwomen within this category, what assessment they have made of similar concerns regarding data collection by NHS England.

The Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics will assist in improving the consistency and comparability of healthcare data, improving our understanding of service access and outcomes by protected characteristics. Greater transparency should enable service improvement and assist the National Health Service in meeting its duties under equalities legislation.

The recommendations are based on the views of stakeholders as well as a comprehensive review of available evidence and literature. The report, once published, will be accompanied by further stakeholder engagement, including with groups who do not wish their sex to be redefined. The report recommends recording of sex at birth and collection of data on gender reassignment. The detail of how this recommendation could be implemented will require further stakeholder engagement in due course.

8th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 26 October (HL3010), what assessment they have made of the recommendation by NHS England and NHS Improvement that the Universal Information Standards for sex and gender should include (1) the gender identity categories (a) male (including transman), (b) female (including transwoman), and (c) non-binary, and (2) a question about whether the individual’s gender identity was the same at birth.

The Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics will assist in improving the consistency and comparability of healthcare data, improving our understanding of service access and outcomes by protected characteristics. Greater transparency should enable service improvement and assist the National Health Service in meeting its duties under equalities legislation.

The recommendations are based on the views of stakeholders as well as a comprehensive review of available evidence and literature. The report, once published, will be accompanied by further stakeholder engagement, including with groups who do not wish their sex to be redefined. The report recommends recording of sex at birth and collection of data on gender reassignment. The detail of how this recommendation could be implemented will require further stakeholder engagement in due course.

8th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 26 October (HL3010), what plans they have to engage with stakeholders before the publication of NHS England's Unified Information Standard on Protected Characteristics including with groups who do not wish sex to be redefined.

The Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics will assist in improving the consistency and comparability of healthcare data, improving our understanding of service access and outcomes by protected characteristics. Greater transparency should enable service improvement and assist the National Health Service in meeting its duties under equalities legislation.

The recommendations are based on the views of stakeholders as well as a comprehensive review of available evidence and literature. The report, once published, will be accompanied by further stakeholder engagement, including with groups who do not wish their sex to be redefined. The report recommends recording of sex at birth and collection of data on gender reassignment. The detail of how this recommendation could be implemented will require further stakeholder engagement in due course.

3rd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published by the Royal College of Anaesthetists Working together to improve retention in anaesthesia, published on 30 September, in particular its finding that "1 in 4 Consultants and 1 in 5 SAS Anaesthetists planned to leave the NHS within five years"; and what steps they intend to take to promote the retention of NHS staff.

The Government appreciates the dedication and contribution of Anaesthetists to our National Health Service. As of the end of July 2021, we saw an increase of 2.3% in full time equivalent (FTE) doctors and 2.0% FTE Specialty doctors and associate specialist doctors working in the NHS in the specialism of anaesthetics compared to a year ago. The NHS England and NHS Improvement National Retention Programme team are engaging with the Royal College of Anaesthetists to agree a way forward to implement the report’s recommendations. The NHS retention programme is using data to continuously understand why NHS staff leave, resulting in targeted interventions to encourage them to stay, with a particular focus on colleagues closer to retirement and those at the start of the career. These include: pension support, access to a range of health and wellbeing initiatives, flexible working opportunities, mentoring and coaching as well as targeted training such as the Health Education England programme “Enhancing Junior Doctors Working Lives” which encourages doctors to stay in training.

3rd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund additional higher anaesthetic training places as part of this year’s Spending Review; and what assessment they have made of (1) the current staffing level of anaesthetists, and (2) the costs of relying on (a) agency, and (b) bank, staff to fill any shortages.

Following the outcome of the Spending Review 2021, spending plans for individual budgets for 2022/2023 to 2024/2025 inclusive, including for training posts for higher anaesthetics and other specialities, will be subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and finalised in due course.

At the end of July 2021 there were 13,012 full time equivalent doctors working in the NHS in the specialism of anaesthetics, an increase of 293 (2.3%) since July 2020. This includes trainees, specialists and doctors on other contracts.

Data on agency and bank usage for anaesthetists is not available, as it is not collected or held by NHS England and NHS Improvement to specialty level.

3rd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of pension rules on the (1) reduction in clinical hours, and (2) early retirement, of senior doctors.

As an individual may choose to reduce their working hours or take early retirement for a range of reasons, it is not possible to isolate the impact of any single factor such as pension rules. However, we continue to monitor the retirement patterns and hours worked by senior doctors. The available evidence does not suggest any substantial change in consultant working hours. NHS Digital workforce statistics show the participation rate or average contracted hours per person, has been stable for several years.

Data from the NHS Business Services Authority, which administer the NHS Pension Scheme, shows that number of consultants taking voluntary early retirement as a proportion of all consultant retirements has not changed significantly over the last five years.

A small but significant portion of senior doctors will amass pensions in excess of their allowances for tax-free pension saving. Last year, the Government addressed this issue by increasing thresholds by £90,000 to remove all staff with earnings below £200,000 from the scope of the taper. An estimated 96% of general practitioners and 98% of consultants are out of scope of the taper based on their National Health Service earnings.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the volume of long-term community prescribing of mid to high potency topical steroids for (1) children, and (2) adults, in England between 2018 and 2020.

The Department has not made an assessment. Decisions about prescribing rest with the general practitioner or other prescriber who has clinical responsibility for that particular aspect of a patient’s care. Prescribing is informed by a range of factors, including any national or local prescribing guidelines but, ultimately, the decision on what to prescribe is made by the prescriber themselves, using their own clinical judgement.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made recommendations on the prescribing of topical steroids in a number of its clinical guidelines, including those on atopic eczema in those under 12 years of age, psoriasis, and osteoarthritis. It has also published technology appraisals guidance on the frequency of application of topical corticosteroids for atopic eczema.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for video communication technology to assist with the backlog of healthcare appointments that accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Health Service (NHS) is helping people to access healthcare services both face to face and virtually, via video and telephone consultations. NHS England and NHS Improvement are monitoring the use of virtual consultations as part of the National Outpatients Transformation Programme. There have been over 29 million virtual consultations since April 2020, protecting access to services and reducing the need for extra Personal Protective Equipment in hospital outpatient clinics. Virtual consultations are a key part of modern outpatient services, making up almost a quarter of all outpatient appointments.

General Practice teams are using triage and virtual consultations to minimise COVID-19 infection risks and manage demand by navigating patients to the right services. Virtual consultations remain an important part of the NHS’s plans for recovering elective services.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost-saving implications of using video conferencing for (1) the delivery of mental health services, and (2) non-emergency GP consultations.

No assessment has been made on the cost-saving implications of using video conferencing for delivery of mental health services or non-emergency General Practitioner (GP) consultations. Video consultations allow many more people to receive safe and effective care without the cost and disruption of having to travel to their GP, hospital or clinic.

NHSX and NHS Digital are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support the continued deployment and effective implementation of video consultations across primary and secondary care. Mental health services largely remained open for business during the pandemic as services were quickly moved to providing advice and support remotely, either through telephone/videoconferencing or digital services.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission research to establish the (1) dependency, and (2) withdrawal, risks associated with extended prescribed use of mid to high potency topical steroids, following the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency report Topical steroid withdrawal reactions: a review of the evidence, published on 15 September.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The usual practice of NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics. Research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health including the risks associated with the use of high potency topical steroids. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available nationally for patients experiencing the extreme (1) physical, and (2) mental, topical steroid withdrawal symptoms identified in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency report Topical steroid withdrawal reactions: a review of the evidence, published on 15 September 2021.

No additional steps are being taken to identify patients at risk of overuse of, or experiencing withdrawal symptoms from, using topical steroids. Patients on long term medication are offered regular Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs) through their GP practice. SMRs are an evidence-based and comprehensive review of a patient’s medication, taking into consideration all aspects of their health.

Patients should consult their doctor or a pharmacist if they have any concerns or experience any side effects or withdrawal symptoms.

2nd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional steps they intend to take to identify patients at risk of long-term overuse of mid to high potency topical steroids, as a result of the recent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency report Topical steroid withdrawal reactions: a review of the evidence, published on 15 September.

No additional steps are being taken to identify patients at risk of overuse of, or experiencing withdrawal symptoms from, using topical steroids. Patients on long term medication are offered regular Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs) through their GP practice. SMRs are an evidence-based and comprehensive review of a patient’s medication, taking into consideration all aspects of their health.

Patients should consult their doctor or a pharmacist if they have any concerns or experience any side effects or withdrawal symptoms.

26th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for regional delays in eligible individuals (1) being invited for an influenza vaccine at their GP practice, and (2) being able to book an influenza vaccine at a local pharmacy.

No assessment has been made as stock is ordered and managed locally by providers. General practitioner practices and local pharmacies manage appointment bookings according to their supply of stock.

26th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many care home residents who received two initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have now received their booster dose.

The information requested is not currently available. However, NHS England is planning to publish data on booster vaccine uptake in care homes shortly.

26th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the local variations in delays to people in all eligible groups receiving the COVID-19 booster vaccination.

The Department and the National Health Service continue to monitor the pace of the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme and work closely with regional teams to ensure those eligible have timely access to appointments. The NHS assesses any potential delays to the programme, including between different local areas.

The National Booking Service has now been updated to allow those eligible to pre-book their booster vaccination five months after their second dose. As of 13 November 2021, more than 12.6 million people in the United Kingdom had received their booster vaccination or third dose, helping to ensure the vital protection is maintained over the winter months.

25th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timescale for the rollout of (1) community diagnostic hubs pilots, and (2) the remaining community diagnostic hubs.

The National Health Service is planning to establish 44 community diagnostic centres across England this year. Centres will begin to provide services over the next six months, with all fully operational by March 2022. Thirty seven early adopter sites are already open and provided an additional 96,000 tests by the 10 October. Regions are working with local trusts and systems, diagnostic networks and primary care services to determine the location and configuration of services, based on the needs of the local population.

25th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a respiratory services recovery plan to restore healthcare services for patients with lung disease where diagnostics are now (1) back to, or (2) above, pre-pandemic levels.

The 2021/22 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance priorities for NHS England and NHS Improvement includes tackling the backlog for non-urgent treatment, such as services for lung disease patients. This aims to stabilise total waiting lists, eliminate waiting times of two years or more and the increase in waiting times of more than one year. We have made available £1.5 billion to assist local teams increase their capacity and invest in other measures to achieve these priorities.

The Spending Review 2021 announced £2.3 billion to increase the volume of diagnostic activity and open community diagnostic centres to provide more clinical tests, including for patients with lung disease.

25th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England are waiting to have spirometry testing in primary care; and how many people are waiting for their diagnosis of suspected lung disease to be confirmed.

The information is not available in the format requested.

25th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to tackle the backlogs in (1) respiratory care, (2) respiratory diagnosis, and (3) referrals for urgent care, for those with lung conditions.

NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) has worked with local leaders to update its plans and priorities, including for respiratory services, with a renewed focus on continuing the recovery of non-COVID care and tackling long waits.

The priorities in recovery of services includes tackling the COVID backlog for non-urgent treatment such as eliminating waits of two years or more, stopping the increase in one year plus waits, and stabilising total waiting lists.

£1.5 billion is being made available to help local teams increase their capacity and invest in other proven measures to achieve these goals.

There has been no official assessment made on the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on waiting times for respiratory diagnostic appointments. However, the NHS is determined to tackle backlogs and is taking steps to restore services and improve waiting times as a priority, including services for respiratory patients. This year, we are providing a record amount of funding to the NHS, which includes £2 billion to help tackle the backlog that built up during the pandemic. We have also committed £8 billion over the next three years to step up elective activity and transform elective services.

Elective waiting lists, which include those with respiratory symptoms, are managed at system as well as trust level. Digital solutions are available to ensure the most clinically urgent patients are managed first, which will help improve waiting times.

25th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what data are available on the scale of spirometry testing, following the publication of guidance in April on the safe resumption of such testing.

The information is not available in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

25th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many community diagnostic hubs per million people they plan to create; and what steps are they taking to ensure that respiratory diagnostic tests will be a core part of their function.

Following the announcement of £2.3 billion of capital investment in diagnostic services in the recent Spending Review, the National Health Service plans to establish at least 100 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) over the next three years, or approximately 1.8 per million people. This is based on the recommendations of Professor Sir Mike Richards’ review, which recommended establishing 165 CDCs or three per million people in England.

The core specification for CDCs includes a range of respiratory diagnostics, including lung function testing. In addition, local integrated care systems will be able to supplement these with additional services for respiratory patients according to local needs.

19th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund additional higher anaesthetic training places as part of this year’s Spending Review.

The forthcoming Spending Review will set out our plans for future investment in the National Health Service workforce.

The number of anaesthetists has increased by over 26% since 2010. In 2020 Health Education England recruited 410 anaesthetic trainees across England with a 100% fill rate nationally. We continue to monitor the effectiveness of the current arrangements and consider the further expansion of specialty training places, including anaesthesia.

19th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether liothyronine should be declassified as a high-cost medicine following the Competition and Markets Authority ruling and fine issued to Advanz for artificially inflating the price of thyroid tablets.

National Health Service clinical commissioners have promoted national guidance through their bulletins with clinical commissioning groups members. National guidance recommends that in circumstances where levothyroxine has failed, endocrinologists providing NHS services may recommend liothyronine for individual patients after a carefully audited trial of liothyronine for at least three months duration.

We have made no assessment on whether liothyronine should be de-classified as a high cost medicine. To date, NHS England NHS Improvement have not conducted any specific assessments on liothyronine following the Competition and Markets Authority ruling. This will be considered as part of any formal review to national guidance.

19th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps NHS Clinical Commissioners took to communicate national guidance for the prescribing of liothyronine to local NHS bodies; and whether that guidance says that liothyronine may only be prescribed when recommended by a specialist after treatment using levothyroxine has failed.

National Health Service clinical commissioners have promoted national guidance through their bulletins with clinical commissioning groups members. National guidance recommends that in circumstances where levothyroxine has failed, endocrinologists providing NHS services may recommend liothyronine for individual patients after a carefully audited trial of liothyronine for at least three months duration.

We have made no assessment on whether liothyronine should be de-classified as a high cost medicine. To date, NHS England NHS Improvement have not conducted any specific assessments on liothyronine following the Competition and Markets Authority ruling. This will be considered as part of any formal review to national guidance.

19th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will conduct a review of (1) the actions of NHS England, and (2) the impact on patients with thyroid conditions, following the Competition and Markets Authority’s ruling and fine issued to Advanz for artificially inflating the price of thyroid tablets.

We have no plans to do so. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance Items which should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: Guidance for CCGs identifies items which are clinically effective but where more cost-effective products are available. This includes liothyronine and other products that have been subject to excessive price inflation.

The guidance states that there are three categories for such items which are as follows:

- Products of low clinical effectiveness, where there is a lack of robust evidence of clinical effectiveness or there are significant safety concerns;

- Products which are clinically effective but where more cost-effective products are available, including some products that have been subject to excessive price inflation; and

- Products which are clinically effective but due to the nature of the product are deemed a low priority for National Health Service funding.

Liothyronine was included in the second category. Additionally, it was noted that there was limited evidence to support its routine prescribing in preference to levothyroxine. A copy of this guidance is attached. NHS England and NHS Improvement will review the guidance on a regular basis to ensure that any updated evidence on clinical and cost effectiveness is considered.

19th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address excessive staff workload in the NHS.

The National Health Service has established a People Recovery Task Force to ensure that all NHS staff, including students and trainees, are able to recover and maintain their wellbeing as we plan and deliver the restoration of services. We have put in place a comprehensive support package available to all NHS staff which includes health and wellbeing apps, a counselling helpline and text service, as well as 40 mental health hubs.

In the longer term we are addressing capacity in the workforce by delivering 50,000 more nurses and ensuring a sustainable supply of staff in future. We funded an extra 1,500 undergraduate medical school places per year at English universities in 2020/21, with the total number of medical school training places in England now at 7,500 per year.

19th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for National Statistics Direct and Indirect health impacts of COVID-19 in England, published on 17 September, what assessment they have made of the 51 per cent decrease in the number of newly diagnosed cases of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in 2020 compared to 2019.

No official assessment has been made of the reduction of diagnosed cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

As announced as a part of the spending review, £2.3 billion has been allocated to increase the volume of diagnostic activity and roll out Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) to help clear backlogs of people waiting for clinical tests, such as MRIs, ultrasounds, and CT scans.

This will help to improve the waiting times for conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and increase the number of people seen for diagnostic tests.

18th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 17 March (HL14040), what assessment they have made of the reduction in cost of Liothyronine (T3) in the UK, compared to the cost of the medication in other parts of Europe.

We have made no further assessment of the price of Liothyronine relative to increased competition from marketing authorisations or the cost of medicines in other parts of Europe. Further marketing authorisation applications remain at the discretion of pharmaceutical companies.

18th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 17 March (HL14040), what plans they have to encourage further marketing authorisations for Liothyronine (T3).

We have made no further assessment of the price of Liothyronine relative to increased competition from marketing authorisations or the cost of medicines in other parts of Europe. Further marketing authorisation applications remain at the discretion of pharmaceutical companies.

18th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 17 March (HL14040), what assessment they have made as to whether the fall in the price of Liothyronine (T3) is related to increased competition from marketing authorisations granted since 2016.

We have made no further assessment of the price of Liothyronine relative to increased competition from marketing authorisations or the cost of medicines in other parts of Europe. Further marketing authorisation applications remain at the discretion of pharmaceutical companies.

18th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to discuss with NHS England their support for the NHS Rainbow Badge Project, further to the latter's use of the term Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) on a recent social media post; and whether NHS England's contracts with the NHS Rainbow Project cover the use of offensive terms.

NHS England commissions the LGBT Foundation to deliver the NHS Rainbow Badge project which is intended to help lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people to seek care from the National Health Service with confidence. The social media account is not run on behalf of NHS England and does not represent its views.

The post was deleted and those with access to the account reminded of the standards which are expected.

12th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when NHS England's Unified Information Standard on Protected Characteristics report will be published; and what engagement with stakeholders will take place before its publication.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have submitted the Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics scoping project reports to the Department.

We are currently reviewing the recommendations of the reports and will provide an update shortly. We are also considering continued engagement with stakeholders who contributed to the development of the scoping project.

12th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 29 September (HL2490), whether organisations that work on men's violence against women and girls will be consulted as part of the review of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance, 'Delivering same-sex accommodation'.

The review of the guidance will include a six-week engagement period, during which all relevant stakeholders, including organisations that work on men’s violence against women and girls and gender critical organisations, will have the opportunity to contribute.

12th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 29 September (HL2490), whether they plan to consult gender critical organisations in the review of mixed sex accommodation guidance.

The review of the guidance will include a six-week engagement period, during which all relevant stakeholders, including organisations that work on men’s violence against women and girls and gender critical organisations, will have the opportunity to contribute.

12th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the NHS refers to "women" whenever appropriate in its publications and clinical guidance.

It is for individual National Health Service organisations to decide on the format and content of any publications or clinical guidance they produce, taking into account any legislative requirements or examples of good practice. NHS England and NHS Improvement refer to ‘women’ in their publications and clinical guidance where appropriate.

12th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the NHS refers to "women" when sending out invitations for cervical screening, as proposed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in his speech on 5 October.

The invitation letter for a cervical screening appointment and the information available online states that ‘cervical screening is for women and people with a cervix’. This wording has been tested with users and there are a range of measures to ensure that as many of the population eligible for cervical screening as possible attend screening. This includes providing appointments in sexual health clinics and information and resources to reassure those worried about attending.

12th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that debates in the NHS over transgender rights are conducted with "compassion and sensitivity", as proposed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in his speech on 5 October.

The National Health Service provides care to all people regardless of their gender identity and we are working with the NHS to ensure that the rights of all groups are protected. Discussions on transgender care take place professionally, where all views are considered and where the focus is on delivering improved healthcare outcomes.

11th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will request that the Medical Technologies Directorate publish a definition of “innovative medical devices”.

We have previously discussed the need for a definition of innovation within medical devices with the industry. As part of our overall strategy, we will engage with the public sector, industry and healthcare provider organisations to develop this definition.