Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review policy and legislation to ensure that healthcare mutuals have access to the same opportunities for growth, investment and regulatory support as mutuals in the financial sector.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DBT, as part of the 2025 Autumn Budget announcements, launched a Call for Evidence on Business Support for Co-operatives and Mutuals. This was open across Great Britain for 12 weeks and closed on 18th February. DBT is now analysing responses and these responses will inform any potential business support policy for the co-operative and mutual businesses.
DBT ensured that for Financial Year 25/26 Growth Hubs in England offer support to businesses with alternative business models – including Co-operatives and Mutuals, as a condition of funding, and included more information on Co-operatives and Mutuals through the highly successful Help to Grow Management programme.
The Law Commission reviews are considering ways to update and modernise the legislation for co-operatives, community benefit societies, and friendly societies, ensuring that it fits the nature and needs of these societies as well as ensuring that regulation is proportionate and effective. The government will carefully consider the recommendations to understand whether reform is needed to ensure these businesses are supported to grow and succeed into the future.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of proposals to shift from analogue to digital announced in the 10-year Health Plan for England, what provisions will be established to ensure digital exclusion does not exacerbate any existing inequalities...
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service organisations must ensure that all patients have equitable access to care, and that decisions or policies do not unfairly disadvantage people or lead to an increase in inequalities. All NHS organisations are legally obliged to not discriminate against patients or staff.
This means that a non-digital solution should be available for those patients who cannot or do not wish to engage digitally, and these non-digital routes must be available for all services provided by NHS organisations.
Aligned to the Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012, each 10-Year Health Plan policy, proposition, programme, proposal, or initiative in scope of public sector equality duties will undergo an Equality Impact Assessments and Equality and Healthcare Inequalities Impact Assessments.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government actions requested by the Royal College of Midwives as part of the "Safe Staffing = Safe Care" campaign.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department, NHS England, and the Nursing Midwifery Council are urgently working to ensure that midwifery training consistently delivers modern maternity care that respects a woman’s choice and individual circumstances.
We will introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026 to deliver our ambition to make the National Health Service the best place to work. We are committed to tackling the retention and recruitment challenges that face the NHS. As of November 2025, there were 25,530 full time equivalent midwives working in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. This is an increase of 824, or 3.3%, compared to November 2024. We are also investing over £149 million through the 2025/26 Estates Safety Fund to address critical safety risks on the maternity estate, enabling better care for mothers and their newborns.
In addition, Baroness Amos is leading an independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care. This includes understanding the experience of staff and healthcare professionals delivering care at all stages of the maternity and neonatal care pathway and how they can best be supported in providing high-quality, safe, and compassionate care. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will chair a maternity and neonatal taskforce that will address the recommendations of the investigation by developing a national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the final membership of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce; and what is the date of the first meeting of that taskforce; whether that taskforce will publish further findings after spring 2026.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The membership of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is currently being finalised. The first meeting of the taskforce will be held in early spring.
The taskforce will publish a national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care in due course, following publication of Baroness Amos’ independent investigation’s final report and recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government who was responsible for the decision to remove (1) Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, and (2) Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, from the scope of the national maternity and neonatal investigation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following a meeting with West Mercia Police about the detail and schedule of their ongoing investigation, Baroness Amos concluded that the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust should be removed from the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was removed from the list of trusts under review as part of the national investigation following my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s decision to commission a separate independent maternity inquiry on 20 October.
The Call for Evidence for the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation was launched in January 2026, and the investigation has encouraged families in Shrewsbury and Telford, and Leeds to participate.
On 26 January 2026, the Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation launched a Workforce Call for Evidence. This is open specifically to all those who work in the maternity and neonatal care pathway and is a separate to the public call for evidence. It takes the form of a short online survey and focuses on the experiences of staff delivering care across the maternity and neonatal pathway and how best to support teams to provide high-quality, safe, and compassionate care. Findings will inform the investigation’s national recommendations, due for publication in spring 2026.
Information about how to access the workforce survey has been distributed to all NHS trusts and the investigation is asking them to cascade the link to all maternity and neonatal staff groups. It is currently live and will be open for six weeks, closing on 9 March 2026.
Baroness Amos is also meeting the senior team in each of the 12 trusts and staff panels are also being held on site.
A list of leaders for national organisations, including statutory, Arm’s Length Bodies, and the voluntary and charitable sector, is being developed by the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. Leaders of these organisations will be invited to a formal interview with the Chair, Director of investigation, and a member of the Expert Panel.
The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation is also gathering evidence from organisations. Organisations and other individuals, for instance researchers, wishing to submit evidence to the investigation can submit this directly by email to the investigation mailbox. The deadline for all evidence submissions is 17 March 2026.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the national maternity and neonatal investigation team is taking to ensure full representation of staff views in its work, including through a call for evidence at NHS trust level.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following a meeting with West Mercia Police about the detail and schedule of their ongoing investigation, Baroness Amos concluded that the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust should be removed from the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was removed from the list of trusts under review as part of the national investigation following my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s decision to commission a separate independent maternity inquiry on 20 October.
The Call for Evidence for the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation was launched in January 2026, and the investigation has encouraged families in Shrewsbury and Telford, and Leeds to participate.
On 26 January 2026, the Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation launched a Workforce Call for Evidence. This is open specifically to all those who work in the maternity and neonatal care pathway and is a separate to the public call for evidence. It takes the form of a short online survey and focuses on the experiences of staff delivering care across the maternity and neonatal pathway and how best to support teams to provide high-quality, safe, and compassionate care. Findings will inform the investigation’s national recommendations, due for publication in spring 2026.
Information about how to access the workforce survey has been distributed to all NHS trusts and the investigation is asking them to cascade the link to all maternity and neonatal staff groups. It is currently live and will be open for six weeks, closing on 9 March 2026.
Baroness Amos is also meeting the senior team in each of the 12 trusts and staff panels are also being held on site.
A list of leaders for national organisations, including statutory, Arm’s Length Bodies, and the voluntary and charitable sector, is being developed by the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. Leaders of these organisations will be invited to a formal interview with the Chair, Director of investigation, and a member of the Expert Panel.
The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation is also gathering evidence from organisations. Organisations and other individuals, for instance researchers, wishing to submit evidence to the investigation can submit this directly by email to the investigation mailbox. The deadline for all evidence submissions is 17 March 2026.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how often the national maternity and neonatal investigation team is engaging with professional bodies and organisations representing maternity and neonatal staff.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following a meeting with West Mercia Police about the detail and schedule of their ongoing investigation, Baroness Amos concluded that the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust should be removed from the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was removed from the list of trusts under review as part of the national investigation following my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s decision to commission a separate independent maternity inquiry on 20 October.
The Call for Evidence for the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation was launched in January 2026, and the investigation has encouraged families in Shrewsbury and Telford, and Leeds to participate.
On 26 January 2026, the Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation launched a Workforce Call for Evidence. This is open specifically to all those who work in the maternity and neonatal care pathway and is a separate to the public call for evidence. It takes the form of a short online survey and focuses on the experiences of staff delivering care across the maternity and neonatal pathway and how best to support teams to provide high-quality, safe, and compassionate care. Findings will inform the investigation’s national recommendations, due for publication in spring 2026.
Information about how to access the workforce survey has been distributed to all NHS trusts and the investigation is asking them to cascade the link to all maternity and neonatal staff groups. It is currently live and will be open for six weeks, closing on 9 March 2026.
Baroness Amos is also meeting the senior team in each of the 12 trusts and staff panels are also being held on site.
A list of leaders for national organisations, including statutory, Arm’s Length Bodies, and the voluntary and charitable sector, is being developed by the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. Leaders of these organisations will be invited to a formal interview with the Chair, Director of investigation, and a member of the Expert Panel.
The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation is also gathering evidence from organisations. Organisations and other individuals, for instance researchers, wishing to submit evidence to the investigation can submit this directly by email to the investigation mailbox. The deadline for all evidence submissions is 17 March 2026.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Health Innovation Network Impact Report 2024–25, published on 18 September 2025, in relation to the use of point-of-care diagnostic testing technologies for cardiovascular disease prevention in the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government welcomes the Health Innovation Network (HIN) Impact Report 2024/25, and the network's focus on cardiovascular disease as a strategic priority. We recognise the significant impact of the HINs in driving innovation into the National Health Service, benefitting 4.9 million patients and leveraging £3 billion of investment since 2018. This is why the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan make explicit commitments to continue funding and empowering them.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, to accelerate progress on the ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework later this year.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the investment in vaccines for gingivitis or periodontitis by UK Research and Innovation.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is not currently funding any research into vaccines for gingivitis or periodontitis. MRC invests more broadly in dental and oral health research, including some periodontitis research, to aid its detection and treatment.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Office for Budgetary Responsibility’s approach to scoring the economic benefits of cardiovascular healthcare spending measures.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that cardiovascular disease (CVD) will impact on economic activity.
That is why this Government has an ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade. To accelerate progress, we will publish a new CVD Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) this year, which will support consistent, high quality and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway.
We have noted the Office for Budget Responsibility’s approach to scoring the economic benefits of cardiovascular healthcare spending measures and will consider this as part of our ongoing work to develop the CVD MSF.