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 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 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 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 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 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.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that an expanded Armed Forces Covenant Duty will be backed by (1) measures of success, (2) methods for monitoring the impact of the Covenant Duty, and (3) regular reporting of the findings of such monitoring.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Officials are currently working on refining the Covenant Annual Report, leveraging this established mechanism to assess the impact of the Covenant and measure its success. This report is a key tool for ensuring transparency and accountability, as it is subject to parliamentary scrutiny. The Secretary of State for Defence is legally required to report annually to Parliament on progress in delivering the Covenant across the UK.
As part of this work, officials are exploring ways to improve data collection and develop more robust methods for measuring the impact and success of the Legal Duty. These efforts aim to provide a clearer understanding of how the Covenant is being delivered, ultimately driving improvements in support for the Armed Forces community. The team will continue to identify opportunities to enhance data collection processes, ensuring that the information gathered is comprehensive, accurate, and reflective of the needs of the Armed Forces community.
Additionally, the Covenant Team actively monitor trends through the Covenant website and a dedicated mailbox to identify areas of disadvantage.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Veterans on 23 April 2025 (HC47398), what further progress they have made on the rollout of Programme Cortisone.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The vision for Programme CORTISONE is to deliver a sustainable, integrated, cohesive and enduring information capability to support the delivery of evidence-based medical and dental health and healthcare outputs.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a £7.8 million contract to Leeds software company, The Phoenix Partnership to provide a modern electronic healthcare records system called SystmOne for the Armed Forces. This will digitalise military medical records and integrate MOD systems with the NHS.
Scheduled to begin its roll out in 2027, SystmOne is fully secure and compatible with the NHS, meaning that Service personnel will receive quick and seamless care between Defence and civilian health systems, including both new recruits and Service leavers transitioning in and out of the military.
It will replace outdated time-consuming processes for transfers of information between the NHS and the Defence Medical services, be more user-friendly and increase time to care for patients by improving clinical productivity and reducing the admin burden with a modern IT system.
The contract award aligns with the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 which outlines a commitment to increase MOD spending with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed change to qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain will apply to current and former non-citizen armed forces personnel and their families.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Armed Forces Covenant is a national commitment that those who serve or have served in HM Armed Forces should not face disadvantage due to their service. The government recognises the sacrifices made by service personnel and their families — including the loss of civilian freedoms — in defence of the UK.
The government is committed to upholding the Covenant by ensuring fair treatment for all who serve or have served, including non-UK personnel. Any changes to the settlement pathway, including the qualifying period for settlement, will be carefully considered to ensure they remain fully consistent with the principles of the Covenant — meaning service personnel and their dependants must be treated fairly and must not face additional barriers as a result of their service.
The Earned Settlement consultation is open until 12 February and seeks views on the treatment of armed forces members under the earned settlement system. However, we are not proposing that HM Armed Forces, and their family members should have a different pathway to settlement than they do today.