Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full time equivalent civil servants are working on his Department's response to the Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Civil servants often contribute to a range of policy areas within the Department, therefore it is not possible to provide specific staff numbers for those that are exclusively working on the Department’s response to the Hughes Report.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2026 on Clinical trials, whether (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials had discussions with MHRA on the Pathways clinical trial prior to February 2026.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Given that there are live legal proceedings, we are unable to comment on the details of the PATHWAYS trial.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2026 on Clinical Trials, what information his Department holds on when the letter from MHRA to King's College London was (a) sent and (b) received; and on what date his Department became aware of (i) the letter and (ii) the concerns raised in the letter.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Given that there are live legal proceedings, we are unable to comment on the details of the PATHWAYS trial.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any children were recruited for any arm of the Pathways clinical trials prior to it being paused.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As announced on 20 February 2026, the PATHWAYS clinical trial has been paused, following new queries raised by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. No participants have been recruited to the trial and while it is paused recruitment will not start; therefore no children or young people will receive puberty suppression during this period.

As the intensive element of PATHWAYS HORIZON is designed to provide a matched control group for the trial, and as PATHWAYS CONNECT is designed to compare children and young people receiving puberty suppression with a group in the intensive element of PATHWAYS HORIZON, it is not possible for these aspects to progress without the TRIAL element. The other PATHWAYS study projects are not affected by this pause.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials had discussions with (i) NHS England, (ii) University of York and (iii) other researchers on the Data Linkage study in (A) November 2025, (B) December 2025 and (C) January 2026.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data linkage study remains an important commitment and forms part of a wider national research programme underpinning the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service care in place in England for children and young people with gender incongruence/dysphoria. No discussions were had with the University of York in November 2025, December 2025 and January 2026 about the data linkage study. The Department has, however, continued to regularly engage with and support NHS England, which has taken on responsibility for study delivery.

Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the study to begin. On 26 February, an updated order was laid in both Houses of Parliament to facilitate delivery of the data linkage study. The order will provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, for the purpose of the study. The order is expected to come in to force on 20 March 2026. Final Health Research Authority study approval will also need to be in place before the study can begin.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2026 on Clinical trials, HCWS1347, in which the letter from MHRA refers to correspondence from 7 November 2025, if he will publish that correspondence.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is not releasing the 7 November letter at this point as the decision is the subject of litigation, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency does not comment on ongoing litigation proceedings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether all arms of the Pathways clinical trials have been paused.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The PATHWAYS TRIAL focuses on the effects of puberty suppressing hormones on young people’s physical, social, and emotional well-being specifically when offered alongside the new model of National Health Service gender care based on comprehensive assessment and tailored psychosocial support. Therefore, the PATHWAYS study includes three non-interventional research projects:

• PATHWAYS Voices involves speaking to young people, parents and staff about their experiences of living with gender incongruence and their care in NHS Gender Services;
• PATHWAYS Horizon tracks the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of all young people attending United Kingdom NHS Gender Services who want to take part in the Horizon study, along with their parents; and
• PATHWAYS Connect studies whether puberty suppressing hormones affect young people's thinking and brain development through cognitive tests and brain scans. It would include some young people in the PATHWAYS trial and also some of the young people from the Horizon study.

As announced on 20 February, the PATHWAYS clinical trial has been paused, following new queries raised by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. While it is paused, recruitment of children and young people into the trial will not start, and therefore no children or young people will receive puberty suppression. As the intensive element of PATHWAYS Horizon is designed to provide a matched control group for the trial, and as PATHWAYS Connect is designed to compare children and young people receiving puberty suppression with a group in the intensive element of PATHWAYS Horizon, it is not possible for these aspects to progress without the trial element. The other PATHWAYS study projects are not affected by this pause.

Excise

Submit Evidence (by 10 Apr 2026)

The Education Committee is looking to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) and EdTech are reshaping education across England, from early years settings to schools, colleges and universities. The Committee will explore the opportunities these technologies present for improving learning and teaching, as well as the risks they pose - including their potential impact on children’s digital rights, safeguarding, inequalities and assessment.