Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of cervical cancer self-sampling on reaching under-screened populations; and what targets he has for the uptake of (a) in-clinic and (b) at-home self-sampling options.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Both the impact assessment and the equality impact assessment on the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling for the under-screened population in the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme have been published and is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-hpv-self-sampling-impact-assessments
The UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation for the use of HPV self-sampling was permissive, meaning the NHS can, but does not have to, implement it. They should use it where they believe it can have a useful impact on supporting uptake. There are therefore no national targets at this time.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of controls on the (a) sale and (b) import of kava for food purposes in The Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002 prohibits any food consisting of or containing kava-kava from being imported or placed on the market. This regulation is in place to protect public health.
Since the introduction of this legislation, any additional scientific evidence that has been provided to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has not been sufficient to support any amendments to the controls in place.
If additional data on the safety of kava-kava were to be submitted, appropriate evaluations, such as a risk assessment, will be considered by the FSA. The outputs of a risk assessment could then be used to provide advice to Ministers, to amend or repeal the legislation.
New scientific evidence on the hepatotoxic risk of kava-kava would be reviewed by the FSA.
Without additional evidence that indicates a safe level of human consumption for kava-kava, the FSA considers there is insufficient toxicological data available to initiate an assessment.
While there is no specific provision in the regulation that sets out the procedure for revoking the controls, as safety concerns provide the basis for the ban, an assessment of newly available data on the safety of kava-kava for human consumption would be the first step.
If the independent Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is satisfied that there is a safe level of human consumption, this would inform advice to Ministers to amend or repeal the legislation.
Any future evaluation of the Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002, would need to be considered and carried out in tandem with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as The Medicines for Human Use (Kava-kava) (Prohibition) Order 2002 is applicable.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002, what provision exists for the revocation of this legislation should the evidence no longer support such controls.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002 prohibits any food consisting of or containing kava-kava from being imported or placed on the market. This regulation is in place to protect public health.
Since the introduction of this legislation, any additional scientific evidence that has been provided to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has not been sufficient to support any amendments to the controls in place.
If additional data on the safety of kava-kava were to be submitted, appropriate evaluations, such as a risk assessment, will be considered by the FSA. The outputs of a risk assessment could then be used to provide advice to Ministers, to amend or repeal the legislation.
New scientific evidence on the hepatotoxic risk of kava-kava would be reviewed by the FSA.
Without additional evidence that indicates a safe level of human consumption for kava-kava, the FSA considers there is insufficient toxicological data available to initiate an assessment.
While there is no specific provision in the regulation that sets out the procedure for revoking the controls, as safety concerns provide the basis for the ban, an assessment of newly available data on the safety of kava-kava for human consumption would be the first step.
If the independent Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is satisfied that there is a safe level of human consumption, this would inform advice to Ministers to amend or repeal the legislation.
Any future evaluation of the Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002, would need to be considered and carried out in tandem with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as The Medicines for Human Use (Kava-kava) (Prohibition) Order 2002 is applicable.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of new research into the hepatotoxicity risk posed by kava on The Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002 prohibits any food consisting of or containing kava-kava from being imported or placed on the market. This regulation is in place to protect public health.
Since the introduction of this legislation, any additional scientific evidence that has been provided to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has not been sufficient to support any amendments to the controls in place.
If additional data on the safety of kava-kava were to be submitted, appropriate evaluations, such as a risk assessment, will be considered by the FSA. The outputs of a risk assessment could then be used to provide advice to Ministers, to amend or repeal the legislation.
New scientific evidence on the hepatotoxic risk of kava-kava would be reviewed by the FSA.
Without additional evidence that indicates a safe level of human consumption for kava-kava, the FSA considers there is insufficient toxicological data available to initiate an assessment.
While there is no specific provision in the regulation that sets out the procedure for revoking the controls, as safety concerns provide the basis for the ban, an assessment of newly available data on the safety of kava-kava for human consumption would be the first step.
If the independent Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is satisfied that there is a safe level of human consumption, this would inform advice to Ministers to amend or repeal the legislation.
Any future evaluation of the Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations 2002, would need to be considered and carried out in tandem with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as The Medicines for Human Use (Kava-kava) (Prohibition) Order 2002 is applicable.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to integrate synthetic opioid awareness into local authorities’ Drug Strategies since 5 July 2025; and how much of the 2025/26 targeted drug, alcohol treatment and recovery grant funding for local authorities in England, announced on 31 March 2025 he has allocated to public education on the (a) risks of synthetic opioids and (b) how to respond when witnessing an opioid overdose.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued planning guidance for local areas to help them respond to incidents caused by potent synthetic opioids. The guidance enables local partners to rapidly understand the scale of the synthetic opioid threat and assess the risk, communicate the threat, and take actions to mitigate it.
The Combating Drugs Partnerships (CDP) are vital in leading the local response to synthetic opioids and developing preparedness plans to manage the risk in their area, utilising the local guidance issued by the Department. In addition to a tabletop exercise conducted with a range of relevant local partners, a sample of CDP preparedness plans have been analysed by the Government, and the Home Office has published a report which includes a series of recommendations to help local areas maintain their emergency preparation and response.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services according to local need and it is for local authorities to decide on the amount of funding to dedicate to public education on the risks of synthetic opioids and how to respond to an opioid overdose. DHSC has made clear that local authorities can allocate funding to support campaigns and events to improve understanding and reduce harm. In addition, in response to increasing use and the serious harms associated with synthetic opioids, the Department is planning a public health awareness campaign which will launch in the coming months. This campaign will raise awareness of new patterns of drug use and their associated risks.
To ensure that vulnerable at-risk groups, including the homeless and those who are socially isolated, are aware of the dangers these drugs pose, regular drug alerts and communications are circulated by DHSC to commissioners and providers of drug treatment services, and there is ongoing engagement with local drug systems across England that are responsible for ensuring relevant professionals within their areas are adequately informed. It is their responsibility to circulate information with wider local stakeholders, such as the homelessness sector.
DHSC also includes advice on how to respond when witnessing an opioid overdose in its naloxone guidance and on the Government’s drugs information website, Talk to FRANK.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local Combating Drugs Partnerships in raising awareness of (a) synthetic opioids and (b) how to respond when witnessing an opioid overdose; and what plans he has to roll out best practice on that issue.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued planning guidance for local areas to help them respond to incidents caused by potent synthetic opioids. The guidance enables local partners to rapidly understand the scale of the synthetic opioid threat and assess the risk, communicate the threat, and take actions to mitigate it.
The Combating Drugs Partnerships (CDP) are vital in leading the local response to synthetic opioids and developing preparedness plans to manage the risk in their area, utilising the local guidance issued by the Department. In addition to a tabletop exercise conducted with a range of relevant local partners, a sample of CDP preparedness plans have been analysed by the Government, and the Home Office has published a report which includes a series of recommendations to help local areas maintain their emergency preparation and response.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services according to local need and it is for local authorities to decide on the amount of funding to dedicate to public education on the risks of synthetic opioids and how to respond to an opioid overdose. DHSC has made clear that local authorities can allocate funding to support campaigns and events to improve understanding and reduce harm. In addition, in response to increasing use and the serious harms associated with synthetic opioids, the Department is planning a public health awareness campaign which will launch in the coming months. This campaign will raise awareness of new patterns of drug use and their associated risks.
To ensure that vulnerable at-risk groups, including the homeless and those who are socially isolated, are aware of the dangers these drugs pose, regular drug alerts and communications are circulated by DHSC to commissioners and providers of drug treatment services, and there is ongoing engagement with local drug systems across England that are responsible for ensuring relevant professionals within their areas are adequately informed. It is their responsibility to circulate information with wider local stakeholders, such as the homelessness sector.
DHSC also includes advice on how to respond when witnessing an opioid overdose in its naloxone guidance and on the Government’s drugs information website, Talk to FRANK.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to raise awareness among (a) people sleeping rough, (b) socially isolated people and (c) other at-risk populations on the dangers of synthetic opioids since 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued planning guidance for local areas to help them respond to incidents caused by potent synthetic opioids. The guidance enables local partners to rapidly understand the scale of the synthetic opioid threat and assess the risk, communicate the threat, and take actions to mitigate it.
The Combating Drugs Partnerships (CDP) are vital in leading the local response to synthetic opioids and developing preparedness plans to manage the risk in their area, utilising the local guidance issued by the Department. In addition to a tabletop exercise conducted with a range of relevant local partners, a sample of CDP preparedness plans have been analysed by the Government, and the Home Office has published a report which includes a series of recommendations to help local areas maintain their emergency preparation and response.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services according to local need and it is for local authorities to decide on the amount of funding to dedicate to public education on the risks of synthetic opioids and how to respond to an opioid overdose. DHSC has made clear that local authorities can allocate funding to support campaigns and events to improve understanding and reduce harm. In addition, in response to increasing use and the serious harms associated with synthetic opioids, the Department is planning a public health awareness campaign which will launch in the coming months. This campaign will raise awareness of new patterns of drug use and their associated risks.
To ensure that vulnerable at-risk groups, including the homeless and those who are socially isolated, are aware of the dangers these drugs pose, regular drug alerts and communications are circulated by DHSC to commissioners and providers of drug treatment services, and there is ongoing engagement with local drug systems across England that are responsible for ensuring relevant professionals within their areas are adequately informed. It is their responsibility to circulate information with wider local stakeholders, such as the homelessness sector.
DHSC also includes advice on how to respond when witnessing an opioid overdose in its naloxone guidance and on the Government’s drugs information website, Talk to FRANK.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the potential impact of (a) diamorphine assisted therapy, (b) safe consumption rooms and (c) other drug harm reduction services on the level of ambulance call-outs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Harm reduction measures are vital and can have an impact on preventing overdoses, reducing the spread of infections, and engaging people into drug treatment. However, most of these outcomes would not be seen in ambulance data. The Department does not collect information on the potential impact of diamorphine assisted therapy (DAT), safe consumption rooms and other harm reduction services on the level of ambulance call outs. Identifying the impact of interventions typically delivered to small groups within broader populations at risk of overdose on ambulance call outs would be challenging due to other factors influencing overall levels and it is unlikely to be possible to do this robustly within an English context.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme were successful at (a) first application and (b) appeal since 2020.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between 1 January 2020 and 6 June 2025, data from the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the scheme, shows that 205 claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme were successful at a first application. This equates to 1.5% of the claims that had received an initial outcome.
In the same time period, 29 mandatory reversal requests were successful. This equates to 2.1% of the reversal outcomes that had been notified to claimants.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of applications to the vaccine damage payment scheme since 2020 have been successful on appeal,by vaccine type.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data from the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), shows that 22,408 VDPS claims were received between 1 November 2021 and 4 July 2025. 1.1% of these have been successful, with a further 0.1% having been successful following an appeal, known as a mandatory reversal. Of the claims received:
These figures are based on total applications received. Some of these applications will not yet have been assessed or were invalid.