Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expand the trial of the transportation of blood by drone technology undertaken by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital to more NHS Trusts.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne

The medical drone delivery service for the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is a six-month trial, that started in November. There is potential for drones to support and improve the way the National Health Service delivers patient care, with the outcome of trials supporting NHS trusts to consider the benefits of adoption.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to encourage the wider adoption of drone technology in the NHS.

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

NHS England will continue to encourage the wider adoption of drone technology in the National Health Service where it is both feasible and appropriate.

The NHS is committed to decarbonising travel and transport, with a clear vision of achieving a zero-emission fleet by 2040. In October 2023, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy, which contains an ambitious, yet deliverable, roadmap to achieve this. Further information on the NHS Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/net-zero-travel-and-transport-strategy/

This strategy includes drones as one of the interventions to achieve decarbonised travel and transport. There have already been a number of projects testing and implementing the use of drone technology in the NHS, including pathology drones in Cornwall and blood delivery drones in London. Further information on the pathology drones in Cornwall and the blood delivery drones in London is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.rcpath.org/resource-report/pathology-drone-transport-hopes-to-overcome-logistical-constraints-in-cornwall.html

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/news/nhs-delivery-drones-take-flight-offering-faster-and-greener-patient-care

Drones have also been used to deliver vital chemotherapy to the Isle of Wight, reducing a four-hour journey time by road and sea to a 30-minute flight, minimising waste and treatment delays whilst also reducing carbon, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/whats-already-happening/drone-deliveries-of-vital-chemotherapy-to-the-isle-of-wight/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with NHS England on the potential merits of publishing data on incidents of corridor care in the NHS.

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

The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and is determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.

Discussions on how to improve urgent and emergency care services are continuing, including how best to make use of data. Before the spring, we will set out the lessons learned from this winter and the improvements that we will put in place ahead of next winter.

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 merits of regularly publishing data on incidents of corridor care in the NHS.

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

The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and is determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.

Discussions on how to improve urgent and emergency care services are continuing, and we will continue to keep the data available and published to support that aim under review. Before the spring, we will set out the lessons learned from this winter and the improvements that we will put in place ahead of next winter.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of using drone technology to support fire and rescue services.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Fire and Rescue Services have been early adopters of drones which can improve decision making, operational efficiency and reduce risk to firefighters. We work closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council, who co-ordinate the use of Fire & Rescue Service Drones, ensuring services are aware of new technology and the benefits available.

Fire and rescue authorities and services are operationally independent from government. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions and keep their communities safe are a matter for each fire and rescue authority, based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Any consideration of equipment, including drones, will be part of this process.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the upper limit of house prices for which the Lifetime Individual Savings Account can be used without incurring a penalty for people living in (a) Greater London and (b) other regions with high house prices.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

While the Government will continue to monitor the situation, it currently remains of the view that the property price cap for the Lifetime ISA is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder.

Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK.

The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the level of vaccine uptake is by (a) ethnicity, (b) region and (c) socio-economic group.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held in the format requested. The total number of mpox vaccinations administered in England in 2023/24 financial year was 21,225. The total number of mpox vaccinations administered in 2024/25 financial year to date currently stands at 15,649. The latest vaccine coverage statistics are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake

Influenza and COVID-19 coverage data can also be viewed in the weekly flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2024-to-2025-season

Childhood vaccination coverage statistics in England are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-immunisation-statistics

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 potential merits of integrating Mpox vaccines into routine sexual health services for higher risk groups.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is planning for a routine Mpox vaccination programme, whilst continuing to offer vaccination to eligible cohorts in areas with the highest density of the eligible population as part of the response to the recent Mpox outbreaks.

NHS England has recently opened additional Mpox vaccination sites across the country to support the access for eligible individuals, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/02/nhs-opens-new-mpox-vaccination-sites-across-england/

The programme will be delivered through Sexual Health Services who have experience in the assessment, identification, and vaccination of those who are at increased risk of Mpox infection.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mPox vaccines were given in England in the 2023-24 financial year; and how many have been given to date in the 2024-25 financial year.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The total number of Mpox vaccinations administered in England in the 2023/24 financial year totalled to 21,225. The total number of Mpox vaccinations administered in the 2024/25 financial year to date currently stands at 15,649.

The data was extracted on 5 February 2025 based on aggregate data submissions from sexual health or genitourinary medicine clinics. The data covers a period of 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, and 1 April 2024 to 31 January 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Mpox vaccines were delivered in each month since January 2024.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of Mpox vaccines delivered each month from 1 January 2024 to 31 January 2025, as well as the total Mpox vaccines delivered in that period:

The data was extracted on 5 February 2025 and is based on aggregate data submissions from sexual health or genitourinary medicine clinics.

Found: Q47 Danny Beales: Your key ask is really an evaluation of the framework.

Found: Q107 Danny Beales: That would be helpful.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Dr Beccy Cooper;