Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) address shortages in tuberculosis (TB) medications, including drugs for preventive and active TB treatment and (b) ensure that patients are not put at risk due to disrupted access to treatment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is currently a shortage of some medicines used to treat tuberculosis (TB), non-tuberculous mycobacteria, and other conditions. However, as a result of measures taken, the supply position has significantly improved. Supplies to the market were delayed following regulatory requirements that increased the complexity of the manufacturing process to address serious quality concerns. This was compounded by delivery delays and increased pressure on the products that remain available.
On 21 July 2025, the shortage was designated by the Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG) as Tier 4, the highest impact on patients and the system, given the risk to patient and public health. Following a Medicines Supply Notification (MSN) to the system in April, a National Patient Safety Alert was published on 29 July 2025. This provided guidance to clinical teams on prioritising patient care and managing stock. Updates to the issue, including the current status and resupply dates, are regularly maintained via the online Medicines Supply Tool managed by NHS England and the Department.
The situation has improved following ongoing engagement with suppliers and enhanced support from importers. There is now sufficient stock for the treatment of latent TB to continue as normal, and MSRG agreed on 13 October that the issue should be deescalated to a Tier 3, and a new MSN was issued to the system on 23 October 2025.
An Incident Management Team managed the shortage in its most acute phase, led by NHS England and with a broad wider stakeholder group, including the Department and the UK Health Security Agency, and a Supply Chain Management group has co-ordinated the allocation and distribution of the available stock across all four nations.
Thanks to this cross-system collaboration and clinically-led strategy to manage current supplies, the sourcing of additional stock, and the effective prioritisation of the existing supply, the stock levels of many licensed products have improved.
NHS England continues to engage with all relevant suppliers to understand usage and expected resupply dates as well as with specialist importers of unlicensed products to understand their ability to cover the initial and future deficit. Plans are underway to ensure that when further licensed stock becomes available, we can control allocation via wholesalers to enable fair distribution of stock.
Medium to longer-term planning is underway to address ongoing and future challenges in TB medicine supply.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of devolving powers to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities to allow them to introduce overnight accommodation levies.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Tax policy is a matter for fiscal events.
The Government keeps all tax policy under review.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made recent progress on processing applications for (a) asylum and (b) other forms of settlement made by people from Syria.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The pause on processing asylum claims and settlement protection applications from Syrian nationals has been lifted.
We are working through the outstanding cases in line with the relevant published policy guidance taking into account the latest published country policy information on Syria. Each application will be considered on its individual merits and some cases may require further consideration and evidence gathering.
We will not remove anyone to their own or any country where they would face persecution or serious harm.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Palantir will have (a) exclusive and (b) other access to NHS patients’ DNA data as part of its contracts with the Government.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No data relating to patients’ DNA is included in the datasets processed in the NHS Federated Data Platform provided by a consortium led by Palantir. Faculty had no access to patient DNA data as part of any contract with the Department of Health and Social Care or NHS England.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Faculty will have access to NHS patient DNA data through Government contracts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No data relating to patients’ DNA is included in the datasets processed in the NHS Federated Data Platform provided by a consortium led by Palantir. Faculty had no access to patient DNA data as part of any contract with the Department of Health and Social Care or NHS England.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which companies were contracted by her Department to develop an IT system for the Rwanda scheme; and how much was spent with each company.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department has set out the costs of the scheme and provided further details to clarify this: Breakdown of Home Office costs associated with the MEDP with Rwanda and the Illegal Migration Act 2023 - GOV.UK.
For a variety of reasons, including issues around commercial sensitivities, we do not expect to provide a further breakdown of IT-related expenditure, but as the Home Secretary has made clear, our work now is to repurpose as much of this money as possible to clear the asylum backlog and move out of hotels.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts (a) the NHS and (b) her Department has with companies owned by Frank Hester.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value is of her Department's contracts with companies owned by Frank Hester.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money her Department paid to companies owned by Frank Hester in each of the last four years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the 10 pilot programs are that have been funded through the Incubator for AI.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Last November, the Deputy Prime Minister established the ‘Incubator for AI’, a team who sit in the Cabinet Office. This team’s mission is to help departments harness the potential of AI to improve lives and the delivery of public services.
The early work of the Government’s AI incubator has already proven that it is possible to make effective AI tools for use in the UK Government, and that building these in-house represents strong value for money. As this is an incubator, there are projects at varying stages of development.
I can share that details about some of their pilot projects can be found on their website at https://ai.gov.uk, and include
A consultation response tool that can read, summarise and triage responses to consultations. As the Government initiates more than 700 consultations every year, this tool can free up time for us to undertake more engagement with the public on a broader range of issues.
Caddy, an AI powered co-pilot for customer service functions everywhere, which is currently in trial in Manchester. Built in collaboration with Citizens Advice, it seamlessly integrates into existing systems and provides expert advice to advisors and call handlers. A bespoke Civil Service AI assistant called ‘Redbox Multitool’ (based on the Ministerial RedBox previously announced) which is tailored for the use of UK government, including a range of secure efficiency-generating features appropriate for central government work.
Signing a Collaboration Charter with NHSE to work together on AI, as well as data infrastructure projects to support better operations in healthcare.
Information about other pilots will be released as they pass development and testing gateways.