First elected: 8th June 2017
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Don't change inheritance tax relief for working farms
Gov Responded - 5 Dec 2024 Debated on - 10 Feb 2025 View Esther McVey's petition debate contributionsWe think that changing inheritance tax relief for agricultural land will devastate farms nationwide, forcing families to sell land and assets just to stay on their property. We urge the government to keep the current exemptions for working farms.
These initiatives were driven by Esther McVey, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Esther McVey has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Esther McVey has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Esther McVey has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Employee Share Ownership (Reform) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - George Howarth (Lab)
Social Media Platforms (Identity Verification) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Siobhan Baillie (Con)
Banking Services (Post Offices) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Duncan Baker (Con)
Desecration of War Memorials Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Jonathan Gullis (Con)
Covid-19 Financial Assistance (Gaps in Support) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tracy Brabin (LAB)
Freedom of Speech (Universities) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - David Davis (Con)
June Bank Holiday (Creation) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Online News Platforms (Regulation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Damien Moore (Con)
Drone (Regulation) (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Hospital (Parking Charges and Business Rates) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Voter Registration (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Philip Davies (Con)
Student Loans (Debt Interest) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Public Sector Exit Payments (Limitation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Voter Registration Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Business of the House Commission Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
BBC Licence Fee (Civil Penalty) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
The Department of Business and Trade has awarded and published 167 contracts over £10,000 ex VAT since 5 July 2024; 44 of which were to UK based SMEs, and 22 to companies based abroad.
Given the significant uncertainty around the possible risks and impacts of deployment on the climate and environment, the Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so.
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Switching to homegrown clean energy, including renewables and other clean technologies, offers security that fossil fuels simply cannot provide. The Government recognises the challenges in moving away from fossil fuels but the only way to ensure energy security is through homegrown clean power. The Government has empowered the independent National Energy System Operator with the responsibility to carry out resilience functions across the electricity and gas systems and it will continue to work with stakeholders to improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure.
The transition to net zero will be an incredible opportunity for jobs and growth all across the country. As the OBR has noted in its July 2021 Fiscal Risks Report, “the costs of failing to get climate change under control would be much larger than those of bringing emissions down to net zero”. The Government is taking coordinated action to ensure a fair and inclusive transition to clean energy and net zero, addressing workforce challenges and enabling workers to benefit from the economic opportunities.
Our priority is making it easier, clearer and more affordable for people to access new technologies and benefit from the transition.
I understand the Right Honourable Member is asking about small modular reactor technology vendors down-selected to negotiate with Great British Nuclear as part of its ongoing competition. The vendors are: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC; Holtec Britain Ltd; Rolls Royce SMR Ltd; and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Ltd. Final decisions will be taken in the spring.
The UK possesses tremendous tidal resource and could play a role in balancing the intermittency of wind and solar generation as we transition towards clean power.
The UK remains the world leader in tidal stream generation technologies, with around half of the world's operational deployment of this situated in UK waters. On 3rd September 2024, the Government announced that six tidal stream contracts were secured with a joint capacity of 28MW in Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6. The UK is on track to have over 130 MW of tidal stream capacity deployed by 2029.
The Government is also open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives.
The UK possesses tremendous tidal resource and could play a role in balancing the intermittency of wind and solar generation as we transition towards a carbon-neutral power sector.
The UK remains the world leader in tidal stream generation technologies, with around half of the world's operational deployment of this situated in UK waters. On 3rd September 2024, the Government announced that six tidal stream contracts were secured with a joint capacity of 28MW in Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6. The UK is on track to have over 130 MW of tidal stream capacity deployed by 2029.
The Government is also open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives.
Great British Energy will create thousands of jobs and build supply chains across the UK, including at its future head office in Scotland. Its investments will support companies across the energy industry, providing opportunities for high quality, well-paid work. We already see the diversity of projects across the UK – from wind turbine construction in Teesside and Merseyside, to nuclear power in Suffolk, tidal projects in Scotland, hydropower in Wales, solar farms in Wiltshire and offshore wind in Belfast. Every part of the UK has a role to play in delivering energy security and transition to clean power by 2030.
The Government believes that the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on foreign, volatile energy markets, and help in our commitment to produce all of the UK's energy from clean power sources by 2030.
In the short-term, we will continue to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. We will also invest an extra £6.6 billion in energy efficiency funding over this Parliament to upgrade 5 million homes and cut bills for families.
The Department has not investigated the condition of copper telecommunications cabling in rural areas. However, we are aware that the overall condition of the copper networks is aging and deteriorating: the number of major incidents on the copper-based PSTN has been rising, with a 45% increase in 2024 compared to the previous year. Between April 2024 and March 2025, there were over 2,600 major incidents on the PSTN, each affecting 500 or more customers. The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK.
720 residential properties in total have been acquired on the former HS2 Phase 2b route. Of these, 59 are in the Tatton constituency, of which 19 have been vacant for more than six months.
The data in the Pfizer report does not support the assertion that vaccination causes a clinically significant increase in the risk of any conditions that could prevent a safety-critical worker from undertaking their work.
Pilots continue to undergo regular medical examination with cardiovascular examination and with periodic resting electrocardiograms (ECGs). Any anomalies recorded on an ECG are reviewed by a cardiologist and further investigations undertaken if appropriate. In this way, any cardiac conditions, are screened for among those applying to hold a pilot medical certificate, including those that might arise in relation to COVID infection and management.
For self-employed paying parents, the gross income used in a maintenance calculation is provided by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HMRC can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid.
Cases involving complex income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions to check the accuracy of information the CMS is given. The FIU uses its extensive investigative powers to ensure that families receive child maintenance appropriately and in accordance with the paying parent’s whole income.
If necessary, criminal charges relating to information offences linked to the calculation, will be brought against those who persistently and deliberately evade their responsibility to provide financially for their children.
The department is conducting a programme of work to review the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and reflects today’s social trends. The review is wide-ranging and includes consideration of a range of issues including bringing the treatment of unearned income and assets within the calculation automatically. Proposed changes which emerge from the review will be subject to consultation.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report on the AEAT Pension case in June 2023, which made several recommendations for the government. This work was halted due to the general election and the new government will now consider it.
Where a paying parent fails to pay on time or in full, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aims to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. If this is unsuccessful and the paying parent is employed, the CMS will use a Deductions from Earnings Order (DEO) to take payment directly from their wages.
The CMS also has a range of strong enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children.
The Department plans to enhance effectiveness in collecting arrears payments by delivering changes via regulations to streamline the enforcement process. This will remove the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order, and instead allow the Secretary of State to issue an administrative liability order. Introducing this simpler administrative process will enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities.
To be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payment statistics, the Pension Credit data that has been used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024.
It is estimated that around 18,200 pensioners in Tatton constituency (2010 boundary) will be impacted by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-xplore and the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for Winter 2022 to 2023 which are available via GOV.UK.
This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of people claiming Pension Credit in Tatton constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients in Tatton constituency. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients who are not claiming Pension Credit pre-policy change, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
Please note that the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or Local Authorities.
The published Pension Credit figures refer to households rather than individuals, so the number of individuals receiving Pension Credit will be higher (i.e. taking account of households where it is a couple claiming Pension Credit).
In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.
This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.
Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control.
Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.
The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS.
Our continued commitment to the triple lock means the full new state pension is forecast to increase by a further £1,700 over the course of this parliament.
We are also providing support through our Warm Homes Plan which pensioners will benefit from. This will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.
In making a decision on Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, the government had regard to the equality analysis in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty requirements.
My private office has reached out to the Rt. Hon. Member for Tatton to find a time for the meeting.
In April 2025, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was made aware that Moderna was to be issued a public reprimand by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) appeal board. Moderna would be subject to an audit following two recent cases where they had been ruled to have breached the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Code.
The Government has conducted an initial assessment of the PMCPA’s ruling, and has determined that it will not impact the delivery of the Moderna-United Kingdom Strategic Partnership.
The UKHSA will work with Moderna to ensure any recommendations from the report are duly considered and implemented, and to obtain assurance that these will be upheld for the duration of the partnership.
The Written Ministerial Statement was published on 27 March 2025. This contained information on Government health expenditure in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
No estimate has been made for the remaining years of Parliament beyond this. However, mental health remains a priority for the Government, and this is backed by our commitment to the Mental Health Investment Standard in 2025/26.
The Government recognises the vital work carried out by voluntary organisations, including in the heath sector, and is committed to supporting small businesses and charities. That is why the Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500. As a result, over half of the businesses with National Insurance contribution (NIC) liabilities will either benefit or see no increase in their contributions. In addition, eligible businesses and charities will continue to be able to claim reliefs on employer NICs, including those for employees under 21 years old and apprentices under 25 years old. Integrated care boards have developed plans to commission services in 2025/26 from providers, both National Health Service and third sector, to best meet the needs of their local populations, in response to national planning guidance.
Ministerial meetings with external organisations are routinely published on the GOV.UK website on a quarterly basis.
One tender response was received. The requirement for this vaccine specified that the product must be licensed for use in the United Kingdom. At the time the tender was published, only one supplier was able to meet this criterion. This was despite prior engagement with the market ahead of the release of the tender documentation.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) routinely undertakes proactive market and horizon scanning to identify emerging technologies and new suppliers across a range of industries. We remain committed to fostering a competitive environment that encourages innovation, while meeting the scope of the UKHSA to respond to public health outcomes.
Adjuvanted Zoonotic Influenza Vaccine (Surface Antigen, Inactivated) Seqirus suspension for injection in a pre‐filled syringe (PLGB 47991/0013) was authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency via UK Regulation 56 of The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 on 6 October 2023. This created a duplicate unbranded licence that was identical to Aflunov suspension for injection in a pre-filled syringe (PLGB 47991/0004), which was authorised in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2010 by a European Commission decision, following a centralised procedure by the European Medicines Agency (EMA; EMEA/H/C/002094). Subsequent to the granting of this duplicate unbranded licence, further lifecycle management actions were authorised for this licence.
As of 31 March 2025, 19,895 claims had been submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19 vaccination. 18,724, or 94% of these claims, were submitted for illnesses relating to COVID-19 vaccination and 1,171, or 6% of these claims, were submitted for fatalities relating to COVID-19 vaccination.
As of 31 March 2025, 958 claims had been submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to vaccinations other than COVID-19 vaccination. 903, or 94% of these claims, were submitted for illnesses relating to vaccinations other than COVID-19 vaccinations and 55, or 6% of these claims, were submitted for fatalities relating to vaccinations other than COVID-19 vaccination.
A post-authorisation safety study is a study that is carried out after a medicine has been authorised to obtain further information on a medicine's safety, or to measure the effectiveness of risk-management measures.
A total of 22 clinical studies are included, or were previously included, as additional pharmacovigilance activities in the Risk Management Plan (RMP) for the Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine. Of these studies, nine are reported as phase one, two, or three studies. Of the remaining studies, 10 are safety studies and three are vaccine effectiveness studies. Seven studies are ongoing, and 15 have been completed.
Milestones for these studies, including the due date of the submission of the final clinical study reports, are outlined in the RMP. The final study report for the clinical study Post Conditional Approval Active Surveillance Study Among Individuals in Europe Receiving the Pfizer BioNTech Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccine is due to be submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency by 30 September 2025.
The Government is hugely sympathetic to the families who believe that they or their children have suffered following the use of hormone pregnancy tests.
The previous administration did not ask the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes, to look at redress for hormone pregnancy tests as part of the Hughes Report, because a causal link between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy has not been demonstrated. An Expert Working Group of the independent Commission on Human Medicines reviewed the available scientific evidence in 2017 and concluded that it does not support a causal association. This position was reaffirmed in its most recent review in November 2024. However, we are committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence that comes to light.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Health Research Authority, and the Research Ethics Committee (REC) review and approve clinical trials on the basis of the benefits and risks, in line with the UK Clinical Trials regulatory (UK CTR) framework.
The safety of those participating in clinical trials is the MHRA’s first priority, and our oversight of trial conduct is informed by the trial’s sponsor efficiently notifying us of safety issues during the conduct of their trial.
Sponsors and investigators involved in the conduct of clinical trials are expected to have robust processes to ensure compliance with The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations, which includes compliance with the provision and use of documentation that has been approved for use by a REC.
Where doubts about the safety, conduct, or scientific validity of a clinical trial are identified, the MHRA may take action, in line with the UK CTR, which could include requiring changes to be made to the trial protocol, or suspension or termination of a trial.
The reactogenicity of vaccines refers to their capacity to produce common or “expected” adverse reactions following vaccination such as fever, tiredness, and a sore arm at the vaccination site. These reactions, and the frequency with which they occur, are listed in section four of the vaccine package leaflet, which states what possible side effects people may experience. Regarding the reference to reactogenicity in paragraph 3.19 of the minutes of the COVID-19 Vaccine Benefit Risk Expert Working Group held on 18 November 2020, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published information for the recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, as well as for healthcare professionals. These documents detail the reactogenic nature of the vaccines, and are available, respectively, at the following two links:
The MHRA also regularly published coronavirus vaccine summaries of Yellow Card reporting throughout the pandemic. Amongst many other matters regarding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, the reactogenic nature of the vaccines was regularly discussed in these communications, which are available at the following link:
Regarding paragraph 3.7 of these same minutes, the MHRA published product information for the COVID-19 vaccines on the GOV.UK website when regulatory approval was given, starting from 2 December 2020 when the Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world to be approved. On this day, the risk-based evaluation for the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine referenced in this paragraph of the minutes was published as part of a summary of the public assessment report for the COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer/BioNTech, which is available at the following link:
The reactogenicity of vaccines refers to their capacity to produce common or “expected” adverse reactions following vaccination such as fever, tiredness, and a sore arm at the vaccination site. These reactions, and the frequency with which they occur, are listed in section four of the vaccine package leaflet, which states what possible side effects people may experience. Regarding the reference to reactogenicity in paragraph 3.19 of the minutes of the COVID-19 Vaccine Benefit Risk Expert Working Group held on 18 November 2020, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published information for the recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, as well as for healthcare professionals. These documents detail the reactogenic nature of the vaccines, and are available, respectively, at the following two links:
The MHRA also regularly published coronavirus vaccine summaries of Yellow Card reporting throughout the pandemic. Amongst many other matters regarding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, the reactogenic nature of the vaccines was regularly discussed in these communications, which are available at the following link:
Regarding paragraph 3.7 of these same minutes, the MHRA published product information for the COVID-19 vaccines on the GOV.UK website when regulatory approval was given, starting from 2 December 2020 when the Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world to be approved. On this day, the risk-based evaluation for the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine referenced in this paragraph of the minutes was published as part of a summary of the public assessment report for the COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer/BioNTech, which is available at the following link:
Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) appeals are heard by the First-tier Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The tribunal does not publish these decisions as they are non-binding and contain personal information.
First-tier tribunal decisions do not set a precedent for other cases. All claims to the VDPS are assessed on a case-by-case basis, using the latest available medical evidence. Medical assessors will consider: the claim form; medical records from the vaccinated person’s healthcare providers; clinical research; epidemiological evidence; and the current consensus of expert medical opinion.
Information related to the baseline and methodology for the additional appointments delivered is available at the following link:
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not intend to publish these questions, or any subsequent responses received from the manufacturers. It is routine practice for regulatory authorities to ask developers of new medicines and vaccines a series of technical questions based on their data submissions. These technical discussions can cover a range of issues, including commercially confidential issues such as manufacturing methods, and as such they are not published. However, the final outcome of the assessment, including a comprehensive summary of evidence for quality, safety, and efficacy, is published in the form of a Public Assessment Report, which has been published on the GOV.UK website, and which is available at the following link:
We recognise that there is a public interest in the disclosure of commercial information
relating to the authorisations of the COVID-19 vaccines following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the technical context of the 36 questions posed to Pfizer and BioNTech and any response that they may have issued, disclosure of such correspondence would risk compromising an existing competitive market environment, which would harm the reputation of the MHRA amongst pharmaceutical manufacturers and potentially disincentivise them from seeking an authorisation for the United Kingdom for highly beneficial new medicines or medical devices.
To ensure the accuracy of redactions within the minutes in question the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has temporarily withdrawn the meeting minutes of the Vaccine Benefit Risk Expert Working Group to ensure accurate and transparent records.
The MHRA anticipates republishing all minutes as soon as possible.
For further transparency, when the minutes are republished, an alert will be sent to all subscribers who have registered for updates to the GOV.UK website for content of this type. I have also asked the rt hon member is alerted.
It is routine practice for regulatory authorities to ask developers of new medicines and vaccines technical questions based on their data submissions. These technical questions can cover a range of issues, including commercially confidential issues such as manufacturing methods, and they are not published.
The final outcome of the assessment, including the comprehensive summary of the evidence for quality, safety and efficacy, is published in the form of a Public Assessment Report, which is available at the following link:
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency does not intend to publish these questions, or any subsequent responses received from the manufacturers.
The Department and NHS England recognise the need for patients who are ready to go home to be discharged as quick as possible, both for their benefit and to improve the efficiency of hospitals. Information on the average wait time for hospital patients to be provided with medication at the point of discharge is not held centrally by NHS England, and it is the responsibility of individual trusts to monitor discharge and medication efficiency. To support hospitals on improving processes, guidance has been published, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/urgent-emergency-care/improving-hospital-discharge/
The Department and NHS England recognise the need for patients who are ready to go home to be discharged as quick as possible, both for their benefit and to improve the efficiency of hospitals. Information on the average wait time for hospital patients to be provided with medication at the point of discharge is not held centrally by NHS England, and it is the responsibility of individual trusts to monitor discharge and medication efficiency. To support hospitals on improving processes, guidance has been published, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/urgent-emergency-care/improving-hospital-discharge/
The Government will improve hospital discharge processes, to tackle delayed discharges, and to make sure people do not spend longer than necessary in hospital, freeing up hospital beds.
We will do so by developing local partnerships, working between the National Health Service and social care, making sure people get the right support from health and social care services to return home as soon as possible. Currently, every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub, which brings together professionals from the NHS and local authorities to manage discharges for people with more complex needs, and collaboration between integrated care boards and local authorities will continue to be supported by the Better Care Fund framework through 2025/26.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), together with the wider Government, have committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence which comes to light.
The new publication by Danielsson et al has been reviewed by the MHRA and advice has been sought from the Government’s independent advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), who have provided their independent expert advice on our assessment of whether the findings of the latest publication justify a further review. The MHRA will consider the recommendations given by the CHM before deciding whether any further action is warranted.
The minutes of the November CHM meeting will be made publicly available through the GOV.UK website at the earliest opportunity.
Contact with family and friends is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes and people in hospital. We have worked with NHS England and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to develop the policy options to strengthen the expectation for care providers and hospitals in England to allow visiting. This included introducing secondary legislation to amend CQC regulations. Further information on CQC regulations, specifically Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices, is available at the following link:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations/regulation-9a-visiting-and-accompanying
Information on ambulance service demand is published by NHS England, including, as of April 2018, the monthly total number of cardiac arrests responded to by ambulance services. The following table shows the total number of cardiac arrests each month from April 2018 to June 2024:
Month | Total cardiac arrests |
April 2018 | 6,345 |
May 2018 | 6,587 |
June 2018 | 6,005 |
July 2018 | 6,792 |
August 2018 | 6,136 |
September 2018 | 5,887 |
October 2018 | 6,761 |
November 2018 | 6,623 |
December 2018 | 7,225 |
January 2019 | 7,670 |
February 2019 | 6,522 |
March 2019 | 6,642 |
April 2019 | 6,345 |
May 2019 | 6,037 |
June 2019 | 5,724 |
July 2019 | 6,373 |
August 2019 | 6,100 |
September 2019 | 6,135 |
October 2019 | 6,783 |
November 2019 | 7,152 |
December 2019 | 8,737 |
January 2020 | 8,145 |
February 2020 | 7,008 |
March 2020 | 8,607 |
April 2020 | 10,208 |
May 2020 | 7,639 |
June 2020 | 6,838 |
July 2020 | 6,748 |
August 2020 | 7,168 |
September 2020 | 6,889 |
October 2020 | 7,727 |
November 2020 | 7,684 |
December 2020 | 9,259 |
January 2021 | 10,724 |
February 2021 | 7,699 |
March 2021 | 7,473 |
Source: the data is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
The increasing aging population and complexity that comes with more patients with multiple comorbidities may be reflected in the trend of rising in category 1 incidents.
In the financial year (FY) 2022/23, 1,298 applications were assessed, and 72 applications were successful. In the FY 2023/24, 3,806 applications were assessed, and 99 applications were successful. In the FY 2024/25, 4,664 applications have been assessed, and 27 applications have been successful.
We are unable to disclose the specific number of applications that were successful in the 2021/22 FY, as that number is fewer than or equal to five, and could lead to individuals being identified. For the FYs 2022/23 to 2024/25, the mean average number of successful applications is 66, the median average is 72, and the range is 72. The mean average, median average, and range do not include numbers for the 2021/22 FY, as including this information could lead to individuals being identified. The payment amount for successful claims is fixed at £120,000.
Between 1 November 2021 and 1 December 2024, the total spent by the NHS Business Services Authority on behalf of the Department on legal fees to defend against appeals within the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme was £50,608.
As of 1 December 2024, 1,107 claims have been waiting over a year for a resolution. All claims are managed on a case-by-case basis and there are several factors that may impact processing times. This includes time spent awaiting medical records from healthcare providers, or appropriate legal identification documentation, or awaiting consent from claimants for access to their medical records
The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in November 2021. We cannot provide any costings for the scheme during the period in which it was operated by the Department for Work and Pensions. Since the NHSBSA took over operation of the scheme, the following costs have been incurred for the medical assessments of the claims:
These are annual totals since we do not separate the budgets for initial assessments and mandatory reversals, the review of claims already assessed.
The rise in category 1 incidents reflects an increase in the proportion of patients’ ambulance services that have been determined to require an immediate face-to-face response. This may reflect a long-term trend of rising pressures on the health services from an increasing aging population, and complexity that comes with more patients with multiple comorbidities. Information on increases in ambulance service demand is published by NHS England. The total number of cardiac arrests that ambulance services responded to is published by month, however this information does not include other cardiac incidents, for example heart attack or angina, and the information is not disaggregated by incident category. The following table shows the total number of cardiac arrests each month from March 2021 to June 2024:
Month | Total cardiac arrests |
March 2021 | 7,473 |
April 2021 | 6,982 |
May 2021 | 7,085 |
June 2021 | 6,944 |
July 2021 | 7,592 |
August 2021 | 7,135 |
September 2021 | 7,442 |
October 2021 | 8,307 |
November 2021 | 8,483 |
December 2021 | 9,227 |
January 2021 | 8,936 |
February 2021 | 7,466 |
March 2021 | 8,216 |
April 2022 | 8,043 |
May 2022 | 7,781 |
June 2022 | 7,407 |
July 2022 | 7,959 |
August 2022 | 7,408 |
September 2022 | 7,349 |
October 2022 | 8,118 |
November 2022 | 8,440 |
December 2022 | 11,988 |
January 2022 | 9,832 |
February 2022 | 7,682 |
March 2022 | 8,599 |
April 2023 | 8,049 |
May 2023 | 7,298 |
June 2023 | 6,921 |
July 2023 | 6,611 |
August 2023 | 6,753 |
September 2023 | 6,668 |
October 2023 | 7,941 |
November 2023 | 8,259 |
December 2023 | 9,554 |
January 2024 | 9,471 |
February 2024 | 8,045 |
March 2024 | 8,309 |
May 2024 | 7,544 |
June 2024 | 7,344 |
Source: The data is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/