Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the role of mayoral authorities will be within Regional Health Innovation Zones.

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

Collaboration between health systems and local government, including mayoral authorities, is fundamental to the design and delivery of the Regional Health Innovation Zones, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan. The Government is committed to ensuring that local government leaders feel a sense of shared ownership in these plans.

The policy is currently in development. It is being designed with flexibility at its core, to ensure it accommodates the diversity of local government structures across the country. The relevant policy teams are already beginning to engage with regional leaders, in health systems and local government, to codesign the approach and to provide more clarity to regions.

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 impact of the 10 Year Health Plan on the roles of mayoral authorities in delivering health and social care services.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making mayors, or their representatives, members of integrated care boards (ICBs), harnessing the opportunities of joined-up strategic planning between ICBs and strategic authorities, and supporting delivery of a “health in all policies” approach. Subject to the passage of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, mayors will be supported by a new health improvement and health inequalities duty, which empowers and supports strategic authorities to exercise their functions in ways that improve health and reduce health inequalities between people living in their area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NICE plans to review (a) guideline NG17 for Type 1 diabetes in adults and (b) guideline NG18 for Diabetes (type 1 and type 2) in children and young people; and what the timelines are for the next updates.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for translating evidence into authoritative evidence-based guidance for the health and care system on best practice, in order to drive improved outcomes for patients.

NICE currently has no plans to update guidelines NG17 and NG18. NICE takes a proactive approach to surveillance, monitoring for changes in the evidence base that may impact on its recommendations. Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Online Safety Act 2023 prevents young people from accessing content that could adversely affect those with eating disorders.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Online Safety Act, social media, chat groups and other user-to-user services are required to use highly-effective age assurance to prevent children of all ages from accessing content that promotes, encourages or provides instructions for eating disorders. Providers must also consider how algorithms can impact children’s exposure to this harmful content and mitigate this risk.

All service providers must also take steps to protect children from harmful body stigma content, which is linked to significant harm arising from body or image dissatisfaction.