Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
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 effectiveness of value-based procurement for MedTech innovation for (a) the New Hospital Programme and (b) current NHS sites; and what steps his Department takes to ensure that the NHS has adequate flexibility in allocated budgets to take into account inflation when projects are delayed by 6 months or more.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is developing Value Based Procurement (VBP) Standard Guidance to improve consistency in National Health Service procurement of medical technology in England, and to ensure taxpayer’s money delivers better outcomes for patients, staff and the environment.
In September 2025, the Department launched the VBP Pilots in which 13 existing trusts will test the VBP Standard Guidance. During the pilots, the Department will assess the usability of the Guidance including its effectiveness to procure innovative technology, before publication of the final Guidance in early 2026. The New Hospital Programme is out of scope for these pilots.
The Spending Review 2025 settlement allocated a £2.3 billion real terms increase, or £4 billion cash increase, in Departmental annual capital budgets from 2023/24 to 2029/30. As this is a real-terms funding settlement, this assumes a level of inflation, with capital budgets growing in line with projected inflation. HM Treasury also agreed to grant additional flexibilities, including the relaxation of some ringfences, for the Department to manage capital budgets. This will support systems’ and providers’ abilities to maximise delivery against agreed priorities and measured outcomes.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2025 to Question 68895 on WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: Conferences, what decision his Department has made on the Senior Civil Servant grades that will attend as part of the UK delegation to the World Health Organisation Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties by (a) job title and (b) name.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our position on vaping is clear, that it is less harmful than smoking and can be an effective tool to help adults to stop smoking, but that non-smokers and young people should never vape. The Government has regularly set out this position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will continue do so at the upcoming conference.
Officials in the Department attended the European Region Pre-Cop meeting. These were informative sessions, and the United Kingdom did not make any interventions at these meetings. We have not yet confirmed the UK’s delegation with the World Health Organization. We are aiming to do so shortly.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will be attending the European Regional Summit ahead of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties on (a) 14 and (b)16 October 2025; and if his Department will share its position with Parliament ahead of the meeting.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our position on vaping is clear, that it is less harmful than smoking and can be an effective tool to help adults to stop smoking, but that non-smokers and young people should never vape. The Government has regularly set out this position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will continue do so at the upcoming conference.
Officials in the Department attended the European Region Pre-Cop meeting. These were informative sessions, and the United Kingdom did not make any interventions at these meetings. We have not yet confirmed the UK’s delegation with the World Health Organization. We are aiming to do so shortly.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant the Answer of 25 July 2025 to Question 68895 on WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: Conferences, what position his Department plans to set out on vaping at the Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Geneva in November 2025.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our position on vaping is clear, that it is less harmful than smoking and can be an effective tool to help adults to stop smoking, but that non-smokers and young people should never vape. The Government has regularly set out this position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will continue do so at the upcoming conference.
Officials in the Department attended the European Region Pre-Cop meeting. These were informative sessions, and the United Kingdom did not make any interventions at these meetings. We have not yet confirmed the UK’s delegation with the World Health Organization. We are aiming to do so shortly.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's plans to introduce a prohibition on the advertising of vaping products and nicotine products, what other restrictions or alternatives to a blanket prohibition on advertising were assessed as options; and what comparative evidence was used in the decision to introduce a blanket prohibition.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Youth vaping has doubled in the past five years, and one in four 11 to 15-year-olds tried vaping in 2023. There has been a significant growth in the awareness of vaping promotion over recent years, with more than half of all children aged 11 to 17 years old, or 55%, being aware of promotion in shops, up from 37% in 2022.
Advertising of nicotine vapes is already restricted by United Kingdom regulations. This includes a ban on advertising on television and radio, and through internet advertising or commercial email. However, there are currently no restrictions on the advertising of non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine products such as pouches. There are also minimal restrictions on entering sponsorship agreements which promote these products, and we do not want children to be aware of these promotions which may make the products seem ‘cool’, for instance, if it appears on their favourite football team’s kit.
This is why the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately advertised and promoted to children. This will stop the next generation from being hooked on nicotine. However, the bill will not stop public health authorities from undertaking necessary and important public health messaging or campaigns on vaping and smoking cessation.
The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including the proposed ban on advertising vaping and nicotine products. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024. Paragraph 529 of the impact assessment details options that were previously considered but discounted. Our approach reflects evidence showing that comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising had a significant impact on reducing consumption, while partial bans had no significant effect. The World Health Organisation cites advertising bans as ‘one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco consumption’ so they are also likely to be effective for vaping and nicotine products.
The Government will monitor the impact of this advertising and sponsorship ban following its implementation.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the potential (a) merits and (b) costs of (i) a total prohibition on advertising of nicotine and vaping products and (ii) other measures short of total prohibition.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Youth vaping has doubled in the past five years, and one in four 11 to 15-year-olds tried vaping in 2023. There has been a significant growth in the awareness of vaping promotion over recent years, with more than half of all children aged 11 to 17 years old, or 55%, being aware of promotion in shops, up from 37% in 2022.
Advertising of nicotine vapes is already restricted by United Kingdom regulations. This includes a ban on advertising on television and radio, and through internet advertising or commercial email. However, there are currently no restrictions on the advertising of non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine products such as pouches. There are also minimal restrictions on entering sponsorship agreements which promote these products, and we do not want children to be aware of these promotions which may make the products seem ‘cool’, for instance, if it appears on their favourite football team’s kit.
This is why the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately advertised and promoted to children. This will stop the next generation from being hooked on nicotine. However, the bill will not stop public health authorities from undertaking necessary and important public health messaging or campaigns on vaping and smoking cessation.
The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including the proposed ban on advertising vaping and nicotine products. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024. Paragraph 529 of the impact assessment details options that were previously considered but discounted. Our approach reflects evidence showing that comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising had a significant impact on reducing consumption, while partial bans had no significant effect. The World Health Organisation cites advertising bans as ‘one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco consumption’ so they are also likely to be effective for vaping and nicotine products.
The Government will monitor the impact of this advertising and sponsorship ban following its implementation.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to promote the UK’s Swap to Stop scheme at the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health advice is clear, that whilst vapes can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and non-smokers should never vape. The Swap to Stop scheme is a national smoking cessation programme through which the Department provides adult smokers access to free vape start kits alongside behavioural support to help them quit.
The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in Geneva in November 2025.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representatives his Department plans to send to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties by (a) job title and (b) name.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The World Health Organization Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will take place in Geneva from Monday 17 to Saturday 22 November.
The United Kingdom’s delegation will consist of officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, as is usual practice for this conference.
A decision on who will attend is yet to be made. However, it is departmental policy not to name officials below Senior Civil Service grades who attend these events.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
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 encourage transparency from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities when allocating funds for the Horse Race Betting Levy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is not involved in the allocation of funds from the Horserace Betting Levy (HBL). The HBL is administered by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure early (a) screening and (b) diagnosis for chronic kidney disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Early diagnosis is crucial for people with long-term conditions like chronic kidney disease in accessing timely treatment, preventing deterioration, and improving survival rates. The NHS Health Check programme aims to detect and prevent conditions like heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease among adults aged between 40 and 74 years old, and engages over 1.4 million people a year.
The Department is already developing a digital version of the check to provide a more accessible and convenient service for people. The NHS Health Check Online service will be piloted in three local authorities from spring 2025 for six months, with the aim of being rolled out nationally from spring 2026, delivering approximately one million checks in the first four years.
The Elective Recovery Plan, published in January 2025, also set out measures to improve diagnostic capacity and access.
More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support the early detection and faster treatment of chronic kidney disease.