Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS trusts on accountability measures for contracted NHS transport providers in instances where they repeatedly fail to meet required standards.

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

No such discussions have been held.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving performance against targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what eligibility criteria his Department plans to use for covid vaccination eligibility in winter 2025-26.

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

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness (hospitalisations and deaths) arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

On 13 November 2024, JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following groups:

• adults aged 75 years and over;

• residents in care homes for older adults;

• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book).

The Government has no plans to change eligibility for autumn 2025. It has accepted the JCVI advice for this campaign in full. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to monitor coronavirus levels in winter 2025-26.

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

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor COVID-19 through a variety of indicators and surveillance systems. Positive and negative laboratory tests, primarily taken in secondary health care settings, are reported through laboratory surveillance systems, and a sample of these positive tests are sequenced to monitor COVID-19 variants.

In primary care, the Royal College of General Practitioners’ surveillance centre reports on the testing of those attending sentinel general practices with respiratory symptoms. In addition, selected National Health Service trusts report on the number of COVID-19 admissions, and all NHS trusts report on intensive care unit and high-dependency unit COVID-19 cases. Local health protection teams will report on outbreaks of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, in settings such as care homes, schools, and places of detention.

These data are analysed and published by the UKHSA in weekly official statistics in the National Influenza and COVID-19 Surveillance Report, which summarises information from the disease surveillance systems that are used to monitor seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has contingency plans in place to extend eligibility for coronavirus vaccinations if infection rates rise in winter 2025-26.

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

The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, hospitalisation and/or mortality arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity.

COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant. With rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged, the focus of the independent expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. These are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality.

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government decided, in line with this advice, that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in autumn 2025 to the following groups:

• adults aged 75 years and over;
• residents in a care home for older adults; and
• individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the immunosuppression sections of tables three or four in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

While the JCVI keeps the available data under regular review, there are no plans to offer vaccination through the national programme outside these JCVI-advised groups for autumn 2025. All those individuals who are eligible are encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.

The JCVI has advised that the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant of concern which escaped from current widespread immunity, and therefore results in serious disease, in a wider range of individuals, is unlikely. However, if this scenario did emerge, the JCVI does not consider it likely that current vaccines would be effective. This means that expanding groups eligible for vaccination is unlikely to be clinically useful when compared with developing a new variant vaccine matched to the variant of concern. In this scenario, which the JCVI believes to be unlikely, new advice would be required on which groups were at risk of serious disease and should therefore be eligible for vaccination.

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 Plan for the NHS on migraine care.

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

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit. The GIRFT programme published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving recognition and diagnosis of migraine by general practitioners. Additionally, the RightCare Toolkit sets out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders.

The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed two e-learning modules about migraine and cluster headaches, which aim to raise awareness amongst primary care clinicians about the different types of migraine and their associated symptoms, and how to differentiate.

NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including for those with migraine.

There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which have the potential to have a very positive impact on care for patients with migraine. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including migraine, closer to home.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will be enhanced to allow patients to manage appointments, medications, and view or create their own care plans. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need. The My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and the My Health section will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through the My Specialist section on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Israel’s evacuation order from Gaza City on the adequacy of (a) food, (b) medical supplies and (c) space in humanitarian zones.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 17 September to Question 71870.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding she has provided to Sutton Bonington Primary School for rebuilding in the last 12 months.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is a centrally delivered programme. Therefore, no funding is allocated or distributed directly to schools.

Details of all contracts awarded over £10,000 are published on the ‘Contracts Finder’ website, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. Payments made to the contractor are in line with agreed milestones for the project.

In addition to the SRP, the department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. As part of that, Equals Trust, which is responsible for Sutton Bonington Primary, was allocated just under £1.1 million in capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year to decide how to invest across its schools.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on (a) humanitarian access being limited to (i) Kerem Shalom and (ii) Kissufim and (b) the closure of Zikim.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 15 September to Question 77707.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her US counterpart on (a) lifting restrictions on crossings and (b) restoring UN-led, coordinated humanitarian operations in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 15 September to Question 77707.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterparts on opening secure humanitarian corridors across Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 15 September to Question 77707.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on investigating private car park operators in instances of repeated disputes over charges where appeals to the (a) operator, (b) independent appeals service and (c) relevant accredited trade association have been rejected.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No such discussions have taken place. Responsibility for the policy and legislation governing car parking at off-street locations rests with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. This includes any issues relating to enforcement of off-street parking restrictions and associated representations and appeals procedures.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve sanction processes for private parking companies that repeatedly (a) generate upheld complaints and (b) lose appeals.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.

The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance on the operation and management of private parking facilities.

My department recently consulted on the new Code and an accompanying compliance framework for private parking companies. As part of this framework, we are developing an independent Certification Scheme to audit the parking industry’s compliance with the new Code. The scheme will operate as a third-party certification process, whereby only organisations accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service as Conformity Assessment Bodies will be able to certify private parking companies.

Parking operators who fail to comply with the Code risk losing access to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data. This data includes information on vehicle keepers, so any company blocked from accessing it would be unable to pursue parking charges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that vulnerable patients receive appropriate NHS transport services.

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

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are designed to provide transport for patients who have particular clinical or mobility needs that necessitate such support, which may include elderly or vulnerable patients. The eligibility criteria for NEPTS have been set nationally by NHS England, and the details are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

The Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is available for eligible patients and provides financial support to facilitate journeys to and from National Health Service funded secondary care. Details on the eligibility for HTCS is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving against performance targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations, and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

NHS England is funding and co-ordinating a range of Patient Transport Pathfinder projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to monitor NHS transport service performance standards.

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

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are designed to provide transport for patients who have particular clinical or mobility needs that necessitate such support, which may include elderly or vulnerable patients. The eligibility criteria for NEPTS have been set nationally by NHS England, and the details are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

The Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is available for eligible patients and provides financial support to facilitate journeys to and from National Health Service funded secondary care. Details on the eligibility for HTCS is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving against performance targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations, and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

NHS England is funding and co-ordinating a range of Patient Transport Pathfinder projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will consider how people with life-long disabilities caused by receiving sodium valproate in utero will be affected by welfare reforms when planning those reforms.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In our Pathways to Work Green Paper, we set out plans to remove the WCA and move to using the PIP assessment as the single assessment for additional financial support for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions in England and Wales. To ensure that PIP and the PIP assessment are fair and fit for the future, we have launched the Timms Review.

The Review will look at PIP, the assessment criteria, and the wider role the assessment could play in providing access to the right support at the right level. To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, the Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.

It will be for the Review’s leadership group – building from the Terms of Reference – to set its strategic direction, priorities and workplan. It will also oversee a programme of participation and engagement that brings together the full range of views and voices.

PIP assessments and Work Capability Assessments are not medical consultations and do not require Healthcare Professionals (HP) to diagnose conditions or recommend treatment. Instead, they are functional assessments designed to evaluate how an individual’s health conditions or impairments - including those caused by receiving sodium valproate in utero - affect their ability to carry out daily living activities and/or their capability for work

HPs conducting assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis. Their focus is on understanding the functional impact of a claimant’s condition, rather than its clinical diagnosis. All HPs receive specific training on assessing the effects of physical and mental health conditions.

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 improve NHS hospital transport provision.

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

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) are designed to provide transport for patients who have particular clinical or mobility needs that necessitate such support, which may include elderly or vulnerable patients. The eligibility criteria for NEPTS have been set nationally by NHS England, and the details are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

The Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is available for eligible patients and provides financial support to facilitate journeys to and from National Health Service funded secondary care. Details on the eligibility for HTCS is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving against performance targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations, and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

NHS England is funding and co-ordinating a range of Patient Transport Pathfinder projects to explore more effective approaches to supporting patients with their NHS travel needs.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of new Energy Performance Certificate regulations on (a) holiday lets and (b) the tourism sector.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector, including proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or equivalent by 2030. We have sought views on whether short-term lets should be included in the scope of our changes, to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties.

As outlined in the consultation government has proposed to maintain a range of exemptions available to landlords to ensure that required investment is fair and proportionate. Government remains committed to taking an evidence-based approach and will consider the balance between supporting tourism and reaching Net Zero goals.

A government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution in response to the question from the Hon. Member for Rushcliffe of 5 February 2025, Official report, column 751, what progress he has made on addressing the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report on sodium valproate and pelvic mesh; and what steps he will need to take before implementation of the report's recommendations can commence.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has allocated funding for the Government response to the Hughes Report.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will launch a public consultation before introducing legislation to abolish the statutory functions of local Healthwatch.

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

Although there are no plans to carry out a direct public consultation on the abolition of local Healthwatch arrangements. Dr Dash’s report on patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025 and made nine recommendations which the Government have accepted in full. Dr Dash’s findings and recommendations have also fed into the 10-Year Health Plan which itself was devised on the basis of the widest ever public consultation on the future of the National Health Service.

Dr Dash’s review recommends bringing together the work of local Healthwatch organisations with the engagement functions of integrated care boards and providers to ensure patient and wider community input into the planning and design of services.

These changes will improve quality, including safety, by making it clear where responsibility and accountability sit at all levels of the system. The changes will make it easier for staff, patients and service users to feed directly into the system to improve quality of care. We believe after these changes that patients and users will have a stronger voice and one that is more easily heard inside the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will ensure that people with (a) severe multiple disadvantage and (b) other rare conditions are included in the (i) design and (ii) delivery of services after the proposed abolition of local Healthwatch organisations.

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

Dr Dash’s report on patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. The review recommends bringing together the work of local Healthwatch organisations with the engagement functions of integrated care boards and providers to ensure patient and wider community input into the planning and design of services.

These changes will improve quality, including safety, by making it clear where responsibility and accountability sit at all levels of the system. The changes will make it easier for staff, patients and service users, including those with severe multiple disadvantage and other rare conditions, to feed directly into the system to improve quality of care. We believe that patients and users will have a stronger voice once it is heard inside the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether funding will be ringfenced for independent patient advocacy and engagement services at local level after the proposed abolition of local Healthwatch.

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

Funding for independent patient advocacy and funding for local Healthwatch is currently not ring-fenced, and the Department has no plans to introduce a ring fence in future years.

The abolition of local Healthwatch arrangements, and transfer of their functions to integrated care boards for health, and local authorities for social care, will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when Parliamentary time allows.

Funding considerations will be undertaken after legislation has received parliamentary approval.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure that patients have access to independent statutory mechanisms for raising concerns about health and care services following the proposed abolition of local Healthwatch organisations.

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

The report by Dr Penny Dash, published in July, recommended bringing together the work of local Healthwatch organisations, and the engagement functions of integrated care boards (ICBs) and providers, to ensure patient and wider community input into the planning and design of services. The recommendations in the report were accepted, in full, by the Government.

The abolition of local Healthwatch arrangements, and the transfer of their functions to ICBs and local authorities will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to approve the use of sepiapterin for people with phenylketonuria.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

The MHRA has several licensing routes that are available to companies to support access of innovative medicines or medicines with unmet need to patients. Sepiapterin is currently not approved by the MHRA, however, it will assess any market authorisation applications for sepiapterin against the high standards of quality, safety and efficacy should an application be received.

Found: Chair); Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Alice Macdonald; Brian Mathew; David Mundell; James Naish

Found: Chair); Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Alice Macdonald; Brian Mathew; David Mundell; James Naish