Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with trade unions on the (a) pay and (b) conditions of NHS support staff.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has had recent meetings with a number of general secretaries and health leads from trade unions representing staff on the Agenda for Change contract, including Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and GMB. Those meetings have focused on ways Government can continue to work with trade unions to improve working conditions for National Health Service staff, including NHS support staff, and how we can address concerns with pay within the current economic context.
The Department regularly discusses workforce policy and staff experience matters for NHS support staff through the Social Partnership Forum, which is a national forum where NHS employers, trade unions, and the Department work together on issues that affect the NHS. In addition, the Department also engages with the NHS Staff Council, which has responsibility for maintaining the Agenda for Change system of pay and terms and conditions.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 potential impact of (a) cartoon characters on baby food packaging and (b) other child-directed imagery on baby health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
The Government has published voluntary industry baby food guidelines as part of our comprehensive strategy to give children the best start in life. The guidelines challenge businesses to reduce the levels of salt and sugar in commercial baby food and drink products aimed at those aged up to 36 months. The guidelines also set out voluntary labelling actions for industry, in addition to reinforcing legislative requirements around labelling and health and nutrition claims. This will help to support parents and carers to make informed choices about what to feed their children.
Businesses have 18 months from the publication of these guidelines, therefore by February 2027, to deliver the required changes. We will monitor industry progress towards implementing the sugar, salt, and labelling guidelines.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we also have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that commercial baby foods are suitable for infants and young children and require businesses to ensure labelling is clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy.
The Best Start in Life health website has advice for parents and carers on successful weaning of infants to introduce healthy solid foods, and is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/
It has been updated to provide new advice on shop-bought baby food and healthy weaning practices. The update has been made in light of the increased availability and range of commercial baby food products, highlighting the need for clear and consistent advice for parents and carers.
We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflects the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. The voluntary industry baby food guidelines should support improvements in this area.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 reduce levels of sugar in snacks for children under two.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
The Government has published voluntary industry baby food guidelines as part of our comprehensive strategy to give children the best start in life. The guidelines challenge businesses to reduce the levels of salt and sugar in commercial baby food and drink products aimed at those aged up to 36 months. The guidelines also set out voluntary labelling actions for industry, in addition to reinforcing legislative requirements around labelling and health and nutrition claims. This will help to support parents and carers to make informed choices about what to feed their children.
Businesses have 18 months from the publication of these guidelines, therefore by February 2027, to deliver the required changes. We will monitor industry progress towards implementing the sugar, salt, and labelling guidelines.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we also have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that commercial baby foods are suitable for infants and young children and require businesses to ensure labelling is clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy.
The Best Start in Life health website has advice for parents and carers on successful weaning of infants to introduce healthy solid foods, and is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/
It has been updated to provide new advice on shop-bought baby food and healthy weaning practices. The update has been made in light of the increased availability and range of commercial baby food products, highlighting the need for clear and consistent advice for parents and carers.
We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflects the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. The voluntary industry baby food guidelines should support improvements in this area.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 potential impact of commercial baby foods being marketed for infants under six months on baby health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
The Government has published voluntary industry baby food guidelines as part of our comprehensive strategy to give children the best start in life. The guidelines challenge businesses to reduce the levels of salt and sugar in commercial baby food and drink products aimed at those aged up to 36 months. The guidelines also set out voluntary labelling actions for industry, in addition to reinforcing legislative requirements around labelling and health and nutrition claims. This will help to support parents and carers to make informed choices about what to feed their children.
Businesses have 18 months from the publication of these guidelines, therefore by February 2027, to deliver the required changes. We will monitor industry progress towards implementing the sugar, salt, and labelling guidelines.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we also have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that commercial baby foods are suitable for infants and young children and require businesses to ensure labelling is clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy.
The Best Start in Life health website has advice for parents and carers on successful weaning of infants to introduce healthy solid foods, and is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/
It has been updated to provide new advice on shop-bought baby food and healthy weaning practices. The update has been made in light of the increased availability and range of commercial baby food products, highlighting the need for clear and consistent advice for parents and carers.
We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflects the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. The voluntary industry baby food guidelines should support improvements in this area.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 support (a) parents and (b) caregivers in making informed nutritional choices for children.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
The Government has published voluntary industry baby food guidelines as part of our comprehensive strategy to give children the best start in life. The guidelines challenge businesses to reduce the levels of salt and sugar in commercial baby food and drink products aimed at those aged up to 36 months. The guidelines also set out voluntary labelling actions for industry, in addition to reinforcing legislative requirements around labelling and health and nutrition claims. This will help to support parents and carers to make informed choices about what to feed their children.
Businesses have 18 months from the publication of these guidelines, therefore by February 2027, to deliver the required changes. We will monitor industry progress towards implementing the sugar, salt, and labelling guidelines.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we also have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that commercial baby foods are suitable for infants and young children and require businesses to ensure labelling is clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy.
The Best Start in Life health website has advice for parents and carers on successful weaning of infants to introduce healthy solid foods, and is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/
It has been updated to provide new advice on shop-bought baby food and healthy weaning practices. The update has been made in light of the increased availability and range of commercial baby food products, highlighting the need for clear and consistent advice for parents and carers.
We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflects the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. The voluntary industry baby food guidelines should support improvements in this area.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 merits of including specialist dementia nurses as part of the Neighbourhood Health Service.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Neighbourhood Health Service will bring together teams of professionals, closer to people’s homes, to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, and so they could include dementia nurses. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, services may look different in rural communities, coastal towns, and deprived inner cities, depending on local need.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 help improve the availability of tuberculosis medication.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and are outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. Where there are supply issues, these are managed at a national level across the UK rather than at a regional level.
NHS England has been notified of some issues with medicines used to treat tuberculosis (TB), however there is sufficient stock available from alternative suppliers to meet normal demand for most of them. The products facing current disruptions include Voractiv tablets until late June 2025, and rifampicin 150 milligram capsules until mid-August 2025, both due to manufacturing delays. Comprehensive management plans were communicated to healthcare professionals on 1 June 2025, highlighting issues with TB medicines and advising of the actions to take during this time.
NHS England is actively working with the affected suppliers to address these supply issues as quickly as possible to ensure that UK patients have access to the medications they need.
The team are working intensively to improve the availability of TB medicines, which includes co-ordinating with the British Thoracic Society to ensure centres treating active TB have access to available supplies, and directing trusts to build buffer stocks of unlicensed imports of TB medicines whilst there is a supply issue with some UK licensed products. The team are also supporting the impacted supplier and trusts to ensure that the available TB medicine supplies are equitably distributed and allocated fairly across the UK. The team is continuing to explore medium to long term solutions to the supply issues, working with those mentioned as well as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and clinicians within the NHS.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 availability of tuberculosis medication on the provision of healthcare in London.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and are outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. Where there are supply issues, these are managed at a national level across the UK rather than at a regional level.
NHS England has been notified of some issues with medicines used to treat tuberculosis (TB), however there is sufficient stock available from alternative suppliers to meet normal demand for most of them. The products facing current disruptions include Voractiv tablets until late June 2025, and rifampicin 150 milligram capsules until mid-August 2025, both due to manufacturing delays. Comprehensive management plans were communicated to healthcare professionals on 1 June 2025, highlighting issues with TB medicines and advising of the actions to take during this time.
NHS England is actively working with the affected suppliers to address these supply issues as quickly as possible to ensure that UK patients have access to the medications they need.
The team are working intensively to improve the availability of TB medicines, which includes co-ordinating with the British Thoracic Society to ensure centres treating active TB have access to available supplies, and directing trusts to build buffer stocks of unlicensed imports of TB medicines whilst there is a supply issue with some UK licensed products. The team are also supporting the impacted supplier and trusts to ensure that the available TB medicine supplies are equitably distributed and allocated fairly across the UK. The team is continuing to explore medium to long term solutions to the supply issues, working with those mentioned as well as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and clinicians within the NHS.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 increase public awareness of the role of naloxone in preventing opioid-related deaths.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. The legislation means more services and professionals can supply this medication without prescription, which in turn means easier access to it for people at risk, and for their loved ones. The Department has recently published guidance that sets out essential practical information such as who can supply naloxone, the products available, how to use naloxone and other basic lifesaving tools, and the training required. Additionally, guidance is also available for local areas to prepare for potent synthetic opioid incidents and to strengthen their preparedness.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug treatment services as part of their public health responsibilities, and they provide funding for naloxone supplied through drug treatment services based on their assessment of local need. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, including naloxone provision.
Raising awareness of naloxone and its lifesaving potential amongst the general public is important. The Government has a drug and alcohol information and advice service called Talk to FRANK which aims to reduce drug and alcohol use and their harms by providing information and increasing awareness for young people, parents, and concerned others. This website has a page providing detailed information on when and how to use naloxone, which is available at the following link:
https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/what-to-do-in-an-emergency
Department of Health and Social Care and Home Office ministers have written to festival organisers, asking them to work closely with police and health partners on their harm reduction and first aid measures, which includes ensuring that naloxone is readily available. The Department has also worked with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on a joint letter and advice for the police and local authorities about festivals, drugs, and alcohol, to minimise the risk of harm to individuals at these events. The advice highlights that naloxone remains an effective, life-saving tool in the face of a synthetic opioid overdose.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 improve tuberculosis (a) screening, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment services for (i) people experiencing homelessness and (ii) asylum seekers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works collaboratively with Government departments, local authorities, and third-sector organisations to overcome barriers to healthcare access for people seeking asylum and those experiencing homelessness, ensuring they can access and receive necessary care.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) collects and publishes data on tuberculosis (TB). The UKHSA and NHS England’s joint TB Action Plan for England 2021 to 2026 outlines outcomes and indicators to achieve a 90% reduction in people with TB by 2035, which is aligned with the World Health Organization’s elimination targets.
There are specific actions within the collaborative UKHSA and NHS England TB Action Plan 2021 to 2026 to strengthen the prevention and detection of active disease in groups at higher risk of TB, such as those experiencing homelessness and seeking asylum, through targeted screening and active engagement with local authorities, their public health teams, and the third sector.