Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 42805 on Private Education, if she will list the private schools she has visited since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth to the answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 46839.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 17 April 2025 to Question 44000 on NHS England, what criteria his Department is using to assess and understand the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on healthcare delivery.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. Evidence from these ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate, and will ensure our decisions focus on improving patient care.
When appropriate, we will update Parliament on progress with the plans for the organisational changes.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 17 April 2025 to Question 43996 on NHS England, what plans his Department plans to put in place to help ensure that there are no risks to patient safety.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England will continue to undertake its statutory functions while working with the new NHS England executive during the transition, until parliamentary time allows for primary legislative changes to be made.
Patient safety will remain paramount over this transformation period. We will put plans in place to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 17 April 2025 to Question 44000 on NHS England, what ongoing assessments his Department is currently undertaking to assess the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England healthcare delivery.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. Ongoing assessment is part of the reform programme, and the evidence collected will inform the programme as appropriate and ensure our decisions focus on improving patient care.
The Government is committed to transparency, and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 implications for his policies of trends in the number of GP appointments in the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Appointment numbers continue to increase year-on-year, and in the 12 months to March 2025 an estimated 383.4 million appointments were delivered. This is an increase of 3.7% compared to the 12 months up to March 2024, with 369.7 million appointments delivered, and an increase of 23.6% compared to the 12 months up to March 2020, with 310.3 million appointments delivered.
In response to this growing demand, the Government has invested £82 million in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which has enabled the recruitment of more than 1,500 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) in England since October. This will increase the number of available appointments, secure the future supply of GPs, and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for recruiting new mental health workers in (a) child and (b) adult mental health services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need and waits for mental health services are too long.
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit 8,500 mental health workers to help ease pressure on busy mental health services.
We are working with NHS England to consider options to deliver this commitment alongside the refresh of the Long Term Workforce Plan.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the number of (a) GP appointments and (b) GPs recruited through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme since August 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Appointment numbers continue to increase year-on-year, and in the 12 months to March 2025 an estimated 383.4 million appointments were delivered. This is an increase of 3.7% compared to the 12 months up to March 2024, with 369.7 million appointments delivered, and an increase of 23.6% compared to the 12 months up to March 2020, with 310.3 million appointments delivered.
In response to this growing demand, the Government has invested £82 million in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which has enabled the recruitment of more than 1,500 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) in England since October. This will increase the number of available appointments, secure the future supply of GPs, and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 24 April 2025 to Question 45881 on NHS England: Redundancy Pay, on what evidential basis he said that the cost of abolishing NHS England will be offset by future reductions in spending.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The organisational change programme is still in its early phases, but we expect a contribution to overall efficiency to be realised from functional integration, more coherent policy and delivery alignment, and improved performance and accountability mechanisms, which will all in turn reduce reporting burdens and empower local leaders.
While there will be some upfront costs, we expect the reform to wipe out duplication and drive a smaller centre, based in a single organisation, will generate significant savings in the long run allowing us to divert savings to the front line.
Further detail will be provided as the programme develops.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of implementing new caps on clinical pathway consultations on Pharmacy First from April 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Caps on Pharmacy First clinical pathway consultations were first introduced in April 2024. In October 2024, the methodology used to calculate clinical pathway caps changed to be based on actual delivery, and from April 2025 caps will be calculated monthly instead of quarterly.
As part of the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, we have agreed to maintain the current cost control mechanism linked to Pharmacy First, which will manage the growth of the service to ensure delivery remains within the agreed funding envelope. This methodology has been designed to ensure fair and consistent access for all contractors. Any underspend, where caps are not met, will be redistributed and moved into subsequent months.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 17 April 2025 to Question 44003 on NHS England, when the next meeting between Ministers and the new executive team in NHS England is planned.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and senior Department officials are working closely with the new NHS England executive team on the creation of a new centre and to ensure delivery is prioritised and protected during this period of change.
Ministers meet regularly with members of the new NHS England executive team on a range of topics.