Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 16 January 2026 to Question 101856, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Food Scanner app on people with eating disorders.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 January 2026 to Question 101856.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance NHS England has issued to maternity services on when and how pregnant patients are informed of their BMI, including requirements on explaining associated clinical risks and available support.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provides detailed guidelines for maternity service staff in relation to body mass index (BMI) and managing weight during pregnancy.
This includes the Antenatal Care Guidance which specifies that women should be offered measurement of height and weight, including a calculation of BMI, at their antenatal booking appointment. This should also include an explanation of BMI’s relevance to pregnancy, as well as associated risks and available support. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng201
In addition, the Overweight and Obesity Management Guidance specifies that for women with a BMI of 40 kilogram per meter squared of height or above, this discussion should include the option of referral to a specialist obesity service or specialist practitioner for tailored advice and support during pregnancy. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng247
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what English language proficiency requirements apply to (a) registered nurses and (b) care staff working in regulated settings; and how compliance is monitored and enforced.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To practise as a nurse in the United Kingdom, individuals must register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which sets the standards for both domestic and internationally qualified nurses. All applicants must demonstrate they have sufficient competency in English to communicate safely in clinical settings to meet NMC registration standards.
UK-qualified nurses meet this requirement through an NMC-approved nursing programme. International applicants can show proficiency by providing a recent International English Language Testing System or Occupational English Test score at the required level, completing an English-taught nursing programme with significant patient interaction in English, or having one year of recent practice in a majority English-speaking country.
As an independent regulator, the NMC determines how English language competence is assessed for registration.
Care providers must ensure staff have adequate English skills to communicate effectively. Under Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, employers are required to only employ ‘fit and proper’ staff to provide care and treatment appropriate to their role. Failure to comply may lead to fixed penalties for providers and registered managers.
Employers and providers should use robust recruitment and monitoring procedures to ensure employees are qualified and competent. NHS Employers guidance requires proportionate English language standards for public-facing roles, and human resources policies should be regularly checked against the English language requirement for public sector workers: code of practice.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many births recorded in the Maternity Services Dataset have been associated with the SNOMED CT codes i) 125678001, ii) 699110007, iii) 1269487002, iv) 1269486006 and v) 842009 in each year since the introduction of that coding within that dataset.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 caesarean sections on long-term health, including links to bowel and gastrointestinal conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Bowel or gastrointestinal long-term conditions are not recognised consequences of caesarean section unless there have been additional complications at the time of surgery such as bowel injury. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists are responsible for the guidance used by healthcare professionals to support discussions with women about planned caesarean sections so that they are tailored to women’s own needs.
As with most other forms of surgery there is no specific routine, long-term follow up post caesarean section. However, all women are offered a six to eight week postnatal check up with their general practitioner that will a take holistic view of their physical and mental health. Women should be supported to return to good physical health following childbirth and pregnancy, with ongoing management for conditions that existed before or which arose during pregnancy.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 12 January 2026 to Questions 89643, what health risks his Department has identified in relation to first cousin marriage; and whether the Department intends to publish the (a) evidence and (b) analysis informing those assessments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Disease Registration Service is working with hospital trusts to continually improve the quality and completeness of data.
The Born in Bradford study provides the most definitive United Kingdom based evidence of risk of congenital anomalies. Results of this are publicly available at the following link:
https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/our-impacts/findings/?sf_paged=2
This includes a summary of health risks associated with consanguinity, specifically in Born in Bradford Evidence Briefing on Genes and health: Inheritance and Risk, available at the following link:
The Born in Bradford data indicated the risk of genetic abnormalities doubles, from 3% to 6%, in infants where parents are first cousins, similar to the increase in risk for mothers of white British origin older than 34 years old. Further information on this is available at the following link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23830354/
Other publicly available academic research also indicates that miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality are higher among consanguineous couples than non-consanguineous couples, with further information available at the following two links:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1508879/
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 19 December 2025 to Question 99967, whether he will place copies of the training modules on close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, and the associated guidance on submitting data on consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset, in the Library of the House of Commons.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to place the training modules on close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, or the associated guidance on submitting data on consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset, in the library of the House of Commons.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 December 2025 to WPQ 96699, if he will provide a hyperlink to that information.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Guidance on how to submit data about consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset is available at the following link:
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 10 December 2025 to Question 94029, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Food Scanner app on people with eating disorders.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has a series of digital tools to support adults and families to eat better and move more, including the food scanner app and the National Health Service weight loss plan app, email programmes, and websites. These tools are evidence-based and regularly reviewed to ensure alignment with current Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition guidance. Updates are ongoing to reflect the latest Government advice.
We are always looking to improve the app experience, including extending and personalising messaging. We welcome feedback from parents as well as organisations to aid us in this process.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has a definition of healthy eating.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The definition of healthy eating is represented visually by the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide depicts the dietary recommendations made by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which result from robust independent risk assessments of the scientific evidence. The Eatwell Guide represents the proportion of each of the main food groups we should consume to have a balanced diet which helps meet nutrient requirements and promote long term health at a population level. Consuming a healthy diet means making food choices that are in line with both calorie requirements and the principles of a healthy, balanced diet, as set out in the guide.