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 ringfencing funding for cycle paramedic services.

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

No such assessment has been made.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of NHS tie-in periods for newly qualified dentists on access to NHS dental service.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It costs £200,000 of taxpayer’s money to train a dentist. We believe it is right and fair to taxpayers to expect graduate dentists to invest their skills and expertise in the National Health Service for at least some amount of time.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health. We intend this minimum period to be at least three years.

We will be working closely with the sector on the detail of the tie-in scheme and will consult on the detail and design of the model in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that dental patients in Norfolk will be included in NHS tie-in periods for newly qualified dentists.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It costs £200,000 of taxpayer’s money to train a dentist. We believe it is right and fair to taxpayers to expect graduate dentists to invest their skills and expertise in the National Health Service for at least some amount of time.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health. We intend this minimum period to be at least three years.

We will be working closely with the sector on the detail of the tie-in scheme and will consult on the detail and design of the model in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has conducted any regional modelling of dental workforce planning in (a) Norfolk and (b) the East of England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England data shows that as of December 2024, 2,810 general dentists were working in the East of England, including 1,108 National Health Service full time equivalent (FTE) general dentists. The vacancy rate for NHS dentists was 17%. On the same date, 365 general dentists were working in Norfolk and Waveney, including 149 NHS FTE general dentists. The vacancy rate for NHS dentists was 18%.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. Staff will be more empowered, more flexible and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when patients need it.

Integrated care boards are also recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled We’re recruiting Asylum Decision Makers across the UK, published on 28 April 2025, how many asylum decisionmakers have been hired since 28 April.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is maintaining sufficient resource in place to clear the Asylum backlog.

The number of full time equivalent (FTE) asylum caseworkers employed per month until June 2025 is published in the ASY_05(M) tab of the published migration transparency statistics, located here: Immigration and protection data: Q2 2025 (Migration transparency data - GOV.UK)

At the end of June 2025 there were 2,057 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Asylum Caseworking Staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many payments under the dental recruitment incentive scheme have been allocated to North Norfolk constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data is not held on how many payments under the Dental Recruitment Incentive Scheme have been allocated at the constituency level. The responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population is delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.

ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

Further information on the dental recruitment process can be found in guidance issued by NHS England, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dental-recruitment-incentive-scheme-2024-25/

First female Astronomer Royal

Found: Current membership Ruth Cadbury (Labour; Brentford and Isleworth) (Chair) Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat

Found: Q32 Steff Aquarone: You are talking about your landfill capacity.

Found: Questions 1-17 Representations made I: Dr Scott Arthur, Laurence Turner, Ruth Cadbury, Steff Aquarone

Found: Q23 Steff Aquarone: A very tiny clarification.

Found: Hobhouse Alex Brewer Mike MartinAndrew George Mr Will Forster Sir Gavin Williamson Daisy Cooper Steff Aquarone

Found: Mr Will Forster REPORT STAGE Thursday 11 September 2025 4 Sir Gavin Williamson Daisy Cooper Steff Aquarone

Found: _NC1 Mr Paul Kohler Steff Aquarone Monica Harding Zöe Franklin Siân Berry Caroline Voaden Liz JarvisJohn

Found: _NC1 Mr Paul Kohler Steff Aquarone Monica Harding Zöe Franklin Siân Berry Caroline Voaden Liz JarvisJohn

Found: Not called_NC1 Mr Paul Kohler Steff Aquarone Monica Harding Zöe Franklin Siân Berry Caroline Voaden Liz

Found: _NC1 Mr Paul Kohler Steff Aquarone Monica Harding Zöe Franklin Siân Berry Caroline Voaden Liz JarvisJohn

Found: _NC1 Mr Paul Kohler Steff Aquarone Monica Harding Zöe Franklin Siân Berry Caroline Voaden Liz JarvisJohn

Found: George Mr Will Forster REPORT STAGE Tuesday 9 September 2025 4 Sir Gavin Williamson Daisy Cooper Steff Aquarone