Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the planned level of funding per post is for the additional 1,000 medical specialty training posts referred to in the 10 Year Workforce Plan; and how this compares with the current level of funding per post for existing medical specialty training posts.

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

NHS England is currently in discussions with local National Health Service providers on proposals to expand specialty training posts, with a view to introducing these through an additional recruitment round in 2026.

NHS England has written to NHS Providers on the 30 January setting out an offer of funding. There are a range of funding models used for postgraduate medical training posts in the NHS and NHS England is currently considering the contribution that central and local funding should make for these additional posts, which will be finalised shortly in discussions with providers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the additional 1,000 medical specialty training posts referred to in the 10 Year Workforce Plan will be allocated in the current calendar year or phased over multiple years.

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

NHS England is currently in discussions with local National Health Service providers on proposals to expand specialty training posts, with a view to introducing these through an additional recruitment round in 2026.

NHS England has written to NHS Providers on the 30 January setting out an offer of funding. There are a range of funding models used for postgraduate medical training posts in the NHS and NHS England is currently considering the contribution that central and local funding should make for these additional posts, which will be finalised shortly in discussions with providers.

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 current and projected workforce needs in interventional radiology; and what steps his Department is taking to support training and recruitment in this specialty.

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

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

The Government is committed to training the staff we need, including doctors, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to restrict the sale of high sugar and high caffeine energy drinks to children aged 16 and under before the next King's Speech.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16 years old, which is subject to a consultation. We subsequently ran a 12-week consultation, which was open from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025.

We are carefully considering the responses to the consultation. We will set out further information on next steps in due course when we publish the Government’s response to the consultation.

Should legislation be proposed following the consultation outcome the final timing for introducing legislation would depend on ministerial decisions following the consultation, impact assessment requirements, and the necessary parliamentary scrutiny.

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 regional variation in access to 24/7 interventional radiology services in England.

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

The Elective Reform Plan, which was published in January 2025, committed to increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity for services such as interventional radiology. This is a step towards returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment.

As a result of spending reviews in 2021 and 2025, diagnostic interventional radiology received capital funding for four interventional radiology suites.

The Government has also committed £2.3 billion across diagnostics for the next three financial years. Trusts and regions are currently going through a competitive bidding process for this diagnostic funding, which is expected to conclude in spring 2026.

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 the availability of interventional radiology services in England.

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

The Elective Reform Plan, which was published in January 2025, committed to increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity for services such as interventional radiology. This is a step towards returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment.

As a result of spending reviews in 2021 and 2025, diagnostic interventional radiology received capital funding for four interventional radiology suites.

The Government has also committed £2.3 billion across diagnostics for the next three financial years. Trusts and regions are currently going through a competitive bidding process for this diagnostic funding, which is expected to conclude in spring 2026.

Found:

Found: Dr Zubir Ahmed 19/11/2025 Takeda To discuss research and development Dr Zubir Ahmed 19/11/2025 Stuart Andrew