Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps NHS England has taken to audit the "automated data process" introduced in Spring 2023; and how it has validated the permanent rectification of the technical defects in mortality data which necessitated the withdrawal of the September 2025 LeDeR report.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The errors in the updated 2023 Learning from lives and deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people report, which was produced by King’s College London, were found to be caused by an automated data-processing issue. This meant that some data on the causes of death was missing at the time of analysis. This affected the conclusions originally published. NHS England worked closely with King’s College London, to review the report, and a revised version has now been published on 27 January 2026.
NHS England has also worked with its data processor to correct the automated processing error so that it cannot recur. King’s College London has strengthened its data checking protocols to prevent similar issues in the future. The Department is assured that this issue has now been resolved and these improvements have been applied to the revised report.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients died from hospital acquired pneumonia at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon in each of the first six months of 2025.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) Healthcare-Associated Infection (HCAI) Data (public HCAI statistics) does not currently publish routine counts of hospital-acquired pneumonia deaths. Pneumonia is not one of the standard HCAIs in the UKHSA dashboard.
The Office of National Statistics is the official source of mortality statistics for England. More information is available at the following link:
The Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) also provide details of mortality indicators that assess outcomes across a range of causes of death in England. These are available at the following link:
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether medicine-induced harm from sodium valproate is systematically captured within NHS patient safety, incident and mortality data.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service in England operates a comprehensive central database, the Learn From Patient Safety Events (LFPSE) service, which is a national NHS system for the recording and analysis of patient safety events that occur in healthcare. It collates all records of patient safety incidents made by healthcare providers. Where local healthcare providers identify and record incidents related to sodium valproate, that information will be collated by the LFPSE.
On mortality data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects and publishes mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales. Deaths in which harm caused by sodium valproate exposure is a contributing factor are not captured as a distinct, searchable category in ONS mortality statistics. Further information on mortality statistics is available on the ONS website, at the following link:
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
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 providing vaccinations against Covid-19 for children and adults who have Long Covid.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious disease, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has increased due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.
The focus of the programme is on vaccination of the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. These are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. In line with JCVI’s advice, in autumn 2025 a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to:
- adults aged 75 years old and over;
- residents in care homes for older adults; and
- individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed.
On 15 December 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for spring 2026 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to the same groups as in autumn 2025 and previous spring campaigns.
Long term health consequences following COVID-19, including post-COVID syndromes, such as long COVID, have been discussed at meetings of the JCVI COVID-19 sub-committee. The JCVI’s view is that it remains uncertain whether additional COVID-19 vaccine doses, for example the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, have a significant effect on the chances of developing long COVID, how it progresses, or how it affects people. The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle health disparities amongst people who live in the most deprived areas.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is a priority for the Government is to increase the amount of time people spend in good health and prevent premature deaths, with a vision of ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background or location, live longer, healthier lives.
Our 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service in England sets out a reimagined service designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes, as well as to give everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, the means to engage with it on their own terms. Delivering the plan is a cross-Government effort.
For example, we know that the Carr-Hill formula is considered outdated, and evidence suggests that general practices (GPs) serving in deprived parts of England receive on average 9.8% less funding per needs-adjusted patient than those in less deprived communities, despite having greater health needs and significantly higher patient-to-GP ratios. This is why we are currently reviewing the formula to ensure that resources are targeted where they are most needed.
We also recognise that much of what determines of health and wellbeing in influenced by factors other than health services. Recent cross-Government action has included the introduction of Awaab’s Law and reform of the Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sector, the English Devolution Bill, and a new statutory heath inequalities duty for strategic authorities.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing limited amounts of non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines available for patients with clinical contraindications to mRNA vaccines, including through the importation of products already authorised by trusted international regulators.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.
The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:
As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.
COVID-19 vaccines are procured by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in line with JCVI advice.
UKHSA advise that as with all vaccines there will be an extremely small proportion of people who cannot receive a particular COVID-19 vaccine due to an anaphylactic reaction, this includes mRNA vaccines. Advice published in the UKHSA Green Book recommends that anyone with a prior allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccines should be seen by an expert allergist and, after a review of the individual’s risks and benefits of vaccination, where it is indicated, they could then be vaccinated in hospital under clinical supervision. Information is not held centrally on how many people seen under this pathway are unable to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine even in a hospital setting. Where an allergist has advised that a vaccine is not suitable, and this is the only type of vaccine available in a particular campaign, the individual should be advised of other mitigations to reduce their risk of becoming infected and be provided with information on access to treatments should they test positive for infection.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 merits of establishing a national referral pathway or specialist hub for people who cannot receive mRNA vaccines to ensure equitable access to appropriate COVID-19 vaccinations.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.
The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:
As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.
COVID-19 vaccines are procured by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in line with JCVI advice.
UKHSA advise that as with all vaccines there will be an extremely small proportion of people who cannot receive a particular COVID-19 vaccine due to an anaphylactic reaction, this includes mRNA vaccines. Advice published in the UKHSA Green Book recommends that anyone with a prior allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccines should be seen by an expert allergist and, after a review of the individual’s risks and benefits of vaccination, where it is indicated, they could then be vaccinated in hospital under clinical supervision. Information is not held centrally on how many people seen under this pathway are unable to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine even in a hospital setting. Where an allergist has advised that a vaccine is not suitable, and this is the only type of vaccine available in a particular campaign, the individual should be advised of other mitigations to reduce their risk of becoming infected and be provided with information on access to treatments should they test positive for infection.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are clinically unable to receive mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines; and how this figure has been derived.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.
The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:
As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.
COVID-19 vaccines are procured by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in line with JCVI advice.
UKHSA advise that as with all vaccines there will be an extremely small proportion of people who cannot receive a particular COVID-19 vaccine due to an anaphylactic reaction, this includes mRNA vaccines. Advice published in the UKHSA Green Book recommends that anyone with a prior allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccines should be seen by an expert allergist and, after a review of the individual’s risks and benefits of vaccination, where it is indicated, they could then be vaccinated in hospital under clinical supervision. Information is not held centrally on how many people seen under this pathway are unable to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine even in a hospital setting. Where an allergist has advised that a vaccine is not suitable, and this is the only type of vaccine available in a particular campaign, the individual should be advised of other mitigations to reduce their risk of becoming infected and be provided with information on access to treatments should they test positive for infection.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public awareness of what drivers should do if they hit or find a deceased animal on the road, including domestic pets.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I understand the distress of owners who lose beloved pets and it is a great source of worry and uncertainty when they are lost.
All drivers are encouraged to periodically to refresh their road safety knowledge. All road users are required to comply with road traffic law in the interests of their own safety and that of other road users.
Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report a collision involving specified animals including horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats or wild animals. This requirement arises from their status as working animals rather than as domestic pets.
Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.
In terms of the national road network, National Highways has clear guidelines for contractors to follow when they find a deceased cat or dog. This process is designed with owners in mind, giving them the best chance of being informed of the incident to allow closure; the process is set out in the Network Management Manual.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle the use of Royal Mail to transport illegal drugs into the UK.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Illegal drugs have a devastating impact on the health of individuals and communities. Deaths relating to drug misuse in England and Wales rose to 3,736 in 2024, with a total annual cost to society of over £20 billion.
The Home Office and operational partners are working to disrupt the supply chain of illegal drugs across all trafficking modes into the UK. Our disruptive approach to illegal drug smuggling prioritises engagement with international partners, coupled with pursuing the criminals behind drug trafficking, and activity to seize drugs at the border.