Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on reports that IDF forces opened fire on children at aid distribution points.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is horrifying that 875 people have been killed at or near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites. We regularly engage with Israeli counterparts to urge them to improve the situation on the ground. Most recently, on 21 July, the Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Sa'ar, to once again reiterate his grave concern over civilian casualties while collecting aid in Gaza.
On 11 July, I called for an independent investigation into the killing of women and children while collecting aid in central Gaza.
We have repeatedly called for an immediate investigation into theses mass casualty incidents, and we expect the perpetrators to be held to account.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of people aged 14 to 35 who die each year as a result of a primarily cardiac health condition.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has published the national service specification Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages), that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease and families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and mandated guidelines and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for inherited cardiac conditions services to investigate suspected cases. Further information on the Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages) service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf
NHS England has published a suite of national service specifications and standards for congenital heart disease, which define the standards of care expected from all organisations funded by NHS England, to support and improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with congenital cardiac problems.
There are no plans to publish further specific information on people under the age of 35 years old with cardiac abnormalities, over and above those who would be covered by the service specifications referenced above.
Data shows that in 2022, there were 939 people under the age of 35 years old who died due to heart and circulatory conditions. Further information, including historic data and a breakdown of death by high level condition, is available on the British Heart Failure website, at the following link:
NHS England does not hold the data for the number of deaths following out of hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). The following table shows the number of cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted, the number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an ambulance service, and the number of those with survival at 30 days, from 2020 to 2024:
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted | 93,920 | 95,093 | 99,111 | 95,227 | 96,049 |
Number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an Ambulance Service | 30,841 | 32,486 | 34,195 | 32,031 | 32,932 |
Number of those with survival at 30 days | 2,497 | 2,783 | 2,660 | 2,943 | 3,144 |
Source: NHS England’s Ambulance Quality Indicators, available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
Notes:
Publicly available data on OHCAs can also be found on the University of Warwick’s out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes website, at the following link:
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/ctu/trials/ohcao/
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths as a result of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022, (d) 2023 and (e) 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has published the national service specification Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages), that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease and families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and mandated guidelines and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for inherited cardiac conditions services to investigate suspected cases. Further information on the Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages) service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf
NHS England has published a suite of national service specifications and standards for congenital heart disease, which define the standards of care expected from all organisations funded by NHS England, to support and improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with congenital cardiac problems.
There are no plans to publish further specific information on people under the age of 35 years old with cardiac abnormalities, over and above those who would be covered by the service specifications referenced above.
Data shows that in 2022, there were 939 people under the age of 35 years old who died due to heart and circulatory conditions. Further information, including historic data and a breakdown of death by high level condition, is available on the British Heart Failure website, at the following link:
NHS England does not hold the data for the number of deaths following out of hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). The following table shows the number of cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted, the number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an ambulance service, and the number of those with survival at 30 days, from 2020 to 2024:
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted | 93,920 | 95,093 | 99,111 | 95,227 | 96,049 |
Number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an Ambulance Service | 30,841 | 32,486 | 34,195 | 32,031 | 32,932 |
Number of those with survival at 30 days | 2,497 | 2,783 | 2,660 | 2,943 | 3,144 |
Source: NHS England’s Ambulance Quality Indicators, available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
Notes:
Publicly available data on OHCAs can also be found on the University of Warwick’s out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes website, at the following link:
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/ctu/trials/ohcao/
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
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 implement a specialist pathway for people under the age of 35 with a cardiac abnormality detected on electrocardiogram.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has published the national service specification Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages), that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease and families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and mandated guidelines and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for inherited cardiac conditions services to investigate suspected cases. Further information on the Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages) service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf
NHS England has published a suite of national service specifications and standards for congenital heart disease, which define the standards of care expected from all organisations funded by NHS England, to support and improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with congenital cardiac problems.
There are no plans to publish further specific information on people under the age of 35 years old with cardiac abnormalities, over and above those who would be covered by the service specifications referenced above.
Data shows that in 2022, there were 939 people under the age of 35 years old who died due to heart and circulatory conditions. Further information, including historic data and a breakdown of death by high level condition, is available on the British Heart Failure website, at the following link:
NHS England does not hold the data for the number of deaths following out of hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). The following table shows the number of cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted, the number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an ambulance service, and the number of those with survival at 30 days, from 2020 to 2024:
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted | 93,920 | 95,093 | 99,111 | 95,227 | 96,049 |
Number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an Ambulance Service | 30,841 | 32,486 | 34,195 | 32,031 | 32,932 |
Number of those with survival at 30 days | 2,497 | 2,783 | 2,660 | 2,943 | 3,144 |
Source: NHS England’s Ambulance Quality Indicators, available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
Notes:
Publicly available data on OHCAs can also be found on the University of Warwick’s out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes website, at the following link:
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/ctu/trials/ohcao/
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions there have been relating to the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, and how many of those prosecutions led to convictions.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The Metropolitan Police Service are still conducting their investigations into the fire at Grenfell Tower. As a result, as of August 2025, there have been no prosecutions for offences directly related to the circumstances surrounding the event.
The Crown Prosecution Service continue to work closely with the Metropolitan Police Service on the investigations and to provide advice on applicable charges.
Any charges are not expected to be announced until late 2026, with prosecutions currently due to start in mid-2027.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research published by the British Heart Foundation on 21 July that some communities do not have a defibrillator within close proximity; and what steps are they taking to support the installation of defibrillators in these communities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the important work the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of their 2025 community defibrillator fund programme.
The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to their 2025 scheme to do so.
The Department similarly operated a community defibrillator fund which launched in September 2023. Following the depletion of that fund, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.
Applications to the fund were allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.
According to the BHF there are now over 110,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit, the independently operated national AED database. This is an increase of 30,000 since September 2023. 58.6% of these over 110,000 defibrillators are accessible on a 24 hour a day, seven day a week basis.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the potential impact of (a) diamorphine assisted therapy, (b) safe consumption rooms and (c) other drug harm reduction services on the level of ambulance call-outs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Harm reduction measures are vital and can have an impact on preventing overdoses, reducing the spread of infections, and engaging people into drug treatment. However, most of these outcomes would not be seen in ambulance data. The Department does not collect information on the potential impact of diamorphine assisted therapy (DAT), safe consumption rooms and other harm reduction services on the level of ambulance call outs. Identifying the impact of interventions typically delivered to small groups within broader populations at risk of overdose on ambulance call outs would be challenging due to other factors influencing overall levels and it is unlikely to be possible to do this robustly within an English context.
Asked by: Lord Mendoza (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the scale of nitazene-related deaths in the next 10 years, and what steps they are taking to measure the occurrence of nitazene overdoses; and whether they plan to publish data on those overdoses.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of drug related overdoses and deaths remains too high. We are committed to saving lives, including with access to high-quality treatment. A continued focus on drugs and drug-related harms is key to addressing the problem and helping deliver the Government’s Safer Streets and Health Missions.
The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication. The legislation means more services and professionals are able to supply this medication, which in turn means easier access to it for people at risk, and for their loved ones.
In 2025/26, the Department is providing £310 million, additional to the Public Health Grant, to deliver the recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent review. We are working on announcing multi-year funding allocations for drug and alcohol treatment from 2026/27.
The Department works with local authorities to improve drug and alcohol treatment and provides monitoring, data, guidance, and targeted support. The Commissioning Quality Standard, which is available in an online only format on the GOV.UK website, provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.
In line with standard risk assessment processes, the Government is undertaking work to estimate the potential future scale of mortality linked to synthetic opioids, including nitazenes. The Department is working with other Government departments on enhancing surveillance and early warning in response to the threat of synthetic opioids. As part of this we have established new data streams, including collecting information on deaths linked to nitazenes through laboratory testing and ambulance callouts in which the opioid antidote naloxone was administered. The first quarterly report of data from these sources is expected to be published this summer. An ad hoc report on deaths linked to synthetic opioids was published last year.
For these reasons, the Government currently has no plans to develop a new drugs strategy.
Asked by: Lord Mendoza (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they are supporting local authorities, local drugs information systems and professional information networks to respond to the increase in nitazene-related overdoses.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of drug related overdoses and deaths remains too high. We are committed to saving lives, including with access to high-quality treatment. A continued focus on drugs and drug-related harms is key to addressing the problem and helping deliver the Government’s Safer Streets and Health Missions.
The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication. The legislation means more services and professionals are able to supply this medication, which in turn means easier access to it for people at risk, and for their loved ones.
In 2025/26, the Department is providing £310 million, additional to the Public Health Grant, to deliver the recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent review. We are working on announcing multi-year funding allocations for drug and alcohol treatment from 2026/27.
The Department works with local authorities to improve drug and alcohol treatment and provides monitoring, data, guidance, and targeted support. The Commissioning Quality Standard, which is available in an online only format on the GOV.UK website, provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.
In line with standard risk assessment processes, the Government is undertaking work to estimate the potential future scale of mortality linked to synthetic opioids, including nitazenes. The Department is working with other Government departments on enhancing surveillance and early warning in response to the threat of synthetic opioids. As part of this we have established new data streams, including collecting information on deaths linked to nitazenes through laboratory testing and ambulance callouts in which the opioid antidote naloxone was administered. The first quarterly report of data from these sources is expected to be published this summer. An ad hoc report on deaths linked to synthetic opioids was published last year.
For these reasons, the Government currently has no plans to develop a new drugs strategy.
Asked by: Lord Mendoza (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to develop a new drugs strategy in the light of the increase in nitazene-related overdoses and deaths in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of drug related overdoses and deaths remains too high. We are committed to saving lives, including with access to high-quality treatment. A continued focus on drugs and drug-related harms is key to addressing the problem and helping deliver the Government’s Safer Streets and Health Missions.
The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication. The legislation means more services and professionals are able to supply this medication, which in turn means easier access to it for people at risk, and for their loved ones.
In 2025/26, the Department is providing £310 million, additional to the Public Health Grant, to deliver the recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent review. We are working on announcing multi-year funding allocations for drug and alcohol treatment from 2026/27.
The Department works with local authorities to improve drug and alcohol treatment and provides monitoring, data, guidance, and targeted support. The Commissioning Quality Standard, which is available in an online only format on the GOV.UK website, provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.
In line with standard risk assessment processes, the Government is undertaking work to estimate the potential future scale of mortality linked to synthetic opioids, including nitazenes. The Department is working with other Government departments on enhancing surveillance and early warning in response to the threat of synthetic opioids. As part of this we have established new data streams, including collecting information on deaths linked to nitazenes through laboratory testing and ambulance callouts in which the opioid antidote naloxone was administered. The first quarterly report of data from these sources is expected to be published this summer. An ad hoc report on deaths linked to synthetic opioids was published last year.
For these reasons, the Government currently has no plans to develop a new drugs strategy.