Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Dewsbury and Batley dated 17 September 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I replied to the Hon. Member’s correspondence on 19 November.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will roll out a national education programme to inform women about menopause.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships and participation in the workplace.
Our renewed strategy will set out how the Government will take the next steps to improve women's healthcare as part of the 10-Year Health Plan and create a system that listens to women. Steps to improve awareness of menopause symptoms are being fully considered as part of the renewal.
We recently announced that menopause will be included in the NHS Health Check. This will mean eligible women can access high-quality information on menopause more easily, including information on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and treatment options.
Mariella Frostrup has been appointed the Menopause Employment Ambassador. The Menopause Employment Ambassador works closely with employers across the country to improve workplace support for women experiencing the menopause, raise awareness of menopause symptoms and champion the economic contributions of women. With decades of experience championing women’s rights and gender equality across the world, Mariella Frostrup brings a powerful and unique voice to this agenda.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 early detection of mouth cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To help increase the early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or if their symptoms have escalated.
The Department is also investing an additional £889 million in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure the National Health Service has a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.
Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.
Additionally, NHS England is working in partnership with major supermarket chains to include messages about common cancer symptoms onto the packaging of relevant products. This has included specific messaging on mouth cancer symptoms on toothpaste and mouthwash packaging.
To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, the NHS is now delivering additional checks, tests, and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.
Cancer incidence, including mouth cancer, is increasing. The Government is taking action, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 to reduce cases of mouth cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To help increase the early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or if their symptoms have escalated.
The Department is also investing an additional £889 million in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure the National Health Service has a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.
Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.
Additionally, NHS England is working in partnership with major supermarket chains to include messages about common cancer symptoms onto the packaging of relevant products. This has included specific messaging on mouth cancer symptoms on toothpaste and mouthwash packaging.
To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, the NHS is now delivering additional checks, tests, and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.
Cancer incidence, including mouth cancer, is increasing. The Government is taking action, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support access to (a) affordable minimally processed foods and (b) UK-grown fruit, vegetables and legumes in (i) Wiltshire and (ii) other rural areas.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Good Food Cycle sets out the government’s vision to drive better outcomes from the UK food system around 10 priority outcomes, on healthy and more affordable food, good growth, sustainable and resilient supply, and vibrant food cultures.
The food strategy brings together and coordinates action across government towards a healthier, more equitable and resilient food system, including collaboration with:
The UK produces some of the world’s highest quality products - a source of national pride and central to access to healthy, affordable food in all areas. The food strategy’s approach to food security includes robust, diverse supply chains and domestic production as well as imports.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 help ensure that the number of children who have been seen by an NHS dentist in Slough is in line with the national average.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Slough constituency, this is the Frimley ICB.
We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025.
ICBs are 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.
We recently held a full public consultation on a package of changes to improve access to, and the quality of NHS dentistry, which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The consultation closed on 19 August. The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response shortly.
We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability. The Government is committed to achieving fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) track school days lost due to dental problems and (b) reduce that number through preventive oral health programmes.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The use of absence Code M and Code I allows schools to track pupils’ medical appointments and illness respectively. Accurate use and tracking of absence codes enables schools to know their pupils, understand why they are absent and provide appropriate support when it is needed.
Medical appointments and dental appointments are both marked using Code M. Schools are not expected to routinely request evidence of a medical or dental appointment. However, parents should get the school’s agreement in advance if it has not been possible to book the appointment outside of school hours.
If schools request further information about the nature of the medical appointment or illness, additional details may be recorded on the school’s Management Information System.
The Department of Health and Social Care is taking action to prevent dental problems, where tooth decay is the most significant for children. This includes implementing a national supervised toothbrushing programme, introducing healthier baby food standards and placing restrictions on junk food advertising.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the level of pay of NHS staff in Newton Abbot constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pay for most staff employed by National Health Service organisations is set at a national level. The Government has remitted the independent NHS Pay Review Body and the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration to make recommendations on headline pay for NHS staff. Within their reports they make an assessment of the level of pay to recommend, with regard to various factors such as recruitment and retention. The process for the 2026/27 pay round is already underway, with the Department publishing its evidence to the Pay Review Bodies on 30 October.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to confirm funding allocations for the Start for Life programme beyond 1 April 2026.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to improve the nation’s health. As part of this, we will expand Start for Life services and integrate zero- to five-year olds’ health and children’s services into communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days.
The integration of health services in Best Start Family Hubs is fundamental to improving outcomes for babies, children, and their families and for delivering on neighbourhood health. This is why the Government will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Start for Life services including for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships.
Provisional funding allocations have been shared with local authorities. The Government remains committed to supporting all local areas to strengthen and join up health services for babies, children, and their families.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
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 the early flu season on (a) corridor care, (b) hospital capacity and (c) patient outcomes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We continue to monitor the impact of flu and the performance of hospitals over the winter months.
The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care boards and trust winter plans to ensure that they are able to meet demand and ensure patient flow.
Flu is a recurring pressure that the National Health Service faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.