Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to answer of 11 September 2025, to Question 73326, on NHS: Strikes, if he will make it his policy to prohibit NHS employees who undertake strike action to be paid for work by other NHS bodies on strike days.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to prohibit National Health Service employees in England who undertake strike action from being paid for work by other NHS bodies on strike days.
NHS staff who are on strike are not prevented by law from working for non-NHS bodies or other NHS organisations, including NHS trusts, on days of industrial action, as long as they are not provided by an employment business to cover the work of striking workers. Before the British Medical Assocation Resident Doctors Committee (BMA RDC) strike action in July 2025, NHS England set out in guidance that resident doctors who have chosen to take industrial action should not undertake a locum or bank shift elsewhere during the period of action. This guidance is available at the following link:
During the BMA RDC strike action in December 2025, NHS England issued additional communications to trusts to reaffirm the existing guidance.
NHS staff should consider the guidance published by the relevant professional bodies before undertaking additional work during strike days. The Department continues to monitor the impact of industrial action on NHS services and staffing arrangements.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the officer hours saved each year as a result of the rollout of the Right Care Right Person policy.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care published a joint evaluation on the implementation of the Right Care, Right Person in December 2024, which showed that RCRP has led to a reduction in calls and deployments to RCRP-related incidents following implementation, estimating a saving of c.370,000 police hours per year across the five forces covered by this aspect of the evaluation.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to require abortion providers to provide clear guidance regarding the legality of procuring a termination on the basis of sex.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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, what discussions Minister in his Department have had with Alan Milburn about the costs of clinical negligence since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Details of internal ministerial meetings are not routinely declared.
As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Science and Technology about the potential for a respiratory Modern Service Framework to strengthen the UK’s life sciences ecosystem by scaling up the adoption of new medicines and innovations for lung conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
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 a respiratory Modern Service Framework in reducing winter pressures on the NHS by simultaneously improving outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illnesses such as flu.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department’s timeline is for deciding on the second wave of Modern Service Frameworks, and whether respiratory conditions will be considered.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on the potential impact of a modern service framework for respiratory conditions on the UK’s life sciences ecosystem, including the scaling up of the adoption of new medicines and innovations for lung conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the timeline for determining the second wave of Modern Service Frameworks, and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including respiratory conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what specific mechanisms will enable HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force to verify compliance with the vaping product registration scheme at the point of import; and whether registration numbers will be required on customs documentation.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care regularly meet with officials from other departments, including HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force, to share intelligence and ensure a coordinated approach to the enforcement of our rules on vaping products. This coordinated approach to enforcement will continue once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law and in the development of subsequent regulations.
We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. Policy proposals will be subject to further consultation before regulations are made with sufficient lead time for businesses to adjust to the new requirements.
The Government intends to implement vaping duty stamps alongside the Vaping Products Duty commencing in October 2026, in line with HM Revenue and Customs’ strategic objective of making it easy to get tax right and hard to bend or break the rules. Vaping duty stamps will support both enforcement bodies and industry in identifying products that are non-duty paid, therefore illicit. We will work with HM Revenue and Customs to ensure a joined-up approach, where appropriate.