theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of high-efficacy treatments for relapsing-remitting MS on the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, which has recommended a number of new medicines for use in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) that are now routinely available for use in the treatment of NHS patients.

Most recently, in April 2025, NICE recommended cladribine for treating active relapsing-remitting forms of MS. In December 2024, NICE had already recommended ublituximab for treating relapsing-remitting MS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed NHS workforce reductions on (a) East Yorkshire and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) coastal communities. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and reduce duplication of responsibilities within the health and care structure. All ICBs, including Humber and North Yorkshire ICB and other ICBs covering rural and coastal areas, have drafted and shared their delivery and resource plan in accordance with the guidance set out in Sir Jim Mackey's letter of 1 April 2025 and the Model ICB framework. NHS England is working with ICBs to review and implement these plans.

NHS England is working closely with ICBs to ensure these changes do not compromise quality of care or the statutory responsibilities of ICBs. We expect ICBs to consider how these changes impact on staff and take the necessary steps to protect frontline staff. No specific assessment of impact has been made for rural and coastal communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take make an assessment of the potential impact of NHS England's decision to reduce the number of contracted hyperbaric oxygen therapy centres on emergency care. \p Karin Smyth: The Department is content with the assessments NHS England conducted regarding this procurement. The Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment for this procurement is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2.1-Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-equality-and-health-inequalities-impact-assessment.pdf

NHS England is committed to ensuring equitably accessible, high-quality services for anyone who requires hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This will be achieved through the commissioning of 6 geographically dispersed services across England. Three preferred providers have been identified to date, and a further procurement exercise will take place to identify the three remaining centres.

The contract for HBOT services (“recompression”) was reviewed in 2024, as existing contract terms expired. This included an update of the service specification using the published full methods process and public consultation on the proposal to reduce the number of commissioned providers in England from eight to six centres. The updates to the specification seek to ensure timely access to treatment for the most acutely unwell patients with the specification requiring: the delivery of care that is integrated with other services including the emergency department, critical care, and other healthcare professionals as required; and facilities should be capable of receiving patients in any diagnostic category who may require advanced life support either immediately or during HBOT.

The geographical scope of the six services will ensure that there are no more than four hours travelling time by road from coastal locations, furthest borders or between neighbouring commissioned HBOT centres; this is in line with good practice guidelines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of givinostat to patients eligible through early access programmes. \p Karin Smyth: The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it, and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.

The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes (EAPs) is not the responsibility of NHS England. Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both the patients taking part in it, and to the NHS, although NHS trusts must still cover the administration costs and provide the clinical resources to deliver the EAP.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.

ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to NHS staffing levels on the economy of local communities. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and reduce duplication of responsibilities within the health and care structure. To deliver on this commitment, ICBs have drafted and shared their delivery and resource plan including staffing management in accordance with the guidance set out in Sir Jim Mackey's letter of 1 April 2025 and the Model ICB framework. NHS England is working with ICBs to review and implement these plans.

NHS England is also working closely with ICBs to ensure these changes do not compromise quality of care or the statutory responsibilities of ICBs. We expect ICBs to consider how these changes impact on staff and take the necessary steps to protect frontline staff. No specific assessment has been made in regard to the impact on the economy of the local communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of modular hospital construction methods in delivering additional NHS capacity; and whether he has plans to increase the use of (i) modular and (ii) prefabricated buildings across the hospital estate. \p Karin Smyth: We recognise the benefits and opportunities of modern methods of construction (MMC), including modular construction, faster construction times, cost savings, minimised disruption, higher quality and safety standards, and the use of sustainable materials and methods.

A toolkit has been developed to support MMC opportunities in healthcare and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-modern-methods-of-construction-assessment-tool-user-guide/

The NHS MMC assessment tool is recommended for use on all projects to inform the use of MMC of opportunities and is mandated for projects over £25 million to meet business case requirements of 70% new build and 50% refurbishment using MMC.

The New Hospital Programme is already transforming the way that hospital infrastructure is constructed by using a national standardised approach, called Hospital 2.0. Hospital 2.0 uses a standardised ‘kit of parts’ for hospital components, ranging from doors to full bathroom pods, that can be assembled into different size hospitals in an optimised, consistent, and repeatable way and with off-site manufacturing and assembly, reducing costs and accelerating construction. Taken together, MMC and Hospital 2.0 will accelerate the building process, improving productivity and maximising value for money.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Susan Murray:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) increase the supply and (b) ensure (i) consistent and (ii) equitable supply of hormone replacement therapy products in each region. \p Karin Smyth: The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand.

There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, and the vast majority are in good supply. Previously there have been issues with the supply of a limited number of these products, primarily driven by very sharp increases in demand.

Following the Department’s intensive engagement with industry, the supply position has improved considerably. As part of this we have previously met with suppliers on a very regular basis and have held nine HRT supply roundtables since April 2022, with the most recent in September 2024, with suppliers, wholesalers, and community pharmacists, to provide updates on the supply position and actions being taken to address them, to share data, and to discuss relevant policy developments and potential impacts.

We work closely with suppliers and other stakeholders such as the National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to maintain overall HRT supply to patients across the United Kingdom during the shortages, including working to expedite resupply dates of the disrupted HRT products, to resolve issues as soon as possible and to help fill supply gaps and prevent future shortages.

We also added some HRT medicines to the list of products that cannot be exported from, or hoarded in, the UK, to protect supply for UK patients. We share regular communications about shortages and discontinuations with the NHS and have issued a number of communications about HRT supply issues to date.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for the future of the NHS England Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel; when that panel last made a decision; what the average length of its (a) decision making and (b) appeals process is; what criteria it uses to make decisions; and whether that panel will consider public procurement rules when reviewing cases. \p Karin Smyth: The Patient Choice and Procurement Panel is set up by NHS England to review complaints related to patient choice and representation in relation to the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) for the foreseeable future. The Panel last published a decision on 28 May 2025. Since its inception on 1 January 2024, the Panel has reviewed and published advice on 11 procurement processes. The Panel aims to publish its advice within six weeks though it can take more time to process complex cases

Providers seeking a review by the panel must ensure that they submit any such requests through the appropriate channels, either for patient choice or for PSR, which are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/how-commissioning-is-changing/nhs-provider-selection-regime/independent-patient-choice-and-procurement-panel/

The Panel has been set up to give advice under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The Panel has terms of reference which task it with offering expert advice about whether commissioners have acted consistently with the PSR regulations and published Statutory Guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve uptake for jobs in the ambulance service. \p Karin Smyth: As of March 2025, there were over 21,900 full time equivalent ambulance staff in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England, representing an increase of over 1,900, or 9.6%, compared to the previous year.

We will publish a refreshed workforce plan for staff across the NHS, including ambulance services, to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Susan Murray:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the resilience of international supply chains for pharmaceuticals procured by the NHS; and what steps he is taking to reduce reliance on imports for essential medicines. \p Karin Smyth: Medical supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, making them vulnerable to a variety of shocks. The Government actively monitors emerging global and domestic threats to supply resilience and has established processes in place to manage disruption across the health and social care sector.

The Government is enhancing domestic manufacturing capability alongside strengthening international partnerships and collaboration on medical supply chains, such as through membership of the European Union’s Critical Medicines Alliance. This aims to identify vulnerabilities in critical medicine supply chains and leverage members’ expertise and resources to identify solutions to build long-term resilience and to help ensure that patients have access to the medical goods they need. The United Kingdom’s life sciences sector is key to driving long-term, sustainable, and resilient growth nationwide and will be a priority of the upcoming Industrial Strategy, alongside an up to £520 million commitment to the Life Sciences Innovation Manufacturing Fund to support UK-wide investment in human medicines, medical diagnostics, and medical technology products.

This includes the National Supply Disruption Response that acts as a single point of contact when the health and care system, including the medical supply industry, requires support to maintain the supply of medical products, including for products imported to the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention of radiologists within the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: No recent assessment has been made. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places, including for radiology, meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest.

To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment NHS Property Services has made of the state of repair of Bootham Park Hospital. \p Karin Smyth: Since the site was fully vacated in 2018, the NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has spent £5 million on holding costs, including site security, and building and grounds maintenance, for the Bootham Park Hospital site.

The NHSPS has assessed that the investment required to bring Bootham Park Hospital back into operational use would be very significant, given the current estimate for backlog maintenance and operating costs. When the decision was taken in 2018 to permanently decommission Bootham Park Hospital, the estimate at that point was that over £30 million was needed to make the site safe, in order to provide operational National Health Services, and this will have significantly increased since then. The NHSPS continues to undertake essential maintenance to the building in the period the asset has been held for sale.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS nursing associates are (a) recognised for their work, (b) protected from role misuse and (c) supported within their defined scope of practice. \p Karin Smyth: Employers across the National Health Service are best placed to identify, recognise, and reward staff for excellence in the delivery of healthcare. In October 2023, NHS England published their Staff Recognition Framework. This provides ideas and guidance for organisations to inform their own strategies and approaches to recognising the work of staff. The Staff Recognition Framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/staff-recognition-framework/

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The NMC has published standards of proficiency for nursing associates, which set out the knowledge and skills that nursing associates need to meet in order to be considered by the NMC as capable of safe and effective nursing associate practice. Further information on the standards of proficiency is available at the following link:

https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/standards-for-nursing-associates/standards-of-proficiency-for-nursing-associates/

In addition, the NMC’s Code sets out the professional standards that all NMC registrants must uphold in order to be registered to practise in the United Kingdom.

Nursing associates can expand their knowledge and skills with the right training and governance. This must be coupled with appropriate local governance arrangements to ensure healthcare professionals only carry out tasks that they have received the necessary training to perform.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Sadik Al-Hassan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of school nurses have received specialist training in (a) allergy and (b) anaphylaxis management. \p Karin Smyth: Data is not held centrally on the number of school nurses who have received specialist training in allergy and anaphylaxis management. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) sets the standards for education preparation for school nurses, who are registered nurses that undertake a post-graduate Specialist Public Health Nurse qualification with an NMC-approved university. School nurses will then also undertake any mandatory training required by their employer, as appropriate to their role.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on schools to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions, and should have policies and processes in place to ensure that these can be well managed, including for allergies. The policy should also set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training. NHS England has also produced the Health School Child e-learning programme, which is available at the following link:

https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/healthy-school-child/

This is designed for healthcare professionals, including school nurses, working with children aged five to 12 years old. Module 5 of the e-learning programme includes sessions on asthma, eczema, and other allergies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will release Bootham Park Hospital as a community asset to the city of York. \p Karin Smyth: Bootham Park Hospital was declared surplus to National Health Service operational requirements in 2017 and was fully vacated in 2018. The NHS Property Services (NHSPS), which owns and manages the site, is required to dispose of surplus assets in accordance with HM Treasury's Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office heritage guidance, and its mandate to achieve best value to enable reinvestment into the NHS. Bootham Park Hospital is no longer suitable for healthcare use and has been classified as surplus to requirement for the provision of healthcare.

If public sector bodies such as a local authority wish to purchase a property from the NHSPS to facilitate the delivery of alternative public services from the building, they would be able to register their interest and make an offer. When disposing of surplus healthcare assets, all such sites are expected to be advertised to public sector bodies before wider marketing activity commences. If there is no economically viable expression of interest from another public sector body, then it is up to the NHSPS to determine the most appropriate marketing strategy to deliver the best value from the sale, in accordance with requirements set out HM Treasury’s guidance on Managing Public Money.

The NHSPS engaged with City of York Council and other public sector bodies through the One Public Estate programme, during which no viable public sector use was identified. In October 2023, the NHSPS formally invited bids via a tender process following the withdrawal of a prospective purchaser from the sale process. No bids were received from City of York Council or any other public sector bodies in that or any earlier sale process.

The NHSPS has subsequently entered negotiations with private sector parties and agreed the terms for sale to a purchaser with planning consent in place, which will see the site converted for retirement living. The sale has been structured to deliver best value while securing a range of public benefits.

The agreed disposal arrangements include substantial community and public benefits as part of the redevelopment proposals. Financially, the transaction sale proceeds will be reinvested directly into the NHS estate. Disposal of the property in its current form for public sector or community ownership would not deliver these benefits, neither would releasing this site as a community asset to the City of York.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Andrew George:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the (a) annual capacity of the Overseas Registration Examination system and (b) number of fully trained overseas dentists already in the UK who are on the waiting list for this examination. \p Stephen Kinnock: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 56537 on Long Covid, how many long COVID clinics are operational in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire; and he plans to open further clinics in 2025. \p Ashley Dalton: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's planned timetable is for its public consultation on the application of mental capacity law. \p Stephen Kinnock: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Adrian Ramsay:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the additional NHS revenue funding allocated in the Spending Review will go to NHS dentistry. \p Stephen Kinnock: 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.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley, dated 4 June 2025, if he will set out the legislative vehicles his Department are considering to address the identified shortcomings in mental capacity law. \p Stephen Kinnock: 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.
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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost of the recommended NHS pay awards. \p Karin Smyth: Last year’s pay awards for NHS staff were among the biggest across the public sector. This year, we have announced above inflation, fully funded pay increases across all staff groups for a second year in a row. These thoroughly deserved pay rises demonstrate how this Government wants to work with staff in our shared ambition to rebuild the NHS. We have been able to fully fund these pay award thanks to the reforms we’ve made, including cuts to bureaucratic duplication and central running costs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Christine Jardine:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to disestablish NHS England on plans to establish six new regional gender identity hubs. \p Karin Smyth: The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. We will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down.

The Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review in full. NHS England has developed a two-year action plan which sets out how it will improve the specialist NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, helping to tackle waiting lists, whilst ensuring safe and holistic care. This includes establishing new gender services in each region of England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of patients previously without access to NHS dental care being able to register with an NHS dentist since July 2024. \p Stephen Kinnock: Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.

We are aware of the challenges in accessing an NHS dentist and we are committed to tackling dental access for patients. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of individuals accessing NHS services who do not have lawful residency status in the UK; and whether such data is used to inform other estimates of immigration. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold or collect the information requested.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many permanent civil servants in his Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years. \p Karin Smyth: During the period from the start of the 2022/23 financial year until the end of the 2024/25 financial year, the Department has dismissed five individuals for poor performance. We are unable to provide further information about specific years due to the low numbers involved in each year, which could lead to the identification of individuals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that private providers of physiotherapy services to the NHS (a) provide value for money and (b) do not operate with excessive profit margins. \p Karin Smyth: Throughout its history, the National Health Service has always worked with non-NHS healthcare providers to deliver essential services to patients, especially at times of operational pressures. The overall proportion of health spending on independent sector providers has not increased significantly over recent years. In 2013/14, 6.1% of total health spending, or £6.5 billion, was spent on purchase of healthcare from independent sector providers. In 2023/24, this was 6.8% or £12.4 billion.

The Provider Selection Regime is a set of rules for procuring health care services in England, giving decision-makers the flexibility they need to arrange services that best promote the interests of patients, the taxpayer, and the population. As part of the Provider Selection Regime, commissioners need to be transparent in their decision making to ensure that there is proper scrutiny and accountability of decisions made about NHS services.

Rates of payment for physiotherapy services are set at a local level. Pursuant to the Government’s public interest test, NHS bodies are not obliged to accept any bids submitted by external suppliers unless they clearly demonstrate value for money and deliver against the aims and objectives of a business cases. It is expected that any outsourced services are delivered in a way that improves quality, ensures greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money as part of broader commitments on procurement.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what oversight exists to (a) monitor and (b) audit legal expenditure by NHS Trusts in Employment Tribunal cases. \p Karin Smyth: Neither the Department nor NHS England monitor or audit legal expenditure by National Health Service trusts in Employment tribunal cases. NHS trusts are responsible for overseeing their own Employment Tribunal cases, which would include monitoring and auditing the legal expenditure. Legal expenditure in Employment Tribunal cases may however be subject to financial audit scrutiny by the NHS trusts’ external auditors, subject to local audit materiality.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Sadik Al-Hassan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many commercial agreements NHS England has made with manufacturers of medicines which have r resulted in indication-specific pricing between January 2020 and March 2025; and what therapeutic area these have been for. \p Karin Smyth: Information provided by NHS England shows that there have been 74 commercial agreements involving indication-specific pricing arrangements between January 2020 and March 2025. The following table shows the split by therapeutic areas:

Cancer

62

Haematology

5

Other

7

Note: therapeutic areas with fewer than five commercial agreements have been grouped under Other to avoid identification of specific commercial deals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 22 May 2025 on NHS Workforce, HCWS663, which areas of spending have been reduced in order to fund these pay uplifts. \p Karin Smyth: As the Written Ministerial Statement sets out, the Government has had to make difficult decisions to afford the pay award.

Areas of spending where we have made, or plan to make, reductions include administration budgets, bank and agency spend, and the Department and NHS England’s central programmes, including communications and campaigns. Additionally, a change to the personal injury discount rate has also led to a reduction in the forecast for clinical negligence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_35

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health needs of unpaid carers. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. We want to ensure that people who care for family and friends are better able to look after their own physical and mental health and wellbeing.

We have invested in expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health services with a focus on improving mental health support for individuals and carers.

Carers experiencing common mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies services or can be referred by their general practitioner. In addition, carers experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained NHS professional at any time through the mental health option on NHS 111. This service gives people the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.

We are also recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers, expanding mental health support teams to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30, introducing community-based Young Futures hubs, and modernising the Mental Health Act.

Further, we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers, who provide vital care and support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_36

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish the findings of the 2025 Dentistry Cost Survey. \p Stephen Kinnock: A dental cost survey was launched on 13 May 2025 to conduct further research on the costs of running dental practices in England. The aim of the survey is to provide an accurate understanding of the costs and pressures facing the dental sector.

The findings of the 2025 Dentistry Cost Survey will be published following the conclusion of the project.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_37

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that local authorities meet statutory duties on carer assessments under the Care Act 2014. \p Stephen Kinnock: Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.

To ensure local authorities are delivering adult social care to an acceptable standard, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how local authorities in England are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers. This means that the CQC is looking at how all 153 local authorities with adult social care responsibilities are conducting carers needs assessments and supporting unpaid carers in their area. To date, the CQC has published over 40 formal assessments, with ratings of Outstanding, Good, and Requires Improvement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_38

Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the NHS England Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel to make a decision on GP out of hours services in the Shrewsbury and Telford and Wrekin ICB. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England has communicated that the decision on general practice (GP) out-of-hours service in the Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrekin ICB will be published on 26 June 2025.

GPs are independent businesses who are contracted by National Health Service commissioners to perform medical services. The GP contract ensures that a consistent provision of healthcare is provided, including out of hours services which should be available to all patients in the Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrekin area. Decisions regarding these services are made locally and independently. Practices have the option to provide out-of-hours services directly, in which case they receive payment for doing so. If a practice chooses not to offer these services, arrangements must be made to ensure that an alternative provider delivers them for that practice’s registered patients. These decisions should not affect patients’ access to care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_39

Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle shortages of care home workers in rural areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care (ASC).

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 states that providers must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. Where the CQC finds a breach in this regulation, it can take regulatory action to ensure the safety of the people drawing on care and support.

The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the ASC sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment and retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.

We are also supporting the professionalisation of the ASC workforce by implementing the Care Workforce pathway as the first universal ASC career structure and providing £12 million through the Learning and Development Support Scheme this year for staff to complete training and qualifications.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_40

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) affordability checks and (b) the harmonisation of gambling duties on levels of black market gambling. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises the important contribution horseracing and the wider sports sector makes to the national economy and cultural life. We remain committed to engagement with stakeholders across the sector with a view to bolstering and protecting this contribution.

Future proposals on Gambling Duties are a matter for HMT, and we would encourage all interested parties to engage with ongoing consultations on the matter, which runs until the 21st of July. Ministerial engagement has taken place between DCMS and HMT, and should legislative changes come about following this consultation, we expect them to be accompanied by tax and impact notes from HMT, as is standard practice.

A new system for financial risk assessments is currently being piloted by the Gambling Commission. Stage 1 of the pilot showed that 95% of checks were frictionless and this increased to 97% of checks in stage 2.

We are working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced in Parliament on 25 February 2025, will grant the Gambling Commission with new powers to more quickly and effectively take down illegal gambling websites.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_41

Nesil Caliskan:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to increase maximum licensing fees for Track Betting Premises to local authorities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The fees that licensing authorities collect for premises licence applications and annual renewals are used to cover administration and enforcement costs. In England and Wales, local authorities can set their own licensing fees for gambling premises, including track betting premises, up to a statutory maximum. In Scotland, licensing fees are set at a flat rate by Scottish Ministers.

The 2023 gambling white paper proposed increasing the cap on licensing authority premises fees in England and Wales. We are considering the best available evidence from a wide range of sources to make decisions on key measures from the gambling white paper.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_42

Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department will stop training Israeli Defence Force personnel following the British Government’s decision to sanction members of the Israeli Government. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence keeps under careful consideration its policies on training courses. We currently provide non-combat academic courses to fewer than five IDF personnel.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_43

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June to Question 56844 on Strategic Defence Review, if he will list the trade unions that received unredacted hard copies of the Strategic Defence Review before 3.00pm on 2 June 2025. \p Luke Pollard: For the launch of the Strategic Defence Review, the Government offered embargoed briefings to our people and senior defence leaders, plus certain Parliamentarians, trade unions, businesses, allies and media. This was broadly consistent with the approach for previous defence reviews. At no point did stakeholders receive any commercially sensitive information ahead of publication.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_44

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 6 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, whether the new CyberEM Command will be a distinct entity to the National Cyber Force. \p Luke Pollard: Yes, the Cyber and Electromagnetic Command will be a distinct entity to the National Cyber Force (NCF). It will put the UK at the forefront of cyber operations.

The Strategic Defence Review is clear that the new Cyber and EM Command will not affect the NCF’s authorities or how it conducts operations, but it will cohere and oversee cyber operations for Defence.