theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for every year since 2017, what proportion of Universal Credit claimants with dependent children are (a) in work and (b) not in work. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Table 1 provides the proportion of Universal Credit households with children, broken down by in work or not in work.

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1%.

2. Figures are for households receiving Universal Credit in assessment periods ending at any point in the calendar year.

3. Figures are for Great Britain (GB) only and include only households where Universal Credit was in payment.

4. Figures represent Universal Credit full service claims only, which are only available from 2019 onwards.

5. Due to differences in methodology, there may be slight differences from published statistics.

Table 1: Proportion of UC households with children, broken down by in work or not in work, for every calendar year since 2019

Calendar Year

Proportion of UC households with children

In work

Not in work

2019

69%

31%

2020

70%

30%

2021

71%

29%

2022

72%

28%

2023

72%

28%

2024

70%

30%
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Simon Hoare:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiry entitled ICL Inquiry. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The independent public inquiry entitled ICL Inquiry, officially closed when its final report was presented to the House of Commons and the Scottish Parliament under Section 26 of the Inquiries Act 2005 in July 2009.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Universal Credit claimants with dependent children are in (a) full-time or (b) part-time work. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The requested information is not available.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what service standards on timeliness are in place for making decisions on Work Capability Assessments; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce these waiting times. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is one part of the process for making a UC or ESA benefit entitlement decision. Health Care Practitioners undertake the Work Capability Assessment and following this functional assessment make a recommendation to the department. Thereafter, a DWP Decision Maker reviews this recommendation and makes the decision on benefit entitlement.

We monitor customer journey times for WCAs, deploying additional staff if required, prioritising urgent cases and addressing backlogs. We consistently prioritise assessments for new claims to minimise waiting times.

Due to unforeseen high levels of WCAs required in late 2024, a backlog of reassessment cases built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We are working with suppliers to increase capacity for clearing this backlog, including the acceleration of the recruitment of assessors. There are no backlogs within the DWP Decision Making stage.

The UC WCA statistics remain under development with Phase 2 having been completed in September 2024. WCA clearance times will be introduced during phase 4 (there are no timelines). Details of this strategy can be found on gov.uk at the below link. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-wca-statistics-release-strategy/universal-credit-work-capability-assessment-statistics-release-strategy.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the average duration of a Universal Credit claim that was started in a) 2021, b) 2022, c) 2023, d) 2024 and e) 2025. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

However, monthly statistics for the number of People on Universal Credit in Great Britain are published regularly on Stat-Xplore. This data is available by claim duration and by age.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.
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Richard Baker:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to address the 15% of people who are dying in poverty in Mid Fife and Glenrothes every year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: A Scottish person at end of life can make a fast-tracked claim to the following reserved benefits (if they are eligible): Universal Credit (UC) and New Style Employment Support Allowance (NS ESA).

Disability Benefits are devolved in Scotland and policy responsibility sits with the Scottish Government.

The UK Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age

For those nearing the end of their life, the UK Government’s priority is to provide people with financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable Scottish people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to UC and NS ESA. The Universal Credit Act 2025, also ensures that all SREL claimants will receive the higher LCWRA rate, no matter when they make their claim.
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Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to address the 18% of people who are dying annually in poverty in Bristol Central, as identified in Marie Curie's Dying in Poverty 2025 report. \p Sir Stephen Timms: This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the social security system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability, but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age.

For those nearing the end of their life, the Government’s priority is to provide financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain welfare benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods, and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

The Universal Credit Act 2025, ensures that all SREL claimants will receive the higher LCWRA rate, no matter when they make their claim.
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Richard Baker:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of financial insecurity of people at the end of life. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The UK Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age.

For those nearing the end of their life, the UK Government’s priority is to provide financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enables people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Universal Credit (UC) and New Style Employment and Support Allowance. The Universal Credit Act 2025, also ensures that all SREL claimants will receive the higher UC Health rate, no matter when they make their claim.

Disability Benefits are devolved in Scotland and policy responsibility sits with the Scottish Government.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the number of Universal Credit households with dependent children reporting fewer than (a) 16, (b) 30 and (c) 35 hours of work per week. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the speed of (a) award decisions and (b) reimbursement payments for the Access to Work scheme. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We are committed to increasing the speed of (a) award decisions and (b) reimbursement payments under the Access to Work scheme. To support this, we have increased capacity by recruiting additional staff to process applications and payments. Access to Work payments processing is currently meeting the Standard level agreement of 10 days. We also prioritise cases where customers are about to start work or require renewal of existing support.

In March 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, which launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work and how the scheme can better support disabled people in employment. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants with dependent children are in the light touch or working conditionality groups. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the timeline for the introduction of new earned income disregards for Housing Benefit claimants in supported housing. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Autumn Budget 2025 included an announcement to introduce four new earned income disregards into Housing Benefit for residents in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation.

This will remove a significant barrier to entering work or increasing hours, ensuring that work pays and residents are better able to achieve financial independence from Autumn 2026. The Department’s latest data for August 2025 shows there were around 300,000 working-age people on Housing Benefit living in either supported housing or temporary accommodation of which around 200,000 were living specifically in supported housing.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of occupational pension schemes whose pre-1997 pension rights remain unindexed on retired members of those schemes. \p Torsten Bell: The Government tabled an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme on pensions accrued before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%). This will apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases.

In private sector defined benefit pension schemes, analysis published by the Pensions Regulator indicates that, as of March 2023, around 17 per cent of members do not receive any pre-1997 indexation on benefits. This information can be found at: thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests

The reforms in our Pension Schemes Bill give trustees more flexibility to share surplus with sponsoring employers, and negotiate benefits for members, including discretionary increases. Trustees will be in the driving seat in all decision making on surplus release and must act in the best interest of scheme beneficiaries.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of pensioners eligible for Pension Credit who are not currently receiving it. \p Torsten Bell: The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2023 to 2024 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2024 - GOV.UK.

The Government wants all pensioners to get the support to which they are rightly entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. Alongside the campaign, we are making better use of data to directly target potentially eligible households. Since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit. In September, the Department undertook a trial in partnership with Age UK and Independent Age targeting 2,000 households in England identified using HMRC and DWP data.

The DWP’s drive to maximise Pension Credit take-up has seen the Department receive record numbers of claims – some 320,300 Pension Credit claims in the year ending July 2025 with nearly 60,000 extra awards compared to the equivalent period in the previous year.

We are also undertaking research specifically looking into the factors that motivate people to make a claim as well as why some older people do not claim benefits to which they could be entitled, in order to build the evidence of what works to increase take-up.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support older people experiencing financial hardship in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire. \p Torsten Bell: The State Pension remains the foundation of our support for pensioners, and our commitment to maintain the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament will ensure its value continues to rise over time. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions will, increase by 4.8% in April 2026, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £575. It also means The new State Pension is set to rise by over £2,000 over this Parliament.

Pension Credit continues to provide vital financial support for pensioners who, for whatever reason, find themselves on a low income. It does this by guaranteeing a minimum level of income – called the Standard Minimum Guarantee – which will also, subject to Parliamentary approval, increase by 4.8%, protecting the most vulnerable pensioners.

Crucially, receipt of Pension Credit also opens the door to other financial support, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax support and help with NHS costs as well as help with fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Maximising the take-up of Pension Credit remains a key priority. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends. The latest campaign burst started in September and activity is planned until the end of the financial year.

Our campaign features adverts on television and ‘video on demand’, radio (including Greatest Hits radio, Hits Radio Lincolnshire, Classic FM and Smooth), social media, digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices (13 locations in Lincolnshire), as well as press activity (including advertorials in the Lincolnshire Echo, Grantham Journal, Lincolnshire Free Press, Spalding Guardian and the Stamford Mercury).

For households facing financial hardship, the Household Support Fund remains available, with funding extended to March 2026.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reviewing the adequacy of support available to pensioners in schemes with differing indexation arrangements. \p Torsten Bell: The Government has no plans to retrospectively change defined benefit pension scheme rules to align what are highly variable indexation arrangements.

Our reforms will however introduce greater flexibility for more trustees to share surplus with employers, deliver better outcomes for members and benefit the wider economy. Trustees will be able to require that employers approve discretionary indexation for members as part of any agreement to release surplus funds to the employer.

The Pension Regulator already sets out that trustees should consider the situation of those members who would benefit from a discretionary increase and whether the scheme has a history of making such awards. The Regulator will be producing further guidance on surplus sharing once the legislation is in place.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that the State Pension Benefit will be available under the current conditions to those entering the workforce in the financial year 2025-2026. \p Torsten Bell: The Government is committed to maintaining a fair and sustainable State Pension system that provides security in retirement. The new State Pension, introduced in April 2016, offers a clear and predictable foundation for individuals’ retirement planning.

Entitlement to the State Pension continues to be based on National Insurance contributions and credits, ensuring that those who contribute throughout their working lives are able to build qualifying years.

To ensure today’s workers and tomorrow’s pensioners have security in retirement, we have launched the Pensions Commission to consider what is needed for a stronger, fairer and more sustainable pensions framework. The Commission will examine how to improve outcomes, particularly for those on the lowest incomes and at greatest risk of poverty or under-saving.
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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has he made of the number of FAS and PPF members whose original pension scheme did not provide for specified pre-1997 indexation and will therefore not be included in the Government’s plans announced in the Budget on 26 November. \p Torsten Bell: At the Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced that the Government will introduce pre-1997 indexation in the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), for members whose original schemes provided this. Compensation payments from these schemes on pensions built up before 6 April 1997 will be CPI-linked (capped at 2.5%), and this will apply prospectively.

The PPF have made an assessment that around 165,000 PPF members and 91,000 current FAS members have some pre-97 benefits where their former schemes provided mandatory indexation. The remaining members will not fall within the scope of our reforms, either because these members had no mandatory pre-97 indexation in their original schemes, or no pre-97 service.
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Mark Garnier:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Oral Statement on 11 November 2025 entitled Pensions, if he will publish the research findings from the Department's 2007 evaluation on the effectiveness of automatic pension forecast letters. \p Torsten Bell: Report no.447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts” is publicly available and can be accessed at:

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20121212081018mp_/http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep447.pdf

As confirmed in the Written Statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 11 November, a copy of DWP Research Report no.447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts” has also been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many linear accelerator machines are over (a) 10, (b) 15 and (c) 25 years old by integrated care system. \p Ashley Dalton: The number of radiotherapy machines in use which are over the 10-year recommended age is not published by NHS England. The Department also does not hold detailed information about the age of radiotherapy machines, as local systems are responsible for radiotherapy treatment services and since April 2022 the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines has been with local systems.

The Government has invested an additional £70 million of central funding into new LINAC radiotherapy machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These machines are now being rolled out across the country, to help boost radiotherapy productivity and reduce waiting times for cancer patients.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 70441 on Health Services: Disadvantaged, what his Department's planned timescale is for the publication of an (a) impact statement and (b) equalities impact assessment for the 10-Year Health Plan. \p Ashley Dalton: We expect these documents to be published shortly.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to review guidance for local authorities on HIV support service commissioning. \p Ashley Dalton: The new HIV Action Plan, published on 1 December 2025, sets out how the Government will enable every level of the healthcare system to work together to engage everyone in prevention, testing and treatment, tackling stigma, and reaching our ambition to end new HIV transmissions by 2030. Services to support people living with HIV are primarily the responsibility of National Health Service integrated care boards, who commission adult HIV care in line with the relevant NHS England service specification. Providers of HIV care are responsible for collaborating with local authority commissioned social care where needed.

The HIV Action Plan also asks local partners across the NHS and local authorities to carry out a HIV needs assessment which will inform the development and publication of local HIV plans across the country during 2026/27. Local areas will monitor uptake and outcomes to identify gaps and improve equity in access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. The UK Health Security Agency will continue to support this with robust data monitoring and reporting.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to support GP practices in providing specialist in-house coil clinics, in the content of levels of staffing, clinic space, equipment and stock availability; and what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for coil fittings. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government remains committed to ensuring equitable access to a range of contraceptive methods, including the coil.

Under the GP Contract, contraceptive services are part of the essential services that practices must provide, either directly or by making arrangements for their patients to access them. Integrated care boards (ICBs) may commission GPs to offer long acting reversible contraception, such as the contraceptive coil, as an enhanced service to their local population, in addition to the service provided through the GP Contract. It is for ICBs to decide on commissioning arrangements for their area based on an assessment of local need. Information on levels of staffing, clinic space, equipment and stock availability, and waiting times for coil fittings are not held centrally.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of survival rates for bladder cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: Improving cancer outcomes, including for bladder cancer, is a priority for the Government. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further actions to improve earlier diagnosis, expand access to the latest treatments and technologies, and improve survival rates across England.

National cancer registry data shows a small but sustained decline in bladder cancer survival rates over recent years. One-year survival fell from approximately 72% to 69.6%, and five-year survival from 51.5% to 47.2% between 2007 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020.

To improve treatment times, we have invested £70 million of funding into new radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These new machines are currently being rolled out to trusts throughout the country. These newer machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen over the same period.

In addition, non-specific symptom pathways have been introduced to speed up diagnosis for patients whose symptoms may indicate cancer but which do not align clearly with a specific tumour type. This helps ensure that more patients are referred, investigated, and diagnosed earlier, including cases of bladder cancer that present with broader or less specific symptoms.

The NHS Cancer Programme has commissioned 10 national clinical audits covering breast, ovarian, pancreatic, lung, prostate, oesophago-gastric, bowel, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney cancers. These were selected as auditing was expected to have the greatest impact on reducing unwarranted variation in care. For this reason, there are currently no plans to undertake a national clinical audit for bladder cancer, though bladder cancer outcomes continue to be monitored through existing national cancer datasets.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the laboratory capacity required to meet anticipated levels of HIV screening during the HIV Action Plan for England 2025–2030 period. \p Ashley Dalton: As part of the new HIV Action Plan, we will continue the success of the blood-borne virus emergency department opt-out testing programme, investing £156 million from April 2026 to March 2029 to deliver opt-out HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C testing in emergency departments in very high and high HIV prevalence areas.

We will also expand digital provision of HIV testing, investing £5 million in 2025/26 to trial HIV testing through the NHS App, working in partnership with existing commissioned sexual health providers, such as those already used by local authorities, rather than building a new service from scratch. These services have a strong track record in at-home HIV testing, and the NHS App will provide a new entry point that routes people into that established service.

National Health Service trusts are responsible for ensuring laboratories have adequate capacity for all testing, including HIV screening.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical commissioning structures are prepared for changes arising from the HIV Action Plan. \p Ashley Dalton: The new HIV Action Plan (HIV AP), published on 1 December 2025, sets out how the Government will enable every level of the healthcare system to work together to engage everyone in prevention, testing and treatment, tackling stigma, and reaching our ambition to end new HIV transmissions by 2030.

National Health Service integrated care boards hold commissioning responsibility for adult HIV services in line with the relevant NHS England service specification. NHS England is supportive of the HIV AP and its recommendations and is committed to the implementation and delivery of the plan.

The HIV AP asks local partners across the NHS and local authorities to carry out a HIV needs assessment which will inform the development and publication of local HIV plans across the country during 2026/27.

Local areas will monitor uptake and outcomes to identify gaps and improve equity in access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. The UK Health Security Agency will continue to support this with robust data monitoring and reporting.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many specialist nurses in Parkinson's there are. \p Ashley Dalton: While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.

These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.

The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many nurses have specialist training in treating Parkinson’s and working with Parkinson's patients. \p Ashley Dalton: While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians

These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.

The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the national HIV surveillance system remains compatible with international reporting standards. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and its predecessors have led HIV surveillance since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980s. In addition to continued collaboration and acting as expert advisors on HIV surveillance to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) European region, the UKHSA ensures that its data remains compatible by reporting standard data to ECDC/WHO European region and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS on an annual basis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_158

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Local Authorities in Suffolk on taking steps to help increase the take up of NHS Health Checks in the county. \p Ashley Dalton: Regional cardiovascular disease leads and regional directors hold discussions with local authorities, including in Suffolk, regarding NHS Health Check performance and steps to increase uptake of the programme.

The Suffolk General Practice Federation and Public Health and Communities at Suffolk County Council work collaboratively to increase the uptake of the NHS Health Check programme in a range of ways, including delivering the programme at a variety of community venues, such as community libraries, and raising awareness through printed and social media activities. Further work includes participation in the recent Department-led pilot of heart health checks in workplaces.

Work to improve the impact of the NHS Health Check across England is ongoing and we are carefully considering the recommendations from the National Audit Office’s 2024 report, Progress in preventing cardiovascular disease.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_159

Gideon Amos:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of economic factors and the consumption of ultra-processed foods on the prevalence of diet-related illnesses and mental health conditions, and what steps are being taken to address these upstream determinants of public health. \p Ashley Dalton: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) considered the evidence on the impact of processing on health, including mental health, in 2023 and 2025. The SACN concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of processed and ultra processed foods and adverse health outcomes are concerning. The SACN noted that studies to date appear to inconsistently account for important factors such as socioeconomic status.

The SACN recommend that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. These recommendations align with existing policies for supporting healthier diets and advice to consumers. The SACN will keep the topic of food processing and health under review.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ 2024 report on Food Insecurity also considered inequalities in access to a healthy sustainable diet. Data from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey report shows that participants in higher income households, and households in less deprived areas, were closer to meeting some dietary recommendations. However, where diets failed to meet recommendations, this was consistent across the range of income and deprivation.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop their cross-Government Food Strategy, which aims to improve affordability and access to healthier food, to help both adults and children live longer, healthier lives.

Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. Free school meals will also be extended to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026.

Healthy Start provides funding to pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households to support a healthier diet. In April 2026, the value of weekly payments will increase by 10%.

The Department is working closely with the Child Poverty Taskforce to develop and deliver an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_160

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set a target date for the implementation of a nationwide prostate cancer screening programme for men with a BRCA variant. \p Ashley Dalton: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will consider the final recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) on screening for prostate cancer when it is received. He will make a decision on implementation, including any timeline, at that point.

It is anticipated that the final recommendation will be provided in early 2026 after the conclusion of a 12 week consultation which opened on 28 November 2025. This seeks views on an evidence review and a draft recommendation to:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_161

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) families and (b) attorneys holding Power of Attorney are notified immediately when a DNR notice is added to a vulnerable adult’s medical record. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: 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 (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_162

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints his Department has received in each of the last five years regarding DNR notices being applied without consent. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: 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 (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_163

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the projected cost is of the abolition of NHS England, including staff redundancy packages, consultancy fees, administration and restructuring costs. \p Karin Smyth: 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 (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_164

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether guidance has been issued to NHS Trusts to ensure that DNR decisions are never made solely on the basis of disability, learning disability and special needs. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: 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 (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_165

Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, from which Department’s budget the additional NHS medicines spend following the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal will be funded. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: 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 (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_166

Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 25% net increase in prices for new medicines and the 15% VPAG repayment cap on annual NHS medicines spend. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: 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 (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_167

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 94188, what steps has he put in place to improve the speed of answering written parliamentary questions. \p Karin Smyth: 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 (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_168

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the rates of cardiovascular disease in South Suffolk constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years. To accelerate progress on this mission and tackle unwarranted variation across the country, we will publish a cardiovascular disease (CVD) modern service framework in 2026. The framework will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway.

The Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board has a number of initiatives to reduce the rates of CVD, including:

- having an integrated pathway for general practitioners and pharmacies to find and support the estimated 22,500 people with undiagnosed high blood pressure and 17,000 people who are not on the correct dose of cholesterol medication;

- identifying women at high risk of CVD through general practice records, enabling earlier detection and helping to address gender disparities in diagnosis and care; and

- helping increase the uptake of the NHS Health Check, including improving the invite process, offering a choice of venue to participants, and raising awareness through print and social media.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_169

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of diagnosis times for COPD. \p Ashley Dalton: To enable faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is growing and will continue to do so as more sites come online. The first five months of 2025/26 saw an increase in CDC spirometry testing of approximately 2,000 tests per month more than in the previous year.

As of November 2025, CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks in 170 sites across the country. 101 CDCs across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around their busy working lives.

Diagnosis times for COPD from spirometry tests are not routinely collected or available in a centralised dataset.