theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many social media accounts his Department operates; and how much his Department spent on social media (a) subscriptions and (b) advertisements on each social media platform in each of the last three years. \p Hilary Benn: The Government communicates across a range of media channels in order to reach its target audience effectively. Channels are selected based on whether they will reach the intended audience on a specific issue to have the most impact.

Social media is an essential part of government communications and is used to inform the public directly about matters which may affect their lives or interests.

The Northern Ireland Office operates four social media accounts. In the last three years, no budget has been spent on subscriptions to social media sites. In 2023, the department spent £9,866.43 on display advertisements across social media platforms. This was part of a broader marketing campaign to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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John Lamont:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Scottish Government’s proposals to adopt Ultra High Frequency electronic identification technology for animals on farming in the rest of the UK. \p Ian Murray: Animal health and traceability policy is devolved. The Scottish Government has announced that it plans to adopt Ultra-High Frequency electronic identification (EID) in cattle. The UK and Welsh Governments have yet to make a decision on technology, whereas Northern Ireland would be required to use Low Frequency technology if the Northern Ireland Executive chooses to introduce EID, in accordance with the Windsor Framework.

Work between Defra officials and counterparts in the devolved governments is ongoing to understand the potential impacts of divergence, including the impacts on industry, the internal market and international trade. The issue was discussed at the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 January 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many social media accounts her Department operates; and how much her Department spent on social media (a) subscriptions and (b) advertisements on each social media platform in each of the last three years. \p Jo Stevens: The Government communicates across a range of media channels in order to reach its target audience effectively. Channels are selected based on whether they will reach the intended audience on a specific issue to have the most impact.

Social media is an essential part of government communications and is used to inform the public directly about matters which may affect their lives or interests.

The Department holds 4 social media accounts. The Department has a nil spend on social media subscriptions, or advertisements on social media platforms, in the last 3 years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to ensure that Equality Impact Assessments are produced each time (a) policies and (b) Bills are introduced. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The responsibility for equality impact assessments lies with individual departments when developing their policies and any new legislation. Departments are fully aware of their equality duties, including when an impact assessment may be appropriate, such as when new legislation is being considered.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children from Gaza have been accepted into the UK for medical treatment since July 2025. \p Ashley Dalton: I refer the hon. Member to the statement on Gov.uk published on 17 September, which is available the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-group-of-gazan-children-arrive-for-specialist-nhs-treatment

The safety, privacy and wellbeing of these severely ill and vulnerable patients and their families remains our absolute priority. To protect patient confidentiality, we will not be providing further operational details about their treatment or whereabouts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of fast-tracking accreditation for internationally-trained healthcare professionals to help increase local staffing levels. \p Karin Smyth: Healthcare professional regulators are the independent bodies responsible for safeguarding patient and public safety by ensuring that only those meeting the necessary standards can be added to their registers and work in the United Kingdom, whether qualified in the UK or overseas.

As healthcare regulators are independent of Government, it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds for registration. Some regulators already provide supported pathways for different groups of overseas qualified professionals, for example, refugees.

Current arrangements under provisions in the EU Exit Regulations, known as the ‘standstill’ provisions, ensure that UK regulators continue to automatically recognise relevant European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss healthcare qualifications as they did before the UK left the EU. This enables applicants holding these qualifications to achieve UK registration more quickly.

While achieving UK registration as an international healthcare professional should be as efficient and fast as possible, it is important that it remains a robust safeguard for patient protection.

In addition, the Government is committed to developing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our National Health Service. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, enhancing conditions for all staff, while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to end the use by NHS England of generic drugs manufactured by companies with links to Israel. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has no plans to end such purchases as the UK Government currently has a trade and partnership agreement in effect with Israel.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Mims Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date his Department will publish the terms of reference for the national maternity review. \p Karin Smyth: The Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s Terms of Reference were published on 15 September 2025 and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-maternity-and-neonatal-investigation-terms-of-reference

The Chair of the Investigation, Baroness Amos, engaged with families on their development.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on industrial action in the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to reforming trade union legislation, to bring it into the 21st century. We want to create an industrial relations framework fit for a modern economy and workplaces that work for everyone.

The Department of Business and Trade has published an overarching economic analysis of the Employment Rights Bill, namely the Employment Rights Bill economic analysis, a copy of which is attached. It has also published a specific impact assessment on the repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016, the Repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016, a copy of which is also attached.

Employment Rights Bill - Economic Analysis (pdf, 2737.1KB)

Impact Assessment on Trade Union Act 2016 repeal (pdf, 588.5KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to deliver a pay restoration framework for resident doctors. \p Karin Smyth: Each year the Government allows the independent Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body (DDRB) to make recommendations on headline pay for doctors, including resident doctors.

In May 2025, the Government announced the 2025/26 pay awards for National Health Service staff in England, accepting the headline pay recommendations of the DDRB, for consultants, specialty and specialist doctors, and resident doctors for the 2025/26 period.

Resident doctors received one of the highest pay awards of the entire public sector this year, meaning an average 28.9% pay rise compared to three years ago.

The DDRB has been remitted and the process for 2026/27 pay is already under way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Adrian Ramsay:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he took to consider climate change tipping points when preparing the update to the National Risk Register in January 2025. \p Dan Jarvis: The UK is facing an ever-changing and growing set of risks. The National Risk Register focuses on the reasonable worst case ‘acute’ risks, which are discrete events requiring an emergency response and likely to occur over the next two-five years. All risks in the National Risk Register are kept under review to ensure that they are the most appropriate scenarios to inform emergency preparedness and resilience activity. Part of that process is considering the chronic, longer term risks and trends which could change the likelihood and impact of the risks set out in the Register.

The January 2025 National Risk Register recognises climate change and biodiversity loss as drivers of chronic risk. For example, climate change can lead to an increase in the frequency and severity of weather conditions that cause floods and wildfires, biodiversity loss and global instability. During every update, policy makers are encouraged to consider the potential implications of these chronic risks on their policy areas, including how it might interact with acute risks.

The Government published its first bespoke Chronic Risks Analysis (CRA) in July 2025 to enable the resilience community, businesses and organisations more broadly to consider these long-term challenges in their planning.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Catherine Fookes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of cash intensive businesses for money laundering. \p Dan Jarvis: Cash intensive businesses can be exploited by criminals who seek to launder their cash enabling them to profit from their illegal activities. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, law enforcement may seize cash of £1,000 or more if they reasonably suspect it is derived from or intended for use in criminal activity, even without a criminal charge or conviction. In the financial year ending March 2024, £49.5 million in cash was seized.

Driving down money laundering is critical to this Government’s key missions to deliver safer streets and economic growth. Addressing cash-based money laundering is therefore one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), which sits within the National Crime Agency (NCA).

In March, the NECC, coordinated a three-week crackdown against barbershops and other cash intensive business across England and Wales involving 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation, with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executing 84 warrants and arrested 35 individuals. Officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash, 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles.

This is the first phase of targeted action against criminals and organised crime groups who use high-street businesses to launder criminal monies. The Government is committed to working with the NCA and partners to reduce this threat.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 67240 on Animals in Science Regulation Unit: Inspections, how many inspectors were in post in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit as of July 2025. \p Dan Jarvis: The Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to strengthen the Animals in Science Regulation Unit and ensure robust compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The number of Inspectors will increase from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025. This expansion will improve the Regulator’s capability to provide oversight and conduct inspections through regulation which is proportionate, targeted, robust and effective.

The number of inspectors in post in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit in July 2025 was 15 – the middle of the reform process. Numbers of inspectors are published in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit annual report.

The Government is fully committed to continuous improvement in regulation and strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Ian Lavery:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of prosecutions of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000. \p Dan Jarvis: In the year ending 30 June 2025, 83 persons were tried for terrorism-related offences, an increase of 5 compared with the year ending June 2024 and 16 more than the average over the last 10 years (67). 80 of those 83 (96%) persons tried were convicted. Conviction rates have remained consistently high in recent years, with the highest conviction rate on record in the year ending 31 December 2024 (98% - 84 out of 86 trials resulting in conviction). This is a testament to the sustained efforts of CT Policing and the Crown Prosecution Service in securing record convictions for terrorism-related offences.

These statistics are routinely published by the Home Office as part of its quarterly reporting on the ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation’.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals have been refused entry to the UK on the basis of their support for proscribed terrorist groups since 2020. \p Dan Jarvis: The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle (a) insurance fraud and (b) ghost brokers in the motor insurance industry. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government recognises the harm caused by insurance fraud, including ghost broking. This is why we have launched an Insurance Fraud Charter with key firms setting out a series of voluntary measures to disrupt and deter insurance fraud. As part of the Stop! Think Fraud public communications campaign, the Government supported a campaign led by the Association of British Insurers, the City of London Police, and the Insurance Fraud Bureau to highlight the signs of Ghost Broking and encourage public reporting to CheatLine. We continue working with law enforcement and industry partners, including the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, to combat this crime and protect consumers.

The Government also launched a cross-government motor insurance taskforce, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, to help drive down the costs of motor insurance and will consider related fraud as part of this. The taskforce is expected to publish its final report in the autumn.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support the Community Security Trust in safeguarding (a) synagogues, (b) Jewish schools and (c) other Jewish community locations. \p Dan Jarvis: There is no excuse for violence or abuse driven by antisemitic hatred and discrimination, and we support the police in taking strong action against those who carry out these crimes.

This Government is committed to supporting the protection of Jewish communities against antisemitic attacks and other security threats.

The Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems) at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites. It is managed on behalf of the Home Office by the Community Security Trust.

From 2024/25 to 2027/28, the Community Security Trust has been allocated £18 million annually through the JCPS Grant to continue this important work. We continue to work closely with the CST to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities across the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of project licences applied for under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused between 1 January and 1 September 2025. \p Dan Jarvis: Between 1 January 2021 to 1 January 2025, one application for a project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 has been refused.

The Home Office does not routinely collect information on refused project licences as, due to the structure of the legal framework, this metric is not an indicator for the robustness of the regulatory regime.

The Government sets clear expectations of applications through publishing extensive guidance for the regulated sector. Before being submitted to the Regulator for assessment, the regulation requires that applications must be internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body and be signed off by the Establishment Licence Holder. Home Office Inspectors in the Regulator will only review applications from establishments that fulfil all requirements of the legislation. Applications received by the Regulator may be returned to the applicant for clarification and/or amendment before being re-assessed. Applicants may also amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the regulator. This system means that the number of refusals tends towards zero.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-01)

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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has taken steps to implement the recommendations of the report by Dr Frances Rawle entitled The role of review and regulatory approvals processes for animal research in supporting implementation of the 3Rs, published on 27 February 2023. \p Dan Jarvis: The Rawle report identified opportunities to strengthen regulation and review processes supporting the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in animal research, some of which are led by the Home Office. The Home Office has taken substantive steps to implement the recommendations, including:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-15)

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Tonia Antoniazzi:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025. \p Janet Daby: The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government.

We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-15)

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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) Plan 5 student loan repayment threshold and (b) annual pay for someone on the minimum wage in a full-time job from 1 April 2025 on the net income of graduates with student loans. \p Janet Daby: In 2022, the department conducted a government consultation to assess the impact of policy reforms on higher education funding and finance, including changes to repayment thresholds from Plan 2 to Plan 5. More details on the consultation can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62223cfb8fa8f549071fc82c/Higher_education_policy_statement_reform_consultation_-_Equality_analysis.pdf.

Comparing the previous threshold of £28,470 under Plan 2 with the new threshold of £25,000 under Plan 5, the monthly repayments under the new repayment plan would result in an individual who was previously earning £28,470 and not repaying their loan, to now repaying approximately £26 per month.

From 1 April 2025, the National Minimum Wage has increased to £12.21 for workers aged 21 and over. If working a standard 37.5 hours per week, a minimum wage worker will earn £23,809.50, which is below the annual threshold for both Plans 2 and 5. This calculation is based on the average actual weekly hours of work for full-time workers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-15)

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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest on the UK economy. \p Mary Creagh: From our modelling we know that the UK consumption of agricultural commodities was associated with 35,600 hectares of deforestation worldwide in 2022 and 12.7 million tonnes of associated carbon emissions. The UK is estimated to have been the 15th largest driver of deforestation that year. The UK Government places an economic cost of £260 per tonne of carbon emitted, and the value of ecosystem services that forests provide are estimated to range from £9,000-£22,000 per hectare depending on whether they are tropical, which would include the Amazon, or temperate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-15)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of invoices from UK suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt between September 2024 and February 2025. \p Daniel Zeichner: The department’s prompt payment performance is published quarterly at the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-prompt-payment-data-april-2015-to-march-2024

In the most recent published period, covering October, November and December 2024, 99.4% of the payments were to UK suppliers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-15)

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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22902 on Flood Control: Finance, when he plans to announce the flood and coastal erosion risk management projects that will receive funding through regional flood and coastal committees in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Emma Hardy: We are investing £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. We published a full list of over 700 schemes that will receive funding in 2025/26 on Monday 31st March.

This includes an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps for 29 flood schemes, to allow them to proceed to construction. As part of this, schemes in Alverstoke and Hill Head to Portsmouth have been allocated £3,588,150 and £778,185 respectively. Further information is available on GOV.UK, at the link below. Programme of flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) schemes - GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-15)

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John Glen:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish guidance on how businesses should report extended producer responsibility-related costs in their financial accounts. \p Mary Creagh: It is not for the Government to provide guidance on how, or when to account for pEPR fees and we would encourage producers to engage with their respective audit firms where required. Further context on intended application of Regulation 60 Liability of producers to pay annual disposal and administration fees was issued in January, which is sufficient for respective audit firms to advise where required.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-15)

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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 40119 on Members: Correspondence, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of a reduction in access to UK’s National Trails on the work of (a) VisitBritain and (b) VisitEngland. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS has not specifically undertaken a formal assessment of the impact of any potential reduction in access to the UK’s National Trails on the work of VisitBritain or VisitEngland.

However, we recognise that access to National Trails plays a role in supporting rural tourism and promoting the natural and cultural assets of England, which are central to the work of VisitEngland. VisitBritain also promotes outdoor and nature-based tourism as part of its international marketing activity to showcase the UK’s diverse visitor offer.

While responsibility for public access and National Trails policy rests with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), DCMS continues to work closely with Local Visitor Economy Partnerships, including Experience Oxfordshire, to ensure England’s natural landscapes can support the growth of a sustainable and resilient visitor economy.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to help increase the number of tourists from Canada. \p Chris Bryant: The UK Government is committed to strengthening tourism ties with Canada, recognising its importance as a key inbound market. Travellers from Canada made 37.2 million outbound visits in 2023, with a total international tourism expenditure of US$38.3 billion. In 2023, the UK welcomed a record 1.0 million visits from Canada. During the travellers’ visits, their total expenditure was a record £969.6 million, with an average spend of £966 per visit.

DCMS works closely with VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, to promote the UK as a top destination for Canadian visitors. For example, VisitBritain has launched a new international marketing campaign this year - Starring Great Britain - to ensure that tourism remains a key driver of economic growth across the country.

Additionally, the UK’s expansion of the Youth Mobility Scheme with Canada from 2024 allows more young Canadians to live and work in the UK, generating deeper cultural connections and encouraging repeat visits.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40580 on Trade Union Officials: Facilities Agreements, whether he plans to revoke the The Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017 following the passage of the Employment Rights Bill. \p Gareth Thomas: The Trade Union Facility Time Publication Requirements Regulations 2017 will be automatically revoked when section 13 of the Trade Union Act 2016 is repealed pursuant to clause 63 of the Government’s Employment Rights Bill, as they were made under powers included in that section.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether the National Armaments Director Group will have its own secretariat. \p Maria Eagle: Defence Reform is making significant changes as part of this Government's ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of UK Defence. These do not require formal Parliamentary approval, but the Government remains committed to transparency and accountability and will ensure that Parliament is kept informed of progress.

The Quad will convene as often as necessary to ensure oversight and momentum of Defence Reform.

Ministers will interact with the Quad through structured engagements and briefings. The Quad will provide regular updates to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Ministerial team, ensuring they are fully informed of progress. This will facilitate decision-making and ensure that the Defence Reform agenda aligns with broader Government objectives.

It is too early to determine whether the National Armaments Director Group will have a central secretariat or continue to draw on existing capabilities in its constituent parts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has ring-fenced a sum for the cost of redundancy payments associated with the abolition of NHS England. \p Karin Smyth: As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds. At this stage it is too early to say what the upfront costs of integration are, including any redundancy payments, while we are scoping the programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has conducted an equality impact assessment on the decision to abolish NHS England. \p Karin Smyth: Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation.

As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, including equality impacts.
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Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on the timetable for bringing forward legislative proposals to abolish NHS England. \p Karin Smyth: Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to determine the structure and requirements needed to support the creation of a new centre for health and care.

Primary legislation will be required, and we intend to bring this forward when Parliamentary time allows.
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Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when guidance will be issued to ICBs on where the expected 50% cuts in running costs should come from. \p Karin Smyth: As part of the necessary changes to support the National Health Service to recover, NHS England has indicated that integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce in size. NHS England and the Department are working in close collaboration with ICBs to ensure implementation is carried out effectively and at a pace, to support the work to get the NHS back on its feet. Further detail on the future of ICBs was provided in a letter issued to all ICBs and NHS trusts and foundation trusts on 1 April 2025.

This letter is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of closing NHS England on the (a) timeline for the production of the NHS 10-year plan and (b) publication date of that plan. \p Karin Smyth: We do not envisage that the changes set out by the Prime Minister on 13 March 2025 will affect the publication of the 10 Year Plan. We still intend to publish the plan later in the spring.

The changes will set the National Health Service up to deliver on the three big shifts needed to make the service fit for the future, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that outdoor hospitality areas remain outside the scope of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. \p Ashley Dalton: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK, was introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2024. On 26 March 2025, MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of advancing the Bill to the next Parliamentary stage and it has now entered the House of Lords.

The Bill allows us to expand current indoor smoking restrictions to outdoor public places and workplaces. However, we have been very clear that in England, we intend to consult on extending smoke-free places to outside schools, children’s playgrounds and hospitals but not outdoor hospitality settings or wider open spaces like beaches. Private outdoor spaces are out of scope of the powers in the Bill.

We do not intend to extend these powers further than this at this time and recognise that now would not be the right time to consult on making outdoor hospitality settings smoke-free in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) help ensure equitable access to care for people diagnosed with interstitial lung diseases and (b) support local health services to improve (i) immediate and (ii) long-term care. \p Ashley Dalton: The commissioning responsibility for interstitial lung disease (ILD) services has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs), to facilitate joined up care and the configuration of services that will meet local needs.

Early and accurate diagnosis is a priority for NHS England, and the work to improve this area of clinical care is underway, which should have an impact on reducing delayed diagnosis of ILD. The Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group is looking to update the national service specification during 2025/26, and this refresh will include an Equality Health Impact Assessment to support local implementation. The specification will cover diagnosis, management, and ongoing care for patients with ILD.

NHS England also funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments for ILD. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisal, Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, in November 2021.

Furthermore, pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important role in the management of patients with ILD and should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention, not just those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To better understand the uptake of this intervention, NHS England is aiming to modify the current National Asthma and COPD Audit Programmes so that conditions other than COPD are included, and service availability can be tracked.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) fly-tipping and (b) uncollected rubbish on public health. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not made an assessment of the potential impact of fly-tipping and uncollected rubbish on public health.

During specific incidents, for instance with the Birmingham City Council, the UKHSA has provided standard guidance to the local authority on the public health risk associated with household waste. The UKHSA is also part of a multi-agency response Strategic Commissioning Group (SCG), and has contributed to a risk assessment concerning the potential health impacts of uncollected waste. The UKHSA will continue to provide advice and support to Birmingham City Council, as part of this SCG.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency produce the Statutory guidance for Waste duty of care: code of practice, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice

Guidance for waste planning policy is published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in deprived communities. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care, and work is underway to ensure that patients can access the 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments, with integrated care boards (ICBs) asked to make these available from 1 April 2025.

The most common reason children aged five to nine years old are admitted to hospital is for tooth decay. We have confirmed an investment of £11 million to rollout a national supervised toothbrushing programme for three to five year olds. This will reach up to 600,000 children in the most deprived areas of England.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England. For the North Devon constituency, this is the NHS One Devon ICB.

ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for the funding of children’s hospices once NHS England is dissolved. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department has provided the biggest investment in a generation for hospices, with £100 million to help hospices this year and next, to provide the best end of life care to patients and their families in a supportive and dignified physical environment. Hospices for children and young people will also receive a further £26 million of revenue funding for 2025/26 through what until recently was known as the Children’s Hospice Grant.

The decision to bring NHS England and Department together into one team will have no impact on this, or future funding decisions around hospices.

Ministers are working with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. Hospices will continue to have a clear point of contact within the centre.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the future of NHS continuing healthcare will form part of the scope of the (a) NHS 10-year Health Plan for England and (b) Casey Commission. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have committed to developing a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. It will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs.

The independent commission into adult social care, to be chaired by Baroness Casey, is part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what people expect from adult social care. The commission will be split over two phases. The first phase, reporting in 2026, will focus on how we can make the most of existing resources to improve people’s lives over the medium term. Phase two, reporting by 2028, will then consider the long-term transformation of adult social care, setting us on the road to fundamental reform that will build a social care system fit for the future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to section 1 of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, when his Department plans to publish the guidance. \p Stephen Kinnock: Officials have been working to develop the Down Syndrome Act 2022 statutory guidance, including engaging with sector partners and the relevant departments.

We expect to issue the draft guidance of the public consultation by the summer of 2025. The guidance will be published at the earliest opportunity following the consultation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Mark Sewards:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that independent community pharmacies have adequate funding to sustain their (a) businesses and (b) services. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities. They provide an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

We have now concluded the consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26, and have agreed with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion. CPE represents all pharmacy contractors in England, including independent community pharmacies. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a first step in delivering stability for the future and a commitment to rebuilding the sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-03)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle regional disparities in access to community-based eating disorder treatments in (a) rural areas and (b) general. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England is working with the integrated care boards with the aim of increasing the capacity of eating disorder services, to provide community and day treatment services. By improving care in the community, the National Health Service aims to improve outcomes and recovery, reduce rates of relapse, prevent children’s eating disorders continuing into adulthood and, if admission is required as a very last resort, reduce the length of time that people have to stay in hospital.

NHS England has commissioned the Royal College of Psychiatrists to deliver a national, all-age eating disorders audit. This aims to drive improvement in the identification and appropriate management of eating disorders, and the quality and consistency of services for all ages in England. This will help ensure that services across the country, including in rural areas, are safe, effective, patient centred, timely, efficient, and equitable.

In addition, NHS England is currently refreshing the guidance on children and young people's eating disorders to highlight the importance of awareness and the early recognition of eating disorders within schools, colleges, primary care, and broader children and young peoples’ mental health services.