theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 76564 on Surgery: Waiting Lists, whether NHS England holds information on which ICBs use minimum waiting times for elective care. \p Karin Smyth: Following consultation, NHS England publishes the NHS Standard Contract annually for use by commissioners in contracting for National Health Service-funded healthcare services. The Department is involved in the consultation process on the Standard Contract. Technical guidance is published for information alongside the Standard Contract consultation. Its purpose is to advise commissioners and providers on how to apply the contract.

NHS England develops the standard contract technical guidance in collaboration with the system to ensure it provides the support required for both commissioners and providers to apply the contract requirements and to deliver on Operational Planning Guidance.

The Department has ongoing discussions with NHS England on waiting times. As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets a target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement on current performance over that period.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are required to hit those targets and providers are working hard to deliver this commitment.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of levels of epilepsy medication availability on patient safety. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Medicine supply issues are global in their nature and, whilst not wholly preventable, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage and mitigate risks to patients. The Department has worked hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including asking manufacturers to expedite deliveries, most issues have been resolved.

The Department is currently aware of supply issues affecting some suppliers of clobazam 10 milligram tablets, all strengths of topiramate tablets, clonazepam 2 milligram tablets, and phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets, used in the management of epilepsy.

The supply issue with clonazepam 2mg tablets from one manufacturer is expected to resolve late January 2026. The affected suppliers of topiramate 25 milligram and 50 milligram tablets, and clobazam 10 milligram tablets, are expected to resupply these products by early December 2025. The resupply date from the other affected manufacturers for topiramate 50 milligram, 100 milligram and 200 milligram tablets and phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets is yet to be confirmed. Stock remains available from alternative manufacturers of these products to meet patient demand, and we have issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service.

We have issued guidance for the discontinuation of sodium valproate (Epilim Chronosphere) 750 milligram and 1000 milligram modified release (MR) granules sachets. Alternative strengths of sodium valproate MR granules sachets remain available.
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Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a modern service framework for respiratory health. \p Karin Smyth: Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2025, to Question 73327, on Alan Milburn, what other (a) NHS, (b) social care and (c) other matters Alan Milburn has recused himself from. \p Karin Smyth: Prior to appointment, non-executive candidates are required to declare all relevant interests. Appropriate mitigations are then put in place and approved by the Department.

This process was carried out for the Rt Hon. Alan Milburn, whose interests and any updates to them are available in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts and on the GOV.UK website in alignment with Government policy.
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of (a) named day questions, and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by his Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025 and (vi) October 2025. \p Karin Smyth: The following table shows the information requested:

Month

Named Day

Ordinary Written

May 2025

55.3%

73.8%

June 2025

44.4%

53.3%

July 2025

45.2%

60.7%

August 2025

N/A

N/A

September 2025

36.9%

53.3%

October 2025

52.3%

46.0%

Source: Department of Health and Social Care

Note: there were no written parliamentary questions due for answer in August 2025 as Parliament was in recess for that entire month.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people waiting for NHS treatment in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: We are clear that the extent of waits for treatment is unacceptable, and that cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. We have committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.

We are committed to transforming elective services to ensure patients get timely access to the care they need. This includes investing £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years for diagnostic, elective, urgent, and emergency capacity in the NHS.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, we delivered 5.2 million additional appointments compared to the previous year, more than double our pledge of two million. This marks a vital first step towards delivering the constitutional standard.

We promised change, and we have made good progress. As of the end of September 2025, 61.8% of pathways on the waiting list are within 18 weeks, an improvement of 3.3% since September 2024, and the number of waits over 18 weeks has reduced by almost 320,000 over the same period.

Waiting list data is not available by constituency. In the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, which covers the Surrey Heath constituency, the waiting list size has fallen by over 17,000 since the Government took office in July 2024. The proportion of waits under 18 weeks has now also increased, up from 50.5% of patient pathways in July 2024 to 56.5% in September 2025, a 6.0% improvement.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the planned inclusion of menopause in women’s health checks from 2026, what preparations his Department is making for that change. \p Karin Smyth: We will be working with experts, including general practitioners, over the coming months to design the menopause content for the NHS Health Check.

The NHS Health Check Best Practice Guidance will be updated to reflect the addition of menopause, and it will be for local authority commissioners to implement this through their NHS Health Check providers and to ensure that staff have adequate training. This will support eligible women to access high quality information on the menopause including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support plus treatment options.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS care provided to chargeable overseas visitors was recovered through the Immigration Health Surcharge in each year for which data is available. \p Karin Smyth: The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is one of the National Health Service’s migrant cost recovery methods and is designed to recover NHS costs attributable to migrants requiring a visa longer than six months.

The current IHS fee of £1,035, £776 for students and children, came into force in February 2024. It was calculated as the value of the healthcare budget for 2023/24 that an “average” IHS payer accounts for and reflects the Department’s most recent estimate of the cost of providing NHS services to IHS payers. The full methodology can be found in Annex A of The Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2024, at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2024/16/pdfs/ukia_20240016_en.pdf
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve support for women’s menopausal health, including (a) training for GPs and (b) training for prescribing nurses. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, including menopause, as we reform the National Health Service, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our health missions.

That is why menopause will be added to the NHS Health Checks from 2026 for eligible women aged 40 to 55 years old who attend. This will support up to five million eligible women across England to access high quality information on menopause, including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support.

For new doctors starting their careers in the United Kingdom, the General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health, including menopause, and will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems.

Additionally, for general practitioners and other primary healthcare professionals, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health, including menopause, from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on menopause in November 2024. The guideline recommends more treatment choices for menopause symptoms, and prescribers are encouraged to use these guidelines as best practice when making decisions relating to menopause.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the NHS cost-recovery regime in ensuring that the public purse is fully compensated for care provided to overseas visitors. \p Karin Smyth: No formal assessment has been made. However, we continue to work with NHS England to ensure that the system works as effectively and fairly as possible.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered a national workforce strategy to retain ADHD and autism clinicians within NHS services. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the reasons for professional complaints to the General Medical Council. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not made an assessment of the reasons for professional complaints to the General Medical Council (GMC).

The GMC is the regulator of all medical doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, still legally known as anaesthesia associates and physician associates, practising in the United Kingdom. The GMC is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties.
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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the legal status of the sale of tan- enhancing nasal products containing Melanotan II for cosmetic purposes. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is required to determine whether products are medicines on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the definition of a medicine in The Human Medicines Regulations 2012, relevant case law, and any other evidence.

There are many products which modify physiological function but which are not medicinal products, and case law has established that products that do so while having no beneficial effects on human health cannot be medicines.

Melanotan II injections and pens are considered medicinal products due to their similarity to an authorised medicinal product and potential application to other medical conditions.

However, tan-enhancing nasal products, which are clearly marketed for self-tanning purposes and which do not have a medical purpose, do not fall under medicines regulations and therefore are not within the MHRA’s remit.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients does the government assess will be impacted by its decision to freeze prescription charges in England. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Approximately 40% of people who receive prescriptions are not entitled to exemption from National Health Service prescription charges and will therefore benefit from the decision to freeze charges for the second successive year, keeping the cost of a prescription below £10 and the cost of a prepayment certificate at just over £2 a week.

The remaining approximately 60% of patients receiving prescriptions are entitled to exemption from charges. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures his Department are taking to ensure the NHS is appropriately prepared for winter flu-related admissions in 2025 and early 2026. \p Karin Smyth: We have done more than ever to prepare for this winter, including stress testing winter plans, making sure community teams have the vaccines they need, and identifying the patients who are most vulnerable in winter. We are asking trusts to place a special focus on reducing bed occupancy ahead of Christmas, creating additional capacity, and improving patient flow.

Flu is a recurring pressure that the National Health Service faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation. This year we have:

- expanded the use of the National Booking Service for flu vaccination;

- carried out a major campaign aimed at eligible people, encouraging them to take up their vaccinations; and

- developed the “flu walk-in finder” so that, from October 2025, patients can easily look up when they can walk into a community pharmacy to get a vaccination.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to introduce interim access to omaveloxolone for Friedreich’s Ataxia patients. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licensed medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources.

NICE is unable to make a recommendation about the use in the NHS of omaveloxolone for treating Friedreich's ataxia in people aged 16 years old and over. This is because the company, Biogen, withdrew its evidence submission. NICE will review its decision if the company decides to make a new submission. Further information can be found at the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta11431

NHS England does not fund medicines where the company has not engaged with NICE. This is to avoid a potential pathway for circumventing the NICE appraisal process.
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Steff Aquarone:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost incurred by children and young people from North Norfolk for attending their cancer treatment in the nearest specialist treatment centre in Cambridge; how many of them are not receiving support for their travel costs; and whether he will introduce a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to support with these costs. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the levels of readmission rates among mental health inpatients aged 0-17. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The following table shows the number of readmissions and the percentage of all admissions that were readmissions for children and young people’s mental health inpatient services, for 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, and from April to August of 2025/26:

Year

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

2025/26

Number of readmissions

197

196

157

83

Percentage of admissions that were readmissions

7.9%

8.7%

7.5%

9.3%

Source: Mental Health Services Dataset, NHS England.

A readmission is any admission which takes place within 90 days of a previous discharge, for the same patient.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of de-transitioners reporting harm from puberty blockers; and whether his Department considered this data as part of its approval of the trial. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: There is currently no registry in place in the United Kingdom that routinely collects data that is specific to individuals who choose to detransition at any point following a previous medical intervention for gender reassignment.

Last month, NHS England published a Call for Evidence aimed at healthcare professionals and medical bodies to gather evidence on the care needs of individuals who choose to detransition, in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review. NHS England will publish plans for the establishment of a clinical detransition pathway in 2026, informed by the outcome of the Call for Evidence and a review of the published evidence.

The PATHWAYS trial has been subject to extensive scientific, clinical, ethical, and regulatory approvals. It was approved by an independent National Institute for Health and Care Research funding committee, with the final protocols all subject to rigorous approval processes from both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Health Research Authority, including review by an independent Research Ethics Committee.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department are taking to ensure people have access to adequate counselling support for disability diagnoses. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We want disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs.

More people, including those experiencing depression and anxiety associated with a disability, now have better access to counselling support provided through NHS Talking Therapies services. We have increased the number of therapy sessions so that more than 670,000 people completed a course of treatment last year, compared to 567,000 in 2016/17.

We plan to expand NHS Talking Therapies still further so that 915,000 people complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services.
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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide redress for mesh and sodium valproate families. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report. I will also be meeting the Patient Safety Commissioner in due course.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand early intervention and targeted mental health support for men at risk of suicide in rural constituencies. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including in rural constituencies such as West Dorset. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App.

We are expanding NHS Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people, including men, complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services. We will also expand individual placement and support for severe mental illness so that 73,500 people receive access by March 2028.

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies middle aged men as a priority group for targeted and tailored support at a national level. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention. One of the key visions of the strategy is to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, so that people feel able to seek help through the routes that work best for them. This includes raising awareness that no suicide is inevitable.

On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks, and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience.

We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk of taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for the delivery of disability medical equipment to (a) adults and (b) children. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, and responsibility for providing equipment to disabled people typically falls to the National Health Service and local authorities.

We expect ICBs to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In 2022, NICE published relevant guidance in relation to children, called Disabled children and young people up to 25 with severe complex needs: integrated service delivery and organisation across health, social care and education, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng213/chapter/Recommendations-on-service-organisation-integration-and-commissioning

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published in October 2025, requires that from 2026/27 all ICBs and Community Health Services must actively manage and reduce the proportion of waits across all community health services over 18 weeks and develop a plan to eliminate all 52-week waits.

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty, including under the Care Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. Responsibility for managing the market for these services, including commissioning and oversight of delivery, rests with local authorities.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the value that NICE-recommended medicines bring to patient outcomes and the UK economy. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) plays a vital role in securing access for National Health Service patients to innovative new medicines in a way that represents value to the taxpayer and supports a thriving United Kingdom life sciences sector. NICE is able to recommend the vast majority of new medicines for use by the NHS at prices that reflect the benefits that they bring to NHS patients and that are fair to all parties. Many thousands of NHS patients have benefitted from access to innovative new medicines as a result of NICE’s important work. The measures that we have announced this year as part of the Life Sciences Sector Plan and Regulation Action Plan will further accelerate patient access to new medicines whilst reducing burdens to industry.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients receiving (a) ADHD and (b) autism treatment through the Right to Choose pathway receive safe and uninterrupted care when GPs are unable to accept shared care arrangements. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Shared care within the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP). The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs are not contractually obliged to enter into shared care agreements, and GPs may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds. The GMC has also issued guidance to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities.

In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors to determine whether it is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.

On initiating a treatment, the specialist clinician must follow GMC guidance that if continuation of the treatment is dependent on shared care, then an agreement with the GP must be in place before the treatment is started. If a shared care agreement is not in place, the responsibility for ongoing prescribing remains with the specialist clinician, and this applies to both NHS and private medical care.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism services and support, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department consulted (a) Stonewall, (b) Mermaids and (c) other advocacy organisations at any stage during the (i) design, (ii) approval, and (iii) communication of the PATHWAYS trial. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. That’s why we are following expert, independent advice from the Cass Review to implement a package of research to find out how the National Health Service can best support children and young people with gender incongruence.

This includes the PATHWAYS trial, a carefully designed clinical trial to assess the relative benefits and harms of puberty-suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence.

The trial has received independent scientific, ethical, and regulatory approvals as well as a comprehensive review. The study design, including inclusion criteria and safety protocols, has been thoroughly scrutinised to protect young people's wellbeing. The process has included consideration of robust procedures relating to consent and eligibility.

The trial was designed and will be delivered by an independent research team. This was in conjunction with patient and public involvement as well as clinical and legal experts, including those who specialise on medical ethics. The Department has not conducted its own parallel engagement with advocacy organisations on trial development but is represented, alongside patient and parent representatives, on the National Research Oversight Board to which the research team regularly reports.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of 10 have been diagnosed as deaf across the UK. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 October 2025 to Question 77507.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of 16 were administered puberty blockers, including through (a) clinical trials and (b) private routes in each of the last five years; and what adverse effects were reported. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists or ‘puberty blockers’ are used to treat several medical conditions in children and young people. These can include precocious puberty, some forms of cancer, and endometriosis. They have been used outside of their licenced indication to treat gender dysphoria.

The following table shows the National Health Service prescriptions of puberty blockers for children aged 15 years old and under that were prescribed in England and dispensed in a community pharmacy or general practice in each year from 2020/21 to September 2025:

Financial year

The unique number of identifiable children aged 15 years old and under who received an NHS prescription of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists for all purposes

2020/21

670

2021/22

656

2022/23

644

2023/24

554

2024/25

470

2025/26

342

Source: ePACT2, which is sourced from the NHS Business Services Authority’s Information Services Data Warehouse

Note: figures are unrounded.

The NHS does not centrally collect data on secondary care prescribing. Information on the clinical indication for which these medications have been prescribed is not held. The Government does not hold data that shows how many children under 16 years old were administered puberty blockers through clinical trials or private routes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has not previously funded trials specifically giving puberty suppressing hormones to children and information on non-NIHR funded trials is not held.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received three United Kingdom based suspected adverse drug reaction reports in which a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists analogue has been reported as being used in a child or young person for the purpose of puberty suppression in gender dysphoria.
wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_267
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_267

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the overnight visitor levy will apply to Christian retreat accommodation where a commercial charge is levied on the visitor. \p Alison McGovern: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.

The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of governments proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.

The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.

It will be for Business Improvement District (BID) bodies and businesses to determine whether to continue with BID arrangements following any local decision to put in place a visitor levy.

The Written Ministerial Statement was made in Parliament prior to the press notice being issued on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_268

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff in their Department have been on mental health leave for six months or more; and for what reason. \p Samantha Dixon: Information on sickness absence, including data by Department and sickness reason (such as Mental Ill-Health), is published in the Civil Service sickness absence reports available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence. The next release is expected soon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_269

Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on West Berkshire Council, with regards to their capacity to sustain statutory services and meet local demand. \p Alison McGovern: On Thursday 20 November, we published the government response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0, which sets out the government’s plan to introduce a fairer and evidence-led funding system.

The government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities, realigning funding with need and deprivation. We are delivering fairer funding and targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade from 2026-27, and giving local authorities greater flexibility and certainty by streamlining over 33 funding streams worth almost £47 billion.

We expect that the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement. We will publish provisional local authority allocations at the upcoming provisional multi-year Settlement in December. Proposals and allocations will be subject to consultation and the usual Parliamentary process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_270

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of families in temporary accommodation in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) Surrey. \p Alison McGovern: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 86837 on 10 November 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_271

Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on local authorities who do not wish to engage in local government reorganisation. \p Alison McGovern: On 5 February 2025, the Government invited two-tier authorities and their neighbouring small unitary councils to develop proposals for unitary local government. All areas have engaged with their invitation although not all councils have submitted proposals. I am grateful for the vast amount of work undertaken by councils to develop proposals, which have now been received from every area invited, and expect local leaders to continue working collaboratively and proactively with each other as we go through the next stages of this process.

It was for councils to decide whether to submit a proposal in response to the invitation by the deadline that was specified. Whether they submitted a proposal or not, they will be a named consultee in the Government’s statutory consultations.

This Government is determined to streamline local government by replacing the current two-tier council system with new single-tier unitary councils. Empowered local government, based on unitary councils and strategic authorities, is the foundation for growth across the country – the government’s number one mission.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_272

Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that people (a) leaving homelessness do not enter accommodation without flooring, window coverings, furniture and white goods and (b) who have experienced homelessness can rebuild their lives. \p Alison McGovern: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 92799 on 28 November 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_273

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take legislative steps to require the promotion of party political content on social media platforms during the regulated period as third party campaign activity that has to be (a) valued and (b) declared in election expense returns. \p Samantha Dixon: Under existing legislation, spending above £20,000 in England or £10,000 in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland on promoting party political content during the regulated period, whether on social media or other platforms, must be treated as campaign expenditure. This means it must be valued and reported in the relevant spending return to the Electoral Commission.

Both political parties and third-party campaigners are required to account for the costs of paid promotion, such as advertising on digital platforms, in their returns. These costs contribute to overall spending limits and transparency requirements designed to ensure fairness and accountability in elections.

The Government will continue to keep electoral law under review and work closely with the Electoral Commission to ensure that the framework remains effective and proportionate in the context of evolving campaign practices, including digital campaigning.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_274

Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if chalk streams will be added to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat. \p Matthew Pennycook: As per the commitment I made in the House on 13 November during consideration of Lords Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government intend to include explicit recognition of chalk streams in the new suite of national policies for decision-making that we will consult on before the end of this year.

This will ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value in national planning policy and that clear expectations are set for plan-makers and decision-makers in respect of managing the impacts of development on these sensitive waterbodies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_275

Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he is considering a 4% minimum annual increase in Core Spending Power for local authorities. \p Alison McGovern: This Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years which includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. The £3.4 billion, when taken together with a 3% core council tax referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept, results in a 2.6% real terms average annual increase in Core Spending Power over the Spending Review period. We expect that the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement and by 2028-29 and that the 10% most deprived authorities will see a significant increase in their Core Spending Power per head compared to the least deprived.

The government wants to move decisively to a reformed system, but we have heard clearly that we need to implement funding reform in 2026-27 with transitional arrangements to allow others time to adjust. We will therefore phase in allocations over the multi-year Settlement, and protect the income of authorities which would see losses from funding reform using a range of funding floor levels appropriate to specific groups of authorities’ circumstances. Further details can be found here: Local government finance policy statement 2026-27 to 2028-29 - GOV.UK.

We will publish provisional local authority allocations at the upcoming provisional multi-year Settlement in December. Proposals and allocations will be subject to consultation and the usual Parliamentary process.