theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_220
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_220

Vikki Slade:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the Financial Conduct Authority responds in full to complainants against companies it has given permits to operate. \p Lucy Rigby: The FCA does not generally have a role in relation to managing or intervening with individual complaints between the firms it regulates and their customers.

Under the independent Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) Dispute Resolution Rules, firms that are regulated by the FCA are required to operate complaints handling procedures to deal with complaints promptly and fairly.

Where complaints are not resolved through a firm’s own complaints procedures, the customer can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS is an independent body established by Parliament to provide consumers with a cost-free and quick route to resolve disputes with financial services firms. Firms are required under the FCA’s rules to co-operate with the FOS and comply promptly with any decision that the FOS may make.

The FCA is directly involved in some types of complaint, for example where a person has information about potential wrongdoing or misconduct, or an individual wants to raise a whistleblowing concern. People who are worried they have been the victim of relevant scams can also make a report to the FCA. While the FCA cannot resolve individual disputes, it can take information provided into account as part of its ongoing supervision of a firm and wider monitoring of practices in the sector. The FCA is required not to disclose confidential information it receives in the course of carrying on its functions, and will not normally be able to discuss this with the person making the complaint due to statutory restrictions on disclosing certain information.

Anyone directly affected by the way in which the FCA has exercised, or failed to exercise, its functions (other than its legislative functions) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 may also complain about the FCA using the Financial Regulators Complaints Scheme. This would include, for example, complaints about the FCA’s actions supervising a relevant firm. The FCA website gives details of how to make a complaint about the regulators at https://www.fca.org.uk/about/complain-about-regulators

The FCA is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions, and there are a range of mechanisms in place to provide accountability and oversight. Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with the FCA to discuss a wide range of issues, including its overall performance in furthering its statutory objectives.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_221
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_221

Mr Louie French:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) removal of the VAT exemption and (b) increase in (i) business rates, (ii) the minimum wage and (iii) National Insurance contributions on specialist (A) music and (B) dance schools. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government recognises the value that music and dance schools bring to education in the UK.

In advance of Autumn Budget 2024, the Government conducted thorough and detailed analysis of the impacts of applying VAT to private school fees and the removal of business rates charitable rate relief from private schools in England, including on Music and Dance schools.

The Department for Education provides means-tested bursaries for eligible families as part of the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) if their child has a place at any one of eight MDS performing arts private schools. The Department adjusted MDS bursary contribution for families with a relevant income below £45,000 to account for VAT on fees, ensuring that the total parental fee contributions for families with below average relevant incomes remain unchanged for the 2024/25 academic year.

The Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500, ensuring that over half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities, including those providing specialist education in music and dance, will either gain or see no change this year.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates are recommended by the independent and expert Low Pay Commission (LPC). By seeking advice from the LPC when setting the minimum wage rates, the Government is able to ensure that the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, affordability for employers, including those in the education sector, and the impact on the economy. DBT have published their full Impact Assessment alongside the legislation here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2025/9780348268492/impacts
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_222
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_222

Mr Louie French:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to encourage retail businesses to return to the high street through changes to business rates. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with ratable values (RVs) below £500,000 from 2026/27. This permanent tax cut will ensure they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government is sustainably funding this by introducing a higher tax rate on properties with RVs of £500,000 and above.

The final design, including the rates, for the new business rates multipliers will be announced at Budget 2025, so that the Government can factor the revaluation outcomes and broader economic and fiscal context into decision-making.

Ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, the Government prevented RHL business rates relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.

The Government will also support those seeing the biggest increases at the revaluation. The Government will announce details at Budget 2025, in light of the revaluation outcomes.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_223
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_223

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) guidance, (b) funding, (c) accounting assistance and (d) other support her Department is providing to small businesses that become VAT-registered. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC provides extensive guidance on GOV.UK to support VAT registered businesses including essentials that every business needs, up to more complex areas. Additional individual support is available from their helplines. HMRC has published an online VAT Registration Estimator for businesses approaching VAT registration. This helps them understand their basic obligations, work out what their liability may be should they need to register, and provides links to relevant guidance.

There are schemes available to small businesses to support their cash flow and simplify the requirements for accounting for VAT. This includes the annual accounting scheme and cash accounting scheme, available for businesses with a turnover up to £1.6m. The Flat Rate Scheme is also available for those with a turnover up to £230k. This simplifies the calculation of VAT liability by applying a sector-specific percentage to sales, rather than recording VAT on each transaction.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_224
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_224

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many pharmacies in England provide (a) supervised needle exchange programmes and (b) other substance misuse services. \p Ashley Dalton: As of August 2025, there are 10,412 community pharmacies in England. Many community pharmacies provide locally commissioned services including supervised needle exchange programmes and other services such as naloxone provision and supervised consumption of opioid substitution treatment medicines, like methadone. Pharmacies also provide free healthcare advice, public health interventions, and signposting to relevant organisations and services. Data is not held centrally on how many community pharmacies provide needle exchange programmes and other substance misuse services.

Local substance misuse services and community pharmacies should work together to help provide an effective service to people who use drugs and alcohol. This includes encouraging person-centred and trauma-informed treatment with shared decision-making.

The Department is aware of the challenges in the ability of some community pharmacies to provide substance misuse services and has been supporting drug and alcohol treatment services to identify local solutions, including increased payment and some alternative models of provision of these services.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_225
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_225

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to reopen the Aveta Birth Centre at Cheltenham General Hospital. \p Karin Smyth: The national review and the local needs assessment processes will help in setting out ideas on how services could be developed. The trust and the integrated care board (ICB) are keen that any proposals for future service development are co-designed through meaningful engagement.

The maternity health needs assessment at the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is under way, led by the NHS Gloucestershire ICB. The needs assessment involves a review of nationally available data and trends, and the evidence base for what works in terms of quality and safety. NHS England is aligning its maternity needs assessment with national priorities to improve outcomes and experiences, particularly by tackling health inequalities.

As part of the maternity needs assessment, NHS England is gathering insights from women and staff, asking about their experiences and their ideas for how services could be developed in the future.

NHS England is in the process of agreeing a timeline for approval of the needs assessment, with final publication expected in Spring 2026.

No plan to reopen the Aveta Birth Centre will be made until the outcome of the Government's Independent National Maternity Investigation, and the local Health Needs Assessment, led by the NHS Gloucestershire ICB and exploring the needs and changes in maternity care for Gloucestershire, are published. These are both due to report in Spring 2026.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_226
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_226

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve the identification of people with undiagnosed hypertension. \p Ashley Dalton: It is estimated that around 29% of all people who have hypertension are undiagnosed. We are taking action to address this as part of the 10-Year Health Plan which outlines our intention to publish a Modern Service Framework for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This will identify the best evidenced interventions, set clear quality standards, drive innovation in CVD prevention and management, and reduce unwarranted variation.

We have invested heavily in hypertension case-finding for those over 40 in community pharmacies. As of August 2024, 7,641 pharmacies were actively delivering the service.

We continue to deliver the NHS Health Check programme in England which assess the top risk factors for CVD among people aged 40 to 74 years and this includes measuring blood pressure. For every 1.4 million NHS Health Checks delivered annually, there are over 340,000 cases of high blood pressure identified, which results in 40,000 diagnoses of hypertension.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_227
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_227

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to educate consumers about less harmful alternatives to smoking. \p Ashley Dalton: The health advice is clear that whilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been carefully designed to get this balance right, ensuring we take definitive action to tackle youth vaping, whilst ensuring that vapes, alongside other forms of quit aids, remain accessible to adult smokers.

The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which includes the health benefits and the impact on people who vape currently. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024.

Importantly, the bill introduces a progressive age of sale policy for tobacco, the smoke-free generation policy, and also includes policies that further restrict the sale and appeal of tobacco products. This will have a dissuasive effect on consumers considering tobacco products, which will mitigate any potential risks of people that vape returning to tobacco use.

Tobacco duty will also be increased alongside the upcoming vaping products duty to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking.

To support current smokers to quit, we are providing £70 million of additional funding into local stop smoking services and delivering Tobacco Dependency Treatment through National Health Service inpatient and maternity services. These services provide access to a range of medicines, nicotine replacement therapies, and vapes, alongside behavioural support. Vapes are a popular quit aid among adult smokers and we have commissioned guidance from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to maximise their use and ensure practitioners are trained to deliver the best advice.

Our national public health marketing campaigns, such as Stoptober and our annual campaigns, motivate adults to quit smoking. Public health messaging will continue to educate smokers about smoking quit aids and will support the promotion of vapes as a means for adult smokers to quit smoking, as outlined on the Better Health and NHS websites.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_228
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_228

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support research into and (b) improve healthcare for young people with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. \p Ashley Dalton: A primary goal of the Complex Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Service, which is commissioned by NHS England, is to educate clinicians about the diagnosis, investigation, and management of patients with complex and atypical forms of EDS. While the service focuses on rare condition types and accepts referrals from secondary and tertiary care, its development of guidelines and educational initiatives also benefits general practitioners (GPs), who are on the front line of patient care. Additionally, other resources like the EDS GP Toolkit, developed by the Royal College of General Practitioners and Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, is specifically designed to provide information and guidance to GPs.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local population, including for those with EDS. It is the responsibility of ICBs, working with clinicians, service users, and patient groups, to develop services and care pathways that meet patients’ needs.

EDS is diagnosed by a combination of GPs, specialist clinicians, and the national diagnostic service for rare types. GPs can diagnose common types like hypermobility EDS and may refer to a specialist if needed. We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of EDS, enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including EDS and any related conditions. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_229
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_229

Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has received evidence on the potential clinical use of psilocybin under controlled conditions to treat serious psychiatric illness; whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of its use; and what procedures his Department has to (a) initiate and (b) undertake such an assessment. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

Clinical trials are underway in the UK to investigate psilocybin's use for various mental health conditions, with the open trials being in phases 1, 2, and 3, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction. The MHRA is aware and is supporting the trials in this area to determine benefit versus risk. The MHRA is ready to review any data submitted to ensure an assessment of the quality, safety, and efficacy is completed rapidly upon submission.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_230
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_230

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure more widespread availability of the drug 2-HDP. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We are pleased to see promising results from the Queen's University Belfast study into the novel drug known as 2-Hydrazino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine (2-HDP). This demonstrates the strength of the United Kingdom’s clinical research environment and the important role played by patient organisations such as Diabetes UK.

This is early-stage research and further studies, including clinical trials, are required before it can be made available to patients. We look forward to seeing how it progresses.

In the UK, medicines need to have a licence before they can be marketed. These are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Licences confirm the health condition the medicine should be used for and the recommended dosage. To get a licence, the manufacturer of the medicine has to provide evidence which shows that the medicine is safe and effective enough to be used for a specific condition and for a specific group of patients, and that they can manufacture the medicine to the required quality.

The anticipated licensing timelines for 2-HDP are currently unknown, but the MHRA and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence liaise closely with pharmaceutical companies on their plans with respect to regulatory approval in the UK to support timely access to clinically and cost-effective licensed medicines for National Health Service patients.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_231
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_231

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 63715 on ADHD taskforce, when he expects the final report of the independent ADHD taskforce to be published. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The independent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder taskforce is expected to publish its final report in the coming weeks, and the Government will carefully consider its recommendations.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_232
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_232

Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department made of the potential barriers that prevent disabled people from accessing lifesaving medical equipment. \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 medical 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, which is available at the following link:

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

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.

More broadly, the Government wants disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs. Our 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out to tackle health inequalities, and specifically identifies disabled people as a priority group for neighbourhood health teams, which will offer more holistic on-going support.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_233
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_233

Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the establishment of Commercial Research Delivery Centres. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Significant progress has been made in establishing the United Kingdom-wide network of Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs). Since 1 April 2025, 21 CRDCs have been operating across all four nations of the UK, 15 in England, four in Scotland, and a one-nation approach in both Wales and Northern Ireland. These have been funded through the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth Clinical Trials Investment Programme, alongside National Institute for Health and Care Research funding in England.

A UK-wide CRDC Network was launched on 1 September 2025 to coordinate activity, provide strategic leadership, and support consistency across the centres. To expand commercial research into out-of-hospital settings, 14 Primary Care CRDCs will begin on 1 November 2025 in England. These will be hosted by general practice-led NHS primary care organisations and fully integrated into the CRDC Network. Together, these initiatives will enhance the speed, consistency, and inclusivity of commercial clinical research delivery, strengthening the UK’s position as a global life sciences leader.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_234
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_234

Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) increase the number of specialist training posts for UK doctors and (b) remove barriers to practice for UK-trained doctors returning from overseas. \p Karin Smyth: The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, set out that over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. The plan also sets out that we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out next steps in due course.

All medical practitioners wishing to practise in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and must hold a licence to practise. The GMC is statutorily independent of the Government and sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to its register. This ensures that registrants are safe to practise and that patients receive a high standard of care. Information on the process for joining the GMC’s register and tailored support for international applicants can be found on its website.

In 2023, the Department worked with the GMC to amend its legislation, including an updated standard for specialist registration, which has enabled improvements to expedite the process for specialist registration.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_235
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_235

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making the National Bereavement Care Pathway training mandatory for all healthcare professionals that come into contact with families experiencing (a) pregnancy loss and (b) the death of a baby. \p Karin Smyth: All trusts in England are signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway, with the aim to ensure that all bereaved parents are offered equal, high quality, individualised, safe, and sensitive care.

Training is the responsibility of individual trusts, overseen by their integrated care boards, so NHS England does not mandate its adoption.

There is ongoing work between NHS England and Sands, the national charity for baby loss awareness who support families with baby loss, to explore the next steps for the pathway, and we will update in due course.

Many trusts have specialist bereavement midwives, who are trained to care for and support parents and families who have suffered from the loss of their baby. Bereavement midwives are responsible for offering immediate and long-term emotional support, information, and practical guidance, at a time of great difficulty and sadness.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_236
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_236

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure NHS staff receive adequate training to (a) ask menopause questions and (b) support affected women in routine NHS health checks. \p Karin Smyth: We will be working with experts, including general practitioners (GPs), over the coming months to co-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 ensure that staff have adequate training.

Support from the NHS Health Check will be tailored based on the individual and their own experiences and circumstances. Support may range from directing women to appropriate online resources with the right information, through to a GP appointment to assess the women’s symptoms further and identify how to best treat and manage them. This will mean eligible women can access high-quality information on menopause more easily.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_237
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_237

Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of funded anaesthetic specialty training places over the next three years. \p Karin Smyth: The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, set out that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_238
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_238

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69778 on Hysteroscopy: Correspondence, whether he has had recent discussions with NHS Trusts on ensuring that letters sent in advance of a hysteroscopy contain information on available pain-relief. \p Karin Smyth: It is unacceptable that some women have such poor experiences of hysteroscopies. It is important that healthcare professionals provide women with information ahead of the procedure, so that they can make an informed decision. Women must be given the opportunity to speak to the doctor or nurse before having the procedure about what to expect, and to discuss pain relief options, including the option of local or general anaesthetic. Women can also discuss the option of alternative treatment, such as pelvic ultrasound.

Letters and information sent to patients are determined at a local level by individual National Health Service trusts. A range of additional information is available for patients on hysteroscopy procedures, including on the NHS.UK website, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has created a patient information resource on hysteroscopy. This is available at the following link:

https://www.rcog.org.uk/outpatient-hysteroscopy

Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_239
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_239

Antonia Bance:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients died from cancer within three months of diagnosis in each of the last five years. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Disease Registration Service in NHS England is the cancer registry for England and collects data on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. The service is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs

The following table shows the number of people who died within three months of their cancer diagnosis:

Diagnosis year

Number of patients who died within three months of diagnosis

2018

41,647

2019

39,973

2020

41,599

2021

41,878

2022

41,228

Source: NHS England Digital

Notes: Using the methodology from the Accredited Official Statistics on Cancer Registrations, the number of people who died within three months of their cancer diagnosis were counted. People who died on the same day as they were diagnosed were not included in the counts, as the vast majority of these are cases where the only indication of their cancer is their death certificate and their true date of diagnosis is not known. Many of the others are incidental findings at death. The statistics are available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2022

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has announced that a National Cancer Plan for England will be published in 2026. The Prime Minister’s health mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future, and an essential part of this is achieving our goal to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care- as well as prevention and research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years. This will benefit all cancer patients, including pancreatic cancer patients.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_240
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_240

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of funded women's health nursing training posts. \p Karin Smyth: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) set the standards for nursing education in the United Kingdom. These standards prepare nurses to deliver care in a variety of roles and settings. There is no NMC-mandated requirement for post registration education for nurses working in women's health. It is the responsibility of individual employers to invest in the future of their workforce and to ensure specialist nurses have the appropriate ongoing training and continuing professional development to provide safe and effective care.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_241
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_241

Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS trusts on providing meals for parents when their child is in hospital overnight. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England is currently working with the National Health Service to pilot providing meals for parents when their child is in hospital overnight through work being implemented to recognise the wishes of Sophie Fairall and the charity established posthumously in her name, Sophie’s Legacy. This work aims to improve hospital experiences for children and their parents, including ensuring parents and carers have access to food and drink while staying with their children in hospital.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_242
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_242

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients accessed specialist weight management services operated by private providers through the Right to Choose pathway in the latest period for which data is available; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding provided to integrated care boards to support access to these services. \p Karin Smyth: Patients have a legal right to choose where they go for their first appointment when referred to consultant-led care as an outpatient. Patients can choose a clinically appropriate provider who holds a contract for the provision of National Health Services. This includes independent sector providers who hold contracts with integrated care boards (ICBs) across the country to deliver services for the NHS.

The Department does not hold data on whether patients were either offered a choice, or requested a choice, by provider or speciality pathway.

ICBs are responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area, in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance. This includes specialist weight management services, which are commissioned and funded by ICBs. NHS England has provided additional funding for ICBs to develop their obesity care pathways to support the roll out of some obesity medicines that have previously only been available in specialist weight management services.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_243
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_243

Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the readiness of integrated care boards to assume responsibility for commissioning vaccination and immunisation services. \p Ashley Dalton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester East on 29 September 2025 to Question 76374.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_244
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_244

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children and young people in inpatient mental health settings have access to (a) regular and (b) unrestricted contact with their families in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The new service model for children and young people’s inpatient mental health services, including those in the Surrey Health area, sets out that visiting hours should be flexible to meet the needs of the child and their family or carer. Each mental health inpatient unit should also develop appropriate environments to support family visits, including designated family rooms and families or carers should have access to provision for overnight stays to enable them to be near or with their child where appropriate.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_245
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_245

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the availability of community-based mental health support in order to reduce the level of reliance on inpatient care for children and young people in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Our ambition is to avoid unnecessary admissions to children and young people’s mental health inpatient services and provide care close to home in the least restrictive environments. NHS England’s new model for specialised children and young people’s mental health services will support the delivery of specialised services in the community by establishing and expanding local services such as day services, intensive community outreach and hospital at home services that will provide timely assessment, reduce lengths of inpatient stay and wrap care around the family to achieve timely discharge.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_246
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_246

Luke Murphy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Suicide prevention in England: 5-year cross-sector strategy, published on 11 September 2023, what steps his Department is taking to help provide postvention local support services. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We are committed to delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, which aims to reduce suicide rates and address the risk factors contributing to suicide, as well as improving support for those who have self-harmed or are bereaved by suicide.

We are continuing to work towards the ambition and vision for improving bereavement support over the next five years, as set out in the strategy.

NHS England commissioned the Support After Suicide Partnership to help local health systems to develop suicide bereavement and postvention support services, and which continues to offer support to local areas to embed suicide bereavement services in line with their core standards, which are available at the following link:

https://hub.supportaftersuicide.org.uk/resource/summary-of-core-standards/

A detailed description of the work involved can be found on their website, at the following link:

https://hub.supportaftersuicide.org.uk/standards-intro/
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_247
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_247

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of mental health services in Greater Manchester. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We recognise that people with mental health issues, including those in Greater Manchester, are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we are working to ensure the National Health Service provides the right support to the right people at the right time.

That is why, as part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government is recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers, including psychiatrists, by the end of this Parliament. We are more than halfway towards this target, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including in Greater Manchester. We will transform the current mental health system so people can access the right support at the right time in the right place. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, building on existing pilots, and investing up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments up to 85.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_248
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_248

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on providing financial compensation to people affected by in-utero exposure to sodium valproate. \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.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_249
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_249

Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of nurses and midwives accused of sexual misconduct were placed under interim suspension by the NMC between 2019 and 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold this information centrally. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The NMC is independent of the Government, directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_250
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_250

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking against PPE Medpro after their failure to repay £122m of public money by the 4pm deadline on 15 October 2025. \p Karin Smyth: PPE Medpro Ltd went into administration prior to the court’s announcement on 1 October 2025. The Department has instructed lawyers who are engaged with all relevant parties regarding enforcement of the court decision, and this includes the administrators.

Due to the sensitive and legally complex nature of recovery activity we are unable to offer a detailed commentary on the discussions as this would risk compromising the legal team’s efforts.
wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_251
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-03 conversation_251

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on reducing the rate of (a) stillbirths and (b) (i) neonatal and (ii) maternal deaths in England by 50% by 2030. \p Karin Smyth: The national maternity safety ambition is to reduce the rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal mortality, and infant brain injury to half of the 2010 rates by 2025, and to reduce the rate of preterm birth to 6% by 2025. These aims are unlikely to be met, and while considerable progress has been made overall in reducing the stillbirth rate and neonatal mortality rate since 2010, both rates increased in 2021, and progress has since stalled. There has also been an increase in maternal mortality.

The national maternity safety ambition for stillbirths is to halve the 2010 rate by 2025, down to 2.5 stillbirths per 1,000 births. The most recent figure is 3.8 stillbirths per 1,000 births in 2024. In addition, the safety ambition for neonatal death is to halve the 2010 rate by 2025, down to one neonatal death per 1,000 live births. The most recent figure is 1.4 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. Finally, the safety ambition for maternal mortality is to halve the 2010 rate by 2025, down to 5.3 maternal deaths per 100,000 maternities. The most recent figure is 12.8 maternal deaths per 100,000 maternities in 2021 to 2023.

On 23 June 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent, national investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care.

We are also taking action now, including: a new Maternity Outcome Signalling System that will flag unusually high rates of term stillbirth, neonatal death, and brain injury to prompt rapid review of any safety concerns; developing a Maternal Care Bundle to tackle the main causes of maternal death and harm; and piloting Martha’s Rule in maternity and neonatal units in 14 trusts in six regions.