theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has made an assessment on the potential impact of vape flavour restrictions in (a) Canada, (b) Australia and (c) Netherlands on smoking cessation in the context of the proposed regulation of vape flavours in the United Kingdom. \p Ashley Dalton: The youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that vape flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, we recognise that vape flavours can also be a consideration for adult smokers seeking to quit smoking.

That is why it is important we strike the balance between restricting vape flavours to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst ensuring vapes remain available for adult smokers as a smoking cessation tool.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes regulation making powers to limit vape flavours, to reduce the appeal to children. Before laying any regulations in Parliament, we will undertake a full public consultation to ensure we get this balance right and consider the views of a range of stakeholders. We will publish thorough impact assessments to accompany any future regulations, including future flavour restrictions. These assessments will consider the international evidence available.

In October 2025, we launched a call for evidence to gather information on flavours and substances in vaping, nicotine, and tobacco products, aiming to better understand the role and risks of flavourings and ingredients. The call for evidence also seeks to identify where efforts to control flavours have been effective or not.

Adult smokers will still be able to access vapes as well as alternative methods to support them to stop smoking. Vapes are commonly used alongside behavioural support within local Stop Smoking Services.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what action the Government is taking to end regional disparities in access to insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. \p Ashley Dalton: To reduce variation and health inequalities, data on the uptake of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) for diabetics is collected as part of the National Diabetes Audit (NDA).

NHS England plans to routinely publish this data in the NDA Core Quarterly dashboard in 2025/26, which will provide the data insights integrated care boards require to deliver CGM to their populations.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implementation of national early-detection programmes for Type 1 Diabetes in England compared to other countries such as Italy, in the context of around a third of people experiencing life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis. \p Ashley Dalton: A national Task and Finish Group has been established by NHS England which brings together key experts from across the health system, including academia/research and leading national clinicians, to jointly assess the opportunities and challenges that are associated with a national screening programme for diabetes and to inform the national direction of travel with regard to the development of national policy in this area.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of banning cigarette filters on smoking prevalence. \p Ashley Dalton: We are not aware of clear evidence to show that a ban on filters would lead to reductions in smoking rates. We are confident the best way to protect people’s health is to reduce the prevalence of smoking. That is why we are taking decisive action through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smoke-free generation alongside continuing with evidence-based approaches to supporting smokers to quit. We therefore have no current plans to ban cigarette filters.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve accessibility to (a) education and (b) healthcare for people with progressive neurological conditions such as Friedreich’s Ataxia. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Friedreich’s ataxia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, and these include: getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. In February we published the fourth England action plan reporting on progress.

NHS England has revised the national service specification for specialised neurology, which now includes an annex providing greater clarity for neurology sub-specialties. This includes the categories of both movement disorders and neurogenetics, into which Friedreich’s ataxia falls. Every specialised National Health Service neurology centre could and should see patients with Friedreich’s ataxia.

The NHS England Genomics Education Programme has also developed a range of educational resources for healthcare professionals. This includes a Knowledge Hub page on Friedreich ataxia, including information on presentation, diagnosis, management, and links for clinicians to further resources, which is available at the following link:

https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/genotes/knowledge-hub/friedreich-ataxia/
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prevent the misdiagnosis of adults over 30 with Type 1 Diabetes as Type 2 within the NHS. \p Ashley Dalton: To coincide with World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2025, NHS England, in partnership with other key national stakeholders, launched a national awareness campaign to promote health care professionals in their identification and diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and reduce the risk of misdiagnosis.

This included a call to action to healthcare professionals, signposting to information, and action to take if a person is displaying any of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, as well as supportive resources.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will commit to appointing a new National Clinical Director for Rare Diseases. \p Ashley Dalton: Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. NHS England and the Department are strongly supportive of clinical leadership and recognise that national clinical directors play an important role in policy development and implementation. There are over 7,000 types of rare disease which span the range of clinical specialities. As such, NHS England and the Department expect to continue to draw upon the range of clinical expertise that their national clinical directors hold to inform our work in this area, as well as that of expert clinicians delivering services for rare diseases, such as those commissioned by specialised commissioning. In addition, there is a National Medical Director for Specialised Services who provides national leadership and advice for the healthcare of rare disease and oversight for the portfolio of rare diseases which NHS England commissions services for.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a Type 1 Diabetes screening programme. \p Ashley Dalton: In the United Kingdom, new screening programmes and modifications to existing screening programmes are recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee.

The UK NSC received a submission via its 2024 open call process to consider screening for autoimmune type 1 diabetes through blood testing. Once the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published its recommendation on the drug teplizumab, the UK NSC will look again at this open call submission and consider whether a fresh review of the evidence for type 1 diabetes screening should be undertaken.
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Brian Leishman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce mandatory heart screening for cardiac conditions for young people. \p Ashley Dalton: In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening, and which supports implementation.

The UK NSC last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that population screening should not be offered. Further information is available at the following link:

https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/

The UK NSC is currently examining the evidence for SCD screening and will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on this in due course.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on cancer diagnosis wait times in South Holland and the Deepings in the last five years. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department does not hold this data, although published data from NHS England is available from 2022 for the cancer waiting time standards, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

Cancer waiting times data can be broken down by integrated care board or National Health Service trust, however, this data is not available by constituency. The local NHS trusts for the South Holland and the Deepings constituency are North West Anglia, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn, and United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients have timely access to innovative cancer medicines. \p Ashley Dalton: In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS is legally required to fund NICE recommended medicines, normally within three months of final guidance, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation. NICE aims wherever possible to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients are able to benefit from rapid access to clinically and cost effective new medicines.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out the measures we are taking that will mean that patients are able to access medicines three to six months faster, including improved alignment between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s decisions and NICE guidance publication.

In England in 2024/25, 93% of NICE recommendations for cancer treatments were positive. Positive includes recommended, optimised, recommended in the cancer drugs fund (CDF), and optimised in the CDF.

Health is a devolved matter and as such it would not be appropriate for me to comment on access to medicines within the devolved administrations.
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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the (a) availability and (b) levels of use of tan-enhancing products containing Melanotan II is being considered in the development of the forthcoming cancer plan. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is taking steps to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancers more quickly, including skin cancers. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. It will set out how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including by speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates. We will publish the National Cancer Plan in the new year to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years.

We received over 11,000 responses to our call for evidence from individuals, professionals, and organisations, and we are reviewing the submissions from skin cancer partners. While no formal assessment has been made of the availability and levels of use of tan-enhancing products containing Melanotan II, respondents shared concerns about tanning products and their potential links to cancer, particularly melanoma. Our expansive engagement will allow the National Cancer Plan to have patients at its heart.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicinal products and medical devices in the United Kingdom. Although tanning is not considered to be a medical purpose, injectable products containing Melanotan I or Melanotan II have been determined as medicinal products due to their similarity to the authorised medicine Scenesse.

In relation to nasal sprays containing Melanotan I or Melanotan II, there are no equivalent authorised medicines and in the absence of medicinal claims, they are not regarded as medicinal products.

Medicinal products must hold a relevant Marketing Authorisation to be legally sold and supplied in the UK. This also guarantees that the medicines have been tested for conformity with strict standards of quality, safety, and efficacy.

The MHRA takes action when a medicinal product without appropriate authorisations is identified.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce variations in the approaches of commissioners in meeting local population need for palliative and end of life care services. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access to, and quality of, palliative and end of life care services at local and regional levels.

This is further made clear in the recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium Term Planning Guidance, which make clear the expectations that integrated care boards should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication Updating labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives, published on 28 September 2023, and pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025, to Question 41063, on Low Alcohol Drinks: Labelling and Marketing, whether the Government intends to publish a response to the 2023 consultation. \p Ashley Dalton: In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to exploring whether to raise the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV, as set out in the current labelling guidance for no and low (NoLo) alcohol drink alternatives.

Department officials are progressing work to take forward this commitment, and we will update stakeholders in due course. The consultation referred to was undertaken by the previous administration. A decision on publishing a response will be made as part of determining the delivery timescales of the NoLo commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan.
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Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he made of the difference in uptake rates between maternal and infant RSV immunisations when developing the national immunisation programme. \p Ashley Dalton: The policy for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert advisory committee. The JCVI considered RSV modelling that included different levels of uptake for maternal or infant immunisation. The JCVI advised that either antenatal maternal vaccination or infant monoclonal antibody immunisation strategies could be suitable for a universal United Kingdom programme and did not have a preference. Maternal vaccination became the UK programme from September 2024 following a competitive tender.

The JCVI had noted that protection of preterm infants would need to be looked at if the UK adopted a maternal vaccination programme. At the October 2024 meeting the JCVI advised that a programme to extend a potential offer of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody, to very and extremely premature infants could be cost effective.

Based on JCVI’s advice, the RSV selective immunisation programme for high-risk infants switched in September 2025 from using palivizumab to using nirsevimab, and was extended to include premature babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of patient safety risks, including those relating to malnutrition, among people with severe and very severe ME/CFS in England. \p Ashley Dalton: In July this year, we published the final delivery plan (FDP) for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, as set out in the FDP, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme, with sessions one and two having universal access, whilst the third session is only available to healthcare professionals, are now available at the following link:

https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206

It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietician with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and are at risk of malnutrition. The guidance also states that clinicians should recognise that symptoms of severe and very severe ME/CFS may mean that people are unable to eat and digest food easily, and may need support with hydration and nutrition. It suggests that managing this risk could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.

The FDP includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage healthy eating habits in young people, separate from Out of Home Calorie Labelling Regulations. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government’s advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide applies to most people from the age of two years old, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide#

The Eatwell Guide’s principles are communicated through a variety of channels, including the NHS.UK website and Department social marketing campaigns, which encompass Better Health, Better Health Families, and Best Start in Life. This includes a series of websites and digital tools that support families with young children to eat better, providing guidance on healthy eating, such as the Food Scanner app and email programmes.

Education around healthy eating is also covered through a number of school curriculum subjects.

The Eatwell Guide also underpins Government catering guidance and standards. Earlier this year, the Government committed to reviewing the School Food Standards to reflect the most recent Government dietary recommendations. These standards are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/school-food-standards-practical-guide

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, the Government has committed to actions to encourage a food environment that supports everyone, including young people, to make healthier choices, including:

Further information on the 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future

There are a range of actions that have already been taken, including the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, location promotions restrictions, and calorie labelling. Prior to the General Election in July 2024, the Department also legislated to introduce restrictions on the volume price promotions retailers can offer on ‘less healthy’ food and drink in stores and their equivalent places online. These measures came into force in England on 1 October 2025.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to raise awareness of grief awareness week. \p Karin Smyth: The Government understands the importance and significance of National Grief Awareness Week. Grief is something we will all encounter during our lives, and it’s important that grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones have access to the support they need, when they need it.

As part of National Grief Awareness Week 2025, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health met with the UK Commission on Bereavement. This was highlighted on social media, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/baroness-gillian-merron-a5130330_yesterday-during-national-grief-awareness-activity-7402274226902040576-PSWO

Furthermore, the Department chairs the cross-Government Bereavement Working Group, with representatives from over 10 departments, to consider options to improve bereavement support and services.
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Gill Furniss:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delayed access to specialist heart valve treatment has on (a) avoidable unscheduled hospitalisations, (b) deaths on waiting lists and (c) other patient outcomes. \p Karin Smyth: No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of delayed access to specialist heart valve disease (HVD) treatment on avoidable unscheduled hospitalisations, deaths on waiting lists, or other patient outcomes.

Cutting waiting times, including for cardiology services, is a key priority for the Government. The cardiology waiting list decreased from 412,164 in September 2024 to 393,400 in September 2025, although this data includes estimates for missing data.

Cardiology is a priority specialty for significant transformation, as outlined in the Elective Reform Plan. The ambition is, where possible and clinically appropriate, to increase specialist care closer to home, and outside of hospitals so that hospital capacity is freed up, enabling patients' timely access to care, as well as improving outcomes.

NHS England has committed to optimising pathways of care for patients with HVD, including earlier detection and improved treatment pathways. To achieve this, the NHS England Cardiac Programme has established an expert advisory group and carried out work including, in 2024/25, providing targeted funding for pathway improvement projects. These included projects that focussed on improving referral processes and local diagnostic pathway provision, as well as fast-tracking patients on valve disease pathways.

To accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework in 2026.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of health services for men in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: We know that we need to do more to improve health outcomes for men across the country, including men in Surrey Heath. On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy which aims to improve the health of all men and boys in England. 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.

This strategy is a crucial first step, laying the foundation from which we can learn, iterate and grow to create a society where all men and boys are supported to live longer, healthier and happier lives. As a first step, we will work with the Men’s Health Academic Network and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to develop and publish a one-year-on report, highlighting the improvements made and where future efforts will need to be targeted.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many specialist Parkinson’s nurses are employed in the NHS in England. \p Karin Smyth: While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.

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

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

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

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence’s guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.
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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS Trusts and clinical directors on ensuring surgical trainees have adequate access to operating theatres. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has held no discussions with National Health Service trusts and clinical directors on surgical trainees’ access to operating theatres.

It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure their staff have appropriate access to ongoing training and professional development to provide safe and effective care.
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Gill Furniss:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England has made an estimate of the number and proportion of women diagnosed with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who receive timely treatment compared to men. \p Karin Smyth: The following table shows the count of elective hospital admissions where there was a primary diagnosis of 'aortic stenosis', by patient gender, as well as the median duration from the receipt of referral by the hospital to admission for 2022/23 to 2024/25:

Year

Gender

Total admissions

Number of admissions with a valid waiting time

Median time to admission (days)

2022/23

Male

6,072

5,193

48

2022/23

Female

3,600

3,073

44

2023/24

Male

6,126

5,364

47

2023/24

Female

3,695

3,259

46

2024/25

Male

6,615

5,822

43

2024/25

Female

4,105

3,623

42

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.
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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients awaiting elective surgery are provided with clear and timely information about their position on waiting lists; and whether his Department has considered introducing a system that allows patients to (a) track their approximate place in the queue and (b) receive regular updates on expected waiting times. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure patients are seen on time and have the information they need to have the best possible experience of care.

As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, published January 2025, patients should expect clear communications that meet their needs throughout their time on a waiting list. This includes information about how long they might wait for their appointment and details about how and when to contact their provider. We are currently working with patients and carers to publish minimum standards patients should expect while they wait for planned care. This includes considering patients’ communication needs.

We have also taken steps to deliver important digital interventions to ensure patients can receive clear and timely information whilst waiting for care. Since March 2025, patients at 87% of hospitals can view information about their elective appointments, estimated waiting times, and average waiting times by specialty on the NHS App. By March 2027, we will significantly improve information about waiting times on the NHS App for patients in elective care and will expand proxy access for parents and carers. We will also review the role and functionality of My Planned Care, which currently provides average waiting times and other information for patients waiting for care. High quality non-digital options should always be in place for those that need them.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of community diagnostic hubs in South Holland and the Deepings constituency. \p Karin Smyth: Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are delivering additional, digitally connected diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with a co-ordinated set of tests in the community in as few visits as possible, to enable fast and accurate diagnoses.

There are no CDCs in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency. However, there are three CDCs located within the NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, including the Grantham CDC in Grantham. CDCs, even if not local to a constituent, will add capacity to the wider integrated care system and will benefit more than just those patients immediately close to them. Diagnostic services can also be accessed across existing acute capacity, such as at Peterborough City Hospital.

CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks in 170 sites across the country and have delivered over 9.4 million tests, checks, and scans, including large, standard, and hub and spoke models, since July 2024.

The Elective Reform Plan sets out that the Government will deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new CDCs. This is funded as part of the £600 million of capital investment for diagnostics in 2025/26, which my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the June 2025 statement.

NHS England is working with local National Health Service systems to identify the most appropriate locations for additional investment, including new CDCs. New CDCs should be positioned in a location which addresses local need and address health inequalities. Details of future sites will be set out in due course.  The locations of both new and expanded CDC schemes will be confirmed in due course.

Over the longer term, as set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we expect more care to be delivered in community settings, and nearer to patients’ home by default, for example through greater use of point of care tests.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle elective care waiting times, including joint replacement surgery, in North Herefordshire constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to putting patients first, nationally and in North Herefordshire. That is why, in the Elective Reform Plan, we committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. Having delivered 5.2 million extra appointments, we have more than doubled our pledge to deliver an extra two million during our first year in office.

Thanks to our modernisation and record investment, waiting lists have been falling for the first time in over a decade. Since the Government came into office it has decreased by over 230,000, despite over 26.4 million referrals onto the waiting list.

North Herefordshire is predominantly served by the Wye Valley NHS Trust, which has seen recent performance improvement in the trauma and orthopaedic (TO) waiting list. Between July 2024 and September 2025, the proportion of waits within 18 weeks for patients on the TO list increased by 5.7%, to 51.8%. The number waiting more than 52 weeks has also fallen by nearly 40%. Since November, high volume weekend lists for joint replacement procedures have also commenced at the Wye Valley Trust.

Nationally, the number of patients on TO waiting lists waiting within 18 weeks has improved by 3.7% and the number waiting more than 52 weeks has fallen by almost 16,000 over the same period.

We know there is more to do to tackle elective waiting lists including for joint replacement surgery. That is why we have invested £1.65 billion in capital funding in 2025/26 to expand and enhance surgical capacity, which includes funding for surgical hubs, the majority of which offer joint replacement surgeries.

As of December 2025, 123 surgical hubs are operational across England including three in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System, the most recent being the Wye Valley Elective Surgical Hub which opened in July 2024. These dedicated and protected surgical hubs focus on high volume low complexity surgeries and protect elective care from winter and emergency pressures by using ring-fenced staff and facilities, reducing cancellations and improving efficiency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Adrian Ramsay:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83666, how new permanent legal rights of public access will be created through proposals for nine new river walks and three new national forests. \p Mary Creagh: Our nine new river walks and three new national forests will both increase available natural space and make it more accessible.

We are progressing plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature and are currently considering several delivery options. Further details will be announced in due course.

Our three new national forests in the West of England, the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and the Midlands or North of England, once confirmed, will support delivery of environmental improvement goals including improving access to green space and better connecting people with nature. The Government will set out plans for new national forests in the coming months which will incorporate many factors, including a consideration of new permanent legal rights of access.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with waste disposal plant operators on the risk of fire in facilities from disposable items with batteries, such as vape products. \p Mary Creagh: We remain engaged with industry, including waste disposal operators on the risk of waste battery fires. The Government have already acted quickly to reduce one of the main causes of waste batteries fires, by banning disposable vapes earlier this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to hold a consultation on the Circular Economy Growth Plan. \p Mary Creagh: This Government remains committed to transitioning towards a circular economy and driving economic growth. This is why, in the new year, we will publish our Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Growth Plan will reflect the extensive engagement led by the Circular Economy Taskforce with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders. We will continue to engage stakeholders, including through consultation where appropriate, on the interventions set out in the Growth Plan after publication.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Peter Prinsley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce specific regulations or mandatory safety standards for commercial dog swimming pools, in the context of recent reports of dog injuries associated with unregulated facilities. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is an offence to cause physical or mental suffering to animals, which would include in settings such as commercial dog swimming pools.

Whilst the Government has no plans to introduce specific legislation aimed at regulating dog swimming pools, the 2006 Act applies to protect the welfare of dogs in these settings.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will appoint a Minister for Rural Communities. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Ministerial appointments are a matter for the Prime Minister.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to increase the corresponding recreational bag limit when commercial bass catch limits are increased. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Annual negotiations between the UK and EU to decide fishing opportunities for 2026 have recently concluded. The outcome for both commercial and recreational seabass opportunities will be made public shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to monitor and tackle the environmental impact of single-use packaging waste on terrestrial trail ecosystems, including public rights of way. \p Mary Creagh: Local councils are responsible for keeping their public land clear of litter and refuse.

We are targeting some of the more commonly littered items to reduce the presence of these in our communities. The sale of single-use vapes was banned from 1 June 2025 and a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers will go live in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in October 2027. The Deposit Return Scheme will cover plastic and metal drinks containers (like bottles and cans which make up 55% of litter volume), and the goal is to reduce litter and help keep our streets, rivers, and oceans clean.

We have a number of restrictions on other unnecessary single use plastic products and we will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions. These measures help reduce litter at the source and reduce pollution on terrestrial trail ecosystems.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to lay before Parliament final regulations and statutory guidance to implement mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. \p Mary Creagh: Biodiversity net gain will apply to nationally significant infrastructure projects from May 2026. The Government consulted on the implementation detail over the summer and will publish a response and other relevant guidance in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Gurinder Singh Josan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle UK companies profiting from the trophy hunting of endangered animals. \p Mary Creagh: The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Defra continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations has her Department received on the closure of the (a) Smithfield and (b) Billingsgate market. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not received any representations about the closure and relocation of Smithfield and Billingsgate markets.

Defra is not responsible for Smithfield or Billingsgate markets. This is a matter for the City of London Corporation.