theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-29)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the local covenant partnerships programme involvements meaningful engagement with civil society bodies such as the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. \p Baroness Twycross: Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of the Civil Society Covenant which was launched by the Prime Minister in July at a major civil society summit. To inform the development of the Civil Society Covenant, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged with over 1,200 organisations and worked closely with the Civil Society Advisory Group, including representatives from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) alongside a wide range of other civil society organisations.

At the launch we announced the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council which will be central to the delivery of the Covenant, setting direction and providing strategic oversight for its implementation. It will have cross-sector membership comprising senior leaders from civil society and senior representatives from government departments. We also announced a Local Covenant Partnerships Programme to support collaborative working between civil society organisations, local authorities and public service providers to deliver services that better meet the needs of their communities.

We will continue working in the spirit of partnership as we establish and develop both the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council and the Local Covenant Partnerships Programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions for corporate manslaughter there have been in each of the past three years, and how many of those prosecutions led to convictions. \p Lord Hermer: There have been 13 prosecutions for corporate manslaughter in the years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. 10 of those prosecutions were successful and led to a conviction.

A breakdown of each year is listed below:

2022-23: 6 prosecutions, 6 convictions (1 guilty plea and 5 convictions after trial).

2023-24: 4 prosecutions, 2 convictions (1 guilty plea and 1 conviction after trial), 2 unsuccessful (1 no evidence offered after trial began and 1 left to lie on file).

2024-25: 3 prosecutions, 2 convictions (both convictions after trial), 1 unsuccessful (no evidence offered after trial began).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions there have been relating to the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, and how many of those prosecutions led to convictions. \p Lord Hermer: The Metropolitan Police Service are still conducting their investigations into the fire at Grenfell Tower. As a result, as of August 2025, there have been no prosecutions for offences directly related to the circumstances surrounding the event.

The Crown Prosecution Service continue to work closely with the Metropolitan Police Service on the investigations and to provide advice on applicable charges.

Any charges are not expected to be announced until late 2026, with prosecutions currently due to start in mid-2027.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 23 July (HL9109), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, where the first 10 Neighbourhood Health Centres will be located, and when will those centres open. \p Baroness Merron: The Department and NHS England have written to integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to invite applications from local places to participate in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP). As part of this, we have requested initial information on local assets that could host neighbourhood health centres (NHCs). ICBs will be key here as strategic commissioners in identifying where NHCs are required and defining their requirements in the context of other supporting infrastructure in the local area.

Applications should be submitted by 8 August 2025; our 10-Year Health Plan sets out we will start in some of the communities where healthy life expectancy is lowest, delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to set national targets for early and accurate dementia diagnosis, and to publish annual data on regional variations and performance. \p Baroness Merron: We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis, and remain committed to increasing diagnosis rates and ensuring people can access any licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended treatment, and support they need.

We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. NHS England continues to monitor the monthly dementia diagnosis rate and analyse trends at national, regional and integrated care board level.

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the recently published 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will also deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of adopting reimbursed access at the point of marking authorisation for medicines; and what assessment they have made of the impact of cost-effectiveness appraisals after real world use on the consideration of potential long-term clinical and patient benefits. \p Baroness Merron: The Government wants National Health Service patients in England to be able to benefit from rapid access to effective new medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates all new licensed medicines and makes recommendations for the NHS on whether they should be routinely funded based on the evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue its recommendations close to the time of marketing authorisation to ensure that there is no gap between licensing and patient access to NICE recommended medicines. The 10-Year Health Plan and Life Science Sector Plan outline our commitments to speeding up access for NHS patients to new medicines through the introduction of a parallel marketing authorisation and NICE process.

NHS patients are able to benefit from access to promising new medicines through the Cancer Drugs Fund and Innovative Medicines Fund while further real-world evidence is collected on their use to inform a final NICE decision on whether they can be recommended for routine NHS funding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether long-term clinical benefits and broader impacts, such as economic activity and emotional wellbeing, of medical innovations are routinely considered by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; and what assessment they have made of incorporating consideration of those impacts into evolving cost-effectiveness technologies. \p Baroness Merron: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops its guidance independently and on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence, taking into account all health-related costs and benefits for patients and caregivers, including health outcomes, in line with its established methods and processes.

NICE does not take account of economic productivity in its assessments. It would involve valuing interventions differently based on the working status of the recipient population, which would be methodologically and ethically challenging and could systematically disadvantage certain groups including children, long-term sick and unemployed people, and could result in fewer treatments being recommended for these populations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (NICE) evaluation processes at reflecting the pace of innovation in medical technologies, in particular for chronic conditions such as type 1 and 2 diabetes; and what assessment they have made of increasing NICE's cost-effectiveness threshold in line with the voluntary scheme growth rates since 2014. \p Baroness Merron: With the pace of innovation increasing, it is crucial now more than ever that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is focused on the highest impact technologies.

The Rules-Based Pathway (RBP), recently announced in the 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan, will, for the first time, create a national pathway that guarantees funding for several rigorously selected transformative technologies each year, streamlining the route to adoption in the National Health Service for selected devices, diagnostics, and digital tools. This will give NICE a powerful lever to drive healthcare transformation and help to position the United Kingdom as a first-to-market location for cutting-edge technology.

NICE assessments have been carried out on diabetes technologies, including: insulin pumps; continuous glucose monitors; and most recently, hybrid closed loop systems. Diabetes technologies listed on Part IX of the NHS Drug Tariff are also subject to more frequent review.

The 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth, which is an agreement between the Department, NHS England, and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, states that the standard NICE cost-effectiveness threshold will not change for the duration of the scheme, which ends in December 2028.

Under the current arrangements, NICE is able to recommend the majority of medicines it appraises for use on the NHS, with an approval rate of 84%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence towards their priorities for 2025–26, including diabetes, and the impact of those priorities on patient access to novel technologies and treatments. \p Baroness Merron: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will shortly be publishing its business plan, which will set out its priorities for 2025/26, following approval by the NICE Board. NICE’s priorities will include delivery of commitments outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan. These include:

- the adoption of a dynamic approach to appraisals that identifies where existing innovation should be retired and where technologies should be sequenced within the clinical pathway, to improve value and health outcomes;

- expanding NICE’s technology appraisal process to cover devices, diagnostics, and digital products, supported by the introduction of a rules-based pathway for HealthTech, to reduce variation in access to high-impact medical technologies; and

- alignment of NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency processes, supported by information sharing and joint scientific advice, to speed up decision making and reduce the administrative burden for the system and industry, allowing new and innovative technologies to get to patients faster.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of establishing the staff treatment hubs announced in the 10 Year Health Plan for England. \p Baroness Merron: As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.

The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.

Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address comments made by Ming Tang, Chief Data and Analytics Officer for NHS England, regarding the "poor" and "inefficient" nature of many hospital computer systems; and what steps will they take to address her assertion that US-designed Electronic Patient Records were primarily intended to "maximise revenues rather than productivity or patient outcomes". \p Baroness Merron: NHS England has supported the National Health Service to invest £2 billion over the past four years to buy or upgrade computer systems to meet the baseline standard, and will continue to support investment in the next Spending Review period. NHS England has a good relationship with US Electronic Patient Record vendors and is working collaboratively with them to ensure that software is optimised for use in the NHS in England, which includes a focus on productivity and outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consult the United Medical Associate Professionals before taking further action in relation to the Leng Review, published on 16 July. \p Baroness Merron: In taking forward the independent review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates, Professor Leng sought evidence from a range of voices including patients, staff groups, employers within the National Health Service, professional bodies, and academics. This included United Medical Associate Professionals.

We will continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders as we develop a clear implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential use of the supercomputer Isambard-AI in processing the medical scans of cancer patients. \p Baroness Merron: The 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan will help the National Health Service become the most artificial intelligence (AI) ready healthcare system in the world. While no assessment has yet been made of the potential use of Isambard-AI in processing the medical scans of cancer patients, the Government is fully committed to the ‘scan-pilot-scale’ approach set out in Matt Clifford’s AI Opportunities Action Plan published earlier this year, so that we can ensure AI is deployed in the critical areas where the technology can support better health outcomes.

The Government has already had success with the ‘scan-pilot-scale’ approach as part of the £113 million AI awards, which provided funding for a number of technologies that support cancer diagnosis. In addition, the £21 million AI diagnostic fund is supporting the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest x-ray and chest computed tomography scans to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England. Funding is being provided to 12 imaging networks, which cover 67 out of a total of 137 acute and specialist trusts across all seven regions of England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of recommendation 4 of the Leng Review, published 16 July, that physician associates should not see undifferentiated patients except within clearly defined national clinical protocols, on (1) waiting times and (2) patient access to care. \p Baroness Merron: The Leng Review was clear that for patient safety reasons, physician assistants should not see undifferentiated patients except within clearly defined national clinical protocols. NHS England has written to National Health Service trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks, as well as to the staff most affected by the recommendations, to set out the immediate implications of the recommendations. In its letter to employers, NHS England set out that current physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia should remain in post, with their deployment aligned to the recommendations of the review.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations, which will consider all relevant factors. Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care, and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to produce national clinical protocols to allow physician assistants to see undifferentiated patients. \p Baroness Merron: On 16 July 2025, Professor Gillian Leng published her review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates, now to be renamed physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia.

Professor Leng set out 18 recommendations that will give much-needed clarity, certainty, and confidence to staff and patients. The Government is accepting these recommendations in full. Some actions will be implemented immediately, whilst others will require wider input, with benefits being fully realised over time.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Hunt of Wirral:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Care on 5 February (HC27717), whether the undertaking in the Budget of 3 March 2021 of a lifetime funding commitment for thalidomide survivors still applies. \p Baroness Merron: We are committed to meeting the health needs of people affected by thalidomide, known as Thalidomiders, and to ensuring that they can live with dignity and have access the support they need.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, both present and future, of Thalidomiders living in England. This funding helps Thalidomiders to maintain control over their own health and enables them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.

We will provide an update on funding arrangements beyond 2027 in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Harper:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 16 July (HL8983), which Minister took the decision to make the "Assisted Dying Bill" a major priority of the Government, when they took that decision and why. \p Baroness Merron: I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS875) which was made to the House on 22 July 2025, which stated:

“It has been brought to my attention that a written answer given to Lord Scriven contained inaccurate information related to the work of the Department for Health and Social Care.

The reply to written Parliamentary Question HL8983, tabled by Lord Scriven on 30 June 2025, stated that “the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities.” The answer then went on to list a number of areas which have required additional staff resource within the Department. The Assisted Dying Bill has required additional resource but should not have been referred to as a Government priority given the Government’s neutrality on the issue.

For clarity, the answer should read:

“The Department’s total paybill and staffing costs have not risen by £20 million since July 2024; rather, they have risen, but by £2.5 million in that time.

Since the General Election, the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities. During this period, payroll costs have also increased because of annual pay increases.

Given the scale of the challenges facing the health and social care system, as part of the Spending Review, the Department is working on reducing its headcount down to pre-election levels during 2025/26. This is a key step towards a streamlined centre, to support continued prioritisation towards front-line services.”

I would like to apologise for any confusion.”
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include personalised breast cancer risk assessments in the NHS Health Check programme for women under 50 years of age. \p Baroness Merron: Some women have an increased risk of developing breast cancer because of their genetics. NHS breast cancer risk assessments are undertaken to identify women under the age of 50 years old at higher risk and offer them breast screening according to national guidelines.

The NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease prevention programme, assesses risk factors for cardiovascular disease in people aged 40 to 74 years old and refers them to behavioural support services and clinical management where appropriate.

For these reasons, the Department does not have plans to include personalised breast cancer risk assessments for women under 50 years old in the NHS Health Check Programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research published by the British Heart Foundation on 21 July that some communities do not have a defibrillator within close proximity; and what steps are they taking to support the installation of defibrillators in these communities. \p Baroness Merron: We recognise the important work the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of their 2025 community defibrillator fund programme.

The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to their 2025 scheme to do so.

The Department similarly operated a community defibrillator fund which launched in September 2023. Following the depletion of that fund, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

Applications to the fund were allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

According to the BHF there are now over 110,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit, the independently operated national AED database. This is an increase of 30,000 since September 2023. 58.6% of these over 110,000 defibrillators are accessible on a 24 hour a day, seven day a week basis.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a campaign to encourage high-risk groups of men to be checked for prostate cancer. \p Baroness Merron: The Department remains committed to supporting the National Health Service in raising the awareness of cancer symptoms and in diagnosing all cancer types earlier, including prostate cancer.

In January 2025, NHS England re-launched the Abdominal and urological symptoms of cancer phase of its Help Us Help You campaigns, to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, including for prostate cancer, and to remove barriers to people visiting their general practitioner.

This year, the Department will publish a National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how outcomes and experiences of cancer patients in England can be improved. It will cover earlier diagnosis and ensure that cancer patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and will ultimately bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

The Government is investing £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which is seeking to find ways to detect prostate cancer in men as early as possible. The TRANSFORM trial will aim to address health inequalities by ensuring that one in ten of the participants are black men.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to address inequalities in (1) access to treatment, and (2) health outcomes, for patients with peripheral arterial disease. \p Baroness Merron: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

To support the reduction of inequalities in care, NHS England’s national approach is Core20PLUS5, with further information available on the NHS.UK website. The approach defines a target population cohort and identifies five clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement, including cardiovascular disease. There is a specific focus on improving the detection and management of hypertension, and optimising lipid management, amongst target groups to prevent conditions such as PAD.

In addition, the National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across National Health Service hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

Information on PAD is available on the NHS.UK website, and NHS England continues to work with clinical experts and professional bodies to improve care and reduce regional variation.
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Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they require integrated care boards to publish routine data on outcomes for peripheral arterial disease. \p Baroness Merron: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

NHS England introduced the Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, which was incentivised through a two-year scheme, from 2022 to 2024. This framework helps to ensure that patients across the country receive timely and effective interventions, such as revascularisation, by encouraging all providers to meet consistent standards of care. It aims to reduce variation in how quickly and effectively patients are treated, regardless of where they live.

There are no plans to update Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, but it remains an available resource that the National Health Service should have regard to.

The National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across NHS hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

There is no specific mandatory requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to publish routine data on PAD outcomes. However, ICBs are expected to contribute to data collection and reporting. Additionally, the Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practices to improve care for various conditions, including those related to cardiovascular health, which may indirectly impact PAD management.
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Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reintroduce an incentive scheme for the Vascular Peripheral Arterial Disease Quality Improvement Framework (1) to improve access to timely treatment, and (2) to prevent lower-limb amputations. \p Baroness Merron: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

NHS England introduced the Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, which was incentivised through a two-year scheme, from 2022 to 2024. This framework helps to ensure that patients across the country receive timely and effective interventions, such as revascularisation, by encouraging all providers to meet consistent standards of care. It aims to reduce variation in how quickly and effectively patients are treated, regardless of where they live.

There are no plans to update Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, but it remains an available resource that the National Health Service should have regard to.

The National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across NHS hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

There is no specific mandatory requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to publish routine data on PAD outcomes. However, ICBs are expected to contribute to data collection and reporting. Additionally, the Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practices to improve care for various conditions, including those related to cardiovascular health, which may indirectly impact PAD management.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the regional variations in access to specialist care for chronic spontaneous urticaria, and what steps they are taking to address those variations. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme addresses regional variations in healthcare by identifying areas of unwarranted variation and working with local teams to implement improvements and reduce differences. Through GIRFT’s Further Faster programme, hospital trust clinicians and operational teams are being brought together with the challenge of collectively going ‘further and faster’ to transform patient pathways, reduce unnecessary follow-up outpatient appointments, and improve access and waiting times for patients.

A Further Faster handbook for dermatology, which covers conditions like chronic spontaneous urticaria, has been produced, to share best practice and support National Health Service dermatology teams to reduce the number of Did Not Attend appointments, reduce unnecessary follow ups and, where appropriate, reduce the number of outpatient appointments by booking patients straight to tests, helping to free up capacity for patients in need of specialist dermatology services.

In addition, NHS England and the British Association of Dermatologists have established a specialist dermatology clinical reference group. Its objectives are to: measure and improve quality; improve value and reduce unwarranted variation; improve equity of service; and transform and provide advice and support to integrated care boards as they take on responsibility for specialised service commissioning.
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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the 24-week abortion gestational limit to take account of recent scientific evidence on foetal pain and advances in neonatal care. \p Baroness Merron: There are no plans for the Government to review the gestational limits of abortion. It is for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion, including gestational time limits.

When the time limit was last reduced in 1990, there was a clear consensus from the medical profession that the age of viability had reduced from 28 weeks to 24 weeks gestation. There is currently no clear medical consensus that the age of viability has reduced below 24 weeks.

The Government does not formulate policy on fetal sentience and fetal pain. The review and determination of fetal sentience and its implications for abortion and clinical practice is reached through professional medical consensus and clinical guidance.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has carried out a comprehensive review into fetal awareness evidence. Published in December 2022, the review concluded that the evidence to date indicates that the possibility of pain perception before 28 weeks of gestation is unlikely.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current eligibility guidelines of BRCA1 gene testing, and how testing allows early detection of heightened risk of prostate cancer. \p Baroness Merron: Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is delivered in line with the National Genomic Test Directory. The test directory outlines eligibility criteria and testing methods for over 200 cancer indications, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing for prostate cancer, and is regularly reviewed through an evidence-based process to ensure testing remains clinically relevant and cost-effective. Testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 can help identify individuals at increased genetic risk of developing prostate cancer, enabling earlier and more targeted monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment. This supports timely clinical interventions and can improve outcomes for patients and their families. NHS England has also funded transformation projects through NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) alliances, including one led by the East GMS Alliance focused on improving the prostate cancer pathway. This project focused on the genetic testing of prostate tumour tissue samples to better understand the causes and inform treatment decisions, while also identifying whether relatives may be at increased risk of cancers such as breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-04 conversation_26

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government why the LeDeR report, whose final iteration was submitted by King's College London to NHS England on 25 June, remains unpublished. \p Baroness Merron: The Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) reports are a crucial source of evidence which help identify key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people. Practical data issues have delayed the work to date and were addressed in the final iteration provided on 25 June 2025. We are committed to publishing the latest report soon after Parliament returns alongside a Written Ministerial Statement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-04 conversation_27

Lord Harper:To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to paragraph 15 of the policy paper "Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern &amp; secure elections", published on 17 July, why it has been decided that (1) the data for children aged between 16–18 will be available on the open register, and (2) children aged between 16–18 will be included in the requirements for house-to-house visits as part of the annual canvass by electoral registration officers; and what safeguarding issues were considered in that decision making process. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government recognises the importance of taking a particularly careful approach to the handling of data of under 18s who are on the electoral register and our plans reflect this. We are working closely with the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure appropriate safeguards are put in place to protect young peoples’ data. We will ensure UK GDPR conditions are complied with, including a Data Protection Impact Assessment and providing a policy document setting out compliance and retention policies and we will ensure that any privacy notices are suitable for this age group.

We will also remove the presumption that citizens will be added to the open register unless they opt out. Citizens will need to opt in if they wish to appear on the open register. In line with guidance from Information Commissioner’s Office, we consider that an opt in arrangement is a more effective form of consent than the existing opt out process. This will mean those aged between 16 and 17, alongside those aged 18 and over, will be able to make an informed decision and their data will only appear on the open register if they actively decide that they want to allow it.

This government is committed to ensuring that everyone who is entitled to register to vote is able to. The primary purposes of the annual canvass are to ensure our electoral registers are kept up to date and to ensure those entitled to register are identified and invited to do so. 16- and 17-year-olds are already canvassed in the same way as other electors due to their inclusion on the electoral register as attainers. In extending the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds, it is vital they are given the same opportunities to be accurately registered as any other elector.

Our approach balances the need for adequate safeguards within our electoral system, without disadvantaging young voters from being able to participate in it. This mirrors the approaches taken in Scotland and Wales, where the right to vote has already been extended to those aged 16 and 17.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-04 conversation_28

Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide any transition funding to councils in London facing financial cuts due to the implementation of Fair Funding 2.0; and if so, how much will be available to each London council. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The proposals in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 are subject to consultation and decisions have yet to be taken that will determine final allocations and the design of transitional arrangements. These proposals will target central government grant where it is needed most and we expect that the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement.

We are also inviting views on a package of transitional arrangements available over the multi-year Spending Review period. For those councils who would see their funding fall as a result of these changes, our intention is to protect the vast majority of these councils’ income through a ‘flat cash’ (or 0%) funding floor. The consultation is live until 15th August. We will publish further information in the consultation response in autumn, followed by the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-04 conversation_29

Lord Harper:To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the policy paper "Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern &amp; secure elections", published on 17 July, which are the "legitimate smaller parties” referred to in paragraph 63. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The prohibition on dual registration has historically affected organisations which operated under formal electoral agreements and stood joint candidates with other parties. Despite their longstanding and legitimate arrangements, these restrictions meant legitimate smaller parties were excluded from participating fully, effectively barring these parties from our democracy.

These reforms now plan to correct this issue in limited circumstances, which will allow legitimate campaigning, while still preventing parties from gaming the system.

These measures support the broader democratic objective of enabling a diverse range of campaigners to participate in political debate. It is vital that voters are able to hear a variety of voices and perspectives, and third-party campaigners play a critical role in fostering healthy democratic engagement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-04 conversation_30

Lord Harper:To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the policy paper Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern &amp; secure elections published on 17 July, whether they will put equal weight on the accuracy as well as the completeness of the electoral register as they develop their policy proposals. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Electoral registers are the foundation of our democratic processes, showing who is eligible to vote in which elections. The Government is committed to improving electoral registration. We are exploring a wide range of approaches to enable improvements in both completeness and accuracy of electoral registers, including making greater use of public sector data and digital services. Any changes will be based on robust evidence and user research.

The statutory responsibility for maintaining the completeness and accuracy of their local electoral registers lies with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and the Government supports EROs in this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-04 conversation_31

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of rough sleepers within each of the next three years, and by how much. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government has increased funding for homelessness services in England by £233 million this year to a total of £1 billion, which will help prevent homelessness and rough sleeping. The Spending Review protects this record level of investment in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping for the next three years and provides an additional £100 million, including from the Transformation Fund, to fund increased homelessness prevention activity by local authorities.

The Government is currently seeking feedback on the Local Government Outcomes Framework, a new approach to accountability that is outcome-based. We have proposed including a priority outcome to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping.

Our forthcoming homelessness strategy will also set out the actions needed across central, local government and the homelessness sector to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-04 conversation_32

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Deputy Prime Minister will undertake Ministerial meetings in her Ministerial offices in (1) Marsham Street, and (2) 70 Whitehall, during periods of industrial action by staff or contractors in those respective office locations. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: It is a matter of public record that the Deputy Prime Minister is a proud trade unionist.

The details of ministerial routines are not shared for security reasons.