theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) internal policy reviews, (b) independent reviews, (c) external reviews, (d) taskforces, (e) public consultations, (f) investigations and (g) other reviews their Department launched between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025; what the titles were of those reviews; and how many of those reviews have been (i) completed and (ii) published. \p Kirsty McNeill: The Scotland Office has not launched any reviews, consultations or investigations between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) internal policy reviews, (b) independent reviews, (c) external reviews, (d) taskforces, (e) public consultations, (f) investigations and (g) other reviews their Department launched between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025; what the titles were of those reviews; and how many of those reviews have been (i) completed and (ii) published. \p Karin Smyth: No taskforce was announced. The following table shows the reviews, investigations, and consultations that were announced and launched by the Department, between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025, and their current statuses:

Title

Announcement Date

Status

Consultation on Healthy Start eligibility for families who cannot access public funds

July 2024

Completed, with the outcome not yet published.

Darzi Investigation

July 2024

Completed, with the report published September 2024.

Junior doctors rotations Review

July 2024

Review not yet started.

Consultation on proposed changes to the availability of puberty blockers for under 18s

August 2024

Completed, with the outcome published.

New Hospital Programme Review

September 2024

Completed, with the outcome published.

Consultation on introducing further advertising restrictions on TV and online for less healthy food and drink: internet protocol television

September 2024

Completed, with the outcome published.

Review of patient safety across the health and care landscape

October 2024

In progress.

Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future (10 Year Plan consultation)

October 2024

In progress.

Leng Review: independent review of physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions

November 2024

In progress.

Consultation on tackling modern slavery in NHS procurement: proposed regulations and guidance

November 2024

In progress.

Consultation on leading the NHS: proposals to regulate NHS managers (consultation)

November 2024

In progress.

Call for evidence, Standardised packaging for all tobacco products

November 2024

In progress.

Consultation on NHS Pension Scheme: proposed amendments for 1 April 2025

December 2024

In progress.

Consultation on new reforms and independent commission to transform social care (consultation)

January 2025

In progress.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital visits the Minister for Health (Secondary Care) has made in the last six months; and which hospitals she visited. \p Karin Smyth: Since 14 July 2024, I have engaged in a total of nine visits, of which the following five were hospitals:
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people there are in care homes without access to dental treatment in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: We recognise that certain groups of patients may be vulnerable to oral health problems and may find it difficult to access dental care. Specialised dental services are in place to provide dental treatment in several settings, including care homes.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary care dental services, including domiciliary care. Domiciliary care may be delivered by any dentist holding a contract to deliver general dental services, or it may be commissioned as an additional service.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he plans to provide for child and adolescent mental health services in the next financial year. \p Stephen Kinnock: Priorities and spending for the next financial year will be set out in the NHS Operational Planning Guidance for 2025/26, which is due to be published shortly. It will then be for integrated care boards, in line with the national guidance, to make their own decisions on allocations to services in their areas, including child and adolescent mental health services.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve primary care facilities in (a) Romford constituency and (b) the surrounding area. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and this means better utilising and expanding primary care infrastructure across the NHS estate. That is why we have set out our intention to fix the front door to the NHS and bring healthcare closer to home, and the local community.

The North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) advised that two new primary care facilities have opened recently within the borough of Havering, specifically St George’s Hub and Wellbeing Centre and Raphael House, both of which are providing extensive health care facilities, including offering out of hours appointments.

The North East London ICB is also engaging in a strategic review of NHS Property Service (NHSPS) and Community Health Partnership (CHP) assets in central Romford, to ensure that the healthcare infrastructure can meet the future demands of a growing and changing population. With new housing developments projected to increase the patient population by 28,000 by 2030, and additional population growth driven by demographic changes , the ICB notes that it is clear that demand for healthcare services will rise significantly beyond the impact of housing developments alone.

To address this, the North East London ICB is conducting a comprehensive review of all NHSPS and CHP assets as part of the Central Romford Master Plan. This includes assessing the current utilisation of leased space, and working with stakeholders to reconfigure and maximise underutilised estates, identifying voids, and exploring redevelopment opportunities to ensure we future proof healthcare provisions within the area.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many delayed discharges there were in Lincolnshire since 2022. \p Stephen Kinnock: Since September 2024, NHS England has published data on the number of discharges occurring at least one day after a patient has become medically ready for discharge, aggregated at an integrated care system (ICS) level. For the Lincolnshire ICS, between September 2024 and December 2024, there were a total of 2,323 discharges of adult acute patients occurring at least one day after they had become medically ready.

The following table shows the average number of patients who remained in hospital each day, despite being medically ready for discharge, from the Lincolnshire ICS, from December 2022 to December 2024:

Year

Average number of patients remaining in hospital each day despite being medically ready for discharge

December 2022

150

December 2023

137

December 2024

135

Source: NHS England
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Richard Burgon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the engagement of (a) disabled children and adults, (b) their families and (c) representative organisations, in consultations on health and social care policy development. \p Stephen Kinnock: As part of the 10-Year Health Plan’s process, we are having the largest conversation in the National Health Service’s history. We are undertaking a range of activities, including deliberative events, focus groups, local system events, and partner engagement to hear from all communities. We have ensured this includes people with disabilities, their carers, and the organisations that represent them.

The independent commission into adult social care led by Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, will start a national conversation about what social care should deliver for citizens. The details of this will be developed by the commission in due course, but we expect it will include engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience and unpaid carers, although this will be subject to the commission.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he plans to extend the assurances provided on funding for the increase in employer National Insurance costs to NHS Trusts to general practice. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have made necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance contribution (NIC) rise will be implemented in April 2025.

The definition of who is in scope is based on the Office for National Statistics classification of the entity paying employer NICs. This applies to employees who are directly employed by the public sector, but not, for example, where services are contracted out. Any other approach would result in differential treatment between private sector employers. General practices (GPs) are independent contractors and do not fall within this remit. This is consistent with the approach taken by previous Governments.

We recently announced a proposed funding uplift to the GP contract for 2025/26 of £889 million, representing a 7.2% cash growth, estimated at approximately 4.8% real terms growth. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since the beginning of the five-year framework and means we are reversing the recent trend with a rising share of total National Health Service resources going to GPs. We are currently consulting the profession on the annual GP contract.
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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes made to employer's National Insurance contributions at the Autumn Budget 2024 on bed provision in the private adult social care sector in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK. \p Stephen Kinnock: We work collaboratively with the devolved governments to drive forward our objective of supporting people to lead more independent, healthier lives for longer. While health and social care are predominantly devolved, working together across the United Kingdom is ingrained in the values of our National Health Service and social care sector.

The devolved governments’ Phase 1 Spending Review settlements for 2025/26 are the largest in real terms of any settlements since devolution. The allocation of this settlement for Scotland is, of course, the responsibility of the Scottish Government. Devolved governments are receiving over £86 billion in 2025/26, including an additional £6.6 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula.

The Government considered the cost pressures facing adult social care as part of the wider consideration of local government spending in England within the Spending Review process. In response to the range of pressures facing local authorities, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in England for 2025/26. Funding for the devolved governments is determined through the Barnett formula.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities in England are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services and consider how providers might meet that demand.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) communications and (b) media staff are employed by Mid & South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold the information requested.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the average waiting times for a first appointment following a routine referral to vascular services at (a) Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. \p Karin Smyth: The mean average waiting time from referral to the first outpatient appointment for patients under vascular services at the Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is 78 days. For the Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, a breakdown of the data on vascular services is not currently held by the Department.

The Elective Reform Plan outlines our commitments on reforming outpatient care to reduce waiting times for first and subsequent appointments. These include improving the NHS App and the Manage Your Referral Website to give patients more control over their outpatient care, increasing Advice and Guidance to ensure that patient care takes place in the right setting, and reducing missed appointments and less clinically valuable follow ups. These reforms will help to free up clinicians’ time and reduce waiting times for those patients who most need care, including first appointments and clinically necessary follow ups. Outpatient transformation will help fulfil the Government’s commitment that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) strategic (b) outline and (c) final business cases were submitted to his department in each of the last three years. \p Karin Smyth: From 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024, a period of three years, the Department had 13 strategic outline cases, 100 outline business cases, and 116 full business cases submitted for review. For 2022, this was five strategic outline cases, 46 outline business cases, and 37 full business cases submitted for review. For 2023, this was four strategic outline cases, 31 outline business cases, and 40 full business cases submitted for review. Finally, for 2024, this was four strategic outline cases, 23 outline business cases, and 39 full business cases submitted for review.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) the NHS and (b) MHRA's response to women suffering as a result of vaginal mesh implants. \p Karin Smyth: In response to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (IMMDS Review) the National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have worked to improve support for women who have experienced complications from pelvic mesh, and to improve patient involvement and system responsiveness to patient safety issues.

NHS England established nine specialist mesh centres across England, ensuring that women in every region with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse gets the right support. NHS England is working with the mesh centres to review and gain feedback on their outcomes and patient experience, to ensure they are supporting patients as planned.

The Medical Devices Outcomes Registry was established by NHS England in April 2024 to fulfil recommendation seven of the IMMDS Review. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence registry will be launched this year. This will ensure that appropriate clinical vigilance data is collected, surgical outliers can be identified, and comparative performance and outcomes across centres is routinely available.

In response to recommendation six of the IMMDS Review, the MHRA underwent an organisation-wide transformation to become a more progressive and responsive patient-focussed regulator of medical products, including pelvic mesh. This included the creation of a publicly accessible registration system for medical devices, putting a new SafetyConnect vigilance service in place, and improving the responsiveness and awareness of the Yellow Card reporting system. The MHRA continues to work across the health sector and with international regulators, to monitor and examine evidence as it becomes available to continue to improve patient safety.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many equality, diversity and inclusion managers are employed by the Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold the information requested.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to correspondence of 19 November 2024 from the hon. Member for Newton Abbott on his constituent Hall. A. \p Karin Smyth: I replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 12 December 2024 with Departmental reference PO-1548072.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the average waiting times in Accident and Emergency for each Acute Hospital Trust in the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB area. \p Karin Smyth: Information on accident and emergency performance is published monthly by NHS England. The headline metric used is the four-hour accident and emergency waiting time standard. This data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/

Provisional data is published on median average waiting times in emergency departments by National Health Service provider. This data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/provisional-accident-and-emergency-quality-indicators-for-england
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the bed occupancy rate is in each Acute Hospital Trust in the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB area. \p Karin Smyth: Bed occupancy rates for each National Health Service trust are published monthly by NHS England. The latest data is for December 2024, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/bed-availability-and-occupancy/bed-data-overnight/
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Wera Hobhouse:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England's news entitled Early cancer diagnosis in England reaches highest ever level, published on 2 January 2025, if he will publish data on the number of cancers diagnosed at (a) Stage 1 and (b) Stage 2 by cancer type for each of the last five years for which data is available. \p Karin Smyth: Data on the number of all stageable cancers diagnosed at both stage 1 and stage 2 are collected by cancer type. This data is compiled by the National Disease Registration Service and published by NHS England, with more information available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics
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Alice Macdonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of women’s health hubs. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has commissioned research and undertaken analysis to assess the effectiveness of women’s health hubs.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In 2023, a rapid mixed methods evaluation was undertaken by the NIHR’s Birmingham RAND and Cambridge Evaluation Rapid Evaluation Centre to explore the current state and experiences of delivering and using women’s health hubs. It identified 17 women’s health hubs in England which were established between 2001 and 2022. The final report was published in September 2024, and is available at the following link:

https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hsdr/JYFT5036#/abstract

The Department has published a cost benefit analysis, which estimated that for every £1 spent on implementing a primary care network-sized hub, there are estimated to be £5 of benefits. The cost benefit analysis is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/womens-health-hubs-information-and-guidance/womens-health-hubs-cost-benefit-analysis

The Department and NHS England are also committed to learning from the ongoing two-year women’s health hubs pilot programme, in 2023/24 and 2024/25. For example, the NIHR has commissioned two projects through the Policy Research Unit in Reproductive Health and the Policy Innovation Unit, which will explore mechanisms for commissioning women’s reproductive health services in England and what influences choice of, access to, and satisfaction with these services, including women’s health hubs.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a yearly evaluation of the suicide prevention training programme; and what steps he is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in the programme. \p Stephen Kinnock: As part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we have set out our commitment to deliver a renewed drive to tackle the biggest killers, including suicide, while ensuring people live well for longer. As part of this, an additional 8,500 mental health workers will be recruited across children and adult mental health services, and those new workers will be specially trained to support people at risk.

We recognise that bringing in the staff needed will take time, as will ensuring they have the necessary training. We are working to develop a plan to deliver this expansion of the mental health workforce, including where they should be deployed to achieve maximum effect.

The NHS is committed to ensuring that all healthcare professionals receive the necessary mental health training to meet the current and future needs of patients. In September 2023, NHS England published its suicide prevention toolkit for NHS staff to use.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to allow optometrists to share scan data directly with consultants, in the context of patient waiting times. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England is testing how improving digital connectivity between primary care optometry and secondary care will allow optometrists to share diagnostic images and receive advice and guidance from specialists. This will enable more patients to be managed in the community, reducing the need for patients to be referred, and for those needing a referral to the hospital eye service, this could reduce the need for repeat diagnostics.

This approach aims to free up secondary eye care capacity and improve clinic efficiency, so specialists can prioritise patients needing specialist input on ophthalmology waiting lists.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide an update on negotiations with NHS England on the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have been clear that we want to work with the sector on a service fit for the future. Now that the Budget for the Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance entitled Reconfiguring NHS services - ministerial intervention powers, published on 31 January 2024, if he will clarify the changes in circumstances following which he may consider and intervene in the same reconfiguration more than once. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to require the NHS to give the same priority to UK citizens as undocumented migrants when accessing A&E services. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to winter fuel payments on hospital admissions of older people in (a) Epping Forest constituency and (b) nationally. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Oral Statement of 15 January 2025 on Winter Update, if he will publish a list of the locations of the 24 critical incidents declared in the week of 6 January 2025. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Renewable Obligation system of (a) subsidies and (b) regulation in the context of the Ofgem investigation into Drax Power Limited. \p Michael Shanks: Ofgem’s recent investigation related to a breach of annual profiling reporting requirements. Whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help support (a) elderly and (b) other vulnerable people with heating costs in winter 2024-25. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The impact of the energy crisis is still being felt by people across the country, and the Government and energy suppliers are working together to help vulnerable households this winter. In November, Energy UK, in collaboration with the Government, published a Winter 2024 Commitment which promises £500 million of industry support to billpayers this winter. It also outlines how 15 energy suppliers representing almost the entire market will continue to provide a range of financial support tailored to the needs of their customers.

In the short-term, the Government continues to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides an annual £150 rebate off energy bills for eligible low-income households. We expect around 3 million households to receive this support this winter.

The Government has also extended the Household Support Fund in England by a further year until 31 March 2026 with an extra £742 million in support, with additional funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing the energy efficiency of rental properties on carbon emissions in Surrey. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Delivering the Warm Homes Plan is central to the clean energy mission. Targeting decarbonisation of heat in buildings, including the rental sector, will account for around 75% of reduction in all building emissions as well as reducing demand.

Government will shortly consult on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation will be accompanied with the Department’s assessment of the potential emissions savings of consultation proposals.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of support for (a) householders and (b) businesses to mitigate of the costs of net zero transition. \p Kerry McCarthy: To reach net zero requires a wide-reaching transformation of the UK economy, which brings with it incredible opportunity for jobs and growth across the country. It will attract investment into our communities and help support new jobs.

Accelerating to net zero will unlock a range of benefits for businesses, including new market opportunities, access to green finance and reduced energy bills. We support the UK Business Climate Hub which provides advice to support business, particularly SMEs, to take action to reduce emissions. We have also committed to publishing a Public Participation Strategy for Net Zero this year, which will include how we will support people to adopt new technologies.

In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy.
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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits nuclear fusion as a future energy source. \p Kerry McCarthy: Fusion has the potential to provide virtually limitless, low-carbon, safe, baseload energy which could revolutionise global energy production. The UK is at the forefront of commercialising fusion technology and is building a strong fusion industry which already supports thousands of high-quality jobs and will create thousands more. The opportunities inherent in fusion development, including transfer of technology like robotics and advanced materials to adjacent energy sectors and inward investment, contribute strongly to the Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-21 conversation_308

Llinos Medi:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Ofgem's decision to allow a pause in new grid connections on the ability of the (a) Alaw Môn and (b) Maen Hir energy projects to connect to the grid. \p Michael Shanks: Grid connections for individual projects are a matter for the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and the network companies.

The short pause on connection applications for generation customers is a necessary transitional step in delivering fundamental connections reforms that, if approved by Ofgem, could reduce the connections queue by up to half and will enable accelerated connections for many generation and demand projects. The pause does not apply to demand projects or to projects connecting to the distribution network which do not require Transmission Impact Assessment.
wrans/answers2025-01-21 conversation_309
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-21 conversation_309

Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to address regional disparities in access to public electric vehicle charging points to ensure equitable access across the UK. \p Michael Shanks: The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking.

The funding, backed by substantial private investment, will support the installation of tens of thousands of local chargers, ensuring the rollout continues at pace to support drivers in every part of the country.
wrans/answers2025-01-21 conversation_310
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-21 conversation_310

Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure keeps pace with the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road. \p Michael Shanks: The Government continues to provide funding to local authorities, small businesses, schools and residential properties to support the installations of tens of thousands of public and domestic electric vehicle chargepoints.

The Government is also making it easier, quicker and cheaper to install chargepoints. In December the Government announced: further changes to planning legislation to facilitate off-street chargepoint installations and to allow the use of street works permits for quicker charger deployment; guidance to help local authorities with cross-pavement charging solutions; and guidance to address common issues around EV infrastructure and grid connections.
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_1

Kirith Entwistle:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) mental and (b) physical health of (i) fathers and (ii) their (A) partners and (B) families in the perinatal period. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to improving the support available to mothers, fathers, and partners who experience mental health difficulties, including postnatal depression, during the perinatal period.

Fathers and partners of women accessing specialist perinatal mental health services and maternal mental health services should be offered an evidence-based assessment for their mental health and signposted to sources of support as required. This can include NHS Talking Therapies services, which are available for anyone who needs support with their mental health. People can refer themselves online via the National Health Service website or by contacting their general practice.

In addition, in January 2025, the Department announced £126 million for the continuation of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in 2025/26 in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. This includes £36.5 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support, including for fathers.
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_2

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken by integrated care boards to add new National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended medicines to their formularies on the ability of NHS patients to access new treatments. \p Karin Smyth: 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 their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE technology appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance.

The NICE has published guidance on the adoption of medicines in local formularies which states that once a NICE technology appraisal recommends a medicine, it must be included in a local formulary within three months, providing it is clinically appropriate and relevant to the services provided by the organisation, or within 30 days for Early Access to Medicines Scheme medicines.

As part of the commitments made in the 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth (2024 VPAG), NHS England agreed to the development of a local formulary national minimum dataset within the first half of the 2024 VPAG, to increase visibility of local variation in the implementation of NICE guidance, identify where variation in local formularies may be creating barriers to access, and to confirm to NHS England when a NICE recommended treatment has been placed on a local formulary.

NHS England also agreed to use the dataset to inform a report, which will be published no less frequently than annually, identifying unwarranted variation between national guidance and local formularies.
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_3

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list those medicines used by the NHS that were subject to (a) animal and (b) non-animal testing in the UK as part of the pre-clinical testing process. \p Karin Smyth: Compiling a list of all the products that were developed with and without animal testing would take the medicine regulator a significant and disproportionate amount of time and resources.

Whilst new medicines are usually tested in animals, unless there is an alternative validated method, the majority of medicines used by the National Health Service are generic products, and these are usually licensed without any animal testing.

The Government is supporting and accelerating advances in biomedical science and technologies to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research, and importantly to avoid some of the scientific limitations of animal models of human diseases.
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_4

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much (a) capital funding and (b) revenue funding has been allocated for the purchase of land near Junction 7 of the M3 for development of a new hospital for Basingstoke and North Hampshire. \p Karin Smyth: The New Hospital Programme confirmed to the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on 7 May that it has included provision for the purchase of land for their scheme in this financial year’s capital budget. Revenue budget is not expected to be needed.

The funding amount will be confirmed once the short form business case is approved as per the business case process set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book.
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_5

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to integrated care boards on maintaining access to dental services in underserved communities. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their population.

NHS England supports ICBs with their local commissioning responsibilities for primary dental services with the provision of nationally agreed policies and procedures. NHS England has also published guidance to support commissioners to take advantage of the opportunities offered to commission further and additional services through flexible commissioning, which enables the responsible commissioner to tailor services to meet local population oral health needs. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/opportunities-for-flexible-commissioning-in-primary-care-dentistry-a-framework-for-commissioners/

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in rural and coastal areas. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 April 2025, in England, there are 53 dentists in post with a further 44 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post. Another 256 posts are currently advertised.
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_6

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the level of funding available for new GP premises in (a) rural areas and (b) West Dorset constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future and recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects. We recently announced schemes which will benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades this financial year to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England.

At the local level, the Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for deciding how the NHS budget for its area, including the West Dorset constituency, is spent and for allocating funding according to local priorities, such as new GP surgeries.

The Dorset ICB has been provisionally allocated the following amounts from capital programmes and operational capital for 2025/26:
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_7

Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent (a) GPs and (b) other clinical practitioners were employed at (i) Highcliffe Medical Centre, (ii) Christchurch Medical Centre, (iii) Burton Brunch Surgery, (iv) Stour Surgery and (v) The Grove Surgery on (A) 1 June 2024 and (B) 14 May 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: Figures are provided in the tables below on full time equivalent (FTE) general practitioners (GPs) and other clinical practitioners employed at the practices for which the Department holds data. We have provided the most recent data available, which captures staff employed on 31 March 2025, and compared this to 31 March 2024.

Data for the Burton Medical Centre is not available as it was a branch of the Christchurch Medical Practice. The Burton Medical Centre became a branch practice in October 2017, and was subsequently closed in October 2024.

The following table shows the number of FTE GP doctors and other clinical staff in the Highcliffe Medical Centre, the Christchurch Medical Centre, the Burton Brunch Surgery, the Stour Surgery, and the Grove Surgery, as of 31 March 2025:

Practice name

GP doctors

Other clinical staff

Highcliffe Medical Centre

9.9

11.4

Christchurch Medical Practice

10.2

21.7

Stour Surgery

4.7

7.1

The Grove Medical Centre

11.1

16.2

In addition, the following table shows the number of FTE GP doctors and other clinical staff in the Highcliffe Medical Centre, the Christchurch Medical Centre, the Burton Brunch Surgery, the Stour Surgery, and the Grove Surgery, as of 31 March 2024:

Practice name

GP doctors

Other clinical staff

Highcliffe Medical Centre

8.7

11.4

Christchurch Medical Practice

10.7

23.0

Stour Surgery

4.9

7.1

The Grove Medical Centre

12

17.3

Notes: