theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of i) timetable planning, ii) signalling and iii) freight pathing margins on barrier down-times at level crossings; and how Network Rail monitors and reports performance experienced by road users at level crossings. \p Keir Mather: Network Rail is responsible for assessing the impact of timetable changes, freight paths and upgrades to signalling on level crossing down-time, as part of its overall management of level crossings on the rail network. These arrangements are kept under review, to ensure crossings remain safe for all users while minimising the impact on communities where practicable.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what performance indicators her Department uses to assess level-crossing down-time; whether she plans to introduce maximum permitted barrier down-time standards; and if she will publish annual statistics on average barrier down-times at level crossings. \p Keir Mather: My Department does not use performance indicators to assess down-time at level crossings, nor does it plan to publish annual statistics on these. These decisions are the responsibility of Network Rail, which has a statutory duty to ensure the safe management of Britain’s railway infrastructure, and reflect the specific conditions at each level crossing.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90060 on Railway Network: Environment Protection, whether she plans to make changes to the size of the rail network under Great British Railways. \p Keir Mather: This government will continue to deliver high impact projects and enhancements to the railway that improve connectivity and capacity for passengers and freight to support unlocking economic growth. Schemes such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade, East West Rail and Midlands Rail Hub, which are expected to deliver after Great British Railways (GBR) has been established, will expand the capacity of the network and allow more services to be run. The government expects to work with GBR to continue to consider the appropriate size of rail network and deliver plans to support that.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88882 on Great British Railways, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of establishing and operating the regulatory oversight functions set out in the Railways Bill, including the Office of Rail and Road’s new statutory consultee role and its expanded appeals and enforcement powers over GBR’s access, contracting and pricing decisions. \p Keir Mather: The Railways Bill gives ORR a statutory power to levy a fee, providing stable and predictable funding to support its independence and effective operation. ORR's own analysis has been reflected in the SR settlement for 2026–27 to 2028–29. Final funding levels will depend on how ORR implements its new role and will remain subject to Spending Review outcomes.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90058 on Railways: Safety, how the ORR’s railway safety enforcement regime will change following the establishment of Great British Railways. \p Keir Mather: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent railway safety regulator for the UK. Its enforcement powers derive from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and range from giving advice and information through to prosecution in the courts. The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) does not change the legislation that underpins ORRs enforcement powers and therefore its regime will not change following the establishment of GBR.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 89316 on Railways: East of England, whether there are civil servants in her Department working on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme. \p Keir Mather: The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme.

EACE will be kept under review. It is a worthy scheme that will be considered for potential progression in the future as funding becomes available.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that local communities affected by waiting times at level crossings, including East Tilbury, are consulted when freight timetables and volumes are expanded. \p Keir Mather: Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager for Britain’s railways, are responsible for ensuring the safety of the public at level crossings across the network, including East Tilbury Level Crossing. This is in accordance with their statutory safety duties to manage risks on the railways.

As part of this process, Network Rail will engage local communities to inform them of any potential changes to timetabling that could affect the operation of level crossings in their area, particularly those that could have an impact on safety.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to support local councils to ensure timely road repairs in (a) Slough constituency and (b) Berkshire. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our roads and has pledged to support local authorities.

Recognising the need for additional funding, the Government increased local highway maintenance funding by £500 million this financial year compared to 2024/25, bringing the total to nearly £1.6 billion. 25% of this additional funding is contingent on local authorities adhering to reporting requirements and demonstrating that they are following best practice in highways maintenance.

In 2025/26, Slough will be eligible to receive up to £1.8 million of highway maintenance funding, and West Berkshire will be eligible to receive up to £8.9 million, subject to complying with reporting requirements.

In addition, at the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that by 2029-30, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes – doubling funding since coming into office. Allocations for local highway authorities will be announced in due course.

The Department is also increasing penalties for street works offences and extending overrun charges to weekends and bank holidays to help councils keep works on schedule. We are also continuing to use the Street Manager digital service to provide real-time information that supports better coordination and timely repairs.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the review of the Airports National Policy Statement will include steps to increase access to careers (a) as pilots (b) in aviation generally. \p Keir Mather: A review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) was launched on 22 October. It provides the primary basis for decision making on development consent applications for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. The current ANPS sets out that any promoter should aim to maximise the employment and skills opportunities expansion brings, including apprenticeships, however it is site specific to Heathrow. This will be considered as part of the review.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve air safety standards in Montserrat. \p Keir Mather: The UK is responsible for aviation safety under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for Montserrat as a British Overseas Territory. The Department for Transport (DfT) established Air Safety Support International (ASSI), an Arm’s Length Body of Government established by Directions from the Secretary of State for Transport and a subsidiary company of the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

ASSI provides a dedicated system of aviation safety and security oversight for the British Overseas Territories and operates under the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order, which is regularly updated in order to ensure the adoption and application of the internationally recognised aviation Standards and Recommended Practices, set out by ICAO. Audits are regularly conducted by ASSI in Montserrat to ensure continuing compliance with aviation safety requirements.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many casualties there have been on railways in every year since 2010 in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department does not hold the data for this period in the format requested. However, there have been 4,851 fatalities on the railways in Great Britain since 2010, including suicides and suspected suicides, of which 24 occurred in the constituency of Romford.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to improve road safety in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies which will have national reach. We intend to publish the Strategy this year.

We aid local authorities by providing guidance and initiatives such as our flagship road safety campaign, THINK! which works closely with local authority partners and the police to align on road safety campaign activity.

The Department for Transport makes highways and local transport funding available to Local Transport Authorities, who decide how to use the funding to support local priorities.

How available resources are deployed within Romford, and London boroughs, is the responsibility of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor of London, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) the Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many formal performance warnings were issued to staff whose absence exceeded departmental triggers. \p Simon Lightwood: The figures below are calculated as a rolling 12-month period up until 31st October 2025.

The Average Working Days Lost for the Department is currently 4.2.

The table below shows the average working days lost for the Department’s Executive Agencies

Column1

Average Working Days Lost

ATE

0.90

DVLA

13.11

DVSA

9.36

MCA

7.17

VCA

9.06

The total number of formal performance warnings issued to staff who exceeded departmental triggers for the Department for Transport and its Executive Agencies for the rolling 12-month period up until 31st October 2025 is 21.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the road haulage industry in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire. \p Keir Mather: National support for the road haulage industry includes joint investment with industry in lorry parking and driver welfare facilities of up to £35.7m, including Lincolnshire. This is in addition to up to £30 million joint investment by National Highways and industry to improve lorry parking on the strategic road network. Further National Highways funding is planned for the third road investment strategy (RIS3) as part of the Customer and Community Designated Funds, subject to confirmation of National Highways’ RIS3 settlement.

Support for the sector’s decarbonisation includes the Plug-in Truck Grant which provides a contribution to the upfront purchase costs of zero emission vehicles, the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, which is now closed to new applicants, but is providing up to £200m to fund hundreds of ZE HGVs and their associated recharging and refuelling sites and the Depot Charging Scheme which closes on the 28 November 2025, and will support HGV, van and coach fleet operators with the cost of installing charging infrastructure at depot sites.

Qualifying Operators in Lincolnshire have had the opportunity to apply for national schemes.
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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to deploy defence driving examiners in Scotland to help reduce the backlog of learners waiting for a driving test. \p Simon Lightwood: DVSA has agreed with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that 36 defence driving examiners (DDE) will carry out driving tests. The DDEs will be based at the driving test centre (DTC) with the highest demand near either their MOD base location or where they live. These locations are in England.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

Alongside military support, DVSA is introducing new rules to tackle unfair booking practices that have allowed bots and resellers to profit at learners’ expense.

Further details on the steps announced 12 November, can be found on GOV.UK: Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog - GOV.UK

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

For Arbroath and Dundee DTCs, whilst one candidate did not successfully complete their training earlier this year, DVSA successfully recruited an additional DE for Dundee DTC during the summer.

DVSA is launching a new recruitment campaign for DE positions at Dundee in the coming weeks, with the aim for successful candidates to be in place by early 2026.

Additionally, to further support test availability in Dundee & Arbroath, DVSA are transferring an examiner to Dundee DTC. DVSA anticipate that their transfer will be finalised by early 2026 as well.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with Network Rail to prevent high soil moisture deficit levels affecting (a) track stability, (b) lineside earthworks and (c) embankment safety. \p Simon Lightwood: Between 2024 and 2029, Network Rail is investing £2.8bn to support the resilience of Great Britain’s rail network to extreme weather and climate change, including enhancements to drainage systems to reduce water accumulation during heavy rainfall, reinforcing embankments to improve slope stability, and implementing more advanced monitoring and early warning systems to detect potential hazards before they escalate.

The West of England line has been particularly affected by the prolonged period of dry and warm weather, with the spring of 2025 being UK’s warmest since 1910, accompanied by the lowest level of rainfall since 1976.  This has required Network Rail to impose speed restrictions and reduce the timetable to ensure the safety of the public.  Conditions are now improving and Network Rail plans to restore a full timetable from 29 November. Over the long term, Network Rail plans to upgrade the West of England line to make it more resilient to extreme weather and to increase capacity.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the cost of non completed strategic road network improvement projects since the implementation of the relevant legislation, by schemes within Road Investment Strategy (a) two and (b) three. \p Simon Lightwood: Mandatory biodiversity net gain requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects will apply from May 2026. The 16 National Highways road enhancement schemes that already have development consent, along with one scheme awaiting a decision expected in February 2026, are not therefore within scope of mandatory biodiversity net gain.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test in each month from July 2023 to October 2025; and if he will list those centres. \p Simon Lightwood: The national average waiting time for a car practical driving test in October 2025 was 21.9 weeks.

There were four test centres in total where the waiting time for a practical car driving test was 24 weeks for each month from July 2023 to October 2025. Those test centres are Bletchley, Goodmayes, Pinner and Wanstead.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to help reduce flight delays at regional airports. \p Keir Mather: The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. UK airports and airlines are therefore responsible for ensuring appropriate contingency plans are in place to minimise potential disruption. The Department regularly engages with the UK aviation sector around resilience issues and to gain assurance of their preparedness plans, particularly ahead of peak travel periods.

In the UK there is a robust legislative framework in place to protect consumers in the event of cancellation, long delays, and denied boarding. Airlines are responsible for ensuring they provide passengers with the required support, and this is enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2025, to Question 77642, on Driving under Influence: Scotland, whether research has been commissioned or produced on the effect of drink driving limits on the economic viability of pubs and other hospitality venues which serve alcohol. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.

We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences, such as drink driving.  We intend to publish this by the end of the year.

Research was conducted by the University of Bath in 2021, Dr Jonathan James and Professor Marco Francesconi, looking at the effect of the introduction of the lower drink drive limit in Scotland. The authors found that the “alcohol industry remained unscathed, with no changes in production, prices, or employment”:

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/s0167629621000722#sec0014

On 5 December 2014 Scotland lowered the drink drive limit to that of the majority of European countries. In 2023 Transport Scotland published casualty estimates show that the “numbers of drink-drive collisions and casualties fell by 55% and 47% respectively between 2012 and 2022 (the latest year for which estimates are available)”:

www.transport.gov.scot/publication/reported-road-casualties-scotland-2023/.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the forthcoming closure of the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) disabled people still feel supported in travelling by air and (b) the aviation sector can access information to assist disabled passengers. \p Keir Mather: The Department for Transport is working closely with the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People and other government departments to ensure disabled people can continue to access the mobility services they need.

Aviation must be accessible for all. UK law entitles passengers to assistance from airports and airlines to help them to travel by air, with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ensuring compliance.

To strengthen support and improve aviation accessibility, the Department established the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, which published an independent report in July 2025. The report set out 19 recommendations across five key areas: training, passenger information and communications, mobility aid design and handling, non-visible impairments and tailored support.

The Group is now focused on helping the industry implement these recommendations and will report annually to the Department on progress.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving tests a full-time driving examiner can conduct per year, allowing for annual leave. \p Simon Lightwood: A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme on the (a) economy and (b) environment. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department recognises the benefits that the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement scheme could bring to the region. The previous government stated their support for the project but did not provide funding for it to progress.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88363 on Freight: Fuels Excise Duties, whether her Department holds data on the relative changes in operating costs for (a) rail freight and (b) road freight since fuel duty was first frozen for HGVs in 2011; and whether it has assessed the impact of that freeze on the competitiveness of rail freight. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to supporting rail freight, recognising its economic and environmental benefits and the role it plays in the resilience of the UK’s supply chain. However, both road and rail freight are privately owned and operated, with a wide range of costs and other criteria which could affect competitiveness. The fuel duty decisions referenced – which were taken primarily under the last Government – are only one part of this.

The Department does not hold data on relative changes to operating costs between road and rail freight.  As part of continued support for the rail freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme since 2010. Network Rail also offers the Access Charges Discount Policy to stimulate growth, supporting new to rail traffic.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2025, to Question 82997, on Restoring Your Railway Fund, how much central government money was written off as a consequence of the decision to cancel the fund. \p Simon Lightwood: The Chancellor’s 29 July 2024 announcement confirmed that the Restoring Your Railway programme would be brought to a close, as one of the steps she was taking to address the pressures on the public finances created by unfunded policy announcements made by the previous government. No funding was "written off" as part of this process.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to (a) protect SME hauliers from pricing by major lorry manufacturers and (b) ensure access to third-party litigation funding for those hauliers. \p Keir Mather: Ensuring that consumers and SMEs are only required to pay fair prices is of the utmost importance and is a key feature of truly competitive markets. The UK has a robust competition enforcement landscape to ensure that this is achieved, both through public enforcement by the Competition and Markets Authority and private enforcement routes through litigation.
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Liz Twist:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of promoting the document entitled BS 30480 Suicide and the workplace: Intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide, published on 4 November 2025, to employers as part of workplace wellbeing initiatives. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: I am grateful to the hon. Member for her tireless work on suicide prevention. Every suicide is a tragedy that leaves a profound and enduring impact on families, friends, and communities. Tackling suicide is one of the Government’s top priorities and we are committed to delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England with a range of partners.

Everyone has a part to play in preventing suicide and employers are essential to ensuring supportive workplace communities and to highlighting the importance of intervention, prevention, and support for people affected by suicide.

We have referenced BS 30480 in the Men’s Health Strategy, published on 19 November 2025, alongside our plans to invest up to £3.6 million over the next three years to deliver neighbourhood-based suicide prevention support pathfinders for middle-aged men, co-designed with experts and men with lived experience.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what has been the cost to the public purse of the Gaza medical evacuation scheme for children. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 November 2025 to Question 81587.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission in (a) identifying and (b) responding to poor standards of care in the adult social care sector in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Dr Penny Dash’s review into the operational effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) uncovered significant failings in the internal workings of the CQC, which had led to a substantial loss of credibility within the health and social care sectors. Following the publication of the report, the Department is supporting the CQC as well as holding it to account to ensure that improvements are made rapidly. The CQC has already taken steps to address areas of immediate concern including enabling new assessments and reducing the backlog of registration applications.

The CQC is assessing how local authorities in England are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. Surrey County Council was rated ‘Good’ by the CQC. Their assessment was published on 20 November 2024, and is available at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/surrey-1124
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was paid in compensation by the NHS by the reason for that compensation in each of the last ten years. \p Karin Smyth: This information is available on the NHS Resolution website at the following link:

https://resolution.nhs.uk/resources/annual-statistics/
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of incidence of hospital-acquired deconditioning among elderly patients in (a) acute hospitals and (b) community hospitals. \p Karin Smyth: No assessment has been made of the level of incidence of hospital acquired deconditioning among elderly patients in acute hospitals or community hospitals, as the National Health Service does not routinely measure this.

However, we remain committed to reducing deconditioning in in-patient settings through a strong focus on supporting health and care needs in the community wherever possible, reducing delays to discharge, and strengthening rehabilitation and reablement services.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the NHS workforce of financial pressures faced by higher education institutions providing healthcare education. \p Karin Smyth: No assessment has been made.

We work closely with the Department for Education on a wide range of matters, including healthcare education and training funding. Matters relating to the income of universities are the responsibility of the Department for Education.

Latest figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for 2025 show that acceptances to undergraduate nursing and midwifery courses at English providers have increased by 1% when compared to the same point last year, and by 5% compared to pre-pandemic numbers (2019). These are not final numbers. We are awaiting end of cycle data to be published by UCAS later this year to confirm final numbers.

The total number of publicly funded students that can start medical courses each year is limited and is set by the Government. Each medical school is issued with an expected maximum intake for the year. The Office for Students runs an annual data survey that monitors provider recruitment against these targets. In the five most recent years for which final data is available, universities have met this limit, with medicine remaining a competitive course.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the retention of surgical staff. \p Karin Smyth: As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.

To support this ambition, the Government plans to introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to improving retention by tackling the issues that matter to staff, including promoting flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing, and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace. They will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture that embeds retention.

NHS England is already leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

In August, NHS England published the 10-point plan for improving resident doctors working lives which addresses issues such as annual leave and payroll errors. The Department continues to work to improve working conditions for all resident, specialty, associate specialists and specialist (SAS) doctors and consultant doctors.

This year, we accepted the Pay Review Body recommendations for headline pay for 2025/26 such that consultant and SAS doctors received an above inflation pay uplift of 4% and resident doctors received 4% + £750.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have waited longer than 24 hours for treatment in A&E in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England publishes monthly data on accident and emergency (A&E) performance. This includes information on those A&E attendances that are 12 hours or longer for type 1 and 2 A&E providers. The data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the members are of the national maternity and neonatal taskforce. \p Karin Smyth: The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will be made of up a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, as well as family and staff representatives, charities and campaigners. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.

The members of the taskforce will be announced in due course. Families have been engaged on the membership and the terms of reference for the taskforce ahead of its announcement in the new year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times the national maternity and neonatal taskforce has met. \p Karin Smyth: The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will be chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and will take forward the recommendations of the independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, forming them into a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care. Consultation on the terms of reference and shape of the taskforce with families has begun, and the first meeting of the taskforce will take place in the new year, with initial feedback from the independent investigation to be considered as part of it.

The investigation will report to the Secretary of State before the end of the year and publish its final report and recommendations in the Spring 2026. These recommendations will supersede the multiple existing actions and recommendations already in place. As confirmed in the Secretary of State’s June 2025 announcement, the findings of the investigation will feed into the taskforce and provide invaluable insight and recommendations into the key areas that require change.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of telemedicine for first-trimester abortions on the number of criminal prosecutions in the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: The Government has not made an assessment on the connection between the number of prosecutions for unlawful abortions and the availability of telemedicine for early medical abortion. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance. Parliament decides the circumstances under which abortion can legally be undertaken.

In 2022, Parliament voted to amend the Abortion Act 1967 to allow eligible women in England and Wales to take one or both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks at home, following a consultation with a clinician either in person, by telephone or by electronic means. The Department works closely with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and abortion providers to ensure that abortions are provided safely, in accordance with the legal framework set by the Abortion Act 1967.

Abortion continues to be a very safe procedure for which major complications are rare at all gestations. The evidence-base for home use of early medical abortion pills has been assessed by leading statutory and professional organisations and it is recognised to be a safe procedure in evidence-based guidance, including the World Health Organisation’s abortion care guideline, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2022 report on best practice in abortion care and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidelines on abortion care.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the NHS England restructuring on (a) disabled, (b) neurodiverse, (c) female and (d) non-British staff. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England has established processes and practices which will enable it to assess the impact of the proposed changes on disabled, neurodiverse, female, and non-British staff at a detailed level, at the appropriate stage of the transformation programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Further to his Department’s press release entitled Billions to be redirected back into patient care with NHS reform, published on 11 November, if he will publish the calculations for the stated £1bn a year saving. \p Karin Smyth: The reintegration of NHS England and the restructuring of integrated care boards will deliver efficiencies that are expected to save £1 billion a year by the end of this Parliament. These savings will be achieved through streamlining functions, reducing duplication, and redirecting resources towards frontline patient care.

The Government is committed to transparency in how these figures are calculated. The methodology underpinning the £1 billion saving estimate will be set out through established mechanisms, including publication of supporting documentation where appropriate. This will ensure that both Parliament and the public are able to scrutinise the basis of the savings. Further detail will be brought forward in due course, in line with our commitment to provide clear and timely information.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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David Baines:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with ICBs on minimum waiting times for NHS services. \p Karin Smyth: There have been no discussions on minimum waiting times between my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the integrated care boards (ICBs).

ICBs plan activity to meet targets set in the planning guidance. This is an important step toward returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. Planning guidance for 2025/26 sets a target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement on current performance over that period.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a timeline for when the NHS app will be made British Sign Language accessible. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Government has set out a commitment to make the NHS App British Sign Language (BSL) accessible in the 10-Year Health Plan, which covers the period to 2035.

Currently, there is no timeline for when the NHS App will be made BSL accessible. The NHS App roadmap is published and regularly updated, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-app/roadmap
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Department has to ensure continuity of funding for Early Support Hubs beyond March 2026; and how will they be integrated into the introduction of Young Futures Hubs from next year. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The early support hubs were originally funded by the Shared Outcomes Fund, which provided £8 million of top-up funding to expand open-access, community services and to build the evidence base for early intervention services for children and young people's mental health. The project was initially funded in 2024/25 for one year and we were able to extend the programme for an additional year to 2025/26.

In addition to expanding access to support, early support hubs have played a key role building an evidence base to support the introduction of young futures hubs next year. The evaluation findings are directly informing our young futures hubs programme. Young futures hubs will bring services together to support young people with emerging needs, including early mental health advice and wellbeing interventions. As we launch the first 50 young futures hubs, we will work with local areas and partners to build on learning from the early support hubs pilot.

Our aim is to set up 50 hubs where they will have the most impact over the next four years. The design and implementation of the programme in future years will be informed by our work with early adopters. We will set out more details in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Women’s Environmental Network's report entitled Blood, Sweat and Pesticides, published in May 2025; and what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help prevent the use of glyphosate in tampons. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.

MHRA has not evaluated this report, as period products are not regulated as medical devices and consequently fall outside of MHRA’s remit. Rather, they would fall under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which are within the remit of the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Information on how these are regulated is available at the following link:

https://www.ahpma.co.uk/tampon_code_of_practice/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many instances of neglect by NHS visiting carers have been reported in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in every year since 2010. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Providers of National Health Services are responsible for collating organisational safeguarding data. Local authorities will hold data on referrals made on adult safeguarding to them by NHS or independent health services.

At a national level, annual data on safeguarding adult referrals, including data on neglect and the location of risk, based on local authority area is published and available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/safeguarding-adults