theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve the long-term viability of local authority-owned leisure centres. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set by MHCLG as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

Future funding of community sports facilities will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he plans to de-designate the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest to allow housebuilding previously planned for the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation. \p Mary Creagh: Section 28D of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides the legal framework for denotification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). If Natural England’s opinion is that an SSSI (or part of an SSSI) is no longer of special interest e.g. because of natural changes, they can denotify it. The Secretary of State has no role in the de-notification of terrestrial SSSIs.

Natural England has no plans to de-notify the site. They report that all but 1 of the 12 special features of Swanscombe Peninsula are in favourable condition.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 45683 on Waste Management: Birmingham, if he will publish the (a) advice and (b) assessments provided by the Environment Agency as part of the multi-agency response. \p Mary Creagh: The Environment Agency (EA) has been a core member of the multi-agency response from the outset. This has not required the production of any risk assessments or written advice in connection with the ongoing incident. The EA is committed to the ongoing support to our partners and has confirmed support for the risk assessments and plans produced by Birmingham City Council as part of the multiagency response.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether beverage industry manufacturers will be required to pay the Extended Producer Responsibility levy if they sell their products in the on-trade market with proof from the vendor of a non-council-funded recycling scheme. \p Mary Creagh: The current regulations do not allow for this. This is because there are real challenges in effectively applying and compliance monitoring such an exemption across all sectors and producer types, resulting in a significant risk of misreporting and fraud. Government however recognises the strong views of stakeholders and is looking again at the household packaging definition. A new period of stakeholder engagement on this issue will commence shortly.
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his plans to tackle wildlife crime are in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency. \p Mary Creagh: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. There are strict penalties in place for anyone who commits an offence under this and other wildlife legislation. Where any wildlife is harmed illegally the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime.

Defra supports the valuable work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing £424,000 for the NWCU in 2025-2026. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and assisting law enforcers with investigations. The NWCU has also provided training to police officers across the UK, including three officers in Avon and Somerset Police. This training reflects the National Police Chiefs' Council wildlife crime strategy and provides comprehensive training in UK wildlife crime priorities and emerging trends. Additionally, the NWCU has supported Avon and Somerset with ten wildlife crime cases since January 2024.
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many trees he expects to be planted in the Western Forest by the end of (a) 2025, (b) 2030, (c) 2035 and (d) 2040. \p Mary Creagh: The Western Forest has been selected as the first new national Forest in 30 years. The Western Forest is working with the National Forest Company to implement their plans. It is aiming to plant 20 million trees across the West of England by 2050. The forests target for end 2025 is 50 hectares of tree cover and contributing to 2,500 hectares by 2030. As planting density varies dependent on the type of woodland created or site-specific factors, we cannot accurately predict the number of trees to be planted by specific milestones.
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Steve Race:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) Health Certification Requirements and (b) other veterinary and customs requirements on the cross-border movement of endangered species between the UK and the EU. \p Mary Creagh: Defra continues to work closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges to the cross-border movement of endangered species, including the availability of Export Health Certificates and Border Control Post capacity.

An SPS Agreement will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. Our ambition is to reach an agreement that reduces administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the next deer management strategy will be published. \p Mary Creagh: We recognise new and existing woodlands are under pressure from increasing damage caused by over-foraging of young trees and woodland flora by wild deer. We are considering how to go further to reduce these impacts and will provide an update in due course. Defra provides a range of grant support to individuals and for projects, to help landowners and managers tackle deer impacts. We have also invested in relevant research and provide guidance and in-person advice, including via dedicated Deer Officers within the Forestry Commission.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the appropriateness of the duties of care homes in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney for residents. \p Sarah Sackman: Evidence indicates the overall scale of abuse using lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) is low. There were just over 8 million powers of attorney on the Office of the Public Guardian’s (OPG) register in 2023/24. It completed investigations into around 2,800. 597 cases resulted in either court action or a requirement for the attorney to complete remedial action. In that context, a specific assessment at this time of the duties on care homes in relation to LPAs would not be a proportionate response.

Anyone, including care home management or staff, who has a concern about how an LPA has been made or used should raise this with the OPG. The OPG has processes to investigate such issues and take appropriate action where necessary.

Under the Care Act, where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in the local authority’s area has needs for care and support and appears to be at risk of, or experiencing abuse or neglect, and is unable to protect themselves as a result of those needs, the local authority must carry out a safeguarding enquiry. Where necessary, this would include raising concerns with OPG for investigation where a property and affairs LPA is in place, and they believe it has been used to perpetrate abuse.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Office of the Public Guardian in investigating a person with lasting power of attorney. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has processes in place to review the performance of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and hold it to account. The MoJ reviews OPG performance through a system based on the Cabinet Office requirements for sponsorship of public bodies.

We have no evidence OPG is failing to appropriately investigate allegations of abuse. The demand on OPG investigations has increased, so OPG is training additional investigators to meet demand, as well as process improvements to improve processing times. OPG continues to prioritise safeguarding concerns and reviews over 95% of all concerns received within 2 days. Whilst the time taken to conduct the investigation is longer than OPG’s target of 70 days, the investigations undertaken continue to be thorough and detailed, ensuring the right outcome is achieved.
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an estimate of the number of domestic abuse offenders who would be included in the Early Release Scheme. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. On 10 September 2024, the Government therefore took the unavoidable step to move the release point for certain standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% (‘SDS40’).

SDS40 exclusions include sentences for specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation. By contrast, the last Conservative Government’s End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) scheme had none of these exclusions for domestic abuse connected offences.

We have published SDS40 release data as part of the quarterly Offender Management Statistics, in line with the Lord Chancellor’s commitment to transparency: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

On 22 May, the Lord Chancellor also set out the Government’s in-principle response to the Independent Sentencing Review’s findings and recommendations, which will replace SDS40 and help to ensure prisons never run out of space again and dangerous offenders can be kept off the streets.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions under the Equal Pay Act there have been; and what the scale of the fines issued is. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold information on how many convictions under the Equal Pay Act there have been; or what the scale of the fines issued is.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to inform legal aid providers of the potential impact of the cyber attack on the Legal Aid Agency; and what assessment she has made of the cyber attack on the provision of legal aid services. \p Sarah Sackman: To reach as many potentially impacted individuals as possible, the Ministry of Justice published a notice at 08:15 on 19 May on GOV.UK. The statement provides information about the cyber-attack and directs concerned members of the public to the National Cyber Security Centre’s webpage.

Further, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has set up a dedicated helpline that will be available from Tuesday 27 May for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the LAA data breach. HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) is working with the LAA to facilitate this by standing up an operational call centre team to handle telephone calls.

In the days following the discovery, we took immediate action to inform all legal aid providers that some of their details, including financial information, may have been compromised. Further updates, including the decision to temporarily take the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) portal offline and contingency measures implemented have been provided by email and a dedicated information page relating to the cyber-attack has been set up: Legal Aid Agency cyber-security incident - GOV.UK.

The cyber-attack is subject to an ongoing investigation and the LAA continues to work closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre. Appropriate actions have been taken to mitigate the impact of the attack and contingency measures have been put in place to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time, as outlined on LAA’s dedicated information page.

Since taking office, this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times were drugs were found in (a) men's and (b) women's prisons in each year between 2015 and 2024. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The information requested can be found via the following link: 08_Finds_drug_type_data_tool.ods.

In the pivot table, “Prison Name” should be entered in the rows and “Month” in columns to find the number of incidents by prison.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the differential economic impact of the proposed copyright exceptions for AI training in each creative sector. \p Feryal Clark: The Government published a summary assessment of options alongside the consultation on copyright and AI.

The Government recognises that this is a complex area and welcomes further evidence on the economic impacts of its proposals on creative sectors as part of the consultation.

The Government’s priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform its response.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 38243 on 5G: Infrastructure, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of commencing Sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 on the 5G rollout. \p Chris Bryant: Following the 2017 reforms, government representatives engaged regularly with stakeholders about their impact. The changes made by the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 were consulted on and received Parliamentary scrutiny during passage of the Act. Government has no plans to conduct a formal review of the 2017 reforms before commencing sections 61-64 of the Act, which was subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment.

Government’s decisions on 5G policy are informed by a wide range of evidence and information. We continue to work with mobile operators to meet our 5G standalone coverage ambition by 2030.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve mobile reliability in rural areas. \p Chris Bryant: 4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile network operator (MNO) has now reached over 95% of the UK landmass, but our ambition is for all populated areas of the UK to benefit from high quality, reliable, 5G standalone coverage by 2030; this includes rural areas.

We continue to work closely with the MNOs and are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment into mobile networks and competition in the market, while Ofcom’s improved online coverage checker, which will go live in the second half of June, will help consumers identify the MNOs with the best coverage in their area.

We are also collaborating with Ofcom to carry out further analysis on mobile network resilience, following a consultation that invited input from the industry and the public on power backup provision.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI on the graduate job market. \p Feryal Clark: We are already witnessing AI’s impact on the labour market: transforming the workplace, demanding new skills and changing the landscape. We remain mindful of this impact and its effect on the UK workforce, whilst working to harness the benefits that AI can bring.

As part of our response to the Action Plan, DSIT will be working closely with Skills England to develop a clear assessment of the country’s skills needs for AI, and map pathways by which they can be filled. We expect to publish our first assessment before the autumn and periodic publications thereafter.
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Maureen Burke:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support UK Research and Innovation; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of increasing doctoral studentships in the UK on the level of financial support for researchers, in the context of (a) increases in the cost of living and (b) international comparisons of PhD stipends. \p Feryal Clark: The Government will provide £8.8 billion funding to UK Research and Innovation in 2025-26, of which £773 million is allocated to talent, including doctoral students. UKRI sets a minimum stipend level for the students that it funds and announced in January that this would increase by 8% (to £20,780) from 1 October, with additional funding provided to UKRI training grants to support the uprating. UKRI considers a range of factors when setting stipends, including affordability, potential impact on the number of students, the welfare of students, ensuring that doctoral training remains attractive to potential candidates, and international peers.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 46724, what steps his Department is taking to support research into (a) non-animal New Approach Methodologies and (b) alternatives to animal testing. \p Feryal Clark: The Government is committed to the development of New Approach Methodologies and non-animal alternatives. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has a portfolio of investments that support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ on a chip and computer modelling. In addition they invest £10m annually to the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). UKRI also supports ‘human-specific’ research, for example a £15m call on Novel human in vitro models with NC3Rs and Wellcome.

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the level of telecoms site rental valuations following the 2017 Electronic Communications Code reforms on rural connectivity rollout. \p Chris Bryant: The aim of the 2017 reforms was to encourage investment in digital networks and improve coverage and connectivity across the UK. Based on Ofcom reporting, 4G rural geographic coverage from at least one operator has increased from 88% in May 2018 to a reported 95% in the 2025 Spring Connected Nations Update. It is a similar story for geographic 5G coverage in rural areas, with coverage from at least one operator increasing from 12% in May 2022 to a reported 58% in the same update.

We continue to work with mobile operators to meet our coverage ambitions, including rural areas.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether a Data Protection Impact Assessment has been undertaken on the Gov.UK One Login system. \p Feryal Clark: A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) has been undertaken for GOV.UK One Login. We continually develop our DPIA to take into account the new identity verification journeys, such as the no photo ID route.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he plans to publish a response to the Copyright and Artificial Intelligence consultation, which closed on 25 February 2025. \p Feryal Clark: The Government’s consultation on copyright and AI received over 11,500 responses. Our priority now is to review these thoroughly to help inform its approach to copyright and AI, and a response will be published when this work has been completed.

Meanwhile, the Government will continue to engage extensively as it considers next steps.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 38034, if he will establish an expert advisory group of representatives from (a) industry, (b) academia and (c) civil society to oversee the implementation of its forthcoming strategy on phasing out animal testing. \p Feryal Clark: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The government has been consulting industry, academia and civil society as this process unfolds.

The Government is drafting a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. As part of this, we are considering how we harness expertise in the use of animals in science and their replacement, which is of interest to a variety of government departments and bodies. We will make any announcements when the strategy is published later this year.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 10460 on Railways: Electrification, whether she has made an estimate of the potential savings to the public purse per mile of track electrified from introducing a rolling programme of electrification. \p Lilian Greenwood: The department has not made an estimate of the potential savings of a rolling programme of electrification; however, we recognise the potential benefits such a programme could have for reducing the cost of delivering electrification infrastructure in this country. Officials are working closely with Network Rail to develop updated plans for where and when electrification is required to deliver a fully decarbonised railway over the next 25 years that considers both track and train and the significant recent progress in battery technology, and will consider potential cost savings as part of this process.
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Dr Andrew Murrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to implement improvements to the West of England rail line in the context of the cancellation of the A303 Stonehenge road improvement scheme. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government has no plans for enhancements to the West of England line at this time. Government investment priorities for rail enhancements in England and Wales will be set out following the conclusion of the Spending Review next month.
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Daniel Francis:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with Network Rail on a timetable to install lighting on the footbridge at Slade Green Station. \p Lilian Greenwood: Bexley London Borough Council approached Network Rail with a proposal to retrofit LED lighting to the underside of the footbridge handrails at Slade Green station. Network Rail has held meetings with Bexley Council representatives to discuss the proposal and has prepared and issued a Basic Asset Protection Agreement to the council.

Network Rail is working closely with Bexley Council to finalise the outstanding agreements required to move forward with the proposals and remains supportive. The timeframe for the works is influenced by several factors, including the scope of the project, track access, design reviews, and more. We anticipate being able to provide a clearer timeline once the outstanding agreements with the council have been finalised.
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Bambos Charalambous:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the distances travelled and (b) costs incurred by children and young people travelling to principle treatment centres in London; and what assessment he has made of the potential the merits of introducing a young cancer patient travel fund. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department of Health and Social Care knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also several charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

On 4 February 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The work of the taskforce is ongoing, and officials are exploring opportunities for improvement across a range of areas, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care has not made a formal assessment of costs incurred by children and young people travelling to Principal Treatment Centres in London, the trends in levels of travel costs and the impact of this on young cancer patients missing appointments and delaying treatment. Young Lives vs Cancer is a valued stakeholder with a unique perspective on the issue of travel support for children and young people with cancer. The Department of Health and Social Care will continue to engage with Young Lives vs Cancer, as well as other children and young people cancer charity stakeholders as we progress this important work.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) early diagnosis and (b) specialist treatment pathways for patients with Adrenal Cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government recognises that diagnosing and treating rare cancers, including adrenal cancer, can be difficult due to their non-specific symptoms, which are often shared with other more common conditions.

To support earlier diagnosis, the National Health Service is improving referral and diagnostic pathways, including the use of non-specific symptom pathways for patients whose symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or abdominal discomfort, do not clearly align with a single cancer type, but which may indicate a rare cancer like adrenal cancer. NHS England has also expanded general practice direct access to diagnostic tests, enabling faster investigation of concerning symptoms.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. Community diagnostic centres will also help reduce the number of patients waiting too long for a confirmed cancer diagnosis, and will ensure capacity is available for both common and rare cancers.

To improve access to timely treatment, the NHS is delivering an additional 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further actions to improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with rare and less common cancers. It will focus on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, and ensuring access to the latest treatments and technologies for all.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England plans to take to improve (a) awareness and (b) training for (i) GPs and (ii) frontline healthcare professionals to better (A) recognize and (B) refer suspected cases of adrenal cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on adrenal cancer, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. The RCGP provides a number of resources on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care for GPs, relevant for the primary care setting.

NHS England supports initiatives aimed at enhancing early cancer diagnosis and awareness among healthcare professionals. These initiatives include GatewayC, an online education platform providing modules on early cancer diagnosis for primary care professionals, and the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme, designed to improve cancer-related knowledge and capabilities across the non-medical workforce. These measures aim to equip GPs and frontline professionals with the skills necessary to identify and act on potential cancer symptoms, including those of rare cancers such as adrenal cancer.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that malaria cases reported to the Malaria Reference Laboratory are also notified to a proper officer. \p Ashley Dalton: Malaria is designated as a notifiable disease under the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010, which places a statutory duty on all registered medical practitioners in England to notify a proper officer if they treat a patient they know, or suspect to be, infected with malaria. Further information on the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010 is available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/659/contents

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) produces guidance for medical practitioners to support their compliance with these regulations, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-how-to-report-them

A malaria-specific report form is used by health professionals to refer suspected cases to the Malaria Reference Laboratory at the UKHSA. The UKHSA acts as the proper officer for receiving notifications of suspected and confirmed malaria cases in England. Equivalent notification regulations are in place in the devolved administrations, with further information on the notification regulations for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland available, respectively, at the following three links:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2008/5/schedule/1

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2010/1546/contents

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2022/181/made
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-28)

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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many admissions there have been to hospital due to (a) treatment-resistant tuberculosis and (b) complications from treatment-resistant tuberculosis in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those admissions were due to tuberculosis contracted outside of the UK. \p Ashley Dalton: There are no International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes in the Hospital Episode Statistics database that would allow treatment-resistant tuberculosis and complications from treatment-resistant tuberculosis to be identified. ICD-10 codes are used to classify and identify diagnoses.

The UK Health Security Agency uses epidemiological tools, such as whole genome sequencing, to better understand the transmission of tuberculosis. However, it is not possible to determine the proportion of the individuals admitted to hospital who contracted tuberculosis outside of the United Kingdom.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-28)

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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of improving diabetes care on reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease. \p Ashley Dalton: The relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well known, as adults with diabetes are two to three times more likely to develop CVD and are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease and stroke compared to those without.

We know that receiving all eight National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended care processes, such as monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol, significantly reduces mortality for all causes, and from CVD causes specifically, for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, compared to those who received five or less of these processes.

We continue to improve care for those with diabetes. For those who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and who are overweight or obese, the highly effective NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is available.

We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with diabetes, as we develop the plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-28)

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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to reverse the decision to raise the minimum age for eligibility for a COVID-19 booster as part of the spring vaccination programme. \p Ashley Dalton: The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, leading to hospitalisation and/or mortality, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI has advised that the available national data continues to demonstrate that older people and those who are immunosuppressed are at greatest risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. The data available to the JCVI is national data, and they therefore made no assessment specific to Leicester.

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026

On 12 December 2024, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in spring 2025 to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over. The Government’s response can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advice-accepted-on-spring-2025-covid-19-vaccination-programme

Eligibility for the spring 2025 campaign, including minimum age requirements, is the same as in previous spring campaigns, such as the 2024 campaign. The Government has no plans to change eligibility for spring 2025, and has accepted the JCVI’s advice for this campaign in full. The spring 2025 campaign began in England on 1 April, and will conclude on 17 June.

The JCVI also advised on eligibility for the autumn 2025 and spring 2026 programmes. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-28)

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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support research into Adrenal cancer through (a) funding, (b) clinical trials and (c) collaboration with academic institutions. \p Ashley Dalton: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer as one of the largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into adrenal cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The NIHR also welcomes applications for training awards from the clinical and non-clinical academic workforce conducting research into any aspect of human health, including adrenal cancer. The Department is the United Kingdom’s largest funder of clinical academic training, working with academic institutions and the wider health and care system to deliver a comprehensive research career pathway for the full range of clinicians.

The Department is committed to working with delivery partners, including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, and other key stakeholders, to achieve the common aim of creating a faster, more efficient, more accessible, and more innovative clinical research delivery system. We expect these efforts to attract more commercial investment in clinical research and yield a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical trials in the UK, so that we can provide innovative treatment options for patients, including those with adrenal cancer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-28)

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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to issue guidance on ultra-processed food consumption as part of a public health strategy. \p Ashley Dalton: We face an obesity crisis, and the Government will take action to tackle the root causes of obesity head on, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

We have already laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink to children on television and online, we are limiting school children’s access to fast food, and we are taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit-for-purpose. We are also commissioning research to improve the evidence on the health impacts of ultra processed foods (UPFs). Through our Plan for Change, we will shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention, reducing the burden of obesity on public services and the NHS.

Scientific risk assessment and United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN has considered the impact of processed foods on health in position statements published in 2023 and 2025. The SACN has concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of processed foods and UPFs and adverse health outcomes are concerning.

The SACN recommended that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. This is based on the nutrient content of many UPFs and concerns raised in relation to health. The SACN will continue to keep the topic under review.

Current UK dietary recommendations, based on the SACN’s advice, already indicate that many foods classified as ultra processed such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, confectionery, and ice cream are not part of a healthy, balanced diet. They also emphasise a diet based on fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain or higher fibre starchy carbohydrates, with less red and processed meat, and with less foods high in saturated fat, salt, and free sugars.

The SACN’s recommendation aligns with our existing policies for supporting healthier diets and our advice to consumers. Further action on obesity under the Government’s Health Mission will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-28)

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Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2025 to Question 51501 on Sodium Valproate: Compensation, which Government departments he is having discussions with on developing a timetable for implementation of the recommendations of the Hughes Report. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for financial and non-financial redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. Department officials are liaising with other parts of the Government, including the National Health Service, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Business and Trade, HM Treasury, and the devolved administrations, on the needs of patients and on the recommendations. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.