theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the length of parental leave in other OECD countries. \p Justin Madders: Paternity Leave supports working people. Access to family-friendly rights means that working people can enjoy a better work-life balance that benefits wellbeing, morale, productivity and retention.

The Government has committed to conduct a review of the whole parental leave system. This review will focus on ensuring that parental leave, including Paternity Leave, offers the best possible support to working families. Work is already underway on planning for its delivery.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the Competition and Markets Authority's SMS investigation into Google's general search and search advertising services, published on 14 January 2025. \p Justin Madders: The CMA has been given bespoke tools to increase competition in digital markets through the Digital Markets, Competition, Consumers Act 2024. Strategic Market Status investigations are the gateway into the regime and interested stakeholders can engage with the process, including firms under investigation, relevant third parties and the wider public.

Decisions on which SMS investigations to start are for the CMA as the UK’s independent competition authority.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the responsiveness of Royal Mail to enquiries made by Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents. \p Justin Madders: As Royal Mail is an independent business, the government does not have a role in its operational decisions including its responsiveness to enquiries from Members of Parliament.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many meetings Ministers in his Department had with trade bodies on the EU Regulation on General Product Safety before those regulations came into force. \p Justin Madders: Ministerial colleagues and I regularly engage with businesses and business representative organisations. Further, officials in my Department have been in contact with businesses and trade bodies in anticipation of the EU GPSR's entry into force and continue to engage with them. This allows businesses to raise questions directly with the Government.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail. \p Justin Madders: Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.

In November, I met with Royal Mail’s CEO, Emma Gilthorpe, and stressed the importance of a reliable postal service.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the application of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. \p Justin Madders: The consumer rights framework is kept under review to ensure it continues to provide effective consumer protection.

For example, the department is implementing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 which strengthens enforcement of this framework by giving the CMA new direct enforcement powers and the CMA and court enforcers the ability to impose significant monetary penalties where necessary.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to tackle financial scams committed by online firms. \p Justin Madders: Supporting law enforcement in combatting online fraud and other economic crimes, my Department, through its sponsored bodies, plays a critical role in supplying data on UK registered commercial entities to assist investigations and prosecutions.

Companies House and the Insolvency Service work closely with the National Economic Crime Centre and similar agencies to identify threats and trends to facilitate UK law enforcement in preventing and closing down such scams at the earliest opportunity.

Through the Consumer Protection Partnership, we raise awareness about how to spot, avoid and report scams. The Scams Awareness Campaign recently run by Citizens Advice had particular focus on the top financial scams: fake debt advice; friend in need scams; investment scams; pension scams; and parking QR code scams
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to protect creative industries from AI developers scraping copyrighted works without permission or payment; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) transparency obligations for AI developers, (b) a dynamic licensing market and (c) other protections for those industries. \p Feryal Clark: The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation seeks views on a number of issues relating to copyright and AI including transparency from AI developers over their training sources and renumeration to the creative industries for the use of their work.

The success of any new approach to copyright and AI will depend on stronger trust between AI developers and right holders. That is why transparency and right holder control are two of the three primary objectives underpinning the Government’s approach to this work.

The consultation closes on 25 February.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will publish an annual list of (a) social media companies and (b) search services sanctioned for failing to prevent pre-teen access to pornography including details of those sanctions. \p Feryal Clark: Under the Online Safety Act, publishers of pornography online and user-to-user services that allow sharing of pornographic content have a duty to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from accessing this.

The Act requires Ofcom to produce and publish a report on in-scope services’ use of age assurance solutions, within eighteen months of these duties coming into force.

Ofcom has set out in its guidance on enforcement. This guidance includes the information Ofcom will generally publish when opening an investigation, including the identity of the subject and scope of the investigation.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the report entitled AI Opportunities Action Plan, published on 13 January 2025, what discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and (b) Northern Ireland Executive on the implementation of that plan in Northern Ireland. \p Feryal Clark: The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier. The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology engaged with Northern Ireland’s Ministerial representatives about the Action Plan. We will continue to engage widely as government takes the Action Plan forward.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that the AI Opportunities Action Plan (a) creates high-quality jobs and (b) enhances public services in (i) Vale of Glamorgan constituency and (ii) other rural areas. \p Feryal Clark: The Action Plan sets out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and encouraging country wide growth.

The opportunities of AI are for the whole of the UK. We will partner with devolved administrations, regional and local authorities on AI Growth Zones (AIGZs).

On Skills, the Plan sets out the essential role that equipping our workforce with the right skills will play in supporting the growth of the UK’s AI sector.

Regarding public sector adoption, the Plan outlines how AI will improve public services and drive growth across the economy.
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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of potential impact of the cost of energy required to power AI capabilities on the feasibility of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, published on 13 January 2025. \p Feryal Clark: The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.

We recognise that data centres face sustainability challenges, from energy demands to water use. Through the AI Energy Council, we will be exploring bold, clean energy solutions — from next-generation renewables to small modular reactors — to ensure our AI ambitions align with the UK’s net zero goals.

This builds on DSIT’s contribution to make Britain a clean energy superpower by investing in relevant research on clean energy and climate change.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of direct trains from London Euston to Leighton Buzzard have been cancelled in the last six months, listed by (a) day of the week and (b) time of day. \p Simon Lightwood: The percentage of trains cancelled on the London Euston - Leighton Buzzard route over the last six months was approximately four per cent. Cancellations were higher on Mondays at six per cent, 235 trains cancelled out of 3653, and lower on Tuesdays and Thursdays at two per cent of direct trains on this route.

Based on the time of the day, most cancellations happened between 12:00-15:00. Proportionally, the highest percentage of cancellations happened after midnight, with three of trains cancelled.

If an operator delivers consistently poor performance, the Department can intervene to act in passengers’ best interests. We will continue to press West Midlands Trains to run the most reliable service possible.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings of the Motor Insurance Taskforce have taken place; and when the next meeting will take place. \p Lilian Greenwood: The cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce met for the first time on 16 October 2024. The Government will provide updates on the Taskforce’s work in due course.
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Gareth Bacon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the CrossCountry performance remedial agreement with XC Trains Ltd made (a) in August 2024 and (b) at any subsequent date. \p Simon Lightwood: A copy of the Remedial Agreement letter between the Secretary of State and XC Trains Limited, dated 9 August 2024, has been published on the GOV.UK website. The Remedial Agreement between the Secretary of State and XC Trains Limited runs from August 2024 to March 2025.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support local authorities to fix (a) poor quality and (b) unsafe pavements. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks, including the footways that make up such an essential part of them. The Chancellor announced an extra £500 million for local highway maintenance at Budget 2024 for the 2025/26 financial year, which, for most authorities including East Sussex County Council, will mean an increase of nearly 40% compared to the current financial year. The funding is for all parts of the highway network, including footways, and it is up to each authority to determine how the funding is spent. The Government encourages local highway authorities to consider the needs of all road users, including pedestrians, when planning their highway maintenance programmes.

As well as the big uplift in maintenance funding, the Government has also announced an extra £100 million investment in active travel infrastructure next year, which will allow local authorities to improve footways in their areas. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced shortly.
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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, published on 13 January 2025, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the alignment between the plan and other Government policies on the deployment of self-driving vehicles. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport supported the development of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, including providing contributions on the policy intentions for the deployment of self-driving vehicles. The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, a joint unit between the Department for Transport and Department for Business and Trade, works closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to help realise the UK’s full potential as an AI superpower.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate she has made of the number of people impacted by increased noise pollution from proposed expansion at Heathrow. \p Mike Kane: There is currently no live Development Consent Order from Heathrow Airport.

The Government would carefully consider any application for expansion at Heathrow Airport in line with the relevant planning processes.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to provide additional funding to improve public transport networks to Heathrow Airport. \p Mike Kane: DfT expects airports, including Heathrow, to work closely with local stakeholders and Government to develop and update their masterplans and surface access strategies every five years.

Improvements to surface access to airports are generally funded by the airports themselves.
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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of skills within the Civil Service to effectively regulate self-driving vehicles. \p Lilian Greenwood: Responsibility for new self-driving vehicle regulatory processes will be aligned with the Department for Transport’s executive agencies’ existing responsibilities for conventional vehicles, ensuring effective use of their expertise around vehicles regulation.

As part of the Department’s preparations for implementing the future automated vehicles (AVs) regulatory framework, we are also examining what new skills will be required for the regulation of AVs. This includes considerations of skills around artificial intelligence, vehicle safety, and data expertise among other areas.

The Department for Transport also works with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, to understand best practice skills development across other future technology sectors.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of expanding Heathrow Airport on the economy. \p Mike Kane: There is currently no live Development Consent Order application from Heathrow Airport.

The Government would carefully consider any planning application in line with the relevant planning processes.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of utility companies completing street works late in each local authority in the last 12 months for which data is available. \p Lilian Greenwood: My department does not have the data available to make a detailed assessment of the costs of congestion from overrunning works. If works do overrun, local authorities are able to impose charges of up to £10,000 per day to cover the costs of congestion. We have recently announced that these charges will also be applied to overruns at weekends and on bank holidays to reduce congestion and disruption during these times.
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Graeme Downie:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2024 to Question 21874 on Motor Vehicles: Lighting, when the independent research started; which organisation is undertaking the work; and if she will publish the terms of reference for the research. \p Lilian Greenwood: The research started in October last year and is being carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). There are no plans to publish the Terms of Reference for the research, but further details can be found on the TRL website.

https://www.trl.co.uk/news/trl-works-with-dft-to-understand-more-about-the-causes-of-glare
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Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the New Hospital Programme Review, in the context of Watford General Hospital. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The plan for implementation was laid in the House Library and published on the GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome

As confirmed in this publication, the scheme for Watford General Hospital is now part of wave two of the NHP. Construction of the main hospital build is expected to commence between 2032 and 2034.

In the 2024 Autumn Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that health capital spending will increase to £13.6 billion in 2025/26. Further details on this funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025/26, as part of the National Health Service’s planning guidance. Budgets for future years will be confirmed as part of the upcoming Spending Review. The state of the NHS estate and safety impacts will be considered as part of this.

The Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board received almost £65 million in operational capital funding in 2023/24, and the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has also been allocated £50 to 60 million from NHS funding for planned care services at St. Albans City Hospital.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication by NHS England entitled Reforming elective care for patients, published on 6 January 2025, whether he has had recent discussions with General Practitioners on the potential impact of changes to the legal framework on advice and guidance pathways. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department and NHS England started consultation with the General Practitioners Committee in England, of the British Medical Association, on the 2025/26 GP Contract on 19 December, and will consider all proposed policy changes, including advice and guidance arrangements. Final changes will be announced in the usual way, following the close of the consultation in 2025.
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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits of allocating palliative care funding through a long-term centrally managed, ringfenced grant. \p Stephen Kinnock: Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. ICBs are responsible for commissioning of palliative and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supporting commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

The statutory guidance produced by NHS England on palliative and end of life care makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day. Regional NHS England teams continue to liaise with ICBs to ensure these commissioning arrangements are in place. Expert strategic networks in the regions provide an opportunity to share good practice around improving access and quality of palliative care and end of life care.

I will be meeting with the major hospice and palliative and end of life care stakeholders in February 2025 to discuss potential solutions on longer-term sector sustainability which will inform our 10-Year Health Plan.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication by NHS England entitled Reforming elective care for patients, published on 6 January 2025, whether the fee paid to GPs for providing advice and guidance with hospital specialists will cover the costs of any subsequent follow up request for further guidance. \p Karin Smyth: Advice and Guidance services enhance two-way communication between clinical colleagues in primary and secondary care. The Elective Reform Plan has committed to ensuring that general practitioners (GPs) will receive £20 per Advice and Guidance request, to recognise the importance of their role in ensuring patients receive the right care, in the right clinical setting.

Each Advice and Guidance request will be funded at £20, which is to cover any back and forth required between a GP and a hospital specialist to reach a resolution, and this may be one interaction or several dependant interactions.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of means-testing of the winter fuel payment on the (a) NHS and (b) social care. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues across Government on issues of cross-departmental interest.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of alleged errors made by the NHS Business Service Authority on (a) doctors pensions saving statements and (b) the annual allowance. \p Karin Smyth: The Department recognises that the service received by impacted individuals was not acceptable and will negatively impact their personal pension tax affairs. The Department became aware of a calculation error in 2023/24 Pension Savings Statements issued by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on 6 January 2025. NHSBSA is working with the Department and the British Medical Association to understand the impact on individuals, to rectify the issue and provide guidance and support with their next steps.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the British Medical Association on its response to the Cass review. \p Karin Smyth: My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, met with the Chair of the British Medical Association (BMA), on 31 July 2024, where the BMA’s response to the Cass Review was raised.

While we respect the BMA’s right to undertake an evaluation of the Cass Review, we do not think it is necessary. The Cass Review is robust, evidence-based, and the most comprehensive assessment of gender incongruence in children and young people that has been produced to date. The Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the Cass Review in full.

NHS England’s ambitious two-year action plan sets out how it will continue to transform and improve services, helping to tackle waiting lists while ensuring safe and holistic care.
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Preet Kaur Gill: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 use of artificial intelligence in NHS diagnostics. \p Karin Smyth: The deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in the National Health Service is still at a relatively early stage, with the majority of AI technologies, including diagnostic tools, being deployed in a research capacity. To address this, the Department is carrying out work to assess the barriers of effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are deployed across the NHS. The NHS AI Lab’s Ethics Initiative invests in research and practical interventions that could strengthen the ethical adoption of AI within health and care and addresses risks and concerns over its use.

Additionally, the Department has supported the launch of regulatory projects such as the AI and Digital Regulation Service (AIDRS) and the AI Airlock. The AIDRS, in partnership with healthcare regulators, gives innovators and health and care providers a one-stop-shop for support, information, and guidance on the regulation and evaluation of AI technologies. The AI Airlock is a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency-led initiative, supported by the NHS AI Lab, designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet NHS standards for safety, efficacy, and integration into existing healthcare workflows.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of elderly people who will need (a) living assistance and (b) housing in (i) 2025 and (ii) the next ten years. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, published November 2024, estimated that the number of households aged 65 years old and over will increase by 37.3% by 2040. The taskforce also estimated that this would mean that an additional 30,000 to 50,000 new later living homes would need to be built per year.

The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years and delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to attract health workers to (a) train for and (b) work in community pharmacies. \p Stephen Kinnock: As private employers, community pharmacies are responsible for the recruitment and retention of staff. The Department and NHS England also provides support and funding for initial education and training, apprenticeships, and upskilling staff to develop knowledge and skills and deliver better and safer care to patients and the public.

NHS England and the General Pharmaceutical Council have been working with education providers to increase pharmacy training places. Recent announcements include the establishment of new schools of pharmacy at Plymouth University, Teesside University, the University of Leicester, and Bangor University, which will improve training opportunities and build resilience in these areas.

The Government will make sure the National Health Service has the staff it needs to be there for all of us when we need it. We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce bureaucracy in (a) GP and (b) other primary care services (i) in Beckenham and Penge constituency and (ii) nationally. \p Stephen Kinnock: To reduce bureaucracy in the National Health Service, on 4 October 2024, the Government and NHS England launched a Red Tape Challenge to address bureaucracy between primary and secondary care and give our health professionals back time to do what they do best. As part of the Red Tape Challenge there has been close engagement with professionals across primary care to learn more about what works and what needs to change.
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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables in deprived communities. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever, as set out in our Child Health Action Plan. The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) delivers the scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHSBSA is committed to increasing uptake of the Healthy Start scheme to ensure as many children as possible have a healthy start in life.

The NHSBSA promotes the Healthy Start scheme through its digital channels and has created free tools to help stakeholders promote the scheme locally. The NHSBSA has also reached out to stakeholders to see how it can support them in promoting the scheme. In December 2024, the Healthy Start scheme supported over 354,000 people.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS Trusts have implemented recruitment freezes in (a) scanning and (b) cancer departments. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department does not currently hold this information. We will engage further with NHS England on this matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 10667 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, what discussions he has had with Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK, and other representatives of those who have suffered harm from vaccinations; and if he will publish a summary of what was discussed at the meeting. \p Andrew Gwynne: Ministers met with representatives from Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK on 11 September 2024. The group highlighted the issues facing those who have suffered serious adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination, and raised concerns around the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme. Ministers agreed to look at the issues raised.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Gill Furniss:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help raise awareness of cervical cancer; and whether he is taking steps with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to help raise awareness of cervical cancer in other countries. \p Andrew Gwynne: NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an early point.

Department of Health and Social Care officials work closely with colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to raise awareness of cervical cancer in lower and middle income countries. For example, the Government has committed £1.65 billion to Gavi from 2021 to 2025, which provides the human papillomavirus vaccine to help protect the most vulnerable girls from the leading cause of cervical cancer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to deliver age-appropriate (a) care and (b) settings for teenagers and young adults with cancer. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. We recognise that cancer in teenagers and young people is different to cancer in adults and children, and so age-appropriate care is necessary, particularly regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support.

A national service specification is in place for the provision of teenage and young adult (TYA) cancer services. This sets out requirements for treatment and care to be delivered in age-appropriate settings, as well as the provision of age-appropriate patient information. A dedicated TYA multidisciplinary team must oversee the care of each young person, taking into account their holistic needs, including the appropriate location of all aspects of care. Further information on the national service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/

We are committed to carefully considering this as part of our work through the relaunch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025, which will focus specifically on teenagers and young adults as well as children, ensuring that their clinical and non-clinical needs are met. We will set out further details on next steps in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people received a flu vaccine between 1 September and 31 December in each year since 2021. \p Andrew Gwynne: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional monthly data on flu vaccine uptake in eligible patient groups, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures.

The following table shows data from general practice (GP) patients covering vaccination up to 31 December in each year since 2021/22, expressed as a percentage:

Patient group

2024/25 (%)

2023/24 (%)

2022/23 (%)

2021/22 (%)

65 years old and over

N/A

77.0

78.4

81.5

At risk

N/A

40.3

46.3

49.3

Pregnant women

N/A

30.9

33.2

37.3

Children aged two years old

N/A

41.0

39.8

46.6

Children aged three years old

N/A

41.3

42.2

49.1

Source: UKHSA

Note: The monthly data for the corresponding period in the 2024/25 season will be published on 30 January 2025.

The following table shows data for school aged children and frontline health care workers covering vaccination up to 31 December in each year since 2021/22, expressed as a percentage:

Cohort

2024/25 (%)

2023/24 (%)

2022/23 (%)

2021/22 (%)

Primary school (Reception to year six)

N/A

53.8

55.5

52.9

Secondary school (eligible year groups varied by season)

N/A

41.2 (Year six to 11)

10.3 (Year six to nine)

37.8 (Year seven to 11)

All school age children

N/A

48.4

38.3

46.7

Frontline health care workers

N/A

41.0

46.7

58.8

Source: UKHSA
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Kirsteen Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with healthcare stakeholders on steps to improve Lobular cancer (a) diagnostics and (b) research funding. \p Andrew Gwynne: Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan later this year, we will develop a new national cancer plan. The cancer plan will include more details about how to improve outcomes for all tumour types, including lobular breast cancer. We plan to engage with a wide range of cancer partners on the national cancer plan, including charities and patient representative bodies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 20 of his Department's written opening statement to Module 4 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry of 20 December 2024, INQ000474799, on what evidential basis his Department said that the covid-19 vaccine programme had prevented between 23.7 and 24.1 million infections. \p Andrew Gwynne: The evidential basis refers to page four of the COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report: Week 38, published by Public Health England on 23 September 2021. The report is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/614c53a28fa8f56113bf6472/Vaccine_surveillance_report_-_week_38.pdf

The report assessed the impact of the vaccination programme on the population by taking into account vaccine coverage, evidence on vaccine effectiveness, and the latest COVID-19 disease surveillance indicators. These figures were, at the time of the report, the latest estimates on the impact of the COVID-19 vaccination programme on mortality.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) claims and (b) mandatory reversal claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme on Covid-19 vaccinations have been outstanding for more than (i) six months, (ii) 12 months and (iii) 18 months. \p Andrew Gwynne: As of 17 January 2025, 3,714 claims and 201 mandatory reversal claims have been outstanding for more than six months. Of those, 1,041 claims and 82 mandatory reversals have been outstanding for more than 12 months, and of those, 517 claims and 32 mandatory reversals have been outstanding for more than 18 months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-28 conversation_279

Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to GP appointments (a) in Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) nationally. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are committed to improving access and capacity in general practice (GP). That’s why, in October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs, which will benefit thousands of patients and will also secure the future supply of GPs, and take pressure off those currently working in the system.

Additionally, we have announced a proposed £889 million uplift to the GP Contract in 2025/26, the largest uplift in years, with a rising share of total National Health Service resources going to GPs. We are also currently consulting on key proposals to improve access, continuity of care, and GP recruitment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on improving dementia care. \p Stephen Kinnock: To improve care for patients with dementia, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, NHS England's RightCare team has refreshed the RightCare Dementia Scenario. The scenario works through the Dementia Well Pathway journey, from diagnosing well through to dying well, detailing optimal and sub optimal approaches, with associated costings for each. The RightCare team has also developed a dementia model pathway, based on data for each component of the Dementia Well Pathway, to provide a high-level view of what dementia care activity looks like for local areas, and to aid targeted support where appropriate. We have a national career framework for adult social care, the Care Workforce Pathway, which is linked to a number of existing competency frameworks, including the dementia training standards framework. The Department has also launched a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification which links to the outcomes in the Care Workforce Pathway. This contains the baseline knowledge required to provide quality care, and will make sure that those who are starting out their careers have an informed awareness of dementia.   In addition, the Government is investing in dementia research across all areas, from causes, diagnosis, and prevention, to treatment, care, and support, including for carers. The Department delivers dementia care research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research into dementia care, including partnering with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Alzheimer’s Society to award £6 million to NetworkPlus grants, allowing the development of research and communities focused on the use and development of tools and technologies to enable people to live independently with dementia.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients are detained in assessment and treatment units in England. \p Stephen Kinnock: Patients in assessment and treatment units in England are recorded in the Assuring Transformation data set, under the bed type Acute Mental Health Unit for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism.

In December 2024, there were 160 inpatients detained in Acute Mental Health Units for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism. This figure includes patients detained in assessment and treatment units, but may also include some patients who are held in other inpatient mental health settings. Patients held informally under the Mental Health Act, those that are not detained, have been excluded from the count.