theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he had with the Mayor of the West Midlands during the development of The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025. \p Sarah Jones: The government is committed to working in partnership with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) as part of delivering the Industrial Strategy's regional growth objective. We have engaged regularly with the West Midlands Combined Authority, at official and Mayoral level, to reflect and support its significant strengths in the Industrial Strategy and to coordinate local and national policies ahead of the publication of the West Midlands' forthcoming Local Growth Plan.

Regular engagement at Ministerial and official level will continue as we implement the Industrial Strategy, including the delivery of Sector Plans, which the government has committed to implement in partnership with MSAs.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 published on 23 June 2025, what plans he has to develop clusters of excellence in the West Midlands. \p Sarah Jones: The Industrial Strategy highlights the West Midlands' strengths in all eight Industrial Strategy growth-driving sectors.

The Strategy's UK-wide measures will make it quicker and easier to do business, including in the West Midlands. Specific Industrial Strategy interventions for the West Midlands include devolved funding from the £150m Creative Places Growth Fund, a co-created Professional and Business Services Hub and exploring a pilot initiative for an Electric Vehicles manufacturing cluster. The West Midlands will also receive £30m through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, a British Business Bank Cluster Champion to coordinate investment and a strategic partnership with the National Wealth Fund.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025, which sectors in the West Midlands he consulted with during the development of the Industrial Strategy. \p Sarah Jones: The government engaged widely throughout the development of the Industrial Strategy, including with businesses, business representation organisations, and trade unions.

In the West Midlands, this included roundtables and discussions with businesses, engagement with the Midlands Engine Partnership, written consultation on our Green Paper Invest 2035 and close working with the West Midlands Mayoral Strategic Authority to understand the strengths and barriers to growth in the region. Additionally, the department's regionally based teams sought input from SME businesses across a range of sectors.

We will continue engaging widely throughout Industrial Strategy implementation.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the resilience of the UK supply chain for electric vehicle components. \p Sarah Jones: We regularly keep the resilience of our EV supply chains under review to ensure a strong and viable automotive sector. As part of our plan for growth, we will continue to work with investors to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK including through new strategic investments and export support for automotive and battery manufacturing.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on the impact of 10% tariffs on UK exports to the USA on the Scottish economy; and what steps he is taking with the Scottish Government to help mitigate that impact. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The US market is Scotland's second largest export market for goods, worth £4bn in 2024. In response to US tariffs, the government launched a Request for Input on the 3 April to gather feedback directly from stakeholders across the whole of the UK that could be affected by our possible response options.

On 8 May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, saving thousands of jobs, protecting key British industries, and helping drive economic growth. DBT Ministers and officials engaged regularly with the Devolved Governments on US tariffs during the progress of the talks with the US and continue to do so.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential long-term tariff revenue impact of the Developing Countries Trading Scheme. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Department has not undertaken a quantitative assessment of the future long-term tariff revenue impact of the DCTS. Before launching the DCTS, the Department estimated based on historical trade patterns, annual tariff savings of up to £770 million to UK imports, benefitting UK businesses and consumers.  The Scheme's primary objective is to support trade-led growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. Any long-term impact on UK tariff revenue is expected to be modest and proportionate to the development benefits it delivers.
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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to p.30 of The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June 2025, what steps he plans to take to support manufacturing businesses with high energy costs that are not part of the British industrial competitiveness scheme after it launches in 2027. \p Sarah Jones: This government recognises that high electricity costs are a key challenge for British businesses.

Alongside commitments set out in the Industrial Strategy, our clean power mission is the key to long-term sustainable price reductions. Our Clean Power 2030 Plan published in December 2024 outlines how we will make Britain a clean energy superpower - clean homegrown energy that we control will protect households and businesses alike from the rollercoaster of global energy prices.

We will set out further details on plans to decarbonise and electrify our manufacturing sector, in the forthcoming Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan in October.
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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK’s 2025 Trade Strategy on (a) economic growth and (b) employment in the North East. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Government published its Trade Strategy on 26 June, which was positively received by business. The Government will work closely with stakeholders on the implementation of the strategy, to ensure that resources are prioritised to deliver on key commitments to enhance economic growth and employment opportunities right across the UK including the North East, such as opening new export and market opportunities and strengthening our trade defence capabilities.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what role the Developing Countries Trading Scheme plays in the Department’s strategy for strengthening UK trading relationships in sub-Saharan Africa. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: We are committed to our trading relationships across the continent of Africa, founded on partnerships and respect, to deliver mutual long-term benefit. Recent UK-Africa consultations demonstrated that African partners want increased trade with countries like the UK, and within the continent. Trade has the potential to drive growth. The UK provides duty-free, or virtually duty-free, market access for goods from 48 countries in Africa through our Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) and network of Economic Partnership Agreements. The UK also continues to support African partners to boost intra-African trade and prosperity through the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the strategic importance of future trade agreements on the African continent. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: DBT works closely with all government departments, including the Ministry of Defence, to consider all aspects of our trading relationships with Africa, and our strategic approach fully aligns with our recently published Trade Strategy and Industrial Strategy.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Bundesbank's report entitled What’s behind the sustained decline in German export market shares?, published on 14 July 2025. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: Germany is the UK’s second-largest trading partner globally. We recognise the importance of resolving trade frictions between the UK and Germany where they occur. Our new UK-Germany Treaty, signed on 17 July, has economic growth and industrial collaboration at its heart. This will help drive trade between the UK and Germany through both a series of ‘Lighthouse projects’ and a broader implementation plan. For example, a new Business-Government Forum will connect the UK and German governments with leading businesses to identify opportunities and barriers to growth, with a focus on growth-driving sectors including advanced manufacturing, life sciences and financial services.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of seasonal tariffs under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme on UK business sectors. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Developing Countries Trading Scheme entered into force in June 2023 following thorough consultation and analysis. This included consultation with private sector stakeholders on UK market sensitivities. Seasonal tariffs were subsequently removed for four products (strawberries, cucumbers, artichokes, and wilkings) for imports from Enhanced Preferences countries. Where there is a risk to UK competitiveness, tariffs have been retained. The Government keeps trade preferences under review and may amend them in line with strategic trade priorities.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the Department intends to measure the economic impact of the Developing Countries Trading Scheme on UK importers. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Department has not undertaken a further economic impact assessment following the launch of the DCTS. The Scheme provides UK businesses with the opportunity to diversify supply chains and reduce import costs by sourcing from DCTS countries, which benefit from duty-free access on an average of 94% of goods exported to the UK. We routinely monitor trade flows and utilisation of the Scheme, which shows that over £16 billion in UK imports has benefitted from tariff savings since the DCTS launched in June 2023. We also welcome feedback from businesses and beneficiaries on the operation of the Scheme.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of making caring a protected characteristic on carers in (a) rural communities and (b) West Dorset. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need.

People with caring responsibilities are afforded protections under the Equality Act 2010 by provisions relating to age and disability discrimination.

The act also protects people from direct discrimination “by association”, meaning that individuals with caring responsibilities for someone who is a child, elderly, or disabled has protection from unlawful discrimination due to their association with someone with a recognised protected characteristic.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS dementia and care homes are adequately (a) staffed and (b) resourced. \p Stephen Kinnock: Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England and assesses local authorities' delivery of their adult social care duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The specific Care Act functions assessed by the CQC are set out in regulations under the Health and Care Act 2022.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 18 states that providers must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. Where the CQC finds a breach in this regulation, it can take regulatory action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.

The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth and improve the retention of the domestic workforce. We want the people who work in care to be respected as professionals, and work is already underway to provide a career structure, give care professionals greater skills and legislate for the first ever Fair Pay Agreements.
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Michelle Welsh:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to hearing services in rural areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS audiology services are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for prioritising primary care audiology lies with local NHS Service Commissioners. NHS England is supporting the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make informed decisions about the provision of audiology services so that they can provide consistent, high quality, and integrated care.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure people who obtain weight loss injections through (a) private providers and (b) online services are able to safely dispose of used needles. \p Stephen Kinnock: It is important for needles to be disposed of safely, as inappropriate disposal methods create a risk of accidental needle-stick injuries to pharmacy or general practice staff, waste management operatives, and other members of the public, potentially leading to infection with blood-borne diseases. All needles should be disposed in sharps bins, which can be obtained on prescription or purchased. Local authorities are obliged to collect clinical waste, including needles bins, from householders upon request, but under section 45(3)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, they may make a reasonable charge for this service. Patients can find out how to request a clinical waste collection from their local authority on the GOV.UK website.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training is provided to health professionals to ensure culturally sensitive dementia care. \p Stephen Kinnock: We want all relevant staff to have received the appropriate training in order to provide high quality care to people with dementia, whether in hospital or in the community.

Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff by providing continuing professional development funding.

The required training needs are set out in the Dementia training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:

https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/

It sets out the essential knowledge and skills and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum. The framework was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector. It notes that person-centred dementia care involves considering the whole person, taking into account not just their health condition, but also each individual’s life history, unique abilities, interests, culture, preferences, and needs.

There are a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.

NHS England has also published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of available units of dental activity. \p Stephen Kinnock: The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. Dentists delivering NHS dental care are contracted to deliver a certain number of Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) per year. ICBs can commission high performing dental practices to deliver up to 110% of their contracted UDAs.

The Government’s ambition is to fundamentally reform the dental contract by the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we are consulting on a package of changes to improve access to, and the quality of, NHS dentistry which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. Further information on the consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

The consultation was launched on 8 July and will close on 19 August.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's provision of care for dementia patients within the local community. \p Stephen Kinnock: Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Health Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to respite care services for unpaid carers in (a) West Dorset and (b) other rural areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers. Additionally, the Government’s Better Care Fund can also be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides assessments of how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers. Formal assessments commenced in December 2023 and as of June 2025, the CQC has published over 40 local authority assessments, which can be accessed via the CQC website at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the wait times for children’s neurodevelopmental pathway assessments. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government has recognised that, nationally, the demand for assessments for neurodevelopmental conditions, and specifically autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has grown significantly in recent years, and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support, without the need for diagnosis, particularly for children and young people.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of neurodevelopmental services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the NHS to deliver improved outcomes for people referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and following a recent diagnosis of autism. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.

NHS England has also established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected to be published later in the year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

The Government is also supporting inclusive environments and earlier intervention for children through the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce ring-fenced funding for hospice clinical services. \p Stephen Kinnock: Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services being available within the ICB catchment area.

Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area, but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care, included services provided by hospices, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of routinely publishing data on (a) blood donations and (b) donation deferrals. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England.

NHSBT does not routinely publish data on blood donation or donation deferrals, however it agrees that there is merit in publishing this data routinely and is considering doing so on an annual basis.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of dementia care. \p Stephen Kinnock: Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The Government is committed to improving dementia care and empowering local leaders with the autonomy they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia.

That is why we published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme earlier this year, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for system leaders and help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool is available at the following link:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-tool
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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to maintain the collective patient voice function supported by Healthwatch England in the reformed NHS structures. \p Ashley Dalton: Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.

The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.
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Alistair Strathern:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of widening the deployment of play therapy in supporting paediatric MRI scans on costs. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This involves ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it.

To support this, NHS England and the charity Starlight have jointly launched the Play Well toolkit to help services identify opportunities to improve health play services. This guidance is the first publication of its kind, and is aimed at improving the experiences of babies, children, and young people.

Tools like the Play Well toolkit are intended to support best practice and reduce the need for sedation, which can contribute to better outcomes and potential cost savings. No formal assessment has yet been made of widening the deployment of play therapy in supporting paediatric MRI scans, specifically, on costs.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds information on the (a) most common illnesses among babies and children in temporary accommodation and (b) incidence of each of those illnesses in the most recent period for which data is available. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department does not hold this information for primary care data due to a lack of granularity in the data.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide opportunities for NHS staff to work in (a) Gaza and (b) other conflict zones. \p Ashley Dalton: There are options for National Health Service staff to voluntarily provide healthcare support on a humanitarian basis and separately to their NHS duties. For example, humanitarian medical charities such as UK Med are active in Gaza, with NHS clinicians volunteering to provide life-saving medical aid to people affected by the conflict.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to implement the findings of the four nation Optimal Infant Feeding Data Framework project. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department commissioned a survey of infant feeding practices in England in 2021. Data collection was completed in 2024, and a report is being prepared for publication in autumn 2025. The Infant Feeding Survey approach is largely consistent with what the Optimal Infant Feeding Quantitative Data Framework article has proposed, including points in relation to feeding intentions, exclusive and any breastfeeding at key developmental points, particularly birth, two weeks, six weeks and six months, formula feeding, mixed feeding and introduction of solid foods. These indicators are in line with United Kingdom advice and consistent with requirements for comparison with international data set out by the World Health Organization.

The Department held discussions with the Devolved Governments to ensure comparable data where possible. The Department will consider the findings of the four nation Optimal Infant Feeding Data Framework project at the planning stage for further Infant Feeding Surveys.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential risk of infectious diseases from immigrants who arrive illegally on boats. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency routinely monitors infectious disease risk across England and manages any public health action required following notification of infectious diseases.

The Migrant Health Guide recommends that all new arrivals to the United Kingdom, including people seeking asylum, should have access to an initial health assessment, which includes infectious disease screening and routine vaccine catch-up. The guide is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migrant-health-guide
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_141

Gill Furniss:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to implement automatic enrolment into stop smoking support at (a) A&E departments, (b) cancer screening appointments, (c) mental health services and (d) other NHS touchpoints (i) across Yorkshire and (ii) nationally. \p Ashley Dalton: As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are committed to ensuring all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards (ICBs), which includes Humber and Yorkshire ICB, South Yorkshire ICB and West Yorkshire ICB, for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_142
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_142

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with dementia in (a) 2020 and (b) 2024. \p Ashley Dalton: The data requested is not collected centrally.

We can provide a count of patients with a recorded diagnosis of dementia. This is a count of patients with a dementia diagnosis on their general practice record at the specified point in time irrespective of when the diagnosis was made. The data has been published under the Primary Care Dementia Data publication series since April 2022, and under the Recorded Dementia Diagnoses publication series prior to that.

The following table shows the dementia diagnosis figures for all ages for December of each year for 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2024:

Date

Recorded dementia diagnoses for all ages

December 2024

498,221

December 2023

479,540

December 2020

438,361

December 2019

472,890

It is worth highlighting that these represent an estimate of the total number of people living with a diagnosis of dementia, and that changes over 2020 and over 2024 do not reflect only new diagnoses.
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_143
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_143

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all (a) parents and (b) caregivers are provided with accurate and unbiased (i) information and (ii) support for infant feeding. \p Ashley Dalton: It is important that all parents and caregivers receive accurate and unbiased information and support on infant feeding to help them make the right choice for them.

Most families will receive infant feeding information and support from midwives and health visitors. We are taking action to strengthen these services. We are taking further steps, including investing £18.5 million through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in 2025/26, to improve infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England. We are also investing in the National Breastfeeding Helpline which provides United Kingdom wide support.

Better Health Start for Life communications provide advice and support to parents and caregivers on infant feeding via a website, an email programme, and supporting literature for local authorities and healthcare professionals.
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_144
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_144

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure that (a) NHS (i) guidance and (ii) resources on HIV and infant feeding follow British HIV Association guidelines and (b) trusts, (c) boards and (d) local authorities provide (A) tailored and (B) specialist lactation support to women with HIV that (1) is informed by evidence and (2) avoids stigma. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and is developing the new HIV Action Plan, which we aim to publish this year. The plan’s key objectives will include ensuring equitable access and uptake of HIV prevention programmes, improving quality of life for people living with HIV, and addressing stigma, and we are also considering how best to ensure mothers living with HIV can feed their children.

Whilst guidelines issued by professional bodies such as the British HIV Association are highly regarded in the provision of HIV care, these are non-mandated and it is the responsibility of local authorities to decide how best to implement the recommendations, in line with the needs of their local populations. The Government will continue to support local authorities through advice and guidance, informed by evidence, to ensure they provide the best possible HIV services to everyone and avoid stigma.
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_145
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_145

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to (a) develop and (b) implement policies for infant and young child feeding in emergency preparedness (i) planning and (ii) responses. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government prepares for a range of risks and understands that families can face additional challenges around infant feeding during emergencies. The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs work closely with the Cabinet Office and other departments, ensuring food supply and infant feeding is incorporated into emergency preparedness planning, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_146
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_146

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 63048 on Blood: Donors, if he will publish the ethnic and gender breakdown of the 4,493 donors deferred due to travel as a proportion of (a) total deferrals and (b) total deferrals per ethnic group. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant is responsible for collecting blood donations across England, in order to fulfil hospital requests to meet patient need. From 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, a total of 4,493 donors deferred due to travel. The table attached shows the ethnic and gender breakdown of these deferrals as a proportion of total deferrals and the total deferrals per ethnic group.

Additional document (docx, 26.9KB)
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_147
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_147

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the outcome of the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial will be shared with Health Departments in each of the devolved institutions. \p Ashley Dalton: The TRANSFORM screening trial, funded in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, is investigating new prostate cancer screening methods. This national randomised control trial will provide data to policymakers for a decision on recommending prostate cancer screening. Results will be shared with the UK National Screening Committee, representing all four nations.
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_148
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_148

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 63048 on Blood: Donors, if he will publish the combined ethnic and gender breakdown of the 173,574 donors deferred due to Haemoglobin as a proportion of (a) total deferrals and (b) total deferrals per ethnic group. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant is responsible for collecting blood donations across England, in order to fulfil hospital requests to meet patient need. From 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, a total of 173,574 donors were deferred due to low haemoglobin. The table attached shows the combined ethnic and gender breakdown of these deferrals as a proportion of total deferrals, and the total deferrals per ethnic group.

Additional document (docx, 28.9KB)
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_149
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_149

Gill Furniss:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Cancer Plan will include measures to expand innovations in cancer screening initiatives to ensure more people from deprived areas are encouraged to participate. \p Ashley Dalton: Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will build on the shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it easier for people to access cancer screening, diagnostics, and treatment in patients’ local areas, backed by the latest technology to drive up this country’s cancer survival rates. We will increase participation in screening programmes by taking innovative approaches like self-sampling for cervical screening and digital booking.

The National Cancer Plan, to be published later this year, will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis, as well as how we will prioritise screening programmes and improve participation, including participation from people in deprived areas.
wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_150
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-21 conversation_150

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 63048 on Blood: Donors, if she will provide the ethnic breakdown of the 173,574 donors deferred due to Haemoglobin as a proportion of (a) total deferrals and (b) total deferrals per ethnic group. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for collecting blood donations across England, in order to fulfil hospital requests to meet patient need. From 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, a total of 173,574 donors were deferred due to low haemoglobin. The following table shows the ethnic breakdown of these deferrals as a proportion of total deferrals, and the total deferrals per ethnic group:

Ethnicity

Total deferrals

Low haemoglobin deferrals

Percentage of total deferrals

Percentage of total deferrals per ethnicity

Any other Asian background

3,448

1,737

0.6%

50.4%

Any other Black/African/Caribbean background

724

460

0.2%

63.5%

Any other ethnic group

1,409

668

0.2%

47.4%

Any other mixed/multiple ethnic background

2,114

1,191

0.4%

56.3%

Any other White background

17,343

9,558

3.3%

55.1%

Arab

1,005

429

0.1%

42.7%

Asian Bangladeshi

817

444

0.2%

54.3%

Asian Indian

7,176

4,367

1.5%

60.9%

Asian Pakistani

2,126

1,073

0.4%

50.5%

Black- African

6,562

4,195

1.4%

63.9%

Black- Caribbean

3,663

2,472

0.8%

67.5%

Chinese

1,709

921

0.3%

53.9%

English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British

231,879

139,701

48.0%

60.2%

Mixed White and Asian

2,071

1,080

0.4%

52.1%

Mixed White and Black African

842

500

0.2%

59.4%

Mixed White and Black Caribbean

2,093

1,319

0.5%

63.0%

Not disclosed

1,516

869

0.3%

57.3%

Unknown

880

430

0.1%

48.9%

White Irish

3,634

2,160

0.7%

59.4%

Total

291,011

173,574

59.6%

59.6%

Source: data is taken from NHSBT’s centrally held administrative systems, extracted 27 June 2025

Note: ‘Any other ethnic group’ includes Gypsy or Irish Traveller and Roma to comply with small number suppression.