theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote cultural awareness of patron saints of the United Kingdom. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS has no such plans, but we know that St David, St Andrew, St Patrick and St George are as well-sewn into the fabric of our national identities as they are inscribed on many of our buildings, including in the mosaics above Central Lobby in the Palace of Westminster.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps action he is taking to help reduce waiting times for mental health treatment in (a) Shropshire and (b) England. \p Stephen Kinnock: The latest NHS Talking Therapies data for England show that as of December 2024, 91.2% of people completing treatment waited less than six weeks for their first appointment, against a target of 75%. Additionally, 98.4% of people completing treatment waited less than 18 weeks, against a target of 95%.

Waiting times data for NHS Talking Therapies are not held at constituency or county level but are available at integrated care board (ICB) level through the NHS Mental Health Dashboard, which is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-mental-health-dashboard/

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise the funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support schemes, demonstrating our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and providing support for people with severe mental illness to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Catherine Atkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of NHS patients who have registered to have adjustments made to their patient record under the Accessible Information Standard. \p Stephen Kinnock: Under the Equality Act 2010, public sector organisations are required to make changes in their approach or provision to ensure that services are accessible to disabled people, as well as to everybody else, by making reasonable adjustments.

National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers must meet the Accessible Information Standard, to meet the communication needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss.

The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag was developed to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments, across the NHS and social care, wherever the person is seen or treated. Following the launch of the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard (2023) DAPB4019, published September 2023, the flag went live in the National Care Record Service and is being rolled out across England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will respond to Question 32211 on NHS: Finance tabled by the hon. Member for North Shropshire on 21 February 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 32211 on 24 March 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on the number of local authority funded adult social care beds. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government did consider the cost pressures facing adult social care as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the Spending Review process in 2024. To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the Right to Choose pathway for ADHD patients; and what steps he is taking to ensure that patients' access to (a) assessments and (b) treatment is maintained after NHS England is abolished. \p Stephen Kinnock: Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.

The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. We will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 12 January 2022 to Question 102658, how much money NHS England clawed back from primary care NHS dental practices in England that had not met their contractual targets in each year since the 2020-21 financial year. \p Stephen Kinnock: The NHS Business Services Authority publishes the details of each National Health Service dental contract with the associated contract delivery data annually. This information includes additional NHS dental payments and deductions each year since 2015. Deductions to this amount include where a dentist does not deliver the contracted amount of NHS dental care. Performance adjustments each year relate to the performance in the previous financial year, for example, performance adjustments in 2023/24 relate to contract performance in 2022/23.

The publications are available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/dental-data/nhs-payments-dentists
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of eligible families are receiving Healthy Start in Liverpool West Derby. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:  https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/

The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start, but it does hold data on the number of people receiving health start. The number of people on the scheme receiving Healthy Start in February 2025 for Stroud is 356.

The NHSBSA does not currently hold data on the number of people who are eligible for the scheme. An issue was identified with the Healthy Start source data that is used to calculate the uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The NHSBSA removed data for the number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage from January 2023 onwards.

The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme, if they are eligible.

The following table shows the number of people on the scheme for all three wards in Liverpool West, as of February 2025:

Ward

Number of people on the digital scheme

West Derby Deysbrook

36

West Derby Leyfield

16

West Derby Muirhead

20
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the age threshold for routine breast cancer screening invitations. \p Ashley Dalton: The age thresholds for the current breast screening programme are based on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries. Screening women younger than 50 years old for breast cancer is currently not recommended due to their lower risk of developing breast cancer, and the fact that women below 50 years old tend to have denser breast tissue which reduces the likelihood of an accurate mammogram. This may increase the risk of over treatment and distress for women who do not have breast cancer but would be subjected to invasive and painful medical treatments and diagnostic tests.

The UK NSC is awaiting the results of screening in younger age cohorts from the AgeX trial which is looking at the benefits and risks of extending the age when women are invited for breast screening. The UK NSC Secretariat is in close contact with the researchers and will review the results as soon as they are available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the treatments available for brain tumours in west London. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours. In September 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes, including treatment options, for all cancer patients including those with brain tumours.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Helen Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on increasing the use of symptomatic FIT for patients with suspected bowel cancer symptoms within General Practice. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening program currently invites people aged 56 to 74 years old for a screening every two years. However, this age cohort is being expanded to people aged 50 to 74 years old in 2025, with the use of Faecal Immunochemical Test kits which can be sent directly to people's homes.

Furthermore, the National Health Service is prioritising the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing community diagnostic centres, with capacity prioritised for cancer diagnostics, including for those with bowel cancer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Ben Lake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the regime of discounts applied to meat charges incurred by undertaking inspection obligations under Official Controls Regulations on the small abattoir industry in Wales. \p Ashley Dalton: On 28 February 2025, further to engagement with industry representative bodies, the Food Standards Agency published the 2025/26 charge rates for inspections in meat premises in England and Wales. As in previous years, charges in 2025/26 will be offset by a taxpayer-funded discount scheme which will provide the greatest proportional support to smaller abattoirs, and will therefore benefit the small abattoir industry in Wales. A separate exercise is being conducted in respect of 2025/26 charges for abattoirs in Northern Ireland.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis on the economy. \p Ashley Dalton: We are committed to improving care and support for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We recognise how devastating the symptoms can be, and the significant impact they can have on patients and their families.

We intend to provide additional support to ME/CFS researchers to develop high quality funding applications and to access existing National Institute for Health and Care Research and Medical Research Council research funding. All research funding 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. Our forthcoming ME/CFS delivery plan will outline the additional support we will offer to the research community to increase the volume and quality of applications and, therefore, increase the allocation of funding to this area.

While no specific assessment has been made of the impact of ME/CFS on the economy, we know that long-term conditions like ME/CFS not only impact negatively on patients and their loved ones, but also come at a cost to health and care services and the wider economy through, for example, loss of work and an increased benefits bill.

The content of the delivery plan has not yet been finalised. The responses to the 2023 interim delivery plan consultation, along with continued close engagement with stakeholders, will inform the development of the final delivery plan. We have listened to key ME/CFS stakeholders to allow for more time to develop the plan and help ensure we can be as ambitious as possible across the three themes, to make the most impact for those living with ME/CFS. As such, we aim to publish the plan by the end of June. As well as boosting research, the plan will focus on improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.

People with ME/CFS deserve the most appropriate treatment, and deserve to be confident that the National Health Service can offer that treatment. We recognise that care for people with ME/CFS has varied widely, and in the worst cases has left some people feeling that their illness is not recognised by the health and care system. We know that more research, better services, and a better understanding of the condition all have the potential to make a huge difference in the quality of life of people with ME/CFS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of increasing research funding for rare cancers in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research. In 2023/24, the NIHR invested £133 million in cancer research.

While my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has made no assessment of the potential merits of increasing research funding for rare cancers in the Surrey Heath constituency, the Frimley Park Integrated Care System, located within the constituency, is part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network, and they play a key role in supporting the delivery of research, including into rarer cancers.

The NIHR invests in research capacity building, infrastructure, and delivery across the country in high priority areas, including cancer. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including rarer cancers. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. The Government, through the NIHR, remains committed to improving research into rarer cancers.

The NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research, which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people, including those in the Surrey Heath constituency, to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Alex McIntyre:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase (a) funding and (b) support for research into endometriosis. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Over the past 10 years, the NIHR has invested approximately £11.2 million into research with a focus on endometriosis and continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of women’s health, including endometriosis.

To support further research into women’s health, in 2024 the NIHR launched two new funding calls for studies seeking to improve the health and wellbeing of women. Details of the successful funding awards will be published on the NIHR’s website later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support social prescribing. \p Ashley Dalton: As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, the Government has underlined its commitment to taking a preventive approach to addressing health inequalities.

We are determined to improve people’s physical and mental health, to support them to live longer and healthier lives, and we recognise the role that social prescribing can play in this.

The Department funds the workforce through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which includes social prescribing link workers in primary care.

In March 2025, the Department agreed a further year of grant funding for the National Academy for Social Prescribing, securing £1.5 million to advance and expand social prescribing.

The Department has commissioned national research into different workstreams for social prescribing. This includes an evaluation of the model of delivery of the workforce through primary care and the impact of activities such as nature-based interventions for people with mental ill-health.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) support individuals impacted by breast cancer in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns in England 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 recognising a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.

NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including breast cancer. Further information can be found on the NHS.UK website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/

NHS England is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients, including those impacted by breast cancer, are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.

Health and wellbeing information and support is provided to cancer patients from diagnosis onwards through their care pathway, and includes access to NHS Talking Therapy services for anxiety and depression, where appropriate. This is alongside wider work to improve psychosocial support for people affected by cancer, such as through local partnerships with cancer support charities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide patient transport to specialist treatment centres for young cancer patients living in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for children and young people with cancer, and we are aware that the cost of travel is an important issue for many cancer patients and their families, including those living in the Surrey Health constituency.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are currently responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service runs schemes in England to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services.

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. The provision of disability benefits is also the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.

On 4 February 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce. The taskforce will explore a range of issues, including patient experience, in order to identify improvements for this patient group.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to invest in new technologies and innovations to enhance the efficiency and resilience of the UK’s blood supply chain. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. The baseline price charged by NHSBT to hospitals for the blood they use is negotiated annually between NHSBT, NHS England, and the Department. This reflects the investments that NHSBT has made in blood supply in the previous year.

The Department provided seed-funding to support NHSBT’s work to increase collection capacity and resilience, including the new Brixton Donor Centre which opened in December 2024. A further donor centre will open in Brighton later this year, and NHSBT is developing business cases for additional mobile capacity across the West Midlands and North London. Plasma is collected as part of whole blood collection, as well as through dedicated plasma collection centres. Therefore, plasma collection will also be supported by this resilience work.

NHSBT, the Department, and NHS England are working together to ensure that hospitals are practicing effective stock management and resilience in order to respond to incidents through the Joint Blood Stocks Working Group. NHSBT plans to improve the efficiency of donor collection processes via the development of a Donor Session Platform, as this technology will improve the ability to “on board” donors and reduce deferrals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Mr James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve early breast cancer diagnosis. \p Ashley Dalton: Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a priority for the Government. The National Health Service will hit all cancer waiting time targets, so that no patient waits longer than they should.

As the first step to ensure faster diagnosis, the NHS is delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week. To support early detection and diagnosis, the NHS in England carries out approximately two million breast cancer screens each year in hospitals and mobile screening vans, usually in convenient community locations.

All women between 50 and 71 years old have the opportunity to be screened every three years for breast cancer, to help detect abnormalities and intervene early to reduce the number of lives lost. Additionally, United Kingdom guidelines recommend that women with a moderate or high risk of breast cancer, because of their family history, should start having screening mammograms every year in their forties.

On World Cancer Day, the Government announced a major world-leading trial to demonstrate whether artificial intelligence (AI) can help doctors catch breast cancer earlier to enable faster treatment and save more lives, while freeing up valuable resources and capacity. Thirty testing sites across the country will be enhanced with the latest digital AI technologies, ready to invite women already booked in for routine screenings on the NHS to take part.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has conducted a risk assessment on the potential impact of (a) future pandemics and (b) geopolitical disruption to the UK's blood stocks; and what contingency plans are in place for these scenarios. \p Ashley Dalton: There are four blood services within the United Kingdom, namely the Welsh Blood Service, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, the Northern Ireland Blood Service, and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). In England, NHSBT moves blood around the country to balance blood stocks in all areas, and works closely with the other UK blood services.

The risks and impacts posed by pandemic disease is closely monitored by NHSBT through a risk assessment and a pandemic disease contingency plan. NHSBT is largely self-sufficient in the supply of whole blood to hospitals in England, and isn't reliant on supplies from other countries. Beyond its ability to move blood stocks to where they are needed across the country, NHSBT mitigates geopolitical risks to blood stocks through commercial arrangements with suppliers of vital consumables from overseas, for instance by sourcing blood bags from multiple supply regions and flexing stock holdings.
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Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure early (a) screening and (b) diagnosis for chronic kidney disease. \p Ashley Dalton: Early diagnosis is crucial for people with long-term conditions like chronic kidney disease in accessing timely treatment, preventing deterioration, and improving survival rates. The NHS Health Check programme aims to detect and prevent conditions like heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease among adults aged between 40 and 74 years old, and engages over 1.4 million people a year.

The Department is already developing a digital version of the check to provide a more accessible and convenient service for people. The NHS Health Check Online service will be piloted in three local authorities from spring 2025 for six months, with the aim of being rolled out nationally from spring 2026, delivering approximately one million checks in the first four years.

The Elective Recovery Plan, published in January 2025, also set out measures to improve diagnostic capacity and access.

More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support the early detection and faster treatment of chronic kidney disease.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Dan Carden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve diagnosis times for young people with cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, including children and young people. To achieve this, the NHS has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with cancer.

The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including for children and young people with cancer, and will highlight how we aim to improve diagnosis rates for people across England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that access to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme will continue for all those who need it. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to tackling the burden of diabetes in England and to reducing the variation in access to diabetes prevention services across the country.   A central mission of the Government is to build a health and care system fit for the future. To achieve this, it is crucial that we tackle preventable ill health, such as diabetes, by ensuring those at risk of developing, or already living with the disease, are identified, and can in turn be effectively treated.   We are continuing to deliver the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which is highly effective for those who attend. More than 840,000 people have been supported through this programme, and it has been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37%, compared to those who did not attend.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to include testing for chronic kidney disease as part of the NHS Health Check programme within the framework of the 10-year health plan. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. We expect the 10-Year Health Plan to be published in Spring 2025.

The NHS Health Check programme aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease among adults aged 40 to 74 years old, and engages over 1.4 million people a year. The programme assesses for high blood pressure, which is a strong risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease. Where an individual’s NHS Health Check indicates high blood pressure, it is for a general practitioner to consider the results, and then, if required, undertake further clinical investigation and treatment where appropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of measles cases across the UK. \p Ashley Dalton: There has been a resurgence of measles in England since autumn 2023, initially driven by cases in Birmingham, followed by a large outbreak in London, with small clusters in other regions. This was largely due to a gradual decline in uptake of childhood vaccines over the last decade, including the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Case counts have followed a downward trajectory from mid-July 2024 with small, localised outbreaks in some regions.

The UK Health Security Agency has worked closely with NHS England and other partners encouraging parents to catch up children with all childhood vaccines, including MMR. In 2024, national MMR catch-up and marketing campaigns were delivered alongside local tailored interventions to improve uptake. The evaluation, published on 29 August 2024, has shown that this work had a positive impact particularly in children from communities with the lowest uptake.

The full evaluation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-vaccine-uptake-during-the-2023-to-2024-mmr-catch-up-campaigns-in-england
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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help safeguard young people from (a) drug and (b) alcohol addiction. \p Ashley Dalton: The most effective and sustainable approach to safeguarding children and young people from drug and alcohol harm is by giving them the best start in life, and by keeping them safe, well, and happy. Our mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever.

Statutory guidance on relationships, sex, and health education requires all primary and secondary schools to ensure that pupils know the key facts and risks associated with alcohol and drug use, as well as how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education Association to develop lesson plans on alcohol and drugs and has commissioned an update of the resources to be published later this year.

The Government also has an alcohol and drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce alcohol and drug use and its harms by providing awareness to young people, parents, and concerned others. Further information is available on the Talk to FRANK website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/

Children and families affected by parental alcohol and/or drug use can experience adverse health, social, and economic outcomes, which can continue for generations without effective interventions to break the cycle. The Department is continuing to invest in improvements to local alcohol and drug treatment services to ensure that those in need can access high quality help and support.

In addition to the Public Health Grant, local authorities have had a further £267 million from the Department this year to improve the quality and capacity of treatment. This is alongside the additional investment of £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to improve treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by alcohol and drug use.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help ensure that the Government's UK Neurology Forum include migraine as a priority for (a) discussion and (b) policy recommendations. \p Ashley Dalton: The new United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, which met for the first time on 10 March 2025, brings key stakeholders together to share learnings across the system, discuss important neurology service transformations and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions that will add both to the existing programmes of work and wider health plans. The forum will be an advisory rather than a decision-making body.

A wide range of neurological conditions, including migraine, will be within the scope of the Neuro Forum, and agendas will be agreed by the forum’s membership ahead of each meeting.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families are receiving Healthy Start support in Nottingham East constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/

The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The following table shows the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme for all ward areas in Nottingham, as of February 2025:

Local authority

Ward

Ward number

People on Digital Scheme

Nottingham

Aspley

E05012270

314

Nottingham

Basford

E05012271

184

Nottingham

Berridge

E05012272

166

Nottingham

Bestwood

E05012273

285

Nottingham

Bilborough

E05012274

229

Nottingham

Bulwell

E05012275

313

Nottingham

Bulwell Forest

E05012276

128

Nottingham

Castle

E05012277

29

Nottingham

Clifton East

E05012278

148

Nottingham

Clifton West

E05012279

46

Nottingham

Dales

E05012280

168

Nottingham

Hyson Green and Arboretum

E05012281

282

Nottingham

Leen Valley

E05012282

48

Nottingham

Lenton and Wollaton East

E05012283

103

Nottingham

Mapperley

E05012284

126

Nottingham

Meadows

E05012285

107

Nottingham

Radford

E05012286

133

Nottingham

Sherwood

E05012288

90

Nottingham

St. Ann's

E05012287

208

Nottingham

Wollaton West

E05012289

51
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_34

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to establish national (a) testing and (b) screening for prostate cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries.

The UK NSC review for prostate cancer screening is currently underway. The evidence review is due to conclude later in 2025. After this, the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then consider whether to accept the recommendation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_35

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that migraine is recognised within (a) the Access to Work scheme and (b) workplace health and disability strategies. \p Ashley Dalton: In relation to the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government has engaged with both internal and external stakeholders through existing fora and Government engagement structures. We will be carrying out further, in-depth engagement, and look forward to working with stakeholders during policy development and implementation.

Access to Work is a demand-led, personalised, discretionary grant that supports the recruitment and retention of disabled people in sustainable paid employment. The tailored nature of the scheme allows customers to receive the appropriate grant and support based on their specific health and disability-related needs, including migraines. Access to Work grants do not replace an employer’s duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments.

The goal is to open up opportunities to work and to support a healthier, more productive and inclusive nation, by helping more disabled people and people with health conditions like migraine to get appropriate work, get on in that work, and to return to work as quickly as possible if they leave it. This supports the Government priority of tackling economic inactivity, as set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows that 4.3 million working days were lost due to headaches and migraines in 2022. The represents 2.3% of all days lost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_36

Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the safety of nitrate compounds used to colour preserved meat pink. \p Ashley Dalton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) considers the existing levels of nitrites in the United Kingdom to be sufficiently protective for consumers, and they remain important preservatives in a range of foods, which control a range of harmful micro-organisms. However, as with all additives, this remains under review.

The FSA has recently worked with industry across the United Kingdom to understand the levels used in processed meat, cheese, and fish products. This is in light of the recent changes in the European Union (EU). Currently, the UK’s position on the EU’s changes is being formulated, whilst ensuring foods remain safe.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_37

Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to improve clinical trial availability across different cancer types. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to maximising the United Kingdom’s potential to lead the world in clinical research, with the aim of ensuring that all patients, including those with different types of cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

The Department is working closely with the National Health Service, industry, academia, research regulators, and charities to make clinical research in the UK more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible. 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, including clinical trials for cancer patients.

The Department-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including clinical research across different cancer types. The NIHR also provides an online service called Be Part of Research, which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_38

Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to involve young cancer patients in discussions about clinical trial designs. \p Ashley Dalton: Patient and public involvement and engagement in research is an essential part of delivering world-class clinical trials, improving the accessibility of health and care studies, and increasing recruitment rates and retention of participants.

The Department-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) expects patient and public involvement in the research it supports. Applicants for NIHR funding are required to set out plans for involving patients and the public in funding applications, which are assessed by funding committees. Patients and the public work with researchers to help shape aspects of the work, including what research is done, the research design, and how the results are shared.

The NIHR has operated the Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES) since 2015/16, which aims to offer as many research participants as possible the chance to contribute their experiences of taking part in research. The PRES currently operates nationally across the NIHR Research Delivery Network portfolio, and is offered to all participants in eligible cancer studies, including young people.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify ways to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with cancer. The taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, including clinicians, researchers, advocates, and young cancer patients with lived experience as part of its work.