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

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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that the National Cancer Plan includes a strategy for (a) research and (b) improved treatment for brain tumours in children. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including brain tumour patients.

On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experience for children and young people with cancer. The Taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement across detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. It will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the plan.

Research is a key focus of the plan, and we will work closely with partners including the National Institute for Health and Care Research on this. The Department recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours, and the significant impact that rarer forms of cancer can have on patients, carers and their families. The government is invested in driving new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.

Furthermore, the Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients.
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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 steps he is taking to help tackle severe malnutrition in people under the age of 18. \p Ashley Dalton: Malnutrition is a clinical condition affecting all ages across the community, and in all health and care settings. Severe malnutrition is most likely to be secondary to another physical or mental health condition which may impact on nutritional needs or a person’s ability to eat and drink.

The diagnosis and detection of malnutrition are key, and health staff are trained to spot the early warning signs so effective individual treatment can be put in place. Tools and guidance are available through a range of organisations for health and social care professionals to identify and treat malnutrition and access appropriate training.

The Healthy Child Programme in England is a universal programme for children aged zero to 19 years old. When there is a concern raised about a child’s growth, either a health visitor or school nurse will monitor this and assess for signs of under or overweight, including as a possible sign of neglect and faltering growth, and will work with families to support them in addressing the family and child’s needs. Further information on the Healthy Child Programme is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/healthy-child-programme

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline Faltering growth: recognition and management of faltering growth in children, for healthcare professionals, providers of children's services, commissioners of children's services, and parents and carers of children with faltering growth, covers the recognition, assessment, and monitoring of faltering growth in infants and children. Further information on the guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng75/chapter/Recommendations#faltering-growth-after-the-early-days-of-life

Anyone who is identified as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition should be assessed by an appropriately qualified health professional, such as a dietitian, and should receive an individualised care plan in line with their individual circumstances, dietary preferences, and medical needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Infected Blood Compensation Authority on the proposed timetable for payments to family members of those affected. \p Ashley Dalton: The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, an independent arms-length body. The Cabinet Office is the sponsor department for the authority. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not discussed the proposed timetable for payments to family members of those affected with the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.

However, on 12 February 2025, the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government is aiming for these regulations to be in place by 31 March 2025, to support our goal that family members of those who have been affected can start receiving payment this year.

In addition, the Government has committed in legislation to pay £100,000 to the estates of the deceased infected persons. The process under which estates can apply for interim compensation payments opened in October 2024, and so far over 350 interim payments have been paid to the estates of deceased infected people, totalling over £35 million. This is important progress in getting money into the hands of the families of victims of the infected blood scandal.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the availability of (a) Levetiracetam and (b) other medications in the supply chain. \p Karin Smyth: The Department is aware that some manufacturers of levetiracetam tablets are facing supply issues. However, alternative suppliers can fully support the market during this time.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines, and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on issues to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Mr Luke Charters:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of improving product labelling on sugar content in food for children under the age of two. \p Ashley Dalton: Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of well-being in later life. Data shows that babies and young children are eating too much sugar, and that some commercial baby foods, particularly finger foods, contain added sugar or high sugar ingredients. This does not align with the recommendations from the independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on the diets of children aged one to five years old.

It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to people who survive sepsis to be signposted to commissioned services in sepsis (a) after-care, (b) support and (c) rehabilitation. \p Ashley Dalton: It is important that there is sufficient and comprehensive post-sepsis support in the National Health Service.

Most people make a full recovery from sepsis. However, the Government and the NHS recognise the physical and emotional complications that can last for months, or years after sepsis. The care needs for individual patients will vary hugely on a case-by-case basis. People who survive sepsis have access to follow-up pathways with personalised healthcare tailored to their individual needs. Integrated care boards can provide signposting to after-care, support, and rehabilitation services available locally.

Furthermore, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is funding research to improve outcomes for sepsis survivors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current diagnosis and treatment pathways for patients with peripheral arterial disease. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is working with NHS England to take several steps to improve diagnosis, care and treatment for patients with peripheral arterial disease. For example, in 2022, NHS England commissioned a two-year Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme, which incentivised the adoption of the Vascular Peripheral Arterial Disease Quality Improvement Framework, to support timely interventions for revascularisation. This measures the proportion of patients that have a diagnosis of chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI) that undergo revascularisation within five days of a non-elective admission to vascular providers.

As part of NHS England’s assessment on the adequacy of current diagnosis and treatment pathways, it commissions the National Vascular Registry (NVR) to provide information on the quality and outcomes of care for adults who have major vascular procedures. The NVR provides annual and quarterly reports for emergency and elective vascular procedures, including for those people with peripheral arterial disease who undergo either lower limb angioplasty/stent, lower limb bypass surgery, or major lower limb amputation.

Following the introduction of these measures we can see that from over a two-year period from the first quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2024, NVR data demonstrated that vascular providers achieving the CQUIN had increased from 47% to 55%. During this period, the number of providers submitting data to the NVR had also increased by approximately 14% and every National Health Service region showed an improvement in CLTI revascularisation quality.

Furthermore, NHS England has commissioned the NVR to facilitate an ‘outliers’ process in which vascular providers are monitored on several key performance metrics including CLTI revascularisation. NHS England continues to monitor all specialised vascular disease services via the NVR and working in collaboration with NHS England regional teams and integrated care boards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Jeremy Hunt:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish its final response to its Duty of candour review. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is supportive of the review it inherited into the effectiveness and implementation of the statutory duty of candour for health and social care providers.

We are clear that the duty needs to act as a catalyst for providers to improve openness and commit to a learning culture. The aim of the review is to examine how all providers and their leaders can act upon that duty consistently and effectively.

We are using the findings of our consultation on manager regulation, which closed on 18 February 2025, to help inform the final response to the review on the statutory duty of candour. The Government is preparing its consultation response, and we intend to publish the final duty of candour review report once the consultation response has been published.
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Peter Prinsley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the management of long-term conditions. \p Ashley Dalton: Improving health outcomes for people who live with long-term conditions is a key part of our mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future.

We have committed to delivering a 10-Year Health Plan which will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move NHS healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention. We will be carefully considering input from the public, patients, health staff, and stakeholders as we develop the plan which will include a focus on how to improve the management of long-term conditions, over the coming months.

The implementation of Secure Data Environments (SDEs) allowing NHS data to be accessed through secure platforms rather than shared with researchers, will support safer and more secure access to health and care data for secondary uses, such as research into prevalence and impact. This is being delivered by major investment in digital infrastructure across the NHS in England, including the NHS Research SDE Network funded by the Data for Research and Development programme.

The Single Patient Record will give clinicians in different settings access to the comprehensive records on person's health, so that they have the information they need to make the best-informed decisions when delivering care and treatment.

Most services for long-term conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local population. It is the responsibility of ICBs, working with clinicians, service users and patient groups, to develop services and care pathways that are convenient and meet patients’ needs.

As announced by the Prime Minister on 13 March 2025, the Government is abolishing NHS England. That will put the NHS back at the centre of Government to focus on patients’ experience, less bureaucracy and on cutting waiting times at hospitals. Part of these considerations will include how national and local governance arrangements work together to improve health outcomes for NHS patients locally, including those with long-term conditions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a dedicated communications budget within his Department for sepsis awareness. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department does not currently have a dedicated communications budget for sepsis awareness.

NHS England has several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis among healthcare professionals. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts as updated national sepsis guidance is implemented. Furthermore, individual National Health Service trusts may choose to implement public awareness campaigns and initiatives on sepsis locally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of moving sports and leisure policy into his Department on public health. \p Ashley Dalton: There have been no discussions with Cabinet colleagues on moving the responsibility for sports and leisure provision into the Department of Health and Social Care, nor are there any plans to make an assessment of the potential impact on public health of doing so.

Addressing physical inactivity and getting people moving more is important for improving health outcomes, reducing demand on the National Health Service, and supporting economic growth, and the Government recognises the important role sport and leisure plays within that.

Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care work closely with their counterparts at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and across other Government departments to ensure that sport and leisure is reflected in the Government’s ambition to reduce levels of physical inactivity as part of the Health Mission.
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of active travel on levels of physical inactivity; and if he will take steps to publish a physical activity strategy. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department’s recent cycling and walking evidence review confirms the positive impacts on reducing levels of physical inactivity. Our evidence shows that integrating physical activity into daily routines through active travel can lead to substantial health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and mental health conditions. The Department of Health and Social Care is currently working with the Department for Transport and Active Travel England on an evidence review, which will further examine active travel’s effects on mental health, physical health, and health inequalities, as well as effective behaviour change techniques. Findings are expected by late-2025 to inform future policy.

Whilst there are no plans to publish a specific physical activity strategy, addressing levels of physical inactivity will be a key part of the shift from treatment to prevention, as part of the Health Mission. Department officials work closely with colleagues across Government and the National Health Service to enable and deliver interventions that support this aim.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to prioritise (a) lung and (b) respiratory health in the NHS Long Term Plan. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the county.

More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help people manage their conditions, prevent deterioration and improve survival rates.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 36892 on Prostate Cancer: Health Services, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) time taken and (b) effectiveness of treatment delivered for patents diagnosed with prostate cancer in Devon. \p Ashley Dalton: Routine Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing is not offered on the National Health Service, although men aged 50 years old or over can ask their general practitioner for a PSA test, even if they do not have symptoms. This applies to anyone aged 50 years old or over in any part of England.

The NHS England Cancer Programme has commissioned clinical cancer audits, including for prostate cancer, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary. These audits will help NHS England understand where to increase the consistency of access to treatments and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. The audits are ongoing and will act on their findings in due course.

However, we recognise that patients are often waiting longer than they should for cancer treatment and services. The National Cancer Plan will highlight how we will improve diagnosis rates and the effectiveness of treatment for people across England, including in Devon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of levels of young people dying from sudden cardiac death in (a) England and (b) other European countries; and what steps he plans to take to reduce levels of sudden cardiac death in young people. \p Ashley Dalton: The treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease is a priority for the Government. We want people to have the best chance of survival from cardiac arrest, and rapid intervention is central to improving outcomes. NHS England has published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions that covers patients who often present as young adults with a previously undiagnosed cardiac disease or from families requiring a follow up due to a death from this cause.  Further information on the national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf

The service specification describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised inherited cardiac conditions services to investigate suspected cases. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification in line with the national service specification methods review process. NHS England is working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of this review, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation.

The consensus at present is to focus on the rapid identification and care of people who are likely to be at risk of sudden cardiac death and automated external defibrillator use for people who suffer a cardiac arrest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist (a) paediatric and (b) transitional healthcare services for teenagers in the South West. \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.

Supporting children and young people as they transition into adulthood, especially those with long-term or complex conditions and/or vulnerabilities, including those with mental health issues, is a priority in the South West, and work is underway in some National Health Service trusts.

Currently, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust’s paediatric department delivers care to children up to the age of 16 years old. Work in some pathways, such as eating disorders and diabetes, has started to address transitional arrangements. A review of the transition arrangements in place for children over 16 years old is underway with the local community and acute hospital trust, as this has been identified as an area for improvement by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board.

In the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England committed to delivering a service model for zero to 25 year olds where appropriate, to enhance children and young people’s experience of health, continuity of care, and outcomes, and their experience of the transition between services.

A national transition framework is currently awaiting publication to help local areas set up this model, or to strengthen an existing one. The principles of age-appropriate services set out in this document apply to young adults receiving care for the first time, as well as those already on a transition pathway.

While this framework focuses on the broad principles of transition, future work will focus on specific considerations and conditions. Training is also being developed for healthcare staff to develop their skills in providing the best standard of care.

Improving transitional care for young people is a South West regional priority, and the national transition framework and core competencies, once published, will support integrated care boards with implementation.

The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, set to be published later this year, will outline the broader measures to shift England’s health and care systems toward preventing ill health. The Department will also publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care that patients, including teenagers, need when they need it.
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Satvir Kaur:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) medical support for and (b) access to medical support for people with Crohn's disease (i) in England and (ii) in Southampton. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme on gastroenterology aims to reduce variations in care, increase early diagnosis and proactive management of Crohn’s disease and colitis, and increase access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurses. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also produced a range of guidance on IBD, Crohn’s disease and colitis, to support early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions. It ensures that the care provided to people with IBD is based on the best available evidence. In the last two years, NICE has recommended four new drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, namelt Upadacitinib, Risankizumab, Mirikizumab and Etrasimod.

NHS England’s National Bladder and Bowel Health Project is delivering better care for people with IBD, with a focus on developing clinical pathways. NHS England commissions specialised colorectal services nationally to support equity of access to high-quality treatment for patients with IBD requiring complex surgery. This work is supported within NHS England by the clinical leadership of the Specialised Colorectal Services Clinical Reference Group, which is made up of experts in surgery, medicine, radiology, pathology and nursing, alongside patient and public voice representatives.

To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms and how to support patients with IBD.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide symptom management treatments to support people with multiple sclerosis to (a) manage their condition and (b) remain in employment. \p Ashley Dalton: The majority of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of MS care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure that patients can access a range of health professionals, including specialist nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support according to their needs.

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MS in England, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme.

The Government recognises that long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity among the working age population. As part of the Get Britain Working plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to correspondence of 5 February 2025 from the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire on healthcare in Northstowe. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Noah Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on reforming student loan repayment rules to exempt nurses from repaying those loans while they are employed within the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: The Government currently has no plans to exempt nurses from repaying student loans. The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review in order to balance the use of finite financial resources with the level of support students require.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of clinical staff who have been prosecuted in relation to their conduct within the workplace in each year between 2019 and 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold information on the number of clinical staff who have been prosecuted in relation to their conduct within the workplace.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on increasing the number of medical reservists joining the Armed Forces. \p Karin Smyth: People working in the National Health Service have many transferable skills that can be of great benefit to the Armed Forces reserve, whether they be clinicians, such as doctors and nurses, or staff working in leadership or management roles. There have been no recent ministerial discussions on this issue. However, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Defence are working with NHS Employers to ensure that NHS organisations are supportive and flexible when it comes to people joining the Armed Forces reserve, and to enable individuals to train and deploy when needed.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of nursing posts are currently being filled by Bank Nurses in each Acute Hospital in the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB area. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold the information requested.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will (a) reevaluate the categorisation of chiropractic care as a complementary and alternative medicine and (b) conduct further research into the potential merits of integrating chiropractic into the national musculoskeletal health strategy. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England does not currently support or nationally commission chiropractic care in the National Health Service. Integrated care boards are able to make independent decisions on which health professionals they employ and may commission a limited amount of chiropractic services.

There are no current plans in the Department or NHS England to review the categorisation of chiropractic care as a complementary and alternative medicine. The Government has no plans to conduct further research into the potential merits of integrating chiropractic care into the national musculoskeletal health strategy.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which patient groups his Department has engaged in the development of the 10-Year Health Plan. \p Karin Smyth: As well as engaging with patient groups, we have worked hard to engage the patients they represent directly. To engage with patients and the public, we launched Change NHS, the biggest ever conversation about the National Health Service since its creation, with over 190,000 contributions, and 1.6 million visits to our online portal so far. This is aiming to be broadly representative of England's population.

Additional community engagement has focussed on engagement with seldom heard groups. We’ve worked closely with charities, faith groups, health and care providers, local government, and others, to ensure we hear from demographics and communities that may experience barriers to being involved, and to whom the Government often fails to reach.

Further to this, we have also engaged and heard from over 1,600 stakeholder partners, over a quarter of whom advocate for different patient groups.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the review of postgraduate medical training will be carried out in full. \p Karin Smyth: The postgraduate medical training review announced by the Chief Medical Officer for England and National Medical Director of NHS England is underway and on track. NHS England launched an extensive engagement and listening exercise to consider the future of postgraduate medical training in February 2025. This engagement exercise will run through to June, with findings evaluated and reported in the summer.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_65

Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to support early years providers with increases in employer National Insurance contributions. \p Stephen Morgan: This government has had to take some tough decisions to get public finances back on track, but we are continuing to invest in the early years sector, supporting the delivery of expanded childcare entitlements and recognising the vital role the sector plays in giving children the best start in life.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements, with an additional £75 million provided in an expansion grant to ensure there are sufficient places and staff for eligible working families to access their 30 hours entitlement from September 2025. Further, we announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to 2024/25 financial year, which is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. On top of this, we are providing £25 million through the forthcoming National Insurance Contributions grant for public sector employers in early years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_66

Sojan Joseph:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) regional adoption agencies and (b) local authorities meet with representatives of parents affected by adoption (a) disruption and (b) breakdown to help prevent further cases. \p Janet Daby: The department does not collect information centrally on the number of adoptions that have been disrupted or adoptions that breakdown. We only publish information on whether children starting to be looked after in any given year were known to have been previously adopted. This information is in table C1 of the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release, which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/92f77d0d-7e95-45a1-f1db-08dd5cc661f7.

The department is providing funding of £3 million in this financial year to Adoption England to improve adoption support services in Regional Adoption Agencies. This includes developing more multi-disciplinary teams across the country to provide specialist and therapeutic support to families, and the development of national standards for adoption support. It also includes a new framework for an early support core offer, ‘Becoming a Family’, for the first twelve to eighteen months of placement, and an Adoption Support Plan to guide assessments of a family’s support needs. All are designed to improve support and reduce the risk of an adoption breakdown.

Adoption England are also planning work to develop a national protocol on how children’s services, front door services and adoption support teams work together to better support families at risk of adoption disruption.

Adoption England and Regional Adoption Agencies work closely with adopters on all of their projects to improve adoption support services. This includes considering the latest evidence of why adoption disruptions have occurred in their agencies and across the country.
wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_67
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_67

Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children in state-funded schools were educated in special schools in each year from 2010-11. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department publishes data on the number of children in special schools and the total number of pupils in state-funded schools in the following publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england. Data since 2015/16 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9e7bff83-c9e9-4503-9355-08dd6ba01329. The same data for years 2010/11 to 2014/15 can be accessed at:: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F5a80340040f0b62305b89c8b%2FSFR25-2015_TABLES_NATIONAL.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.
wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_68
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_68

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to (a) review and (b) adjust the national funding formula to reflect additional (i) staffing, (ii) maintenance, (iii) transport and (iv) other costs for small rural schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: The 2025/26 schools national funding formula (NFF) uses the same factors as the 2024/25 NFF. This continuity from the previous year minimises disruption to local authorities and schools.

The government is undertaking a review of the schools NFF to consider potential changes for 2026/27 and future years, recognising the importance of a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed. The department will consider the operation of the ‘sparsity’ factor, which targets revenue funding for small and rural schools, as part of that review.

Funding for capital expenditure sits outside of the NFF. The department expects responsible bodies, such as local authorities, multi-academy trusts, and dioceses, to ensure that their schools are well maintained. In addition to the schools NFF, responsible bodies, such as local authorities and academy trusts, have access to capital funding each year to improve the condition of their buildings through either a school condition allocation or the Condition Improvement Fund. Schools are also directly allocated devolved formula capital funding which allows schools to invest in small-scale capital projects. Capital funding to improve the condition of the school estate is increasing to £2.1 billion for the2025/26 financial year, up from £1.8 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.

Funding for pupils’ home to school transport is also outside of the schools NFF, which is funded through the local government finance settlement, administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s allocations to local authorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_69

Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including political education in the national curriculum. \p Catherine McKinnell: For secondary schools, democracy and politics is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, which covers parliamentary democracy, the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, the power of government and how citizens and parliament hold it to account. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2.

Support for curriculum delivery is available through optional, free and adaptable resources from Oak National Academy (Oak). Oak launched its new curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship earlier this academic year, with the full package of curriculum resources expected to be available by this autumn. Oak resources can be found here: https://www.thenational.academy/.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.

The Review Group has now published its interim findings and clarified that its next phase of work will consider coverage of key knowledge and skills within every subject. The interim report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.

The government will respond to the review’s final recommendations in the autumn.
wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_70
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-28 conversation_70

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of school teachers. \p Catherine McKinnell: High quality teaching is the most important in-school factor to a child’s educational outcomes. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, boost the life chances for every child, reset the relationship with the sector and restore the status of the teaching profession. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers, get more teachers into shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges and tackle retention issues.

The department is making good progress through delivery of key initiatives to recruit and retain more high quality teachers. We announced an initial teacher training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle worth £233 million, a £37 million increase on the last cycle. This includes a range of measures, including bursaries worth £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £31,000 tax-free, to encourage talented trainees to key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

Fair pay is key to ensuring teaching is an attractive and respected profession, which is why this government has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September.

For the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic year, the department is also offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects, in the schools and areas that need them most.

To further support retention, the department has made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing and support schools to introduce flexible working practices. The department’s Improve Workload and Wellbeing for School Staff service , developed alongside school leaders, includes a workload reduction toolkit to support schools to identify opportunities to cut excessive workload, as well as the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which sets out commitments from the government, Ofsted, schools, and colleges to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff. The department’s improve workload and wellbeing for school staff service can be found here: https://improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff.education.gov.uk/.

The department will continue to work alongside the sector to further develop our delivery plan and seek to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession and will share further details in due course.