theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve British fixed undersea surveillance capabilities. \p Luke Pollard: The recent Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 has set out strategic initiatives in the Maritime domain in terms of undersea surveillance capabilities to protect critical infrastructure and monitor threats. The SDR also advocates AI and machine learning to improve sonar algorithms and enhance data analysis for underwater surveillance. We will also continue our close collaboration with allies to monitor subsea threats and protect critical infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Bastion concept on the security of the North Atlantic. \p Luke Pollard: Atlantic Bastion is the Royal Navy's plan to secure the North Atlantic for the UK and NATO. It will exploit advances in autonomy and artificial intelligence to deter the growing underwater threat in light of a modernising Russian submarine force. It will be implemented as a mix of crewed and uncrewed platforms.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support elderly veterans facing historical investigations. \p Al Carns: This Government's commitment to our Armed Forces community is unshakeable. The vast majority of veterans who served on Operation Banner did so with distinction in very difficult circumstances, and ultimately helped bring about the peace that Northern Ireland now enjoys. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude, and we will ensure that their interests are fully considered in the changes we are going to make.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has outlined the Government’s plans to find a practical, human rights-compliant way to deliver on our commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Act.

We are acutely aware of the impact that historical investigations can have on veterans and their families. The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), run by the Ministry of Defence, provides free one-to-one support for veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants. Where a veteran (or serving member of the Armed Forces) faces allegations arising from activities related to their duties, we will also offer legal support at public expense.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Land Rovers of all variants are in use by the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Marines. \p Maria Eagle: We do not routinely break down equipment capability figures and therefore I am withholding this information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

However, I can advise that a total of 5,674 Land Rovers are in service across Defence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve defence co-operation with Singapore. \p Luke Pollard: I am pleased to report positive momentum on our defence co-operation with Singapore. The Secretary of State for Defence met with the previous Singaporean Defence Minister in October 2024. Between March and May 2025, the Commander of UK Strategic Command, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Minister for the House of Lords and Chief of the Defence Staff met with their Singaporean counterparts to discuss means to enhance cooperation.

The Strategic Defence Review highlights the importance of our investment in the Five Power Defence Arrangements including Singapore to promote cooperation in the region. We have sought to deepen interoperability with Singapore including through shared logistics and support to enable the persistent deployment of our two offshore patrol vessels in the Indo Pacific. In May, we welcomed the RSS Formidable to London, the first Singaporean ship to the UK in 25 years.

Looking ahead, the UK's Carrier Strike Group will visit Singapore as its first port call in the region, during which time the Minister for the House of Lords and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff will visit.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his target sale date is for the Redford Barracks site; whether he plans to have (a) a single sale and (b) sale in parts; if he will publish a plan of the area being considered for disposal; and what discussions he has had with (i) City of Edinburgh Council on the future use of the site and (ii) developers on this matter. \p Maria Eagle: The target sale date for the Redford Barracks site remains 2030.

The Ministry of Defence anticipates selling the whole site in a single sale; however, it is too early in the disposal process to confirm this. A plan of the disposal area will be published as part of routine engagement.

Discussions have taken place with the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the Local Plan process. There have been no discussions with developers at this stage.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the in service date for the effector resulting from the European Long-Range Strike Approach programme is. \p Maria Eagle: The European Long Range Strike Arrangement (ELSA) is exploring national requirements around several systems and effectors to achieve various capabilities and ranges. The longest-range systems under consideration have in-service dates from 2030 onwards.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19731 on Poland: Guided Weapons, what the planned in service date is for the Future Common Missile. \p Maria Eagle: We are continuing to work with Poland to develop our plans for future Integrated Air and Missile Defence capabilities. The planned in-service dates of those capabilities will be determined in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56960 on Typhoon Aircraft, when he expects to complete the rollout of the Striker 2 helmet-mounted display for Typhoon FGR4 pilots. \p Maria Eagle: The Striker 2 helmet-mounted display is under development by BAE Systems as part of a £40 million contract announced in September 2023. The next phase of prototype development is currently underway to achieve a production-ready standard, after which a rollout timeline will be determined.
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Dr Beccy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the health impact of high street regeneration. \p Ashley Dalton: The design of places where people live, work, and play have a significant role in shaping physical and mental health and wellbeing. Departmental minsters meet with Government colleagues to discuss cross-Government efforts to improve the public’s health, including the impact of the local built and natural environment on health. For example, ministers at the Department of Health and Social Care have met with ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to specifically discuss the relationship between health, towns and planning.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his Department taking to reduce inequalities in uptake of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus maternal vaccination programme by (a) region, (b) ethnicity and (c) socioeconomic background. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) monitoring of programme uptake by ethnicity and region is a key tool in identifying disparities in uptake across diverse populations. UKHSA has prepared respiratory syncytial virus antenatal vaccine information leaflets in over 30 languages, and in other formats, to support programme accessibility and reduce inequalities. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-maternal-vaccination

An update to UKHSA’s Immunisation Equity Strategy is forthcoming and will support action to ensure that everyone can access vaccination at the right time, irrespective of where they live, their ethnicity and their socioeconomic background. The current Immunisation Inequalities Strategy can be found on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phe-immunisation-inequalities-strategy
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle health inequalities impacting children in poverty in Fylde constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with healthy life expectancy varying widely across and between communities. Through our Health Mission, we are focused on addressing the wider determinants of health to improve healthy life expectancy for all and to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between different regions of England.

The Department is working closely with the Child Poverty Taskforce to develop and deliver an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, tackle the root causes, and give every child, including those in Fylde constituency, the best start in life. This will help fulfil our ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. An important part of this will be alleviating the negative experience of living in poverty through supporting families and enhancing public services.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ North West Regional Team is working to provide system leadership for population health and for reducing health inequalities across the North West, including the Fylde constituency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many babies were born with conditions not picked up during screening tests in each of the last ten years for which data is available. \p Ashley Dalton: The information requested is not held centrally. There is no specific field in the Maternity Services Dataset (MSDS) to capture screening results. Screening tests offered during pregnancy can be captured in MSDS via SNOMED codes, however information relating to screenings tests is not routinely collected or published. Therefore, data recorded in the MSDS via SNOMED codes is currently unlikely to cover screening test results, and mainly either describes whether the screening test was offered or took place, or whether it is entirely absent. Everyone who is eligible is invited to undertake antenatal screening during pregnancy. However, the offer relies on informed consent. Some parents may choose not to undertake screening tests. The current opt in rate is relatively high at around 70%.

No screening test is 100% accurate and they can have false positive and false negative results. In England, any laboratory undertaking screening tests as part of the National Health Service’s antenatal and newborn screening programmes is required to adhere to rigorous testing processes in line with individual screening programme handbooks and must also be accredited by the UK Accreditation Service to the International Organization for Standardization’s requirements for quality and competence in medical laboratories, ISO 15189:2022, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.iso.org/standard/76677.html

The UK National Screening Committee keeps all screening programmes under review. Work is ongoing to look at tests that could be included in antenatal screening programmes to increase detection or reduce the need for further invasive diagnostic tests.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the proposed changes in the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, on health and social care recruitment in Scotland. \p Stephen Kinnock: Health and Social Care are devolved. Regional partnerships are working with devolved administrations to support international care workers access vacancies in the devolved nations. In England, domestic recruitment is being boosted through Fair Pay Agreements, new career structures, and £12m for training. The SNP’s 2021 manifesto promised to have a National Care Service, instead their chaotic and damaging approach was condemned by stakeholders, and a stripped-down Bill has cost £30m and is still to pass through Holyrood.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of people with lower gastrointestinal cancers waiting beyond 62 days from urgent referral for their first definitive treatment. \p Ashley Dalton: We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so more patients survive, including those with bowel cancer. As the first step to ensure faster diagnosis and treatment, the NHS is delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.

Our reforms to cancer care will see more than 100,000 people, including those with bowel cancer, getting diagnosed faster, and thousands more starting treatment within two months. We have already hit our target of delivering two million extra operations, scans, and appointments seven months early.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with lower gastrointestinal cancers cancers, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Katie Lam:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the 10 Year Plan for the NHS. \p Stephen Kinnock: Our 10 Year Health Plan will make the NHS fit for the future with three key shifts: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention.

It will deliver the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change and will be published shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of dental surgery closures in Hampshire since July 2024. \p Stephen Kinnock: The National Health Service contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. This means that providers can terminate their contracts within the required terms of the contract, including a notice period. NHS England and the integrated care boards across England work together to ensure that patients who are affected by closures of NHS dental practices will continue to have access to the dental care they need.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.
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Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the 10 Year Plan for the NHS. \p Stephen Kinnock: Our 10 Year Health Plan will make the NHS fit for the future with three key shifts: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention.

It will deliver the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change and will be published shortly.
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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the document by Trussell entitled Cost of Hunger and Hardship - final report, published on 30 April 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: Hunger and poor nutrition are devastating for society - especially children. We are determined to raise the healthiest ever generation, which is why the Government is expanding free school meals, rolling out breakfast clubs and supporting those in need through the Healthy Start scheme. Our Child Poverty Strategy will tackle root causes, to give children the best start in life.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in Eastleigh constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Eastleigh constituency, this is the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB.

ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Hampshire and Isle of Wright ICB is expected to deliver 30,032 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of adult social care provision in Lincolnshire. \p Stephen Kinnock: Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all people. This includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is now assessing how local authorities in England, including Lincolnshire County Council, are delivering adult social care. This means they are looking at how local authorities are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014.

If the CQC identifies a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has powers to intervene.

The CQC's assessments of local authorities began in December 2023, following the conclusion of five pilot assessments undertaken by the CQC in November 2023, to test their assessment framework and methodology. Lincolnshire County Council was one of the local authorities that took part in the CQC’s pilots and was given an indicative rating of ‘Good’. Their report can be found on the CQC’s website, at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/lincolnshire-cc
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage and (b) promote careers in the social care system. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department is supporting the professionalisation of the adult social care (ASC) sector by expanding the Care Workforce Pathway (CWP), funding the Learning Development and Support Scheme, and introducing the first ever fair pay agreement for the sector.

In April 2025, we published four additional role categories within the CWP, which is the first universal career structure for the sector providing guidance on career development by outlining the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours to both encourage and promote care as a long-term career.

The Learning Development and Support Scheme, launched in September 2024, is providing up to £12 million this financial year to support eligible care staff to complete training courses and qualifications. Additionally, a Fair Pay Agreement for the ASC sector will ensure that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.
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Will Stone:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy that patients receive written information before hysteroscopy and biopsy procedures. \p Karin Smyth: We are committed to improving women’s experiences of gynaecological procedures, such as hysteroscopies.

Women should be provided with information prior to their procedure so that they can make an informed decisions about the procedure and pain relief options, including the option of local or general anaesthetic.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Alice Macdonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve women's health. \p Karin Smyth: We are taking tangible action to transform women's health, including tackling gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan and providing free emergency hormonal contraception at pharmacies from October. There are a record 25,000 full time equivalent midwives in post – 1,400 more than July 2024

These examples demonstrate we are acting on the commitments in the women’s health strategy and listening to women’s experiences.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of eligible families are receiving support through the Healthy Start scheme in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire. \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, 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 and does not currently hold the data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. The following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme as of 23 May 2025 in Fylde:

Local authority

Number of people on the digital scheme

Fylde

304

In addition, the following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme in the local authorities within Lancashire:

Local authorities within Lancashire

Number of people on the digital scheme

Burnley

1014

Chorley

489

Fylde

304

Hyndburn

870

Lancaster

774

Pendle

782

Preston

1109

Ribble Valley

98

Rossendale

410

South Ribble

409

West Lancashire

610

Wyre

510
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timeline is for responding to the Competition and Markets Authorities recommendations in their report into the infant formula and follow-on formula market, published on 20 February 2024. \p Ashley Dalton: Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life, and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.

Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.

The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into the United Kingdom’s infant formula and follow-on formula market. We are working closely with other Government departments and the devolved administrations to carefully consider its findings and recommendations, and will respond fully in due course.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase public awareness of (a) frailty of and (b) fall prevention among people aged 65 and over. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Health Service website has public information and advice on fall prevention. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy’s (CSP) Get up and go – a guide to staying steady is a 32-page guide for the public and patients on how to prevent falls, and was produced by Saga in partnership with the CSP and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

To help healthcare systems support people living with frailty, NHS England has developed a RightCare frailty toolkit. The RightCare toolkit aims to support systems to understand the priorities in frailty care and the key actions to take. It provides a way to assess and benchmark current systems, in order to find opportunities for improvement.

NHS England’s Falls and Fragility Fractures RightCare Pathway defines the core components of an optimal service for people who have suffered from a fall or who are at risk of falls and fragility fractures. It recommends that the commissioners responsible for falls and fragility fractures for their population should work across the system to ensure that schemes to deliver the higher value interventions are in place.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also recently published guidance in April 2025 on the assessment and prevention of falls in older people and in people aged 50 years old and over who are at higher risk. The guidance aims to reduce the risk and incidence of falls, and the associated distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence, loss of independence, and mortality.
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Claire Hughes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government on making baby loss certificates available in Wales. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department and their Welsh counterparts have discussed the possibility of the Baby Loss Certificate scheme becoming available in Wales. As healthcare in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh administration, Welsh officials are leading on this piece of work.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance the Health Security Agency has issued on the potential impact of 6G masts on health. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides advice on any potential health risks and protection from exposure to the radio waves from telecommunications systems, including those planned to provide 6G services. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electric-and-magnetic-fields-health-effects-of-exposure

The frequencies anticipated to be used by 6G systems will be well within the scope of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines.

The UKHSA continues to review the developments applicable to radio technologies, including 6G, and will update its advice as necessary.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has undertaken on potential links between dementia and depression. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Recently completed NIHR-funded research has found that depression across the life course is associated with an increased risk of dementia, but that this is strongest in mid to late life. Further research is needed to determine whether the strength of this association is due to depression as a risk factor for dementia or the early presentation of neurodegenerative processes.

The NIHR is funding the £2.9 million ENHANCE programme, which will develop an app intervention to address risk factors for dementia, including depression, and will test it to see the effects on cognition, risk, quality of life, and affordability. In the long-term, the research will examine health records to see if the app intervention has reduced rates of dementia. NIHR-funded research is also seeking to understand whether compassion focused therapy is an acceptable intervention for people with dementia and depression or anxiety.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dementia. These 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. Welcoming applications on dementia to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research that can be funded.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to encourage uptake of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to people aged 50 following the reduction of age eligibility. \p Ashley Dalton: The age extension for bowel screening started in April 2021 with the 56 year old cohort and, based on modelling and clinical advice, has followed the planned gradual reduction to age 50 by 2025. This has been done to ensure that screening centres could manage the required increase in colonoscopy capacity.

Services have increased screening capacity. Screening and symptomatic endoscopy services are working closely together as part of the ongoing endoscopy transformation of symptomatic pathways, which aims to release colonoscopy capacity through, for example:

Bowel cancer screening is a crucial aspect of prevention, helping identify apparently healthy people who may have an increased risk of a particular condition, preventing bowel cancer and promoting earlier diagnosis and detection. NHS England is committed to delivering bowel cancer screening uptake across the whole population and is working to reduce inequalities. As part of this, NHS England is developing public communications to increase awareness of screening amongst younger age groups, particularly in those 50 years old and over cohorts, who are newly eligible. This includes updating online and digital channels and working with key external stakeholders.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_172

Dr Beccy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the 10 year plan for the NHS will ensure that the NHS shifts from sickness to prevention. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will set out broader actions for how we shift the health and care systems in England towards preventing ill-health rather than treating sickness. Through the 10-Year Health Plan we want to take action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers and ensure that the National Health Service uses its relationship with patients to help patients improve and protect their own health.

We are already taking action, for instance enabling a smoke free generation through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and continuing the rollout of the NHS Health Check. We will build on the success of our vaccination and screening programmes and work with communities to understand what is preventing uptake.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_173

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve diagnosis of ADHD. \p Stephen Kinnock: As health is a devolved matter, each administration of the United Kingdom takes its own decisions on the provision of assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer.

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and has released technical guidance for ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD wait time data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs in England who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems in tackling ADHD waiting lists and providing support to address people’s needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_174

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to include Parkinson’s disease in the Quality and Outcomes Framework. \p Stephen Kinnock: There are currently no plans to include Parkinson’s disease in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).

The indicators included in QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, and are underpinned by a robust evidence base. The QOF is reviewed annually to ensure it remains aligned with NICE guidelines.

For the 2025/26 contract year, 32 out of 76 QOF indicators were retired to streamline the scheme and reduce the administrative burden on general practice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_175

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve access to care need assessments for (a) deaf and (b) blind people in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire. \p Stephen Kinnock: Under the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that people with sensory impairment, such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, and people who are deafblind, in their area can access the right care and support. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for people with sensory impairments. Support for people with sensory impairments will form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report when there is something to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.

The first formal CQC assessments of local authorities began in December 2023 shortly after the CQC concluded its ‘pilot’ assessments in November. Lincolnshire County Council was one of the local authorities that took part in the CQC’s pilots and was given an indicative rating of ‘Good’. Their report, alongside all other formal ratings and reports, can be found on the CQC’s website, at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/lincolnshire-cc

To date, the CQC has published over 40 formal assessments, with ratings of Outstanding, Good, and Requires Improvement. The assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed. If the CQC identifies a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has powers to intervene.
wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_176
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_176

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support GPs in Nottinghamshire to spend more time with patients. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is determined to ensure that general practitioners (GPs) are able to spend more time doing what they do best, spending time with their patients.

That’s why, in October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 1,700 newly qualified GPs across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients.

We delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an £889 million uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources. We have also announced that over £100 million of funding will be used to unlock new capacity in over 1,000 GP surgeries, which will enable more appointments.   We have launched a Red Tape Challenge, and scrapped unnecessary targets in our new GP Contract, to cut down on bureaucracy and free up time to spend with patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_177

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on waiting times for autism assessments a statutory requirement. \p Stephen Kinnock: It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessment services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. In doing so, ICBs should take account of waiting lists, considering how local funding can be deployed to best meet the needs of their local population.

NICE guidelines are not mandatory, but National Health Service commissioners and healthcare providers are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local populations.

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the NHS, published in September 2024, highlighted that demand for autism assessments has grown significantly in recent years. Waiting times for an assessment will be impacted by a range of factors, which may differ between areas, including the level of demand and the capacity within autism assessment services to meet that demand.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our NHS needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_178

Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that family carers are meaningfully involved in the (a) planning and (b) decision-making processes of local integrated care systems. \p Stephen Kinnock: Under the National Health Service Act 2006, integrated care boards (ICBs) must make arrangements to ensure patients, and their carers and representatives are involved in the planning and commissioning of health and care, whether through consultation or the provision of information.

While developing the Joint Forward Plans, ICBs and partner trusts must consult with individuals, patients, carers, and communities in the planning process to ensure the plan reflects the needs and preferences of the local population.

The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced provisions for ICBs to promote the involvement of patients, and their carers and representatives, if any, in decisions relating to the care and treatment of the person they care for.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_179

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on increasing the availability of NHS dental (a) practices and (b) other services in all parts of the UK. \p Stephen Kinnock: State funded healthcare is a devolved matter outside of England, and is the responsibility, respectively, of the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish administrations. However, governments across the United Kingdom routinely work together to share best practice and to deliver on our common goals for improving patients’ experience of healthcare services, including access to dentistry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_180

Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's of 3 June 2025, what options his Department is considering for (a) reform of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme reform and (b) the situation of those (i) injured or (ii) bereaved as a result of Covid-19 vaccines. \p Ashley Dalton: 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_181

Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Pharmacy First initiative in relation to reducing the workload for GP surgeries. \p Stephen Kinnock: National Health Service pharmaceutical services delivered in community pharmacy are subject to evaluations to assess various outcomes such as clinical appropriateness and impacts on other parts of the NHS. The National Institute of Health and Care Research is conducting an evaluation of Pharmacy First to assess how the service has been implemented across England, including impacts on prescribing in the general practice (GP) setting, use of hospitals and how the service has impacted access and cost for different patient groups.

From July 2024 to February 2025, over 1.7 million Pharmacy First clinical pathway consultations were delivered by community pharmacies. In the same period, over 1.5 million minor illness referrals and 1.4 million consultations for urgent medical supplies were delivered by community pharmacies in England to support patients and help to alleviate the pressure on GP surgeries.

Pharmacy First compliments and enhances the already wide range of services offered by community pharmacy including the provision of health advice and sale of over-the-counter medicines for a wider range of minor illness to support patients to selfcare rather than attend a GP, helping to increase access to care for patients closer to home in their communities.