theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to highlight the importance of safety at railway level crossings during the school summer holidays. \p Simon Lightwood: Educating users is critical to ensuring that level crossings are used safely and we look to Network Rail as the owner of these assets to do this. Network Rail produces a wide range of educational material on safety on and around the railway, including on level crossing safety, which it promotes through media campaigns and through school and community events. It recognises that the school holidays can pose particular challenges and focuses significant effort in attending local schools and community events in the vicinity of level crossings to promote railway safety.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to extend Project Reach to Stockport railway station. \p Simon Lightwood: The tranche 1 fibre commitment for Project Reach of 1000km includes the rail route Manchester–Crewe–Stafford which runs via Stockport.

Stockport station is not currently included in the initial list of 12 NR managed stations identified for improvements to mobile coverage. However, there could be scope to include this as part of the flexible interventions once the priority stations and tunnels have been delivered.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to improve the safety of bus drivers in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: The government have introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which focuses on delivering safe, more reliable bus networks. The Bill sets requirements for mandatory training on how to recognise and respond appropriately to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour, on buses for staff, including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public or with issues related to the travelling public.

Provisions in the Bus Services (No.2) Bill would also give all local transport authorities (LTAs) the power to make bus byelaws, which can be enforced by local authority officers on vehicles and at bus stations and stops. This, combined with targeted enforcement should lead to safer networks. Transport Safety Officers or Transport Safety and Enforcement Officers are also already operating in some areas.

All LTAs in England are required to publish Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) with information on how they intend to improve services in their area. LTAs have been informed that BSIPs should include plans on how LTAs and local bus operators will work together to ensure that bus services are safe and perceived to be safe by all. This may include measures such as appropriate passenger safety training for bus drivers to deal with emergency situations on or off the bus and encouraging bus operators to liaise with local police and other stakeholders to address safety concerns.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to create a single public reporting service for problems at (a) local and (b) national government level. \p Georgia Gould: This Government is determined to reforming the state to deliver high quality public services and better value for money for the taxpayer.

The Government recognises the importance of transparency of public services, that appropriate feedback mechanisms help to ensure accountability by identifying and resolving problems, and that public participation can help to improve future service design to meet the needs of end users. The Service Manual provides guidance on creating and running public services in accordance with the Service Standards, both of which are available on GOV.UK.
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Josh Dean:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made on the potential merits of using (a) local and (b) regional newspapers for government advertising. \p Georgia Gould: The Government selects media channels for communications based on reaching target audiences effectively. The Government values the important role of local and regional newspapers and is developing a Local Media Strategy. As part of this, the Cabinet Office and DCMS are exploring how to better utilise local press for government advertising.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent on equipment for civil servants to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Hilary Benn: The Northern Ireland Office has spent the following on the provision of equipment for use at home in order to facilitate workplace adjustments:

Year

Expenditure

2022

£2,103.23

2023

£27.98

2024

£22.09

The Northern Ireland Office has adopted the Civil Service Smarter Working model, with the majority of our staff designated as hybrid workers. As set out by the Cabinet Office, staff are expected to spend a minimum of 3 days a week, or 60% of their time in the office, or on official visits.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62540 on Journalism: Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with the Justice Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive on the number and proportion of cases that resulted in files being forwarded to the Prosecution Service for consideration. \p Hilary Benn: Responsibility for policing and justice in Northern Ireland, excluding national security matters, was devolved in 2010. Nevertheless, I hold regular meetings with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice to discuss areas of mutual interest and concern.

The UK Government is committed to media freedom and ensuring the safety of journalists, and to bringing to justice those responsible for crimes against journalists.
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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Solicitor General, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on her Department. \p Lucy Rigby: In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.

The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible.

The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of recognising (a) mental health conditions and (b) learning difficulties as distinct protected characteristics. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), and to championing the rights of individuals with mental health issues and learning difficulties who are afforded protection in relation to the protected characteristic of disability, where their condition meets the Act’s definition of disability.

The Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on a person’s ability to do normal daily activities.

The Act makes it clear that businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those who may not have physical disabilities.

The Act places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. The Act is clear that the failure by a service provider to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled person could amount to disability discrimination.

Similar strong protections apply in employment, where a reasonable adjustment applies where an employer is recruiting or already employing disabled people. Failure to make adjustments or generally treating disabled applicants or employees less favourably than others would amount to unlawful disability discrimination. Where the law is breached, disabled people may enforce their rights in court or at an employment tribunal.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the transparency data entitled Cabinet Office: Government Procurement Card spend over £500 - December 2024, published on 30 January 2025, for what reason her Department spent £790.50 on 23 December 2024 with Karen Newby Ltd under the category of interpretation. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Following the British Sign Language (BSL) Act coming into force in April 2022, which legally recognises BSL as a language of England, Scotland and Wales, a non-statutory BSL Advisory Board of 17 predominantly BSL users was established to advise the Government on matters of importance to Deaf people and on the implementation of the BSL Act. This payment represents a fee for British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation services to support the smooth running and accessible communication for the quarterly BSL Advisory Board meeting that took place in person on 6 November 2024.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance on members’ associations set up as limited companies (a) registering with the Commission to make political contributions and (b) reporting political donations. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Commission’s guidance for regulated donees sets out the reporting requirements for members associations.

Members associations are any type of organisation, including a limited company, whose membership wholly or mainly consists of members of one political party. There is no requirement for members associations which are limited companies to register with the Commission. Members associations must report to us any donations over £11,180 they receive towards their political activities within their party.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance on (a) companies and (b) unincorporated associations raising funds from foreign donations overseas and assigning proceeds for political (i) donations and (ii) donations in kind to (A) political parties and (B) regulated donees. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Commission’s guidance for political parties covers permissibility of donations from companies and unincorporated associations. If an organisation makes a donation on behalf of another source without disclosing the details of the original donor, this is likely to be an agency offence. The law places a responsibility on the recipient of a donation to ensure they are satisfied as to the identity of the donor, and that the donor is permissible

A company is a permissible donor if it is registered as a company at Companies House, is incorporated in the UK, and is carrying on business in the UK. An unincorporated association is permissible if it has more than one member, the main office is in the UK, and it is carrying on business or activities in the UK.

The Commission has highlighted that it remains possible for money from foreign sources to enter the UK electoral system, including through companies and unincorporated associations. There are no requirements for unincorporated associations to check that gifts they receive are from permissible sources, or on how company donations are funded. It has called for changes to ensure the system protects against foreign interference.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 56565 on Political Parties: Crypocurrencies, if he will publish the guidance on non-standard donations. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Commission’s published guidance on donation permissibility, includes information on cryptocurrencies.

This guidance states that the controls which apply to donations of crypto assets are the same as the controls which apply to other types of donations. Donations must be from permissible sources and recipients must establish the value in pounds of donations at the time of receipt.

The Commission is currently reviewing this guidance so it can offer parties specific advice on handling donations of crypto assets, considering ongoing developments in the regulation of these assets.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the value is of the (a) RDEL and (b) CDEL settlement for the Electoral Commission in each year of the Spending Review 2025; and what plans the Commission has to delivery efficiency savings. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Electoral Commission’s five-year Corporate Plan was approved by Parliament in February 2025. The plan outlines the benefits that the Commission’s work and spending will deliver for voters, electoral administrators and political parties and campaigners. The plan can be found on the Commission’s website.

The Commission’s budget per financial year (Westminster funding) is as follows:

Financial year

RDEL

CDEL

2025/26

£44.2m

£2.2m

2026/27

£47.5m

£2.7m

2027/28

£48.0m

£1.4m

2028/29

£68.5m

£1.3m

2029/30

£68.1m

£1.2m

The Commission also has funding arrangements with the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru for work related to devolved elections.

The Commission is fully committed to delivering value for money. It has recently made significant efficiency savings, including by sharing office space with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. It has also achieved a 50% reduction in energy consumption at its London office, and a reduction in the cost of providing staff laptops.

The Commission will continue work with the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission to ensure Parliament and voters have confidence in the Commission’s finances.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish NHS England’s uptake improvement plan to increase uptake of attendance for routine breast screening to the 80% target. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Health Service is planning to publish a Breast Screening Programme Uptake Improvement Plan to help improve uptake and address inequalities.

The plan supports breast screening service providers by developing national solutions, such as introducing digital options for sending out invitations and managing appointments, raising awareness of the importance of screening through the media, and facilitating learning and gathering evidence to inform programme policy, pathway changes, and guidance. Discovery work commenced with key stakeholders in 2023/24 to support the development of the plan, which highlights key deliverables from 2024/25 alongside future priorities. The programme of work will continue to evolve, reflecting and learning from ongoing improvements to the programme, including from data intelligence and digital innovation.
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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report entitled The ADHD crisis in the UK – A Call to Action by ADHD360, published in January 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department is aware of the report, and officials will consider its findings, alongside wider evidence, in future policy development.

NHS England has established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce which is working to bring 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 timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in the summer.

For the first time, NHS England will publish management information on ADHD prevalence and waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; it will soon release technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve primary care in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department is committed to ensuring that primary care services receive appropriate support and resources. We are investing an additional £889 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade and means we are reversing the recent trend with a rising share of total NHS resources going to general practice.

The Government has invested £82 million in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which has enabled the recruitment of over 1,500 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) across England since October 2024. This will increase the number of available appointments, secure the future supply of GPs and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents an uplift in funding of over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.

This 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 improve primary care, I understand Lancashire and South Cumbria (LSC) Integrated Care Board (ICB) has produced 2030 road maps for each professional group, designed to maximise skills and increase services provided. These plans are for the whole ICB footprint, including Fylde. Highlights from the plan include: the introduction of standard local enhanced services across LSC ensuring consistency of care for patients and increased funding to practices from 25 May 2025; redesigned urgent primary care access hubs from April 2027; increasing uptake of the Pharmacy First service; pilot programme to screen patients for cardiovascular disease within optometry practices; and implementation of the integrated dental access programme targeting care to those most at need.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of overseas recruitment in helping to tackle NHS dental workforce shortages. \p Stephen Kinnock: National Health Service dentistry has always valued the vital contribution made by internationally trained staff in delivering high quality dental care. At the same time, we are committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS. The Government plans to expand access to NHS dental care by recruiting new dentists to the areas that need them, and with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions, a central part of which will be our workforce. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

We have welcomed the additional sittings of both parts of the Overseas Registration Exam that the General Dental Council (GDC) has put in place. The GDC is working to put new ORE provider contracts in place in 2025 which will increase the flexibility and availability of the exam, further expanding capacity.

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.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS compliance with the Accessible Information Standard. \p Stephen Kinnock: Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss.

The AIS conformance criteria, published in 2016, set out how NHS organisations and publicly funded social care providers should comply with the AIS, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/patient-equalities-programme/equality-frameworks-and-information-standards/accessibleinfo/resources/assess-conformance/

The responsibility for monitoring compliance with the AIS sits with the commissioner of the service.
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Sarah Russell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will estimate how many four year-olds live in families that would be eligible for Healthy Start vouchers had their child not become ineligible on their fourth birthday. \p Ashley Dalton: The Healthy Start scheme helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from low-income households. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHSBSA does not hold data relating to children aged four years old and over.

Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
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Sarah Russell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the annual cost to the public purse of the Healthy Start scheme; and what proportion of this cost is attributed to (a) administration and (b) payments to families. \p Ashley Dalton: Healthy Start is a demand led scheme, and therefore, the cost of the scheme differs from year to year. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) delivers the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. In the financial year 2023/24, the cost to the public purse for the NHSBSA to administer the scheme was £9,620,000.

In the same financial year, the cost to the public purse for payments made to families in receipt of Healthy Start was £86,382,173.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission research on symptomatic cases of pineal cysts. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has previously supported research on pineal cysts at the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, with further details of this work available at the NIHR’s Open Data website, at the following link:

https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/pages/homepage/

The NIHR encourages anyone to submit suggestions for research, and welcomes suggestions at its website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic

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.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered providing dedicated capital funding for new (a) MRI and (b) CT scanners for radiotherapy departments. \p Ashley Dalton: The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the reforms needed to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) constitutional standard by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. This will include ensuring the diagnostic capacity, such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners, required to deliver on the standard.

As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, capital spending is set to increase to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, representing record levels of capital investment into healthcare.

This settlement includes a £1.65 billion capital investment to fund new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds, supporting National Health Service performance across secondary and emergency care in 2025/26. Of this, £70 million will fund new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment.

In addition, the Government is backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital in 2025/26, enabling systems to allocate funding to local priorities such as replacement diagnostic and radiotherapy equipment.

All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process.
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Sarah Russell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children live in families eligible for Healthy Start vouchers; and how many and what proportion of those children are in receipt of those vouchers. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

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

In April 2025 there were 361,122 people on the digital scheme, and of these there were 328,798 claims supporting children under four years old.

The NHSBSA does not currently hold data on the number of children living in families that are eligible for Healthy Start.
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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the allocated budget is for the smokefree pregnancy incentive scheme for the year 2025-26. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Smoke-free Pregnancy Incentives Scheme has a budget of £5.8 million for the financial year 2025/26, with future settlements being considered as part of the Spending Review process.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the use of block contracts for radiotherapy services, in the context of (a) recent trends in levels of patient numbers and (b) Lord Darzi's Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England, published in September 2024. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that the healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include ensuring adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including in remote and rural areas. This includes radiotherapy treatment. The Government will work to ensure that the best standard of healthcare is available no matter where people live.

Since April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines has been with local systems. However, the Government is investing £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it. There are no current plans to review the use of block contracts for radiotherapy services.

All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26, including this one, will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists entitled Co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, published on 13 May 2025. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to supporting more cohesive and joined-up care between mental health services and substance use services, to ensure people no longer fall through the gaps of treatment.

We know that, between 2023 and 2024, 72% of people starting drug and alcohol treatment also had a mental health treatment need. Furthermore, approximately 30 to 50% of people with serious mental illness have co-existing drug or alcohol use conditions. However, as the Royal College of Psychiatry’s report highlights, too often, people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs do not receive the joined up, person-centred care they require and deserve.

In response to this, the Department and NHS England are finalising the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Action Plan. In developing this plan, NHS England and the Department have worked with subject matter experts, including people with lived experience, academics, clinicians, and service providers, to set out a path to improving service provision for those with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs.

The action plan will build on current structures and initiatives such the Commissioning Quality Standard published in 2022. This standard provides guidance for drug and alcohol treatment commissioners on improving services for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol or drug conditions and how local services need to work together so that people can access the help they need.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to (a) launch a further review into and (b) consider the potential merits of (i) recognition and (ii) redress for people affected by the historic use of Primodos. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is sympathetic to the families who believe that they have suffered because of using hormone pregnancy tests.

An Expert Working Group of the Independent Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) reviewed the available scientific evidence in 2017 and concluded that the evidence does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Following a review of the more recent evidence, the CHM concluded in November 2024 that it does not provide any new scientific evidence demonstrating that the medicinal components of hormone pregnancy tests could disrupt a pregnancy.

It is not currently the Government’s intention to review the findings of the Expert Working Group, however we are committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence which may come to light.

Because a causal link between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy has not been demonstrated, the previous administration did not ask the Patient Safety Commissioner to look at redress for hormone pregnancy tests as part of the Hughes Report.
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Martin Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for (a) restless legs syndrome and (b) other rare conditions. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to providing high-quality care and support to people with all types of health conditions, including restless legs syndrome (RLS) and rare health conditions, to ensure that they live independent and healthier lives for longer. This means having access to the latest services and treatments, as well as supporting their families and unpaid carers.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence publishes clinical knowledge summaries (CKS) as a source of supporting information mainly for National Health Service staff working in primary care. The CKS on the diagnosis and clinical management of RLS was updated in February 2025 and is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/

General practitioners are supported on RLS by neurology referral or specialist Advice and Guidance. This includes 27 specialised neurological treatment centres across the NHS in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with RLS can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, and these include: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the framework, and published the annual England Action Plan in February 2025. The framework, published in January 2021, is available from the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-rare-diseases-framework
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which national body will be responsible for (a) quality assurance activities and (b) oversight of breast screening services after the commissioning of screening is delegated. \p Ashley Dalton: As set out in the NHS England Board paper of 6 February 2025, it is proposed that the development and maintenance of service specifications and minimum service requirements, quality assurance, and the overall oversight of screening services will remain a national function.

In light of the recently announced organisational changes, a review of screening delegation decisions is being undertaken, alongside other directly commissioned services.

Work is progressing at pace to map functions, appraise options, and inform decision making on where NHS England’s current functions will best sit in the future. There are important choices to be made, and ministers and senior departmental officials are working with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-22 conversation_17

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve diabetes care. \p Ashley Dalton: In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that people with diabetes are offered eight annual care processes in primary care, those being measurement of HbA1c, lipids, creatinine, albuminuria, blood pressure and body mass index, ascertainment of smoking status, and examination of the feet, to assess modifiable risk factors and facilitate the early identification of diabetic complications. These annual diabetes reviews are associated with reduced emergency admissions, amputations, retinopathy, and mortality.

In addition to these health checks, the National Health Service is working to provide eligible patients with diabetes access to technologies which have been shown to improve diabetes care. Data from the National Diabetes Audit suggests that the number of people with type 2 diabetes using continuous glucose monitoring is increasing. In 2022/23, 37,000 people were using continuous glucose monitoring, rising to 95,000 people in 2023/24, and to 155,000 people in 2024/25. Metrics that are useful for health systems to monitor access to glucose monitoring will be published later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who will be responsible for (a) identifying and (b) addressing (i) risks and (ii) safety failures in national screening programmes after the abolition of NHS England. \p Ashley Dalton: National Health Service screening programmes save approximately 10,000 lives every year, and enable many other people to make better informed decisions around their health.

Work is progressing at pace to map functions, appraise options, and inform decision making on where NHS England’s current functions will best sit in the future. There are important choices to be made, and ministers and senior departmental officials are working with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-22 conversation_19

Gregor Poynton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish updated advice from the UK Chief Medical Officer on the potential impact of excessive screen time and social media use on children’s (a) mental and (b) physical health. \p Ashley Dalton: We are committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and giving mental health the same importance as physical health.

Children are being brought up in increasingly digitised environments and are facing new and complex challenges in their childhoods.

We welcome further research exploring the relationship between screentime and social media use and children’s physical and mental health. Departmental policies will remain agile in light of this emerging evidence base.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to ensure that non-mRNA covid vaccines are made available via the NHS to people unable to receive mRNA vaccines. \p Ashley Dalton: All vaccines in the United Kingdom must be authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) before they can be placed on the United Kingdom’s market. The updated 2024/25 Novavax (Nuvaxovid) COVID-19 vaccine has not been authorised by the MHRA.

The COVID-19 chapter of the publication, Immunisation against infectious diseases, also known as the Green Book, details that there are very few individuals who cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccines approved in the UK. The Green Book Chapter 14a can be found on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-the-green-book-chapter-14a

Published advice recommends that anyone with a prior allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccines should be seen by an expert allergist and, after a review of the individual’s risks and benefits of vaccination, where vaccination is indicated, they could then be vaccinated in hospital under clinical supervision. NHS England will continue to follow this clinical guidance and offer mRNA vaccination under expert supervision in a hospital setting. This advice can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/COVID-19-vaccine/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-22 conversation_21

Sarah Edwards:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of regional differences in access to treatment for cholangiocarcinoma patients. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to reducing waiting times for cancer treatment and improving access to treatment across England, including for cholangiocarcinoma patients. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment.

We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing the total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. Furthermore, it will ensure all patients, including cholangiocarcinoma patients, have access to the latest treatments and technology. These actions will help bring 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 (2025-05-22)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the causes of diabetes. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is actively tackling the root causes of type 2 diabetes. We are restricting junk food advertising on television and online, limiting school children's access to fast food, and are taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit-for-purpose.

Through programmes such as the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme we are supporting individuals aged 18 to 80 years old to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes through behavioural changes. As of December 2024, over 2.3 million people have been offered support through the programme, and an independent evaluation showed a 37% relative reduction in diabetes risk in those who completed the programme.

Additionally, the Department’s Better Health resources include free evidence-based apps, websites, and other digital tools, to support people to make and sustain changes to their health and reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, including the NHS Weight Loss app, the Food Scanner App, Couch to 5K, and Active 10. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, and the exact causes of it are unknown.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-22 conversation_23

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness of preventable complications associated with diabetes. \p Ashley Dalton: In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with diabetes are offered eight annual care processes in primary care, those being measurement of HbA1c, lipids, creatinine, albuminuria, blood pressure and body mass index, ascertainment of smoking status, and examination of the feet, to assess modifiable risk factors and facilitate the early identification of diabetic complications.

These annual diabetes reviews are associated with reduced emergency admissions, amputations, retinopathy, and mortality.