theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Jessica Toale:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department has taken to provide additional clarity to businesses when engaging with HMRC to ensure compliance with money laundering regulations. \p Dan Tomlinson: HM Revenue & Customs supports supervised businesses by engaging through a range of channels, providing effective information and guidance. HMRC publishes detailed guidance on how to comply with the money laundering regulations, documents explaining risks for each supervised sector, and additional ad-hoc alerts.

HMRC supplements the core guidance and risk documents through education delivered via various methods including mailings, webinars and YouTube videos. HMRC also regularly engages with supervised sectors through trade bodies, representative groups and directly with major operators, enabling two-way feedback on sector developments, risks and compliance issues.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) the UK and (b) Buckingham and Bletchley constituency have exported to China in the last three years. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC releases information as Official Statistics called the Trade in Goods by Business Characteristics, which is available via gov.uk. (www.uktradeinfo.com).

Trade in Goods by Business Characteristics includes exports to certain pre-selected Partner Countries that includes China. This data includes exports by Business Size (Number of employees) broken down by the following categories: 0; 1 to 9; 10 to 49; 50 to 249; 250+; Unknown. The user will be able to work out SME by aggregating the first four categories in this list.

Links to the relevant releases for 2021, 2022, and 2023 are below (see tab “2. Business Size” on each release):

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/637ce265d3bf7f5a0b33f87f/UK_TIG_by_Business_Characteristics_2021_Country_Tables.xlsx

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6554d441d03a8d001207f9a7/UK_TIG_by_Business_Characteristics_2022_Country_Level_Tables.xlsx

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6734b5f4f6920bfb5abc7a75/UK_TIG_by_Business_Characteristics_2023_Country_Level_Tables.xlsx

The release for 2024 data will be published on 27 November 2025.

The breakdown by Business Size (Number of Employees) is not available for areas smaller than UK as a whole.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Ian Murray: We do not collect data on the number of workdays that were completed remotely.

Our London headquarters office occupancy is monitored via anonymised entry pass swipe data and is published on gov.uk on a monthly basis starting October 2024, and to date is as follows:

Oct-24

Nov-24

Dec-24

Jan-25

Feb-25

Mar-25

Apr-25

May-25

Jun-25

73%

71%

59%

76%

78%

71%

69%

72%

62%
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Minister for Gambling plans to respond to the correspondence of 24 March 2025 from the hon. Member for Hazel Grove, Ref LS04145. \p Ian Murray: DCMS did not receive the Hon Member’s letter until her office was contacted on 23 July, on receipt of this question. Baroness Twycross replied via return letter, with reference MC2025/07636/GT, on 26 August. We apologise for the delay.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how does StormShroud function autonomously as part of the RAF’s Autonomous Collaborative Platforms. \p Luke Pollard: StormShroud supports RAF F-35B Lightning and Typhoon pilots by jamming enemy radars, which increases the survivability and operational effectiveness of our crewed aircraft. As StormShroud is the first Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) introduced into RAF service it does not currently function autonomously with other ACP as it is the first platform and no other ACPs exist yet to collaborate with yet. StormShroud may be directly controlled from a ground station or operate autonomously at range, where it confuses or jams adversary radar. However, I am withholding the exact nature of the autonomous behaviour as it would harm the security or effectiveness of the Armed Forces.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghans who (a) worked for British forces and (b) are dependents of people who worked for British forces were brought to the United Kingdom via the Afghan Response Route. \p Luke Pollard: Approximately 4,500 people have been relocated or are in transit to the UK via the ARR (900 principal applicants and 3,600 eligible family members). ARR eligibility was only granted for those individuals who were previously thought to be at highest risk of targeting by the Taleban as a result of their personal details being included in the February 2022 data incident under the previous Government..

It is not possible to provide a breakdown of relocation figures by job role, including those who worked directly for British Forces, at this time.
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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent with Straight Flight Nevada Commercial Leasing LLC since October 2023. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence has been conducting unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the sole purpose of locating hostages.

The UK controls what information is passed on to Israeli authorities and only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authority, and only when we believe it will be used in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.

I cannot comment on these matters further for reasons of operational security.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the British Army. \p Luke Pollard: The British Army has been actively procuring and developing drone (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) capabilities to enhance situational awareness, reconnaissance, and combat effectiveness. These efforts align with the broader modernisation goals outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. Current examples include Project CORVUS and Project TIQUILA.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military personnel work at the National Space Operations Centre. \p Al Carns: The National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) is staffed by civilian and military personnel and acts as a central hub for UK Control of Space operations, working in collaboration with the UK Space Agency and the Met Office. No 1 Space Operations Squadron is the military component of NSpoC with over 50 military personnel monitoring space activity and defending the UK's ability to operate in space.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to review the policy on compensation for families of nuclear test veterans. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: This Government recognises the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to national security and is committed to working with Veterans and listening to their concerns. We have amended the criteria for the commemorative Nuclear Test Medal and are examining unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority.

The protection, health and welfare of those involved in the atmospheric tests was a vital consideration, as shown by the detailed documented safety measures and radiobiological monitoring that took place during the operations. An independently conducted longitudinal study of Nuclear Test Veterans who took part in the UK military nuclear test programme between 1952 to 1967, has been analysed four times over several decades. All analyses have consistently demonstrated that total cancer and mortality rates amongst Nuclear Test Veterans are aligned with those serving contemporaneously in the UK Armed Forces who did not participate in the testing programme and were lower than for the general population.

Those who participated in the nuclear test programme and feel they were negatively impacted are able to apply to the War Pensions Scheme for compensation.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of nurses qualifying this summer have secured nursing jobs in the UK. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold the data requested. Nurses, upon graduation, may take up registered nursing roles in a range of organisations such as local authorities, social care providers, charities, or private sector providers, as well as in the National Health Service.

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for NHS trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Peter Lamb:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the age profile of CT and MRI scanners in use across NHS trusts; what steps he has taken to develop guidelines on optimal scanner replacement cycles; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of modernising the imaging fleet with newer technologies on (a) scanner capacity, (b) diagnostic throughput and (c) patient outcomes. \p Karin Smyth: We are committed to ensuring that imaging services are supported to be as resilient and effective as possible, including reviewing the standards of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners.

In recognising the risks that outdated scanners present to service delivery, resilience, quality of care, and equity of access, NHS England has published guidance referencing the optimal cycle for CT and MRI scanner replacement as 10 years. The Diagnostic Imaging Network Capital Equipment Planning Guide (2021) was developed alongside the Royal College of Radiologists, Society of Radiographers, and Institute of Physics and Engineering, and outlines the expectation for timely and planned equipment replacement.

NHS England monitors the number, age, and distribution of imaging assets across England via its annual, retrospective National Imaging Data Collection. The latest publication from March 2024 focuses on the assets reported within the collection, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/national-imaging-data-collection/

Whilst National Health Service providers maintain their own capital budgets for replacing imaging equipment that has reached its expected end of life, over the last five years approximately £260 million of national capital investment has been deployed to support replacement of failing and antiquated CT and MRI systems. This supported a reduction in the proportion of CT and MRI scanners over 10 years old in recent years to 17%, as of March 2024. NHS England has also developed national recommendations for equipment specification which are regularly reviewed. The standardisation of scanner specifications for imaging departments and the inclusion of new technologies ensures appropriate standards for purchase. An example of this is the addition of MRI acceleration software to national specifications ensuring that replacement MRI scanners can deliver a 30% reduction in some scan times, increasing throughput, environmental efficiency, and service resilience simultaneously.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed abolition of NHS England on the (a) recruitment and (b) training of NHS staff. \p Karin Smyth: Over the next two years, NHS England, including its functions for workforce, training, and education, will be brought into the Department. This will reduce duplication and bureaucracy, with savings from unnecessary administration costs allowing us to put more resources back into the front line and empower National Health Service staff to deliver better care for patients.

It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.

Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of medical students who graduated at the end of the 2024-25 academic year who will begin work in the NHS in the 2025-26 academic year. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold the information requested.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published 3 July 2025, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training. We will also prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out next steps in due course.

Over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of pay for resident doctors. \p Karin Smyth: The Government allows the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) to make recommendations on headline pay for doctors, including resident doctors. Within their report they make an assessment on the level of pay with regard to various factors such as recruitment and retention.

We received the latest DDRB report at the end of April and on 22 May 2025, the Government announced the 2025/26 pay awards for National Health Service staff in England. The Government accepted the headline pay recommendations of the DDRB, which meant that resident doctors were awarded an, on average, 5.4% uplift to pay.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has held several meetings with the British Medical Association’s Resident Doctors Committee chairs to discuss pay and wider working conditions since the report was received.

Resident doctors received the highest pay award of the entire public sector this year, an average 28.9% pay rise compared to three years ago.

The process for the 2026/27 pay round is already underway, with the Department setting out the remit to the DDRB in July. The DDRB report, which was submitted earlier this year, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-body-on-doctors-and-dentists-remuneration-fifty-third-report-2025
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take account of the age profile of communities in Cornwall when allocating resources for health and social care in that area. \p Karin Smyth: Integrated care boards (ICBs), including the Cornwall Isles of Scilly ICB, receive funding allocations from NHS England to pay for the services they commission. Most funding is allocated as a non-ringfenced budget, informed by a calculation of what would constitute a ‘fair share’ of funding based on a formula that takes account of population, age, need, deprivation and health inequalities considerations.

NHS England published a ‘Technical Guide to Allocation Formulae and Convergence’ that sets out the methodology; the formula takes into account age profiles in the modelling of the need for health care services by recognising that older populations typically have a higher need per capita. The guide is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PRN01601-technical-guide-to-allocation-formulae-and-convergence-for-2025-to-2026-revenue-allocations.pdf
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on the effectiveness of its procedures for ensuring that (a) formal governance processes and (b) approved plans and programmes cannot be undermined by NHS senior leaders. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular meetings with NHS England to discuss the effectiveness of procedures to hold healthcare leaders accountable for delivering on the Government’s priorities.

There are clear expectations for National Health Service senior leaders, aligned with the NHS Leadership Compact, the Fit and Proper Person Test Framework, and the Nolan Principles. NHS England addresses concerns about poor behaviours through established human resources and governance channels.

On 21 July 2025, we set out plans to regulate NHS managers via a statutory barring system. We will take forward legislative changes so that the Health and Care Professions Council can operate a barring mechanism for NHS board-level managers and their direct reports within this Parliament.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to strengthen protections for mental health nurses in the workplace. \p Karin Smyth: Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work, including those in mental health settings. Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place measures, including, security, training and emotional support for staff affected by violence.

In April 2025, the Government announced that the Social Partnership Forum’s recommendations on tackling and reducing violence, part of the 2023 Agenda for Change pay deal, have been accepted. These include significant commitments to tackle violence and aggression against NHS staff including improving data and reporting of incidences and ensuring strengthened risk assessment, training and support for victims. This will be strengthened by the introduction of a new set of staff standards, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan, which will cover issues including tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace.
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department requires health and social care staff in multi-agency safeguarding hubs to receive safeguarding training on the risks of non-intimate partner coercive and controlling behaviour of older victims. \p Karin Smyth: All National Health Service staff are required to complete mandatory safeguarding training which includes a focus on domestic abuse. Coercive and controlling behaviour is included within the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act’s definition of Domestic Abuse. Staff will undertake further safeguarding training relevant to their role.

NHS Safeguarding regularly shares awareness and learning for staff via national, regional, and local safeguarding networks through collaboration with peer advocacy and lived-experience services for victims. Learning materials include information on non-intimate partner coercive and controlling behaviour of older victims.

For non-NHS staff working in multi-agency safeguarding hubs, local authorities have a statutory duty to make enquiries about safeguarding concerns under the Care Act 2014.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support individuals with endometriosis in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships and their participation in education and the workforce. In the Surrey Heath constituency, Frimley Park Hospital is a British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy-accredited endometriosis centre, with the capacity to manage severe cases of endometriosis. The centre is working towards becoming cross-site, supporting women at Wexham Park Hospital and Frimley Park Hospital, offering more specialist staff to support the service.

In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73)www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the terms and conditions for non-executive board member appointments agreed to by Alan Milburn. \p Karin Smyth: We will not be publishing personal appointment letters, which include terms and conditions of appointment, sent to Departmental non-executive board members. The terms and conditions are in line with those for other public appointments made by the Department and include the need to abide by Cabinet Office’s Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies.

The role of board members, their salary, time commitment and political activity are all already in the public domain.
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has provided guidance for health and care staff on non-intimate partner coercive and controlling behaviour of older victims. \p Karin Smyth: All National Health Service staff are required to complete mandatory safeguarding training which includes a focus on violence and abuse. The training reflects the definitions in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and accompanying statutory guidance which includes coercive and controlling behaviour.

NHS Safeguarding regularly shares awareness and learning for staff via national, regional, and local safeguarding networks through collaboration with peer advocacy and lived-experience services for victims. Learning materials include information on non-intimate partner coercive and controlling behaviour towards older victims.
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve retention rates for doctors. \p Karin Smyth: As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later in 2025 setting out how we will ensure staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

We will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.

We have made significant progress over the past year to improve the working lives of resident doctors. This includes agreeing an improved exception reporting system which will ensure doctors are compensated fairly for the additional work that they do and reviewing how resident doctors rotate through their training.

NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is monitoring the number of administrative staff working in NHS back office functions; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in those staff on (a) front-line staffing and (b) waiting lists. \p Karin Smyth: The Department monitors monthly Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England which are published by NHS England. These cover staff employed by hospital trusts and integrated care boards. The published statistics include data for the National Health Service infrastructure workforce, which includes NHS managers, staff working in central functions, such as human resources and finance, and staff working in property and estates roles. These are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

No specific central assessment of the impact of changes in the levels of NHS infrastructure roles has been undertaken by the Department but local bodies were tasked through the 2025-26 NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance to review and monitor expenditure on non-frontline staff in order to prioritise frontline care. This guidance also reiterates the ambition of meeting nationally the target of 65% of patients being seen within 18 weeks, along with a minimum 5% improvement, that was set out in the Elective Reform Plan.
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts to improve patient safety for UK residents undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad. \p Karin Smyth: The Department maintains a dialogue with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office colleagues in countries of interest to improve patient safety for United Kingdom residents undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad, as well as strengthening our bilateral engagement through discussions with health official counterparts in destination countries to improve patient pathways.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to make workforce data transparent at (a) trust and (b) ICB level. \p Karin Smyth: There are a range of data sources published by NHS England relating to staff employed by National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards (ICB) in England, including monthly data on NHS workforce statistics, including information on the current staff in post as well as turnover. This information is provided at a trust level and ICB level as well as at a national level, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

There is also monthly data on sickness absence rates for staff working in the NHS. As well as containing data on national sickness absence rates across staff groups, this data is also available at an ICB and trust level at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-sickness-absence-rates

There is also quarterly data on vacancy rates in NHS trusts at a regional level, available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-vacancies-survey

The above is also, on an ad hoc basis, published at trust level, such as in the supplementary release available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/supplementary-information/2024/total-vacancy-rates-by-org-since-201718

Additionally, the results of the annual NHS Staff Survey are also available at trust level at the following link:

https://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/results/national-results/

The Department and NHS England continue to review and develop available data sources on the NHS workforce at a local level.
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Sarah Owen:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on pay for specialist community public health nurses. \p Karin Smyth: Specialist community public health nurses in England are typically paid on the National Health Service’s Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system.

Annual AfC pay awards are decided following recommendations from the independent NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB). We accepted the 2025/26 recommendations in full, and the Government has asked the NHSPRB to begin the 2026/27 pay round. Relevant stakeholders are invited to submit evidence to the NHSPRB to inform its deliberations.

Officials and ministers continue to engage with AfC unions on pay and contractual matters via the NHS Staff Council.
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the average cost per patient to the NHS for treating complications from cosmetic surgery undertaken abroad. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not have data on the overall costs to the National Health Service for treating complications from cosmetic procedures conducted overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on (a) the appointment of a single Chair for two different NHS Trusts and (b) ensuring that the effectiveness of those Trusts' (i) governance, (ii) accountability and (iii) local representation are not compromised by such arrangements. \p Karin Smyth: The Government and NHS England support and expect collaboration between National Health Service trusts. Shared leadership, including having a shared chair, is one way which trusts can collaborate to address the issues they are facing.

With any governance model they have in place, NHS trusts are required to meet the conditions in the NHS provider licence to ensure that organisations operate in a way that is safe, financially sustainable, cooperative, and accountable.

Trusts can work with their regional NHS England teams to discuss potential shared leadership arrangements to ensure that governance and accountability remain effective, while realising the benefits of collaboration.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the use of (a) agency and (b) locum staff on reducing waiting lists. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has not made an assessment and has no plans to make an assessment on the impact of regional variations in staff vacancy rates, the time taken to recruit into nursing roles, or the use of agency and bank staff, on elective waiting list lengths.

NHS England published its planning guidance for 2025/26 in January 2025. This guidance sets out clear priorities for the National Health Service including delivery of the interim electives ambition of meeting nationally 65% of patients being seen within 18 weeks, along with a minimum 5% improvement, that was set out in the Elective Reform Plan.

It is for trusts and integrated care boards to manage staffing of all professions, including through use of agency and bank staff, to deliver on these priorities within their agreed financial allocations.
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Gareth Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of Northwick Park Hospital on cancer in the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust provides cancer services at Northwick Park, Central Middlesex, Ealing, and St Mark's Hospitals, with speciality cancer teams at each site. Performance data on cancer pathways is reported at trust level.

The trust demonstrated strong performance up to mid-2023, particularly for the Faster Diagnosis Standard, with 84.7% performance in July 2023 being 14.7 percentage points above the 75% standard, and the 31-day treatment standard, with 100% performance in July 2023 being four percentage points above the 96% standard.

From mid-202,3 data quality issues and a temporary reduction in activity following the implementation of Cerner, an electronic patient record system, plus capacity constraints, saw a decline in performance. Backlogs increased with the number of patients waiting over 104 days for treatment peaking significantly.

A recovery programme was implemented to reduce the backlog, using real-time data to drive action and accountability. Actions included increasing the trust’s capacity and workforce, with specialist nurses, radiographers, and consultants, plus extended hours and weekend clinics. Rapid triage and assessment pathways led to faster diagnosis, along with expanded one-stop clinics, especially for breast cancer and gynaecology, with more patients also being sent straight to test for lower gastrointestinal cancers.

By early 2025, the number of patients wating more than 104 days was close to zero, with a steady improvement seen in two-week waits and the Faster Diagnosis Standard. As the trust has started to stabilise its backlog, there has been significant improvement in the 62 day performance target with the trust continuing to be above the London target of 70%.

Latest waiting time performance from July 2025 has been promising, with the trust achieving 81.5% Faster Diagnosis Standard performance and 100% 31-day treatment performance. 62-day referral to first treatment performance was 83%, one of the best in the country.

Full cancer performance figures are published in the trust’s annual report, which is available at the following link:

https://www.lnwh.nhs.uk/annual-report-and-accounts
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to (a) NHS local health boards and (b) trusts on treating jellyfish stings. \p Karin Smyth: The General Medical Council sets the overall standards and outcomes for medical training, and the Royal Colleges develop the specific curricula for each medical specialty.

The Department does not provide guidance to National Health Service trusts or integrated care boards on this topic. Patient-facing information on how to treat jellyfish stings is already available on the NHS website.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for radiotherapy treatment. \p Karin Smyth: Radiotherapy is vital in cancer care, and it remains a key priority for the Government to reduce radiotherapy waiting times and provide the highest quality of treatment available. This is why the Government has invested £70 million of central funding on 28 new radiotherapy machines across the country to replace older machines. These new machines are more efficient meaning that more patients can be seen more quickly. This will help to reduce waiting times for cancer patients.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of NHS England on levels of NHS service provision, in the context of (a) the closure of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme and (b) and reductions in levels of availability of hyperbaric chamber services. \p Karin Smyth: Volunteers play an important role supporting and complementing National Health Service services, staff, and patients but they do not replace staff or services. Following the closure of the NHS Volunteer Responders programme, all volunteers have been signposted to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering. Referrers were informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 70,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles, as well as many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support.

NHS England is committed to ensuring equitably accessible, high-quality services, for anyone who requires Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). This will be achieved through the commissioning of six geographically dispersed services across England. The geographical scope of these services will ensure that there are no more than four hours travelling time by road from coastal locations, furthest borders or between neighbouring commissioned HBOT centres. This is in line with good practice guidelines.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 66246 on General Practitioners: Recruitment, what the minimum length would be of that significant period. \p Karin Smyth: The 10-Year Health Plan set out that we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on local clinical services. \p Karin Smyth: Following the announcement that NHS England will be abolished as an arm’s length body and replaced by a new Department of Health and Social Care, a transformation programme has been launched, led by Richard Barker as Senior Responsible Officer.

It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. Evidence from these ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.

The new Department will operate in a leaner, more agile and more efficient way and empower staff at all levels of the health system, including local clinical systems, to deliver better care for patients, drive productivity up and get waiting times down. This change will set local National Health Service providers free to innovate, develop new productive ways of working, and focus on what matters most.

The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of headcount reductions in (a) NHS England, (b) his Department and (c) Integrated Care Boards on the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan. \p Karin Smyth: Following the announcement that NHS England will be abolished as an arm’s length body and replaced by a new Department of Health and Social Care, a transformation programme has been launched, led by Richard Barker as Senior Responsible Officer.

It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, including headcount reductions in NHS England and the Department, as is due process. Evidence from these ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.

To support future planning, NHS England has published the Model ICB Blueprint, which sets out the strategic role of integrated care boards (ICBs). Their responsibilities will continue to focus on population health management, including understanding local needs, developing long-term strategies, allocating resources, and evaluating impact.

The new Department will operate in a leaner, more agile and more efficient way and empower staff at all levels of the health system to deliver better care for patients, drive productivity up and get waiting times down. This change will set local National Health Service providers free to innovate, develop new productive ways of working, and focus on what matters most.

The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.
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Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with trade unions on the (a) pay and (b) conditions of NHS support staff. \p Karin Smyth: My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has had recent meetings with a number of general secretaries and health leads from trade unions representing staff on the Agenda for Change contract, including Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and GMB. Those meetings have focused on ways Government can continue to work with trade unions to improve working conditions for National Health Service staff, including NHS support staff, and how we can address concerns with pay within the current economic context.

The Department regularly discusses workforce policy and staff experience matters for NHS support staff through the Social Partnership Forum, which is a national forum where NHS employers, trade unions, and the Department work together on issues that affect the NHS. In addition, the Department also engages with the NHS Staff Council, which has responsibility for maintaining the Agenda for Change system of pay and terms and conditions.