theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

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Joy Morrissey:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of family businesses that may be required to (a) sell and (b) downsize as a result of the reduction in Business Property Relief; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the behavioural responses on the public finances. \p James Murray: The value of an ownership of a business, or share of a business, is included in an estate for inheritance tax purposes. Business property relief reduces the value of the interest in the business or its assets when calculating how much inheritance tax is due on the value of the estate.

Excluding claims by estates only holding shares designed as “not listed” on recognised stock exchanges, the Government has set out that around 500 estates claiming business property relief only in 2026-27 are expected to pay more inheritance tax as a result of the reforms announced at Autumn Budget 2024. Any potential impact on businesses will depend on the individual circumstances, including the size of the inheritance tax liability, the ownership structure, and the value of non-business assets in an estate available to pay a liability. Furthermore, where any inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can in most circumstances pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) does not expect the reforms to have any significant macroeconomic impacts.

The behavioural impact of policies is accounted for in the normal way in the costings certified by the independent OBR. The OBR recently published more detail on the costings for the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief, including the potential behavioural responses, at https://obr.uk/download/october-2024-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-costing-of-changes-to-agricultural-and-business-property-relief/?tmstv=xx-xxxx-xxxx.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were in receipt of (a) Statutory Maternity Pay, (b) Statutory Paternity Pay, (c) Statutory Adoption Pay and (d) Statutory Shared Parental Pay in the (i) 2019-20 (ii) 2020-21 (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial year. \p James Murray: Data for the number of people in receipt of Statutory Maternity pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, and Statutory Shared Parental Pay is provided in the table below.

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

Statutory Maternity Pay

647,800

627,200

636,000

627,500

Statutory Paternity Pay

208,000

176,400

204,200

195,300

Statutory Adoption Pay

4,900

4,400

4,600

4,500

Statutory Shared Parental Pay

13,000

11,200

13,000

14,200

Notes:

1) Data collected using HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) and extracted in December 2024. RTI is subject to revision or updates.

2) Claimants number has been rounded to nearest 100.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the Office for Budget Responsibility on the inheritance tax changes to agricultural land and property made at the Autumn Budget 2024. \p James Murray: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published information on the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 30 October 2024. This is available at https://obr.uk/economic-and-fiscal-outlooks/.

The OBR recently published more detail on the costings at https://obr.uk/download/october-2024-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-costing-of-changes-to-agricultural-and-business-property-relief/?tmstv=xx-xxxx-xxxx.
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Andy McDonald:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department plans to take to enable the government to break with outsourced government contracts in the case where the desired outcomes are not delivered. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The National Procurement Policy Statement will set out the Government’s policy priorities, and contracting authorities will have to have regard to it when carrying out procurements. The Policy Statement will consult on introducing a new public interest test to assess whether work should be outsourced or if it could be done more effectively and drive better value for money in-house.

We have begun to assess the areas of Government that could be done more effectively in house, and where there may be compelling reasons for Government to develop their own capabilities and capacity to deliver good value for money and better public services.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the UK Government provided any (a) funding, (b) financial assistance or (c) official support for Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Mauritius in 2013. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Prime Minister visited Mauritius in a private capacity in November 2013. This was after stepping down as Director of Public Prosecutions.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 25863 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether the Royal Household helicopter new transport is being arranged through a Cabinet Office framework. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: No. The Royal Household makes independent arrangements for Royal Helicopter transport.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26823 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether the contract Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited is the commercial transport contract referred to by the Ministry of Defence in the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 21064; and what the name is of the company providing the helicopter service. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Corporate Travel Management is the commercial transport contract referred to. No single company provides all helicopter transport, with a range of providers employed under the Commercial Air Transport Contract. This contract uses Central Travel Management to identify the most cost-effective commercially available helicopter travel for Ministry of Defence Ministers, senior Department officials and senior officers, alongside Cabinet Office and wider Government Ministers. Detail of the Cabinet Office Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited (CTM can be found at the following Contracts Finder link:

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/da014209-47d7-4805-8097-e191d7d1077f?origin=SearchResults&p=1
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2025 to Question 25004 on Infected Blood Compensation Scheme: Hepatitis, what steps he is taking to improve the application process for compensation (a) in general and (b) for people with a line of succession to victims. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The delivery of compensation payments, including the application process, is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). IBCA made its first payments to a small cohort of eligible infected people in December 2024, and has steadily increased the number of people invited to claim. This “test and learn” approach of trialling a system with a small number of people is to make sure it works properly, before increasing the number of users. The Government expects payments to eligible affected people to begin this year. Both the Government and IBCA remain committed to ensuring payments are made as soon as possible.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2024 to Question 4669 on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, whether his policy on collation of data for Senior Civil Service appointments has changed since July 2024. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The policy on collation of data for senior civil service appointments across government remains the same as when the Rt Hon member was in Cabinet Office.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to amend paragraph 8.13 of the Ministerial Code, published on 6 November 2024, to provide guidance on whether meetings with social media organisations should be published on a quarterly basis. \p Georgia Gould: Details of ministers’ and senior officials’ official meetings with external individuals and organisations, including with social media organisations, are already published on a quarterly basis.

Data for the period of July to September 2024 was published by departments on the 30th January 2025.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of reviewing the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 in relation to the provisions around the appointment of bishops within the Church of England. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Government introduced legislation on 13 February to remove the legal barrier to Roman Catholics holding the office of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This short and narrowly-focused Bill facilitates the upcoming appointment of the first Roman Catholic Lord High Commissioner for the next General Assembly in May.
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Andy McDonald:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to tackle(a) insecure work and (b) level of pay for workers employed in outsourced services in government departments. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Employment Rights Bill will ensure the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. This will include the introduction of the Two-Tier Code which will ensure fair and equitable employment conditions for public sector workers who have been transferred and private sector workers who work alongside them on public service contracts.
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Andy Slaughter:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether it is his policy to not (a) encourage and (b) support UK businesses seeking involvement in (i) economic and (ii) financial activities in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The UK government has a clear position that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We do not encourage or offer support to economic and financial activity in the settlements, and our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering, as is our commitment to international law. We advise British businesses to consider the UK government's stance towards settlements when considering their investments and activities in the region.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on distributing compensation for people impacted by failures in the Horizon system. \p Gareth Thomas: Government has made significant progress in delivering redress to postmasters affected by the Post Office Horizon Scandal. As of 31 January 2025, approximately £663 million has been paid to over 4,300 claimants across 4 schemes, an increase of £427 million since the end of June 2024. There is however more to do.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a strategic industry register to document key industries and companies of national significance. \p Sarah Jones: The modern Industrial Strategy focuses on eight growth-driving sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defense, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Professional and Business Services.

For each, an ambitious sector plan will be designed in partnership with business, devolved governments, regions and other stakeholders, through bespoke arrangements tailored to each sector. The industrial strategy, alongside sector plans for the growth-driving sectors, will be published in spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year spending review.
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Chris Bloore:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the contribution of football clubs to local economies. \p Stephanie Peacock: Football clubs deliver significant economic benefits to their local economies. Analysis from 2024 showed that the Premier League and its clubs alone support over 90,000 jobs. Football clubs also deliver indirect economic benefits to the local communities they serve, attracting visitors, and bringing increased footfall to the hospitality, retail, and transport sectors.

The influence of clubs also extends beyond football, fostering economic growth, social cohesion, and a strong sense of local identity. Clubs often engage in community initiatives, and contribute to civic identity and pride in place. For example, Club Community Organisations in the English Football League (EFL) contribute £63 million to community and social projects each year, and The Premier League Charitable Fund has a three-year budget of around £100 million to support community organisations.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many legal migrants have come to the UK since 5 July 2024; and from which countries. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office publishes statistics on people coming to the UK on different routes, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The ‘How many people come to the UK each year?’ chapter gives an overview.

The Office for National Statistics publish information on International migration, including the number of long-term migrants coming to the UK.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2023, published on 11 September 2024, and to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, for what reason there was an increase in ‘other dogs’ uses between 2022 and 2023. \p Dan Jarvis: The 2023 Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain, provides details of the uses of the animals. The purposes of use of the 205 ‘other dogs’ in experimental procedures are in Table 3.2. The purposes, and numbers of dogs used, are: Basic Research (55 for Immune System, 32 Multisystemic and 47 Ethology, Animal Behaviour and Animal Biology Work), and 71 in Translational/Applied Research: Animal Diseases and Disorders. The baseline numbers of animals used will be dependent on a range of extraneous factors.

In all licensed work, the Home Office assures that the minimum number of animals are used, each of which experience the minimum level of harm in achieving the scientific outcome sought.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 21 January 2025 to Questions 23569 and 23568 on Animal Experiments, what steps she is taking to ensure that more (a) establishments are audited, (b) audits are unannounced and (c) animals are not subjected to additional harms through failures to provide adequate care. \p Dan Jarvis: All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals under ASPA in Great Britain, are subject to the full requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This provides for a regulatory regimen of activities that protects animals in science including facilities audits by the Home Office to ensure compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA. Each establishment will receive an audit at least every three years if it does not hold special species and at least every year if it holds specially protected species.

The Regulator is presently undertaking a structured programme of reforms. This will increase the total number of Inspectors from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025.
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Alberto Costa:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a response to the Animals in Science Committee's research entitled Commission of advice: non-human primates bred for use in scientific procedures, published on 6 September 2022; and whether she plans to permit the import of monkeys whose parents have been taken from the wild for use in scientific procedures. \p Dan Jarvis: Through the UK legislation, the government requires the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) to be delivered for non-human primates (NHPs) in scientific research. When there is no alternative to using NHPs in scientific procedures, the Government is committed to high standards of welfare and refinement.

The Government is therefore keen to continue to take steps to ensure that NHPs used in Great Britain are from self-sustaining colonies, or are second-generation bred in captivity. The Government intends to publish strengthened policy, based on the Animals in Science Committee recommendations, later in 2025.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional ring-fenced funding for road safety improvements in Essex. \p Lilian Greenwood: We have no plans to make an assessment of the merits of additional ring-fenced funding for road safety improvements in Essex.

Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with local authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act. They will decide what measures may be appropriate to “take steps both to reduce and prevent accidents”.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to allocate Local Highways Panel funding for the 2025-26 financial year on road safety improvements in Essex. \p Lilian Greenwood: Local authorities often use Integrated Transport Block funding for road safety improvements and the Department hopes to announce ITB allocations for 2025/26 for Essex and other authorities shortly. This will allow Essex’s Local Highways Panels to decide how best to use the available funding: the Department does not get involved in local authority decision making of this sort.

On highways maintenance, all local authority allocations for highway maintenance block capital funding in 2025/26, including for Essex County Council, were announced by the Secretary of State for Transport on 20 December 2024 and are published on gov.uk. Essex County Council will be receiving an uplift of over £12 million compared to the current financial year, taking its total funding for the year to nearly £46 million.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to increase levels of funding for casualty reduction schemes. \p Lilian Greenwood: There have been no discussions between the Department for Transport and Essex County Council on achieving its Vision Zero target by 2040.

Decisions on funding will come at the conclusion of the current spending review.
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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the revenue certainty mechanism equally prioritises greenhouse gas reductions and fuel production volume. \p Mike Kane: The Revenue Certainty Mechanism is intended to support both greenhouse gas reductions and UK production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by providing revenue certainty to encourage investment in the construction of SAF plants. The SAF Mandate will need c1.2 million tonnes of SAF and reduce aviation emissions by 2.7MtCO2e annually in 2030. A UK supply of SAF will help fulfil the SAF Mandate, delivering carbon savings.
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Chris Bloore:To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle stalking. \p Lucy Rigby: This Government is serious about tackling stalking, as part of our ambition to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.

For over seven years there have been yearly increases in the number of stalking offences which received a first hearing in the magistrates' courts. In 2018/19, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recorded 2,208 cases, and in 2023/24 these had more than doubled to 5,859.

In November 2024, the CPS and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan which prioritises improving the recognition and identification of behaviour driven offending including stalking. This applies to domestic and non-domestic forms of this crime.

Since publication, work has already commenced to develop a shared definition of high-harm, high-risk repeat offending and to update the police and CPS joint protocol on the appropriate handling of stalking offences. Informed by operational insights from police and stalking leads in the CPS, this work will ensure police and prosecutors are better equipped to recognise and handle stalking and identify the offenders who pose the greatest threat.

Protective orders are an important tool in safeguarding victims of stalking. On 22 January, the CPS updated its prosecution guidance on stalking or harassment emphasising that prosecutors must consider breaches of orders within the wider context of offending and, where new offences are present, that they are charged in addition to breaches. This Government has also committed to extend the reach of Stalking Protection Orders so they can be applied for on acquittal, as well as on conviction.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what purposes the UK Atomic Energy Authority has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Michael Shanks: The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) participates in the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) to accelerate deployment of robotics and AI in fusion engineering and nuclear decommissioning. Furthermore, to support the use of AI in fusion research, the first of the UK’s AI Growth Zones is proposed to be located at the headquarters of the UKAEA in Culham, Oxfordshire. AI will be critical in further developing fusion technology by processing complex calculations that will accelerate the R&D that is needed to make fusion a reality.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 that will be allocated by NHS bodies to fund increases in National Insurance Contributions. \p Karin Smyth: 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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Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help integrate accredited (a) counsellors and (b) psychotherapists into mental health support teams for students. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Oral Statement of 11 December 2024 on Puberty-suppressing Hormones, Official Report, Column 923, what guidance his Department issues to parents considering taking their children to other countries for (a) top surgery and (b) other gender reassignment surgery. \p Karin Smyth: 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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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve access to mental health services. \p Stephen Kinnock: Too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are too long. As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures Hubs in every community.
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the families of people diagnosed with brain tumours. \p Andrew Gwynne: I know that treatment for all cancers is a difficult time for patients and their families.

This government will shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to support patients and their families with more personalised care in the most appropriate setting.

We will also get the NHS diagnosing and treating cancer earlier, including through investment in MRI and CT scanners, and improve patients’ and families’ experience.
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James Asser:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent childhood obesity. \p Andrew Gwynne: Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, and is particularly concentrated in the most deprived areas.

Supporting people to stay healthier for longer is at the heart of our Health Mission. We face a childhood obesity crisis and this government is taking action.

We have acted to end the targeting of junk food ads at children. We’ve also given local authorities stronger powers to block applications for unhealthy takeaways near schools to put children first.
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Dr Beccy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent childhood obesity. \p Andrew Gwynne: Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, and is particularly concentrated in the most deprived areas.

Supporting people to stay healthier for longer is at the heart of our Health Mission. We face a childhood obesity crisis and this government is taking action.

We have acted to end the targeting of junk food ads at children. We’ve also given local authorities stronger powers to block applications for unhealthy takeaways near schools to put children first.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with long covid are adequately supported. \p Andrew Gwynne: I know firsthand how complex and debilitating long COVID can be.

Since 2020, specialist long COVID services have been made available in England, and NHS England is now completing a stocktake of these services.

This will provide an accurate national picture, identify key challenges and make strategic recommendations for future service improvement, development and assurance.

We have also invested over £57 million in long COVID research.
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Chris Webb:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities for people living in coastal communities. \p Andrew Gwynne: The healthy life expectancy for men in Blackpool is just 51.7 years - the lowest in England and up to 18 years lower than some areas.

These statistics are shocking. We are taking action across Government to address the environmental and socio-economic determinants of health, and aiming to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.

We know that targeted action to tackle health inequalities will facilitate economic opportunities, and support an NHS fit for the future.
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Luke Murphy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board received in each of the last ten years; and what (a) that funding and (b) the national average in England was per capita. \p Karin Smyth: The Integrated Care Boards (Establishment) Order 2022 legally established 42 integrated care boards (ICBs), with effect from 1 July 2022. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/integrated-care-boards-in-england/

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to ICBs. This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. These ICB boundaries do not map exactly onto those of the previous clinical commissioning groups, therefore, accurate data cannot be provided for before the 2022/23. The following table shows the allocations for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Core allocation

£2,902,596,000

£3,229,637,000

£3,433,320,000

Primary care

£296,630,000

£307,704,000

£345,060,000

Other primary care

£164,382,000

ICB running costs

£34,941,000

£35,838,000

£30,367,000

Specialised services

£431,776,000

Pharmaceutical, ophthalmic, and dental services

£171,726,000

Total allocation

£3,234,167,000

£4,060,121,000

£4,412,249,000

Source: data is from NHS England, and is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/.

In addition, the following table shows the national average ICB allocation in England per capita, for core services:

Year

Average recurrent allocation per head in England

Average recurrent allocation per head in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB

2022/23

£1,543

£1,519

2023/24

£1,636

£1,616

2024/25

£1,732

£1,709
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NHS England next plans to update its publication entitled Health Building Note 09-03: Neonatal units, first published in March 2013. \p Karin Smyth: Guidance related to the National Health Service Estate is reviewed, prioritised and updated to reflect changing legislative, regulatory, technological and policy requirements. As part of the three-year delivery plan and subsequent for maternity and neonatal service survey, NHS England plans to start the update of this Health Building Note in 2025/26. Usually, guidance notes take between 18 and 24 months to update and so NHS England plans to publish this in 2027/28.
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of patients who (a) were medically fit to be discharged and (b) were not discharged from hospital on 1 December 2024. \p Stephen Kinnock: The number of patients who were medically fit to be discharged, those who no longer met the criteria to reside, in England on 1 December 2024 was 17,646, compared to 25,896 in December 2023. The number of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside but who were not discharged from hospitals in England on 1 December 2024, was 12,086, compared to 12,989 in December 2023.
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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of continuing care assessments that result in eligibility in (a) the Yorkshire and Humber Integrated Care Board area and (b) England are subsequently removed at a later stage. \p Stephen Kinnock: The following table shows the number of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) standard assessments completed, as well as the number and proportion assessed as eligible, in 2023/24, for England and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board:

Area

Standard CHC assessments completed

Number assessed as eligible

Percentage assessed as eligible

England

51,165

10,791

21%

NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board

1,548

272

18%

It is not possible to calculate the proportion of cases that became no longer eligible as a specific sub-set of the cases found eligible in that same year. The number of no longer eligible cases in 2023/24 will relate to all cases that became no longer eligible during 2023/24, which could include cases that were eligible before that year, as well as cases that became eligible in that year.

The following table shows the number of those eligible for standard CHC, as well as the number and proportion of cases no longer eligible, for the year 2023/24 to date, for England and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board:

Area

Number eligible for standard CHC

Number no longer eligible for NHS CHC

Percentage of eligible cases no longer eligible for standard CHC

England

47,871

13,669

29%

NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board

1,451

367

25%

Note: no longer eligible may be for a variety of reasons, including individuals no longer meeting the criteria, the client being deceased, the client or family withdrawing, etc.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with representatives of Forgotten Lives UK on access to (a) preventative treatments and (b) support services for immunosuppressed people. \p Andrew Gwynne: Ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared for a future pandemic is a top priority for the Government, and we are embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic within our approach to pandemic preparedness.

Whilst we cannot predict the exact timing or characteristics of a future pandemic, the Department acknowledges the disproportionate impact of pandemics on particular groups, including the immunocompromised and those who are otherwise clinically vulnerable.

The Department’s new strategic approach to pandemic preparedness recognises that pandemic planning needs to take account of all health inequalities.

COVID-19 tests and treatments are a National Health Service role at the present time. The UK Health Security Agency and NHS partners have met recently to discuss system wide communications on the testing and treatment pathways for COVID-19, to ensure that those who are eligible can access these without delay.

There are currently no discussions planned with representatives of Forgotten Lives UK.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing patient records of diagnostic results held by charities to be consolidated in a central NHS database. \p Karin Smyth: Patient records in the National Health Service are held in different systems, including general practice IT systems, and electronic patient records held by trusts.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced the intention for there to be a single patient record that both empowers patients by giving them access to their records, and gives professionals access to the information they need to make the best-informed decisions when delivering care and treatment. We have begun engaging with the public to help shape our plans, including what information they would want to see included in a single record.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure Urgent Treatment Centres remain open. \p Karin Smyth: No such assessment has been made. Integrated care boards are responsible for the commissioning of local services, including urgent treatment centres and their operational hours.
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Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of (a) counsellors and (b) psychotherapists in the mental health workforce. \p Stephen Kinnock: The National Health Service workforce has been overworked for years, leading to staff becoming burnt out and demoralised and, while there has been growth in the mental health workforce over recent years, more is needed. That is why, as part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce waiting times and provide faster treatment. We recognise that bringing in the staff needed will take time. We are working with NHS England on options to deliver this expansion of the mental health workforce.

More broadly, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. This plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. A central part of this will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

This summer we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. We will 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.
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Jo Platt:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the rise in employer National Insurance Contributions on (a) local carer support organisations and (b) their ability to provide support to unpaid carers in their area. \p Stephen Kinnock: To enable local authorities to support key services such as adult social care, the Government will make up to £3.7 billion of additional funding available for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

The Government is also committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. To support unpaid carers, from April 2025 the Government will increase the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196. This means carers can earn up to £10,000 a year whilst still retaining Carer's Allowance, which is approximately an additional £2,000 a year.
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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 ensure that (a) Sativex and (b) other medications for MS patients are (i) affordable and (ii) funded in (A) Nottinghamshire and (B) other areas. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources.

The NICE has been able to recommend several medicines for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, including ublituximab, which has recently been recommended for treating relapsing multiple sclerosis in guidance published on 18 December 2024. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance.

The NICE guideline on cannabis-based medicinal products recommends that Sativex, a licensed cannabis-based product, should be offered for the treatment of moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis, if other pharmacological treatments for spasticity are not effective. As Sativex has not been evaluated through the NICE’s technology appraisal programme, it is not subject to a funding requirement. Therefore, the decision on whether to prescribe must be taken by a specialist clinician on a case-by-case basis, and funding of this medicine is subject to local National Health Service decisions.

On 6 September 2021, NHS England issued a reminder to NHS trusts and commissioners, now integrated care boards, of the NICE’s guidance relating to Sativex, and their responsibilities. This resulted in an increase in the prescribing of this drug, and NHS England is monitoring uptake of prescribing, in-line with the NICE’s recommendations.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS preparedness for the next generation of blood cancer treatments. \p Andrew Gwynne: We are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Lord O'Shaughnessy review into commercial clinical trials, to ensure that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to National Health Service patients, including those with blood cancer.

The Government has also stated that £70 million will be spent on new radiotherapy machines, which will help ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.

In September 2024, Lord Darzi concluded an immediate and independent investigation of the NHS. These findings will help to support improvements across the healthcare system, including through the new 10-Year Health Plan. A core part of this will be our workforce, including the cancer workforce, and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

In addition, we will develop a new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including blood cancer.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department plans to use to determine which trusts or hospitals will receive new radiotherapy machines. \p Andrew Gwynne: The funding for new radiotherapy machines will be used to replace outdated machines, and allocated to trusts using criteria that NHS England is currently developing. The new machines will support the recovery of cancer waiting times and help ensure that patients have access to the most up-to-date treatments. These criteria will be shared with providers in due course.