theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to protect consumers from fraudulent business practices. \p Justin Madders: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is implementing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act which strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) new administrative powers, and the CMA and courts the ability to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover.

The DMCC Act also bans the buying, selling, and publishing of fake reviews, and restates existing prohibitions on misleading consumers in the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008).

DBT also funds Citizens Advice to provide the consumer service which supports consumers to resolve disputes and assert their rights.
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Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and HMRC of the number of people currently practicing in the hair and beauty sector using disguised employment practices. \p Justin Madders: The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this information. However, we are clear that disguised employment practices such as false self-employment are unacceptable. Employers should never seek to deny people their employment rights and avoid their own legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when in reality they are not.

The Government is committed to tackling false self-employment and HMRC will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. The Government has also set up a forum with the hair and beauty industry to support compliance in the sector.
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Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to seek UK accession to the World Trade Organization Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Government is keeping the question of UK membership of the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) under active consideration.

The Government is committed to a free, fair and rules-based international trading system. Re-establishing a fully-functioning WTO dispute settlement system is crucially important. The UK is keen to continue working with other WTO Members to achieve that goal.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take step to help prevent non-crown Post Office closures in Fylde. \p Gareth Thomas: Government protects the sustainability of the branch network by providing funding on the basis that Post Office meets minimum access criteria for example including in Fylde, that across the country, 99% of the population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office. Government works to ensure Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with the published access criteria. Along with the annual £50 million subsidy, we have provided a further £37.5 million in December last year to safeguard services in the uncommercial parts of the network.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the ecological status of Holton Brook. \p Emma Hardy: The ecological status of Holton Brook (The Holton Brook and tributaries) is currently classified as having ‘Bad’ ecological status overall. This status is driven mainly by a deterioration to invertebrate status from ‘Poor’ to ‘Bad’ in the 2022 classification. The reason for this deterioration is suspected to be the impact from invasive species, particularly North American Signal Crayfish. There are also existing Reasons for Not Achieving Good Status (RANGs) listed against diffuse agricultural pollution, continuous sewage discharge and physical modification to the waterbody. Macrophytes and Phosphate are also at ‘Poor’ status on the Holton Brook and have RANGs associated with continuous sewage discharge and diffuse agricultural pollution. All other ecological elements are at ‘Good’ or ‘High’ status.

For the next water company asset management period (AMP 8), investment period for 2025 – 2030, an improvement scheme at Horton-cum-Studley sewage treatment works has been identified as part of the Environment Act’s Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan. This will ensure the site operates its storm overflow no more than 10 times per year and causes no adverse ecological impact. Forest Hill STW and Stanton St John STW will have schemes in subsequent AMP periods to meet their Environment Act (2021) targets.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on securing an EU-UK veterinary agreement. \p Daniel Zeichner: In line with our manifesto commitment, the Government is committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by seeking to negotiate a SPS agreement. We have been clear that an SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides. We will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU. We cannot provide further information at this stage whilst negotiations are continuing.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29734 on Thames Water, what discussions he has had with Ofwat on the potential impact of (a) the High Court-approved restructure of Thames Water and (b) Ofwat's decision to open an enforcement case on the delayed delivery of environmental improvement schemes on the stability of Thames Water. \p Emma Hardy: The Secretary of State meets with a wide range of stakeholders on a regular basis.

The Government and Ofwat continue to carefully monitor the situation with Thames Water, and Ofwat is working closely with the company to strengthen its long-term financial resilience within the context of its licence and broader statutory obligations. We prepare for a range of scenarios across our regulated industries - including water - as any responsible Government would.
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of greater access to the countryside on (a) mental and (b) physical health. \p Mary Creagh: The Government recognises the significant mental and physical health benefits that greater access to the countryside can provide. Spending time in nature is associated with improved mental and physical health, including lowering the risk of obesity and type two diabetes, reducing blood pressure and increasing levels of physical activity. There is also evidence to suggest that nature-based interventions are effective in the treatment and prevention of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety; this was demonstrated in the first phase of our Green Social Prescribing programme, which showed significant increases in participants’ wellbeing scores.

These health benefits in turn deliver economic benefit and reduce pressure on the NHS. In 2020, the estimated value of health benefits associated with outdoor recreation in the UK ranged from £6.2 billion to £8.4 billion (ONS, 2019), and it is estimated that £2.1 billion in health costs could be saved annually if everyone had good access to greenspace.

In recognition of these benefits, this Government has committed to improving the public’s access to green and blue spaces, including through initiatives such as our National River Walks.
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Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritizing sourcing flour for the public sector from certified regenerative farms to help achieve Net Zero by 2050. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government is committed to harnessing the purchasing power of the procurement food supply chain to set the tone in delivering our wider ambitions on net zero, sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth and nutrition and health. Over the next year, for the first time ever, the government will review food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from. This work will be a significant first step to inform any future changes to public sector food procurement policies.
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Sojan Joseph:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the measures in place to tackle (a) littering and (b) flytipping in Kent. \p Mary Creagh: Fly-tipping and littering blight communities and harm the environment. Local councils are usually best placed to assess the measures in place to address the local littering and fly-tipping problems in their area. No specific assessment of the effectiveness of measures in place to tackle littering and fly-tipping in Kent has been made.

Local authorities have enforcement powers to tackle these issues, including fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 for fly-tipping and £500 for littering and prosecution action, which can lead to significant fine or even imprisonment. We encourage councils to make good use of their enforcement powers and are considering what further steps we can take to assist them in doing so.

We committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment, and other actions to tackle fly-tipping, in due course.
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a right of responsible access to the English countryside. \p Mary Creagh: The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature, and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England.

We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders, with further announcements expected in due course. In addition, we are already delivering key initiatives aimed at increasing access to green spaces and the countryside, including:

In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.
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Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that sanitary disposal bins are placed in men's (a) public and (b) workplace toilets. \p Mary Creagh: The Government oversees policy and legislation with respect to the safe management of waste and litter as well as the protection of drains and sewers in England. This however does not extend to compelling local authorities with regard to types of waste receptacles or their placement. These decisions are for local authorities to make.  Devolved Governments have responsibility for these matters in their jurisdictions.

The Building Regulations for England were updated in 2024 with the addition of a new ‘Part T’ which sets out toilet requirements in new non-domestic buildings in England.  Part T is supported by statutory guidance which includes space for disposal bins in the design layouts. However, the Building Regulations are limited to the provision and design of toilet facilities and do not extend to the management and use of disposal bins.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reviewing the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 regarding provision of disposal facilities in workplace toilets. This work is included within the Government’s wider plans under Make Work Pay, and HSE will hold appropriate consultation in due course.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications were made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme in 2024; and how many and what proportion of those applications were unsuccessful. \p Ashley Dalton: 9,554 applications were submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme in 2024. 4,593 of these applications have now concluded, with 4,589, or 99.9% of, claims rejected.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include proposals to (a) improve earlier diagnosis and (b) increase access to treatments of cholangiocarcinoma in the National Cancer Plan. \p Ashley Dalton: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced that a National Cancer Plan for England will be published this year. The Prime Minister’s Health Mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future, and an essential part of this is achieving our goal to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer.

The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and earlier diagnosis to accessing treatment and ongoing care, and will apply to all cancer types, including rare cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 11 of Cancer52 and GRAIL's report on improving diagnosis for rare and less common cancers, published in February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the finding that 37% of people with rare and less common cancer say they saw their GP three or more times before they were diagnosed, compared to the national average of 21.7%; and what steps he is taking to reduce disparities in cancer diagnosis. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to supporting the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including rare and less common cancers earlier and to treat them faster.

We are improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres. We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.

We are committed to ensuring that GPs have the right training and systems to identify cancer. The Department will continue to look at opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform diagnostic performance and ultimately bring down waiting times. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including for rare and less common cancers. It will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment and will ensure that all patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the level of leukaemia cases diagnosed in an emergency setting on (a) patient outcomes and (b) NHS resources. \p Ashley Dalton: We recognise the importance of earlier diagnosis of cancer to survival, and we know that patients with cancer who are diagnosed via an emergency route are most likely to have poor survival. Whilst a specific assessment on leukaemia has not been made, we are determined to take all the necessary steps to improve early diagnosis for all cancers, including blood cancers such as leukaemia. To accomplish this, the National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the members are of the assessment advisory panel for the Members of the NHS Pay Review Body. \p Karin Smyth: When new members or chairs are recruited to pay review bodies, Ministers are assisted in their decision making by an Advisory Assessment Panel, set up for each individual recruitment. The Panel includes a departmental official and a member independent of the department and of the body concerned. For competitions recruiting non-chair members, the panel should also include a representative from the public body, normally the chair.

Members of the assessment panel are made public on Cabinet Office’s digital platform for public appointments, through which all roles are advertised and candidates apply. For the NHS Pay Review Body and the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration, a listing of members of the assessment panel is available at the following link:

https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles?titleSearch=&bodySearch=1355&regulated=&bodyJustice=&remunerated=&status=closed#search-results

The recruitment process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and is open and transparent, and appointments are made on merit.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of school nursing services in Lincolnshire. \p Ashley Dalton: Local authorities receive funding to provide school nursing through the Public Health Grant. It is local authorities’ responsibility to commission school nursing around the needs of their respective populations according to their local health plan. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities provides both commissioning guidance and a service framework through the Healthy Child Programme. School nursing is a clinical service, and providers must be registered with the Care Quality Commission who assure quality through their inspection regime.

We will ensure we have the staff we need so that children and their families are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This will take time, but we are committed to building a health service fit for the future with the workforce it needs.
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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of recent trends in levels of prostate cancer diagnoses; and what steps he plans to take to support (a) equitable access and (b) high-quality treatment strategies for people with prostate cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to improving the adequacy of all cancer services, including for prostate cancer. NHS England has funded 10 clinical audits, which includes a national prostate cancer audit. Using routine data, collected on patients diagnosed with cancer in a National Health Service setting, the audit is looking at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done better. This will seek to reduce unwarranted variation in treatment and reduce inequalities across different groups. To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve all cancer services and outcomes for people living with cancer, including those with prostate cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer services across England.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that GPs have access to clinical decision support tools for identifying rare or less common cancers. \p Ashley Dalton: Improving diagnosis rates and access to treatment are key priorities for the Government for all cancer types, including rare and less common cancers.

We are improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres. We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice (GP) 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.

We are committed to ensuring that GPs have the right training and systems to identify cancer. Use of specific clinical decision support tools are agreed at a local level.

The recently announced National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan and support delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, will set out further actions to improve diagnosis, including for rare or less common cancers. The plan will also provide further details on how we will ensure patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve research into innovative screening methods; and if he will commit to rapidly (a) funding, (b) piloting and (c) implementing screening programmes recommended by the National Screening Committee. \p Ashley Dalton: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has invested significant funding into the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which leads on research into screening programmes. For example, on 4 February 2025 the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is backed by £11 million of Government support, via the NIHR.

Another example is the TRANSFORM trial into prostate cancer research, which is a £42 million screening trial which aims to find ways of detecting prostate cancer earlier. Prostate Cancer UK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the NIHR.

With regards to funding, piloting, and implementing screening programmes, ministers will consider the UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) recommendations on a case by case basis. To date, every UK NSC recommendation has been accepted by ministers. Where a recommendation has been accepted, and no piloting is required, the National Health Service is asked to implement it at a pace in line with its capabilities.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to sexual health services in Slough constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: Local authorities in England, including Slough Borough Council, are funded through a ring-fenced public health grant (PHG) to commission comprehensive, open access sexual health services. Therefore, it is the responsibility of local authorities to decide on spending priorities based on the blend of service access that best suits the needs of their population.

For 2025/26, we are increasing funding through the PHG to £3.858 billion. This is a cash increase of £198 million compared to 2024/25, providing local authorities with an average 5.4% cash increase and 3.0% real terms increase. This represents a significant turning point for local health services, marking the biggest real-terms increase after nearly a decade of reduced spending between 2016 and 2024.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support local authorities with the impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on public health contracts. \p Ashley Dalton: In determining Public Health Grant allocations for 2025/26, we considered a range of cost pressures affecting local authority commissioned or provided health services, including increased operational costs. 2025/26 Public Health Grant allocations have been increased by an average of 5.4% relative to 2024/25.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) increase public awareness of the (i) signs and (ii) symptoms of cancer and (b) encourage people to act on them. \p Ashley Dalton: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member for Strangford on 23 January 2025 to Question 24851.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many local authorities reported an (a) underspend and (b) overspend on public health grants in the last five financial years. \p Ashley Dalton: Local authorities must account for the full allocated Public Health Grant and must accrue any money that is not committed to a ring-fenced reserve. These reserves serve an important purpose, for example to support strategic changes which may involve a one-off change in spending patterns, or as provision against future spending plans. The following table shows the movement of public health reserve levels as reported by each local authority from 2019/20 to 2023/24:

Movement of reserve levels

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

Decreased reserves

73

11

21

58

83

Increased reserves

50

110

101

69

45

Source: local authority revenue outturn data, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing

Notes:

Local authorities do not report underspends on the Public Health Grant.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help raise awareness of cholangiocarcinoma. \p Ashley Dalton: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member for Strangford on 23 January 2025 to Question 24851.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the survival rates of people with (a) intrahepatic and (b) extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Health Service is taking crucial steps to improve cancer outcomes for patients across England, including for intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

For stageable cancers, such as cholangiocarcinoma, there is a clear link between early staging and increased survival rates. Many of the actions we are implementing to improve the earlier staging of stageable cancers, such as improving awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, and increasing referral routes and the availability of diagnostics, have a positive impact on patient outcomes.

To help achieve this, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week. We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the NHS, 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. It will focus on speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. The overarching goal of the plan is to ultimately bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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Tessa Munt:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which trusts have been granted linear particle accelerator renewal funds from the additional funding in the Autumn Budget 2024; what criteria was used by NHS England to make those awards; and whether trusts awarded those funds have to fund bunker modifications from their own budgets. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England will be writing to those trusts which have been allocated funding for a replacement machine soon. The allocation criteria focused on the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy. A small amount of the £70 million of funding has been made available to support refurbishment costs.
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Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of specialist care for people with Interstitial Lung Disease and Pulmonary Fibrosis for people in West Oxfordshire. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of interstitial lung disease (ILD) services and funds the anti-fibrotic treatments that are part of the treatment pathway for ILD.

No assessment of the West Oxfordshire service has been made. However, the national service specification describes the standards required of clinical teams to support patients physically and emotionally with the diagnosis and management of people with ILD. Information on the specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interstitial-lung-disease-adults-service-specification/

NHS England is also supporting systems to improve outcomes for people with a range of respiratory conditions, for example through enabling access to pulmonary rehabilitation through the publication of commissioning standards together with the provision of funding. It has also extended the scope of the National Respiratory Audit Programme’s pulmonary rehabilitation audit so that all patients who participate in pulmonary rehabilitation are captured in the audit, irrespective of their condition. Along with providing a more complete picture of participation, the decision to extend was made to recognise and reinforce the value of pulmonary rehabilitation to all who are eligible with chronic respiratory conditions other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including interstitial lung disease.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with NICE on the introduction of comprehensive guidance on the management of cholangiocarcinoma. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance through its technology appraisals programme recommending several medicines for use in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma that are now funded by the National Health Service for eligible patients.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the results of the GBS3 trial are acted upon (a) quickly and (b) effectively. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) stands ready to receive the results of the GBS3 trial. The UK NSC Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will consider the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_143

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the (a) development and (b) future rollout of a Group B Streptococcus vaccine. \p Ashley Dalton: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has identified that maternal vaccine products to protect infants against group B streptococcus (GBS) are currently in development. A sub-committee of the JCVI will be stood up to evaluate the benefits of a GBS vaccination programme.

Should a GBS vaccine be approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the JCVI would review evidence on the safety, efficacy, impact, and cost-effectiveness of a potential vaccination programme. Based on this evidence, the JCVI would provide advice to the Department in order to develop a vaccination policy and decide on any potential future roll out in England.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_144
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_144

Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many extra appointments have been made available each (a) month and (b) week at the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital since July 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The data is not held in the format requested. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is missing from Secondary User Services data from July 2024 onwards because of its Electronic Patient Record digital upgrade, for which data submissions are not operational yet. The trust is working to resolve the issue.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_145
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_145

Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to innovate the delivery of public health services in rural areas. \p Ashley Dalton: Upper tier local authorities have a statutory duty to take steps to improve the health of local people. Under this duty, local authorities commission a range of public health services and are responsible for determining the most effective approaches to the delivery of these services taking account of different local needs, including the needs of rural areas.

In 2025/26, we will provide funding of £3.858 billion to local authorities for their public health duty, through the Public Health Grant and the 100% retained business rate arrangement for local authorities in Greater Manchester. This is a cash increase of £198 million, an average 5.4% cash increase and 3.0% real-terms increase compared to 2024/25.

NHS England is responsible for commissioning further specified public health services, including national immunisation and screening programmes, under a statutory delegation from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and informed by the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Working with NHS Integrated Care Boards, commissioning of these services should also take account of local needs, including the different urban and rural characteristics of communities.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_146
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_146

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been hospitalised for Norovirus in the last six months. \p Karin Smyth: The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England publishes Daily Situation Reports throughout the winter period, which include information on the number of hospital beds taken up by patients with norovirus-like symptoms. This information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/uec-sitrep/urgent-and-emergency-care-daily-situation-reports-2024-25/
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_147
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_147

Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to women that are more likely to live with a musculoskeletal condition. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. Women’s health hubs have a key role in shifting care out of hospitals and reducing gynaecology waiting lists. As of December 2024, 39 out of the 42 integrated care boards reported that they had a women’s health hub. Reporting from integrated care boards to NHS England shows that the pilot funding has been used to open or expand a total of 88 hubs.

The Government recognises that musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions disproportionately impact women, and we are working jointly with NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time team to deliver our MSK Community Delivery Programme to further reduce MSK community waiting times.

We also know that more than one in three women, compared to one in five men, will sustain one or more osteoporotic fractures in their lifetime. On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan. This set out funding to boost bone density scanning (DEXA) capacity, to support improvements in early diagnosis and bone health. This is expected to provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year once all are fully operational. DEXA scans are a vital component of the early diagnosis of osteoporosis.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_148
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_148

Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase NHS patient choice within the field of ophthalmology. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to giving patients greater choice and control over their care and throughout their elective care pathway, including those referred to ophthalmology services.

Patients have an existing legal right to choose where they go for their first appointment, when referred to consultant-led care as an outpatient. Currently, less than a quarter of patients recall being offered a choice of provider. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the work needed to empower patients with greater choice and control, in order to make informed choices. This includes improving the information available to patients to support their decisions, such as improved waiting time information.

We also published a Partnership Agreement between the National Health Service and the independent sector, which sets out the support needed to drive patient choice, which can include choosing provision from independent providers.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_149
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_149

Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will create an action plan to tackle shortages of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy drugs. \p Karin Smyth: The Department currently has no plans to convene a roundtable regarding the shortages of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). The Department regularly engages with all suppliers of PERT to discuss the latest stock position and the steps that are being taken to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Through work with suppliers, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market.

The Department also has frequent conversations with representatives from the impacted patient groups so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest update on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_150
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_150

Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) midwives and (b) maternity units across Greater Manchester have up-to-date equipment. \p Karin Smyth: The responsibility for local funding decisions, including on equipment, ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioner. To ensure midwives and maternity units across Greater Manchester have up-to-date equipment, the following steps are being taken locally:

- maternity units are required to maintain an equipment maintenance register and to implement a rolling program for the renewal and purchase of equipment; and

- midwives are required to adhere to provider policies that mandate checking equipment for suitability and that it is in good working order before use.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_151
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_151

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the prescription charge exemption list to increase the support for patients with chronic illness. \p Karin Smyth: There are no current plans to review the list of prescription charge exemptions or the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place, for which those with rheumatoid arthritis may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments.
wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_152
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-07 conversation_152

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the elected care framework. \p Karin Smyth: We are committed to working closely with the Northern Irish and other devolved administrations to tackle the shared challenges faced by our health systems. Health is predominantly a devolved issue. However, the Department works collaboratively with the devolved administrations to drive forward our objective of supporting people to lead more independent, healthier lives for longer.