theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the care continuity for individuals with Cerebral Palsy with no cognative impairment moving from childrens care pathways to adult support networks. \p Andrew Gwynne: There are no current plans to make such an assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on cerebral palsy in under 25 year olds, guidance code NG62, includes recommendations on the transition from children to adult services and stresses the requirement to ensure that an individual's developmental, social, and health needs are addressed when planning and delivering the transition. The guidance also sets out key considerations to be made around transition planning, including: clear pathways involving both the young person's general practitioner and named clinicians in adult services; ensuring sufficient training for the professionals involved in the care; clear communication at each point of transition; and a named worker to support continuity of care.

Further NICE guidance on cerebral palsy in adults, code NG119, recommends that adults with cerebral palsy should be offered an annual review of their clinical and functional needs, as part of ongoing care, carried out by a healthcare professional with expertise in neurodisabilities.

NHS England has worked with key stakeholder organisations, including children and young people, and their families and carers, to develop a framework targeted at integrated care systems to be used as a supportive tool to aid in the commissioning of high-quality services for children and young people with cerebral palsy, including those in the transition period to adult services.

In the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England committed to delivering a service model for zero to 25-year-olds to improve young people’s experiences and health outcomes. To aid implementation of this model, the Children and Young People’s Transformation programme collaborated with key partners to develop national guidance on how the National Health Service can better support young people’s transfer into adolescent and adult services. The guidance is due to be published shortly and will be hosted on the NHS England website. The policy aligns with existing NICE guidelines, code NG43, and outlines the principles and steps of a zero to 25-year-old service model, along with best practice examples from across the country.

The Children and Young People’s Transformation programme is working with the NHS Youth Forum to gather the experiences and ideas of young people on adolescent healthcare. The forum will develop recommendations to inform future policies on healthcare transition, including how to deliver developmentally appropriate and person-centred care.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the farming sector's provision of access to (a) healthy eating and (b) nature on preventative health care. \p Andrew Gwynne: Shifting the focus from sickness to prevention is one of the three shifts in the Government’s mission for a National Health Service fit for the future, and is a cornerstone of supporting people to live healthier lives. We are working collaboratively across Government to deliver a resilient food system that promotes health and food security, protects the environment, and champions British farming.

Consuming fruit and vegetables are critical parts of the Government’s dietary recommendations under the Eatwell Guide. Consumers in the United Kingdom would need to eat at least 30% more of a variety of fruits and vegetables by weight to meet the Government’s dietary recommendations. For fruits and vegetables, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affair’s data suggest UK farms provide 53% of vegetables that are sold domestically, as well as 16% of the fruit. This means the farming sector plays a critical role in the sustainable and resilient food and nutrition security of the country, with a direct impact in preventing obesity and improving diet-related health.

The food strategy will work to provide healthier, more easily accessible food to help people live longer healthier lives, and will support the Farming Roadmap to reduce the impact of farming on nature and biodiversity.

Access to nature, including green spaces provided by farms, plays a crucial role in preventative healthcare. Studies have shown that exposure to natural environments can reduce stress, improve mental well-being, and lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease and obesity. Green spaces linked to farming, such as walking trails, woodlands, and agricultural land, help encourage physical activity, and foster social well-being.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to introduce early diagnosis services for osteoporosis. \p Andrew Gwynne: On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week Referral-to-Treatment target by the end of this Parliament.

Part of the plan sets out funding to boost bone density DEXA scanning capacity, to support improvements in early diagnosis and bone health for conditions such as osteoporosis. This will provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year.

As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with integrated care board leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with osteoporosis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what purposes the UK Health Security Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Andrew Gwynne: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has focused artificial intelligence (AI) on both internal operational improvements and on external interventions, to enhance the United Kingdom’s health security.

UKHSA toxicologists have installed and are testing a cutting-edge commercial system integrating advanced data analytics with AI to detect airborne pollen in real-time. Further information is available at the following link:

https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2024/09/11/how-cutting-edge-ai-technology-could-hold-the-key-to-forecasting-the-pollen-count/

The UKHSA has also successfully deployed one of its AI projects to the Tuberculosis (TB) Unit. This system enhances the manual review of country-of-origin documentation to identify those born in high-risk countries who are eligible for TB screening in the UK. The system is being trialled alongside standard practice to test performance and quantify the benefits that it brings.

The UKHSA has implemented governance structures to ensure the use of AI aligns to cross-Government guidance and the agency’s mission. In May 2024, details of a UKHSA Advisory Board paper on AI was shared on GOV.UK website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukhsa-advisory-board-agenda/ukhsa-advisory-board-artificial-intelligence
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the eligibility criteria for people over 65 who did not receive the shingles vaccine to allow for retrospective vaccination. \p Andrew Gwynne: The shingles vaccination was originally routinely offered as part of the national immunisation programme to those aged 70 years old, using the Zostavax vaccine. In 2019, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended that the programme should be changed to offer the Shingrix vaccine routinely at 60 years of age, that those aged between 60 to 70 years old should also be offered the vaccine, and that individuals would require two doses of Shingrix to complete the course.

Based on JCVI’s advice, the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England decided that the programme would be implemented in phases. Phase 1 would be between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2028, for those who reach 65 or 70 years old, who would be called in on or after their 65th or 70th birthday. Phase 2 would be from the 1 September 2028 to 31 August 2033, for those who reach age 60 or 65 years, who would be called in on or after their 60th or 65th birthday. From 1 September 2033 onwards, vaccination will be routinely offered to those turning 60 years old, on or after their 60th birthday.

This programme change was implemented in September 2023 and is in line with the expert advice that the Government received.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative estimate of the costs of (a) implementing a one-time increase in the legal purchase age of tobacco and (b) introducing an age escalator, in the context of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. \p Andrew Gwynne: Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health. It causes approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, one in four of all cancer deaths, and kills up to two-thirds of its users.

Smoking also substantially increases the risk of many major health conditions throughout people’s lives, such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth, dementia, and asthma. Three quarters of smokers wish they had never started smoking but are unable to stop due to the addictive nature of tobacco.

It is estimated that smoking costs the country £21.8 billion a year in England. This includes an annual £18.3 billion loss to productivity, through smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, and early death, as well as costs to the National Health Service and social care of over £2 billion.

On 5 November 2024, the Department published an impact assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. This found that the introduction of the smoke-free generation policy, the progressive increase in the age of sale, will get smoking rates in England for 14 to 30 year olds to 0% as early as 2050. Over the next 50 years it will save tens of thousands of lives, and avoid up to 130,000 cases of cases of lung cancer, strokes, and heart disease.

The impact assessment explored a one-time age increase, but this has been discounted as it does not achieve the policy objective to prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking and getting smoking prevalence to 0% to achieve a smoke-free United Kingdom. Simply raising the age of sale to one set year will only raise the age that people start smoking, and would not break the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 5537 on Bowel Cancer: Screening, whether he expects bowel screening for 50 year-olds to be completed by (a) autumn or (b) winter 2025. \p Andrew Gwynne: The National Health Service in England has been gradually reducing the age for bowel screening from 60 years old down to 50 years old, since 2021/22. The extension to 50 years old is expected to be completed by 31 March 2025.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement a commission lead review on dementia diagnostics. \p Stephen Kinnock: Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that a timely diagnosis is vital to ensuring that a person with dementia can access the advice, information, care, and support that can help them to live well and remain independent for as long as possible.

The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi, and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

The Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission, which is expected to begin in April 2025, will form a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change, recognising the importance of adult social care in its own right, as well as its role in supporting the National Health Service.

It is a once in a generation opportunity to transcend party politics and engage in genuine debate on how we can deliver a National Care Service, ensuring all voices are heard, and putting the voices of those with lived experience at the heart of the conversation.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the legal right to a care supporter in a health and social care setting. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standard on Visiting and Accompanying (Regulation 9A) came into force on 6 April 2024 to strengthen requirements for CQC registered care homes, hospitals, and hospices to facilitate visiting, unless there are exceptional circumstances which mean that it is not safe to do so. This can be a visit from a family member, a friend, or a person visiting to provide companionship or support, for example, a care supporter.

We will conduct a review of Regulation 9A from April 2025, 12 months on from the legislation coming into force, to assess whether the legislation has been effective in addressing concerns about visiting in health and care settings. Depending on the outcome of the review, we will consider whether further action is needed.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were (a) held informally under the Mental Health Act 1983 and (b) otherwise detained in assessment and treatment units in December (i) 2024, (ii) 2023, (iii) 2022 and (iv) 2021. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Assuring Transformation data set records information about people with a learning disability and autistic people who are receiving treatment or care as inpatients in a mental health hospital. Patients in assessment and treatment units (ATUs) in England are recorded in the Assuring Transformation data set under the bed type Acute Mental Health Unit for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism.

We are only able to identify ATUs in Assuring Transformation from April 2024. Therefore, we are unable to determine the how many patients were in ATUs, including those detained under the Mental Health Act and informal patients, for the requested periods of December 2023, 2022, and 2021.

In December 2024 there were 160 inpatients detained in Acute Mental Health Units for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism under the Mental Health Act. In addition to this, there were 15 informal patients in such settings at this time. These figures include patients in in ATUs, but may also include some patients who were in other inpatient mental health settings.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were detained in assessment and treatment units in England in December (a) 2023, (b) 2022 and (c) 2021. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Assuring Transformation data set records information about people with a learning disability and autistic people who are receiving treatment or care as inpatients in a mental health hospital.

Patients in assessment and treatment units (ATUs) in England are recorded in the Assuring Transformation data set under the bed type Acute Mental Health Unit for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism.

We are only able to identify ATUs in Assuring Transformation from April 2024. Therefore, we are unable to determine the how many patients were in ATUs, including those detained under the Mental Health Act and informal patients, for the requested periods of December 2023, 2022, and 2021.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England is providing training to help GPs to diagnose brain tumours at an early stage. \p Stephen Kinnock: General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on brain tumours, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. The RCGP provides a number of resources on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care for GPs, relevant for the primary care setting.

The Government aims to ensure that the National Health Service diagnoses cancer earlier and treats it faster, so more patients survive, and improves patients’ experience across the system.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the reimbursement system for (a) pharmacies and (b) GP practices dispensing medicines. \p Stephen Kinnock: Consultation with Community Pharmacy England for the 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework has started and will include reviewing the allowance for medicine margin as part of funding, and any further changes to the reimbursement arrangements.

The Department has previously reviewed the reimbursement arrangements for community pharmacies which lead to a consultation on several improvements in 2019. The consultation response was published in November 2021, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/community-pharmacy-drug-reimbursement-reform/outcome/community-pharmacy-drug-reimbursement-reform-consultation-response

There are currently no plans to review the reimbursement system for general practices (GPs) dispensing medicines. Dispensing practices receive a dispensing fee, approximately £2.00 to £2.30 per item, which is intended to cover dispensing costs. This fee is calculated based on forecasted volumes of prescriptions to be dispensed and the size of the funding envelope, according to a methodology agreed by the Department, the General Practitioners Committee (GPC), NHS Employers, and the Welsh Government.

An updated methodology was agreed between the British Medical Association and NHS England to address the issue of continuing fluctuation between over and underspend year on year, the alternating pattern of over and under spends, and implemented in October 2023.

The Department and NHS England started consulting with the GPC England, of the British Medical Association, on the 2025/26 GP Contract on 19 December and will consider all proposed policy changes, including dispensing practices. An announcement will be made before April 2025.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he provides for the (a) health and (b) wellbeing needs of thalidomide survivors. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Thalidomide Health Grant is awarded to meet the health and wellbeing needs, present and future, of thalidomide survivors living in England.

In 2023, the Department put in place a new four-year grant agreement with the Thalidomide Trust, to administer the grant of approximately £40 million. The grant was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs of people affected by thalidomide in England, particularly as they approach old age. The funding helps beneficiaries of the Thalidomide Trust to maintain control over their own health, enabling them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.
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Mr Luke Charters:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to commission services for adults with young onset dementia. \p Stephen Kinnock: The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.

Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population under the Care Act 2014.

NHS England is committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia, and central to this is the provision of personalised care and support planning for post diagnostic support.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of the length of Speech and Language waiting lists. \p Stephen Kinnock: We recognise the impact that long waits to access speech and language therapy can have on the individual, and their families and carers. The Department and NHS England are committed to reducing long waits and improving timely access to community health services, including speech and language therapy.

We continue to improve access to speech and language therapy by including the Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinder project within the Department for Educations’ existing Change Programme, in partnership with NHS England.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on GP online booking services. \p Stephen Kinnock: We want to ensure general practice (GP) online booking services are available to those who need them. That’s why we have committed to implementing a modern appointment booking system, designed to eliminate the 8:00am rush for appointments. All practices in England are required to offer online and video consultation tools, secure electronic communication methods, and online facilities to provide and update personal information.

Subject to consultation with the British Medical Association, the Government proposes requiring GPs to be accessible to patients via electronic communications throughout core hours, as well as over the phone, helping more people book an appointment or speak to a GP, and supporting the Government’s aim to shift care from analogue to digital.

99.4% of the primary care estate are now live with digital telephony and 90% have been enrolled to use online registration systems.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of updating the national mandatory standard for the (a) collection and (b) analysis of ethnicity to include (i) Jewish, (ii) Sikh and (iii) other options. \p Karin Smyth: The merits of including Jewish or Sikh as an option when recording ethnicity in National Health Service data, and other issues relating to how the NHS records information on protected characteristics, are being considered by the Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics programme. This programme will help inform a view on next steps.

Information is not held centrally on the number of NHS services which allow patients to identify as Jewish or Sikh under ethnicity questions, or to record Judaism or Sikhism as their religion. There are SNOMED CT codes, the terminology used for recording patient information consistently across the NHS, for Judaism and Sikhism under religion.
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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20760 on Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on increasing the UK's manufacturing capacity of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies. \p Karin Smyth: There have been no recent discussions with Cabinet Office colleagues on increasing the United Kingdom’s manufacturing capacity of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) or increasing access to the raw ingredients required for the production of PERT. However, we have established incentives to encourage UK life sciences manufacturing, including via the Life Science Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF). The LSIMF is now live and open to Expressions of Interest from all life science manufacturers, with formal application windows open on a quarterly basis, the next being in February 2025. The Government has committed up to £520 million to support businesses investing in life science manufacturing projects in the UK, and this would be open to applicants interested in setting up PERT manufacture in the UK.

Department officials continue to engage with all suppliers of PERT to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Increased volumes of PERT are expected for 2025, and specialist importers have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public facing page to include the latest update on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to help (a) older and (b) digitally illiterate demographics in using online NHS booking services for GP appointments in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: It is for local National Health Service organisations to adopt digital health technologies and services which best meet the needs of their local populations. However, digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. The GP Contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of visiting their practice in person. NHS England successfully ran a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include:

NHS England has also published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All digital programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that amateur athletes have access to an effective screening programme for cardiac conditions. \p Andrew Gwynne: 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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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will provide financial support to the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust prior to 2030 to assist them in securing land for the reconstruction of the Royal Berkshire Hospital. \p Karin Smyth: As part of the New Hospital Programme announcement on 20 January, it was confirmed that the Royal Berkshire Hospital scheme is part of Wave 3, and would not begin main construction until 2037/39. We will continue to engage with trusts to establish the activities that should be progressed ahead of their main construction start.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many veterans are accessing mental health support in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England commissions Op COURAGE, the integrated mental health and wellbeing service, which allows veterans to make self-referrals. The Op COURAGE North service, run by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, covers the Hexham area.

The service, which is available across England, has been designed to support veterans from all areas, and is delivered from a range of locations, including National Health Service trusts, general practices (GPs), Poppy Shops, veteran hubs, and drop-in centres. Elements of the service may also be provided online if this is clinically appropriate. The Government recognises that not all veterans want to use veteran-specific mental health services, and they can instead choose to use mainstream NHS services, such as Talking Therapies, which are available to both veterans and civilians.

GPs are able to participate in the Veteran Friendly Practice Accreditation Scheme, which is a free support programme for GPs in England that enables GPs to easily identify, understand, and support veterans and, where appropriate, refer them to specialist healthcare services designed especially for them, such as Op COURAGE. Over 99% of Primary Care Networks have at least one GP accredited as Veteran Friendly.

For Op COURAGE, between April and November 2024, Op COURAGE North received 2,040 referrals. Across all Op COURAGE services in England, there were over 5,000 referrals in the same time period. For NHS Talking Therapies, between April and November 2024, NHS Talking Therapies in the North of England received 5,100 referrals from veterans. Across all NHS Talking Therapies there were over 13,400 referrals over the same period.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to shift towards a preventative healthcare model in South Derbyshire constituency; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the preventative healthcare model on primary care providers nearby. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Health Mission sets out our plan to shift the National Health Service away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, to one where the NHS focuses on prevention, and where more services are delivered in local communities. Our core objective is to shorten the amount of time spent in ill-health and prevent premature deaths, which will in turn reduce pressure on the NHS, boost the economy, and prevent the vicious cycle of ill health and poverty.

We are taking action across the Government to tackle the biggest drivers of ill health, including legislation to make this country smoke-free and to protect future generations from the harms of addiction, as well as working closely with local government to address the underlying social determinants of health.

Within the health and care system, the 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients, and staff. It will set out how the NHS will deliver the shift from sickness to prevention, which will be one of the central tenets of the plan. This includes a working group focused on the preventative healthcare model for the future.

To support the shift to prevention within primary care, we have proposed providing financial incentives to reward general practitioners who go above and beyond to prevent the most common killers, like heart disease, for the next contract year. This is subject to the contract consultation currently underway with the General Practitioners Committee England.

NHS England has published NHS Planning Guidance for 2025/26, setting out the first steps for reform and the immediate actions we are asking systems to take to deliver, including on the shift from sickness to prevention. In South Derbyshire our Regional Director of Public Health is working with local government and the Joined Up Care Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to support the shift to prevention. The Joined Up Care Derbyshire ICB is responsible for considering the impact of its preventative healthcare model on local primary care providers.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of prescription charges on the uptake of prescribed medication for people who have undergone a kidney transplant. \p Karin Smyth: There are no plans to assess the impact of prescription charges on people who have undergone a kidney transplant.

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 long term or chronic conditions 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-05 conversation_255

Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on tackling the shortage of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy drugs. \p Karin Smyth: The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Increased volumes of PERT are expected for 2025, and specialist importers have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public facing page to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-05 conversation_256

Peter Dowd:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote awareness of skin cancer (a) prevention measures, (b) signs and (c) symptoms. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on reducing the risk of skin cancer. This advice is available publicly on the National Health Service website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/melanoma-skin-cancer/

The Department is not taking any additional steps, currently or within the last three years, to specifically fund skin cancer awareness campaigns.

NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-05 conversation_257

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dental practices in (a) England, (b) the East of England and (c) Suffolk have stopped accepting NHS patients since 5 July 2024. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK website profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients. This information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-05 conversation_258

Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to help support Scotland’s oil and gas industry, in the context of the Court of Session judgement of 30 January 2025 in relation to the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields. \p Kirsty McNeill: The recent decision made in the Court of Session regarding the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields is an independent matter for the courts.

The Government has consulted on revised guidance for Environmental Impact Assessments to take account of scope 3 emissions from burning the extracted oil and gas, in anticipation of the outcome of this case

We will respond to this consultation in due course and developers will be able to apply for consents under this revised regime. We continue to engage regularly with all parts of the energy sector in Scotland.

Our priority is a fair, orderly and prosperous transition in the North Sea in line with our climate and legal obligations, which drives towards our clean energy future of energy security, lower bills, and good, long-term jobs.
wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_1

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of higher levels of immigration on (a) house prices and (b) rental costs. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is determined to address the dire inheritance left by its predecessor and restore order to the asylum and immigration systems, delivering lower net migration.

Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will empower private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases.
wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_2

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2024 to Question 5420 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Pentland Communications and Sovereign Strategy, where on gov.uk details are published of meetings between special advisers and external organisations that are not senior media executives. \p Alex Norris: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of external meetings held by Special Advisers are published in line with the requirements set out in guidance here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_3

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing protections for (a) the Chilterns national landscape and (b) other national landscapes under the national planning policy framework. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is committed to ensuring that our most important and cherished landscapes are appropriately protected so they can be enjoyed by future generations.

Planning policy is clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise the character and beauty of the countryside, and local authorities are expected to protect heritage assets which can include landscape and setting of listed buildings.

Only local authorities, national park authorities, or the Planning Inspectorate (acting on behalf of  the Secretary of State), can give permission for development in, or affecting, a National Landscape (previously known as AONB). Relevant authorities must make sure that any proposals seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the National Landscape.

The National Planning Policy Framework states that great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Landscapes, and that the scale and extent of any development in these areas should be limited.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_4

Mrs Kemi Badenoch:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) officials, (b) special advisers and (c) Ministers have met representatives of Hope Not Hate since the general election. \p Alex Norris: (a) Officials have attended forums where Hope Not Hate have been present and have been sighted on reports generated by the organisation since the General Election, (b) details of meetings special advisers have with external organisations are published on gov.uk in line with requirements set out in guidance here, (c) details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_5

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2024 to Question 2973 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Pentland Communications and Sovereign Strategy, for what reason she has not provided the information requested on special advisers. \p Alex Norris: Details of meetings between special advisers and external organisations are published on gov.uk in line with requirements set out in guidance here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_6

Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Enhanced Trade Partnership between his Department and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on the local economy. \p Gareth Thomas: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority have developed an enhanced local partnership to target local and national support to identified high export growth potential businesses in the GM region. This was launched on 21st November and we expect to understand initial impacts on export growth after 12 months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-03 conversation_7

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on what occasions Ministers in his Department met representatives of Vodafone in the last five years. \p Gareth Thomas: Details of the meetings held by Ministers of the Department for Business and Trade and its predecessor the Department for International Trade are available on transparency pages of gov.uk and are released as part of the Government’s transparency agenda.