theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_201
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_201

Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department plans to measure the (a) effectiveness and (b) uptake of breakfast clubs; and whether she plans to publish this assessment. \p Olivia Bailey: The department is using the findings from the early adopter phase to inform the national roll out of free breakfast clubs. We’re also committed to continuing to learn throughout national roll out and have robust evaluation activity in place, including looking at take up. This will be critical to the programme’s delivery and ensuring that the programme is evidence informed and capable of demonstrating value for money. This will be shared with the public in line with the appropriate government social research guidelines.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_202
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_202

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to uphold free speech in universities. \p Josh MacAlister: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom in universities. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed to Parliament plans for the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 earlier this year. The new approach will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech.

​​The following provisions came into force from 1 August 2025:
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_203
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_203

Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support kinship carers in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency. \p Josh MacAlister: Local authorities in England are responsible for setting out a Kinship Local Offer, which outlines the support available to kinship carers and the children they care for.

This offer should cover all types of kinship care arrangements, both formal and informal, and can include information on financial support, legal advice, training and peer support, and educational and emotional wellbeing services.

Nationally, support is available to kinship carers through peer-to-peer support groups and a programme of training, delivered by the charity Kinship. This includes free workshops, events and access to advice and guidance. Virtual School Heads also work with schools to promote the education of children in kinship care and ensure their needs are met and kinship carers in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend can benefit from this.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_204
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_204

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support provided to care leavers transitioning to independent living (a) in general and (b) housed outside their home local authority. \p Josh MacAlister: The move to independence is a critical milestone in any young person’s life. Care leavers should expect the same level of care and support that others would expect from a parent.

The local authority responsible for their care should make sure they have the skills, confidence, support and opportunities to thrive. This includes offering them more than one chance as they grapple with the responsibilities of adulthood.

Ofsted is responsible for assessing the adequacy of support for care leavers in each local authority and, as part of its inspection of local authority children’s services, has a specific remit to set out the key strengths and areas for improvement on the experiences and progress of care leavers.

We recognise the additional challenges faced by young people who are placed into care outside their home local authority area. This can leave them with few local connections to either the area they are currently living in, or the area they are expected to return to, and has restricted their access to social housing upon leaving care. We have introduced an exemption to address this so that, as of July 2025, the local area connection test no longer applies to care leavers.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_205
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_205

Tom Tugendhat:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much revenue has been raised by the introduction of VAT on schools; and how much has been spent on student transfers from public to state schools in the same period. \p Olivia Bailey: HM Treasury published a tax information and impact note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected. The note contains information on the impacts on individuals and families, and the government’s estimates of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. The government does not collect pupil-level data from private schools and therefore cannot track pupil movements out of private schools into the state sector. Latest published figures confirm that pupil numbers remain within historical patterns seen for over 20 years, with no evidence of excessive pressure on the state system. The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

The reforms to VAT and business rates, ending the exemptions which private schools previously enjoyed, are expected to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. This measure will raise essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as our £3.7 billion increase to school funding in 2025/26, taking core school funding to £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_206
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_206

Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014. \p Georgia Gould: The department and NHS England work together to support and challenge local areas to improve their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) service delivery where required. This includes carrying out monitoring, support and challenge on any areas of identified weakness, both following an area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, or if those areas are identified outside of inspection timescales.

Where a local authority does not meet its duties, including in relation to securing provision in accordance with education, health and care plans, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. This includes a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through departmental programmes, such as our expert advisers and commissioners.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_207
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_207

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_208
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_208

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase funding for research and innovation to improve cancer outcomes. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.

As well as funding cancer research, the Department also invests in centres of excellence, services and facilities to enable and delivery of cancer research in England. This includes NIHR funding for the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, a UK-wide network for delivery of early phase cancer trials, and NIHR’s Biomedical Research Centres, collaborations between world-leading universities and NHS organisations, bringing together academics and clinicians to do translational research, including for all cancer types. NIHR also works closely with industry to bring innovative research to the United Kingdom. This creates a strong portfolio of work reflecting the need for research and innovation to improve cancer outcomes.

Additionally, the Office for Life Sciences’ Cancer Healthcare Goals Programme have invested £21.5m to date for cancer research and innovation programmes, with their aim to maximise and direct global industrial investment for the development and acceleration of new cancer diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and devices in the UK through: providing research investments to support the development of innovations in the early stages of the development pathway; and supporting industry to accelerate cancer diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and devices in the latter stages of development into the National Health Service.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.

The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including all cancer types.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_209
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_209

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many accompanying adults have entered the UK under the Gaza injured children scheme; and what the estimated total cost per individual has been for (a) transport, (b) accommodation and (c) subsistence. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Government is committed to funding the costs associated with evacuating Gazan children for treatment in the United Kingdom. Departments will share the costs for the process by funding their specific areas of responsibility from their existing budgets.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_210
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_210

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for ovarian cancer research within NHS services in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.

Examples of NIHR investments in ovarian cancer research includes the ROCkeTS study, which aims to identify the best diagnostic tests for ovarian cancer. The NIHR has also funded the MR in Ovarian Cancer study, which studies the impact of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging on the staging and management of patients with ovarian cancer.

The Frimley Park Integrated Care System, located within the Surrey Heath constituency, is part of the NIHR’s Research Delivery Network, and plays a key role in supporting the delivery of research, including into ovarian cancer.

The NIHR continues to welcome high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ovarian cancer research.

The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes, including through research, for all cancer patients in England, including for ovarian cancer.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_211
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_211

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of longer duration ambulatory ECG monitoring on stroke prevention. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England continues to monitor data on patient access to ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring to inform future improvements in commissioning and patient access.

The Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years. To accelerate progress, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework in 2026. The Department and NHS England are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_212
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_212

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether integrated care boards will be asked to report local baseline (a) data and (b) progress on reducing ultra-processed food consumption; and if he will publish a breakdown for (i) Wiltshire and (ii) other local authority areas. \p Ashley Dalton: UK dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN considered processed foods and health in 2023 and 2025. The SACN recommended that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. Diets high in ultra-processed foods (UPF) are often energy dense, high in saturated fat, salt, or free sugars, high in processed meat and/or low in fruit, vegetables, and fibre. The SACN’s recommendations align with our existing policies for supporting healthier diets and our advice to consumers. Therefore, the Government does not currently have plans to introduce a national target to reduce the proportion of UPF in the diet of the United Kingdom’s population.

The Government is taking action to support people to make healthier choices. As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will introduce mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector, and will set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities. This more strategic, outcomes-based approach aims to reduce less healthy food consumption, in line with UK dietary guidelines.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_213
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_213

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of sickle cell disease amongst the Latin American and Latinx community. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases such as sickle cell disease. Increasing awareness of rare diseases in healthcare professionals is one of the four priorities of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the annual England action plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance this priority.

In England, there are approximately 17,000 people living with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder with approximately 250 new cases a year. It is the fastest growing genetic condition in the country. It is generally more common in people of black African and black Caribbean heritage, 77% of patients, however, we recognise that the condition is not unique to this community and NHS England remains committed to delivering quality improvement to all patients living with sickle cell.

Our national Can You Tell its Sickle Cell campaign launched in 2022, to boost public awareness of sickle cell disease, including in the Latin American and Latinx community, and help staff better understand the condition, crises, and how to care for patients during their greatest hour of need. Co-developed with NHS England’s patient advisory group, clinical experts, and the Sickle Cell Society, the campaign included staff resources as well as hand-held patient cards distributed via haemoglobinopathy coordinating centres. The campaign was relaunched as part of Sickle Cell Awareness Month in 2025, and an information toolkit remains available on the national Campaign Resource Centre.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_214
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_214

Mr Toby Perkins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking through the Modern Service Framework for cardiovascular health to reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular disease. \p Ashley Dalton: The cardiovascular disease modern service framework will help accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade.

The Government is prioritising ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care. At the heart of this is engagement with people and communities, so that the modern service framework is shaped by and meets their needs. We will say more on these plans in due course.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_215
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_215

Sarah Dyke:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the remedial notices handed out by the Food Standards Agency in the last year were given to abattoirs with a throughput of less than 5,000 livestock units per year. \p Ashley Dalton: During the period from 1 November 2024 until 31 October 2025, the Food Standards Agency has served five Remedial Action Notices in three abattoirs with a throughput of less than 5,000 livestock units per year.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_216
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_216

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 85105, tabled on 27 October 2025. \p Ashley Dalton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 November 2025 to Question 85105.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_217
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_217

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 81420 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, how many covid-19 vaccinations were delivered in winter (a) 2025-26, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2023-24. \p Ashley Dalton: COVID-19 vaccination uptake figures are published regularly during the spring and winter campaigns, as part of the national flu and COVID-19 surveillance report. Data is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/weekly-national-flu-reports

For the winter campaigns, the following publications may be of interest:

Note that this data is specific to England.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_218
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_218

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase diagnosis of sickle cell amongst patients of Latin American descent. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases such as sickle cell disease. Helping patients get a final diagnosis faster is one of the four priorities of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the annual England action plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance this priority.

In England, there are around 17,000 people living with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder with around 250 new cases a year. It is the fastest growing genetic condition in the country. It is generally more common in people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage (77% of patients) however, we recognise that the condition is not unique to this community and NHS England remain committed to delivering quality improvement to all patients living with sickle cell.

All pregnant women in England are offered a blood test to find out if they carry a gene for thalassaemia. Those at high risk of being a sickle cell carrier are offered a test for sickle cell. As part of the National Health Service Antenatal Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (SCT) Screening Programme, the Family Origin Questionnaire (FOQ) is mandatory for all booking blood requests. By recording accurate family origin details, the FOQ enables midwives to identify women at higher risk. For example, women with Latin American ancestry extending back two generations are considered high risk and are offered screening accordingly.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_219
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_219

Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase funding for (a) the pathology (i) workforce, (ii) estates and (iii) IT infrastructure and (b) pathology disciplines involved in the pathways for cancer patients. \p Ashley Dalton: The 2025 Spending Review prioritised health, with record investment in the health and social care system. The Spending Review announced that annual National Health Service day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms, a £53 billion cash increase, by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24.

To provide stability and ensure public services and industries have certainty in their funding, the Government has committed to holding a Spending Review every two years. The 2025 Spending Review sets departmental budgets for day-to-day spending up to 2028/29 and for capital for five years, to 2029/30. The envelope for the next Spending Review, due to be held in 2027, will be set in due course.

We will also publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

As part of the £600 million in capital for diagnostics in 2025/26, announced as part of the Spending Review, the NHS is investing in histopathology automation technology, which will speed up pathology test reporting across England, helping to ensure that patients get their diagnoses faster and supporting reductions in elective waiting lists.

We are funding all pathology networks to increase digital capabilities by March 2026. This will reduce unnecessary waits and repeat tests to ensure that patients receive their blood test results sooner. These actions will help improve patient pathways, including for cancer.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_220
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_220

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to extend marketing restrictions for HFSS products to outdoor advertising. \p Ashley Dalton: Under the Health Mission, the Government is committed to prevention and to tackling obesity by creating a fairer, healthier food environment. We are already delivering the biggest public health reforms in a generation which includes restrictions on junk food advertising on television and online, a ban on high-caffeine energy drinks for children under 16 years old, and boosting the impact of the advertising and promotion restrictions by applying the updated Nutrient Profiling Model. We are also introducing mandatory healthy food sales reporting for large food businesses and will set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities, a world first.

Last year, the Government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government, giving local authorities stronger, clearer powers to block new fast-food outlets near schools and where young people congregate. This will stop the relentless targeting of children and young people by the fast-food industry, which is a particular problem in some of the most deprived areas.

We welcome the work metropolitan mayors are progressing to support action being taken at a local level to ban junk food marketing across the public transport networks and public spaces that are controlled locally.

We currently have no plans to extend the marketing restrictions on products that are high in fat, sugar, and salt to outdoor advertising, but we continue to review the evidence of the impacts on children of advertising for less healthy food and drink products and will consider where further action is needed.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_221
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_221

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of research funding allocated to pancreatic cancer given its rates of (a) mortality, (b) survival and (c) late diagnosis; and whether he plans to increase that funding. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and in 2024/25, spent £141,649,374 on cancer research, signalling its high priority. This includes studies that focus specifically on pancreatic cancer as well as studies that are relevant or include pancreatic cancer. For example, between financial years 2020/21 and 2024/25, the NIHR committed £1.5 million to specific pancreatic cancer studies. The NIHR has also invested £1.9 million in research to detect early stages of gastrointestinal cancers, which includes pancreatic cancer. This non-invasive breath test will aim to streamline the referral process for primary care.

NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, including facilities, services and the research workforce, supported the delivery of 160 pancreatic cancer research studies and enabled over 8,200 people to participate in potentially life-changing research during this time period. This includes support for the PemOla trial, which is the first to explore using precision immunotherapies to treat pancreatic cancer. More information about the trial is available at the following link:

https://cambridgebrc.nihr.ac.uk/2025/07/18/pancreatic-cancer-precision-medicine-trial/
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_222
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_222

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS and care sector equipment is (a) returned and reused or (b) recycled after use. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: In October 2024 the Department published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology (medtech) products towards a functioning circular system by 2045. This means designing, procuring, and processing medtech products and devices in a way that enables reuse, remanufacture, or recycling, thus preserving their value for as long as possible. The document sets out a plan of 30 actions to deliver the 2045 vision, which involve:

- driving positive behavioural change;

- exploring new commercial incentives to provide circular medtech;

- creating new standards to enable innovative products and services;

- planning the decontamination and recycling infrastructure of the future; and

- establishing new collaborations to accelerate the emergence of transformative science.

The Design for Life Roadmap is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/679ca015a9ee53687470a2ed/design-for-life-roadmap.pdf
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_223
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_223

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of practicing clinicians who have received specialist training in (a) diagnosing and (b) treating Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: In 2021, NHS England commissioned training for staff delivering treatment in inpatient children and young people’s mental health services to improve the understanding and management of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

NHS England does not hold centralised data on the number of clinicians who have received specialist ARFID training. Training is commissioned and delivered locally to meet the needs of local populations.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_224
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_224

Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will host the Global Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2028. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The United Kingdom is looking forward to participating actively in the fifth Ministerial High-Level Conference on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which will be held in Nigeria in 2026. The Government is considering how best to celebrate the 2028 centenary of the UK's discovery of penicillin. We will internally consider whether this will include bidding to host the sixth Ministerial High-Level Conference on AMR, which will take place in 2028.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_225
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_225

Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that (a) universal lay terminology is used in the NHS app and (b) there is signposting to Lab Tests Online UK to enable patients to interpret their diagnostic results correctly. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The NHS App aims to use clear, universal lay terminology that is easy for the general public to understand. The content follows the National Health Service content style guide, which mandates writing in plain English to a reading age of nine to 11 years old. As part of the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will provide an improved and personalised experience for users, empowering them to access key elements of their health conditions like test results, and providing patients with advice and guidance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, that will help them to understand their health and make informed choices about what to do next.

We regularly test our content with patients to ensure it is clear and effective. This includes working with users who have access needs, low digital literacy, or are from seldom-heard groups.

This work builds on the current test results feature in the NHS App that is successfully used by millions of people each month to access the results of tests they have conducted with their general practitioner.

There is signposting to Lab Tests Online-UK (LTO-UK) to help patients interpret their diagnostic results, though this may depend on how the patient's general practice (GP) has configured its systems. We currently provide links to LTO-UK for approximately 70 of the most common test types. While the NHS App itself primarily displays results along with any accompanying doctor’s comments or actions, GP systems can have embedded links to LTO-UK alongside the test results, providing a direct route for patients to access reliable information at the point of care.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_226
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_226

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department have made of potential (a) savings to the NHS and (b) improved or increased quality of life for patients from the early diagnosing of people with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: NHS England has not made a specific assessment of the potential savings to the National Health Service or the improvements in quality of life arising from the early diagnosis of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

However, early identification and intervention are recognised as key to improving outcomes for people with eating disorders, reducing the risk of deterioration and the need for more intensive treatment later on. NHS England continues to work with commissioners and providers to ensure timely access to assessment and treatment for all individuals with suspected eating disorders, including ARFID.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_227
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_227

Catherine West:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve care and treatment for people with eating disorders and (b) reduce the number of lives lost to eating disorders. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: As part of our mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, there is a critical need to shift the treatment of eating disorders from hospital to the community. Improved care in the community will give young people early access to evidence-based treatment involving families and carers, improving outcomes and preventing relapse.

The Department is committed to learning from deaths in order to prevent future tragedies and improve the quality of care. The Department receives and responds to Prevention of Future Death reports relating to eating disorders and uses this work to inform practice. For example, the Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders guidance was created following a coroner’s report and has since been rolled out nationwide.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_228
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_228

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many yellow card reports there have been on covid-19 vaccines. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The number of Yellow Card reports received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for COVID-19 vaccines can be found in the Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles on the Yellow Card website, which is available at the following link:

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/idaps

The Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles contain complete listings of suspected adverse reactions for all medicines and vaccines reported through the scheme. On this platform, individuals can search for the specified vaccine of interest in order to find data displayed in graphs and tables, which include information such as patient age, sex and ethnicity. The number of reports for each vaccine of interest is provided on the “Overview” tab of the profile. As the data does not necessarily refer to proven side effects, individuals should refer to the product information for details on the possible side effects, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc

When considering spontaneous data for medicinal products, it is important to be aware that a reported reaction has not necessarily been caused by the vaccine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have been. Each year, millions of doses of routine vaccinations are given in the United Kingdom alone, and when any vaccine is administered to large numbers of people, some recipients will inevitably experience illness following vaccination. The fact that symptoms occur after the use of a vaccine or medicine, and are reported via the Yellow Card scheme, does not in itself mean that they are proven to have been caused by it. Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, and such events can also be coincidental.

It is also important to note that the number of reports received via the Yellow Card scheme does not directly equate to the number of people who suffer adverse reactions, and therefore the reports cannot be used to determine the incidence of a reaction. Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting rates are influenced by the seriousness of the ADRs, their ease of recognition, and the extent of the use of a particular vaccine. They may also be stimulated by awareness and publicity about a vaccine. Reporting tends to be highest for newly introduced medicines during the first one to two years on the market, and then falls over time.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_229
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_229

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse for NHS of treating (a) congenital and (b) genetic disorders arising from consanguineous unions. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department does not hold this information.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_230
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_230

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access before the 2025 rebate increase takes effect. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Government will always prioritise the needs of National Health Service patients and understands that delivering access to medicines is an important part of delivering frontline services. The pharmaceutical sector, and the innovative medicines it produces, are critical to our NHS and the Plan for Change.

The voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) saw the headline payment rate for newer medicines increase significantly, taking effect in January 2025. This led to bringing forward the mid-scheme review of VPAG from autumn 2025 to earlier in the year. This review was carried out jointly with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to ensure that it continues to deliver for both the industry and NHS. Despite the Government putting forward an unprecedented offer, no agreement was reached as part of this review, however our door has remained open to engagement with industry on all matters relating to life sciences investment and development.

The Government is also delivering the Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10-Year Health Plan, a 10-year vision backed by over £2 billion in investment and 33 actions, to support every stage of the life sciences value chain. This includes boosting UK manufacturing capacity and launching new research and development initiatives to accelerate innovation, ensuring the UK remains an attractive destination for pharmaceutical development and the launch of new medicines.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_231
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_231

Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many data subject access requests were received by the NHS in England in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of those requests were responded to with the requested data within (a) one and (b) three months. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Information on the number of data subject access requests received by National Health Service organisations, and the time taken to respond, is not collected centrally.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_232
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_232

Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2025 to Question 75683 on Neurodiversity: Children, what discussions he has had with NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board on the steps they are taking to ensure that assessment pathways for neurodevelopment disorders in children meet National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had no such discussion with the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. They are not mandatory, but National Health Service commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of their local populations.

The NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB advises that additional investment has been secured by the local system to increase capacity within the assessment pathway, and it is working to increase the earlier support available. The ICB is also continuing delivery of the Partnerships for the Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme, which brings together ICBs, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodivergent children and their families.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_233
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_233

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what demographic data his Department considered when choosing blood donation centres to pilot the post donation testing for advanced Hb assessment. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England.  NHSBT’s post donation testing feasibility study will assess if an analyser-based blood count, including a haemoglobin (Hb) assessment, can be used to assess a whole blood donor’s ability to have a blood collection taken safely without the need for a Hb measurement at subsequent donation appointments. If the donor’s Hb is above specific thresholds, it will determine the need for testing at their next visit, or for a deferral period based on the Hb being too low to donate. This will start NHSBT’s ability to personalise the deferral period of donors with low Hb.

This study started collecting baseline data in the London Middlesex mobile team and will roll out to the Manchester Norfolk House and Nottingham Donor Centres. These teams have been targeted to assess if testing is possible under current mobile and donor centre processes, rather than targeting specific donor groups or demographics.
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_234
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_234

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to maintain levels of (a) quality of care and (b) patient safety following cost improvement plans in the NHS. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The National Quality Board (NQB) published a Quality Impact Assessment (QIA) framework in June 2025. QIAs ensure that quality of care considerations, which incorporates patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient experience, are central to decision-making for the design and delivery of health and care services. The new framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/quality-impact-assessment-framework/

The new framework updates the guidance from the NQB published in 2012, a copy of which is attached. The updates from the framework recognise the need for QIAs to be carried out in a wider range of circumstances when any service change is proposed, not only those focused on financial efficiencies.

The new framework is intended to be used by commissioners and providers of health and care services to support the development of organisational policy and processes for undertaking QIAs. This may include National Health Service providers, independent sector providers, integrated care boards (ICBs), and local authorities.

The 2025/26 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance also asks ICBs to embed a robust quality and equality impact assessment process into financial and operational decision-making, test all changes with boards, and consider the appropriate involvement by the public, service users, staff, local authorities, and wider stakeholders. Further information on the 2025/26 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/2025-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance/#annex-principles-for-local-prioritisation

In addition, a new Quality Strategy is being developed under the leadership of the NQB, to coordinate key commitments within the 10-Year Health Plan and to support the delivery of high quality care across the NHS, specifically care that is safe, effective, and that provides a positive experience for patients, parents, carers, and service users.

Additional document 1 (pdf, 3476.7KB)

Additional document 1 (pdf, 3476.7KB)
wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_235
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_235

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of 27 March 2025, Official Report, column 447WH, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the research study led by Dr Rebecca Bromley entitled Fetal Exposure Study (FES): Understanding Clinical Teratogen Syndromes. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department will give careful consideration to the findings of Dr Bromley’s study, once the research has been finalised and published. The Department recognises the importance of robust, evidence-based research in shaping policy and improving outcomes for those affected by prenatal exposure to certain medications. We remain committed to reviewing emerging evidence and will ensure that the implications of this study are fully assessed in the context of existing and future departmental policies.