theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sarah Coombes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the number of ghost plates in circulation. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of illegal number plates as well as number plates with raised characters, commonly known as ‘4D plates’. Some 4D plates can also be described as ‘ghost’ plates where the characters are constructed from materials that are unable to be read by infrared Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. Work is currently ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation, including ‘ghost’ plates.
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Tonia Antoniazzi:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the recommendations of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025. \p Feryal Clark: Sex and gender in data, statistics and research is an important area of discussion, and this review contributes to this ongoing dialogue. Given the wide breadth of recommendations, the government has ensured that the review has been shared with all the relevant departments and policy teams, who will consider the findings in light of their ongoing policy work.
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Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answers of 6 March 2025 to Question 36136 on Geothermal Power: County Durham and to Question 36137 on Data Centres: Energy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for AI hubs in County Durham by using geothermal energy production. \p Feryal Clark: The Government recognises the importance of continued innovation and improvements in the efficiency of AI.

AI Growth Zones will help shift energy demand to areas with more capacity, reducing pressure on congested parts of the grid. DSIT are working closely with DESNZ and the National Energy System Operator to align AI energy demand with future energy planning and ensure long-term sustainability.

Through the AI Energy Council, we will also build on this progress by exploring bold, clean energy solutions to ensure our AI ambitions align with the UK’s net zero goals.

UK government and local authorities will actively seek to secure the best deal possible for local communities where AI Growth Zones are allocated.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle the trafficking of children to the UK from West Africa. \p Jess Phillips: The Home Office has a network of policy and operational officers posted across West Africa to engage host countries on home affairs issues, including child trafficking, and provide cooperation on investigations where necessary.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to introduce dedicated capital investment funding for fire and rescue services to help improve (a) infrastructure, (b) fleet renewal and (c) training facilities. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates.

As a recommendation in phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Prime Minister has announced a Machinery of Government change, which will see all responsibility for fire and rescue transfer to MHCLG from 1st April.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the benefits of extending protections for retail workers to retail delivery drivers in the Crime and Policing Bill. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Under the previous government, shop theft soared to record highs, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We won’t stand for this because everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.

To tackle the unacceptable surge in shoplifting and retail crime, and following years of campaigning, our Crime and Policing Bill introduces a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores, sending a strong message to offenders and would-be offenders that violence against retail workers will not be tolerated.

As introduced, the definition of a ‘retail worker’ does not include delivery drivers. Keeping a tight definition provides legal clarity and ensures there is less ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Workers whose roles are not included are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH).

That said, the whole purpose of the parliamentary process is to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and we will, of course, consider carefully any amendments and supporting evidence.

Public-facing workers are also covered by the aggravating factor introduced by the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Act, which ensures the courts consider the public-facing nature of a victim’s role when issuing a sentence for an offence and sends a clear message that violence and abuse towards any worker will not be tolerated. We expect those who perpetrate these damaging crimes to always face the full force of the law.

Through the passage of this Bill, we will continue to engage with a number of stakeholders across relevant sectors to ensure the law is fit for purpose to protect all public-facing workers from violence and abuse.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of new police officers there will be in the West Midlands in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government has committed to restore neighbourhood policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This includes putting thousands more police personnel on the beat in neighbourhood policing roles up and down the country. Every part of the country needs to benefit from this pledge, including West Midlands, who have been allocated £12,210,903 funding in 2025/26 to bolster their neighbourhood policing teams.

£200 million of funding has been allocated to forces in England and Wales in 2025/26 to deliver the first steps of the increase towards 13,000 neighbourhood officers by the end of this Parliament. Our approach to delivery in 2025/26, which will be year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible, and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands. The Home Office will review and confirm delivery plans with forces, but the precise workforce mix is a local decision.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent the sale of lethal substances promoted by online pro-suicide forums. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of these chemicals for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.

The Home Office work with retailers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are currently leading on the Online Safety Act.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy to consult (a) council leaders, (b) council chief executives and (c) Members of Parliament before an asylum hotel is stood up in an area. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Government has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs.

When a hotel has been identified for use as contingency accommodation, Home Office officials will write to the local authority Chief Executive and the constituency MP to inform them of plans to accommodate asylum seekers there.

The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.
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Ben Lake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) alternative proof of Visa status to digital-only eVisas, such as (i) secure QR codes and (ii) equivalent physical documentation and (b) a compensation scheme for individuals impacted by eVisa errors. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office is moving to a digital immigration system, and there are no plans to issue physical documents in future.

Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission and have a digital immigration status, which they can keep for their personal records. However, these documents cannot be used as evidence of their status.

We evaluated the QR code proposal put forward by the3million and our response is published on their website: https://the3million.org.uk/publication/xx-xxxx-xxxx.

We already operate a process of ex gratia payments if the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas.

We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.

We keep all visa routes and digital visa systems, including the introduction and implementation of the eVisa system, under review and will update Parliament in the normal manner.
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Chris Philp:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the rules laid in Parliament on 12 March 2025 regarding social care, how a social care provider can prove that they have tried to recruit domestically before seeking to sponsor new recruits from overseas. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office will publish guidance for sponsors in line with the new rules coming into effect on 9 April.
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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is any flexibility in the thresholds for (a) minimum working hours and (b) actual hours worked in the context of Skilled Worker visa applications. \p Seema Malhotra: The general salary threshold applies regardless of the number of working hours. The occupation specific going rates are assessed according to a worker’s contracted hours, which is consistent with the approach taken in national minimum wage guidance. Some salary requirement discounts are available: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/when-you-can-be-paid-less.

The salary requirements are in place to protect resident workers from being undercut and ensure international recruits receive fair pay for skilled work. Currently, the requirements are set at the median rate of pay for UK workers in skilled occupations according to the Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
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Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39293, when he plans to publish guidance relating to communities and onshore wind; when Solar Energy UK plans to publish its guidance; and whether the guidance will be binding. \p Michael Shanks: We will publish updated community benefits guidance for onshore wind in England in spring 2025, to clearly set out our expectations on what effective community benefits for communities that host new onshore wind projects should look like.

Solar Energy UK plans to publish its community benefits guidance for solar PV later this year. It will apply on a voluntary basis and provide a benchmark for the solar energy sector.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme on the living standards of the recipients of that pension in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency. \p Sarah Jones: The Government and Trustees of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) have not yet agreed on any changes so we cannot yet make such an assessment. We are currently working with the BCSSS Trustees to consider their proposals.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37979, whether the decision to plug and abandon Preston New Road shale gas well was taken by (a) the company, (b) his Department and (c) the North Sea Transition Authority. \p Michael Shanks: As stated in the answer to question UIN 37979, decisions on whether to abandon wells are ultimately a matter for the relevant company.”
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39549 on Nicholas Prosper, if she will take steps to inform hon. Members when a decision has been made. \p Lucy Rigby: I can confirm that either the Attorney General or I will write to the hon. Member to inform him of the decision.

Sentences examined by the Attorney General’s Office under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme are published on GOV.UK. This includes the sentences examined, the outcome, and details of the cases. This information is updated weekly and I would invite the hon. Members to review the data published.
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Adam Thompson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help prevent ill health. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10 Year Health Plan announced ambitious measures to prevent ill health by making the healthy choice the easy choice. This includes a moonshot to end the obesity epidemic through mandatory healthy food sales reporting and introducing business targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver a smoke-free UK by gradually ending the sale of tobacco products.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Patients treated more quickly as NHS productivity rises over year, published on 22 September 2025, what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the increased acute sector costs referred to; and if he will provide a breakdown of that expenditure. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service productivity is measured by comparing the amount of healthcare activity delivered, otherwise known as outputs, against the resources used, otherwise known as inputs, over time. To estimate the growth in costs, data is drawn from financial returns submitted by NHS trusts, known as Provider Financial Returns. These returns capture spending across the system. However, certain items that are not directly related to patient care activity, such as one-off or exceptional costs, are excluded to ensure the analysis reflects core service delivery.

To allow for a fair comparison between years, the figures are adjusted to remove the effects of inflation and NHS pay awards. This process, known as “deflation”, ensures that any changes in cost reflect real changes in resource use rather than price increases. This is standard practice in productivity analysis.

Following these adjustments, the estimated increase in acute sector costs between 2023/24 and 2024/25 is £3.0 billion. This figure reflects the additional resources used to support increased activity in acute care settings, such as hospitals.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which charities received funding from the supplementary fund to support engagement with seldom heard groups as part of the 10 Year Health Plan consultation; and how much funding each organisation received. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure ICBs meet national requirements for hospice performance. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Kerry McCarthy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to recruit more experienced GPs whose Certificate of Completion of Training date was more than two years ago. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will be attending the European Regional Summit ahead of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties on (a) 14 and (b)16 October 2025; and if his Department will share its position with Parliament ahead of the meeting. \p Ashley Dalton: Our position on vaping is clear, that it is less harmful than smoking and can be an effective tool to help adults to stop smoking, but that non-smokers and young people should never vape. The Government has regularly set out this position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will continue do so at the upcoming conference.

Officials in the Department attended the European Region Pre-Cop meeting. These were informative sessions, and the United Kingdom did not make any interventions at these meetings. We have not yet confirmed the UK’s delegation with the World Health Organization. We are aiming to do so shortly.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on how many occasions his Department has withheld information due to the risk of prejudicing private commercial interest under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in this Parliament. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that hospice contracts adequately reflect the (a) cost of the services they provide and (b) needs of their local populations. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of closure of the social care visa route on the availability of staff in the social care sector. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered fully funding the (a) specialist palliative care, (b) advice and (c) assessments that are provided by hospices. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Lauren Edwards:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that hospice contracts reflect (a) the cost of the services they provide and (b) the needs of their local populations. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure adequate levels of accountability for the equitable provision of palliative care across England. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77309 on Cancer, when the Cancer Operational Taskforce was established; what its remit is; who the members of the Taskforce are; and who it reports to. \p Ashley Dalton: 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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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the average time taken to diagnose postural tachycardia syndrome. \p Ashley Dalton: We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment, by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that hospices receive the funding required to raise staff pay in line with nationally agreed NHS pay rises. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has commissioned research on the incidence of postural tachycardia syndrome in patients with long covid. \p Ashley Dalton: We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.

The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has supported a broad portfolio of research into long COVID, including understanding the links between long COVID and PoTS. The £3.35 million LOng COvid Multidisciplinary consortium: Optimising Treatments and servIces acrOss the NHS, or LOCOMOTION, study confirmed that people with long COVID are more likely than others to have orthostatic intolerance, and that these problems are relatively common.
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Lola McEvoy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the (a) diagnoses of and (b) treatments for motor neurone disease are undertaken in a (i) efficient and (ii) timely manner. \p Ashley Dalton: We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.

NHS England commissions the specialised elements of motor neurone disease (MND) care that patients may receive from 27 specialised neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals and specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MND, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MND.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with NHS England on improving (a) referral pathways and (b) specialist service provision for people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. \p Ashley Dalton: We recognise the negative impact that postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) has on patients, and the cost to health and care services and the wider economy through, for example, loss of work and an increased benefits bill.

Improving health outcomes for everyone living with a long-term condition, including PoTS, is a key part of the Government's mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future.

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029.

Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of PoTS, enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.

By shifting care into the community through Neighbourhood Health Services, promoting integrated, multidisciplinary models of care, and through the expansion of personalised care plans, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will ensure that people with conditions like PoTS receive more timely and accessible support closer to home.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of creatine on public health. \p Ashley Dalton: Scientific risk assessment of nutrition and health claim applications in Great Britain are carried out by the UK Nutrition and Health Claims Committee (UKNHCC) and based on thorough and robust evaluations.

In 2024, the UKNHCC considered a health claim on creatine supplementation and improved cognitive function. The proposed conditions of use for the health claim were that creatine should be ingested in an amount of 3g per day and the target population for the health claim is the general population, healthy adults of both sexes.

The UKNHCC considered evidence submitted by the applicant to substantiate the claim and published a negative scientific opinion. Based on the data presented by the applicant, the committee concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of ≤3g per day creatine and improved cognitive function.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_21

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated to blood cancers. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to improving cancer outcomes for patients across England, including for blood cancer.

It is not possible to break down the Department’s overall spend on blood cancer in England as cancer funding is provided across a range of cancer diagnosis and treatment pathways, with national and local cancer initiatives driving improvement across many different cancer types.

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), with cancer one of the largest areas of spend. The NIHR made 70 awards for research projects into blood cancer for the period April 2020 to March 2025 with a combined total funding value of approximately £18 million.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_22

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of step-down care in East Hampshire constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: This Government is committed to tackling delayed discharges to free up hospital beds, ensure people do not spend longer than necessary in hospital and, where safe and supported to do so, can recover well at home. To support this, we have provided around £9billion through the Better Care Fund, including £179million in Hampshire.

In September, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reported step-down intermediate care capacity as the primary reason of delay for 6% of patients with delayed discharge and at least a 7-day length of stay. For Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust this was 13%, both lower than the England average of 14%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_23

Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the status of the proposed PATHWAYS clinical trial. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Better quality evidence is critical if the NHS is to support young people suffering from gender incongruence, so we are supporting a programme of research, recommended by the Cass Review, including the PATHWAYS study. The health and wellbeing of the children and young people involved is our primary concern.

Ethical and regulatory approvals have been received for the observational element of the study. Approval processes and site set-up are well underway for the clinical trial and we will provide an update when the study moves to the next stage.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_24

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help reduce the time taken to diagnose myeloma. \p Ashley Dalton: Information on the average time taken to diagnose myeloma in the South East is not held centrally. We publish 28-Day Faster Diagnosis data by suspected cancer, including provider and commissioner data, monthly. The latest publication is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/monthly-data-and-summaries/2025-26-monthly-cancer-waiting-times-statistics/cancer-waiting-times-for-august-2025-26-provisional/

We recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that patients have timely access to diagnosis, and we remain committed to diagnosing all cancer types earlier, including myeloma. To tackle late diagnoses, the National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways. There are currently 115 NSS services operating in England, ensuring more patients benefit from quicker access to the right investigations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_25

Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to help improve (a) clinical understanding, (b) diagnosis, and (c) treatment pathways for people with bile acid malabsorption. \p Ashley Dalton: The United Kingdom has a well-developed network of clinicians interested in bile acid disorders, namely the UK Bile Acid Related Diarrhoea Network, which is working with the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) on a major clinical trial.

The current treatment is mainly with “bile acid sequestrants” that bind the bile acids in the gut, but there is a recognised need to further develop new treatments. In 2025, the NIHR announced a £2 million investment in a research study to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments for bile acid malabsorption (BAM). Further information is available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR160696

In addition, BAM has been highlighted in national guidance on managing chronic diarrhoea by the British Society of Gastroenterology, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued public-facing guidance on their website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/esuom22/ifp/chapter/What-is-bile-acid-malabsorption

The standard diagnostic test for BAM is a SeHCAT study, pronounced “see cat” and named after the tauroselcholc [75 selenium] acid used in the procedure, and its use in the United Kingdom has rapidly expanded over the last 10 to 15 years, although there are limited research findings internationally, and consequently NICE has recently recommended further research in this area.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_26

Jim Dickson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the UK National Screening Committee on targeted prostate cancer screening. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK National Screening Committee keeps my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care informed of progress on its current review into prostate cancer screening, which includes targeted screening.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_27

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) take-up of the covid-19 vaccine for eligible people in the latest period for which data is available. \p Ashley Dalton: Vaccine availability is monitored as part of standard operational practice across the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), NHS England, and the devolved administrations. The UKHSA collects and analyses data from the vaccination programmes to understand the impact, effectiveness, and any inequalities.

The UKHSA has procured COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming season in line with uptake forecasts received from all four nations of the United Kingdom. Based on procured volumes, it is expected that there is sufficient COVID-19 vaccine available for those eligible to receive a vaccine across the current autumn and winter campaigns. People aged 75 years old and over, those in older adult care homes, and those aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed are eligible.

During the spring 2025 campaign, 60% of those aged 75 years old or over received the COVID-19 vaccine, as did 24.5% of those aged under 75 years old who also have a suppressed immune system. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

It is too early in the autumn 2025 campaign to provide coverage data.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_28

Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) assess the needs of and (b) provide appropriate support for parents of twins. \p Ashley Dalton: There is a wide network of universal services and tailored information that parents of twins are able to access.

When babies are delivered safely, parents will likely have them beside them on the postnatal ward, where they will be supported to care for and feed their newborn. In the case that infants are born very early, they may need to spend some time in special (neonatal) care, which is not uncommon in the case of twin births.

The National Health Service website, Your newborn twins, provides expectant parents of twins advice on how to prepare for twins being born early, taking twins home and getting twins into a routine. This is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/baby/newborn-twins-and-multiples/your-newborn-twins/

Additionally, health visiting services are offered to all families, including five health and development reviews, information, support and intervention at key stages for parents and children. Where additional needs are identified, the health visiting service can either provide additional support directly or refer to NHS or local services as required.

The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is also supporting parents and carers of children of all ages, with a strong focus on conception to age two. Family hubs provide a wide range of universal services that could help parents of twins, such as support with infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships. We know that some local areas are offering more targeted support for parents of twins and multiples through their family hub networks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_29

Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the potential (a) merits and (b) costs of (i) a total prohibition on advertising of nicotine and vaping products and (ii) other measures short of total prohibition. \p Ashley Dalton: Youth vaping has doubled in the past five years, and one in four 11 to 15-year-olds tried vaping in 2023. There has been a significant growth in the awareness of vaping promotion over recent years, with more than half of all children aged 11 to 17 years old, or 55%, being aware of promotion in shops, up from 37% in 2022.

Advertising of nicotine vapes is already restricted by United Kingdom regulations. This includes a ban on advertising on television and radio, and through internet advertising or commercial email. However, there are currently no restrictions on the advertising of non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine products such as pouches. There are also minimal restrictions on entering sponsorship agreements which promote these products, and we do not want children to be aware of these promotions which may make the products seem ‘cool’, for instance, if it appears on their favourite football team’s kit.

This is why the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately advertised and promoted to children. This will stop the next generation from being hooked on nicotine. However, the bill will not stop public health authorities from undertaking necessary and important public health messaging or campaigns on vaping and smoking cessation.

The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including the proposed ban on advertising vaping and nicotine products. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024. Paragraph 529 of the impact assessment details options that were previously considered but discounted. Our approach reflects evidence showing that comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising had a significant impact on reducing consumption, while partial bans had no significant effect. The World Health Organisation cites advertising bans as ‘one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco consumption’ so they are also likely to be effective for vaping and nicotine products.

The Government will monitor the impact of this advertising and sponsorship ban following its implementation.