Written questions by Bennett.

What steps his Department plans to take to implement the findings of the four nation Optimal Infant Feeding Data Framework project.

The Department commissioned a survey of infant feeding practices in England in 2021. Data collection was completed in 2024, and a report is being prepared for publication in autumn 2025. The Infant Feeding Survey approach is largely consistent with what the Optimal Infant Feeding Quantitative Data Framework article has proposed, including points in relation to feeding intentions, exclusive and any breastfeeding at key developmental points, particularly birth, two weeks, six weeks and six months, formula feeding, mixed feeding and introduction of solid foods. These indicators are in line with United Kingdom advice and consistent with requirements for comparison with international data set out by the World Health Organization.The Department held discussions with the Devolved Governments to ensure comparable data where possible. The Department will consider the findings of the four nation Optimal Infant Feeding Data Framework project at the planning stage for further Infant Feeding Surveys.

Whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure that (a) NHS (i) guidance and (ii) resources on HIV and infant feeding follow British HIV Association guidelines and (b) trusts, (c) boards and (d) local authorities provide (A) tailored and (B) specialist lactation support to women with HIV that (1) is informed by evidence and (2) avoids stigma.

The Government is committed to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and is developing the new HIV Action Plan, which we aim to publish this year. The plan’s key objectives will include ensuring equitable access and uptake of HIV prevention programmes, improving quality of life for people living with HIV, and addressing stigma, and we are also considering how best to ensure mothers living with HIV can feed their children.Whilst guidelines issued by professional bodies such as the British HIV Association are highly regarded in the provision of HIV care, these are non-mandated and it is the responsibility of local authorities to decide how best to implement the recommendations, in line with the needs of their local populations. The Government will continue to support local authorities through advice and guidance, informed by evidence, to ensure they provide the best possible HIV services to everyone and avoid stigma.

What plans his Department has to (a) develop and (b) implement policies for infant and young child feeding in emergency preparedness (i) planning and (ii) responses.

The Government prepares for a range of risks and understands that families can face additional challenges around infant feeding during emergencies. The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs work closely with the Cabinet Office and other departments, ensuring food supply and infant feeding is incorporated into emergency preparedness planning, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all (a) parents and (b) caregivers are provided with accurate and unbiased (i) information and (ii) support for infant feeding.

It is important that all parents and caregivers receive accurate and unbiased information and support on infant feeding to help them make the right choice for them.Most families will receive infant feeding information and support from midwives and health visitors. We are taking action to strengthen these services. We are taking further steps, including investing £18.5 million through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in 2025/26, to improve infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England. We are also investing in the National Breastfeeding Helpline which provides United Kingdom wide support.Better Health Start for Life communications provide advice and support to parents and caregivers on infant feeding via a website, an email programme, and supporting literature for local authorities and healthcare professionals.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing primary legislation to give those in care settings the right for (a) their loved ones and (b) others to visit.

Secondary legislation was introduced in December 2023 to create a new Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standard on Visiting and Accompanying (Regulation 9A), which came into force on 6 April 2024. This requires CQC registered care homes, hospitals, and hospices to facilitate visiting and accompanying unless there are exceptional circumstances which mean that it is not safe to do so. Visits can be from anyone the resident would like to visit with.In April 2025, we launched a review of CQC Regulation 9A to assess whether the legislation has been effective in addressing concerns about visiting in health and care settings. Depending on the outcome of the review, we will consider whether further action is needed.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of recent changes to NHS smear tests on (a) women's health and (b) uptake of cervical cancer screening.

The UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to change the cervical screening intervals from three to five years for women aged between 25 and 49 years old was made in 2019. The evidence and consultation responses supporting the recommendation is available at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/cervical-cancer/The decision to make the changes was based on what is best for women. The more accurate human papillomavirus (HPV) test requires less frequent screening, and changing the frequency eliminates the unnecessary over-screening of the population.The IT system supporting the national cervical screening programme was updated in July 2024 and can now enable the changes that were recommended.A full impact assessment and equality impact assessment were considered before the changes were agreed by the Government. We will publish these shortly.The Department undertook an impact assessment and an equality impact assessment into the introduction of HPV self-sampling in under-screened populations, which will also be published shortly.The self-testing kits which detect HPV, which is a group of viruses that can lead to cervical cancer, allow women to carry out this testing in the privacy and convenience of their own homes.The programme specifically targets those groups consistently missing vital appointments, with younger women, ethnic minority communities facing cultural hurdles, people with a disability, and LGBT+ people all set to benefit.

What plans he has to provide psychological support for patients with (a) sickle cell and (b) other non-malignant conditions considering stem cell transplants.

NHS England stipulates in the blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) service specification that BMT services, which include stem cell transplants, should ensure that there is a full range of psychological support, as well as support staff including social workers, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and radiology support for stem cell transplant recipients. BMT service providers are also expected to be accredited by the Joint Accreditation Committee of the International Society for Cellular Therapy and the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, known jointly as JACIE, and the requirement for psychology support staff is also reflected in the eighth edition of the JACIE standards.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the rollout of whole genome sequencing services is (a) efficient and (b) consistent between regions.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) and is delivered by a national network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing, and sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing.NHS England, supported by a Genomics Clinical Reference Group and expert Test Evaluation Working Groups, review the test directory to keep pace with scientific and technological advances, while delivering value for money for the NHS. A robust and evidence-based process and policy is in place to ensure that genomic testing continues to be available for all patients for whom it would be of clinical benefit. As part of the NHS GMS testing strategy, there is increasing use of cutting edge, high throughput comprehensive sequencing technologies to ensure efficiency.

Whether he plans to ensure that (a) families and (b) carers of cell therapy patients can access (i) mental health and wellbeing and (ii) bereavement support.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families and carers have the support they need.Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including mental health and wellbeing support for families and carers.The Government also recognises how important it is for grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones to have access to the support they need, when they need it. Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance for integrated care boards which requires local commissioners to ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement support services.

How many people in (a) his Department and (b) NHS England worked on the 10 year plan.

66 people from the Department and NHS England were solely employed on the development of the 10-Year Health Plan. In addition, a wide range of people across both organisations have been involved as part of their regular work.

Whether his Department plans to introduce legislation to facilitate a right to a Care Supporter for people in care settings.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Fundamental Standard on Visiting and Accompanying (Regulation 9A) came into force on 6 April 2024 to strengthen requirements for CQC registered care homes, hospitals, and hospices to facilitate visiting, unless there are exceptional circumstances which mean that it is not safe to do so. This can be a visit from a family member, a friend, or a person visiting to provide companionship or support, for example, a care supporter.In April 2025, we launched a review of the CQC’s Regulation 9A to assess whether the legislation has been effective in addressing concerns about visiting in health and care settings. Depending on the outcome of the review, we will consider whether further action is needed.

How many people in (a) his Department and (b) NHS England work in communications.

At the end of June 2025, the Department had 90 full-time equivalent staff working in the Communications Directorate.In NHS England, there are 328.8 full-time equivalent staff sitting under Communications in the Strategy Directorate. These individuals cover a wide range of communication roles and support functions, including business operations, system and stakeholder engagement, events and visit teams, and Parliamentary briefing and Freedom of Information management. There are a further six members of staff, who work in ‘Communications’ or ‘Comms’ teams in the wider business, which includes individuals working in Freedom of Information management and Parliamentary business.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of podiatrists; and if he will (a) reinstate full student bursaries and (b) introduce incentives to encourage recruitment and retention in (i) underserved areas and (ii) general.

The Department has no plans to reinstate the bursary for podiatry students, however the Government keeps funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review.Supplementary financial support is available to podiatry students through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). The LSF offers non-repayable funding, in addition to maintenance and tuition fee loans provided by the Student Loans Company. This includes a non-repayable training grant of £5,000 per academic year plus an additional specialist subject payment of £1,000 a year for podiatry students, and where eligible, £2,000 per year for students with childcare responsibilities.We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.

What steps he is taking to ensure that NHS podiatry services in Mid Sussex constituency are adequately resourced.

The National Health Service podiatry and orthotics service provided by the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is made up of registered podiatrists, orthotists, nurses, and health care assistants who provide a comprehensive foot health service to adults and children across West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.The service works with general practice (GP) services if prescriptions are required, and with local hospital trusts to provide treatment for patients who need specialist support.To access the service an individual will need to be referred by their GP, a nurse, or an allied health professional. Children also need to be referred by a healthcare professional which may be a GP, a dentist, a school nurse, or community and specialist nurse. All referrals are assessed on the day of receipt and if a case is urgent, the service will contact the person within 48 hours to book an appointment.Most appointments are face to face but they do offer home visits if a patient is housebound and meets set criteria. Some appointments can be performed via a telephone consultation. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning the majority of health and care services, including podiatry services in England. ICBs arrange healthcare services to meet the needs of their local population within the available resources, and to reduce inequalities in access to, and outcomes from, healthcare services.

If he will make an estimate of the number of hours spent by (a) his Department and (b) Baroness Casey’s review team on the review since (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 3 January 2025.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How many times he has met Baroness Casey since (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 3 January 2025.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engages with Baroness Louise Casey regularly on a number of issues, including adult social care.The commission is independent, and Baroness Casey has the autonomy to define her own engagement plans, including with ministers, based on what she believes is most appropriate for the commission’s work.

How many meetings officials in his Department have had with (a) Baroness Casey and (b) her team (i) before and (ii) after 2 January 2025.

This information is not held in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How many people are in Baroness Casey’s review team.

There are 10 officials currently assigned to work in the secretariat of the independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey. We expect that the secretariat will expand as the commission carries out its work, and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.In addition to this, there is a small sponsorship function of four officials based in the Department.

What steps he is taking to ensure the availability of givinostat to patients eligible through early access programmes.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it, and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes (EAPs) is not the responsibility of NHS England. Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both the patients taking part in it, and to the NHS, although NHS trusts must still cover the administration costs and provide the clinical resources to deliver the EAP.NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

Whether his Department plans to include Chronic UTIs in the (a) 10-year Health Strategy and (b) next iteration of the Women’s Health Strategy.

The 10-Year Plan will set out how we tackle the inequities that lead to poor health. This will include how we will improve access to, and the experience of care for, conditions such as chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their conditions, including chronic UTIs, closer to home.We are aware that recurrent UTIs are more prevalent in women. The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future, and our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible actions to improve health for women.