Written questions by Rosindell.

Whether his Department has reviewed international deployment of age verification technology for vending machines, including jurisdictions trialling such systems, associated costs and measured outcomes, prior to assessing its suitability for the UK.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

What assessment his Department has made of (a) how gyms with existing over 18 membership policies could enforce restrictions on sales via vending machines where a parent purchases a high-caffeine energy drink for a child and (b) the potential impact of this policy on predominantly adult only facilities.

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;- how the ban will apply in vending machines;- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and- how the ban would be enforced.We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

Pursuant to the written answer of 5 December 2025 to question 93353, whether citizens of the British Overseas Territories are treated differently from other non-ordinarily resident citizens.

Entitlement to National Health Service care, free at the point of use, is based on ordinary residence. Anyone who is not ordinarily resident is considered an overseas visitor and may be chargeable under the NHS Charging Regulations, unless an exemption applies.A healthcare agreement is an example of an exemption, as the healthcare agreements between the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories (BOT) allow for some BOT citizens to access pre-authorised treatment that has been agreed under the NHS quota system or funded by the BOT administration. Some eligible BOT residents can also access necessary healthcare without charge while temporarily in the UK.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) automatic licence suspension and (b) revocation thresholds for retailers found repeatedly selling (i) illegal and (ii) non-compliant vaping devices.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently being considered in the House of Lords, provides powers to enable the Government to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products, and also to specify the grounds on which a licence may be granted, suspended, revoked, or varied.We recently launched a call for evidence to gather views on a range of topics related to tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products, including the implementation of the proposed licensing scheme for the retail sale of these products. The call for evidence ran for eight weeks and closed in December 2025.The call for evidence asked detailed questions on the administration and implementation of the licensing scheme, including factors that should be considered by licensing authorities when making licensing decisions. The evidence gathered will be used to inform the development of the licensing scheme, and we will launch a subsequent consultation on our policy proposals before bringing forward secondary legislation.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of the use of (a) licence transfers and (b) changes of company ownership to avoid enforcement action in the tobacco and vaping retail sector.

There is currently no requirement for a business in the United Kingdom to obtain a licence to sell tobacco, vapes, or nicotine products. This is in contrast to some other retail activities that pose a risk of harm to the public, such as the sale of alcohol, which do require a licence.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides powers for ministers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to introduce a licensing scheme, in their respective nations, for the retail sale of tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products. This will strengthen enforcement and support legitimate businesses, while acting as a deterrent to retailers who breach the law. In doing so, it will support public health.Our recent call for evidence sought evidence on the implementation of the licensing scheme to inform proposals for a future consultation. We will consult on the specifics of the scheme before bringing forward secondary legislation.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of vaping devices that contain (a) multiple cartridges, (b) pods and (c) refill containers that can be used simultaneously or sequentially within a single device on the health of the people using that device.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately branded, promoted, and advertised to children and will provide the Government with new powers to restrict the packaging, device appearance, and display of vapes and other nicotine products to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.On 8 October 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence which sought evidence on the size and shape of vapes, vape tanks, and the components of vaping products, including pods, puff-count capacity, and nicotine delivery.We are now reviewing the responses, and these will help inform decisions around our future regulatory approach once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been enacted.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as part of their upcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan, will consider evidence across a range of interventions, including but not limited to the regulation of product features to support increased recyclability.

What steps he has taken to reduce instances of hospital corridor care in a) England and b) Romford constituency.

We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our National Health Service.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.

How many NHS patients have been treated in hospital corridors in each year since 2010 in a) England and b) Romford constituency.

We recognise that the provision of clinical care in corridors or other non-designated clinical areas is unacceptable and we are committed to eradicating it from our National Health Service.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of corridor care to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.In December, NHS England published updated guidance on providing care in corridors to support trusts with making decisions on corridor care transparently, with clear governance and oversight to reduce impacts on patients and staff and to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.

What steps he is taking to improve the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing guidance and quality standards on the treatment and care of diabetes in England. The NICE guideline NG18, for type 1 and 2 diabetes, provides clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of children and young people. Children with suspected type 1 diabetes should receive a blood test that checks blood glucose, or sugar, levels. NG18 recommends that children and young people with suspected type 1 diabetes are referred immediately, on the same day, to a multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes team with the competencies needed to confirm diagnosis and provide immediate care.NHS England has published the RightCare toolkit which supports good quality diabetes care for children and young adults and includes guidance on timely and accurate diagnosis.

If he will make it his Department’s policy to introduce mandatory NHS testing for paediatric type 1 diabetes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing guidance and quality standards on the treatment and care of diabetes in England. The NICE guideline NG18, for type 1 and 2 diabetes, provides clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of children and young people. Children with suspected type 1 diabetes should receive a blood test that checks blood glucose, or sugar, levels. NG18 recommends that children and young people with suspected type 1 diabetes are referred immediately, on the same day, to a multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes team with the competencies needed to confirm diagnosis and provide immediate care.NHS England has published the RightCare toolkit which supports good quality diabetes care for children and young adults and includes guidance on timely and accurate diagnosis.

What steps he is taking to help reduce instances of type 2 diabetes.

The Government is committed to tackling preventable ill health, such as type 2 diabetes, head-on and at the earliest opportunity. Excess weight and obesity are key risk factors for type 2 diabetes and we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on the National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.We have delivered on our commitment to restrict junk food advertising on television and online and are delivering a ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16 year olds. We are limiting volume price promotions such as “buy one get one free” on less healthy food and drink and have put in place a nationally standardised Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing service to ensure weight loss medicines are delivered safely and effectively. We will also double the number of patients able to access the NHS Digital Weight Management programme.In addition, we continue to support the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP), which has offered support to over 2.4 million people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes since its establishment in 2016. The NHS DPP is highly effective and has been found to reduce attendee’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% compared to those who did not attend.We continue to deliver the NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease prevention programme, which aims to detect those at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease aged between 40 and 74 years old.

What steps he is taking to tackle “dental deserts” where very few NHS dentists are available.

The Government acknowledges the challenges that National Health Service dental patients are facing in accessing a dentist in particular areas of the country, and we are taking action to improve this. Integrated care boards are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme, which will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in underserved areas for three years; and as announced in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on shorter term improvements to the NHS dental contract on 16 December 2025. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest needs first while incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Whether he has considered strengthening the licensing requirements of the General Dental Council to improve access to dentistry for children, as recommended in a recent Policy Exchange report.

The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentistry in the United Kingdom. The GDC sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to the UK dental register. As an independent regulator, it would be for the GDC to determine whether any changes are required to its standards in response to the Policy Exchange report’s recommendations.

What steps he is taking to encourage more dentists to provide NHS dentistry.

The Government acknowledges the challenges that National Health Service dental patients are facing in accessing a dentist in particular areas of the country, and we are taking action to improve this. Integrated care boards are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme, which will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in underserved areas for three years; and as announced in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on shorter term improvements to the NHS dental contract on 16 December 2025. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest needs first while incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

What steps he is taking to reduce the impact of emergency dental treatment on NHS hospitals.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require, therefore reducing the need for patients to go to Accident and Emergency for dental treatment unless necessary. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on interim improvements to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. More information is available from the GOV.UK website, at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

What additional funding is being made available for NHS dentistry to support the additional payments for emergency treatment announced on 15 December 2025.

The Government is implementing payment and quality reforms to the dental contract from April 2026, which will support dentists to prioritise those with the greatest need, shifting care away from clinically unnecessary check-ups and instead incentivising more complex and urgent care.The 2026 reforms are funded within the existing National Health Service dentistry budget, and in 2024/25 we invested approximately £3.7 billion on primary care dentistry.We want to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most.

What steps he has taken to help reduce cases of hyperglycaemia in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published advice on the management of type 1 diabetes, including advice on managing hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, which is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/diabetes-type-1/management/ NICE’s guidance includes the use of hybrid close loops (HCL) for type 1 diabetes which provide real time monitoring of glucose levels and administer insulin when needed to prevent hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Following NICE’s guidance, NHS England developed a five-year national strategy with guidance to National Health Service providers on the phased uptake approach of HCL systems. The guidance applies nationally, including to Romford. Rollout started last year. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943NHS England also commissions diabetes digital structured education services, which support users to self-manage their condition.

What steps he has taken to help reduce cases of hypoglycaemia in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published advice on the management of type 1 diabetes, including advice on managing hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, which is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/diabetes-type-1/management/ NICE’s guidance includes the use of hybrid close loops (HCL) for type 1 diabetes which provide real time monitoring of glucose levels and administer insulin when needed to prevent hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Following NICE’s guidance, NHS England developed a five-year national strategy with guidance to National Health Service providers on the phased uptake approach of HCL systems. The guidance applies nationally, including to Romford. Rollout started last year. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943NHS England also commissions diabetes digital structured education services, which support users to self-manage their condition.

How many patients received NHS electroshock therapy in every year since 2010 in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

In line with National Institute for Clinical Excellence’s guidelines, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used in current United Kingdom clinical practice as a treatment option for individuals with depressive illness, catatonia and mania, and is occasionally used to treat schizophrenia. The following table shows the number of patients who received National Health Service ECT in England every year since 2016:Financial yearNumber of patients receiving ECT in England2016/20173462017/20184412018/20193262019/20205722020/20214642021/20225712022/20236092023/20247172024/2025955Source: NHS England.Notes:data is not available prior to April 2016; andalthough there were no reported ECT contacts for patients in the Havering Local Authority in the period provided, it is possible that the correct codes were not recorded and submitted to Mental Health Services Data Set. Data is not available prior to 2016. This data is not available at a constituency level, and, although the data is collected at local authority level, NHS England has advised that there were no reported electroshock therapy contacts for patients in the Havering Local Authority during this period.

How a) treatment plans b) payment plans are determined based on the patient’s status of i) British Citizen ii) Citizen of a British Overseas territory.

Treatment plans are agreed between clinicians and patients based on clinical needs. Only those who are not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom are required to pay for healthcare in England unless an exemption applies. Payment plans are agreed between trusts and the patient based on their individual circumstances, and where it is appropriate to do so.