Written questions by Snowden.

What steps his Department is taking to support the mental health needs of unpaid carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. We want to ensure that people who care for family and friends are better able to look after their own physical and mental health and wellbeing.We have invested in expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health services with a focus on improving mental health support for individuals and carers.Carers experiencing common mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies services or can be referred by their general practitioner. In addition, carers experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained NHS professional at any time through the mental health option on NHS 111. This service gives people the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.We are also recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers, expanding mental health support teams to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30, introducing community-based Young Futures hubs, and modernising the Mental Health Act.Further, we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers, who provide vital care and support.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to respite care for unpaid carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support they need. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.The Better Care Fund includes funding that can be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.

What data his Department holds on disparities in diabetes outcomes in different regions of (a) England and (b) Wales.

NHS England, through the National Diabetes Audit (NDA), collects and publishes comprehensive data on diabetes care and outcomes across England. The NDA is a national clinical audit that measures the effectiveness of diabetes healthcare against National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines and quality standards. It is a key resource for identifying and addressing regional disparities in diabetes services.The most recent NDA annual report, for 2023/24, was published 12 December 2024 and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/clinical-audits-and-registries/national-diabetes-audit/dashboardsData can be viewed at national, regional, integrated care board, primary care network and practice level. An example of data that can be viewed at regional level is the proportion of people receiving all eight NICE-recommended care processes. In 2023/24, 47.2% of people with type 1 diabetes in England received all eight processes. The same year, 62.4% of people with type 2 diabetes in England received all eight care processes. Regional performance varies for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. For instance, the highest achieving regional area saw completion of type 2 eight care processes at 72.2% and the lowest 58.5%. A further example is diabetes prevalence and variation between the least and most deprived quintiles. The audit reports a general practitioner-recorded prevalence of type 2 diabetes of approximately 3.5 million adults in England, with data showing that 23.6% of this cohort are in the most deprived quintile, compared to 15% in the least deprived quintile.The NDA collects and publishes some data from Wales, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-diabetes-audit/complications-and-mortality-2009-2023

What steps he is taking to retain workers in the health system.

The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, to ensure the retention of our hardworking and dedicated staff. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

What steps he is taking to support people with motor neurone disease in Fylde constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning most services for people with long-term conditions, including motor neurone disease (MND) services. ICBs are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local need and priorities, and improve outcomes. The NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB oversees healthcare services in the region, including in the Fylde area. NHS England continues to set national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies, which ICBs are expected to apply.At the national level, there are several initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MND, including those patients in the Fylde constituency. These initiatives include 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 ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MND.NHS England commissions the specialised elements of MND care that patients may receive from 27 specialised neurology centres across England. Within these specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure that patients can access a range of health professionals and specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.Government responsibility for delivering MND research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation. Government funders are continuing to invest into MND research, for example: investing £12.5 million to support the best discovery science in MND at the UK Dementia Research Institute; £6 million of Government funding for the Motor Neurone Disease Translational Accelerator, which is seeking to speed up the development of treatments for MND; and £8 million investment into EXPERTS-ALS, which screens for drugs that have the potential to be successful in clinical trials for people with MND.

What guidance the Health Security Agency has issued on the potential impact of 6G masts on health.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides advice on any potential health risks and protection from exposure to the radio waves from telecommunications systems, including those planned to provide 6G services. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electric-and-magnetic-fields-health-effects-of-exposureThe frequencies anticipated to be used by 6G systems will be well within the scope of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines.The UKHSA continues to review the developments applicable to radio technologies, including 6G, and will update its advice as necessary.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle health inequalities impacting children in poverty in Fylde constituency.

The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with healthy life expectancy varying widely across and between communities. Through our Health Mission, we are focused on addressing the wider determinants of health to improve healthy life expectancy for all and to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between different regions of England.The Department is working closely with the Child Poverty Taskforce to develop and deliver an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, tackle the root causes, and give every child, including those in Fylde constituency, the best start in life. This will help fulfil our ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. An important part of this will be alleviating the negative experience of living in poverty through supporting families and enhancing public services.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ North West Regional Team is working to provide system leadership for population health and for reducing health inequalities across the North West, including the Fylde constituency.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased use of e-cigarettes on young people in Fylde constituency.

The health advice is clear, that while vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for smokers, children and non-smokers should never vape. The main established health risk associated with vaping is from nicotine, which can cause addiction. Children and young people are particularly susceptible to the addictive nature of nicotine as their lungs and brains are still developing.This is why the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine. The bill, currently going through Parliament, includes a range of measures to tackle youth vaping, which will benefit the young people of Fylde. In addition, the disposable vapes ban came into effect on 1 June, making the sale and supply of single use vapes illegal. This ban protects the environment and removes products from the market that particularly appeal to children.We are also committed to funding research in this area to inform policy across the United Kingdom. Earlier this year, we announced a £62 million research project into adolescent health, funded by UK Research and Innovation, that will investigate the long-term health effects of vaping on young people’s health and wellbeing. We have also commissioned, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the most comprehensive analysis of youth vaping studies ever conducted in this area, which is due to be published later this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 on the provision of NHS services in (a) England and (b) Fylde.

The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers. We expect all public service bodies to act on the clarity that the ruling provides We are considering the impact of the ruling. While the implementation of the ruling may generate operational challenges or have financial implications, it is not beyond the ability of the National Health Service to find a path that resolves these issues in a way that ensures the safety and dignity of all patients. We will support the NHS in England in doing so.

Pursuant the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54075 on Care Homes: Fylde, when he expects the Fair Pay Agreement for the adult social care sector to be implemented; and whether this timeline will apply to care providers in Fylde constituency.

We want to get the process of establishing the Fair Pay Agreement framework right, in order to ensure meaningful reform for the social care sector. As set out in the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Government is committed to engaging with those who draw upon, work in, and provide care and support, as well as local authorities, unions, and others from across the sector, on the design and implementation of a Fair Pay Agreement process. We aim to begin the public consultation in England after the bill receives Royal Assent later this year. Secondary legislation and the establishing of the adult social care negotiating body for England will follow. It will then negotiate the first Fair Pay Agreement in England. The Government is committed to establishing the Fair Pay Agreement process and seeing the first Fair Pay Agreement take effect for adult social care workers in England within this Parliament.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54075 on Care Homes: Fylde, what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention of care home staff in (a) Fylde and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) coastal areas.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care (ASC).The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the ASC sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment and retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.We are also supporting the professionalisation of the ASC workforce, including through the expansion of the Care Workforce Pathway to a further four roles, including registered manager and deputy manager roles. The pathway sets out how people can develop a long-term career in adult social care, with the right support and training to help attract people to join, and remain in, the sectorWe are also continuing to fund the Adult Social Care Learning Development Support Scheme to help people build their skills and careers in care. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year and includes qualifications that support skills development in the quality of care more broadly, as well as opportunities to develop leadership and management skills.The Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) will provide over £1 billion for ASC to local authorities over 2025/26. The MSIF is designed to support increased ASC capacity and improve market sustainability. One of the three target areas local authorities can spend their allocation on is increasing ASC workforce recruitment and retention.

Pursuant the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54075 on Care Homes: Fylde, how many care homes have been subject to regulatory action by the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 18 in the last three years in Fylde constituency .

In the last three years, the Care Quality Commission has issued Action Plan requests, previously called Requirement Notices, for breach of Regulation 18 on three care homes: Rathmore Care Home; Villarose Rest Home; and Windmill Lodge.There are currently no regulatory actions against Regulation 18 (Staffing) for care homes in the Fylde parliamentary constituency.

What recent steps he has taken to help reduce waiting times for cancer (a) screening and (b) testing in Fylde constituency.

The Government understands that more needs to be done to reduce waiting times for cancer patients, including those in Fylde constituency. To achieve this, we have delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week during our first year in Government, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.We will support the National Health Service to transform diagnostic services by spending £1.65 billion on additional capacity, including new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, to support the delivery of over 30,000 more procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests, as they come online.In March 2025, performance across Lancashire and South Cumbria, which includes the Fylde constituency, for diagnosing patients within the 28-day standard was 80% against the 75% standard.NHS England North West is currently the responsible commissioner for the three cancer screening programmes, namely breast, bowel and cervical, for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board footprint, which includes the Fylde constituency.For bowel screening, additional funding has been provided to the Lancashire programme to increase capacity and to support the local population to access colonoscopy, as required.For breast screening, a full review of all screening sites has been carried out across the region to ensure that they meet the needs of the local population, and the provider programme team meets regularly with system partners to maximise uptake.NHS England North West has also provided funding for an Improving Uptake Officer post. This role involves working directly with general practices and local community groups to improve uptake, as well as contacting individuals who have not attended their appointment to offer them a new appointment.For cervical screening, insight work was carried out in 2023 across the North West to understand the reasons why individuals were not coming forward for their cervical screening and to gain views from residents on what would support more people to take up their cervical screening. Using findings from this work, a number of pilot projects are currently being implemented to understand the impact on improving uptake. These include online booking of appointments, training for cervical sample takers to improve patient experience, community champions, and alternative venues for screening.

Whether he has made an estimate of the prevalence of long covid in adults in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.

The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown of this figure by age group:Age groupEstimateThree to 17 years old111,81618 to 34 years old406,53835 to 44 years old294,09945 to 54 years old397,80255 to 64 years old389,97765 to 74 years old271,37475 years old and over113,467 While no estimate has been made specifically for Lancashire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated 270,939 people of all ages self-reporting experiencing long COVID symptoms in the North West of England region in that same time period.

Whether he has made an estimate of the prevalence of long covid in children and young people in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.

The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown of this figure by age group:Age groupEstimateThree to 17 years old111,81618 to 34 years old406,53835 to 44 years old294,09945 to 54 years old397,80255 to 64 years old389,97765 to 74 years old271,37475 years old and over113,467 While no estimate has been made specifically for Lancashire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated 270,939 people of all ages self-reporting experiencing long COVID symptoms in the North West of England region in that same time period.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the cost of care home placements in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.As well as self-funders sourcing their own care, local authorities also agree fees with care home providers for local authority funded placements. According to Market Sustainability Fund data, in 2023/24, Lancashire paid an average care home fee rate of £707 without nursing, and £738 with nursing. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-2024-to-2025-care-provider-fees/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-msif-provider-fee-reporting-2024-to-2025#main-pointsWe have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of weekly care home fees in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.As well as self-funders sourcing their own care, local authorities also agree fees with care home providers for local authority funded placements. According to Market Sustainability Fund data, in 2023/24, Lancashire paid an average care home fee rate of £707 without nursing, and £738 with nursing. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-2024-to-2025-care-provider-fees/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-msif-provider-fee-reporting-2024-to-2025#main-pointsWe have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, how much and what proportion of the £22.6 billion will be allocated to (a) frontline health services, (b) primary care and (c) other services.

The £22.6 billion funding increase announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget provided an above inflation increase for all health spending, with an average growth of 3.4% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.The funding is not ringfenced and becomes part of the overall Department’s budget. It is therefore not possible to easily track how it has been deployed in a way that is distinct to how the overall budget is allocated. In primary care, we’ve made recent announcements to uplift the general practice and community pharmacy contracts, and on front line services we’ve provided an additional £1.8 billion in 2024/25 for elective care, which then rolls forward into 2025/26, which has helped the National Health Service to deliver two million additional operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of the Government.The £22.6 billion does not include the additional funding that HM Treasury is providing to departments for employer National Insurance contributions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51549 on Exercise: Older People, what steps he is taking to advertise the NHS 10 walking app.

Paid for media plans are agreed annually with My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Cabinet Office. Plans for the rest of the year are not yet agreed. Through the Department’s Campaign Resource Centre, promotional NHS Active 10 materials are made available year-round to support health professionals, local authorities, educators, and community organisations in promoting physical activity initiatives. The app, as well as a portfolio of digital behaviour change tools managed by the Department, are promoted through the NHS Better Health website and the associated digital prevention pathways.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51549 on Exercise: Older People, what the cost to public purse was of producing the NHS 10 walking app.

The NHS Active 10 app was initially launched in February 2017 by Public Health England, in collaboration with the University of Sheffield. Initial development costs totalled £700,807.