Written questions by Sabine.

What steps he is taking to increase the uptake of HPV vaccinations for (a) girls and (b) boys.

NHS Commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme. This is based on population need, and utilises opportunities from the move to one dose in September 2023. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with several charities to develop resources to raise awareness of HPV. The UKHSA also publishes annual statistics, which are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2022-to-2023/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccination-coverage-in-adolescents-in-england-2022-to-2023These support local National Health Service teams in developing plans to improve uptake and reduce inequalities for the HPV universal programme. NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the vaccine outside of schools, through community clinics at convenient times and locations. The UKHSA produces a number of HPV resources, which are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programme.Materials are also available on the UKHSA Health Publications website in a range of languages and accessible formats, at the following link:https://www.healthpublications.gov.uk/Home.html

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing qualified mental health professionals to schools.

We know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including for children and young people. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across child and adult mental health services, and introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school. We will set out our timeline for introducing access to specialist mental health professionals in due course.

How often he meets with the British Dental Association; and when he last met with that organisation.

Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including but not limited to dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.

What plans he has to introduce dental provision for students in schools.

We are committed to implementing a national targeted supervised toothbrushing programme to three, four, and five year olds living in our most deprived areas.

What resources she is allocating to Integrated Care Boards to help them achieve an increase in the number of NHS dental appointments.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. We have also introduced the Golden Hello scheme which will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in areas that need them most for three years. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.NHS England is responsible for issuing guidance to integrated care boards on dental budgets, including ringfences. NHS England will publish planning guidance for 2025/26 in due course.

What steps he is taking to increase HPV vaccination uptake amongst school-aged boys.

National Health Service Commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme based on population need.The UK Health Security Agency works closely with charities and academics to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of vaccination, including for boys.NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.

What steps he is taking to ensure contracts made between the NHS and private providers aren't acquired by private equity companies.

In accordance with the NHS Provider Selection Regime, contracts for National Health Service-funded healthcare services may be awarded to NHS trusts or foundation trusts and to non-NHS providers from the private and voluntary sectors. It is possible for a private organisation, that holds such a contract to deliver services to the NHS, to be acquired by a private equity company. In such circumstances, the NHS commissioning organisation, either an integrated care board or NHS England, which holds the contract must be notified of the change of control. In all cases, organisations delivering NHS services must deliver the requirements of the contract, and failure to do so may result in sanctions or even contract termination. More information on the selection regime is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/how-commissioning-is-changing/nhs-provider-selection-regime/

If he will make an estimate of the number of unpaid carers in Frome and East Somerset constituency.

The 2021 Census found that there are approximately 4.7 million people in England who said they provided unpaid care. In the Frome and East Somerset constituency, the Census data showed that there were 7,900 people who said they provided unpaid care.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the length of time between diagnosis and the start of radiotherapy treatment.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.Lord Darzi’s report has set out the scale of the challenges we face in fixing the NHS and the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival. In particular, he has highlighted the need to improve the number of patients starting their treatment within 62 days of referral and to increase the number of patients diagnosed at an earlier stage.Improving 62-day performance and early diagnosis are already key priorities for NHS England. Lord Darzi’s report will inform our ten-year plan to reform the NHS, which include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.