Written questions by Ribeiro-Addy.

Whether he is issuing guidance to GPs encouraging them to discuss a PSA test with men at the highest risk of developing prostate cancer.

The UK National Screening Committee is carrying out an evidence review of prostate cancer screening which includes looking at the evidence for targeted screening of specific high-risk groups. This will determine whether a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test-based screening programme for high-risk groups could provide more good than harm.Based on the current evidence, the guidance to general practices is not to proactively offer a PSA to men without symptoms as the high level of inaccuracy could lead to unnecessary tests that carry risks of life-changing harm, such as urinary and faecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, as well as a smaller but serious risk of sepsis. Additionally, some prostate cancers may not produce elevated PSA levels, leading to false-negative results that provide deceptive reassurance.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the risk of (a) abuse, (b) harassment and (c) violence faced by LGBTQI+ people in immigration detention centres.

It is vital that detention and removal are carried out with dignity and respect, and we take the welfare and safety of people in our care very seriously. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination against those who are detained in our immigration removal estate. We keep the level of risk under regular review and will take robust action against anyone who is found not to have behaved appropriately. In order to effectively support individuals in immigration detention who identify as LGBT+ there is detailed published guidance for all staff working in immigration removal centres (IRCs). Detention Services Orders 2/2016 ‘Lesbian, gay and bisexual detainees in the detention estate’ and 11/2012 ‘Care and Management of Transsexual Detainees’ set out the actions and safeguarding processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of LGBT+ individuals are identified and appropriately met.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of flexible working arrangements for NHS midwives.

All employees covered by the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook have the right to request flexible working from day one, without the need to provide a justification.NHS England is committed to promoting and supporting flexible working opportunities in midwifery, and across the wider National Health Service workforce. They have brought together midwifery leaders from across the system to support the implementation of flexible working across maternity services. There are no plans to assess the adequacy of flexible working arrangements specifically for maternity staff at this time.

How many people have entered the NHS midwifery workforce through (a) pre-registration undergraduate courses, (b) apprenticeships, (c) postgraduate conversion from nursing, (d) return to midwifery programmes, (e) international recruitment and (f) other routes according to the most recent data available to his Department; and what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of each route to growing that workforce over the (i) last and (ii) next five years.

In order to bring together questions on the education and training of midwives and the flow of staff into the National Health Service midwifery workforce, a number of strands of the available data are presented below.Data published by the Office for Students, in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES), collates figures submitted by individual higher education providers to give an indication of the number of students starting in each academic year. The HESES’ data includes figures on undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery courses in England. The latest published data is for those starting courses in 2023. The following table shows the number of undergraduate and postgraduate starters on midwifery courses in England for 2019 to 2023:20192020202120222023Undergraduate starters2,9303,4603,5653,3053,255Postgraduate starters55100135190195Source: The Office for Students’ HESES data for 2023.The following table shows the number of qualifiers from undergraduate midwifery courses in England, with a qualifier being defined by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) as a student who gained a qualification during the academic year in question, for the academic years 2020/21 to 2022/23: 2020/212021/222022/23Undergraduate midwifery qualifiers1,8952,3802,705Source: HESA’s qualifier data 2023Note: Data is currently only available up to the academic year 2022/23.Additionally, there are midwives training through an apprenticeship route. The following table shows the number of starts on midwifery apprenticeships, including apprenticeships within NHS and non-NHS organisations, in each of the last five years:Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Starts2639224272Source: Department for Education Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics, October 2024.Note: Data on the provisional starts for the year 2023/24 is only available between August 2023 to July 2024.The Department does not hold data which would allow the identification of the route which joiners to the NHS registered midwifery workforce have taken to become active in the service, or what these flows will be in future years. Data published by NHS England does show the total annual number of staff who join active service across NHS trusts and other core organisations. Joiners are not the same as those recruited to the NHS, as they will include staff returning after breaks in activity. Joiners will also include experienced midwives joining from non-NHS providers. Within this data we can see the number who are joiners at Agenda for Change pay band five, which is where newly qualified or less experience staff would be placed. Data also contains the nationality of staff joining active service, and whilst self-reported nationality is not the same as place of training or previous residence, it does provide a guide to scale. The following table shows the annual number of midwives joining active service in the NHS in England, as well as those joining at band five, and those joining who reported non-United Kingdom nationalities, for each of the last five years up until June:Year endingJune 2020June 2021June 2022June 2023June 2024Annual midwives joining active service3,2421,8453,3203,8834,278Joining at band five1,6854211,7662,1722,479Joining any grade with a non-UK nationality243155247593616Source: NHS England, NHS Workforce Statistics.

How many people graduated from pre-registration undergraduate midwifery courses as newly-qualified midwives in each of the last five years.

In order to bring together questions on the education and training of midwives and the flow of staff into the National Health Service midwifery workforce, a number of strands of the available data are presented below.Data published by the Office for Students, in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES), collates figures submitted by individual higher education providers to give an indication of the number of students starting in each academic year. The HESES’ data includes figures on undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery courses in England. The latest published data is for those starting courses in 2023. The following table shows the number of undergraduate and postgraduate starters on midwifery courses in England for 2019 to 2023:20192020202120222023Undergraduate starters2,9303,4603,5653,3053,255Postgraduate starters55100135190195Source: The Office for Students’ HESES data for 2023.The following table shows the number of qualifiers from undergraduate midwifery courses in England, with a qualifier being defined by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) as a student who gained a qualification during the academic year in question, for the academic years 2020/21 to 2022/23: 2020/212021/222022/23Undergraduate midwifery qualifiers1,8952,3802,705Source: HESA’s qualifier data 2023Note: Data is currently only available up to the academic year 2022/23.Additionally, there are midwives training through an apprenticeship route. The following table shows the number of starts on midwifery apprenticeships, including apprenticeships within NHS and non-NHS organisations, in each of the last five years:Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Starts2639224272Source: Department for Education Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics, October 2024.Note: Data on the provisional starts for the year 2023/24 is only available between August 2023 to July 2024.The Department does not hold data which would allow the identification of the route which joiners to the NHS registered midwifery workforce have taken to become active in the service, or what these flows will be in future years. Data published by NHS England does show the total annual number of staff who join active service across NHS trusts and other core organisations. Joiners are not the same as those recruited to the NHS, as they will include staff returning after breaks in activity. Joiners will also include experienced midwives joining from non-NHS providers. Within this data we can see the number who are joiners at Agenda for Change pay band five, which is where newly qualified or less experience staff would be placed. Data also contains the nationality of staff joining active service, and whilst self-reported nationality is not the same as place of training or previous residence, it does provide a guide to scale. The following table shows the annual number of midwives joining active service in the NHS in England, as well as those joining at band five, and those joining who reported non-United Kingdom nationalities, for each of the last five years up until June:Year endingJune 2020June 2021June 2022June 2023June 2024Annual midwives joining active service3,2421,8453,3203,8834,278Joining at band five1,6854211,7662,1722,479Joining any grade with a non-UK nationality243155247593616Source: NHS England, NHS Workforce Statistics.

How many students were enrolled on (a) pre-registration undergraduate and (b) postgraduate midwifery courses in each year of study in each of the last five years.

In order to bring together questions on the education and training of midwives and the flow of staff into the National Health Service midwifery workforce, a number of strands of the available data are presented below.Data published by the Office for Students, in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES), collates figures submitted by individual higher education providers to give an indication of the number of students starting in each academic year. The HESES’ data includes figures on undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery courses in England. The latest published data is for those starting courses in 2023. The following table shows the number of undergraduate and postgraduate starters on midwifery courses in England for 2019 to 2023:20192020202120222023Undergraduate starters2,9303,4603,5653,3053,255Postgraduate starters55100135190195Source: The Office for Students’ HESES data for 2023.The following table shows the number of qualifiers from undergraduate midwifery courses in England, with a qualifier being defined by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) as a student who gained a qualification during the academic year in question, for the academic years 2020/21 to 2022/23: 2020/212021/222022/23Undergraduate midwifery qualifiers1,8952,3802,705Source: HESA’s qualifier data 2023Note: Data is currently only available up to the academic year 2022/23.Additionally, there are midwives training through an apprenticeship route. The following table shows the number of starts on midwifery apprenticeships, including apprenticeships within NHS and non-NHS organisations, in each of the last five years:Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Starts2639224272Source: Department for Education Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics, October 2024.Note: Data on the provisional starts for the year 2023/24 is only available between August 2023 to July 2024.The Department does not hold data which would allow the identification of the route which joiners to the NHS registered midwifery workforce have taken to become active in the service, or what these flows will be in future years. Data published by NHS England does show the total annual number of staff who join active service across NHS trusts and other core organisations. Joiners are not the same as those recruited to the NHS, as they will include staff returning after breaks in activity. Joiners will also include experienced midwives joining from non-NHS providers. Within this data we can see the number who are joiners at Agenda for Change pay band five, which is where newly qualified or less experience staff would be placed. Data also contains the nationality of staff joining active service, and whilst self-reported nationality is not the same as place of training or previous residence, it does provide a guide to scale. The following table shows the annual number of midwives joining active service in the NHS in England, as well as those joining at band five, and those joining who reported non-United Kingdom nationalities, for each of the last five years up until June:Year endingJune 2020June 2021June 2022June 2023June 2024Annual midwives joining active service3,2421,8453,3203,8834,278Joining at band five1,6854211,7662,1722,479Joining any grade with a non-UK nationality243155247593616Source: NHS England, NHS Workforce Statistics.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Government response to the Brook House Inquiry report, published on 19 March 2024, what progress her Department has made on implementing the recommendations of that report.

The abuse that took place at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in 2017 was unacceptable.The previous government published its response to the public inquiry into Brook House IRC on 19 March 2024, summarising the progress made since 2017 and addressing each of the ten key areas of concern raised in the report.The new government is carefully considering the Inquiry’s recommendations and will set out its approach in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of provisions in Section 32 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 on LGBTQI+ people in the asylum system.

Each asylum claim lodged in the UK is considered in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The cornerstone of the asylum consideration process remains the requirement to establish a well-founded fear of persecution for a reason set out in Article 1(A)(2) of the Refugee Convention. No one who is found to be at risk of serious harm, including on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, will be returned to their country of origin. The Home Office remains committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution including those based on sexuality or gender identity.

If her Department will (a) collect and (b) publish data on (i) the protected characteristics of individuals in detention who have claimed asylum, (ii) where those individuals are detained and (iii) the period that those individuals have been detained for.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum seekers entering, in, and leaving detention in summary table Det_01 of the Immigration System Statistics data tables. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of community-based alternatives to detention.

Detention is an important component of a functioning immigration system. The Department will keep under review the effectiveness of alternatives to detention pilots.

How many and what proportion of people who joined the NHS as a midwife were newly-qualified as midwives in each of last five years.

In order to bring together questions on the education and training of midwives and the flow of staff into the National Health Service midwifery workforce, a number of strands of the available data are presented below.Data published by the Office for Students, in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES), collates figures submitted by individual higher education providers to give an indication of the number of students starting in each academic year. The HESES’ data includes figures on undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery courses in England. The latest published data is for those starting courses in 2023. The following table shows the number of undergraduate and postgraduate starters on midwifery courses in England for 2019 to 2023:20192020202120222023Undergraduate starters2,9303,4603,5653,3053,255Postgraduate starters55100135190195Source: The Office for Students’ HESES data for 2023.The following table shows the number of qualifiers from undergraduate midwifery courses in England, with a qualifier being defined by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) as a student who gained a qualification during the academic year in question, for the academic years 2020/21 to 2022/23: 2020/212021/222022/23Undergraduate midwifery qualifiers1,8952,3802,705Source: HESA’s qualifier data 2023Note: Data is currently only available up to the academic year 2022/23.Additionally, there are midwives training through an apprenticeship route. The following table shows the number of starts on midwifery apprenticeships, including apprenticeships within NHS and non-NHS organisations, in each of the last five years:Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Starts2639224272Source: Department for Education Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics, October 2024.Note: Data on the provisional starts for the year 2023/24 is only available between August 2023 to July 2024.The Department does not hold data which would allow the identification of the route which joiners to the NHS registered midwifery workforce have taken to become active in the service, or what these flows will be in future years. Data published by NHS England does show the total annual number of staff who join active service across NHS trusts and other core organisations. Joiners are not the same as those recruited to the NHS, as they will include staff returning after breaks in activity. Joiners will also include experienced midwives joining from non-NHS providers. Within this data we can see the number who are joiners at Agenda for Change pay band five, which is where newly qualified or less experience staff would be placed. Data also contains the nationality of staff joining active service, and whilst self-reported nationality is not the same as place of training or previous residence, it does provide a guide to scale. The following table shows the annual number of midwives joining active service in the NHS in England, as well as those joining at band five, and those joining who reported non-United Kingdom nationalities, for each of the last five years up until June:Year endingJune 2020June 2021June 2022June 2023June 2024Annual midwives joining active service3,2421,8453,3203,8834,278Joining at band five1,6854211,7662,1722,479Joining any grade with a non-UK nationality243155247593616Source: NHS England, NHS Workforce Statistics.

If she will make an assessment of the potential (a) implications for her policies of the effectiveness of the free period products scheme in Scotland and (b) merits of implementing a similar scheme in England.

We recognise that women and girls may suffer as a result of the cost of period products.The so-called ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished, and period underwear now receives the same zero-rate of VAT.A scheme is in place for education settings, with free products available for all who need them, so periods are not a barrier to education. And all hospital patients can also receive free products.No assessment of period product schemes operating in Scotland has been made.

Whether it is her policy to continue the provision of free period products to pupils during the school holidays.

The Period Products Scheme recently opened for the 2024/25 academic year, with schools and colleges able to order free period products for their pupils and students. Beyond this, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has launched a multi-year Spending Review which will set government spending plans for a minimum of three years of the five-year forecast period. This will set spending policy in line with the government’s wider fiscal strategy and change the way public services are delivered by embedding a mission-led approach. The Spending Review will conclude in spring 2025.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of period poverty on (a) the economy and (b) educational attainment.

We recognise that women and girls may suffer as a result of the cost of period products.The so-called ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished, and period underwear now receives the same zero-rate of VAT.A scheme is in place for education settings, with free products available for all who need them, so periods are not a barrier to education. And all hospital patients can also receive free products.No assessment of period product schemes operating in Scotland has been made.

What steps he is taking to increase the (a) access to and (b) affordability of (i) fruit and (ii) vegetables for families living on low incomes in Lambeth.

The Government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever, as set out in our Child Health Action Plan. The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or can be put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old.The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) delivers the scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHS BSA is committed to increasing uptake of the Healthy Start scheme to ensure as many children as possible have a healthy start in life.The NHS BSA promotes the Healthy Start scheme through its digital channels and has created free tools to help stakeholders promote the scheme locally. The NHS BSA has also reached out to stakeholders to see how it can support them in promoting the scheme.The Government is committed to a prosperous horticulture sector and values the vital work of the industry in maintaining a secure supply of fruit and vegetables.

With reference to the Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper, published in February 2022, whether he is taking steps to implement the Community Eatwell pilot.

The prevention of ill health is a clear mission for the Government, and the cornerstone of this is supporting people to live healthier lives. The Government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever, as set out in our Child Health Action Plan. The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or can be put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old.The Government also encourages everyone to have a healthy balanced diet in line with the United Kingdom’s Eatwell Guide. Further action on diet and obesity under the Government’s Health Mission will be set out in due course.

Whether he plans to update the 2021 NICE guideline for long covid.

We have no plans to instruct the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review its guideline on managing the long-term effects of COVID-19. The NICE develops its guidance independently and keeps its published guidelines under active surveillance so that it is able to update its recommendations in light of any significant new evidence. Decisions on updates to existing guidance are made by the NICE’s Prioritisation Board, in line with NICE’s published common prioritisation framework. The NICE does not currently have plans to update its guideline on managing the long-term effects of COVID-19.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of Long Covid on the health and social care workforce.

The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics estimated that for the 4-week period ending 5 March 2023, 4.41% of healthcare workers and 5.33% of social care workers had self-reported long COVID symptoms of any duration.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of supporting the wider roll-out of air filtration systems within NHS services.

No such assessment has been made. National Health Service organisations and primary care providers regularly review all their estates locally to ensure they meet the required standards for ventilation and infection, as well as the required prevention and control measures, and will invest in improvements where required. Guidance is provided to the NHS on air quality in its facilities in the Health Technical Memorandum 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises, and the NHS Estates Technical Bulletin (NETB 2023/01A): application of HEPA filter devices for air cleaning in healthcare spaces: guidance and standards, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-ventilation-for-healthcare-buildings/Guidance to the NHS on air quality in its facilities is also provided in the NHS Estates Technical Bulletin (NETB 2023/01B): application of ultraviolet (UVC) devices for air cleaning in occupied healthcare spaces: guidance and standards, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/application-of-ultraviolet-uvc-devices-for-air-cleaning-in-occupied-healthcare-spaces-guidance-and-standards/NHS guidance is reviewed and updated in response to changes in clinical practice, technology, and risk assessments.

Whether she is taking steps to reform the social security system to (a) support families on low incomes and (b) reduce related mental health issues.

I am proud to have social security in my title and this government is prioritising providing security for the most vulnerable, and this includes low income families though Universal Credit, the Household Support Fund and the wider benefits system as well as our manifesto commitments to develop a child poverty strategy and roll out free breakfast clubs in every primary school. We will be setting out our plans for social security in due course and will fulfil our continued commitment to work with disabled people and families so that their views and voices are at the heart of all that we do.