Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2026, to question 1530 on Air Ambulance Services: Fuels, which air ambulance charities has he engaged with regarding fuel resilience.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the answer of 22 April 2026 to question 125667 on Health Data Research Service, what consent will be sought from patients in order to use their data for research purposes.

Awaiting answer.

How many and what proportion of hospital helipads cannot be used at night.

Awaiting answer.

What proportion of the Barrow Transformation Fund will be provided by his Department.

Awaiting answer.

Whether funding for air ambulance helipads is provided from the NHS budget.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress has he made in replacing the use of animals in botulinum toxin batch potency testing.

In line with the Government’s strategy to replace animals in science, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports the use of non-animal approaches where they are fit for purpose and accepts that, where a biological product is not pharmacologically active in animals and no relevant animal model exists, studies in animals, including with surrogate molecules, should not be undertaken and first-in-human applications can be supported using non-animal data, such as in vitro methods and computer modelling, to inform expected human exposure and safety. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methodsMore broadly, alternative methods used to characterise safety must be demonstrated as fit for their intended purpose, and MHRA guidance, published in March 2026, sets out its current approach to medicines using non-animal methods, including how such approaches can support regulatory submissions and the adoption of validated alternatives as they become available. For potency testing and for adventitious agent testing, separate information for manufacturers on controls for batch release is on the MHRA website explaining how adoption of non-animal methods for these purposes is supported. Further information is available at the following two links:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mhra-approach-to-medicines-using-non-animal-methodshttps://nibsc.org/about_us/our_use_of_animals.aspx

With reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress he has made on applying only validated alternative methods in the pharmacopoeial potency testing of botulinum toxin.

In line with the Government’s strategy to replace animals in science, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports the use of non-animal approaches where they are fit for purpose and accepts that, where a biological product is not pharmacologically active in animals and no relevant animal model exists, studies in animals, including with surrogate molecules, should not be undertaken and first-in-human applications can be supported using non-animal data, such as in vitro methods and computer modelling, to inform expected human exposure and safety. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methodsMore broadly, alternative methods used to characterise safety must be demonstrated as fit for their intended purpose, and MHRA guidance, published in March 2026, sets out its current approach to medicines using non-animal methods, including how such approaches can support regulatory submissions and the adoption of validated alternatives as they become available. For potency testing and for adventitious agent testing, separate information for manufacturers on controls for batch release is on the MHRA website explaining how adoption of non-animal methods for these purposes is supported. Further information is available at the following two links:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mhra-approach-to-medicines-using-non-animal-methodshttps://nibsc.org/about_us/our_use_of_animals.aspx

With reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress he has made on defining and applying guidance that permits first in human clinical trial submission for biological therapies where no pharmacologically relevant preclinical animal model exists based only on non-animal data.

In line with the Government’s strategy to replace animals in science, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports the use of non-animal approaches where they are fit for purpose and accepts that, where a biological product is not pharmacologically active in animals and no relevant animal model exists, studies in animals, including with surrogate molecules, should not be undertaken and first-in-human applications can be supported using non-animal data, such as in vitro methods and computer modelling, to inform expected human exposure and safety. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methodsMore broadly, alternative methods used to characterise safety must be demonstrated as fit for their intended purpose, and MHRA guidance, published in March 2026, sets out its current approach to medicines using non-animal methods, including how such approaches can support regulatory submissions and the adoption of validated alternatives as they become available. For potency testing and for adventitious agent testing, separate information for manufacturers on controls for batch release is on the MHRA website explaining how adoption of non-animal methods for these purposes is supported. Further information is available at the following two links:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mhra-approach-to-medicines-using-non-animal-methodshttps://nibsc.org/about_us/our_use_of_animals.aspx

With reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress he has made on phasing out preclinical animal testing of biologicals where no pharmacologically relevant animal models exist.

Where there is no pharmacologically relevant animal species for testing a biological product, the position of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is that there should be no studies done on animals, and in March 2026, the MHRA published a statement on its website that included this text: “For certain drug substances that are not pharmacologically active in animals, the MHRA does not support testing in animals (including with surrogate molecules). For this group of drugs, non-animal-based methods suffice to support expectations for efficacy and safety in clinical development”. This position is represented to companies that seek scientific advice from the MHRA on drug development in this context. Further information is available at the following two links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methodshttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/mhra-approach-to-medicines-using-non-animal-methods

With reference to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress his Department has made in applying only validated alternative methods for pharmacopoeial adventitious agent testing for human medicinal products licensed in the UK.

In line with the Government’s strategy to replace animals in science, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports the use of non-animal approaches where they are fit for purpose and accepts that, where a biological product is not pharmacologically active in animals and no relevant animal model exists, studies in animals, including with surrogate molecules, should not be undertaken and first-in-human applications can be supported using non-animal data, such as in vitro methods and computer modelling, to inform expected human exposure and safety. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methodsMore broadly, alternative methods used to characterise safety must be demonstrated as fit for their intended purpose, and MHRA guidance, published in March 2026, sets out its current approach to medicines using non-animal methods, including how such approaches can support regulatory submissions and the adoption of validated alternatives as they become available. For potency testing and for adventitious agent testing, separate information for manufacturers on controls for batch release is on the MHRA website explaining how adoption of non-animal methods for these purposes is supported. Further information is available at the following two links:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mhra-approach-to-medicines-using-non-animal-methodshttps://nibsc.org/about_us/our_use_of_animals.aspx

Whether his Department plans to establish new primary healthcare facilities in Huntingdon constituency through the neighbourhood health service programme.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to delivering up to 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) by 2035, with around 120 centres in place by 2030.As part of this commitment, we recently announced Wave 1 of our NHC schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million. To support delivery nationally, we have now published the Neighbourhood health centre guidance for regions and integrated care boards and the Neighbourhood health centres: design and performance specification. These documents have been developed in close collaboration with colleagues across government, and together, they support regions and integrated care boards (ICBs) to further develop their neighbourhood health estate strategies and pipelines.Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.Wave 1 is just the beginning. We will build on this momentum to enable us to remain on track for our ambitious timetable to deliver new build NHCs by 2030.We are supporting regions and ICBs to develop neighbourhood health estates strategies and future pipelines ahead of the 28 May NHC proposal deadline and encourage MPs to engage with their ICBs ahead of this deadline.

With reference to the Policy paper: Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress has he made in establishing a Health Data Research Service.

The Health Data Research Service (HDRS) will deliver a single point of access to health data from multiple sources which will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research.Over the past year a Department led team, with support from the Office for Life Science and NHS England colleagues, has been working to set up the service.HDRS is being established as a Government Company, and Dr Melanie Ivarsson has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Baroness Nicola Blackwood as Chair. Work is now underway to incorporate and develop the service to ensure it is up and running as quickly as possible to deliver benefits for patients and researchers.We are committed to the service being operational by December 2026, with new capabilities being progressively rolled out.

With reference to page 22 of, SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First (CP1509), how will Integrated Care Boards be held more accountable for providing support to children and young people with complex needs.

The Schools White Paper and consultation document on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms set out proposals on strengthening roles and responsibilities. We are working closely with the Department for Education, and with local area partnerships, for instance integrated care boards and local authorities, to explore further opportunities to strengthen accountability for families and children and young people with SEND.These reforms are intended to build a system with clearer roles and responsibilities for all partners, and more collective responsibility for the outcomes of children and young people with SEND in a local area. As part of this, we will update the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Area SEND Inspection framework, so that it aligns with the clarified statutory roles of local authorities and integrated care boards. There will be a full consultation on the proposed changes to the framework. Ofsted and the CQC will continue to inspect the role of education, health and social care partners responsible for the planning, commissioning, and delivery of arrangements for children and young people with SEND in the local area, setting clear standards and holding them accountable. In addition, the Children’s Commissioner for England will take on a new role to monitor the progress and effectiveness of SEND reforms for all children with SEND, focusing on the most vulnerable groups.For the first time, the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework included a clear expectation that integrated care boards and providers fulfil their statutory SEND duties and support the Government’s SEND reform plans. Within their local area partnerships, ICBs are being asked to contribute to Local SEND Reform Plans. This will set out how they will move towards stronger inclusive practices and early intervention, including for children and young people with complex needs. These plans will also be used to assess ongoing performance and delivery of the reforms.

What estimate he has made of the number of additional staff required to operate hospital reprocessing centres for endoscopy that will be needed as a result of the Design for Life roadmap.

The Design for Life (DfL) Roadmap sets out a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The Department has shared a ‘One Year On’ update with its wider collaborative who have supported the policymaking, now numbering over 100 organisations. This update can be found publicly at the following link:https://exeterce.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20251127-DfL-One-Year-On-update.pdfMore reporting mechanisms will be developed as the programme matures, for example where the roadmap plans for the creation of specific targets and key performance indicators, such as in Action 3. Reporting is done on a quarterly basis to the DfL Advisory Group, which is comprised of key stakeholders, including those from United Kingdom governments, the National Health Service, industry, and academia.Information on evaluating outcomes of the recent DfL pilots can be found on the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s website, who were our partner on these pilots, at the following link:https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/activity/reusable-medtech-in-the-nhs-pioneering-sustainable-healthcare/These pilots observed that in most cases both cost and carbon savings can be found and staff satisfaction can be either maintained or improved. The Department is building on these evaluations with a dedicated Priority Adoption Working Group, which includes clinical and procurement professionals, to identify the products with the strongest case for safe, immediate transitions to reusables across the NHS. To date this group has evaluated over 50 products.These transitions will be supported by many technical assessments, including those relating to the readiness of supply chains, reprocessing infrastructure, and staff. The decision to commit to a transition, for example whether to support a transition of certain types of endoscopes or not, will be made on the basis that is it safe, feasible, and valuable in the long-term following these and other assessments. At this juncture these assessments are still underway and so estimates cannot be provided at this time.

What mechanisms are in place to report progress on the implementation of the Design for Life roadmap across NHS trusts.

The Design for Life (DfL) Roadmap sets out a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The Department has shared a ‘One Year On’ update with its wider collaborative who have supported the policymaking, now numbering over 100 organisations. This update can be found publicly at the following link:https://exeterce.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20251127-DfL-One-Year-On-update.pdfMore reporting mechanisms will be developed as the programme matures, for example where the roadmap plans for the creation of specific targets and key performance indicators, such as in Action 3. Reporting is done on a quarterly basis to the DfL Advisory Group, which is comprised of key stakeholders, including those from United Kingdom governments, the National Health Service, industry, and academia.Information on evaluating outcomes of the recent DfL pilots can be found on the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s website, who were our partner on these pilots, at the following link:https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/activity/reusable-medtech-in-the-nhs-pioneering-sustainable-healthcare/These pilots observed that in most cases both cost and carbon savings can be found and staff satisfaction can be either maintained or improved. The Department is building on these evaluations with a dedicated Priority Adoption Working Group, which includes clinical and procurement professionals, to identify the products with the strongest case for safe, immediate transitions to reusables across the NHS. To date this group has evaluated over 50 products.These transitions will be supported by many technical assessments, including those relating to the readiness of supply chains, reprocessing infrastructure, and staff. The decision to commit to a transition, for example whether to support a transition of certain types of endoscopes or not, will be made on the basis that is it safe, feasible, and valuable in the long-term following these and other assessments. At this juncture these assessments are still underway and so estimates cannot be provided at this time.

What progress has he made in evaluating the outcomes of the Design for Life pilot sites.

The Design for Life (DfL) Roadmap sets out a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The Department has shared a ‘One Year On’ update with its wider collaborative who have supported the policymaking, now numbering over 100 organisations. This update can be found publicly at the following link:https://exeterce.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20251127-DfL-One-Year-On-update.pdfMore reporting mechanisms will be developed as the programme matures, for example where the roadmap plans for the creation of specific targets and key performance indicators, such as in Action 3. Reporting is done on a quarterly basis to the DfL Advisory Group, which is comprised of key stakeholders, including those from United Kingdom governments, the National Health Service, industry, and academia.Information on evaluating outcomes of the recent DfL pilots can be found on the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s website, who were our partner on these pilots, at the following link:https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/activity/reusable-medtech-in-the-nhs-pioneering-sustainable-healthcare/These pilots observed that in most cases both cost and carbon savings can be found and staff satisfaction can be either maintained or improved. The Department is building on these evaluations with a dedicated Priority Adoption Working Group, which includes clinical and procurement professionals, to identify the products with the strongest case for safe, immediate transitions to reusables across the NHS. To date this group has evaluated over 50 products.These transitions will be supported by many technical assessments, including those relating to the readiness of supply chains, reprocessing infrastructure, and staff. The decision to commit to a transition, for example whether to support a transition of certain types of endoscopes or not, will be made on the basis that is it safe, feasible, and valuable in the long-term following these and other assessments. At this juncture these assessments are still underway and so estimates cannot be provided at this time.

Which NHS Trusts operate on-site endoscope (a) reprocessing and (b) decontamination centres.

NHS England does not hold or collect the information requested.

Whether NHS England collects data on the (a) performance and (b) downtime of hospital decontamination units.

NHS England does not hold or collect the information requested.

What information his Department holds on the lifespan of the RAAC within Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

The safety of staff and patients at the seven predominantly reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) hospitals remains our utmost priority.An independent report, commissioned by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has confirmed that the seven RAAC hospitals can remain open beyond 2030 as a result of the continued efforts of trusts and the NHS England National RAAC programme to manage the presence of RAAC and deliver remediation, mitigation, and safety works. The report, published 12 December 2025, can be read in full at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/raac-strategic-planning-assessment-of-the-raac-7-hospitalsWe will continue to support NHS England’s national RAAC programme with £1.6 billion across the next four years, from 2026/27 to 2029/30, to ensure sufficient funding to complete the planned RAAC remediation works and meet the additional RAAC monitoring and mitigation costs identified in the report.Construction for all RAAC replacement schemes is currently planned to commence and substantially deliver between 2025 and 2030 as part of Wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme.

What is the current planned completion date for the rebuild of Hinchingbrooke Hospital as part of the New Hospital Programme.

Pursuant to my answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 29225, the expected completion date will be confirmed following the approval of a Full Business Case as set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book and as is usual for large infrastructure projects.Construction of the main hospital build at Hinchingbrooke Hospital is expected to commence in 2027/28 as set out in the published Plan for Implementation.