Written questions by Stephenson.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement on Local Government Reorganisation of 3 June 2025, HCWS676, for what reason Bedfordshire has not received funding to support development of proposals for a Mayoral Combined Authority.

Local government reorganisation and the establishment of mayoral combined authorities through devolution are separate processes. While funding was made available for the 21 two-tier areas developing proposals for new unitary authorities as part of local government reorganisation, funding for devolution is not available until strategic authorities are being established.Bedfordshire will not receive funding to deliver local government reorganisation as it is already an area with unitary authorities. Bedfordshire is also currently not part of a mayoral strategic authority. Next steps for future waves of devolution will be confirmed in due course, subject to further ministerial decisions and local conversations.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reforms to Level 7 apprenticeships on the Pathways to Planning programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025 and Question UIN 54911 on 10 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the national distribution of the length of time between the date on which developers and local authorities agree funding under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the date on which developers transfer funds under that agreement.

Planning practice guidance on planning obligations, which can be found on gov.uk here, states that the terms of commuted contributions should form part of the discussions between a developer and a local planning authority and be reflected in any planning obligations agreement. Agreements should include clauses stating when the local planning authority should be notified of the completion of units within the development and when the funds should be paid. Authorities can also charge a monitoring fee through section 106 planning obligations, to cover the cost of monitoring and reporting on delivery of that section 106 obligation. Any local planning authority that receives a contribution from development through section 106 planning obligations must prepare and publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually. Reporting on developer contributions helps local communities and developers see how contributions have been spent and understand what future funds will be spent on, ensuring a transparent and accountable system. Detailed guidance and an infrastructure funding statement template can be found on the planning advisory service website. However, the chief planner has written to local planning authorities to remind them of their statutory duty to prepare and publish an infrastructure funding statement where they receive developer contributions via section 106 or community infrastructure levy. The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions, including section 106 planning obligations, to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. We will provide further details in due course.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of open access rail operators on (a) connectivity, (b) passenger choice and (c) service quality.

In the right circumstances, Open Access can provide benefits such as improved connectivity and choice for passengers but can also increase costs to taxpayers and create additional performance pressures on an already constrained network. We are clear that there will remain a role for Open Access in the reformed rail sector, but equally that it must genuinely add value and not simply inhibit the efficient operation of the network or divert revenue from existing operators – all of which are currently supported by the taxpayer in some form.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the potential cost to (a) the public purse and (b) private developers of constructing 12 new towns.

The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report in the near future and the government will subsequently publish both the report and its response. Any hypothetical cost projections associated with the New Towns programme are, at this stage, pure speculation.

With reference to the press release entitled Managing healthcare easy as online banking with revamped NHS App, published on 3 July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who are digitally-excluded can access health services available through the NHS App.

We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. Centrally built services, such as the NHS App and the NHS.UK website, are designed to meet international accessibility standards. We are modernising the mobile patient experience within the NHS App, ensuring information is clearly structured and easy to find and understand.NHS England has successfully run several programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include:- the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online;- the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online; and- the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting National Health Service digital health products and services in languages other than English. We have also recruited over 2,000 NHS App ambassadors and 1,400 libraries to help people to learn how to use it. NHS England has published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.

Whether access to dementia specialist nurses will be available through his Department's planned Neighbourhood Health Services.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s homes to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, and so they could include dementia specialist nurses. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean services will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, and/or deprived inner cities.The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services, which may include dementia specialist nurses/admiral nurses, based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines. NICE recommends providing people living with dementia with a single named health or social care professional who is responsible for coordinating their care.

If he will make an estimate of the number of medical students starting university in autumn 2025.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publish the number of United Kingdom-wide acceptances to medicine and dentistry jointly, but not to English providers for medicine alone. The latest number for UK medicine and dentistry acceptances, as of 15 days post A-Level results day, is 13,730 acceptances for 2025, which is 5% higher than the same point last year, namely 13,030 acceptances, and 15% higher than pre-pandemic, namely 11,960 acceptances in 2019.The Office for Students publishes the number of entrants to medical degrees in England each year. Numbers for 2020 and 2021 are high because of the temporary lifting of the cap on medical school places in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following table shows the number of entrants to medicine courses in England, each year from 2019 to 2024:YearEntrants20197,56520208,40520218,48520227,62520237,8202024*8,045Source: The Office for Students’ Medical and Dental Students Survey, from 2019 to 2024.Notes:2024 entrants are based on initial figures and may change.Given the evidence from UCAS data above, we would expect entrant numbers to be in the region of 5% higher in 2025 when numbers are known.

With reference to the press release entitled PM launches new era for NHS with easier care in neighbourhoods, published on 2 July 2025, how his Department plans to define neighbourhoods in rural areas.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean millions of patients, including those in rural constituencies, are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals.We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that meets the needs of local populations. Rather an applying a rigid, one-size fits all model, the population base for Neighbourhood Health Services is intentionally flexible and locally determined. The geography of a ‘neighbourhood’ will be determined locally by integrated care boards in partnership with their strategic partners, particularly local authorities.The plan introduces two new contracts, including one to create multi-neighbourhood providers covering populations of approximately 250,000 people, that will unlock the advantages and efficiencies possible from greater scale working across all general practices and small neighbourhood providers in their footprint.Moreover, in the future, there will also be neighbourhood health plans drawn up by local government, the National Health Service, and its partners. The local ICB will bring together these plans into a population health improvement plan for their footprint, which they will use to inform commissioning decisions.We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need. The focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, but the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, and/or deprived inner cities.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

On 3 February, the Ministry published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue to support their operational and capital needs.These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.For 2025/26, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority will have a core spending power of £40.7 million, an increase of £1.6 million (4.0%) compared to 2024/25.

What recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on intercepting small boats in shallow waters.

We continue to work closely with the French Government as they review their Maritime Doctrine so they can intervene successfully at sea and increase preventions. We are engaging extensively across the French system to ensure the earliest possible deployment of these new tactics.

How many medical students started university in each of the past five years.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publish the number of United Kingdom-wide acceptances to medicine and dentistry jointly, but not to English providers for medicine alone. The latest number for UK medicine and dentistry acceptances, as of 15 days post A-Level results day, is 13,730 acceptances for 2025, which is 5% higher than the same point last year, namely 13,030 acceptances, and 15% higher than pre-pandemic, namely 11,960 acceptances in 2019.The Office for Students publishes the number of entrants to medical degrees in England each year. Numbers for 2020 and 2021 are high because of the temporary lifting of the cap on medical school places in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following table shows the number of entrants to medicine courses in England, each year from 2019 to 2024:YearEntrants20197,56520208,40520218,48520227,62520237,8202024*8,045Source: The Office for Students’ Medical and Dental Students Survey, from 2019 to 2024.Notes:2024 entrants are based on initial figures and may change.Given the evidence from UCAS data above, we would expect entrant numbers to be in the region of 5% higher in 2025 when numbers are known.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of his Department's funding for children’s hospices.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, including from children’s hospices, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.The Department and NHS England are looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

What steps he plans to take to improve access to NHS Continuing Healthcare for people with (a) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and (b) Corticobasal Degeneration in Mid-Bedforshire constituency.

Our national statutory guidance, the National framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, outlines that access to NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessment, care provision, and support should be fair, consistent, and free from discrimination. This national statutory guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-framework-for-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-careEligibility for CHC is not determined by diagnosis or condition. Individuals can be identified and referred for CHC assessments by a variety of health or social care practitioners who have been trained and are known to the individual. Individuals and families can also request a CHC assessment from a health and care practitioner.Integrated care boards should make the CHC Public Information Leaflet available to members of the public, for example through local National Health Service websites, hard copies on hospital wards, through primary care outlets, local care homes, and local voluntary sector organisations. This Public Information Leaflet containing further information on CHC is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care-public-information-leaflet/public-information-leaflet-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care--2NHS England has also commissioned an information and advice service for CHC, supplied by Beacon, which individuals and their families might find helpful, and which is available at the following link:https://beaconchc.co.uk/how-we-can-help/free-information-and-advice-on-nhs-continuing-healthcare/

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26699 on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow Ministers to change the boundaries of existing strategic authorities.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, amends provisions in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 concerning the establishment and expansion of combined authorities (CAs) and combined county authorities (CCAs), respectively. These provisions allow for existing CAs or CCAs to be changed through ‘locally-led’, ‘Secretary of State-led’ and ‘Secretary of State-directed’ routes. The locally-led and Secretary of State-led routes will require local consent. However, where no relevant, viable proposals have been submitted, the Secretary of State may decide to direct the addition of a local government area to an existing CA or CCA. The Government believes that devolution should be locally-led wherever possible and will work with local leaders to agree proposals that have broad support.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of qualified planners in local government.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025 and Question UIN 54911 on 10 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether her proposals for English devolution could require the further re-organisation of (a) NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board and (b) other integrated care boards.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), alongside NHS England, continue to work closely on any proposals to reorganise integrated care boards (ICBs). In areas where Strategic Authorities are known, DHSC, alongside the MHCLG and NHS England, will proceed with integrated care board (ICB) reorganisation to ensure coterminous boundaries wherever feasibly possible.

If he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of medical students who graduated at the end of the 2024-25 academic year who will begin work in the NHS in the 2025-26 academic year.

The Department does not hold the information requested.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published 3 July 2025, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training. We will also prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out next steps in due course.Over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need.

What proportion of medical students who graduated in each of the past five years were working in the NHS on 1 September 2025.

The Department does not hold the information requested.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published 3 July 2025, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training. We will also prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out next steps in due course.Over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need.

What steps he plans to take to help improve access to life-extending (a) treatments and (b) medicines for patients with incurable secondary breast cancer in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

The Department remains committed to reducing waiting times for cancer treatment and to improving access to treatment across England, including for patients with incurable secondary breast cancer in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency.We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over four million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment.In May 2025, NHS England announced the world’s first roll out of liquid biopsy testing, which is now available for all eligible breast cancer patients, and which aims to speed up diagnosis and inform better treatment options for those with breast cancer.The National Cancer Plan for England will be published later this year and will set out further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with secondary breast cancer. The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and aftercare.