Written questions by Anderson.

How many NHS dental appointments were provided in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the last three 12-month periods.

The table below shows the available data for the number of National Health Service dental treatments delivered each year between 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 in the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. Data for dentistry is measured in courses of treatment, not appointments. One course of treatment can be more than one appointment.Financial yearNumber of NHS dental treatments delivered in the first seven months of the financial year.2025/26377,291 (partial year)Source: NHS Business Services Authority monthly statistics, available at the following link: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/dental-activity-data-england-july-2023-to-october-2025Financial yearNumber of NHS dental treatments delivered2024/25594,6672023/24557,798Source: NHS Business Services Authority, available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425 The data for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are not directly comparable with the 2025/26 data due to the 2025/26 data being provisional. Final data for 2025/26 will be published in August 2026. Furthermore, the 2025/26 data covers seven months of activity, but the 2023/24 and 2024/25 data covers the full 12-month period.

What estimate he has made of the funding required to meet demand for NHS dental services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the next 12 months.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their population. For the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, this is the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB. Further information on ICB allocation funding for 2026/27 to 2027/28 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/In 2024/25, we invested around £3.7 billion on primary care dentistry. We want to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most.We have reduced the National Health Service dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023/24 to £36 million in 2024/25.

What steps his Department are taking to ensure the effectiveness of cancer screening programmes in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

NHS England Screening and Immunisation Teams, including a dedicated team covering Thames Valley, work closely with providers and local partners to ensure cancer screening programmes are delivered in line with national standards for quality, safety and effectiveness.At a local level, the NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (ICB) works in partnership with NHS England, primary care, providers and the Thames Valley Cancer Alliance to support the delivery and uptake of cancer screening programmes across Buckingham and Bletchley. This includes ongoing monitoring of screening coverage and performance at place and practice level, identifying variation, and supporting action where uptake or performance falls below national standards.At a national level, we recently announced that the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England is lowering the faecal immunochemical test threshold from 120 micrograms of blood per gram of faeces to 80 micrograms of blood per gram of faeces. It is estimated that this change will detect approximately 600 additional bowel cancers early each year in England, approximately an 11% increase, and find 2,000 more people with high-risk polyps in their bowel, allowing doctors to remove them before they ever turn into cancers.Additionally, in early 2026, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme will be offering a self-testing kit to under-screened women, starting with those who are the most overdue for screening. This will help tackle deeply entrenched barriers that keep some away from screening.These national-level changes will benefit people across England, including those living in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

What steps his Department is taking to improve diagnostic services for cancer in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Improving cancer services, including diagnostic capacity and treatment infrastructure, is a priority for the Government.The Government is committed to meeting all three National Health Service cancer waiting time standards across England. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to meet demand through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. As of December 2025, community diagnostic centres are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further details as to how patients across England, including in Buckingham and Bletchley, will benefit from improved diagnostic services and cancer care infrastructure.Funding for cancer pathways is multi-layered. The integrated care board uses the core Government allocation to commission services from providers, including cancer-related activity. Specialised commissioning directs funding towards specialist areas of healthcare, such as paediatric oncology and chemotherapy.The East of England Cancer Alliance has been allocated approximately £16 million of revenue funds for 2026/27 which will support targeted programmes of work. The process to allocate these funds is currently live. System priorities have been identified and funding requests have been submitted for consideration.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of staffing levels for oncology services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Residents of Bletchley who access oncology care would most likely attend Milton Keynes University Hospital which offers on-site chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the latter led by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Workforce reviews are currently under way to ensure that this trust can accommodate increasing demand for services and to ensure that residents can access new treatments when they become available.The National Cancer Plan, which will be published shortly, will highlight how we will reform our workforce to improve cancer patient outcomes, including for those patients in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. We will ensure that we have the right staff, in the right places, with the right skills, so patients can access quality care when and where they need it.

What funding has been allocated to cancer care infrastructure in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency in the next three financial years.

Improving cancer services, including diagnostic capacity and treatment infrastructure, is a priority for the Government.The Government is committed to meeting all three National Health Service cancer waiting time standards across England. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to meet demand through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. As of December 2025, community diagnostic centres are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further details as to how patients across England, including in Buckingham and Bletchley, will benefit from improved diagnostic services and cancer care infrastructure.Funding for cancer pathways is multi-layered. The integrated care board uses the core Government allocation to commission services from providers, including cancer-related activity. Specialised commissioning directs funding towards specialist areas of healthcare, such as paediatric oncology and chemotherapy.The East of England Cancer Alliance has been allocated approximately £16 million of revenue funds for 2026/27 which will support targeted programmes of work. The process to allocate these funds is currently live. System priorities have been identified and funding requests have been submitted for consideration.

What assessment his Department has been made of the adequacy of the availability of clinical trials for cancer patients in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

No specific assessment has been made. The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments, wherever they live.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country. It will ensure that more patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials.The Department funds the National Institute of Health and Care Research’s (NIHR) infrastructure to support the delivery and availability of clinical trials across all aspects of human health, including cancer. The South Central Regional Research Delivery Network operates in all National Health Service trusts that span the Buckingham and Bletchley area, giving researchers and delivery teams the practical support they need locally so that clinical trials can take place and more people can take part.The NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research' which promotes participation in health and care research, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest.

What guidance his Department issues to GP practices in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency on early detection of prostate cancer.

We are committed to ensuring that general practitioners (GPs) have the right training and systems to identify cancer symptoms. Use of specific clinical decision support tools are agreed at a local level. This will benefit cancer patients across England, including in Buckingham and Bletchley. GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.The Department is taking cancer detection seriously, including in GPs. The Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, a patient safety initiative that introduces clinical guidance to support clinicians in taking a “fresh eyes” approach in GPs. It asks GPs to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or their symptoms have escalated. This will benefit all cancer patients, including prostate cancer patients.

What support his Department provides to public health teams operating in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency to increase men’s engagement with preventative health services.

On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the first ever Men’s Health Strategy for England which aims to improve the health of all men and boys in England, including those in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.We recognise that many of the issues affecting men cannot be solved by the Government alone. The strategy sets out how other sectors, such as the National Health Service, local government, employers, charities, research funders and communities, can contribute to shared outcomes and highlights that improving men’s health will depend on how national priorities are translated into local delivery.The Department support Upper Tier Local Authorities, including Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, with the Public Health Grant. This is ringfenced funding given to local government to improve the health of their local populations and to reduce inequalities. We recently announced details of a three-year funding settlement for local government, including the Public Health Grant.

What metrics will the Department use to measure improvements in men’s health outcomes in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency over the next five years.

On 19 November 2025, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the first ever Men’s Health Strategy for England. This aims to improve the health of all men and boys in England, including those in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.The strategy includes investment in community-based men's health programmes and suicide prevention programmes, and a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to make sure people know what mental health support is available to them. It also includes comprehensive action on major health challenges including suicide, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health.This strategy is a crucial first step, laying the foundation from which we can learn, iterate, and grow. We will work with the Men's Health Academic Network and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to develop and publish a one-year-on report, highlighting the improvements made and where future efforts will need to be targeted.The strategy is not just a plan, it is a call to action to create a society where men and boys are supported to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. We recognise that many of the issues affecting men cannot be solved by the Government alone. The strategy also highlights how everyone can help by setting out how other sectors, such as the National Health Service, local government, employers, charities, research funders, and communities, can contribute to shared outcomes.We do not hold data on how much funding has been allocated specifically to men’s mental health initiatives in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. This information may be held locally.

What steps is the Department taking to ensure providers of NHS services in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency have the resources to implement the men’s health strategy.

On 19 November 2025, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the first ever Men’s Health Strategy for England. This aims to improve the health of all men and boys in England, including those in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.The strategy includes investment in community-based men's health programmes and suicide prevention programmes, and a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to make sure people know what mental health support is available to them. It also includes comprehensive action on major health challenges including suicide, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health.This strategy is a crucial first step, laying the foundation from which we can learn, iterate, and grow. We will work with the Men's Health Academic Network and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to develop and publish a one-year-on report, highlighting the improvements made and where future efforts will need to be targeted.The strategy is not just a plan, it is a call to action to create a society where men and boys are supported to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. We recognise that many of the issues affecting men cannot be solved by the Government alone. The strategy also highlights how everyone can help by setting out how other sectors, such as the National Health Service, local government, employers, charities, research funders, and communities, can contribute to shared outcomes.We do not hold data on how much funding has been allocated specifically to men’s mental health initiatives in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. This information may be held locally.

What funding has been allocated to initiatives targeting male mental health in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

On 19 November 2025, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the first ever Men’s Health Strategy for England. This aims to improve the health of all men and boys in England, including those in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.The strategy includes investment in community-based men's health programmes and suicide prevention programmes, and a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to make sure people know what mental health support is available to them. It also includes comprehensive action on major health challenges including suicide, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health.This strategy is a crucial first step, laying the foundation from which we can learn, iterate, and grow. We will work with the Men's Health Academic Network and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to develop and publish a one-year-on report, highlighting the improvements made and where future efforts will need to be targeted.The strategy is not just a plan, it is a call to action to create a society where men and boys are supported to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. We recognise that many of the issues affecting men cannot be solved by the Government alone. The strategy also highlights how everyone can help by setting out how other sectors, such as the National Health Service, local government, employers, charities, research funders, and communities, can contribute to shared outcomes.We do not hold data on how much funding has been allocated specifically to men’s mental health initiatives in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. This information may be held locally.

What estimate his Department has made of the additional public health support needs of families in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency targeted by the Child Poverty Strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and its commitment to raising the healthiest generation of children in history. We know that poverty can have a long-lasting impact on children’s health. In the ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, the Government reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen the support available for families to address their health needs. For example, we have committed to supporting those who need access to healthy, affordable nutrition by increasing the value of Healthy Start by 10% and setting out measures to give parents and carers the confidence to choose lower priced infant formula and to make infant formula more affordable.The assessment of the health needs of a local population is the responsibility of local authorities through a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. These assessments are funded through the Public Health Grant. In Buckingham and Bletchley, Buckinghamshire County Council and Milton Keynes City Council provide these assessments, with further information available at the following link:https://miltonkeynes.jsna.uk/jsna/children-young-people/Child health data, including obesity and physical activity, is held on Fingertips at national, regional, and local levels in England. Data from the National Child Measurement Programme can serve as proxy measures of nutritional status. Aggregated data on obesity and overweight prevalence is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at ward and local authority levels. The following table shows the percentage of obesity, including severe obesity, and the prevalence of overweight, including obesity, within each ward in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, from 2022/23 to 2024/25:Ward namePercentage of obesity (%) including severe obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25Prevalence of overweight (%) including obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25Reception aged 4 to 5 years oldYear 6 aged 10 to 11 years oldReception aged 4 to 5 years oldYear 6 aged 10 to 11 years oldBletchley East11.826.524.738.8Bletchley West11.525.527.138.7Bletchley Park13.527.527.940.4Buckingham West7.416.521.029.9Buckingham East6.315.818.826.3Great Brickhill9.114.121.228.2Tattenhoe5.816.915.528.2Winslow10.414.322.925.0

What data his Department holds on projected child nutrition needs in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency associated with interventions in the Child Poverty Strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and its commitment to raising the healthiest generation of children in history. We know that poverty can have a long-lasting impact on children’s health. In the ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, the Government reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen the support available for families to address their health needs. For example, we have committed to supporting those who need access to healthy, affordable nutrition by increasing the value of Healthy Start by 10% and setting out measures to give parents and carers the confidence to choose lower priced infant formula and to make infant formula more affordable.The assessment of the health needs of a local population is the responsibility of local authorities through a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. These assessments are funded through the Public Health Grant. In Buckingham and Bletchley, Buckinghamshire County Council and Milton Keynes City Council provide these assessments, with further information available at the following link:https://miltonkeynes.jsna.uk/jsna/children-young-people/Child health data, including obesity and physical activity, is held on Fingertips at national, regional, and local levels in England. Data from the National Child Measurement Programme can serve as proxy measures of nutritional status. Aggregated data on obesity and overweight prevalence is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at ward and local authority levels. The following table shows the percentage of obesity, including severe obesity, and the prevalence of overweight, including obesity, within each ward in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, from 2022/23 to 2024/25:Ward namePercentage of obesity (%) including severe obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25Prevalence of overweight (%) including obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25Reception aged 4 to 5 years oldYear 6 aged 10 to 11 years oldReception aged 4 to 5 years oldYear 6 aged 10 to 11 years oldBletchley East11.826.524.738.8Bletchley West11.525.527.138.7Bletchley Park13.527.527.940.4Buckingham West7.416.521.029.9Buckingham East6.315.818.826.3Great Brickhill9.114.121.228.2Tattenhoe5.816.915.528.2Winslow10.414.322.925.0

What plans he has to review guidance for local authorities on HIV support service commissioning.

The new HIV Action Plan, published on 1 December 2025, sets out how the Government will enable every level of the healthcare system to work together to engage everyone in prevention, testing and treatment, tackling stigma, and reaching our ambition to end new HIV transmissions by 2030. Services to support people living with HIV are primarily the responsibility of National Health Service integrated care boards, who commission adult HIV care in line with the relevant NHS England service specification. Providers of HIV care are responsible for collaborating with local authority commissioned social care where needed.The HIV Action Plan also asks local partners across the NHS and local authorities to carry out a HIV needs assessment which will inform the development and publication of local HIV plans across the country during 2026/27. Local areas will monitor uptake and outcomes to identify gaps and improve equity in access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. The UK Health Security Agency will continue to support this with robust data monitoring and reporting.

What estimate he has made of the laboratory capacity required to meet anticipated levels of HIV screening during the HIV Action Plan for England 2025–2030 period.

As part of the new HIV Action Plan, we will continue the success of the blood-borne virus emergency department opt-out testing programme, investing £156 million from April 2026 to March 2029 to deliver opt-out HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C testing in emergency departments in very high and high HIV prevalence areas.We will also expand digital provision of HIV testing, investing £5 million in 2025/26 to trial HIV testing through the NHS App, working in partnership with existing commissioned sexual health providers, such as those already used by local authorities, rather than building a new service from scratch. These services have a strong track record in at-home HIV testing, and the NHS App will provide a new entry point that routes people into that established service.National Health Service trusts are responsible for ensuring laboratories have adequate capacity for all testing, including HIV screening.

What steps he is taking to ensure that clinical commissioning structures are prepared for changes arising from the HIV Action Plan.

The new HIV Action Plan (HIV AP), published on 1 December 2025, sets out how the Government will enable every level of the healthcare system to work together to engage everyone in prevention, testing and treatment, tackling stigma, and reaching our ambition to end new HIV transmissions by 2030.National Health Service integrated care boards hold commissioning responsibility for adult HIV services in line with the relevant NHS England service specification. NHS England is supportive of the HIV AP and its recommendations and is committed to the implementation and delivery of the plan.The HIV AP asks local partners across the NHS and local authorities to carry out a HIV needs assessment which will inform the development and publication of local HIV plans across the country during 2026/27.Local areas will monitor uptake and outcomes to identify gaps and improve equity in access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. The UK Health Security Agency will continue to support this with robust data monitoring and reporting.

What steps he is taking to ensure the national HIV surveillance system remains compatible with international reporting standards.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and its predecessors have led HIV surveillance since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980s. In addition to continued collaboration and acting as expert advisors on HIV surveillance to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) European region, the UKHSA ensures that its data remains compatible by reporting standard data to ECDC/WHO European region and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS on an annual basis.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the forthcoming palliative care and end-of-life care framework on the provision of palliative care services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life, including in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

What steps his Department will take to ensure integrated care boards covering the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency have the capacity to deliver palliative and end of life care closer to home.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life, including in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.