Every parliamentary written question tabled by Carla Lockhart this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 50 · Department of Health and Social Care
Whether the Department has modelled alternative funding structures for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency that would reduce reliance on industry fees; and if it will publish any assessments made of the impact of such models on regulatory independence.
No such modelling has been undertaken.
How many whistleblowing reports relating to conflicts of interest have been submitted within the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in each of the last five years; and whether the Department will publish anonymised summaries of the issues raised.
In the last five years, three internal whistleblowing reports relating to conflicts of interest have been made to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) nominated officers.Nominated officers are trained individuals designated to give confidential advice, support, and guidance on whistleblowing concerns to staff, and to help staff escalate those concerns appropriately. The following table shows the number of whistleblowing reports related to conflicts of interest, from 2021/22 to 2025/26, up to 20 March 2026:YearNumber of whistleblowing reports related to conflicts of interest2021/2202022/2302023/2402024/2502025/263 There are no requirements or plans to publish summaries of these whistleblowing reports. The MHRA submits data annually to the Cabinet Office on all whistleblowing investigations that have taken place and publishes a short summary of its internal whistleblowing actions, including the number of whistleblowing investigations, in its Annual Report and Accounts.
What assessment was made of the potential merits of including an examination of the evidence base relating to the spike protein and lipid nanoparticles used in Covid‑19 mRNA vaccines within the scope for oral evidence of the UK Covid‑19 Inquiry; and whether the Government has received any correspondence from the Inquiry on whether such issues fall within its remit.
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is an independent statutory inquiry. As an independent body, it is responsible for determining its own scope, lines of investigation, and the evidence it seeks. Decisions about whether to include examination of specific scientific or technical matters, such as the evidence base relating to spike proteins or lipid nanoparticles, fall within the inquiry’s discretion.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not received any specific correspondence or instruction from the inquiry relating to spike proteins or lipid nanoparticles.
How many staff of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have, in each of the last five years, (a) moved to roles with pharmaceutical companies or industry-funded bodies and (b) joined the Agency from such organisations; and what safeguards are in place to manage potential conflicts of interest arising from such movement.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) requires all staff to undertake a conflict-of-interest declaration upon joining the agency and then on a yearly basis. All declarations are assessed according to MHRA policy to ensure due consideration and agreement of required mitigations. The MHRA does not routinely record where staff move to when leaving the agency, however all staff are bound by the business appointment rules for crown servants and are required to seek prior agreement if they fall within the specified criteria. Further information on the business appointment rules for crown servants is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-appointment-rules-for-crown-servants/business-appointment-rules-for-crown-servantsIn relation to staff joining the agency, the MHRA does not record the information in the manner requested, but a manual review of the records from new joiners between the financial years 2021 to 2026 indicates that 47 staff have declared previous employment in a pharmaceutical or industry funded body. The following table shows a breakdown of the 47 staff who have declared previous employment in a pharmaceutical or industry funded body from 2021/22 to 2025/26, and in total:Financial yearNumber of staff2021/2202022/2352023/24172024/25142025/2611Total47 It should be noted that this assessment is a best estimate to match within the criteria requested and the number may be subject to change.
What steps the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is taking to improve clinician reporting of myocarditis and pericarditis in the Yellow Card system; and whether the Department has assessed under‑reporting rates for these conditions.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is committed to continually strengthening the Yellow Card scheme to support patient safety. The MHRA regularly promotes awareness through public health campaigns, conferences, established networks, and new educational resources available on the Yellow Card website. Further information is available on the MHRA website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agencyReporting rates through spontaneous reporting systems, such as the Yellow Card Scheme, are highly variable, and dependent not just on the condition, but other factors such as the product, public interest, and media attention. As such, the MHRA does not hold estimates of under reporting rates for these conditions.The MHRA is expanding and improving digital reporting routes. Every National Health Service webpage relating to a medicine or vaccine now links to the Yellow Card scheme, and the MHRA is working with NHS colleagues to enhance integration with the NHS App to increase visibility and reporting by the public. Yellow Card reporting is now embedded in almost all general practice clinical IT systems, enabling healthcare professionals to submit reports directly on behalf of patients.Over recent years, the MHRA has delivered a major upgrade programme to modernise the Yellow Card scheme’s technology and infrastructure. This includes improving the quality and timeliness of submitted information, making it easier to report, adding conditional questions to reduce follow up, and support real time signal detection of safety issues.The Yellow Card app has also been modernised to mirror the website, broaden reporting options, including defective and counterfeit medicines, and improve access to safety data. Multifactor authentication has been introduced to enhance account security and enable future integration with the NHS login. The app has also been upgraded to a progressive web application, providing a seamless and engaging user experience across devices.Together, these improvements increase public awareness, make reporting, including of myocarditis and pericarditis, easier, and enhance the MHRA’s ability to identify and assess emerging safety concerns across healthcare products.
How many patients have reported adverse outcomes following rectopexy mesh procedures in the last ten years; and whether his Department has considered those cases in determining eligibility for mesh-related redress schemes.
Up to and including the 16 March 2026, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received a total of 3,303 adverse incident reports. Please note that this search was conducted across all relevant brands, models, and manufacturers associated with the Global Medical Device Nomenclature CT codes listed above and the data is not linked to specific procedures. As such, the data provided will include reports concerning mesh used in a range of different surgical applications, not limited to rectopexy. It is important to note that this data does not directly correlate to the number of United Kingdom procedures undertaken in the UK.Adverse incident reports are not a direct measure of the number of individual patients affected, as the same incident, or user, may be reported multiple times and duplicates cannot always be reliably linked, and figures may also include cases drawn from published literature and may change slightly as further details are received. Reports may describe recognised complications, and their inclusion does not establish causation or fault with any particular device, so the data should not be interpreted as a summary of known or proven adverse reactions.The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. The abovementioned data will form part of the Department’s considerations regarding a redress scheme.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the number of children entering the UK who have been born through surrogacy in countries where commercial surrogacy operates on the UK's not-for-profit surrogacy framework.
The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the number of children entering the United Kingdom who have been born through surrogacy in countries where commercial surrogacy operates, on the UK's not-for-profit surrogacy framework.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have published advice for those considering surrogacy overseas, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseasThis clearly sets out the possible risks and the processes for returning to the UK with a child born through an international surrogacy arrangement.The Department Health and Social Care does not hold any information on trends in the number of children born via surrogacy abroad, in particular in Kazakhstan and Nigeria.
What information his Department holds on trends in the number of children born via surrogacy abroad, in particular in (a) Kazakhstan and (b) Nigeria.
The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the number of children entering the United Kingdom who have been born through surrogacy in countries where commercial surrogacy operates, on the UK's not-for-profit surrogacy framework.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have published advice for those considering surrogacy overseas, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseasThis clearly sets out the possible risks and the processes for returning to the UK with a child born through an international surrogacy arrangement.The Department Health and Social Care does not hold any information on trends in the number of children born via surrogacy abroad, in particular in Kazakhstan and Nigeria.
Whether he has had discussions with whistleblowers from the former Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service regarding the PATHWAYS Puberty Blocker Trial.
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has met with a variety of stakeholders to discuss gender services, including former staff at the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service. Baroness Cass also met with former Gender Identity Development Service staff, including whistleblowers, while developing her Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People.The review rightly received cross-party support, as the most definitive assessment of children’s gender services and gender identity to date. It also recommended a clinical trial to gather the evidence required.Given that there are live legal proceedings, we are unable to comment on the PATHWAYS trial.
What steps he is taking to support detransitioners.
We are working with NHS England to implement the recommendations from the Cass Review to ensure everyone gets the high-quality care they need. This includes setting up a clinical pathway and provision for people considering detransition. Following engagement with those with lived experience, on 30 October 2025, NHS England published a call for evidence on a clinical pathway for adults who have previously undergone a gender transition and who wish to detransition, to bring together professional opinion. The call for evidence closed on 28 December 2025. NHS England is considering all relevant feedback that was submitted. It will collate views, evidence, and insights into a summary evidence report. NHS England will use this evidence, together with other intelligence and further engagement, to begin to define a clinical pathway which will be tested through further stakeholder engagement and public consultation later this year.
What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices on the care of gender distressed children of the US judgment in the case of Fox Varian.
No assessment has been made. Surgical interventions for gender dysphoria are not performed on patients under 18 years old on the National Health Service. In line with NHS England’s national service specification, surgical interventions on the NHS are only available to adult patients who have a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist adult gender clinic, and who meet strict clinical criteria. The Government and NHS England have made a clear commitment to implement all the recommendations in the Cass Review’s final report. NHS England’s ambitious action plan sets out how it will continue to transform and improve services, helping to tackle waiting lists while ensuring safe and holistic care.
What steps he is taking to implement a data linkage study of the Gender Identity Development Services.
The Government and National Health Service are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review in full. This includes carrying out the data linkage study. Since taking over responsibility for delivery of the data linkage study, NHS England has taken time to undertake due diligence work on the data sources critical to the study, and to work with organisations to refine the planned approach to data sharing. In common with usual research practice, the data linkage study protocol will be made available in the public domain once independent research and ethical approvals have been appropriately secured, at which point the analytical work can begin.
If he will have discussions with the Office for National Statistics on revising its back baseline to reflect pre-2020 trends.
Analysts from the Department of Health and Social Care are having regular discussions with colleagues at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) regarding planned improvements to the methodology used to estimate excess deaths, as outlined in an ONS blog post from April 2025, which is available at the following link: https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2025/04/04/excess-deaths-our-continued-work-towards-a-better-understanding
If he will make it his policy to require abortion providers to provide clear guidance regarding the legality of procuring a termination on the basis of sex.
There is no policy requirement for abortion providers to provide guidance regarding the legality of procuring a termination on the basis of sex, as all abortion providers must comply with the legal requirements set out in the Abortion Act 1967. The Department’s guidance is clear that sex is not itself a lawful ground for termination of pregnancy in England and Wales under the Abortion Act 1967 and it is illegal for a practitioner to carry out an abortion for that reason alone.
What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of research by Velez et al entitled New-Onset Mental Illness Among Gestational Carriers, published on 25 July 2025.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee reviews the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including surrogates. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed in June 2025, and further information on the findings of this review can be found at the following link:https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/our-authority-committees-and-panels/scientific-and-clinical-advances-advisory-committee-scaac/#hidden-text-3c9ac9c7-54e1-4578-abb2-b49a73b68140-2The study had not been published at the time of the review and will be included in the next review by the HFEA.
What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of research from King’s College London, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Leeds entitled Comparing the Outcomes of In-Vitro Fertilization in Same-Sex Female Couples Using Their Partner's Egg Versus Their Own Egg: A Systematic Review, published on 19 August 2025.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee reviews the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed in June 2025, and further information on the findings of this review can be found at the following link:https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/our-authority-committees-and-panels/scientific-and-clinical-advances-advisory-committee-scaac/#hidden-text-3c9ac9c7-54e1-4578-abb2-b49a73b68140-2HFEA changed the information on its website relating to the risks of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) because of this review, including risks associated with reciprocal IVF. Further information can be found at the following link:https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/risks-of-fertility-treatment/The study had not been published at the time of the review and will be included in the next review by HFEA.
What steps his Department is taking to help improve the availability of clinical trials for cancer patients across the UK.
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.The Department funds research and research infrastructure through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which supports National Health Service patients, the public, and NHS organisations across England to participate in high-quality research, including clinical trials into cancers.The NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research', which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies, including those with cancer, and register their interest.NHS England is delivering The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, a platform that is speeding up access to clinical trials for cancer vaccines and immunotherapies for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.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 Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials, on for example pancreatic cancer, to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.
What plans his Department has to encourage collaboration between NHS Trusts and pharmaceutical companies to enhance cancer clinical trials.
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.We are incentivising clinical trials and strengthening collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and National Health Service trusts by streamlining processes and cutting set‑up times to 150 days by March 2026, ensuring the United Kingdom offers a faster, more competitive environment for delivering high‑quality research. The Department funded National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research. This includes Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, co-funded by NIHR, Cancer Research UK, and the Little Princess Trust, which form a UK-wide network that brings together world leading laboratory and clinical researchers to deliver pioneering early phase cancer trials for adults and children. Additionally, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will introduce a 14-day assessment route for phase 1 trials, adopting an innovative stepwise approach, restoring a rapid pathway for the earliest testing of new medicines in people, a key draw for global pharmaceutical companies deciding where to base their research. NHS England is delivering specific collaborative initiatives with industry such as the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP). The NHS CVLP is a platform that is speeding up access to clinical trials for cancer vaccines and immunotherapies for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. The CVLP platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic. Different companies have been involved in the CVLP and trials in the CVLP portfolio have included cancers such as head and neck cancer melanoma and colorectal cancer. 35 Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs), including primary care been established largely within NHS trusts. CRDCs will expand capacity, streamline set-up, and give patients faster access to innovative treatments and clinical trials, including those concerning cancer.
Whether his Department has made an assessment of whether abortion providers, including British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Marie Stopes InternationaI Reproductive Choices, provide clear and comprehensive information to pregnant women on the full range of childcare and maternity related financial support available to them.
The Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for the termination of a pregnancy, an abortion, in England sets out that women requesting termination of pregnancy must be given impartial, accurate, and evidence-based information, both verbal and written, delivered in a clear, understandable, and non-judgemental way. This includes informing women about their options so that they can make an informed choice about their preferred course of action. As early as possible, women should be provided with detailed information, including on alternatives to abortions such as adoption and motherhood. Their choice should be respected without any unnecessary delay.
If he will take steps to ensure that women considering abortion are provided with comprehensive information on all available options, including parenting, adoption, and perinatal palliative care.
In line with the Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy in England, women seeking abortion services must be given impartial, accurate, and evidence-based information so that they are able to make an informed choice about their preferred course of action.The National Health Service website provides factual information on abortion, including directing people seeking impartial information and support to their general practice or to regulated organisations such as Brook, for under 25 year olds, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, MSI Reproductive Health Choices UK, and National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service. All the main abortion providers offer pregnancy counselling, which includes advice on options such as parenting and adoption.Following a diagnosis of fetal anomaly, women and their partners must receive appropriate counselling and support. At no stage should there be a bias towards abortion. All staff involved in the care of a woman or couple facing a possible termination of pregnancy must adopt a nondirective, non-judgemental, and supportive approach. It should not be assumed that a woman will choose to have a termination, and a decision to continue with the pregnancy must be fully supported. In addition, the charity Antenatal Results and Choices offers information and support for people who have received a diagnosis after antenatal screening.