Written questions by Johnson.

What estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of abolishing Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch.

Awaiting answer.

Which specialised neurology centres currently provide multidisciplinary team assessment and treatment for people with primary progressive aphasia.

Awaiting answer.

How much funding his Department provided to (a) Healthwatch England and (b) Local Healthwatch in (i) 2023, (ii) 2024 and (iii) 2025.

Awaiting answer.

How many and what proportion of patients waited (a) 18 weeks or less, (b) 18 weeks and 1 day, (c) 18 weeks and 2 days, (d) 18 weeks and 3 days, (e) 19 weeks, (f) 20 weeks and (g) 21 weeks from referral to treatment.

Awaiting answer.

How many students a) started and b) successfully completed a midwifery degree in i) 2025, ii) 2024, iii) 2023, iv) 2022, v) 2021, vi) 2020 and vii) 2019.

Awaiting answer.

If he expects NHS England’s review of the preference informed allocation method to be completed before the abolition of NHS England.

Awaiting answer.

On which dates the maternity and neonatal task force (a) has met and (b) is due to meet.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

When he plans to respond to the Hughes report.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

With reference to the Answers of 1 April 2026 to Question 122780 and 25 March 2026 to Question 120988 on General Practitioners: Contracts and with reference to the oral statement of 16 April 2026 on the Women's Health Strategy, whether waiting times for patients who are offered secondary care following an Advice and Guidance (A&G) request in (a) March, (b) April, (c) May, (d) June, (e) July, (f) August, (g) September, (h) October and (i) November 2026.will be calculated from (i) the date the A&G request is received, (ii) the date the A&G request is accepted as a referral and (iii) other dates on the pathway.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

When he plans to appoint the national specialty lead for rare cancers.

The Government will implement the Rare Cancers Act 2026 by ensuring that a National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers is appointed by summer 2026. The National Specialty Lead will be based in the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Research Delivery Network and will support research delivery for rare cancers research.Implementing the Rare Cancers Act 2026 will make it easier for clinical trials on rare cancers to be delivered in England.

Whether he plans to set an explicit target to close the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he plans to respond to the Hughes report before prorogation.

The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.The Government has deep sympathy for all those affected and recognises the profound impact that these harms have had on individuals and their families.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he wants to make meaningful progress during this Parliament, although a decision to provide compensation has not yet been made. We recognise how difficult and disappointing this uncertainty is for those affected, and we will ensure that the public is kept informed as soon as any decision on redress is made.I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes since I have been in post, and had a very productive discussion about the ongoing health initiatives led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Details of the Government’s work to date are set out in recent letters to the Dr Hughes, which are published on her website.

Pursuant to the Answers of 1 April 2026 to Question 122780 and 25 March 2026 to Question 120988 on General Practitioners: Contracts and with reference to the oral statement of 16 April 2026 on the Women's Health Strategy, whether waiting times for patients who are offered secondary care following an Advice and Guidance (A&G) request in (a) March, (b) April, (c) May, (d) June, (e) July, (f) August, (g) September, (h) October and (i) November 2026.will be calculated from (i) the date the A&G request is received, (ii) the date the A&G request is accepted as referred and (iii) other dates on the pathway.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps he is taking to improve treatment for lobular breast cancer.

The Department is committed to ensuring that the National Health Service diagnoses cancer earlier and treats it faster so that more patients, including those with lobular breast cancer, survive.The National Cancer Plan strives to ensure that we are a world leader on cancer research and innovation, to help the health and care system to prevent, detect, and better treat and manage a wider range of cancers, contributing to survival rates.The Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) are committed to continuing to support the development of fundable research proposals into lobular breast cancer and to helping drive a stronger collective understanding of the biology behind lobular breast cancer, as well as the effective treatment and management of this disease.In order to further stimulate research in this area, and following a meeting between campaigners and my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the NIHR launched a highlight notice in late 2025, encouraging applications across its research programmes and training. The NIHR continues to welcome high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including lobular breast cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

How many patients referred urgently with suspected cancer are (a) diagnosed and (b) reassured within (i) 28, (ii) 29, (iii) 30, (iv) 31, (v) 32 and (vi) 33 days of referral for which the latest data is available.

The table attached shows, in the period from October to December 2025, the number of patients referred urgently with suspected cancer who were either diagnosed with cancer or had cancer ruled out within the specified period between referral and the communication of their outcome.NHS England first published information on outcomes for patients referred urgently with suspected cancer under the Faster Diagnosis Standard in September 2025. This data covers all patients, irrespective of the number of days between referral and the communication of the outcome.The figures provided above represent a subset of this data, focusing on specific time bands requested, and are not routinely published. Each time band is cumulative and includes all patients who received their outcome within that period. Further information on Cancer Waiting Times statistics is available on the NHS England website, at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

What assessment he has made of the potential risks of rejecting secondary care referrals that are currently accepted.

It is not Government policy for referrals to secondary care to be rejected. General practitioners (GPs) are encouraged to seek specialist advice ahead of making a referral where it is clinically appropriate to do so. Patients benefit from earlier specialist input and are more likely to receive the right care in the right place, first time.A GP’s right to refer is unchanged. If a patient needs a hospital referral, they will get one.

If he intends outpatient referrals to (a) hospitals and (b) secondary care providers to be managed by people other than consultants.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What proportion of referrals to (a) hospital outpatient care and (b) secondary care are (i) accepted to be seen and (ii) rejected and provided with advice and guidance instead for which the latest data is available.

The Department does not hold data in the format requested.

What information he holds on the number of data breaches of patient information in the NHS in the last year.

This information is not collected centrally. There is no requirement for National Health Service organisations to report patient data breaches to the Department.Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, if a personal data breach occurs, the responsible body must establish if there is a risk to people’s rights and freedoms, and if so, notify the Information Commissioner’s Office.

When he plans to publish the renewed Women's Health Strategy.

Work is ongoing to renew the Women’s Health Strategy, which we aim to publish this Spring. In the meantime, we are committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service, and strong progress has already been made in turning the commitments in the 2022 Women's Health Strategy into tangible action. 5.2 million extra appointments were delivered in the Government’s first year, we are tackling gynaecology waiting lists using the private sector, and we have made emergency hormonal contraception free in pharmacies across England.