Written questions by Johnson.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on taking steps to keep the NHS data of serving military personnel confidential.

My Rt. Hon. friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Defence, are united in their commitment to ensuring serving military personnel receive excellent health services through the Defence Medical Services working in partnership with the National Health Service.The Defence Medical Services provide primary healthcare for serving personnel. All serving personnel will have a Defence Health Record which records their healthcare through their military service, whether provided by the Defence Medical Services or the NHS. Serving personnel are provided with a medical care summary and a patient’s full Defence Health Record can be provided on request from their NHS general practitioner (GP).There is an existing process for the transfer of healthcare information to the NHS when they leave the Armed Forces. A secure email gateway exists between the Ministry of Defence and NHS networks, permitting the secure transmission of email classified up to, and including, OFFICIAL SENSITIVE PERSONAL material.To improve the transfer of healthcare information, the Defence Medical Services are working towards a greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from Defence Medical Services to NHS GPs.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the confidentiality of NHS data for serving personnel.

My Rt. Hon. friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Defence, are united in their commitment to ensuring serving military personnel receive excellent health services through the Defence Medical Service working in partnership with the National Health Service.The Defence Medical Services provide primary healthcare for serving personnel. Secondary care for Armed Forces personnel is provided by the NHS in England or by the devolved administrations outside of England, working with the Defence Medical Services to ensure that specific defence requirements are met.All serving personnel will have a Defence Health Record which records their healthcare through their military service, whether provided by the Defence Medical Services or the NHS. The principles that underpin the handling of such sensitive records are patient privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. There is an existing process for the transfer of healthcare information to the NHS when people leave the Armed Forces. Serving personnel are provided with a medical care summary and a patient’s full Defence Health Record can be provided upon request from their NHS general practitioner.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on (a) medical and (b) dental healthcare provision for serving military personnel.

My Rt. Hon. friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Defence, are united in their commitment to ensuring serving military personnel receive excellent health services through the Defence Medical Service working in partnership with the National Health Service.The Defence Medical Services provide primary healthcare for serving personnel. Secondary care for Armed Forces personnel is provided by the NHS in England or by the devolved administrations outside of England, working with the Defence Medical Services to ensure that specific defence requirements are met.All serving personnel will have a Defence Health Record which records their healthcare through their military service, whether provided by the Defence Medical Services or the NHS. The principles that underpin the handling of such sensitive records are patient privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. There is an existing process for the transfer of healthcare information to the NHS when people leave the Armed Forces. Serving personnel are provided with a medical care summary and a patient’s full Defence Health Record can be provided upon request from their NHS general practitioner.

What discussions he had had with stakeholders on the potential impact of poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene in low- and middle-income countries on the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

The Government continues to deliver the United Kingdom’s second five-year National Action Plan on Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The Action Plan recognises the need to support international action on AMR alongside domestic activity, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) which bear a disproportionate burden of infectious disease and AMR.At the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in September 2024, the UK championed global agreement on a political declaration that commits member states to reduce global AMR attributed deaths by 10% by 2030. Following extensive consultation with member states and wider stakeholders, the political declaration also commits to international action on improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in LMICs through improved stewardship, monitoring and surveillance. These commitments were revisited at the 2025 World Health Assembly, where the UK co-chairs the annual Alliance of Champions against AMR meeting with international Health Ministers to discuss shared priorities for addressing AMR.Globally, we work with partners including the World Bank, UNICEF and WHO to provide data on WASH services in health care facilities to support governments prioritising, planning and mobilising finance to improve WASH.In November 2024, the UK co-chaired the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategic Network on water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management and electricity in health care facilities, bringing together a range of country officials, health, WASH and energy sector stakeholder to share actions to reduce service gaps in lower-middle- and low-income countries. The Government will continue to hold discussions on AMR and WASH, including with WaterAid UK.

Whether reducing ICB costs by 50 per cent will lead to reductions in front line services.

This change is not about reductions to front line services. We are clarifying the role of the integrated care boards (ICBs), to focus on strategic commissioning. Alongside this, there is a need to move ICBs to the same level of efficiency in their administrative costs. Currently there is significant variation across ICBs in their administrative spending, and it is this variation that is being targeted.

On what date he received the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration report on resident doctors pay.

The Department received the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration’s report on 29 April 2025. The report contains findings and recommendations from the independent pay review body on resident doctor’s pay for 2025/26.

With reference to the impact assessment for the Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2025, published on 25 February 2025, whether the calculations used to estimate MHRA future costs included an estimated amount to take into account the (a) rise in employer national insurance contributions and (b) lowering of the lower earnings limit for employers national contributions, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2024.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is subject to the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget. For their current fees uplift, the MHRA modelled their future costs, using historic volumes, to ensure that the uplift will deliver cost recovery until April 2027. If there are any shortfalls, the MHRA will find efficiency savings to appropriately manage them.

How many people are employed by (a) NHS England, (b) Health Education England, (c) NHS Digital, (d) NHS Improvement, (e) Health Research Authority, (f) Human Tissue Authority, (g) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (h) NHS Business Services Authority, (i) NHS Counter Fraud Authority, (j) NHS Blood and Transplant, (k) NHS Resolution, (l) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (m) UK Health Security Agency, (n) Care Quality Commission and (o) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the period for which the latest data is available.

Several of the bodies mentioned in the question no longer exist. Health Education England, NHS Digital, and NHS Improvement have all been merged into NHS England in recent years. With regards the remaining bodies, the latest published figures on headcount and full time equivalent employees can be found on GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dhsc-workforce-management-information#2025

Whether the decrease in the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget applies to (a) NHS England, (b) Health Education England, (c) NHS Digital, (d) NHS Improvement, (e) Health Research Authority, (f) Human Tissue Authority, (g) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (h) NHS Business Services Authority, (i) NHS Counter Fraud Authority, (j) NHS Blood and Transplant, (k) NHS Resolution, (l) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (m) UK Health Security Agency, (n) Care Quality Commission and (o) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The increase in employer National Insurance contributions (ENICs) and decrease in the lower earnings limit applies to all the employers listed. The Government will publish the ENICs allocations to reimburse public sector employers alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 at Mains estimates. This will be published as a supplementary table, with a brief description of the methodology used to accompany it.

Whether the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget applies to (a) NHS England, (b) Health Education England, (c) NHS Digital, (d) NHS Improvement, (e) Health Research Authority, (f) Human Tissue Authority, (g) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (h) NHS Business Services Authority, (i) NHS Counter Fraud Authority, (j) NHS Blood and Transplant, (k) NHS Resolution, (l) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (m) UK Health Security Agency, (n) Care Quality Commission and (o) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The increase in employer National Insurance contributions (ENICs) and decrease in the lower earnings limit applies to all the employers listed. The Government will publish the ENICs allocations to reimburse public sector employers alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 at Mains estimates. This will be published as a supplementary table, with a brief description of the methodology used to accompany it.

How many volunteers are registered with NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service.

Since relaunching the programme in September 2022, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSVCR) programme has 48,078 registered volunteers who have completed their identification check, in order to be able to carry out tasks.The NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is already available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned later this year.The NHSVCR programme is just one part of an ecosystem of volunteering that supports people’s health and care needs, and there are many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support. Most patients were referred into the programme by a health professional for short-term support through the NHSVCR programme. Referrers have been informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles.The Government will continue to work with colleagues in NHS England during the closure of the programme to mitigate risks to national health volunteer resilience. The NHSVCR programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response, and was then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers. Whilst the NHSVCR programme is ending, volunteers are being redirected to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering and to support their local communities in similar ways.

With reference to the Urgent Question on the NHS Volunteer and Care service on 19 May 2025, when he plans to launch the new volunteer portal.

Since relaunching the programme in September 2022, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSVCR) programme has 48,078 registered volunteers who have completed their identification check, in order to be able to carry out tasks.The NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is already available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned later this year.The NHSVCR programme is just one part of an ecosystem of volunteering that supports people’s health and care needs, and there are many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support. Most patients were referred into the programme by a health professional for short-term support through the NHSVCR programme. Referrers have been informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles.The Government will continue to work with colleagues in NHS England during the closure of the programme to mitigate risks to national health volunteer resilience. The NHSVCR programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response, and was then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers. Whilst the NHSVCR programme is ending, volunteers are being redirected to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering and to support their local communities in similar ways.

How many patients received support from the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each quarter since January 2023.

NHS England does not hold this information. Over its lifetime, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme has supported over 219,000 people.

How many patients received support from the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each month since May 2023.

NHS England does not hold this information. Over its lifetime, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme has supported over 219,000 people.

How many (a) tasks and (b) shifts were provided by the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each month since May 2023.

The Royal Voluntary Service provides reports on activity to NHS England. These reports do not separate out tasks and shifts. The following table provides a breakdown of activities, which could be tasks or shifts, in each month from May 2023 to February 2025, and in total for 2023/24 and 2024/25:2023/242024/25May 20237218April 20249833June 20235109May 20249328July 20233848June 20245566August 20237458July 20245864September 202310550August 20246548October 202314180September 20246796November 202310070October 202411533December 202310,534November 20247453January 20249749December 20248757February 20249246January 202511155March 20249063February 2025107362023/24 Total97025March 202512728 2024/25 Total106297 In addition, the following table provides a breakdown of the total activities, which could be tasks or shifts, in each quarter since May 2023, based on data provided by Royal Voluntary Service in reports to NHS England:QuarterTotalMay to June 202312327July to September 202321856October to December 202334784January to March 202428058April to June 202424727July to September 202419208October to December 202427743January to March 202534619 NHS England does not hold information on the number of tasks and shifts booked from 1 June 2025 onwards, as the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme will have been cancelled.

How many (a) tasks and (b) shifts were provided by the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each quarter since May 2023.

The Royal Voluntary Service provides reports on activity to NHS England. These reports do not separate out tasks and shifts. The following table provides a breakdown of activities, which could be tasks or shifts, in each month from May 2023 to February 2025, and in total for 2023/24 and 2024/25:2023/242024/25May 20237218April 20249833June 20235109May 20249328July 20233848June 20245566August 20237458July 20245864September 202310550August 20246548October 202314180September 20246796November 202310070October 202411533December 202310,534November 20247453January 20249749December 20248757February 20249246January 202511155March 20249063February 2025107362023/24 Total97025March 202512728 2024/25 Total106297 In addition, the following table provides a breakdown of the total activities, which could be tasks or shifts, in each quarter since May 2023, based on data provided by Royal Voluntary Service in reports to NHS England:QuarterTotalMay to June 202312327July to September 202321856October to December 202334784January to March 202428058April to June 202424727July to September 202419208October to December 202427743January to March 202534619 NHS England does not hold information on the number of tasks and shifts booked from 1 June 2025 onwards, as the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme will have been cancelled.

How many (a) tasks and (b) shifts booked from 1 June 2025 onwards with the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service have been cancelled.

The Royal Voluntary Service provides reports on activity to NHS England. These reports do not separate out tasks and shifts. The following table provides a breakdown of activities, which could be tasks or shifts, in each month from May 2023 to February 2025, and in total for 2023/24 and 2024/25:2023/242024/25May 20237218April 20249833June 20235109May 20249328July 20233848June 20245566August 20237458July 20245864September 202310550August 20246548October 202314180September 20246796November 202310070October 202411533December 202310,534November 20247453January 20249749December 20248757February 20249246January 202511155March 20249063February 2025107362023/24 Total97025March 202512728 2024/25 Total106297 In addition, the following table provides a breakdown of the total activities, which could be tasks or shifts, in each quarter since May 2023, based on data provided by Royal Voluntary Service in reports to NHS England:QuarterTotalMay to June 202312327July to September 202321856October to December 202334784January to March 202428058April to June 202424727July to September 202419208October to December 202427743January to March 202534619 NHS England does not hold information on the number of tasks and shifts booked from 1 June 2025 onwards, as the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme will have been cancelled.

Whether his Department has produced an impact assessment on the closure of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service.

Since relaunching the programme in September 2022, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSVCR) programme has 48,078 registered volunteers who have completed their identification check, in order to be able to carry out tasks.The NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is already available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned later this year.The NHSVCR programme is just one part of an ecosystem of volunteering that supports people’s health and care needs, and there are many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support. Most patients were referred into the programme by a health professional for short-term support through the NHSVCR programme. Referrers have been informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles.The Government will continue to work with colleagues in NHS England during the closure of the programme to mitigate risks to national health volunteer resilience. The NHSVCR programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response, and was then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers. Whilst the NHSVCR programme is ending, volunteers are being redirected to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering and to support their local communities in similar ways.

What steps he plans to take to ensure that patients receive adequate support following the closure of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service.

Since relaunching the programme in September 2022, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSVCR) programme has 48,078 registered volunteers who have completed their identification check, in order to be able to carry out tasks.The NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is already available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned later this year.The NHSVCR programme is just one part of an ecosystem of volunteering that supports people’s health and care needs, and there are many local voluntary sector organisations that provide other forms of support. Most patients were referred into the programme by a health professional for short-term support through the NHSVCR programme. Referrers have been informed of the change in service provided so that they can source alternative support for their patients if needed. In addition, there are over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles.The Government will continue to work with colleagues in NHS England during the closure of the programme to mitigate risks to national health volunteer resilience. The NHSVCR programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response, and was then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers. Whilst the NHSVCR programme is ending, volunteers are being redirected to other NHS and voluntary sector organisations to continue their volunteering and to support their local communities in similar ways.

What the cost to the public purse was of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each (a) month, (b) quarter and (c) year since January 2023.

The National NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response and then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers, and NHS England has recently taken the decision to close the programme.The following table shows the cost to the public purse of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme, for 2023/24 and 2024/25:Financial yearTotal2023/24£6,360,5982024/25£4,330,652Note: NHS England is awaiting final invoices for 2024/25 so this figure may change, although the total cost for 2024/25 is expected to be no more than £4,330,652, excluding VAT.The monthly and quarterly breakdown of costs varies based on invoicing schedules rather than by use of the programme, and therefore only annual figures have been provided. The average cost per task for 2024/25 was £40.74, based on the estimated programme cost of £4,330,652 in 2024/25 and delivery of 106,297 completed tasks, as per figures provided by the Royal Voluntary Service.Providing a volunteer-based programme will always incur costs as there is a need to provide a supportive infrastructure including recruitment and management of volunteers, appropriate safeguarding support, the digital infrastructure and overall management of the scheme, as well as practical support for volunteers such as payment of expenses. However, the current cost per task is not considered value for money.