Written questions by Johnson.

Pursuant to the written statement on 26 February 2026 titled Data Linkage Study, what is his expected timeframe for research and ethics approval.

Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the data linkage study to begin, including the laying of an updated statutory instrument, or Order, to provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data for the specific purpose of the study, that are potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. In parallel, refreshed research approvals are currently being sought from the Health Research Authority (HRA). The HRA provides independent scrutiny and approval of research studies, with the outcome of the data linkage study’s application expected in the next few weeks. Both the new order and HRA study approvals will need to be in place before the study, including data sharing, can begin.

On what date he plans to bring into force the provisions of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 5 March 2026. The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 (Commencement) Regulations 2026 were made on 5 March 2026, which brought into force all provisions of the Act on 6 March 2026.

Pursuant to the written statement on 26 February 2026 titled Data Linkage Study, whether he plans to complete the data linkage study before the Pathways puberty blockers trial commences.

The data linkage study is an important commitment within a wider national gender research programme, which is being jointly delivered by NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.The data linkage study is observational in nature, linking and analysing existing, routinely collected healthcare data for adults who, as children, were referred into the former Gender Identity Development Service, previously operated by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. It is important to highlight that as the study is not designed as a comparative clinical trial, it will not provide direct evidence on the cause or effect of any individual treatment approach, nor provide evidence relating to any treatment’s safety or efficacy. Its findings will relate to a former, decommissioned model of NHS care and to a previous cohort of children and young people with gender incongruence.The PATHWAYS suite of studies, including the currently paused clinical trial, and the data linkage study, have very different designs and will generate different types of new evidence. They remain separate elements of the wider national gender research programme, and their delivery timelines are not co-dependent.

Pursuant to the written statement on 26 February 2026 titled Data Linkage Study, whether he expects the data linkage study to be completed before the abolition of NHS England.

The Department currently expects the data linkage study analysis to have been completed, or be close to completion, by April 2027, dependent on the timing of research approvals being secured. However, should any remaining actions be required to complete, and publish the findings of, the study at the point NHS England is abolished, these will transfer as legacy delivery commitments for completion by the Department.

Pursuant to the written statement on 26 February 2026 titled Data Linkage Study, what the small but important improvements in study design are to which he refers in his statement.

Small but important proposed improvements include refining the data sharing requirement of adult gender clinics, so that data is only requested that directly relates to the study cohort. Careful consideration has also been given to how best to run the study-specific data opt out so that it is simpler and more accessible to individuals in the study cohort, and can remain open longer. This will provide the parallel benefit of reducing the administrative burden on individual gender clinics.

How many deaths there have been of (a) women, (b) babies and (c) stillbirths where the termination of pregnancy through pills-by-post has been considered a contributory factor.

The information requested is not routinely collected centrally.The Department collects information on abortions in England and Wales via the HSA4 abortion notification form. The HSA4 form includes a section for recording the death of a woman within 14 days of an abortion, where this is known to abortion providers. This is not routinely published because the 14-day time frame limits the data’s usefulness for counting the total number of deaths amongst women following abortion. Also, it does not record whether the method of abortion, including home use of early medical abortion pills, was a contributory factor in a death.Since 2020, zero deaths of women following an abortion have been reported to the department via the HSA4 form, rounded to the nearest five. Following the 2023 abortion statistics publication, all data is rounded to the nearest five. As a result of this change, counts of zero can mean no or a small number of procedures in the given field.Information on the deaths of women, babies following a live birth, and stillbirths are recorded by the Office for National Statistics using data derived from information collected in death registrations. However, it is unusual for wider contextual factors such whether the deceased had taken early medical abortion pills at home to be recorded on the death certificate.

With reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2026 on Clinical trials, HCWS1347, in which the letter from MHRA refers to correspondence from 7 November 2025, if he will publish that correspondence.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is not releasing the 7 November letter at this point as the decision is the subject of litigation, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency does not comment on ongoing litigation proceedings.

Whether he has reviewed the findings of the independent analysis commissioned by Prostate Cancer Research on the economic model used by the UK National Screening Committee.

The independent analysis commissioned by Prostate Cancer Research was submitted to the UK National Screening Committee’s public consultation on its draft recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. This consultation has now closed, and the committee is considering the responses.We anticipate a final recommendation on screening for prostate cancer soon. Following this, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, and what next steps are needed.

Whether he plans to conduct a full Equality Impact Assessment as part of the decision making process on prostate cancer screening recommendations.

Yes, a full equality impact assessment will be undertaken as part of the decision-making process on prostate cancer screening recommendations.On 28 November, the UK National Screening Committee opened a 12-week public consultation on a draft recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. This consultation has now closed, and the committee is considering the responses.We anticipate a final recommendation soon. Following this, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, and what next steps are needed. Any policy developed from the recommendation will be supported by an equality impact assessment to ensure that health inequality that could be caused by the policy will be mitigated against.

With reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2026 on Clinical Trials, what information his Department holds on when the letter from MHRA to King's College London was (a) sent and (b) received; and on what date his Department became aware of (i) the letter and (ii) the concerns raised in the letter.

Given that there are live legal proceedings, we are unable to comment on the details of the PATHWAYS trial.

With reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2026 on Clinical trials, whether (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials had discussions with MHRA on the Pathways clinical trial prior to February 2026.

Given that there are live legal proceedings, we are unable to comment on the details of the PATHWAYS trial.

Whether any children were recruited for any arm of the Pathways clinical trials prior to it being paused.

As announced on 20 February 2026, the PATHWAYS clinical trial has been paused, following new queries raised by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. No participants have been recruited to the trial and while it is paused recruitment will not start; therefore no children or young people will receive puberty suppression during this period.As the intensive element of PATHWAYS HORIZON is designed to provide a matched control group for the trial, and as PATHWAYS CONNECT is designed to compare children and young people receiving puberty suppression with a group in the intensive element of PATHWAYS HORIZON, it is not possible for these aspects to progress without the TRIAL element. The other PATHWAYS study projects are not affected by this pause.

Whether (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials had discussions with (i) NHS England, (ii) University of York and (iii) other researchers on the Data Linkage study in (A) November 2025, (B) December 2025 and (C) January 2026.

The data linkage study remains an important commitment and forms part of a wider national research programme underpinning the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service care in place in England for children and young people with gender incongruence/dysphoria. No discussions were had with the University of York in November 2025, December 2025 and January 2026 about the data linkage study. The Department has, however, continued to regularly engage with and support NHS England, which has taken on responsibility for study delivery. Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the study to begin. On 26 February, an updated order was laid in both Houses of Parliament to facilitate delivery of the data linkage study. The order will provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, for the purpose of the study. The order is expected to come in to force on 20 March 2026. Final Health Research Authority study approval will also need to be in place before the study can begin.

Whether all arms of the Pathways clinical trials have been paused.

The PATHWAYS TRIAL focuses on the effects of puberty suppressing hormones on young people’s physical, social, and emotional well-being specifically when offered alongside the new model of National Health Service gender care based on comprehensive assessment and tailored psychosocial support. Therefore, the PATHWAYS study includes three non-interventional research projects:PATHWAYS Voices involves speaking to young people, parents and staff about their experiences of living with gender incongruence and their care in NHS Gender Services;PATHWAYS Horizon tracks the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of all young people attending United Kingdom NHS Gender Services who want to take part in the Horizon study, along with their parents; andPATHWAYS Connect studies whether puberty suppressing hormones affect young people's thinking and brain development through cognitive tests and brain scans. It would include some young people in the PATHWAYS trial and also some of the young people from the Horizon study.As announced on 20 February, the PATHWAYS clinical trial has been paused, following new queries raised by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. While it is paused, recruitment of children and young people into the trial will not start, and therefore no children or young people will receive puberty suppression. As the intensive element of PATHWAYS Horizon is designed to provide a matched control group for the trial, and as PATHWAYS Connect is designed to compare children and young people receiving puberty suppression with a group in the intensive element of PATHWAYS Horizon, it is not possible for these aspects to progress without the trial element. The other PATHWAYS study projects are not affected by this pause.

How many full time equivalent civil servants are working on his Department's response to the Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.

Civil servants often contribute to a range of policy areas within the Department, therefore it is not possible to provide specific staff numbers for those that are exclusively working on the Department’s response to the Hughes Report.

What number of UK citizens have obtained a primary medical degree outside the UK by country in each of the last five years.

The Department does not hold the data requested. Data is available that shows the scale of doctors employed in National Health Service trusts in England who qualified outside the United Kingdom and who declare a UK nationality. The data is not available by year of graduation, but an indication of annual numbers is possible by using the year of first General Medical Council (GMC) registration.Within NHS trusts in England, an average of 473 UK nationals who qualified outside the UK had registered with the GMC annually in the latest five years of available data, from 2019 to 2023. This will not count doctors who do not work in NHS trusts in England, and may include international medical graduates who gained UK citizenship after graduation or UK employment. The table attached presents the total number of doctors employed in NHS trusts in England who qualified outside the UK and who declare a UK nationality, and the ten largest countries of qualification for the years 2019 to 2023.

How many and what proportion of (a) home students and (b) non-home students who graduated from the UK with a primary medical degree from 2010 to 2020 remain working in the NHS.

The Department does not hold the data requested. The Department does though hold data from internal analysis that may give wider context to the question tabled and this is included below.This analysis shows that of United Kingdom medical school students graduating in approximately 2012 to 2020, 93% of UK domiciled and 78% of non-UK domiciled students had entered the Foundation Programme year 2, as of 2024. Approximately 73% of UK and 55% of non-UK domiciled students had entered core/specialty training by 2024, though this number may rise further with time due to the level of competition to enter specialty medical training.The following table shows the entrants to UK medical school from 2007 to 2015, tracked to registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) and entry to initial stages of NHS training, by domicile at entry to medical school: HeadcountPercentage of initial medical school cohortDomicile at entry to medical school:UKNon-UKUKNon-UKCohort stage Entrants to UK medical schools60,8907,980100%100%of which seen on the GMC register57,1457,22594%91%of which entered Foundation year 156,6006,18593%78%of which entered Foundation year 255,8905,72592%72%of which entered level 1 of core/specialty training44,6354,41073%55%Source: the Department of Health and Social Care’s analysis of UK Medical Education Database, Higher Education Statistics Agency, and General Medical Council data, may not match other sources.Notes:data is currently only available to March 2024;the total entrants to the UK medical schools will include both those on UK Government funded places but also self-funded students at UK medical schools;analysis only tracks doctors into NHS training, some graduates may be in UK medical employment outside the NHS such as research/academia/industry;the numbers in specialty training may rise with time due to the competition in recruitment;data is not held by year of graduation, however students starting medical schools in 2007 to 2015 will correspond approximately to graduates between 2012 to 2020, therefore this is a reasonable proxy for the requested graduate cohorts; andthe data represents the vast majority of UK medical students, although it may not match other sources of medical school entrant data as it includes only the four most common medical school courses.The table above shows the entrants to UK medical schools between 2007 and 2015 by their domicile status at entry to medical school and the proportion who are then seen on the GMC register of doctors, those who have entered year one of foundation medical training, those who have entered year two of foundation medical training, and those who have entered the first level of core/specialty medical training. This analysis tracks medical students’ progress though NHS medical training up to 2024.

How many staff responsible for UK Foundation programme allocation process are (a) NHS employees, (b) civil servants and (c) people involved in direct clinical care.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) facilitates the operation and continuing development of the Foundation Programme. It is jointly funded and governed by NHS England and the four United Kingdom health departments.All of the UKFPO’s administrative team are employees of the National Health Service, none are civil servants. Many of the team have wider experience of working in hospital settings directly with foundation doctors, or of working in foundation and medical education settings.The UKFPO's National Clinical Director is a clinician, and the role of the Clinical Advisor for Recruitment is shared by two foundation school directors who are also both clinicians. The team is also directly responsible to medical directors in the four nation statutory education bodies (SEBs).The UKFPO has a Foundation Recruitment Group which oversees its recruitment and allocation activity and processes. This group includes stakeholders like the Medical Schools Council, the British Medical Association, and medical school representatives, as well as the four nation SEBs.

How many and what proportion of UK primary medical degree graduates were (a) British and (b) non-British by country in each of the last five years.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold information on the nationality of United Kingdom primary medical degree student graduates. The Office for Students publishes statistics on the fee statuses of annual intakes to medical courses across the UK, but not of those graduating. The fee statuses can act as a guide for UK versus non-UK nationality. The following table shows the fee statuses for intakes to UK medical schools during the academic years 2021/22 to 2025/26:Academic year Home feesOther feesWithdrawn during year2021/22Intake9,535965155Intake percentage89%9%1%2022/23Intake8,815885140Intake percentage90%9%1%2023/24Intake9,0301,09080Intake percentage89%11%1%2024/25Intake9,370980130Intake percentage89%9%1%2025/26*Intake9,8051,480N/AIntake percentage87%13%N/ASource: Medical and Dental Intakes, Office for Students, available at the following link: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/finance-and-funding/medicine-and-dentistry-funding/data-on-medical-and-dental-intakes/ Note: data for 2025/26 is the initial intake data, hence there is no data on withdrawals during the year, as with prior data.Rules on the eligibility for home fees status are complex, but generally individuals must be resident and ‘settled’ in the UK on ‘the first day of the academic year’ for which they are paying fees to be eligible for home student status. With some exceptions, students must also have been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of their course and for the three years before that date.

How many additional medical places are funded in start in 2026 compared with 2025.

In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school places on an annual basis. For the 2025/26 academic year, the OfS has published the maximum fundable limit at 8,126 for medical school places, with further information available at the following link:https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/finance-and-funding/medicine-and-dentistry-funding/medical-and-dental-maximum-fundable-limits/OfS will publish the limit for the 2026/27 academic year in due course.There are currently approximately 9,500 specialty training places. We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.The Government is committed to training the staff we need, including doctors, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.