Written questions by Johnson.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

What estimate he has made of average cost per activity under the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service, in the context of value-for-money references during the Urgent Question on the NHS Volunteer and Care service on 19 May 2025.

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.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2025 to Question 45772 on Passports: Sex, whether the sex marker confirms the (a) biological and (b) legal sex of the passport holder.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 31 March to question 41234.

How many (a) internal policy reviews, (b) independent reviews, (c) external reviews, (d) taskforces, (e) public consultations, (f) investigations and (g) other reviews his Department launched between 5 July 2024 and 14 May 2025; what the titles were of those reviews; and how many of those reviews have been (i) completed and (ii) published.

Following the election, the Government outlined its ambitions through the Plan for Change, which sets out an ambitious set of milestones, across the missions, for this Parliament.As the House of Commons would expect, the Government continually reviews its work to ensure that it is delivering the best outcomes for the people of the United Kingdom, and that its policies continue to represent the best value for the taxpayer.Public reviews will be available on the GOV.UK website as they are published.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 45761 on Women, when the updated Statutory Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations will be published.

Timeframes for publication of the updated Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations is a matter for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once it has been submitted. Further information is available in the EHRC’s update, published on 14 May online at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/news/update-arrangements-code-practice-consultation.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of hectares of (a) agricultural land, (b) Grade 1 agricultural land, (c) Grade 2 agricultural land, (d) Grade 3a agricultural land, (e) Grade 3b agricultural land, (f) Grade 4 agricultural land, (g) Grade 5 agricultural land, (h) brownfield land in (i) the UK, (ii) Great Britain, (iii) England and (iv) England broken down by (A) region and (B) county.

An estimate will be made when an updated Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map is published later this year. Land classification is a devolved matter, and each nation within the UK takes a different approach. In England and Wales, the ALC system is used to assess agricultural land quality. The Government remains committed to maintaining accurate land classification data to support planning and policy decisions. The new strategic-scale ALC map will replace the 1960s provisional map in England, ensuring alignment with current ALC guidelines and including the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 45763 on Women, when he expects his review of delivering same-sex accommodation guidance to be completed.

The National Health Service is reviewing its Delivering same-sex accommodation guidance, and will ensure that it reflects the Supreme Court’s ruling and is aligned with the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s statutory guidance, when this becomes available.

How many prisoners have a gender recognition certificate.

The number of prisoners known to have a Gender Recognition Certificate is published in the annual HM Prison & Probation Service Offender Equalities Report.In 2023/24, there were 10 prisoners known to have a Gender Recognition Certificate. The full report can be viewed here: HMPPS Offender Equalities Report 2023/24 - GOV.UK.

How many cases of salmonella infections have been reported in Birmingham in each of the last six months.

The information is not held in the format requested. Weekly reports with figures for food poisoning by region are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notifiable-diseases-weekly-reports-for-2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 44517 on Domestic Waste: Birmingham, when he expects the risk assessment on the potential public health impacts of uncollected waste in Birmingham to be published.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton on 25 April 2025 to Question 45661.

What recent meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with relevant stakeholders to discuss the potential risks to public health posed by uncollected rubbish in Birmingham.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and ministers from the Department have had no recent meetings on the potential risks to public health posed by uncollected rubbish in Birmingham.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is part of a multi-agency response Strategic Coordinating Group, led by Birmingham City Council, and has contributed to their risk assessment. The UKHSA will continue to provide advice and support to Birmingham City Council.

How many children are detained on remand awaiting trial (a) in total and (b) by (i) age and (ii) duration of time since placed in custody.

The latest information on the number of young people held on remand is provided at Table 3.3 at the following link: Youth_Custody_Population_Report_-_Feb_-_25.ods.It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to disaggregate these data to show how many of the young people were awaiting trial.

What meetings he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) relevant stakeholders on measles.

Following a resurgence of measles in late 2023 and 2024, there has been a decline in the number of cases from mid-July 2024, but small, localised outbreaks of measles are still affecting some regions of the United Kingdom. These ongoing outbreaks are largely due to a gradual decline in the uptake of childhood vaccines over the last decade, including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which offers protection against measles.As part of ongoing efforts to reduce outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, and improve uptake across childhood immunisation programmes, the Department is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England. The UKHSA and NHS England are supporting the National Health Service and local authorities to take steps to promote uptake by providing diverse delivery methods, to make getting vaccinated easier. This includes increasing outreach efforts to under-served groups and raising awareness of the dangers of vaccine preventable diseases, such as measles. Paid for marketing campaigns to support uptake of childhood immunisations, including MMR, have been run over the past year, with evaluation showing positive results.In addition to this, the Department regularly meets with the UKHSA, national and regional NHS colleagues, and devolved administrations, to discuss efforts to reduce measles case numbers. The Department also stays well informed on measles trends, with the UKHSA continuing to closely monitor cases across the UK.

Whether (a) passports and (b) other documents issued by her Department can be used to prove someone's sex.

A birth certificate issued by the General Register Office records sex at birth. A British passport issued by HM Passport Office includes a M or F sex marker, denoting the sex of the holder.