Written questions by Johnson.

When he plans to respond to Question 84380 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 January 2026 to Question 84380.

When he plans to respond to the Question 84255 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2026 to Question 84255.

With reference to information provided below Figure 11 in the UK Health Security Agency's official statistics entitled HIV testing, PrEP, new HIV diagnoses and care outcomes for people accessing HIV services: 2025 report, published on 7 October 2025, if he will publish the underlying data on the years in which newly diagnosed HIV patients first arrived in England.

The number of people newly diagnosed in England in 2025 who were born abroad, by year of arrival, is published in figure 12 of the recently published HIV testing, PrEP, new HIV diagnoses and care outcomes for people accessing HIV services: 2025 report, available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hiv-annual-data-tables/hiv-testing-prep-new-hiv-diagnoses-and-care-outcomes-for-people-accessing-hiv-services-2025-reportAmong the 1,669 people born abroad and newly diagnosed with HIV in England in 2024:346 arrived in 2024;434 arrived in 2023;163 arrived in 2022;535 arrived before 2022; and191 did not have year of arrival reported.

What proportion of people receiving NHS HIV care in England were born overseas.

The UK Health Security Agency publishes data on the number of people who were newly diagnosed in England in 2025, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hiv-annual-data-tables/hiv-testing-prep-new-hiv-diagnoses-and-care-outcomes-for-people-accessing-hiv-services-2025-reportInformation is not collected on residency status or nationality, and access to HIV testing, care, and treatment is free at the point of contact regardless of residency status. This is crucial to prevent mortality, morbidity, and onward HIV transmission. People who are treated for HIV and attain a suppressed viral load cannot pass on HIV to sexual partners.

What estimate he has made of the average cost of testing an adult for HIV.

Adult HIV testing is commissioned in a range of different circumstances and by different providers, therefore the cost varies depending on these factors. No estimate has been made of the average cost of testing an adult for HIV across all settings.

What estimate he has made of the average annual cost of treating a person with HIV.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and care remain world class in England and the success of HIV treatment is today enabling people with HIV to live long healthy lives. Effective HIV treatment also means those with an undetectable viral load cannot pass on HIV.The cost of adult HIV care varies depending at what stage someone is diagnosed, and on their general health and other relevant health conditions. No official estimate has been made of the average cost of treating an adult for HIV for this reason.

How many people released from custody in error remain at large since 4 July 2024.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government.While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur – including through improved staff training and establishing a new specialist unit. A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again.Annual totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK and provide data up to March 2025.

If he will make it his policy to develop a modern services framework for (a) arthritis and (b) musculorskeletal disease.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks to accelerate progress in conditions where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, mental health, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions with significant health and economic impacts for future waves of modern service frameworks.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of sexually transmitted infections on the future fertility of people.

Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea are a recognised cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, which can in some cases lead to tubal factor infertility.Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed STI. It often has no symptoms but, if left untreated, can have serious health complications in women, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and tubal factor infertility. It has been estimated that 0.5% of untreated chlamydia infections can lead to tubal factor infertility.The National Chlamydia Screening Programme is a public health programme aimed at reducing the reproductive harm caused by untreated chlamydia infections. The programme involves making opportunistic offers of a chlamydia test to young women aged 15 to 24 years old without symptoms, with the primary aim of reducing the health harm caused by untreated chlamydia infection.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of home testing by post for sexually transmitted infections.

Local authorities in England are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual health services, including sexually transmitted infection (STI) services, through the Public Health Grant, which was funded at £3.884 billion in 2025/26. It is for individual local authorities to decide their spending priorities, based on an assessment of local need, and to commission the blend of services that best suits their population, including decisions about online, face to face, or postal testing services.The UK Health Security Agency published the STI prioritisation framework in 2024, which enables local systems to identify the best suite of interventions for their local populations.

What assessment he has made of the trends in the levels of (a) gonorrhea, (b) chlamydia, and (c) syphillis in people.

Official statistics published by the UK Health Security Agency highlight trends in sexually transmitted infection diagnoses in England. Information is available from the GUMCAD STI Surveillance System and the CTAD Chlamydia Surveillance System at the following links respectively:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/gumcad-sti-surveillance-systemhttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/ctad-chlamydia-surveillance-system

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of 28 October 2025 on World Stroke Day, what the maximum (a) travelling time and (b) distance a thrombectomy service will be from a person's home.

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should gain rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.

For what reason the Government has delayed publication of the cancer plan.

The National Cancer Plan is due to be published in the new year. The decision to publish the plan in the new year was taken in consultation with key stakeholders and patient groups. We have received more than 11,000 responses to our Call for Evidence and have had significant ongoing engagement with patients, clinicians, and charities. It is right to take time to ensure it is ambitious, strategic, and sustainable, setting the direction for the next 10 years. This is essential in achieving the Prime Minister's Health Mission goal to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer and to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future.

What forecast he has made of the cost to the public purse of the planned strike of resident doctors from 14 to 19 November 2025.

The five-day resident doctor strike in July 2025 had an estimated cost to the National Health Service of approximately £240 million, and this is a starting estimate for the planned November strike. The costs were lower than in July 2024 as a result of lower turnout. We continue to update estimates as new data becomes available, in line with receiving business as usual financial data from NHS systems. The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to minimise the disruption and will work with partners to ensure safe care for patients continues to be available, and emergency services continue to operate.

What estimate he has made of the number of (a) operations and (b) appointments that will be cancelled if resident doctors strike from 14 to 19 November 2025.

No formal assessment has been made of any industrial action by resident doctors from 14 to 19 November 2025.

With reference to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's report entitled Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme for adults aged 80 years and older: JCVI advice, published on 16 July 2025, whether the NHS is offering the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to (a) all adults aged 80 years old and over and (b) all residents of adult care homes.

In advice published on 16 July 2025, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that the routine respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme be extended to also include adults aged 80 years and older, and all residents in a care home for older adults.During a debate on Accident and Emergency Waiting Times on 22 July 2025, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, confirmed to the Hon. Member that we had already accepted the JCVI advice to extend the routine RSV programme and reassured you that the Department was working at pace on implementation. He did not confirm plans or timings to implement the advice.At Oral Answers to Questions – Health and Social Care, on 21 October 2025, my Rt. Hon. Friend told the Hon. Member that we had delivered on the commitment to extend the routine RSV programme to adults aged 80 years and older, and all residents in a care home for older adults. His response referred to the acceptance of the JCVI advice and ongoing work to implement that advice. The RSV programme could not be expanded ahead of this winter. However, we have updated the eligibility of the catch-up programme for 7579-year-olds so anyone who turned 80 on or after 1 September 2024 but has not yet come forward for vaccination can continue to do so. Initially, those who turned 80 in the first year of the programme only remained eligible until 31 August 2025, but that has now been extended.The Department is in discussions with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency on potential implementation. The Department is exploring delivery options and their impact, including on other vaccination programmes, to ensure any changes deliver the best value for money. We will make a final decision about whether and how to implement the JCVI’s advice, including the timing of any expansion to the older adult RSV programme, when this work has concluded.

How many and what proportion of children with education, health and care plans were born abroad.

The requested information is not held by the department.

How many and what proportion of children receiving education in state funded special schools were born abroad.

The requested information is not held by the department.

When he expects to receive a formal recommendation from the UK national screening committee on newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy.

A recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) on newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is expected following the conclusion of an in-service evaluation (ISE), which is needed to answer several outstanding questions related to the implementation of a screening programme for SMA.The UK NSC recommended an ISE of newborn blood spot screening for SMA in National Health Services in 2023. Since then, the SMA Newborn Screening ISE Partnership Board was set up to plan and develop work to shape the ISE. The National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Health Technology Assessment Programme is running a tender process to appoint researchers for this work.

When he plans to publish the national cancer plan.

The National Cancer Plan will be published in the new year. We have received over 11,000 responses to our Call for Evidence and have had significant ongoing engagement with patients, clinicians, and charities.The plan will include further details on how we will improve the experience and outcomes for patients with cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.