Written questions by Nichols.

When he plans to publish a consultation on access to naloxone.

Naloxone is a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, including highly potent synthetic opioids which are growing in prevalence in the United Kingdom. It is more important than ever to increase access to naloxone products, which will save lives.In 2024, the Department amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. The legislation enabled more services and professionals to supply this medication, making it easier to access for people at risk, and for their loved ones.Since then, the Government has launched a ten-week UK-wide public consultation on further legislative options to expand access to take-home and emergency use naloxone.This a central part of the government’s comprehensive approach to drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery, supported by £3.4 billion of funding delivered through the Public Health Grant over the next three years.The Department has also published guidance, Supplying take home naloxone without a prescription, that sets out essential practical information such as who can supply naloxone, the products available, how to use naloxone and other basic lifesaving tools, and the training required. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supplying-take-home-naloxone-without-a-prescription

What measures the Government is taking to ensure that employers are supporting women managing menopause in the workplace.

We know that support in the workplace during the menopause can be crucial. That is why we will require large employers to detail the steps they are taking to support their staff during the menopause as part of an action plan. These will be introduced on a voluntary basis from April 2026, before becoming mandatory in spring 2027. Furthermore, we will publish guidance for small and medium employers on the measures they should consider to enable women to better manage their symptoms, including: uniform and temperature; flexible working; and, recording menopause-related leave and absence.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure employers are taking a proactive and preventative approach to protecting their employees from workplace sexual harassment.

On 26 October 2024, the Worker Protection (Amendment to the Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 came into force. This inserted a new section 40A into the Equality Act 2010 which requires employers to anticipate the risk of sexual harassment occurring and take steps to prevent it. The Equality and Human Rights Commission published updated guidance to support employers with the changes. We are also further strengthening protections against harassment by introducing three amendments to the Equality Act 2010 through the Employment Rights Bill. These will:require employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees;introduce an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties; andintroduce a power to enable regulations to specify steps that are to be regarded as “reasonable”, to determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. Employers will be provided with clear guidance in advance of the new legislation coming into force. This will ensure that they are fully supported in complying with the changes.

What steps he is taking to ensure that public contracts are not awarded to companies that blacklist workers.

This Government is committed to ensuring public procurement supports British jobs and industry. Under the exclusion regime in the Procurement Act 2023, contracting authorities may exclude suppliers for blacklisting offences. The exclusion regime came into force in February this year and can be applied, for example, on the grounds of professional misconduct. Those suppliers may also be added to a central debarment list by the Cabinet Office. This Government will not hesitate to make use of the full range of powers it has where there is evidence of wrongdoing having taken place.

What steps the Government is taking to support women in the workplace with flexible working.

Flexible working can make work more inclusive for those facing barriers to staying in and getting on at work, including women navigating parenthood, caring responsibilities, health conditions, and other personal circumstances.We are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted.Where employers do reject a request, they will be required to explain the basis for their decision.We also intend to run a public consultation in early 2026 on a new process for employers planning to reject a request to prompt dialogue about what types of flexible working might be feasible.

What the rate for (a) approval of claims, (b) claims overturned at review and (c) payout has been for the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme since March 2022.

The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) provides a one-off, tax-free payment of £120,000 to claimants who have been found, in rare cases and on the balance of probabilities, to have been severely disabled by certain vaccines for a disease listed in the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979.As of 12 November 2025, data from NHS Business Service Authority (NHSBSA), the administrators of the VDPS, shows that since March 2022 there have been (a) 249 successful claims made through the scheme. Of these 249 successful claims, (b) 31 were as a result of the decision being overturned after review. The 249 successful claims amounted to a total of (c) £29,880,000 in payments.Information on COVID-19 claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is published on a quarterly basis by NHSBSA. Further information is available at the following link:https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19

What discussions he had with the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the implementation of that organisation's voluntary exit scheme before it was introduced; and whether he approved the implementation of the voluntary exit scheme.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. As part of this approach, the NDA has introduced voluntary exit schemes across its group to support organisational restructuring and create efficiencies. All NDA MAVE schemes received the appropriate Government approval.

What research his Department is undertaking into side affects of the AstraZenica covid vaccine; through what process his Department are recognising emerging side effects; and if he will make a statement.

Vaccines are only authorised once they have met robust standards of effectiveness, safety, and quality set by the independent medicines’ regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).The monitoring of vaccine safety does not stop once a vaccine has been approved. The MHRA continuously monitors safety data from a range of sources to ensure that the benefits continue to outweigh any risks. This includes reports of adverse events and rare side effects retrieved from the MHRA’s Yellow Card Database, interim and final study reports for clinical trials, post-authorisation safety studies, and data from scientific literature. A dedicated team of assessors reviews this information on a weekly basis to look for safety issues or unexpected, rare events.The Department also commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including for vaccine side effects.Since the start of the pandemic, the NIHR has allocated more than £110 million of funding for COVID-19 vaccine research, including consideration of issues around vaccine safety. As part of this, the Department commissioned a £1.6 million programme of work through the NIHR to understand the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of COVID-19 vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare condition of blood clotting with low platelets following vaccination for COVID-19. This research was published in July 2025 and is available in the NIHR Journals Library.

What the medical experience requirements are for caseworkers handling vaccine damage payment claims.

Caseworkers supporting the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) are administrative staff who are not involved in the assessment of claims. Their role is to provide claimants with a consistent point of contact, manage the administrative progress of claims, communicate updates, and ensure all necessary documentation is gathered. No medical experience is required for this supportive administrative function.All clinical assessments under the VDPS are conducted solely by medical assessors. Medical assessors are General Medical Council registered doctors who have licences to practise and at least five years' experience and must have undertaken specialised training in vaccine damage and disability assessment.

Whether his Department is undertaking research into (a) damage and (b) lasting effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Vaccines are only authorised once they have met robust standards of effectiveness, safety, and quality set by the independent medicines’ regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).The monitoring of vaccine safety does not stop once a vaccine has been approved. The MHRA continuously monitors safety data from a range of sources to ensure that the benefits continue to outweigh any risks. This includes reports of adverse events and rare side effects retrieved from the MHRA’s Yellow Card Database, interim and final study reports for clinical trials, post-authorisation safety studies, and data from scientific literature. A dedicated team of assessors reviews this information on a weekly basis to look for safety issues or unexpected, rare events.The Department also commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including for vaccine side effects.Since the start of the pandemic, the NIHR has allocated more than £110 million of funding for COVID-19 vaccine research, including consideration of issues around vaccine safety. As part of this, the Department commissioned a £1.6 million programme of work through the NIHR to understand the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of COVID-19 vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare condition of blood clotting with low platelets following vaccination for COVID-19. This research was published in July 2025 and is available in the NIHR Journals Library.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) approve and (b) fund specialist treatments for AstraZeneca vaccine damage.

In the very rare event where an individual may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, care and treatment will be managed by National Health Service local specialist services, augmented as appropriate by national specialist advice, with any treatment dependent on the individual’s clinical needs.The Government remains committed to research to improve the diagnosis and treatment in those rare cases where individuals may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.Since the start of the pandemic, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has allocated more than £110 million of funding for COVID-19 vaccine research, including consideration of issues around vaccine safety. As part of this, the Department commissioned a £1.6 million programme of work through the NIHR, to understand the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of COVID-19 vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare condition of blood clotting with low platelets following vaccination for COVID-19.

What steps he is taking to make (a) apheresis and (b) immunoabsorption treatments available for vaccine damage patients when doctors feel it would be beneficial.

In the very rare event where an individual may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, care and treatment will be managed by National Health Service local specialist services, augmented as appropriate by national specialist advice, with any treatment dependent on the individual’s clinical needs.The Government remains committed to research to improve the diagnosis and treatment in those rare cases where individuals may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.Since the start of the pandemic, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has allocated more than £110 million of funding for COVID-19 vaccine research, including consideration of issues around vaccine safety. As part of this, the Department commissioned a £1.6 million programme of work through the NIHR, to understand the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of COVID-19 vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare condition of blood clotting with low platelets following vaccination for COVID-19.

Whether his Department has carried out an assessment of the potential impact of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estate's voluntary exit scheme on the (a) delivery of objectives and (b) trends in the level of operating costs at the former Trawsfynydd nuclear power station.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) remains focused on delivering its statutory mission to keep former nuclear sites safe and secure while progressing decommissioning and managing waste. To achieve this efficiently, the NDA has introduced voluntary exit schemes as part of wider organisational restructuring and cost management measures. These schemes are designed to ensure resources are directed to front-line hazard reduction and decommissioning, while maintaining safe operations at all sites, including Trawsfynydd. The NDA continues to monitor delivery against objectives and operating costs as part of its normal governance processes, alongside its commitment to supporting people and communities through investment in skills and economic diversification.

What comparative assessment he has made of approval rates for covid-19 vaccine injury claims in (a) the UK and (b) other jurisdictions for which figures are available.

No specific assessment has been made. All claims made through the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme are assessed on a case-by-case basis by independent medical assessors. Medical assessors must be General Medical Council registered doctors with a licence to practise and at least five years’ experience and must have undertaken specialised training in vaccine damage and disability assessment.Medical assessors will consider the claim form, the clinical research, the epidemiological evidence, the current consensus of expert medical opinion, and the claimant’s full medical records. The assessment, once complete, will then undergo assurance review.

When the database of AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine side effects was last updated.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for monitoring all authorised medicines and vaccines in the United Kingdom, including the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, on an ongoing basis to ensure their benefits continue to outweigh any risks. This monitoring strategy is continuous, proactive, and based on a wide range of information sources, including reports of adverse events and rare side effects retrieved from the Yellow Card Database. A dedicated team of assessors reviews this information on a weekly basis to look for safety issues or unexpected, rare events.The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine no longer has an active market authorisation in the UK, since 2024. Consequently, no additional research activities have been undertaken beyond the ongoing monitoring of reported suspected adverse events through the Yellow Card Scheme. The most recent data extraction of spontaneous suspected adverse reactions reported via the Yellow Card Scheme was conducted on 20 September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/idaps/CHADOX1%20NCOV-19

How often the database of AstraZeneca covid vaccine side effects has been updated in each year since 2020.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for monitoring all authorised medicines and vaccines in the United Kingdom, including the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, on an ongoing basis to ensure their benefits continue to outweigh any risks. This monitoring strategy is continuous, proactive, and based on a wide range of information sources, including reports of adverse events and rare side effects retrieved from the Yellow Card Database. A dedicated team of assessors reviews this information on a weekly basis to look for safety issues or unexpected, rare events.The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine no longer has an active market authorisation in the UK, since 2024. Consequently, no additional research activities have been undertaken beyond the ongoing monitoring of reported suspected adverse events through the Yellow Card Scheme. The most recent data extraction of spontaneous suspected adverse reactions reported via the Yellow Card Scheme was conducted on 20 September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/idaps/CHADOX1%20NCOV-19

Whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estate's current voluntary exit scheme on the achievement of that organisation's mission.

The outcome of the recent Spending Review settlement reflects the government’s recognition of the NDA’s critical role in safeguarding the UK’s nuclear legacy. This funding will enable the NDA to continue to perform its core mission, ensuring safe and secure decommissioning while driving efficiencies and maximising the benefits of working as a group. The voluntary exit schemes are part of NDA’s commitment to delivering maximum value for public money while maintaining focus on its mission and supporting its people through change. The NDA is actively exploring opportunities to improve how it operates - this includes corporate restructuring, greater sharing of services, and enhanced efficiencies across enabling functions.

Whether his Department has made an economic assessment of the potential impact of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estate's current voluntary exit scheme on the regional economy in (a) Wales (b) the North West (c) Scotland and (d) the South West.

The NDA remains committed to supporting communities in each of these areas to build a resilient, inclusive future by investing in skills, wellbeing, infrastructure, and economic diversification that create lasting opportunities beyond decommissioning.The voluntary exit schemes are part of NDA’s commitment to delivering maximum value for public money while maintaining focus on its mission and supporting its people through change. The NDA is actively exploring opportunities to improve how it operates - this includes corporate restructuring, greater sharing of services, and enhanced efficiencies across enabling functions.The outcome of the recent SR Settlement reflects the government’s recognition of the NDA’s critical role in safeguarding the UK’s nuclear legacy. This funding ensures safe and secure decommissioning while driving efficiencies and maximising the benefits of working as a group.

What is the estimated cost to the public purse of the current voluntary exit scheme at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's estate.

The cost of the voluntary exit schemes across the NDA group will vary according to the level of exits mutually agreed between employers and members of staff.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the reclassification of ketamine as a class B drug on (a) the rate of its usage among (i) 16 to 59-year-olds and (ii) 16 to 24-year-olds, (b) the average street price of ketamine and (d) its illicit availability in each year since 2015.

My reply to my honourable friend's previous questions as to what assessment the Home Office had made of the potential impact of the reclassification of ketamine on these four matters confirmed that we had not carried out such an exercise and that the drivers of the availability, market price and prevalence of drugs are complex.As to any future assessments, in January 2025 my predecessor asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to provide an updated assessment on the harms of ketamine, and I would expect its report to provide an holistic assessment of that drug.