Written questions by Webb.

What proportion of the NHS budget was spent on primary care dentistry net of patient charge revenue in each year since 2010-11.

Prior to 2023/24, there was no specific dental budget allocation and dentistry formed part of a wider budget including community pharmacy and optometry. NHS England accounts show the total spend on General Dental Service (GDS) and Personal Dental Service (PDS) contracts, and the income from patient charges. Some community care is delivered through PDS contracts but in general this figure is a proxy for primary dental spend.The following table shows GDS and PDS spending, less patient charge revenue, in each year since 2014/15 for which accounts have been published, as a proportion of the total National Health Service budget: Financial YearGDS and PDS spending as percentage of total NHS budget2014/152.39%2015/162.47%2016/171.95%2017/181.89%2018/191.76%2019/201.78%2020/211.83%2021/221.61%2022/231.41%2023/241.36%Source: NHS England Note: The timeseries of the NHS budget is not comparable prior to 2014/15 so earlier years have not been provided.

What data his Department holds on the number of (a) hospital admissions and (b) reported illnesses associated with exposure to (i) Vibrio, (ii) Campylobacter and (iii) Pseudomonas aeruginosa in UK bathing waters in each of the last five years.

Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the number of admissions with a primary diagnosis related to vibrio, campylobacter, and pseudomonas, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:Primary diagnosis2023/242022/232021/222020/212019/20Cholera due to Vibrio cholerae 01, biovar cholerae11---Campylobacter enteritis5,5204,3414,6853,7193,994Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas1,1451,009863586990Congenital pneumonia due to Pseudomonas21001Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity, available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity The above data does not record the underlying causation, including any illness associated with United Kingdom bathing waters.

What proportion of eligible families were in receipt of Healthy Start in Blackpool South constituency on 9 June 2025.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The table below shows the number of people on the digital scheme in the relevant local authorities as of 23 May 2025:Local authorityNumber of people on the digital schemeBlackpool1,434City of Bristol2,778County of Herefordshire736Southampton1,677Worthing348Brighton and Hove1,041East Suffolk1,129

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care services.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.Additionally, in February, I met with key palliative care and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

With reference to the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Infant formula and follow-on formula market study, published on 14 February 2025, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure infant formula manufacturers provide (a) clear, (b) accurate and (c) impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling.

Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study report on infant formula and follow-on formula which included recommendations related to clear, accurate and impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling and on prohibiting intangible and/or non-verifiable messages on infant and follow on formula labels. We will carefully consider its findings and recommendations and respond in due course.

With reference to the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Infant formula and follow-on formula market study, published on 14 February 2025, what steps his Department is taking to (a) restrict the use of non-verifiable messages and (b) ensure that only specified and prescribed information or categories of information are permitted on the labelling for (i) infant formula and (ii) follow-on formula.

Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study report on infant formula and follow-on formula which included recommendations related to clear, accurate and impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling and on prohibiting intangible and/or non-verifiable messages on infant and follow on formula labels. We will carefully consider its findings and recommendations and respond in due course.

What steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities for people living in coastal communities.

The healthy life expectancy for men in Blackpool is just 51.7 years - the lowest in England and up to 18 years lower than some areas.These statistics are shocking. We are taking action across Government to address the environmental and socio-economic determinants of health, and aiming to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.We know that targeted action to tackle health inequalities will facilitate economic opportunities, and support an NHS fit for the future.

Whether the Government plans to review the impact of alcohol on mental health..

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in September 2023, identifies substance misuse, including alcohol, as a key common risk factor for action, and we will explore opportunities to go further. The negative impact that alcohol can have on mental health is also acknowledged and highlighted on the NHS England website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/the-risks-of-drinking-too-much/