Written questions by Cooper.

What assessment he has made of the implications of abolishing NHS England on the delivery of public health programmes described in the NHS Public Health Functions Agreements.

Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre. As we work to bring the two organisations together, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, including the delivery of public health functions currently delegated to NHS England. The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. We will empower staff to focus on delivering for the public and patients.

Whether he has had recent discussions with (a) professional bodies and (b) the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors on the existing and future skills and capacity requirements of the neuroscience workforce in England.

The Department has regular discussions with stakeholders, including professional bodies and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sectors, on ensuring that the necessary skills and capacity are held across the health and care workforce.

What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the NHS England Neuroscience Transformation Programme.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning most services for people with long term conditions, including neurological services. NHS England’s Neuroscience Transformation Programme is continuing to support ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model. In addition to setting out an integrated model of care, the toolkit will include components on the following areas: delivering acute neurology services; improving health equity in neurology; improving community neurology services; improving access to specialist therapies for multiple sclerosis; streamlining headache services; and living well with a neurological condition.The programme has developed an online, interactive adult neurology dashboard to support integrated care systems to understand their local neurology landscape and benchmark against other ICBs in England. It sets out key metrics and visualisations for neurology services locally.The programme is working with several pathfinder systems across the country to implement this guidance on the ground, which will provide examples of good practice and a model for how to develop neurology transformation projects that can be shared nationally.The programme has supported the development of a national community of practice for neurology transformation, which includes a monthly webinar programme and resources on the Future NHS platform. The Programme also supported a national Neurology Transformation Meeting, co-produced by NHS England, the Neurology Academy and the Neurological Alliance, which took place in January 2025.The National Programme of Care for Trauma has revised the Neurosciences Specialised Neurology (Adults) Service Specification, which will set out clear deliverables for specialised centres; provide a clearer model of care incorporating up-to-date guidance and best practice; and set out new quality outcomes focusing on improving patient outcomes and experience.

What progress his Department has made on plans for the UK Neuro Forum.

The new United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum will facilitate formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, and the devolved administrations, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four nations of the UK.The forum met for the first time on 10 March, bringing together key stakeholders to share learning across the system, discuss important neurology service transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions that will add both to the existing programmes of work and to wider health plans. The forum will be an advisory rather than a decision-making body.The next meeting due to take place in early autumn 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 April to Question 42318 on NHS: Buildings, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adopting intelligent booking systems to maximise the utilisation of the NHS property estate.

No decision has been made to publish further data on the occupancy and utilisation rates of all clinical rooms in the National Health Service estate in addition to the Estates Returns Information Collection data showing which organisation space is allocated to.There are no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of adopting intelligent booking systems to maximise the utilisation of the NHS property estate. NHS trusts and integrated care boards decide locally how best to manage their estate; we expect them to do this using technology in the efficient management of the estate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 42316 on NHS: Buildings, if he will take steps to publish further data on the (a) occupancy and (b) utilisation rates of all clinical rooms in the NHS estate in addition to the Estates Returns Information Collection data showing which organisation space is allocated to.

No decision has been made to publish further data on the occupancy and utilisation rates of all clinical rooms in the National Health Service estate in addition to the Estates Returns Information Collection data showing which organisation space is allocated to.There are no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of adopting intelligent booking systems to maximise the utilisation of the NHS property estate. NHS trusts and integrated care boards decide locally how best to manage their estate; we expect them to do this using technology in the efficient management of the estate.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the neuroscience workforce.

Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of the National Health Service’s neuroscience workforce, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions in England, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme.This summer, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28599 on Doctors: Training, if he will conduct a review of the selection process for medical specialty training places with a view to giving priority to UK medical graduates, in the context of that being the case in Canada, the US and Australia.

Working with NHS England, we continue to keep the selection process for all applicants to medical speciality training under review.NHS England launched an extensive engagement and listening exercise to help shape the future of postgraduate medical training in February 2025. This engagement exercise will run through to June, with findings evaluated and reported in the summer.

What funding his Department provides to support services for the children of alcoholics.

Our mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes supporting the children of parents with alcohol problems and other adverse childhood experiences.Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve services and wider recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Further details are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-and-recovery-funding-2025-to-2026/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-and-recovery-funding-allocations-2025-to-2026All local authorities can invest some of their allocation on interventions that strengthen the support available to children and families affected by alcohol and/or drugs, according to local need.The Government also has an alcohol and drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce alcohol and drug use and its harms by providing awareness to young people, parents, and concerned others. Further information on Talk to FRANK is available at the following link:https://www.talktofrank.com/

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of air pollution on children’s health.

Children can be susceptible to the health effects from long and short-term exposure to air pollution. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants published advice on susceptibility to air pollution in March 2025. They concluded that, based on the latest evidence, advice for children with asthma should continue to be included in the Daily Air Quality Index. The full review is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-given-to-the-air-quality-information-system-aqis-review-steering-groupIn addition, the UK Health Security Agency has a Cleaner Air Programme which aims to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution, particularly in the most vulnerable groups, including children. The programme is organised around three core outcomes, namely increasing the evidence base, influencing and supporting stakeholders, and improving awareness and understanding. Further information is available at the following link:https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2022/06/16/clean-air-day-how-ukhsa-is-tackling-air-pollution-and-how-you-can-help/

What the (a) occupancy and (b) utilisation rates of clinical rooms in the NHS estate was in the latest period for which data is available.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of adopting intelligent booking systems to maximise the utilisation of the National Health Service’s property estate. NHS trusts decide locally how best to manage their estate.Data for the occupancy and utilisation rates of clinical rooms in the NHS estate for the latest period, from 2023 to 2024, published in December 2024, is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2023-24No estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of unused and underused clinical buildings and rooms.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of adopting intelligent booking systems to maximise the utilisation of the NHS property estate.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of adopting intelligent booking systems to maximise the utilisation of the National Health Service’s property estate. NHS trusts decide locally how best to manage their estate.Data for the occupancy and utilisation rates of clinical rooms in the NHS estate for the latest period, from 2023 to 2024, published in December 2024, is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2023-24No estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of unused and underused clinical buildings and rooms.

Whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the NHS of (a) unused and (b) underused clinical (i) buildings and (ii) rooms.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of adopting intelligent booking systems to maximise the utilisation of the National Health Service’s property estate. NHS trusts decide locally how best to manage their estate.Data for the occupancy and utilisation rates of clinical rooms in the NHS estate for the latest period, from 2023 to 2024, published in December 2024, is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2023-24No estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of unused and underused clinical buildings and rooms.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of guidance issued by District Valuer Services on the availability of city centre GP premises.

GP premises costs are reimbursed by the NHS. Any increase in charges by the landlord impacts the cost of providing primary care in that locality. The District Valuer Service offers independent advice on appropriate level of market rent, considering the building’s nature, age and condition.ICBs can make supplementary payments on top of the District Valuer Service’s assessment of new schemes, if appropriate and affordable.

Whether he has made any recent assessment of the security of the supply chain of titanium salicylate.

The Department works in partnership with industry, the National Health Service, and the wider health system to assess any potential issues across the medical supply chain. The Department was notified of the discontinuation of metanium nappy rash ointment, which contains titanium salicylate, from September 2024. The supplier has also communicated the discontinuation of this product to healthcare professionals and wholesalers.

Whether he has received notification from the NHS Business Services Authority that they will not be able to meet the 31 March 2025 deadline to provide eligible retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme with remediable service statements.

The answer I gave on 31 December 2024 to the Hon. Member for Lewes to Question 20389 set out that the Department does not expect that the majority of affected retired members will receive their remediable service statement until after April 2025. It also confirmed that the NHS Business Services Authority will communicate revised delivery timelines for remediable service statements once these are confirmed.The Department has robust governance arrangements in place to oversee the NHS Business Services Authority’s implementation of the remedy for affected NHS Pension Scheme members. The NHS Business Services Authority regularly reports on remediable service statement delivery plans and progress as part of these arrangements.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing NHS Pension Scheme members in receipt of pension benefits to choose to revert to legacy scheme benefits if they can evidence financial difficulty.

The NHS Pension Scheme is delivered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). NHSBSA is prioritising the issuance of remediable service statements to cohorts of NHS Pension Scheme members affected by the public service pensions remedy (‘McCloud’) who are most likely to receive higher pension benefits following their benefit choice. A fast-track process to enable members who meet certain criteria to apply to receive a remediable service statement sooner has been in place since late 2023.

By what process the NHS Business Services Authority identifies retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are in the greatest financial difficulty for the purposes of inviting them to make an immediate choice on whether to revert to legacy scheme benefits sooner.

The NHS Business Services Authority has identified NHS Pension Scheme members whose records indicate that they are more likely to have been affected by age discrimination during the McCloud remedy period. Factors considered in making this assessment include members’ transitional protection status and whether they have only claimed 1995 Scheme benefits. These members will be offered their choice as a priority. Other affected groups are being prioritised according to complexity and the likely risk of detriment. Revised delivery timelines will be communicated with affected members at the earliest date possible.

On what basis the NHS Business Services Authority decided that expected eligibility to make a choice to revert to legacy scheme benefits under the McCloud remedy should not be considered a disclosure event as defined by The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013.

All members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are affected by the McCloud remedy were contacted by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in January 2024 to inform them that they are eligible to make a benefit choice. Further information to enable this choice to be made will be provided to NHS Pension Scheme members by the NHSBSA at the earliest opportunity.

Whether retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme who are eligible to make a choice to revert to legacy benefits can present evidence to the NHS Business Services Authority of financial difficulty for the purposes of making a choice to revert to legacy scheme benefits sooner.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is prioritising the provision of remediable service statements to those cohorts of NHS Pension Scheme members affected by the public service pensions remedy, the McCloud remedy, who are most likely to receive higher pension benefits following their benefit choice.Affected members do not need to present evidence either to receive a breakdown of information about their choice or to apply to receive a remediable service statement. A fast-track process is in place to which members meeting certain criteria can apply to receive a remediable service statement sooner.