Written questions by Cooper.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2024 to Question 404 on Watford Hospital: Construction, whether he plans to visit West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust before 4 July 2025.

Ministers regularly consider visits across the country to see the impact of their policy areas. Any plans to visit specific locations will be notified to the relevant Members of Parliament in advance.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of the UK becoming a signatory to the World Health Organisation's resolution entitled Reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases through the promotion of kidney health and strengthening prevention and control of kidney disease.

The United Kingdom actively engaged in negotiations on the World Health Organization (WHO) resolution, Reducing the Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) through the Promotion of Kidney Health and Strengthening Prevention and Control of Kidney Disease, in advance of the 156th WHO Executive Board in February 2025. The Executive Board recommended adoption of all resolutions considered to the World Health Assembly, including this one, subject to ongoing budget discussions. If adopted, the resolution will apply to the UK as a Member State of the WHO. We remain committed to tackling NCDs, including kidney disease, domestically and internationally.

Whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of (a) NHS Capital and (b) District Valuer Services rules in meeting demand for new primary care facilities.

The Government is committed to fixing the front door of the National Health Service, and this includes working with providers to deliver the primary care infrastructure required to enable a Neighbourhood Health Service.Capital spending is set to increase by £1.8 billion to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, representing a real terms increase of 12.8%. Excluding COVID-19 years, this settlement represents the highest Departmental capital budget in real terms since 2010. The Department is currently reviewing capital requirements in line with the Government’s missions and as part of our preparations for future budget allocations.Properties occupied by general practitioners are required to be professionally valued by the District Valuer. This is to ensure that agreed rent levels are in line with market conditions. It is important that these rent levels represent value for money because they will be reimbursed by the local integrated care board under the Premises Costs Directions 2024.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to prophylactics for immunocompromised people for whom vaccines are not effective.

Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care, working with their patient to decide on the best course of treatment with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the patient always being the primary consideration. Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.The UK Health Security Agency provides guidance on alternative treatments that are recommended to be available to those that cannot be vaccinated and information regarding prophylactics that should be used for immunosuppressed individuals who are exposed to infections. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also issued guidance for the National Health Service on the clinical and cost effectiveness of some medicines used for prophylaxis.Decisions on whether licensed medicines, including those for prophylaxis, should be recommended for routine NHS funding are made independently by NICE, based on the evidence of costs and benefits.

Whether funding has been allocated for the enabling works for Watford General Hospital.

As announced following the review of the New Hospital Programme, Watford General Hospital will be delivered in Wave 2. Enabling works, including the Outline Business Case for the Watford General Hospital scheme, will be taken forward by West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust from 2028/29, or sooner if possible.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 December 2024 to Question 20389 on NHS: Workplace Pensions, how many full time equivalent staff NHSBSA have allocated to administer the remedy implementation for those retirees who will be asked to make a choice about whether to revert to legacy benefits.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has allocated 112 working-time equivalent staff to administer the public service pensions remedy (‘McCloud’) immediate choice for retired members of the NHS Pension Scheme. This number is flexible and, as the work progresses, the NHSBSA will increase staff numbers to enable remedy implementation to proceed as quickly as possible.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 January to Question 25639 on Surrogacy, whether he plans to respond to the Law Commission’s report on surrogacy in this Parliament.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be writing to the chairs of the Law Commissions of England and Wales and Scotland shortly, to follow up their meeting on 5 November.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 25911 on Fractures: Health Services, if he will set targets for making fracture liaison services available for all NHS trusts.

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%. They can play a vital role in improving quality of life and increasing the number of years that can be lived in good health.We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030. Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to ensure that people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 27888 on Brain: Tumours, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Care Research provides feedback to each application for brain tumour research which does not secure funding.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR funding opportunities relevant to brain tumours are advertised, highlighting scope and remit, with guidance documents to assist applicants in shaping their applications. All unsuccessful applications receive extensive committee feedback and, where a study may be fundable with changes, applicants may be invited to resubmit at either the outline or full stage. In areas of strategic importance, including commissioned calls relevant to brain tumours, the NIHR will support with direct engagement with the study team to ensure the feedback is well understood and adequate support is in place, including that provided by the NIHR Research Support Service.Brain tumours remain one of the hardest to treat cancers in both adults and children. More research is urgently needed to inform efforts. This is why in September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. The Department is committed to increasing our support for high quality brain tumour research, ensuring that funding is used in the most meaningful and impactful way. Further information on the new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-funding-opportunities-novel-brain-tumour-research-launched

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19779 on Health Professions: Regulation, what his timetable is for announcing his priorities in relation to the applicability of the five year rule by professional regulators on fitness to practise in cases which involve allegations of historic sexual abuse.

The Government has been considering its priorities for professional regulation and will be setting these out shortly.

How many funding applications the National Institute of Health and Care Research received for brain tumour research on (a) diagnosis and screening and (b) drugs and treatment therapies in each of the last ten years; and how many of those applications secured funding.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.5 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24. Cancer is a major area of NIHR spend, reflecting its high priority.Over the ten financial years from 2013/14 to 2023/24, the NIHR received 179 applications for brain tumour research in total. Of these:54 were for research on diagnosis and screening, five of which were funded;80 were for research on drugs and treatment, 11 of which were funded and one of which is still under consideration;12 were for a combination of both categories of research, six of which were funded; and32 were for other categories of research, five of which were funded. The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including brain cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation. Further information on these new research funding opportunities is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-funding-opportunities-novel-brain-tumour-research-launched

Whether he has made an assessment of the (a) adequacy of access to and (b) reliability of the supply of Sustanon in the UK.

The Government is not aware of any current supply issues regarding the provision of Sustanon. Decisions about which medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers are accountable for their prescribing decisions.It is for the responsible clinician to work with their patient and decide on the best course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the patient always being the primary consideration. Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of the appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.

How much funding his Department has allocated for the public consultation on a new NHS 10-year-plan.

The public and staff must be at the centre of developing the Plan to make the National Health Service fit for the future, so it makes a positive impact on their day-to-day lives. That is why we are running a series of in-depth deliberative events and have launched an open platform to hear from members of the public and those who work in health and care. The events are being delivered within the Department's budget as part of its responsibility to promote the health and wellbeing of everyone in England. We are determined to do this in a way that gives everyone the chance to get involved while also ensuring value for money. At this point in time, we are not able to provide accurate costs for the whole engagement exercise, because it is still ongoing.

Whether his Department’s cancer strategy will include (a) a prostate cancer screening programme and (b) alternative measures to improve prostate cancer diagnosis for people at higher risk.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those living with prostate cancer. The Plan will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world. Updates will be provided in due course.The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend screening for prostate cancer, because the current best test is inaccurate, offering insufficient benefits in relation to harms caused by misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis, such as invasive investigative procedures and unnecessary treatment. The UK NSC is now undertaking an evidence review into prostate cancer screening which is due to be completed this year.The Department is also investing £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK led Transform screening trial, which seeks to find better ways to detect prostate cancer. This trial will compare the most promising tests that look for prostate cancer in men that do not have symptoms and aims to address disparities in detection rates across different groups.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2024 to Question 403 on Health Professions: Regulation, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expediting the removal of the five-year rule in relation to regulators being able to consider fitness to practise concerns where these involve allegations of historic sexual abuse.

The Government has been considering its priorities for professional regulation and will be setting these out shortly.

Whether he plans to issue statutory guidance on the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence products.

There are no plans to issue statutory guidance on the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence, as there is already existing guidance to which the National Health Service must have regard.NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, and health and social care staff, and which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/excellence-in-continence-care/NHS England will consider next steps on Excellence in Continence Care through its National Bladder and Bowel Health Project, which aims to improve continence care across the whole public health and care system.In addition, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the management of faecal incontinence in adults, which healthcare professionals and commissioners are expected to take fully into account when delivering services for people with bowel incontinence.

If he will take steps to ensure the weekly personal expense allowance for those living in care homes is increased by the rate of inflation each financial year.

The social care allowance rates, which include the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA), are reviewed each year. The PEA rates have been uprated in line with inflation every year since 2022, and the rates for the 2025/26 financial year will be published in early 2025.

What steps his Department plans to take to support NHS services in West Hertfordshire, in the context of his Department's review of the New Hospital Programme.

The Government recognises that delivering high quality healthcare services in the National Health Service requires the right facilities and support systems in the right places. We understand that investment in capital projects, whether through allocations prioritised locally or through national programmes, is important in achieving this, but such investment must be strategic and offer value for money.West Hertfordshire is served by the Watford General Hospital which is in scope of the review into the New Hospital Programme. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will set out further details of the outcome of the review in due course, alongside a new delivery schedule for the Programme.Managing the local capital budget for its area, reconfiguring services including to address estates issues, and allocating funds according to local priorities, such as investment to support healthcare services, are matters for the local NHS organisations. The Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board received almost £65 million in operational capital funding in 2023/24 to support NHS services across the region, including West Hertfordshire.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 October 2024 to Question 6540 on Kidney Diseases: Transplant Surgery, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of providing psychological and social care support to all kidney transplant recipients in each of the next five years.

A financial assessment for all aspects of renal replacement therapy provision, including transplantation, will be completed as part of the work NHS England is currently undertaking to update the specialised renal service specifications, again including transplantation. This will include reviewing and updating, where appropriate, the requirements for psychological support services, in line with the recommendations of the Renal Services Transformation Programme toolkit. No specific assessment has been made of the cost of providing social care support to all kidney transplant recipients.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the number of health visitors available to support babies with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children. The child health workforce, including health visitors, is central to how we support all families to give their child the best start in life. Their contact with parents, carers, and children of all ages provides vital advice and support and helps ensure that health and development needs are identified early, including those children with special educational needs and disabilities.We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure people, their carers, and their families are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will want to assure ourselves, and the National Health Service, that the current workforce plan will deliver the reform needed. We will need to do this in light of the 10-Year Health Plan.