Written questions by Morello.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing compensation to people impacted by in utero exposure to Debendox.

Debendox was originally available as a triple combination of doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, a form of vitamin B6, and dicyclomine hydrochloride, an antispasmodic. The product was later reformulated to remove dicyclomine hydrochloride following a review which concluded that dicyclomine did not contribute to the effectiveness of the other two ingredients. In the early 1980s, the medicine was available as a dual combination product, as doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.Since July 2018, the dual combination of doxylamine succinate 10 milligram and pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 milligram has been authorised as Xonvea, a safe and effective treatment for nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management, like changes in diet or other non-medicine treatments. As described in the product information for Xonvea, a large amount of data on pregnant women, including two meta-analyses with over 168,000 patients and 18,000 exposures to the doxylamine/pyridoxine combination during first trimester, indicates no malformative nor feto/neonatal toxicity due to doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will keep this issue under review and will carefully evaluate any new evidence which becomes available linking use of Debendox or Xonvea with adverse outcomes in pregnancy.The Department has not made any recent assessments of the number of people exposed to Debendox and is not considering support or compensation.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of dementia care provision in (a) rural constituencies and (b) West Dorset constituency.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking into account National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.This Government is committed to improving dementia care and is empowering local leaders with the autonomy that they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia. That is why we have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help places and systems identify where improvements need to be targeted.Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

What steps her Department is taking to improve access to specialist dementia care services in West Dorset constituency.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking into account National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.This Government is committed to improving dementia care and is empowering local leaders with the autonomy that they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia. That is why we have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help places and systems identify where improvements need to be targeted.Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

Whether his Department has had discussions with the Dorset Integrated Care Board on the use of the electronic prescription service in all care settings.

No discussions have been held between the Department and the Dorset Integrated Care Board on the use of the electronic prescription service (EPS) in all care settings.NHS Dorset has been collaborating with providers of healthcare under the National Health Service’s service agreements to work with suppliers to enable EPS solutions in all environments, commencing in outpatient environments. Independent service provider contracts on renewal or in tender will prioritise EPS as a service requirement.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funding for (a) addiction services and (b) wider support for people who use addictive drugs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment. 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 local authorities to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Beyond drug and alcohol treatment services, this year the Government is providing an additional £70 million for local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England, building on existing funding made available via the Public Health Grant. On 30 December 2024, the Department confirmed final funding allocations for 2025/26 for each local authority, and published guidance to support local authorities to plan their local interventions, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-for-2025-to-2026/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-allocations-and-methodology-for-2025-to-2026This additional funding will ensure that there is a comprehensive offer across local authorities in England, while providing additional weighted funding to local authorities with the highest smoking rates. Decisions on funding for future years will be made once the Spending Review process has concluded.In April 2025, a new statutory levy on gambling operators, expected to raise approximately £100 million per year, was introduced to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. The levy will be distributed across the three workstreams, with 50% allocated to NHS England, alongside the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, to commission the development of effective treatment and support services at national and sub-national levels, and 30% allocated to the Department, Public Health Wales, and an appropriate body in Scotland to deliver prevention activity.

Whether his Department plans to increase funding for (a) addiction services and (b) wider support for people who use addictive drugs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment. 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 local authorities to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Beyond drug and alcohol treatment services, this year the Government is providing an additional £70 million for local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England, building on existing funding made available via the Public Health Grant. On 30 December 2024, the Department confirmed final funding allocations for 2025/26 for each local authority, and published guidance to support local authorities to plan their local interventions, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-for-2025-to-2026/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-allocations-and-methodology-for-2025-to-2026This additional funding will ensure that there is a comprehensive offer across local authorities in England, while providing additional weighted funding to local authorities with the highest smoking rates. Decisions on funding for future years will be made once the Spending Review process has concluded.In April 2025, a new statutory levy on gambling operators, expected to raise approximately £100 million per year, was introduced to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. The levy will be distributed across the three workstreams, with 50% allocated to NHS England, alongside the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, to commission the development of effective treatment and support services at national and sub-national levels, and 30% allocated to the Department, Public Health Wales, and an appropriate body in Scotland to deliver prevention activity.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of supervised drug consumption facilities on (a) crime and (b) health.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not discussed the potential impact of supervised drug consumption facilities on crime and health with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department.The Government will continue to promote preventative public health measures to support people to live longer and healthier lives, and we are committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug problem can access the help and support they need.

What steps his Department is taking to help (a) improve access and (b) reduce waiting times for children and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency.

The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in West Dorset. Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions, and getting waiting lists down.We have confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across child and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament, and 6,700 of these extra workers have been recruited since July 2024.We also want to intervene much earlier to support better outcomes for children and young people. That is why the 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work with schools and colleges to better identify and meet children's mental health needs by expanding mental health support teams in schools to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30 and by embedding mental health support in the new Young Futures hubs.Additionally, we are continuing to provide top-up funding of £7 million to 24 existing early support hubs, to expand their services and to take part in an ongoing evaluation of these services in 2025/26. This funding will enable the supported hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions, so that more children and young people are supported.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) access to, (b) waiting times for, (c) availability of specialist therapies in and (d) other provision of child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency.

The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in West Dorset. Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions, and getting waiting lists down.We have confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across child and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament, and 6,700 of these extra workers have been recruited since July 2024.We also want to intervene much earlier to support better outcomes for children and young people. That is why the 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work with schools and colleges to better identify and meet children's mental health needs by expanding mental health support teams in schools to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30 and by embedding mental health support in the new Young Futures hubs.Additionally, we are continuing to provide top-up funding of £7 million to 24 existing early support hubs, to expand their services and to take part in an ongoing evaluation of these services in 2025/26. This funding will enable the supported hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions, so that more children and young people are supported.

What information his Department holds on the average (a) annual total cost and (b) cost per appointment was for the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency in each of the last five years.

Information on the annual cost of children and young people’s mental health services is not available at a constituency level. The following table shows the annual funding spent on children and young people’s mental health services for the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board area: YearFunding2020/21£12,147,000,0002021/22£15,863,000,0002022/23£16,988,000,0002023/24£21,972,000,0002024/25£23,442,000,000Source: NHS England. Information on the cost per appointment is not held.

What information his Department holds on the (a) number of (i) children and young people who were in the care of and (ii) staff employed by and (b) average caseload per care coordinator in child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency on 18 June 2025.

NHS England has advised that 4,036 children and young people were on the caseload of child and adolescent mental health services in the West Dorset constituency on 18 June 2025. 179 staff were employed by child and adolescent mental health services in the constituency on that date. Information on the average caseload per care coordinator is not available.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure ongoing compliance with statutory safeguarding duties if designated safeguarding professionals are removed from Integrated Care Boards.

Ministers and the Department are working with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure that integrated care boards (ICBs) continue to fulfil their functions effectively within the running costs cap, and we expect ICBs to still deliver on their duties. NHS England has stressed that any cuts should be made without compromising statutory responsibilities, and protecting frontline staff from cuts remains a priority for the Government.No changes are taking place to statutory safeguarding responsibilities. The Model ICB Blueprint starts to map out the purpose and core functions of ICBs going forward, and the functions that may transfer over time.NHS England is actively engaging with safeguarding professionals across the system, including those in local government, ICBs, and provider organisations, to ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are not compromised. This engagement is being supported by the NHS Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework 2024 and the National Safeguarding Steering Group’s Integrated Care Board Safeguarding Protocols.For the areas which will be reviewed for transfer, there is recognition that further work and engagement is required. Responsibility for some of these functions may ultimately need comprehensive resolution through legislative change.

Whether his Department has produced an impact assessment into the potential impact of (a) removing and (b) reducing levels of safeguard functions provided by integrated care boards.

Ministers and the Department are working with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure that integrated care boards (ICBs) continue to fulfil their functions effectively within the running costs cap, and we expect ICBs to still deliver on their duties. NHS England has stressed that any cuts should be made without compromising statutory responsibilities, and protecting frontline staff from cuts remains a priority for the Government.No changes are taking place to statutory safeguarding responsibilities. The Model ICB Blueprint starts to map out the purpose and core functions of ICBs going forward, and the functions that may transfer over time.NHS England is actively engaging with safeguarding professionals across the system, including those in local government, ICBs, and provider organisations, to ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are not compromised. This engagement is being supported by the NHS Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework 2024 and the National Safeguarding Steering Group’s Integrated Care Board Safeguarding Protocols.For the areas which will be reviewed for transfer, there is recognition that further work and engagement is required. Responsibility for some of these functions may ultimately need comprehensive resolution through legislative change.

What discussions he has had with the (a) nursing and (b) safeguarding workforce on system-wide NHS reforms.

Ministers and Department officials regularly meet with staff side representatives to discuss the implications of policy changes, including system-wide reforms, for the workforce. The national Social Partnership Forum (SPF) is the primary forum for collective discussions with trade unions and employers on such matters, and meetings are chaired by a health minister. All recent SPF meetings have featured discussions on the system-wide National Health Service reforms.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to respite care services for unpaid carers in (a) West Dorset and (b) other rural areas.

The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers. Additionally, the Government’s Better Care Fund can also be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides assessments of how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers. Formal assessments commenced in December 2023 and as of June 2025, the CQC has published over 40 local authority assessments, which can be accessed via the CQC website at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of making caring a protected characteristic on carers in (a) rural communities and (b) West Dorset.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need.People with caring responsibilities are afforded protections under the Equality Act 2010 by provisions relating to age and disability discrimination.The act also protects people from direct discrimination “by association”, meaning that individuals with caring responsibilities for someone who is a child, elderly, or disabled has protection from unlawful discrimination due to their association with someone with a recognised protected characteristic.

What steps he is taking to establish a National Care Agency to (a) set minimum standards of care and (b) maintain a national register of care workers.

The Government is committed to a well-supported adult social care workforce who are recognised as the professionals they are. Enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care is vital to ensuring that the care provided is of good quality, fair, personalised, and accessible. Promoting opportunities to develop skills and knowledge is essential to raising the status of adult social care as a career. We have expanded the first ever national career structure for adult social care, the Care Workforce Pathway, adding new roles and clear career pathways. Backed by £12 million for training through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, this supports staff development and recognises the vital work care professionals do.The Government is committed to transforming adult social care to create a National Care Service and to improving the lives of people drawing on care, unpaid carers, and the social care workforce. We have also launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey, as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission's Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit and to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future.

Whether he plans to introduce a statutory entitlement to regular respite breaks for unpaid carers.

The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.The Better Care Fund includes funding that can be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers, who provide vital care and support.In addition, through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App.

Whether he plans to introduce a more generous means test for social care funding in line with the framework set out in the Care Act 2014.

The Government inherited a commitment to implement charging reforms, including a cap on care costs and an extended means test, in October 2025. Regrettably, funding for these reforms had not been guaranteed, preparations for full rollout were not on track, and thus it was impossible to deliver these reforms by October.The means test thresholds for support with adult social care costs continue to be reviewed annually.The Government remains committed to reforming the adult social care sector and we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including considering the affordability of care costs if she sees fit.

Whether he plans to implement the provisions of the Care Act 2014 on protecting individuals from unaffordable care costs.

The Government inherited a commitment to implement charging reforms, including a cap on care costs and an extended means test, in October 2025. Regrettably, funding for these reforms had not been guaranteed, preparations for full rollout were not on track, and thus it was impossible to deliver these reforms by October.The means test thresholds for support with adult social care costs continue to be reviewed annually.The Government remains committed to reforming the adult social care sector and we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including considering the affordability of care costs if she sees fit.