Every parliamentary written question tabled by Emma Lewell this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 20 · Department of Health and Social Care
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of revising the eligibility criteria for NHS Healthy Start cards.
The Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority on ways to encourage those eligible to apply for the Healthy Start Scheme to apply.The Department keeps the eligibility criteria for the Healthy Start Scheme under continuous review. There are no current plans to change the eligibility for the scheme.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme replacement.
Our deepest sympathies are with those who have experienced harm following vaccination, as well as their families.The Government recognises that concerns have been raised in relation to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), including during Module 4 of the COVID-19 inquiry. Following the publication of the COVID-19 Inquiry’s Module 4 report on vaccines and therapeutics on 16 April 2026, the Government will carefully consider its recommendations, including on the reform of the VDPS, and will respond formally in due course.
When the NHS Business Services Authority will begin writing proactively to eligible families about their NHS Healthy Start entitlement, encouraging them to apply and offering them support with the application process.
The Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority on ways to encourage those eligible to apply for the Healthy Start Scheme to apply.The Department keeps the eligibility criteria for the Healthy Start Scheme under continuous review. There are no current plans to change the eligibility for the scheme.
What the uptake figures were for the Healthy Start scheme in the latest period for which data is available.
We do not hold data on the proportion of families eligible to participate in the Healthy Start Scheme. As of 26 March 2026, there were 354,989 people on the digital scheme across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.The data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household.The data includes the number of people on the digital scheme, formerly entitled beneficiaries, who have been accepted onto the scheme through an online application and issued a prepaid card at a specific point in time. This includes the number of children under the age of four years old and the number of pregnancies over ten weeks.
How many and what proportion of families are eligible to participate in the Healthy Start scheme.
We do not hold data on the proportion of families eligible to participate in the Healthy Start Scheme. As of 26 March 2026, there were 354,989 people on the digital scheme across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.The data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household.The data includes the number of people on the digital scheme, formerly entitled beneficiaries, who have been accepted onto the scheme through an online application and issued a prepaid card at a specific point in time. This includes the number of children under the age of four years old and the number of pregnancies over ten weeks.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a respiratory Modern Service Framework, in the context of (a) NHS winter pressures and (b) health outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illnesses such as flu.
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
What estimate his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in South Shields constituency compared with national averages; what steps he is taking to ensure that respiratory health is prioritised; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs for South Shields and England where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)South Shields1030890England608,449423,588Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for South Tyneside can be found at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E08000023/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1
What the uptake figures were for the Healthy Start scheme in the latest period for which data is available.
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 and the latest uptake figures, where data is available, are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/This data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household. In September 2025, Healthy Start supported over 356,000 people.The latest uptake figures, where data is available, are from March 2022. These figures represent the uptake across both the paper based and digital scheme. The paper based scheme closed at the end of March 2022.Due to an issue that was identified with the source data that is used to calculate the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme, the uptake percentage is not currently being published. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHSBSA to resolve this issue. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.
How many and what proportion of families are eligible to participate in the Healthy Start scheme.
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 and the latest uptake figures, where data is available, are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/This data is based on individual people and is not the same as the number of families or households as there could be multiple beneficiaries living within one household. In September 2025, Healthy Start supported over 356,000 people.The latest uptake figures, where data is available, are from March 2022. These figures represent the uptake across both the paper based and digital scheme. The paper based scheme closed at the end of March 2022.Due to an issue that was identified with the source data that is used to calculate the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme, the uptake percentage is not currently being published. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHSBSA to resolve this issue. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.
What proportion of eligible families are receiving Healthy Start in South Shields constituency.
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. An issue was identified with the source data that is used to calculate uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The NHSBSA has therefore removed data for the number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage from January 2023 onwards. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible. The number of people on the digital scheme for South Tyneside in March 2025 was 1,162. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme for all ward areas in South Tyneside, of which South Shields is a part:Local authorityWardPeople on digital schemeSouth TynesideBeacon and Bents44South TynesideBede93South TynesideBiddick and All Saints160South TynesideBoldon Colliery65South TynesideCleadon and East Boldon2South TynesideCleadon Park50South TynesideFellgate and Hedworth54South TynesideHarton59South TynesideHebburn North79South TynesideHebburn South65South TynesideHorsley Hill82South TynesideMonkton42South TynesidePrimrose71South TynesideSimonside and Rekendyke121South TynesideWest Park49South TynesideWestoe26South TynesideWhitburn and Marsden24South TynesideWhiteleas76
How many families receive Healthy Start in South Shields.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures on 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. The number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme for South Tyneside in March 2025 was 1,162. The following table shows the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme, broken down by all ward areas in South Tyneside, of which South Shields is a part, as the NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies:Local authorityWardPeople on the digital schemeSouth TynesideBeacon and Bents44South TynesideBede93South TynesideBiddick and All Saints160South TynesideBoldon Colliery65South TynesideCleadon and East Boldon2South TynesideCleadon Park50South TynesideFellgate and Hedworth54South TynesideHarton59South TynesideHebburn North79South TynesideHebburn South65South TynesideHorsley Hill82South TynesideMonkton42South TynesidePrimrose71South TynesideSimonside and Rekendyke121South TynesideWest Park49South TynesideWestoe26South TynesideWhitburn and Marsden24South TynesideWhiteleas76
Whether Tumour-infiltrating Lymphocytes therapy has been licenced in the UK.
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not licenced any medicines that can be described as tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapy.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26821 on Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, whether the taskforce plans to engage with (a) families with lived experience of childhood cancer, (b) children’s cancer charities and (c) other representative groups.
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.
When he expects the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce to report.
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.
What the terms of reference will be for the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce.
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.
What progress the Children and Young People's Cancer Taskforce has made.
The Department will be relaunching the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce in the coming weeks. Dame Caroline Dinenage and Professor Darren Hargrave have been appointed as its co-chairs, alongside Dr Sharna Shanmugavadivel as vice-chair.The taskforce will examine clinical and non-clinical ways to improve outcomes and patient experience for children and young people with cancer. This will feed into the Department’s wider work on the national cancer plan.
How many and what proportion of applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (a) are pending, (b) have been paid and (c) have been refused.
Between 1 November 2021 and 17 January 2025, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme has received 19,115 claims. Of these, 7,159, or 37% of claims, are awaiting resolution, 208, or 1% of claims, have been awarded, and 11,748, or 61% of claims, have not been awarded a payment.
What the average time period is for issuing payments via the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.
Between November 2021 and January 2025, the average time period for issuing payments following confirmation of a successful claim was 46 calendar days. A payment can only be made once bank details and identification verification has been received from the claimant. Once received, the NHS Business Services Authority operates a 10-working day service level agreement for the payment to be processed.
If she will make it her policy to (a) review and (b) update the National Radiological Protection Board report published on 4 January 1988.
The National Radiological Protection Board report that was published in 1988 has been updated a further three times. The publications are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-weapons-test-participants-study/reference-papers-and-reportsA summary of the fourth analysis published in 2022 is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-weapons-test-participants-study/plan-for-the-fourth-analysis-of-the-nuclear-weapons-test-participants-study
If his Department will take steps to automatically enrol eligible families in the NHS Healthy Start programme.
The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four.Healthy Start now supports over 353,000 beneficiaries. This figure is higher than the previous paper voucher scheme.The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. All applicants to the Healthy Start scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, NHS BSA is not able to automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card. However, the Healthy Start scheme is kept under review we are exploring all viable routes to improve uptake.