Written questions by Stainbank.

What discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on improving access to thrombectomy services.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions his Department has had with (a) the UK Health Security Agency and (b) devolved governments on preparedness for infectious disease cases linked to international travel.

Awaiting answer.

Whether Lords Amendment 22 to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill permits an enforcement body to invest in smoking cessation services in connection with their purposes.

Lords Amendment 22 allows a relevant enforcement authority in England to retain all proceeds from the £2,500 fixed penalty notices for licensing offences in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The bill provides that the proceeds must be used for the enforcement of tobacco and vape legislation, mirroring the approach to the use of proceeds from £200 fixed penalty notices in the bill. The bill does not allow proceeds from fixed penalty notices to be invested in smoking cessation services.From April 2026, the Government is investing an additional £260 million over three years in Stop Smoking Services within the Public Health Grant. This will mean at least £153 million of ringfenced funding for Stop Smoking Services each year.

What steps his department is taking to support research, national awareness and UK-wide collaboration to improve outcomes for people living with epilepsy and their families.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Knowsley on 6 January 2026 to Question 101055.

What discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on the rise in measles cases in the UK.

Whilst vaccine delivery is devolved to Scotland, we collaborate closely with our Scottish counterparts to maximise vaccine coverage across the United Kingdom.Work is continuing to consistently and comprehensively implement the UK Measles and Rubella Elimination Strategy, which is specifically designed for achieving and maintaining measles elimination status, in line with the World Health Organization’s guidance and recommendations.The Department, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and NHS England work closely with the devolved administrations and other partners to consistently implement the strategy. As part of this, the UKHSA facilitates the Measles and Rubella Elimination Strategy implementation Board (MAREB) on behalf of these organisations.MAREB facilitates information sharing with the devolved administrations, including Scotland. MAREB members collectively monitor progress towards achieving key measles surveillance indicators and MMR/MMRV programme indicators for the UK.From 1 January 2026, we brought forward the second dose of MMRV vaccine from three years and four months to a new routine appointment for all children at 18 months of age, based on evidence that this earlier appointment could improve uptake and provide earlier protection against measles. The facilitation of this change included close communication with the devolved administrations to enable information sharing and planning alignment where possible.The Department continues to support joint efforts to improve measles vaccination uptake and reduce the risk of outbreaks across the UK.

Whether his Department plans to provide additional UK-wide support to improve MMR vaccination coverage in areas where rates have fallen below the 95% herd immunity threshold.

Whilst vaccine delivery is devolved to Scotland, we collaborate closely with our Scottish counterparts to maximise vaccine coverage across the United Kingdom.Work is continuing to consistently and comprehensively implement the UK Measles and Rubella Elimination Strategy, which is specifically designed for achieving and maintaining measles elimination status, in line with the World Health Organization’s guidance and recommendations.The Department, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and NHS England work closely with the devolved administrations and other partners to consistently implement the strategy. As part of this, the UKHSA facilitates the Measles and Rubella Elimination Strategy implementation Board (MAREB) on behalf of these organisations.MAREB facilitates information sharing with the devolved administrations, including Scotland. MAREB members collectively monitor progress towards achieving key measles surveillance indicators and MMR/MMRV programme indicators for the UK.From 1 January 2026, we brought forward the second dose of MMRV vaccine from three years and four months to a new routine appointment for all children at 18 months of age, based on evidence that this earlier appointment could improve uptake and provide earlier protection against measles. The facilitation of this change included close communication with the devolved administrations to enable information sharing and planning alignment where possible.The Department continues to support joint efforts to improve measles vaccination uptake and reduce the risk of outbreaks across the UK.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of cross-border public health coordination on measles vaccination uptake.

Whilst vaccine delivery is devolved to Scotland, we collaborate closely with our Scottish counterparts to maximise vaccine coverage across the United Kingdom.Work is continuing to consistently and comprehensively implement the UK Measles and Rubella Elimination Strategy, which is specifically designed for achieving and maintaining measles elimination status, in line with the World Health Organization’s guidance and recommendations.The Department, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and NHS England work closely with the devolved administrations and other partners to consistently implement the strategy. As part of this, the UKHSA facilitates the Measles and Rubella Elimination Strategy implementation Board (MAREB) on behalf of these organisations.MAREB facilitates information sharing with the devolved administrations, including Scotland. MAREB members collectively monitor progress towards achieving key measles surveillance indicators and MMR/MMRV programme indicators for the UK.From 1 January 2026, we brought forward the second dose of MMRV vaccine from three years and four months to a new routine appointment for all children at 18 months of age, based on evidence that this earlier appointment could improve uptake and provide earlier protection against measles. The facilitation of this change included close communication with the devolved administrations to enable information sharing and planning alignment where possible.The Department continues to support joint efforts to improve measles vaccination uptake and reduce the risk of outbreaks across the UK.

What discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government regarding the availability and UK-wide supply of flu and RSV vaccines this winter; and what steps are being taken at a UK level to support devolved administrations in managing winter pressures related to respiratory illness.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with flu vaccine manufacturers and suppliers to maintain high level oversight of the overall United Kingdom supply of flu vaccine for adults. This enables early identification and mitigation of potential risks to programme delivery, such as constraints in dose availability or delays to deliveries.The UKHSA procures the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine and the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), which is the primary vaccine used in the children’s flu programme, on a UK wide basis. As such, the UKHSA liaises regularly with all devolved nations, including the Scottish administration, on procurement activities and supply arrangements for these vaccines.Both the RSV vaccine and LAIV are available for Scottish Health Boards to order via the UKHSA’s online ordering platform, ImmForm, ensuring consistent access across the UK.Ensuring timely and reliable access to flu and RSV vaccines is a key part of reducing the burden of respiratory illness over the winter period, helping to limit avoidable hospital admissions and support health systems, including those in devolved administrations, in managing winter pressures.

Whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the rollout of universal thrombectomy services.

Department ministers regularly have discussions with colleagues across Government on issues of cross-border interest. There have been no specific meetings held recently on thrombectomy services.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allowing Band 3 vaccinators to continue in vaccination roles after April 2026.

In December 2020, amendments were made to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to provide a mechanism that enabled an expanded workforce to legally and safely administer COVID-19 and influenza vaccines without the input of a prescriber, using an approved protocol. This temporary amendment is due to lapse on 1 April 2026.Recognising the important role the expanded vaccinator workforce has played in safely and effectively delivering COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, the Department is proposing to establish a new permanent provision to support the continued use of an extended workforce to supply and administer vaccinations from 1 April 2026. These proposals are subject to public consultation, which went live on 5 September 2025 and closes on 28 November 2025. The consultation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/amend-regulations-to-support-the-supply-and-deployment-of-vaccines

What steps his Department is taking to improve clinical pathways for people diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

In England, it is the responsibility of local integrated care boards to work with clinicians, service users and patient groups, to develop services and care pathways that are convenient and meet the needs of patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.NICE has published a clinical knowledge summary on the clinical management of blackouts and syncope, that provides advice for clinicians in the UK on best practice in the assessment and diagnosis of postural tachycardia syndrome.

When details of the trial on GnRH analogue puberty blockers will be submitted to the research ethics committee.

The PATHWAYS study proposal, including the clinical trial of puberty-suppressing hormones, is going through all the usual review and approval stages. These include independent academic peer review and National Institute for Health and Care Research funding committee consideration, and it will need to secure full ethical approval ahead of set up and opening to recruitment. The researchers will submit study documents to the Health Research Authority, which will allocate a Research Ethics Committee to consider the application. As an independent study, it is for the research team to decide when the study documents are ready and they will choose when to submit the application, bearing in mind the trial is aiming to begin recruiting participants later in spring 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the mental health of young people.

We know children and young people often face long waits for mental health support and too many are not receiving the care they need. That is why we are providing £7 million of funding to extend support for 24 early support hubs that have a track record of helping thousands of young people in their community.We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England and roll out Young Futures Hubs to provide open access mental health support for children and young people.As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.