Written questions by Morgan.

Whether the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme will be continuing beyond March 2026.

Both integrated care boards (ICBs) and local health systems will design Neighbourhood Health Services that reflect the needs of their local populations as part of their wider responsibilities within their funding allocations. Nationally, we are developing guidance to provide greater clarity and consistency for systems in developing and scaling Neighbourhood Health.Funding for primary care networks and integrated neighbourhood teams is included within ICBs overall allocations. Additional funding has also been provided to support the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, which was launched in 2025 in 43 places. Work is underway to consider the future direction of the programme, informed by the learning and feedback from wave 1.

If he will publish data relating to the number of surgeries affected by delays to the supply of Heraeus bone cement.

Joined up working between the Department and the National Health Service has successfully secured an alternative bone cement product for the coming weeks following the issues with Heraeus Medical’s production process. During this period, NHS providers were supported to prioritise remaining stock based on clinical guidance.The Department has not collected data on the specific number of procedures delayed due to this supply issue centrally. Due to the speed by which alternative products have been identified the number of procedures postponed has been limited and where this has happened, trusts are seeking to reschedule affected procedures quickly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will have discussions with her Spanish counterpart on expediting the processing of visa applications for British nationals at the Consulate of Spain in Manchester.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer she was provided on 27 November in response to Question 91476.

Food and Rural Affairs, what conversations she has had with the British wool industry about the impact of the Home Office's withdrawal of the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers on the existing challenges of workforce availability faced by the industry.

I refer the hon. Member to the response given on 3 March 2026 to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe on to PQ UIN 114322.

Whether his Department has conducted an investigation into the reasons for the delayed adoption of the Federated Data Platform within the NHS.

The National Health Service ran an independent procurement exercise to secure a Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) via a rigorous, competitive process in line with Government procurement legislation. The selection was made by multiple assessors against clear criteria following an open tender process where any supplier could respond with their solution. This included a value for money assessment as per standard procurement practice. A consortium led by Palantir Technologies UK was awarded the contract in November 2023 based on their ability to meet the specific needs defined by NHS England. The contract was valued at approximately £330 million for over a seven-year period providing funding for up to 240 NHS organisations, namely trusts and integrated care systems. The suppliers were required to demonstrate their financial, commercial, security, and technical capability to meet contractual requirements. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes, and the whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process. As a major govt project, NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA publish transparency data at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025 The latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of the NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. Following a separate procurement process, Imperial College Projects have been commissioned to conduct an independent evaluation of the Federated Data Platform, in line with best practice and the programme’s commitment to ensure the NHS FDP achieves maximum impact. Information on the uptake of the Federated Data Platform programme and the benefits that are being delivered, along with case studies that describe the benefits for patients and staff, can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/ The NHS England Programme Team work with trusts and integrated care boards understand their plans to maximise the benefits of the NHS FDP for their patients and staff, with the breadth of capabilities and products continuing to expand.

What advice he has received from officials on the value for money of the contract with Palantir for the NHS Federated Data Platform.

The National Health Service ran an independent procurement exercise to secure a Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) via a rigorous, competitive process in line with Government procurement legislation. The selection was made by multiple assessors against clear criteria following an open tender process where any supplier could respond with their solution. This included a value for money assessment as per standard procurement practice. A consortium led by Palantir Technologies UK was awarded the contract in November 2023 based on their ability to meet the specific needs defined by NHS England. The contract was valued at approximately £330 million for over a seven-year period providing funding for up to 240 NHS organisations, namely trusts and integrated care systems. The suppliers were required to demonstrate their financial, commercial, security, and technical capability to meet contractual requirements. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes, and the whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process. As a major govt project, NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA publish transparency data at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025 The latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of the NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. Following a separate procurement process, Imperial College Projects have been commissioned to conduct an independent evaluation of the Federated Data Platform, in line with best practice and the programme’s commitment to ensure the NHS FDP achieves maximum impact. Information on the uptake of the Federated Data Platform programme and the benefits that are being delivered, along with case studies that describe the benefits for patients and staff, can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/ The NHS England Programme Team work with trusts and integrated care boards understand their plans to maximise the benefits of the NHS FDP for their patients and staff, with the breadth of capabilities and products continuing to expand.

Whether he received advice about the continued viability of the contract with Palantir for the NHS Federated Data Platform.

The National Health Service ran an independent procurement exercise to secure a Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) via a rigorous, competitive process in line with Government procurement legislation. The selection was made by multiple assessors against clear criteria following an open tender process where any supplier could respond with their solution. This included a value for money assessment as per standard procurement practice. A consortium led by Palantir Technologies UK was awarded the contract in November 2023 based on their ability to meet the specific needs defined by NHS England. The contract was valued at approximately £330 million for over a seven-year period providing funding for up to 240 NHS organisations, namely trusts and integrated care systems. The suppliers were required to demonstrate their financial, commercial, security, and technical capability to meet contractual requirements. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes, and the whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process. As a major govt project, NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA publish transparency data at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025 The latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of the NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. Following a separate procurement process, Imperial College Projects have been commissioned to conduct an independent evaluation of the Federated Data Platform, in line with best practice and the programme’s commitment to ensure the NHS FDP achieves maximum impact. Information on the uptake of the Federated Data Platform programme and the benefits that are being delivered, along with case studies that describe the benefits for patients and staff, can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/ The NHS England Programme Team work with trusts and integrated care boards understand their plans to maximise the benefits of the NHS FDP for their patients and staff, with the breadth of capabilities and products continuing to expand.

Whether (a) he has received advice that the cost-benefit analysis of the contract with Palantir for the NHS Federated Data Platform should be reviewed and (b) whether this analysis has been updated since July 2024.

The National Health Service ran an independent procurement exercise to secure a Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) via a rigorous, competitive process in line with Government procurement legislation. The selection was made by multiple assessors against clear criteria following an open tender process where any supplier could respond with their solution. This included a value for money assessment as per standard procurement practice. A consortium led by Palantir Technologies UK was awarded the contract in November 2023 based on their ability to meet the specific needs defined by NHS England. The contract was valued at approximately £330 million for over a seven-year period providing funding for up to 240 NHS organisations, namely trusts and integrated care systems. The suppliers were required to demonstrate their financial, commercial, security, and technical capability to meet contractual requirements. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes, and the whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process. As a major govt project, NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA publish transparency data at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025 The latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of the NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. Following a separate procurement process, Imperial College Projects have been commissioned to conduct an independent evaluation of the Federated Data Platform, in line with best practice and the programme’s commitment to ensure the NHS FDP achieves maximum impact. Information on the uptake of the Federated Data Platform programme and the benefits that are being delivered, along with case studies that describe the benefits for patients and staff, can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/ The NHS England Programme Team work with trusts and integrated care boards understand their plans to maximise the benefits of the NHS FDP for their patients and staff, with the breadth of capabilities and products continuing to expand.

Innovation and Technology, what progress has been made on the implementation of the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act.

Government remains committed to implementing the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible. On 15 December 2025, we published the response to the technical consultation on regulations commencing sections 61 – 64 of the Act and laid the regulations implementing these provisions on the same date. These regulations will come into force on 7 April 2026.The remaining provisions are complex and technical, and we are working closely with other departments and Ofcom on implementing these as soon as possible

If he will list the number of critical incidents declared at hospitals between November and January for each of the last 10 financial years.

NHS England does not centrally record all actions taken by acute trusts or integrated care boards that exceed the Operational Pressures Escalation Levels (OPEL) 4 threshold, the highest level of pressure, where demand and capacity issues are critically affecting the ability to deliver services. Patient safety could be compromised Oversight and support are delivered through locally implemented surge and escalation policies, which must be aligned with the OPEL 2024 to 2026 framework. The framework contains a number of actions which should be taken by the organisations involved in the delivery of care.

How many and what proportion of foundation pharmacists beginning their training in 2025 had been assigned a Designated Prescribing Practitioner.

Foundation trainee pharmacists who have graduated against the 2021 standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists are required to have a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP), a healthcare professional with independent prescribing rights, such as a doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, to support the supervision and assessment of prescribing activities during their foundation year. Under the Foundation Trainee Pharmacists National Recruitment Scheme, training providers are required to ensure that trainees have access to a DPP and to submit DPP details to NHS England once the trainee pharmacist is in post. Of the 2,894 graduates in England who began foundation pharmacist training in 2025/26, 2,417 trained against the 2021 standards and therefore require a DPP. As of February 2026, 2,013 of these trainees, approximately 83%, had submitted details of an assigned DPP to NHS England. By training window, 1,814 of 2,119 summer starters, or 85.6%, and 199 of 318 autumn starters, or 62.5%, had submitted DPP details. Autumn starters typically undertake prescribing later in the training year, and some may not yet have been required to submit DPP information. NHS England continues to monitor this.

How much funding his Department has provided to community pharmacies through the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework in real terms in each year since 2016.

The following table shows the nominal and real terms funding provided through the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework each year since 2015/16: Nominal value (£m)Gross domestic product deflator at December 2025Real terms value 2025/26 prices (£m)2015/162,80072.463,8642016/172,68773.913,6362017/182,59274.853,4632018/192,59276.553,3862019/202,59278.573,2992020/212,59282.683,1352021/222,59282.873,1282022/232,59288.702,9222023/242,59293.382,7762024/252,69897.142,7772025/263,073100.003,073In 2025/26, the funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. Additional funding was also made available, for example, for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

What proportion of covid vaccinations were administered by community pharmacies in the winter 2025-26 programme.

NHS England collected, but does not currently publish, data on the proportion of COVID-19 vaccinations that were administered by community pharmacies in the autumn 2025 vaccination programme. This unpublished data indicates that during the autumn campaign, which ran from 1 October 2025 to 31 January 2026, approximately 45% of COVID-19 vaccinations were administered by community pharmacies.

Whether his Department has shared a definition of corridor care to (a) NHS trusts and (b) ICBs.

On 3 March 2026, NHS England wrote to National Health Service organisations, including trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs), setting out a clear definition of corridor care and the additional actions required to eliminate it. On 4 March 2026, this definition was also published on the NHS England website.We are committed to eliminating corridor care. As set out in the urgent and emergency care plan, data on the prevalence of corridor care will be published for the first time. The introduction of a clear national definition will enable trusts to collect and report consistent and validated data on corridor care, supporting transparency and system improvement. Subject to data quality, this information will be published monthly on the NHS England website from May 2026.Where corridor care cannot be avoided, we have published updated guidance to support trusts to deliver it safely, ensuring dignity and privacy is maintained to reduce impacts on patients and staff.

If his Department and NHS hospital trusts are collecting data on the numbers of patients receiving corridor care in NHS hospitals.

On 3 March 2026, NHS England wrote to National Health Service organisations, including trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs), setting out a clear definition of corridor care and the additional actions required to eliminate it. On 4 March 2026, this definition was also published on the NHS England website.We are committed to eliminating corridor care. As set out in the urgent and emergency care plan, data on the prevalence of corridor care will be published for the first time. The introduction of a clear national definition will enable trusts to collect and report consistent and validated data on corridor care, supporting transparency and system improvement. Subject to data quality, this information will be published monthly on the NHS England website from May 2026.Where corridor care cannot be avoided, we have published updated guidance to support trusts to deliver it safely, ensuring dignity and privacy is maintained to reduce impacts on patients and staff.

If his Department will publish data on the numbers of patients receiving corridor care in NHS hospitals before the end of the financial year.

On 3 March 2026, NHS England wrote to National Health Service organisations, including trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs), setting out a clear definition of corridor care and the additional actions required to eliminate it. On 4 March 2026, this definition was also published on the NHS England website.We are committed to eliminating corridor care. As set out in the urgent and emergency care plan, data on the prevalence of corridor care will be published for the first time. The introduction of a clear national definition will enable trusts to collect and report consistent and validated data on corridor care, supporting transparency and system improvement. Subject to data quality, this information will be published monthly on the NHS England website from May 2026.Where corridor care cannot be avoided, we have published updated guidance to support trusts to deliver it safely, ensuring dignity and privacy is maintained to reduce impacts on patients and staff.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her letter to the Environmental Audit Committee dated 30 January 2026, what steps she is taking to increase funding for flood risk management in local authority areas in instances where revenue funding from the Local Government Finance Settlement is being reduced.

Delivering on the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences. In October 2025 the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy – optimising funding between building new defences and maintaining existing ones. Deprived communities will continue to receive vital investment - at least 20% of future investment will help protect the most deprived communities over the next ten years. New projects will be prioritised based on value for money. The list of projects to receive Government funding will be agreed in the usual way, on an annual basis, through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation. The final list of schemes to benefit in 2026/27 will be published in March 2026. Alongside our £10.5 billion investment, the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion, a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-2025. The majority of local Government funding is not ringfenced, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the rising service pressures in their local areas, including on flood risk management.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she will be providing guidance to local authorities on the floods funding criteria that will be in place for the 2026-27 financial year.

As part of the Environment Agency's wider programme of improvements to implement the new Defra flood funding policy, the Environment Agency will publish updated project funding guidance for practitioners before 1st April 2026.

What steps he is taking to improve the quality of (a) court buildings and (b) technology used in courts.

Historical underfunding has resulted in challenges across the court estate, with an estimated £1.3 billion building maintenance backlog. It is vital that court infrastructure does not prevent hearings from taking place, that is why we announced a boost in court capital maintenance and project funding from £120 million last year, to £148.5 million for 2025/26. We are committed to enhancing the condition of our existing estate while also delivering new facilities. Examples include a purpose‑built modern court building under construction in the City of London, with further new facilities in Reading and Blackpool. A state-of-the-art Tribunals Centre in London, providing 30 hearings rooms, is scheduled to open in early March. We also continue to invest in technology in courts as part of a providing a modern justice system. In 2025/26 HMCTS is investing over £20 million of capital funding in IT hardware to provide the courts with modern audio-visual capability - to improve digital evidence presentation and remote participation, replaced over a quarter of staff laptops and improved Wi-Fi coverage and capacity. In 2025, HMCTS replaced the contact centre solution used by the Courts and Tribunals Service Centres and modernised significant digital applications used in courts, moving old technology out of legacy data centres. As part of continual improvement, HMCTS is progressing with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, to improve systems and services throughout the Justice system.

If he will take steps to reduce the number of delays to court hearings caused by the late arrival of prisoners.

In 2025, the overall Criminal Justice System timely delivery to court performance was 98.19%, Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers met the contractual requirement for timely delivery of prisoners to court in 99.91% of cases. The impact of recent reform policies on delivery times is under review. In addition to its regular oversight meetings with the contractors, the PECS contract management team continues to work collaboratively with criminal justice partners to address any performance issues. Strategic Partnership Boards convene quarterly to review performance and agree strategies to drive and sustain improvement.