Written questions by Morgan.

Innovation and Technology, how many mobile masts have been installed in (a) England (b) Wales (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland that provide coverage in areas that did not previously have coverage in each of the past 10 years.

Over the last 10 years, Ofcom reports that 4G coverage from at least one operator has risen from 72% in 2016 to 96% in 2025. During this period mobile masts have been installed to provide new coverage via both Government subsidised rollout and by commercial rollout.For example, through the Shared Rural Network, a joint deal between Government and the network operators, so far a total of 121 masts have been installed or upgraded. As part of this, the Extended Area Services project has provided new commercial 4G coverage across 30 sites in England, 40 sites in Scotland and 49 sites in Wales. The Total Not Spots project has so far installed 2 masts in Scotland.Government does not track the number of masts providing new coverage via commercial rollout so cannot provide a total figure for the number of new masts that have been installed. It is for network operators to determine if additional masts are needed, and where these should be deployed, to deliver a reliable, high-quality service for their customers. Detail on the availability of fixed and mobile networks in each nation is available in Ofcom’s Connected Nations Report 2025.

What estimate he has made of the potential cost to (a) GP practices (b) integrated care boards and (c) NHS trusts of participating in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.

Participation in the programme is voluntary, and sites are sponsored locally by their integrated care board and local authority chief executive officers to help accelerate progress in delivering neighbourhood health. Sites have received nationally funded support, including coaching, analytical and evaluation input, and access to national convening and communities of practice. The costs of delivering neighbourhood health will vary between places, and as sites have only been participating for a short period, a clearer picture of local delivery costs will emerge over time with further analytical support.

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

The following table shows the nominal and real terms funding through retained margin as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) each year since 2015/16:YearNominal valueGross domestic product deflator at December 2025Real terms value 2025/26 prices2015/16£800,000,00072.46£1020,000,0002016/17£800,000,00073.91£1009,000,0002017/18£800,000,00074.85£1001,000,0002018/19£800,000,00076.55£988,000,0002019/20£800,000,00078.57£971,000,0002020/21£800,000,00082.68£939,000,0002021/22£800,000,00082.87£937,000,0002022/23£800,000,00088.70£890,000,0002023/24£800,000,00093.38£853,000,0002024/25£850,000,00097.14£874,000,0002025/26£900,000,000100£900,000,000Notes:for 2022/23 and 2023/24, an additional £50 million in funding was provided via writing off over-delivery; andfor 2025/26, an additional £193 million in funding was provided via writing off over-delivery.The Department, along with Community Pharmacy England, assess the medicines margin retained through a quarterly ‘medicines margin survey’. Where the medicine margin survey shows under or over delivery against the funding provided, then adjustments are made to reimbursement prices to bring it line with the allowed medicine margin as per CPCF.

What steps he is taking to ensure the timely delivery of cataract surgery for patients in Shropshire.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and modernisation efforts needed to reach the 92% standard by March 2029. We have set a national ambition that by March 2026, 65% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum five percentage point improvement on current performance over that period.In December 2025, 70.2% of patients on the elective waiting list nationally, and 79% of patients in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board, were waiting under 18 weeks for ophthalmology services. Since the Government came into office, the elective waiting list in England has now been cut by 330,417. This is despite 31.7 million referrals onto the waiting list.We know further progress is needed to return to the constitutional standard. In September 2025, we announced an “online hospital”, via NHS Online, which will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Whether he has issued guidance to integrated care boards regarding the management of waiting lists for private providers of NHS procedures.

The Department has not issued specific guidance to integrated care boards regarding the management of waiting lists for private providers of National Health Service procedures. The Department has published rules on referral to treatment consultant-led pathways which applies to all providers of NHS care, and which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-start-consultant-led-treatment-within-18-weeks/referral-to-treatment-consultant-led-waiting-times-rules-suite-october-2022

How many planned cataract surgeries have been delayed in each of the past 12 months due to integrated care boards not having enough money in their financial-year budget to pay the private providers delivering the procedures.

The Department does not hold this data.Integrated care boards have existing contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. Commissioners’ use of these powers support systems to live within their means and deploy better financial discipline than previous years where systems have overspent. As these powers are exercised by local systems, no national assessment has been made.We expect the use of activity management provisions by local systems to support efforts achieving the goal of at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment by March 2026 whilst living within financial budgets set for 2025/26.

What steps he is taking to (a) minimise disruption caused by delays to the supply of bone cement and (b) ensure the availability of adequate supplies of bone cement in the future.

The Department is working closely with NHS England, professional bodies and industry partners and have implemented a range of measures to resolve the shortage of bone cement.The National Health Service has secured stock of an alternative bone cement product, which is now in the United Kingdom for onward distribution. There is sufficient supply to confidently resume elective procedures, and further deliveries are planned in the coming weeks.The NHS also issued immediate guidance to hospitals to ensure that trauma and urgent care could continue safely.We will keep our horizon-scanning processes under review and work specifically to identify future potential risks and safeguard continuity of future bone cement supplies.The Department has held regular discussions with NHS England on the supply position, operational impact, and plans to secure alternative products, including through established incident coordination structures.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the impact of the commission charge on the sale of park homes on park home owners.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on delays to the supply of Heraeus bone cement.

The Department is working closely with NHS England, professional bodies and industry partners and have implemented a range of measures to resolve the shortage of bone cement.The National Health Service has secured stock of an alternative bone cement product, which is now in the United Kingdom for onward distribution. There is sufficient supply to confidently resume elective procedures, and further deliveries are planned in the coming weeks.The NHS also issued immediate guidance to hospitals to ensure that trauma and urgent care could continue safely.We will keep our horizon-scanning processes under review and work specifically to identify future potential risks and safeguard continuity of future bone cement supplies.The Department has held regular discussions with NHS England on the supply position, operational impact, and plans to secure alternative products, including through established incident coordination structures.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report from Liverpool and Sheffield Hallam Universities on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what conversations she has had with the British wool industry about addressing challenges in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers each year.

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock. We acknowledge that industry faces continued challenges each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained and highly proficient shearers, particularly when individuals can often only utilise these skills for a few months of the year during the short early summer shearing period. The department is also aware of the role that shearers and sheep farmers from countries such as Australia and New Zealand have provided in sharing skills and expertise with UK sheep farmers as well as in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock. Defra continues to work closely with the industry in addressing the challenges they face and to encourage the continued promotion, take up, and delivery of British Wool’s programme to deliver training for domestic sheep shearers. In each of the last five years (2021-2025) British Wool has invested an average of £134,000 net costs in providing shearing training for between 798 and 898 people at skill levels ranging from beginners through to highly proficient commercial shearers.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Questions 112298 and 112296, what steps her Department is taking with the British sheep industry to help address workforce availability of sheep shearers.

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock. We acknowledge that industry faces continued challenges each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained and highly proficient shearers, particularly when individuals can often only utilise these skills for a few months of the year during the short early summer shearing period. The department is also aware of the role that shearers and sheep farmers from countries such as Australia and New Zealand have provided in sharing skills and expertise with UK sheep farmers as well as in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock. Defra continues to work closely with the industry in addressing the challenges they face and to encourage the continued promotion, take up, and delivery of British Wool’s programme to deliver training for domestic sheep shearers. In each of the last five years (2021-2025) British Wool has invested an average of £134,000 net costs in providing shearing training for between 798 and 898 people at skill levels ranging from beginners through to highly proficient commercial shearers.

What dedicated funding he is providing to (a) primary care networks and (b) integrated care boards for the development of integrated neighbourhood teams.

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.

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.

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.