Written questions by Morgan.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the contribution of British Wool's (a) sheep shearing training and (b) exchange with shearers and sheep farmers in Australia and New Zealand to farming in the UK.

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, British Wool provides a unique and valuable service, for around 30,000 registered wool producers across the UK, to collect, grade, promote, and sell their fleece wool to the global textile industry. British Wool is also the main provider and promoter of training for sheep shearers in the UK. In each of the last five years (2021-2025) British Wool has provided shearing training for between 798 and 898 people at skill levels ranging from beginners through to highly proficient commercial shearers. British Wool’s investment in this training includes subsidised courses for between 100- 200 young farmers a year. Defra is 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 and in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department has assessed the potential implications of levels of workforce availability of sheep shearers on animal welfare.

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the good work that British Wool does in delivering training for domestic sheep shearers, the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock, and the continued challenges that the industry faces each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers. We continue to work closely with the industry in addressing these challenges.

What role he intends for optometry practices to play in delivering the 10 Year Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future by delivering three important shifts: from hospital to community; from sickness to prevention; and from analogue to digital. This includes expanding eye care in community settings and strengthening joint working between primary and secondary eye care services.

Whether he plans to issue guidance to NHS commissioners to help ensure community eyecare services are commissioned across England to help improve equality in access to care.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local population. National Health Service sight tests are widely available across the country, with no known access issues. ICBs can also commission enhanced eye care services in the community.ICBs are required to work with local authorities to assess the current and future health, care, and wellbeing needs of their local population. They will then set out in joint local health and wellbeing strategies how they will meet those needs, which could include addressing any identified inequalities in accessing services.The Department worked with the eye care sector to develop a standard clinical specification for the commissioning of Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Services, and this was published in February 2024. The specification can be found at the following link:https://locsu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.-CUES-Service-specification-vs-1.43-Feb-2024.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of pressures on the sheep shearing workforce on (a) farm businesses and (b) the sheep industry.

With a national sheep flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the good work that British Wool does in delivering training for domestic sheep shearers, the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock, and the continued challenges that both individual farm business and the wider industry face each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers. We continue to work closely with the industry in addressing these challenges.

What steps the Government is taking to mitigate the impact of upcoming living wage, national insurance and business rates changes on community pharmacies.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.In 2025/26 funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. Additional funding is also available, for example for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.The Department will shortly consult with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27. As part of this we will consider financial pressures on the sector.

What consultation her Department has had with counterparts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the withdrawal of the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA officials were informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.Ministers regularly meet with their DEFRA counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the closure of this concession.