Written questions by Morgan.

With reference to the announcement on railway stations awarded Access for All accessibility funding, published on 24 May 2024, what her planned timeline is for the completion of Access for All construction at Whitchurch Railway Station.

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This included Whitchurch railway station in Shropshire. We expect to provide an update to stakeholders during the summer.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of potholes in North Shropshire constituency.

Shropshire Council, as a local highway authority, has been allocated the following highway maintenance funding since 2015: YearHighways Maintenance funding for Shropshire Council2015/16£16,498,0002016/17£16,160,0002017/18£18,756,2502018/19£20,588,0002019//20£16,948,3962020/21£30,253,0002021/22£20,599,0002022/23£20,599,0002023/24£26,880,0002024/25£23,218,0002025/26£33,680,000 The Government has already provided an additional £500 million increase for local highway maintenance this financial year. As a result of this increase, Shropshire Council will receive up to £9.1 million more in additional funding. Building on this, at the spending review the Chancellor announced that the Government will be providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

How much funding her Department has provided to Shropshire Council to fill potholes in each year since 2015.

Shropshire Council, as a local highway authority, has been allocated the following highway maintenance funding since 2015: YearHighways Maintenance funding for Shropshire Council2015/16£16,498,0002016/17£16,160,0002017/18£18,756,2502018/19£20,588,0002019//20£16,948,3962020/21£30,253,0002021/22£20,599,0002022/23£20,599,0002023/24£26,880,0002024/25£23,218,0002025/26£33,680,000 The Government has already provided an additional £500 million increase for local highway maintenance this financial year. As a result of this increase, Shropshire Council will receive up to £9.1 million more in additional funding. Building on this, at the spending review the Chancellor announced that the Government will be providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

How many serious vehicle accidents have resulted from potholes in (a) North Shropshire constituency and (b) Shropshire in each year since 2020.

Statistics on reported road injury collisions in Great Britain are published based on data reported by police via the data collection known as STATS19. Within STATS19, reporting police officers can assign up to 6 factors which they believe may have contributed to the collision, including ‘poor or defective road surface’. Contributory factors are assigned based on the opinions of the reporting officer at the scene or within a short time of the collision, rather than a detailed investigation. The number of serious collisions in Shropshire and North Shropshire (constituency) where a police officer assigned the contributory factor “poor or defective road surface” are given in the table below:YearNorth Shropshire (constituency)Shropshire202000202102202223202311 There were no drivers or passengers killed in collisions in Shropshire and North Shropshire (constituency) where a police officer assigned the contributory factor “poor or defective road surface” between 2020 to 2023.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with local authorities on the adequacy of the enforcement of safeguarding in relation to the placement of families in temporary accommodation with single homeless adults.

Local authorities must ensure that temporary accommodation is suitable for the needs of the household and should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. The Homelessness Code of Guidance sets out what local authorities must consider when determining whether accommodation is suitable, which you can find on gov.uk here. When accommodation with shared facilities is used to house children, local authorities must consider safeguarding risks.MHCLG’s dedicated team of homelessness advisers have regular discussions with local authorities as they discharge their homelessness duties in line with legislation.

What discussions he has had with providers of community equipment on the financial resilience of those providers.

The Department is aware of concerns raised by community equipment suppliers. NHS England has published planning guidance setting out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding National Health Service providers in the next financial year, which takes account of a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare. The NHS Payment Scheme is equally applicable to NHS and non-NHS providers of secondary healthcare.Local authorities and local NHS procuring authorities, whether integrated care boards or NHS providers, are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment providers, which will consider the resources available to them. At the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over both the last financial year and this year. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 have now been set through phase 2 of the Spending Review. This includes £29 billion more day-to-day funding in real terms than 2023/24 for the NHS, and the largest ever health capital budget, with a £2.3 billion real terms increase in capital spending over the Spending Review period.

Whether he has made an assessment of the financial viability of providers of community equipment.

The Department is aware of concerns raised by community equipment suppliers. NHS England has published planning guidance setting out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding National Health Service providers in the next financial year, which takes account of a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare. The NHS Payment Scheme is equally applicable to NHS and non-NHS providers of secondary healthcare.Local authorities and local NHS procuring authorities, whether integrated care boards or NHS providers, are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment providers, which will consider the resources available to them. At the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over both the last financial year and this year. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 have now been set through phase 2 of the Spending Review. This includes £29 billion more day-to-day funding in real terms than 2023/24 for the NHS, and the largest ever health capital budget, with a £2.3 billion real terms increase in capital spending over the Spending Review period.

Whether his Department holds information on the (a) most common illnesses among babies and children in temporary accommodation and (b) incidence of each of those illnesses in the most recent period for which data is available.

The Department does not hold this information for primary care data due to a lack of granularity in the data.

What information his Department holds on the number of children living in temporary accommodation who presented to A&E with an injury or illness in the 2024-25 financial year.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

What guidance his Department has issued on whether (a) a family and (b) babies and children living in temporary accommodation can remain registered at their GP surgery if they live (i) in the area and (ii) outside the area but within reasonable travelling distance.

Patients have the legal right to choose a general practice (GP) that best suits their needs. If a patient moves outside of their practice’s catchment area, the patient’s permanent practice must not de-register them, unless the patient is away from that practice’s area for more than three months. In those cases, the patient must be informed of this where practicable, and some practices may accept that you remain registered as an out of area patient. Housing status should not affect anyone’s ability to register with a GP. Patients who are homeless or in temporary housing do not need a fixed address to be registered.

How much funding his Department plans to provide for the roll-out of (a) fampridine and (b) other new drugs in each year of this Parliament.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources.The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance. Information about the amount of funding the NHS plans to provide for the roll-out of new drugs is not available. Commissioners within NHS England receive funding each year to commission services for their population, which includes funding for new and established medicines. Fampridine, however, has not been recommended by NICE, so is not available for routine NHS use within England.

If she will visit Llynclys Crossroads in North Shropshire constituency to assess the impact of potential design changes on road safety at that junction.

The Secretary of State would be interested to learn more about the particular issues with Llynclys Crossroads, but existing diary commitments mean she is unable to commit to a visit at this stage.

With reference to her oral statement of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, what assessment she has made of potential impact of those projects on (a) jobs and (b) journey times in North Shropshire.

Backed by over £92 billion from the Spending Review settlement, the Government is delivering the biggest boost to England’s transport infrastructure in a generation, and unlocking schemes that deliver for the taxpayer and drive growth. Millions of commuters and businesses will benefit from quicker journeys, as more than fifty road and rail upgrades have been given the green light - including funding for the Midlands Rail Hub as well as the M54 / M6 link road, which will help to cut journey times and connect thousands to key economic hubs across the Midlands and North Shropshire.

If she will make it her policy to include upgrades to the A483 in North Shropshire in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3).

Whilst I cannot commit to upgrades at this stage in the process of setting the next Road Investment Strategy, I can confirm National Highways is investigating a range of options to improve the safety performance of the A483 in North Shropshire which will be considered for possible delivery.

What estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the public purse for the digital transformation outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan.

In advance of the 10-Year Health Plan’s publication, the Government confirmed an allocation of up to £10 billion for National Health Service digital, data, and technology through the Spending Review. This is a nearly 50% uplift on current investment, with a 3% real terms uplift overall.That investment will support delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan, while yielding substantial improvements in the public experience of using the NHS, and in the experience of staff working for it. It will also make a material contribution to achieving the 2% productivity target and wider efficiency targets.

Whether the NHS 10 Year Plan includes a budget for the (a) use and (b) procurement of GLP-1 receptor agonists.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, usually within three months of final guidance.NICE has recommended the GLP-1 receptor agonists liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide as clinically and cost-effective treatment options on the NHS for obesity. Liraglutide, brand name Saxenda, and semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, can currently only be accessed on the NHS via specialist weight management services, which are primarily based in hospital settings. In June 2025, the NHS began making tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, available through primary care. Approximately 220,000 adults will be considered for Mounjaro in the first three years, with access prioritised by clinical need.The 10‑Year Health Plan is backed by an extra £29 billion in investment to fund the reforms, service improvements, and new technology required to deliver an NHS fit for the future. Through its implementation we are committed to further exploring how we can build on the current plans for the roll out of medicine like GLP-1 receptor agonists by working with industry to trial innovative approaches to treating obesity, as part of a rounded package of care. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.

With reference to the NHS 10 Year Plan, published on 3 July 2025, whether (a) parents will be able to access the NHS App on behalf of their (i) children and (ii) young people and( b) data collected through the NHS App will be shared with third parties.

General practice (GP) surgeries can give someone secure access to another patient's GP services via the NHS App, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy linked account.Patients’ health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. However, patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time.

With reference to the NHS 10 Year Plan, published 3 July 2025, where the new neighbourhood health centres will be located.

Over the course of our 10-Year Health Plan, we aim to establish a Neighbourhood Health Centre in every community.Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need, like in coastal towns and working-class communities, including by using public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest, and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.Successful centres are already operating across the country in places such as Birmingham and Whitstable, showing how the service can work and be delivered for local people.

Whether his Department plans to publish an implementation plan for the NHS 10-Year Plan.

Implementation of the 10-Year Health Plan is already underway: new reforms to the dental contract will prioritise those with urgent and complex needs; we are taking first steps to rollout new neighbourhood health services, which will target the most-deprived areas first; a new pilot programme will support people with health conditions back into employment and ease pressure on doctors; a new animated series will get more children across the country moving more and encouraging a healthier lifestyle; and patients will benefit from better access to pharmacy services under new proposals.Delivery expectations are embedded throughout the plan, which will shift care from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. Over the remainder of 2025/26, we will put in place key next steps to deliver the plan, build the foundations for the shifts from hospital to community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention, and roll out current best practice across the whole country.

What estimate his Department has made of the (a) potential cost to the public purse for mental health services delivered through the NHS 10 Year Plan and (b) proportion of the total costs for the NHS 10 Year Plan that will be spent on mental health.

The plan commits to wide reaching mental health transformation over the next 10 years, for which the National Health Service has a settlement for the next three years. The Spending Review prioritised health, with NHS day-to-day spending increasing by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. We are preparing for the first multi-year planning round for the NHS in more than half a decade, which will confirm budget allocations and give local leaders the certainty they need to deliver.