Written questions by Morgan.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that the Midlands Rail Hub contributes to economic growth in rural areas in Shropshire.

Midlands Rail Hub will kickstart economic growth and break down barriers to opportunity, by upgrading connectivity and reliability – with benefits across the country. This means providing capacity for hundreds of extra trains per day into central Birmingham and improving performance of services through New Street station, by making better use of Moor Street station.

How many air ambulance organisations hold contracts with NHS organisations.

The Department does not hold this information.

How much (a) development and (b) capital funding she has allocated for the Midlands Rail Hub in the Spending Review 2025.

The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to design the first phase, which could be delivered by the early 2030s.

Pursuant to Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 60148 on Tomography: Waiting Lists, how much of the £6 billion in capital investment will be allocated to services in North Shropshire constituency.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. Further details and allocations, including for the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB), will be set out in due course.This £6 billion investment includes the previously announced £1.65 billion of capital for investments aimed at improving National Health Service performance against constitutional standards in 2025/26.Of this funding, the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB and providers have been provisionally allocated £4 million to support NHS performance across secondary and emergency care in 2025/26.

What proportion of patients referred for diagnostic scans have been seen within six weeks in North Shropshire constituency each month since January 2020.

The Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01) dataset presents the current waiting times of patients on the waiting list for 15 key diagnostic tests or procedures at each month’s end. This can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/The attached table shows the proportion of patients that were waiting within six weeks from referral at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests or one of the key imaging tests included in the DM01, each month since January 2020.Diagnostic checks are a key part of many elective care pathways. In April 2025, the latest published DM01, the diagnostic waiting list at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust was 12,957, of which 10,192, or 78.7%, were waiting within six weeks. This in an improvement since April 2024, when the waiting list stood at 13,849, with 9,819, or 70.9% of, patients waiting within six weeks.

If he will conduct a child rights impact assessment of the proposed merger of NHS England and his Department.

The Government is completely focused on delivery during this period of change, including taking forward our Health Mission and putting in place measures to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, including those to children, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.The Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure that the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.

What steps he is taking to ensure that NHS providers remain accountable for discharging their statutory safeguarding duties for children following the closure of NHS England.

The Department and NHS England’s safeguarding officials already work as one team to ensure that ministerial decisions are informed by policy and clinical expertise, considering the distinct yet integrated layers of child safeguarding functions. Through the upcoming transformation of NHS England and its integration with the Department, we will ensure health services continue to deliver core services and statutory safeguarding duties.NHS England remains committed to supporting integrated, collaborative safeguarding arrangements that reflect statutory duties and local context. NHS England is actively engaging with safeguarding professionals across the system, including those in local government, integrated care boards (ICBs), and provider organisations, to ensure that safeguarding functions are not compromised amidst the upcoming changes. The frameworks and protocols outlining the expectations and accountability for safeguarding across National Health Service funded care continue to apply, with health services remaining accountable for safeguarding.The statutory safeguarding duties for children are imbedded in the NHS Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework, and NHS England is working with all NHS providers and ICBs to ensure these statutory safeguarding functions are protected through the Model ICB programme.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of the NHS to contribute to the provisions for Multi Agency Child Protection Teams in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced in Parliament on 17 December, will protect children at risk of abuse, by stopping vulnerable children from falling through the cracks in services. The bill will place a duty on local safeguarding partners to establish multi-agency child protection teams (MACPTs), aimed at strengthening the multi-agency child protection response to all types of harm. These teams will have a minimum membership, nominated by safeguarding partners, of a social worker, a police officer, a registered health practitioner, and a person with experience of education.MACPTs have been embedded in 10 local areas through the Families First for Children Pathfinders programme. Based on the learning from these pathfinders, the teams are being rolled out nationally through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme, launched in April 2025. The FFP programme guide enables flexibility in the composition of MACPTs, which are designed according to local need.NHS England is supporting and learning from the nine integrated care boards (ICBs) currently working with the Families First for Children Pathfinders programme, which includes MACPTs. The national safeguarding leads are collaborating with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care to profile how ICBs might implement MACPTs alongside local statutory partners, using Section 75 collaborative funding arrangements in order to optimise the Spending Review budget for the national rollout of the Families First Partnership programme and MACPTs.

Whether he plans to commission new services from community pharmacy in the context of changes to supervision.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists.Future decisions on service arrangements for community pharmacies beyond 2025/26 are subject to the current Spending Review. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes.

What progress he has made on expanding the pharmacy workforce.

To support employers in developing their staff and delivering quality National Health Services, NHS England provides a number of fully funded national training opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. This includes independent prescriber training, clinical examination skills, and training the next generation of education supervisors.Later this year, we will publish a new workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

Whether he plans to commission more adult vaccines from community pharmacy.

We are committed to increase vaccine uptake and improving access, including by exploring new and innovative delivery models to deliver vaccinations, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan for England.Community pharmacies already play a key role in delivering seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to adults, and we are exploring options to expand this offer to other vaccination programmes For example, in 2024, NHS England commissioned selected community pharmacies in the East of England to help deliver year-round respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programmes for pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged between 75 and 79 years old. This is being expanded to support the maternal pertussis vaccination programme, and selected pharmacies in other regions have now also been commissioned to deliver these vaccines.Looking ahead, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out the Government’s ambition to expand the role of community pharmacy in prevention, including through the delivery of more National Health Service vaccination services. We will increase uptake of human papillomavirus vaccinations among younger adults who have left school including by making it available in pharmacies, supporting our aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Local Nature Recovery Strategy mapping on future (a) funding opportunities, (b) land development and (c) land use planning for farmers.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are designed to support more strategic decision-making and investment in nature recovery. They do this by agreeing priorities for nature recovery and mapping where habitat creation or improvement could contribute most towards those. Farmers and land managers are encouraged to deliver the actions proposed on their land but are not required to do so. Developers are incentivised to deliver actions proposed in LNRSs through an uplift in the biodiversity net gain calculation. LNRSs will also provide information that can help farmers and land managers make stronger bids for funding through schemes such as Landscape Recovery, and to help them make choices about how they manage their land. Government is continuing to explore how delivery of LNRS actions might be further incentivised so that environmental targets can be met more cost effectively. LNRSs are also supporting nature recovery to be better reflected in the planning system and in development. Planning practice guidance was published in February 2025 which explains the role of LNRSs in helping planning authorities to conserve and enhance the natural environment.

Communities and Local Government, how her Department is coordinating with the Department for Health and Social Care and the Treasury to ensure councils affected by high needs and social care deficits can plan before March 2026, when the statutory deficit override ends.

This government recognises the pressures local authorities are facing because of their Dedicated School Grant (DSG) deficits. As part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation published on 20 June, the government announced an extension to the DSG Statutory Override, currently due to end in March 2026, until the end of 2027-28. This extension is part of a phased transition to a reformed Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. The Department for Education Spending Review settlement confirmed funding for SEND reform, details of which will be set out in a White Paper in the autumn. As part of this transition, the government will provide more detail by the end of the year on the plan for supporting local authorities with both historic and accruing deficits. We will set out more detail at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, what assumptions her Department made of how councils would allocate additional funding raised through (a) council tax and (b) the social care precept when calculating the level of funding provided for adult social care in the Spending Review 2025.

The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement. Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons. Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August. We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.

Communities and Local Government, when local authorities will receive the first instalment of social care funding announced in the Spending Review 2025: and whether this funding will be subject to (a) accountability measures, (b) ring-fencing and (c) monitoring.

The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement. Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons. Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August. We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.

Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of new funding for (a) adult and (b) children’s social care set out in the Spending Review 2025 will be allocated via (i) existing grant funding streams and (ii) new direct allocations to local authorities.

The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement. Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons. Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August. We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May to Question 50600 on Integrated Care Boards: Per Capita Costs and with reference to the NHS England publication entitled, Working together in 2025/26 to lay the foundations for reform, published on 1 April 2025, how many integrated care boards have signed-off plans that are affordable within the reduced running cost envelope.

Plans are still in development. NHS England is continuing to work closely with integrated care boards to support them in finalising plans that are deliverable within the reduced running cost envelope.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, when the funding for social care will be allocated to local authorities.

The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement. Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons. Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August. We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.

If he will take steps to establish mutual recognition schemes for dental qualifications with other countries.

The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentistry in the United Kingdom. Only dentists and dental care professionals registered with the GDC can legally practise dentistry.As an independent regulator, it is for the GDC to determine the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to the dental register. Changes to the GDC’s legislation made in 2023 enable it to apply a range of assessment options in determining whether international dentist applicants have the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience for practice in the UK. This includes the ability to recognise overseas dentistry diplomas.The GDC is currently consulting on its 2026 to 2028 Corporate Strategy, in which it has stated that it will develop a comprehensive and accessible framework for registering overseas-qualified dental professionals, considering routes to registration in a holistic way. We will continue to encourage the GDC to make full use of the flexibilities that the 2023 legislation introduced when developing this framework.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June to Question 56902 on Integrated Care Boards: Redundancy, (a) how the costs of restructuring will be met and (b) when when the national redundancy scheme will be launched.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we have been clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board running costs and National Health Service provider corporate costs reductions, in order to reduce waste and bureaucracy. Good progress is being made, with the Department and NHS England having announced voluntary exit or redundancy schemes. We have recently announced the Spending Review settlement, which provides an additional £29 billion of annual day to day spending in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. We are now carefully reviewing how the settlement is prioritised, including making provision for redundancy costs ahead of announcing further redundancy schemes.