Written questions by Roome.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of data provided by (a) NHS England Estate Return Information Collection and (b) Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment.

The Estate Return Information Collection (ERIC) and Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) collections are undertaken by NHS England.ERIC collects data on the size, cost, and quality of the National Health Service estate. The 2024/25 ERIC data collection underwent a detailed validation process before its publication on the 16 October 2025.The 2025 PLACE collection is currently underway. It provides an assessment of the quality of the NHS patient environment from the patient’s perspective. It is undertaken by independent assessors who should, as far as possible, reflect the patient population. Teams should be a mix of people who use the building/site and should broadly reflect the local population using the service.

What due diligence his Department undertakes before the selection of contract delivery partners for major programmes.

The Department must comply with the legal requirements under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, since February 2025, the Procurement Act 2023 in taking forward all procurement exercises leading to the award of a contract to a supplier. Compliance is managed by a professional procurement official within the Department’s Commercial Directorate who is assigned to each procurement exercise. Business cases following the Government’s standard five-case model, setting out the strategic, economic/value for money, financial, commercial, and management case, are required for all procurements over £5 million. The Department’s Commercial Assurance Board (CAB) considers and approves high value, from £10 million to £30 million of capital or £50 million in revenue, business cases or high-risk commercial cases across the Department and its Arms’ Length Bodies. In addition, the CAB acts as commercial ‘keyholders’ for the business cases presented to the committees below, ensuring that commercial factors are considered when recommendations are made by:the Department of Health and Social Care Investment Committee;the Joint Department of Health and Social Care and NHS Investment Committee;the Joint Investment subcommittee; andthe Digital Investment subcommittee.Suppliers are invited to bid for contracts using the standard contract terms and conditions in use by the Department and across the Government. These include intellectual property (IP) clauses which grant the buyer a licence to use the supplier’s IP in the context of receiving and benefiting from the deliverables being bought. These typically allow sub-licensing under certain conditions and restrictions designed to avoid unfair exploitation of supplier IP. Standard terms and conditions are available on the GOV.UK website. By submitting a bid, suppliers are accepting the Department’s standard terms and conditions as set out above.

How many private delivery partners have declined to deliver a contract for his Department on the basis of concern for protection of intellectual property or private commercial interest in the last five years.

The Department must comply with the legal requirements under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, since February 2025, the Procurement Act 2023 in taking forward all procurement exercises leading to the award of a contract to a supplier. Compliance is managed by a professional procurement official within the Department’s Commercial Directorate who is assigned to each procurement exercise. Business cases following the Government’s standard five-case model, setting out the strategic, economic/value for money, financial, commercial, and management case, are required for all procurements over £5 million. The Department’s Commercial Assurance Board (CAB) considers and approves high value, from £10 million to £30 million of capital or £50 million in revenue, business cases or high-risk commercial cases across the Department and its Arms’ Length Bodies. In addition, the CAB acts as commercial ‘keyholders’ for the business cases presented to the committees below, ensuring that commercial factors are considered when recommendations are made by:the Department of Health and Social Care Investment Committee;the Joint Department of Health and Social Care and NHS Investment Committee;the Joint Investment subcommittee; andthe Digital Investment subcommittee.Suppliers are invited to bid for contracts using the standard contract terms and conditions in use by the Department and across the Government. These include intellectual property (IP) clauses which grant the buyer a licence to use the supplier’s IP in the context of receiving and benefiting from the deliverables being bought. These typically allow sub-licensing under certain conditions and restrictions designed to avoid unfair exploitation of supplier IP. Standard terms and conditions are available on the GOV.UK website. By submitting a bid, suppliers are accepting the Department’s standard terms and conditions as set out above.

Whether his Department required any private commercial suppliers or delivery partners previously contracted to work on the New Hospital Programme to be excluded from working on the New Hospital Programme Review.

The review of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) was led by a Director from the NHP Sponsor team in the Department. They were supported by a number of officials from the NHP Sponsor team in the Department along with officials from NHS England, with input from the NHP’s interim commercial and delivery partners and officials in HM Treasury. The NHP developed the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis tool with support from its interim commercial and delivery partners.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to (a) support food redistribution and (b) reduce commercial food waste.

This Government recognises the environmental, economic and social benefits of preventing food waste and redistributing surplus. Defra's Food and Drink Waste Hierarchy outlines how all businesses should deal with food surplus and waste, preventing food surplus where possible and redistributing any surplus should it arise. Defra funds the UK Food and Drink Pact, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste, managed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Through the Pact, we support the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, which provides a toolkit to help businesses identify their surplus and waste and take steps to reduce it. This approach enables food businesses to reduce their food waste, and get more surplus to redistributors where it does arise. Defra also engages a working group of supply chain and redistribution sector organisations to develop best practice and overcome barriers to redistribution. In addition, a £15 million farm surplus fund, is aiming to increase the capacity and capability of the redistribution sector to ensure more farm surplus food gets to those who need it most rather than going to waste. This shall see an extra 17,000 tonnes of food waste diverted to redistribution charities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation similar to that introduced in France to reduce commercial food waste.

No assessment has been made of the merits of introducing legislation similar to that introduced in France to reduce commercial food waste. Defra recognises the environmental, economic and social benefits of preventing food waste and redistributing surplus. This Government has announced plans to publish a Circular Economy Strategy and is committed to transitioning to a circular economy – one that stimulates growth, reduces waste, and alleviates pressure on household bills. As this work is developed, we will consider the evidence for action and evaluate what interventions may be needed. This includes measures to prevent food waste and support surplus food redistribution.

On how many occasions his Department has withheld information due to the risk of prejudicing private commercial interest under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in this Parliament.

Since 5 July 2024 the Department has withheld information under section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on 120 occasions. We do not differentiate in our reporting whether information has been withheld specifically under section 43(1), 43(2), or 43(3) of the act, nor is it detailed whose commercial interests the exemption relates to. Statistics on the number of times specific Freedom of Information exemptions are used by the Department are published by Cabinet Office on a quarterly and annual basis, and are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

What steps his Department is taking to support the provision of emergency co-responders in (a) rural and (b) coastal areas.

The Government recognises the important contribution of co-responders in improving response times, particularly in hard-to-reach rural and coastal communities.The Department supports the provision of emergency co-responders in rural and coastal areas through the Community First Responders (CFR) programme, where volunteers are trained by the ambulance service to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work.Ambulance trusts are responsible, on an individual basis, for taking decisions on the capacity and support needed to deliver their services in their local areas.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of funding rape and sexual abuse support services.

The Government recognises the vital importance of rape and sexual abuse support services.NHS England funds sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) which provide crisis care, medical and forensic examinations and onward referral to other support services. NHS England spent £57.6m on SARCs in 2024/25. NHS England regions also commission voluntary sector organisations to support victims and survivors, totalling £4.5m in 2024/25.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to issue Remediable Service Statements to veterans under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 Remedy; and whether the deadline for non-complex cases remains December 2025.

The implementation of the McCloud Pension Remedy is one of the most complex initiatives ever undertaken across Public Sector Pension Schemes, impacting over three million individuals. Within the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, the scale and technical complexity of delivery have unfortunately led to delays in issuing Remedial Service Statements to some members. The Ministry of Defence acknowledges these challenges and is actively working to overcome them. It remains fully committed to ensuring that all affected members receive their statements as swiftly as possible, with a firm deadline of 31 March 2026. Regular updates on the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 Remedy are available on GOV.UK via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#pension-remedy

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58827 on Trandolapril, for what reason does Trandolapril continue to be unavailable to patients.

Trandolapril capsules are supplied by two suppliers in the United Kingdom, who are both continuing to experience manufacturing issues. We are unable to confirm a resupply date currently due to these ongoing issues. The Department has issued comprehensive management plans to the National Health Service, which we continue to review. These include advice on alternatives, and how to manage affected patients.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support the provision of emergency co-responders in (a) rural and (b) coastal areas.

Collaboration between emergency services has a vital role to play in keeping the public safe in a way that optimises efficiency and effectiveness. However, it is for local emergency service providers to decide what collaborative activities will best serve their communities’ needs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports that Israeli naval units intercepted vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza given international maritime law; and what representations her Department has made to the Government of Israel on the matter.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 October to Question 77868.

With reference to the Children and Families Act 2014 section 37, whether her Department has sought legal advice on the legal right to special educational provision.

This government’s ambition is that every child or young person receives the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child or young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.As part of our Plan for Change, we are determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore parents’ trust by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate to crisis point.We will continue to engage with key stakeholders and seek the appropriate legal advice as we look to build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight. There will always be a legal right to the additional support that children with SEND need.

What methodology his Department used to determine the banding of New Hospital Programme schemes under the New Hospital Programme Review, published on 20 January 2025.

As set out in the Plan for Implementation, a multi-criteria decision support analysis (MCDA) tool was used to help prioritise schemes to support the development of funding options. Key data, including the criteria for clinical outcomes, deliverability, cost, and the estate conditions from each of the hospitals falling within the scope of the review, was inputted into the tool. The input data and scoring mechanism within the MCDA was reviewed by NHS England and Department colleagues to validate its appropriateness. The Plan for Implementation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationAs part of the analysis, schemes were prioritised into upper, middle, and lower third scoring, which was then stress tested using the professional expertise and judgment of clinical, programme, construction, and finance colleagues from within the New Hospital Programme (NHP), the Department, and NHS England, to identify and overlay other factors of concern into the final options by reviewing the output of the MCDA and completing a further degree of testing to validate the results.The Information Commissioner’s Office has determined that the Plan for Implementation provides a comprehensive explanation of how the MCDA tool was used in the NHP review. This decision notice is available at the following link:https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2025/08/ic-381127-f6x5/

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of virtual-reality based training programmes for armed forces personnel.

The Defence Systems Approach to Training (DSAT) is the Ministry of Defence’s framework for designing, delivering, and evaluating all training, including that which uses Virtual-Reality (VR). DSAT ensures that training is aligned with needs, is both effective and cost-efficient, and is operationally relevant. Each of the Services have plans to supplement live training with virtual training environments. The benefits are clear, although the blend varies on a case-by-case basis. The Royal Navy’s SPARTAN programme aims at modernising and improving the delivery of Royal Navy Collective Training from unit to Joint Battle Staff level through an enhanced Live-Virtual-Constructive simulation approach that incorporates the use of virtual training environments. The British Army has detailed plans to supplement live training with virtual training environments as part of a balanced and evidence-based approach. This is part of an integrated approach through its Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP). The Royal Air Force (RAF) uses blended live and virtual training as a matter of routine. The RAF’s Gladiator Distributed Synthetic Training Capability is already delivering for Air personnel, and its potential to help integrate across the war-fighting domains is now being pursued.

Whether his Department undertook stress testing in relation to the delivery schedule for the New Hospital Programme Schemes under the New Hospital Programme Review, published on 20 January 2025.

As set out in the Plan for Implementation, a multi-criteria decision support analysis (MCDA) tool was used to help prioritise schemes to support the development of funding options. Key data, including the criteria for clinical outcomes, deliverability, cost, and the estate conditions from each of the hospitals falling within the scope of the review, was inputted into the tool. The input data and scoring mechanism within the MCDA was reviewed by NHS England and Department colleagues to validate its appropriateness. The Plan for Implementation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationAs part of the analysis, schemes were prioritised into upper, middle, and lower third scoring, which was then stress tested using the professional expertise and judgment of clinical, programme, construction, and finance colleagues from within the New Hospital Programme (NHP), the Department, and NHS England, to identify and overlay other factors of concern into the final options by reviewing the output of the MCDA and completing a further degree of testing to validate the results.The Information Commissioner’s Office has determined that the Plan for Implementation provides a comprehensive explanation of how the MCDA tool was used in the NHP review. This decision notice is available at the following link:https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2025/08/ic-381127-f6x5/

How many applications for additional pharmacies were declined following a pharmaceutical needs assessment that identified a lack of need in each of the last five years.

Decisions on applications to open a new pharmacy are delegated from NHS England to National Health Service integrated care boards, and the Department does not hold data on how many applications were rejected or the reasons for these rejections. If a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) identifies a lack of need for a new pharmacy in the area, pharmacy contractors can still apply to open a pharmacy to provide benefits to the local communities that were not foreseen in the PNA.

What assessment, his Department has made of the accuracy of pharmaceutical needs assessments undertaken by local health and wellbeing boards.

Decisions on applications to open a new pharmacy are delegated from NHS England to National Health Service integrated care boards, and the Department does not hold data on how many applications were rejected or the reasons for these rejections. If a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) identifies a lack of need for a new pharmacy in the area, pharmacy contractors can still apply to open a pharmacy to provide benefits to the local communities that were not foreseen in the PNA.

How much funding the NHS plans to provide to help support patients who are victims of sexual violence in the 2025-26 financial year, excluding funding provided by the Ministry of Justice.

The National Health Service provides support for victims and survivors of sexual violence through a range of services including mental health services and sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) which provide crisis care, medical and forensic examinations and onward referral to other support services.Integrated care boards and NHS trusts commission support for patients who are victims of sexual violence, working in partnership with local authorities and police and crime commissioners. Figures on this local commissioning spend are not available nationally.At national level, NHS England spent £57.6 million on SARCs in 2024/25. In addition, NHS England regions commission voluntary sector organisations to support victims and survivors, totalling £4.5 million in 2024/25. Total funding for the current financial year will be published approximately 12 months following the financial year’s end and will detail accounts and actual spending.