Written questions by Naish.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.

Government dietary advice is depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, and information is available through NHS.UK website.Government advice encourages the consumption of milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, or dairy alternatives, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Government advice highlights that milk and dairy foods, including yoghurt, are good sources of protein, calcium, and some vitamins, but are also a source of saturated fat. It also notes that for older children and adults, eating too much fat can contribute to excess energy intakes, leading to becoming overweight. It also notes that there is evidence that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with raised blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. Advice is therefore to choose lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products, including yoghurt, where possible, or to eat smaller amounts of fuller-fat varieties in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet. It is also recommended to choose yoghurts or fromage frais that have no added sugars or are low in added sugar. Government recommendations do not provide a frequency of consumption for milk and dairy products.United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 report, Feeding young children aged one to five years, the SACN recommended that current UK dietary recommendations, including those for dairy products, such as yoghurt, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, should apply from around the age of two years old, with some exceptions, including that dairy products, such as yoghurts and fromage frais, given to children aged one to five years old should ideally be unsweetened.Up to the age of two years old, the current UK recommendation is that children can be given pasteurised full-fat cheeses and dairy products, including yoghurt, from the age of six months. After the age of two years old, it is recommended to introduce lower-fat dairy products.No assessment has been made of the impact of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including daily recommendations on yoghurt intake in dietary guidelines.

Government dietary advice is depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, and information is available through NHS.UK website.Government advice encourages the consumption of milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, or dairy alternatives, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Government advice highlights that milk and dairy foods, including yoghurt, are good sources of protein, calcium, and some vitamins, but are also a source of saturated fat. It also notes that for older children and adults, eating too much fat can contribute to excess energy intakes, leading to becoming overweight. It also notes that there is evidence that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with raised blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. Advice is therefore to choose lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products, including yoghurt, where possible, or to eat smaller amounts of fuller-fat varieties in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet. It is also recommended to choose yoghurts or fromage frais that have no added sugars or are low in added sugar. Government recommendations do not provide a frequency of consumption for milk and dairy products.United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 report, Feeding young children aged one to five years, the SACN recommended that current UK dietary recommendations, including those for dairy products, such as yoghurt, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, should apply from around the age of two years old, with some exceptions, including that dairy products, such as yoghurts and fromage frais, given to children aged one to five years old should ideally be unsweetened.Up to the age of two years old, the current UK recommendation is that children can be given pasteurised full-fat cheeses and dairy products, including yoghurt, from the age of six months. After the age of two years old, it is recommended to introduce lower-fat dairy products.No assessment has been made of the impact of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.

Whether he has set a timetable to ensure that people harmed by Valproate receive their Interim Payment, as recommended by the Patient Safety Commissioner in the report entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.

What recent guidance his Department has issued on the (a) nutritional value of and (b) recommended intake of yoghurt for (i) children and (ii) young people.

Government dietary advice is depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, and information is available through NHS.UK website.Government advice encourages the consumption of milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, or dairy alternatives, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Government advice highlights that milk and dairy foods, including yoghurt, are good sources of protein, calcium, and some vitamins, but are also a source of saturated fat. It also notes that for older children and adults, eating too much fat can contribute to excess energy intakes, leading to becoming overweight. It also notes that there is evidence that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with raised blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. Advice is therefore to choose lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products, including yoghurt, where possible, or to eat smaller amounts of fuller-fat varieties in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet. It is also recommended to choose yoghurts or fromage frais that have no added sugars or are low in added sugar. Government recommendations do not provide a frequency of consumption for milk and dairy products.United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 report, Feeding young children aged one to five years, the SACN recommended that current UK dietary recommendations, including those for dairy products, such as yoghurt, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, should apply from around the age of two years old, with some exceptions, including that dairy products, such as yoghurts and fromage frais, given to children aged one to five years old should ideally be unsweetened.Up to the age of two years old, the current UK recommendation is that children can be given pasteurised full-fat cheeses and dairy products, including yoghurt, from the age of six months. After the age of two years old, it is recommended to introduce lower-fat dairy products.No assessment has been made of the impact of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.

What discussions his department has had with HM Treasury on funding for the delivery of the recommendations in the Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) parents and (b) carers reading to young children on the mental wellbeing of (i) children, (ii) parents and (iii) carers.

No such assessment has been made. We know that, according to research, reading helps to reduce stress levels and could be beneficial to mental health and well-being.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling dental assistants to perform dental procedures under supervision.

We support making the best use of the range of skills held by dental teams so that they work to their full scope of practice. This enables clinicians to deliver more complex care and reduce delays for patients.The General Dental Council’s (GDC) Scope of Practice guidance sets out the areas in which dental professionals have the knowledge, skills, and experience to practise safely and effectively in the best interests of patients. NHS England’s guidance of January 2023 further sets out that dental therapists and dental hygienists can open and close National Health Service courses of treatment and provide direct access to NHS care within the GDC’s guidance.We are holding a roundtable with dental care professionals on 10 July 2025 where we will listen to feedback about the implementation of recent reforms to increase the scope of practice for dental therapists and hygienists, and the potential for making better use of their skills in future.

What steps he is taking to reduce hospital backlogs in Nottinghamshire.

Tackling waiting lists is a key priority for the Government, including in Nottinghamshire. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an additional two million appointments, tests, and operations, having delivered 3.6 million more since July. As announced in the Spending Review, annual National Health Service day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms from 2023/24, taking spending to £226 billion by 2028/29.Waiting lists are expected to reduce significantly over the Spending Review period, as the Government works towards delivery of the Plan for Change commitment that 92% of patients will start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral by the end of Parliament.This is supported by record capital investment for health which will help to repair NHS estates, enable productivity improvements, and deliver additional capacity, as well as the Government’s Elective Reform Plan, published in January. The plan includes wide ranging reforms to improve patients’ access to and experience of care, from reducing unnecessary appointments to faster and more local diagnostics.Community diagnostic centres (CDC) are providing a broad range of elective diagnostics away from acute facilities, reducing pressure on hospitals and giving patients quicker and more convenient access to tests. Both the Nottingham City CDC and the Mansfield CDC are already delivering key diagnostic tests ahead of opening new facilities in 2026.It is encouraging to see that local systems, including the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, are taking action to make efficiencies and improve productivity, including through their digital workstream and improvements to the estate. We look forward to following progress and seeing real benefits for patients.

What steps his Department is taking to support GPs in Nottinghamshire to spend more time with patients.

The Government is determined to ensure that general practitioners (GPs) are able to spend more time doing what they do best, spending time with their patients.That’s why, in October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 1,700 newly qualified GPs across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. We delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an £889 million uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources. We have also announced that over £100 million of funding will be used to unlock new capacity in over 1,000 GP surgeries, which will enable more appointments. We have launched a Red Tape Challenge, and scrapped unnecessary targets in our new GP Contract, to cut down on bureaucracy and free up time to spend with patients.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce A&E waiting times in Nottinghamshire.

The Government recognises that urgent and emergency care performance has fallen short in recent years and is committed to restoring accident and emergency waiting times to the NHS Constitutional standard across England, including in Nottinghamshire.Our new Urgent and Emergency care plan, published on 6 June, sets out a fundamental shift in the approach to urgent and emergency care. It will drive collaboration across the system to deliver improvements for patients this year, backed by nearly £450 million of capital investment.The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will be published later this summer, setting out major National Health Service reforms moving healthcare from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

What steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to make cancer diagnoses in Nottinghamshire.

We will reduce cancer waiting times so that patients are diagnosed and treated faster, including patients in Nottinghamshire.We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, and we have now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster diagnosis.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including in Nottinghamshire, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. It will ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. These actions will help bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Almost million more pupils get access to mental health support, published on 16 May 2025, whether the mental health support measures for young people will apply up to the age of 18.

Mental health support teams cover school pupils and further education learners, including those up to the age of 18 years old.They work directly with school and college staff, alongside National Health Services, to provide professional advice, easing the pressure on school staff and allowing them to help young people get the right support and stay in education.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the white paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, on the provision of a satisfactory standard of social care.

The immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, was collectively agreed across Government, and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821f334ced319d02c906103/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-web-optimised.pdfIn the technical annex, published alongside the White Paper, the Home Office has estimated an annual reduction of approximately 7,000 main applicants as a result of ending overseas recruitment for care workers and senior care workers. This is based on their internal management information for entry visas granted covering the period March 2024 to February 2025. This estimate reflects that there was a drop in visa grants of more than 90% compared with the 12 months ending in March 2024, when more than 83,000 entry visas were granted to care workers and senior care workers. The analysis in the technical annex will be refined and included within the relevant impact assessments accompanying the rule changes, as appropriate. The technical annex is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821b49bdb6463b14cd8189c/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-technical-annex.pdfAs set out in the immigration White Paper, visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country and with working rights will be permitted for a transition period until 2028. This will be kept under review.DHSC are providing up to £12.5m to regional partnerships in 2025/26 to respond to unethical international recruitment practices in the adult social care sector. This includes supporting international recruits impacted by sponsor licence revocations to find alternative employment.Care workers are essential to those who draw on care and support, helping them to maintain their quality of life, independence, and connection to the things that matter to them. In England, as per the Care Act 2014, it is the responsibility of local government to develop a market that delivers a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, that will be available to their communities. English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.The Department continues to monitor adult social care workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025 on social care.

The immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, was collectively agreed across Government, and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821f334ced319d02c906103/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-web-optimised.pdfIn the technical annex, published alongside the White Paper, the Home Office has estimated an annual reduction of approximately 7,000 main applicants as a result of ending overseas recruitment for care workers and senior care workers. This is based on their internal management information for entry visas granted covering the period March 2024 to February 2025. This estimate reflects that there was a drop in visa grants of more than 90% compared with the 12 months ending in March 2024, when more than 83,000 entry visas were granted to care workers and senior care workers. The analysis in the technical annex will be refined and included within the relevant impact assessments accompanying the rule changes, as appropriate. The technical annex is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821b49bdb6463b14cd8189c/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-technical-annex.pdfAs set out in the immigration White Paper, visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country and with working rights will be permitted for a transition period until 2028. This will be kept under review.DHSC are providing up to £12.5m to regional partnerships in 2025/26 to respond to unethical international recruitment practices in the adult social care sector. This includes supporting international recruits impacted by sponsor licence revocations to find alternative employment.Care workers are essential to those who draw on care and support, helping them to maintain their quality of life, independence, and connection to the things that matter to them. In England, as per the Care Act 2014, it is the responsibility of local government to develop a market that delivers a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, that will be available to their communities. English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.The Department continues to monitor adult social care workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.

When he plans to provide a timeline for responding to the recommendations of the Valproate Redress Campaign.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the absence of a (a) compensation and (b) redress scheme on the (i) long-term planning and (ii) care provision for families impacted by in utero exposure to sodium valproate.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

Whether his Department plans to expand the emergency department bloodborne virus opt-out testing programme to (a) King’s Mill Hospital, (b) Lincoln County Hospital, (c) Pilgrim Hospital and (d) other sites in the East Midlands.

The Emergency Department opt-out testing programme will continue to test individuals for bloodborne viruses, including HIV and viral hepatitis, in line with committed funding plans.None of the funding already committed has been removed from sites offering opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. NHS England is currently reviewing its budgetary position, with a view to determining whether funding can be made available to extend the provision of opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. In particular, NHS England is reviewing this for sites whose committed funding will end during 2025.

Whether his Department plans to (a) reinstate and (b) extend funding for opt-out testing for Hepatitis B and C in A&Es.

The Emergency Department opt-out testing programme will continue to test individuals for bloodborne viruses, including HIV and viral hepatitis, in line with committed funding plans.None of the funding already committed has been removed from sites offering opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. NHS England is currently reviewing its budgetary position, with a view to determining whether funding can be made available to extend the provision of opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. In particular, NHS England is reviewing this for sites whose committed funding will end during 2025.

If his Department will take steps to (a) implement and (b) enforce the Accessible Information Standard for organisations that provide (i) NHS care and (ii) publicly-funded adult social care.

Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. The AIS conformance criteria, published in 2016, set out how organisations should comply with the AIS, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/patient-equalities-programme/equality-frameworks-and-information-standards/accessibleinfo/resources/assess-conformance/The responsibility for monitoring compliance with the AIS sits with the commissioner of the service.NHS England has been undertaking a review of the AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. A self-assessment framework has been developed to support providers of NHS and social care services to measure their performance against the AIS, and develop improvement action plans to address gaps in implementation. The Care Quality Commission takes the AIS into account when regulating health and social care services, considering whether people using the services have accessible communications, in line with the relevant regulations, as set out in their assessment framework.A revised AIS will be published in due course. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force and therefore there should not be a gap in provision for people using services. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication, and engagement, and with a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using these services.Section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022, once commenced, and if Parliament agrees to the procedural regulations, would make compliance with information standards mandatory for health and care providers, and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care would be responsible for enforcement, with appropriate support from NHS England. A programme of work has been set up to ensure readiness for the publication of mandatory information standards, including ensuring compliance functions are in place.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating further funding for research into improving treatments for PANS and PANDAS.

We recognise that more research is necessary to understand the multiple factors leading to pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS), and to understand how best to raise awareness among healthcare professionals on how to diagnose these conditions and support affected children and their families.The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including conditions such as PANS and PANDAS.In October 2024, a project led by NIHR BioResource announced a partnership with PANS PANDA UK to delve further into immune conditions and mental health, and how to raise awareness of these neuropsychiatric conditions.