Written questions by Shannon.

How many recorded incidents there have been involving scramblers in the last three years.

This information is not held in the format requested. NHS England publishes data on the cause of hospital admitted patient care activity. However, this does not distinguish between types of motorcycle vehicles. The following able shows the number of Finished Admission Episodes in each of the past three financial years specifically for injuries to motorcycle riders and pedestrians hit by motorcycles: External cause2022/232023/242024/25Pedestrian injured in collision with two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle346345377Motorcycle rider injured in collision with pedestrian or animal9990115Motorcycle rider injured in collision with pedal cycle193842Motorcycle rider injured in collision with two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle305253286Motorcycle rider injured in collision with car, pick-up truck or van2,9903,1043,211Motorcycle rider injured in collision with heavy transport vehicle or bus9797119Motorcycle rider injured in collision with railway train or railway vehicle323Motorcycle rider injured in collision with other nonmotor vehicle211817Motorcycle rider injured in collision with fixed or stationary object806876946Motorcycle rider injured in noncollision transport accident3,6343,7894,057Motorcycle rider injured in other and unspecified transport accidents802812884Total8,7769,0799,680Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity, available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activityNote: this may not cover all incidents in which a motorcycle rider or pedestrian is injured, as these could also be recorded under more general transport-related causes such as: “Motor- or nonmotor-vehicle accident, type of vehicle unspecified”. This also does not include any admissions due to injuries in other vehicles which were involved in a collision with a motorcycle.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of biopsy waiting times.

From February 2026, the percentage of histopathology cases reported within ten days will be published at national, regional, integrated care board, and National Health Service trust levels. These histopathology cases will include biopsies in the overall figures, but data is not collected by test type.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of vaccine uptake in schools.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors uptake of childhood and adolescent vaccinations via the school-based programmes and publishes this in annual coverage reports. Uptake across the programmes has shown a decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, with some evidence of stabilisation during the academic year 2023/24. The reports are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptakeNHS England, in conjunction with regional colleagues, has produced a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination school-aged immunisation improvement and uptake plan for internal operational National Health Service use, as part of their commitment to improving vaccine coverage.In addition, NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.

How many children in the UK have Kawasaki Disease.

NHS England holds records of hospital activity, and not the number of patients who have a particular condition. Therefore, the number indicated from hospital admissions gives an indication since Kawasaki disease is treated in hospital. Between the years 2020 to 2025, 2,188 patients aged between zero to 17 years old were admitted with a primary diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. The National Disease Registration Service does not hold data on Kawasaki disease. NHS England estimates approximately eight in every 100,000 children develop Kawasaki disease in the United Kingdom each year. The NHS England Kawasaki disease page also includes information on symptoms, diagnosis, management, as well as links for further support, and is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kawasaki-disease/

What steps are being taken to improve NHS community care.

Community health services are a fundamental part of the health and care system and an essential building block in developing a neighbourhood health service.Neighbourhood health provides the unifying framework that brings together what is already underway, across primary care, community services, urgent care, prevention, digital, estates and population health, into a single, coherent model focused on improved access, experiences, and outcomes.It will bring more care into local communities, work to create and convene partnerships with other professionals from different organisations into teams aligned around the needs of the individual, reduce service fragmentation, and shift the focus of whole systems towards the prevention of ill health.For the first time, we have set a target for systems to work to reduce long waits for community health services in NHS England’s Medium Term Planning Framework. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services in line with targets for elective care.In addition, NHS England’s recently published Standardising Community Health Services will support improved commissioning and delivery of community health services, helping to ensure the best use of funding to meet local needs and priorities.

How many dentists are on the NHS register that specialise in treating children with special needs.

Community dental services (CDS) are commissioned on a local basis by integrated care boards and provide care to adults and children who may have difficulty accessing high street dental services due to their social, medical, or dental needs. This may include children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).NHS England published findings from its December 2024 dental workforce data collection on 17 July 2025, including a community dental subset. Approximately 640 dentists working within CDS services in England submitted a return. However, not all CDS provision is covered by the General Dental Services contracts or Personal Dental Services agreements in scope of the data collection. Consequently, this does not constitute a full picture of staff providing CDS in the National Health Service in England.Children and young people with SEND may not require care in CDS and some will instead be seen in high street dental practices.

How many NHS dentists per capita are there in England; and how many there were in January 2021.

In 2024/25, there were 41.9 dentists per 100,000 people in England who performed some National Health Service work. This equates to 0.00042 dentists per person, or per capita. For January 2021, there were 42.1 dentists per 100,000 people who performed some NHS work, which also rounds to 0.00042 dentists per person, or per capita.

How many tonsillectomies were carried out on children in each of the last five years.

A count of finished consultant episodes in England for children aged zero to 17 years old with a primary or secondary procedure of tonsillectomy from 2020/21 to 2024/25 is as follows:between 2020/21 there were 9,706 procedures;between 2021/22 there were 16,914 procedures;between 2022/23 there were 21,348 procedures;between 2023/24 there were 24,807 procedures; andbetween 2024/25 there were 31,000 procedures.The increase in the number of procedures carried out each year between 2020/21 and 2024/25 reflects the National Health Service’s ongoing work to recover elective activity following the disruption caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic and represents a return to pre-pandemic levels of treatment.

How many women in England and Wales are awaiting specialised endometriosis care.

The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of women in England and Wales awaiting specialised endometriosis care. In England, the waiting list for gynaecology care stands at 575,986. This is a reduction of 19,979 since the Government came into office.The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, including endometriosis care. Action to improve endometriosis care includes commissioning researching focussed on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and pain, and expanding the number of dedicated and protected surgical hubs, of which gynaecology procedures are a key offering. From 2027, a new “online hospital”, NHS Online, will also offer patients the choice to access specialist care from home. Menstrual problems potentially indicating endometriosis or fibroids from home will be among the conditions NHS Online initially focuses on, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times.

Pursuant to the answer of 22 December 2025 to question 99733, whether his Department has conducted analysis of the drivers for the 121,506 hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2024-25; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of improved outpatient and secondary care management on reducing avoidable admissions.

The Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the drivers of hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for 2024/25. In general, COPD is commonly worsened by smoking, occupational exposure, and poor air quality, and exacerbations are often triggered by respiratory infections including flu, pneumococcal disease, and COVID‑19.There are a range of measures in place to help reduce preventable COPD admissions. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill represents the most significant public health intervention since the 2007 indoor smoking ban and will support our ambition for a smokefree United Kingdom. The Department is also working across Government to tackle air pollution and address poor housing conditions including damp and mould. The National Health Service is running winter vaccination campaigns against key respiratory infections including COVID-19, flu and pneumococcal disease, which can trigger COPD. Further, pulmonary rehabilitation is a proven intervention that improves symptoms and reduces hospital admissions for people with COPD. NHS England’s commissioning standards ensure services are high quality, equitable, and reduce health inequalities.More broadly, our 10-Year Health plan sets out the new neighbourhood health model to expand urgent care at home and in the community, which will reduce unnecessary hospital visits and admissions, thereby improving patient experience. To enable this, and deliver faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment, access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is growing and will continue to do so as more sites come online. The first five months of 2025/26 saw an increase in CDC spirometry testing of approximately 2,000 tests per month more than in the previous year.Regarding readmissions, the information is not publicly available in the format requested. NHS England publishes annual data on the total number of readmissions in England within 30 days for 2024/25, but this is not broken down by diagnosis. This information can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/compendium-emergency-readmissions/current

How many people have been referred to Weightloss clinics within the last year.

The National Health Service and local government provide a range of services to help people living with overweight and obesity to manage their weight.Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health services within their area in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance. This includes specialist weight management services, or weight loss clinics, for those living with severe obesity and associated health conditions.The National Obesity Audit (NOA) aims to bring together existing comparable data from the different types of weight management services across England in order to drive improvement for the benefit of those living with overweight and obesity. Responsibility for the management and collection of referral data sits at a local system level, and not all providers of weight management services are submitting data into the NOA at present. It is therefore not possible to state how many people have been referred to weight loss clinics within the last year.NHS England continues to develop the NOA with the aim of ensuring it will provide a comprehensive picture of activity, access to services, and health outcomes of patients using weight management services across England.

Pursuant to the answer of 22 December 2025 to question 99733, how many of those admissions were readmissions within (a) 30 and (b) 90 days of initial hospitalisation.

The Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the drivers of hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for 2024/25. In general, COPD is commonly worsened by smoking, occupational exposure, and poor air quality, and exacerbations are often triggered by respiratory infections including flu, pneumococcal disease, and COVID‑19.There are a range of measures in place to help reduce preventable COPD admissions. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill represents the most significant public health intervention since the 2007 indoor smoking ban and will support our ambition for a smokefree United Kingdom. The Department is also working across Government to tackle air pollution and address poor housing conditions including damp and mould. The National Health Service is running winter vaccination campaigns against key respiratory infections including COVID-19, flu and pneumococcal disease, which can trigger COPD. Further, pulmonary rehabilitation is a proven intervention that improves symptoms and reduces hospital admissions for people with COPD. NHS England’s commissioning standards ensure services are high quality, equitable, and reduce health inequalities.More broadly, our 10-Year Health plan sets out the new neighbourhood health model to expand urgent care at home and in the community, which will reduce unnecessary hospital visits and admissions, thereby improving patient experience. To enable this, and deliver faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment, access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is growing and will continue to do so as more sites come online. The first five months of 2025/26 saw an increase in CDC spirometry testing of approximately 2,000 tests per month more than in the previous year.Regarding readmissions, the information is not publicly available in the format requested. NHS England publishes annual data on the total number of readmissions in England within 30 days for 2024/25, but this is not broken down by diagnosis. This information can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/compendium-emergency-readmissions/current

How many people have received Gastric Sleeve surgery in each of the last three years in England and Wales broken down by male and female.

Health is a devolved matter. The Department does not hold information on gastric band and gastric sleeve surgery in Wales.For England, the table below shows the number of gastric band and gastric sleeve surgeries undertaken between 2022 and 2025:Financial YearGastric BandGastric SleeveFemaleMaleOtherFemaleMaleOther2022-2350701,92846012023-2428802,443568182024-2517713,12266426 This analysis is based on Hospital Episode Statistics and includes all episodes in which a procedure for the insertion of a new gastric band or gastric sleeve is recorded. These figures do not directly represent the number of individual patients, as one person may have multiple episodes of care either within the same hospital stay or across different admissions during the year and/or over years.Data for gastric sleeve procedures also includes episodes where the sleeve is performed as part of wider surgery for a duodenal switch.

How many people have received Gastric band surgery in each of the last three years in England and Wales broken down by male and female.

Health is a devolved matter. The Department does not hold information on gastric band and gastric sleeve surgery in Wales.For England, the table below shows the number of gastric band and gastric sleeve surgeries undertaken between 2022 and 2025:Financial YearGastric BandGastric SleeveFemaleMaleOtherFemaleMaleOther2022-2350701,92846012023-2428802,443568182024-2517713,12266426 This analysis is based on Hospital Episode Statistics and includes all episodes in which a procedure for the insertion of a new gastric band or gastric sleeve is recorded. These figures do not directly represent the number of individual patients, as one person may have multiple episodes of care either within the same hospital stay or across different admissions during the year and/or over years.Data for gastric sleeve procedures also includes episodes where the sleeve is performed as part of wider surgery for a duodenal switch.

How many women have been prescribed GLP1 weight-loss injections on the NHS in the last year.

NHS Business Services Authority holds data on drugs that have been submitted for reimbursement from English dispensing contractors in community settings. Patient information has been captured where possible. No data about the clinical indication for a prescription can be captured.The following table provides the total number of identified patients who were dispensed injectable medicines listed in the NHS Obesity Guidance and licenced for the use of weight loss management, between December 2024 and November 2025, regardless of where prescribed:ProductsMale patientsFemale patientsInjectable weight loss medication146,900163,400

How many men have been prescribed GLP1 weight-loss injections on the NHS in the last 12 months.

NHS Business Services Authority holds data on drugs that have been submitted for reimbursement from English dispensing contractors in community settings. Patient information has been captured where possible. No data about the clinical indication for a prescription can be captured.The following table provides the total number of identified patients who were dispensed injectable medicines listed in the NHS Obesity Guidance and licenced for the use of weight loss management, between December 2024 and November 2025, regardless of where prescribed:ProductsMale patientsFemale patientsInjectable weight loss medication146,900163,400

How much funding he plans to provide for the NHS in each of the next three financial years.

At the 2025 Spending Review, HM Treasury announced that the National Health Service would receive £204.9 billion in 2026/27, £215.4 billion in 2027/28, and £226.1 billion in 2028/29. Further information on the 2025 Spending Review is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document/spending-review-2025-html

What steps are being taken to encourage more women to get smear tests.

The Government is committed to eliminating cervical cancer by 2040 through improved uptake of cervical screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England.From early 2026, under-screened women will be offered a home testing kit, starting with those who are the most overdue for screening. This will help tackle deeply entrenched barriers that keep some away from life-saving screening.New digital services will support screening participants to manage their screening appointments via the NHS App as well as delivering new, artificial intelligence ready services for staff, freeing up their time to focus on care.NHS England is launching its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week.We are delivering screening in any primary care setting, including sexual health clinics, rather than just at general practices. This includes evenings and on weekends.

What assessment has been made on trends of indoor air pollution.

The Air Quality Expert Group state that there is a challenge of establishing overall trends in indoor air pollution due to limited monitoring and heterogeneity of indoor environments.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is actively addressing this evidence gap through its involvement in two research hubs, headed by UK Research and Innovation and the Medical Research Council, the Child and Adolescent Health Impacts of Learning Indoor Environments under Net Zero Hub, also known as the CHILI, Hub, and the Indoor HABItability during the Transition to Net Zero Housing Hub, also known as the INHABIT, Hub. In addition, the UKHSA contributes to the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Health Protection Research Unit on Climate Change and Health Security Theme on Healthy Indoor Environments. Collectively these projects aim to strengthen the evidence base on the impact of climate change policies on indoor exposure to air pollution and will include monitoring of indoor environments.

What steps his Department are taking to ensure that there is adequate funding of sexual health services.

The Department provides funding for sexual health services through the Public Health Grant, which is allocated to local authorities in England. Sexual health is one of a number of public health services funded through the Public Health Grant, and the Department does not specify how much is spent on sexual health specifically. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning sexual health services to meet the needs of their populations.In 2025/26 the Public Health Grant, which funds Sexual and Reproductive Health services, rose to £3.884 billion. This was a cash increase of £224 million compared to 24/25, providing local authorities with an average 6.1% cash increase.We will continue to invest in local authorities' vital public health work, providing over £13.4 billion over the next three years through a consolidated ringfenced Public Health Grant. This will support vital local health services, including sexual health services.