Written questions by Shannon.

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 people moved into the additional tax band in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.

The number of individuals moved into the additional rate of Income Tax is published in Table 3.19 of the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook, linked below:https://obr.uk/download/november-2025-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-detailed-forecast-tables-receipts/?tmstv=1768992333

If she will exempt people over 80 from self assessment for taxes.

Many pensioners will pay tax via PAYE and some will receive a Simple Assessments from HMRC. Generally only those with more complex affairs may need to do a Self Assessment. We have no plans to change this.

How many additional people will pay the higher income child benefit charge in this financial year.

Statistics on the number of people paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) are published each year as part of the Child Benefit Statistics annual release. The latest figures are available here: Child Benefit Statistics: annual release, August 2024 - GOV.UK The next release is due to be published this Spring. Figures are produced with a time lag due to Self-Assessment deadlines.

How many people paid the Higher Income Child Benefit Charge in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.

Statistics on the number of people paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) are published each year as part of the Child Benefit Statistics annual release. The latest figures are available here: Child Benefit Statistics: annual release, August 2024 - GOV.UK The next release is due to be published this Spring. Figures are produced with a time lag due to Self-Assessment deadlines.

How many children were entitled to free school meals in each of the last three years.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department publishes data on free school meal (FSM) eligibility and the number of eligible pupils taking FSMs on school census day in the annual Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics accredited official statistics, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.The latest figures were published in June 2025, and the next figures will be published in summer 2026.

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 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 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 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 children in England and Wales in primary school have a classroom assistant for part of their school day.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department does not hold data on whether a child has access to a teaching assistant full time or for part of their school day.Schools in England are asked to record the headcount and FTE of their teaching assistants. In the November 2024 school workforce census, there were a reported 288,800 teaching assistants (FTE).Information on the school workforce in England, including the number of teaching assistants in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication. The publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.These figures have been available since 5 June 2025.

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 many children are awaiting a statement of educational needs in England and Wales.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. The special educational needs and disability code of practice published in 2014 replaced all statements of special educational needs with education, health and care (EHC) plans. No new statements were issued and all existing statements were converted to EHC plans by 2019. The department does not hold data for the number of children and young people awaiting EHC plans. The number of children and young people for whom an EHC needs assessment was requested during 2024 and who are waiting for that assessment to be completed as of January 2025 is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/ce81a1c1-24b4-4157-fc02-08de55ac55be. The number of EHC needs assessments carried out during 2024, and the number where the outcome of that assessment is ongoing as of January 2025, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cee798f6-fb96-459e-ac19-08de532c2243. The figures are from the 2025 EHC plans publication, which is available at:: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025. These figures have been available since 26th June 2025.

How many children in England and Wales in primary school have a classroom assistant full time.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department does not hold data on whether a child has access to a teaching assistant full time or for part of their school day.Schools in England are asked to record the headcount and (FTE of their teaching assistants. In the November 2024 school workforce census, there were a reported 288,800 teaching assistants (FTE).Information on the school workforce in England, including the number of teaching assistants in state-funded schools, is published in the ’School workforce in England statistical publication. The publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.These figures have been available since 5 June 2025.