Written questions by Shannon.

What progress his Department has made on meeting the 18-week treatment targets set out in the Elective Reform Plan.

The Government is committed to returning, by March 2029, to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment (RTT). NHS England’s Operational Planning Guidance for 2025/26 set a target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement on current performance over that period. To achieve this interim March 2026 target, we expect the size of the total waiting list to reduce. We have already made significant progress on this. As of October 2025, the waiting list had reduced by over 225,000 since the Government came into office, and performance against the RTT standard has improved by 2.9%, reaching 61.8%. This has been supported by the delivery of 5.2 million additional appointments between July 2024 and June 2025 compared to the previous year, more than double the Government’s pledge of two million. This marks a vital First Step towards delivering the constitutional standard.

Whether he is taking steps to increase access to weight loss jabs for more long-term conditions.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 November 2025 to Question 89687.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help encourage the use of local food supply chains.

The food strategy recognises the key role that regional and local food systems can play in supporting delivery of the growth, health, sustainability, and food security / resilience outcomes. Defra wants to create an environment that champions UK food cultures and celebrates British food.

When he plans to announce the next phase of modern service frameworks.

Early priorities for Modern Service Frameworks will include cardiovascular disease, sepsis, severe mental illness and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. As advised by the National Quality Board, the Government will consider other conditions for future phases of MSFs and has recently announced an MSF on palliative and end-of-life care.

How many under 30s have been prescribed medication for depression.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) does not collect data on the clinical indication of a prescription. Given this, it is not possible to deduce which prescriptions were prescribed for depression. Many drugs have multiple uses, for example, some drugs that are classified as antidepressants can be issued to treat migraine, chronic pain, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and a range of other conditions.The NHS BSA publishes statistics on mental health, which includes British National Formulary section 4.3 ‘Antidepressants drugs’, prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands.The following table shows the number of ‘unique patients’ in the latest quarterly statistics July-September 2025, aged 29 years old and under that were prescribed and dispensed antidepressants:Time periodTotal number of unique patientsJuly to September 2025768,961Source: Medicines Used in Mental Health – England, published by NHS England, available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/medicines-used-mental-health-england

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a standardised consent process for NHS neurosurgical procedures involving tissue resection with specific consent for storage, disposal and future use of tissue removed.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a standardised consent process for National Health Service neurosurgical procedures involving tissue resection with specific consent for storage, disposal, and future use of the tissue removed, or extending the opt-in consent model used in fertility preservation services to the storage and future use of brain tissue and other tissue samples removed during neurosurgery.However, it is a general legal and ethical principle that valid consent must be obtained from an individual before starting a treatment or physical intervention, including neurosurgical procedures. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring patients, and their families after the patient has died, are fully informed about their rights, options, and choices regarding the storage and future use of their tissue samples and that their wishes are respected.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the opt-in consent model used in fertility preservation services to the storage and future use of brain tissue and other tissue samples removed during neurosurgery.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a standardised consent process for National Health Service neurosurgical procedures involving tissue resection with specific consent for storage, disposal, and future use of the tissue removed, or extending the opt-in consent model used in fertility preservation services to the storage and future use of brain tissue and other tissue samples removed during neurosurgery.However, it is a general legal and ethical principle that valid consent must be obtained from an individual before starting a treatment or physical intervention, including neurosurgical procedures. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring patients, and their families after the patient has died, are fully informed about their rights, options, and choices regarding the storage and future use of their tissue samples and that their wishes are respected.

If he will review the arrangements governing families of patients' access to stored brain tumour tissue after the patient has died.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a standardised consent process for National Health Service neurosurgical procedures involving tissue resection with specific consent for storage, disposal, and future use of the tissue removed, or extending the opt-in consent model used in fertility preservation services to the storage and future use of brain tissue and other tissue samples removed during neurosurgery.However, it is a general legal and ethical principle that valid consent must be obtained from an individual before starting a treatment or physical intervention, including neurosurgical procedures. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring patients, and their families after the patient has died, are fully informed about their rights, options, and choices regarding the storage and future use of their tissue samples and that their wishes are respected.

What information his Department holds on the number of people currently on a waiting list for a kidney transplant.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for organ donation in the United Kingdom. It also manages the NHS Organ Donor Register and national transplant waiting list.As of 17 December 2025, there were 7,119 patients registered as active on the kidney transplant list. Of the 7,119 registered patients, 6,734 were registered as requiring kidney only, as the other 385 patients were registered as requiring kidney and another organ.NHSBT publishes weekly updates on the transplant waiting list at the following link:https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/about-organ-donation/statistics-about-organ-donation/

How many schools in England are fitted with evacuation chairs.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. Decisions on the provision and use of evacuation chairs should be made locally and on a case-by-case basis, based on the individual’s needs and preferences and their building’s evacuation plan requirements. The responsible body (the relevant local authority, academy trust or voluntary-aided body) is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of all the occupants of their buildings. Under fire safety legislation, those responsible for the building must ensure that everyone can leave safely in the event of a fire. Schools and colleges have a duty under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments for individuals with limited mobility. Anyone requiring assistance should therefore have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) in place. The government’s guidance is clear that, where a PEEP of a student or member of staff requires an evacuation chair, it must be provided.

How many people have been admitted into hospitals with Flu A in the last 14 days.

The information is not available in the format requested, as NHS England does not publish short-term counts of hospital admissions for Flu A specifically.The UK Health Security Agency does publish the national weekly hospital admission rate for influenza hospitalisations. In the week commencing 1 December 2025, the national weekly hospital admission rate for influenza hospitalisations was 10.05 per 100,000, an increase from 8.09 per 100,000 in the previous week. This information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-report-11-december-2025-week-50

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Pakistan.

The Minister of State for International Development discussed the humanitarian situation in Pakistan during her visit to the country in early December. In a press release following her trip, she said: "Pakistan is also a country suffering the devastating consequences of climate change, with extreme flooding putting lives at risk, stifling economic growth, and damaging key infrastructure. British expertise will help Pakistan strengthen its adaptation to climate change, its resilience to extreme weather events, and the speed of its response and recovery when crises occur."

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support people in improving digital skills.

In February 2025 we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which set out the first five actions the Government is taking to boost digital inclusion across the UK. This includes expanding opportunities for digital upskilling and strengthening support for the Essential Digital Skills framework, which helps individuals and employers understand and build the digital skills needed for work and everyday life. As part of the Action Plan, DSIT launched an 11.9m Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, supporting 85 projects across England, and with funding allocated to devolved governments to support further projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Through the Government’s digital entitlement, eligible adults can access fully funded essential digital skills courses and qualifications, supporting people to get online safely and confidently, improve their employability, and access public services. To increase awareness and take-up, DSIT have also launched marketing activity running as part of DfE’s ‘Skills for Life’ campaign, working with partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors.Alongside this, DSIT is delivering the £187 million TechFirst programme that will support over 4,000 domestic graduates, researchers and innovators and engage 1 million students in digital skills and AI learning. These measures support people at all stages of life to develop the digital skills they need to participate fully in the digital economy and society.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has made representations to the Government of Bahrain on the detention and health of Hassan Mushaima and Abduljalil al-Singace.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 15 July in response to Question HL8922, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:The UK regularly engages with the Government of Bahrain and, where appropriate, the independent oversight bodies on a range of human rights and governance matters - those with broader societal impact and individual cases. This has included the cases of Abduljalil al-Singace and Hasan Mushaima. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of allegations that prisoners in Bahrain have been subject to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 15 July in response to Question HL8922, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:The UK regularly engages with the Government of Bahrain and, where appropriate, the independent oversight bodies on a range of human rights and governance matters - those with broader societal impact and individual cases. This has included the cases of Abduljalil al-Singace and Hasan Mushaima. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help tackle online abuse against young people.

The Online Safety Act contains robust provisions to protect young people from online abuse.Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must protect all users from illegal harassment and content and children from harmful content, including hateful and abusive content. These provisions are already in force, and Ofcom has robust enforcement powers for platforms who fail to fulfil their duties.The Act will also require the largest categorised services to offer adults user empowerment tools to enable them to reduce engagement with abusive content. Ofcom will be consulting on these user empowerment tools this year.We continually monitor the Act’s impact and effectiveness to ensure all users are protected online.

How many people are in receipt of high rate mobility PIP.

The requested information is available on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml). An account is not required to use Stat-Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.  Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore is also available here: Personal Independence Payment data on Stat-Xplore: user guide - GOV.UK.The relevant information can be found in the ‘PIP Cases with Entitlement from 2019’ dataset. Under ‘Geography’, select ‘National – Regional – LA – OAs’, and then choose ‘DWP policy ownership’. For claimants with an enhanced rate of Mobility award, expand ‘Mobility Award Status’ and select ‘Mobility Award – Enhanced’. You may also use the ‘Month’ filter to select any periods of interest; by default, it is set to the most recently available month.

How many people in the UK have been diagnosed with bladder cancer.

The Department does not hold data on cancer incidence for the United Kingdom. The latest data on bladder cancer incidence available, in England, can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2023

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the recent uptake of covid boosters.

COVID-19 vaccination uptake figures are published regularly during the spring and winter campaigns, as part of the National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report, available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to PET-CT procurement in England on diagnostic access for patients from Northern Ireland who rely on specialist capacity elsewhere in the UK.

NHS England is in the process of reprocuring some positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) services to replace current contracts that are due to expire at the end of March 2027. The geographies covered by the existing contracts will continue to be covered under the new arrangements, so no impact on diagnostic access is expected for patients from Northern Ireland who rely on specialist capacity elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The current arrangements for patients travelling to England for PET-CT and other treatments remains unchanged.