Written questions by Shannon.

Whether his Department has reviewed the rate of uptake of biologic medicines for severe asthma relative to the eligible population.

The Department has not conducted any such review, but this information is available via the NHS England Innovation Scorecard, which is published bi-annually.Across all disease areas, though the 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Government has commitment to reducing friction in the system to optimise access and uptake of new medicines so the most clinically and cost-effective can reach patients faster. These actions will speed up market access for new medicines and reduce local unwarranted variation in medicine use.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease receiving annual reviews.

Annual reviews, including reviews of medication, play a key role in the ongoing management of people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, as part of its guidance for the diagnosis and management of asthma and COPD The majority of patients with COPD and asthma are managed by general practitioners and members of the primary care team. The provision of annual reviews is incentivised in primary care through the Quality and Outcomes Framework. There are indicators for annual reviews for both COPD, namely COPD010,and asthma, namely AST007, within this framework.Further details on these indicators are available in the QOF guidance at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/quality-outcomes-framework-guidance-for-2025-26.pdf

Whether his Department has made an assessment of (a) trends in the level of variation in access to NICE-recommended biologic medicines for severe asthma.

No assessment has been made. NHS England is working with the health innovation networks and has formed the Respiratory Transformation Partnership. Focusing on improving the outcomes of people living with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), this programme seeks to find scalable ways to decrease premature mortality and bed occupancy from respiratory diseases. Initiatives will seek to improve disease recognition, optimise delivery of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved approaches at neighbourhood level, and uptake of existing and emerging biologic therapies.The current NHS England severe asthma service specification is being revised by the Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group. The current service specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/specialised-respiratory-services-adult-severe-asthma.pdfThe revised specification will support the management of patients who require further investigation and treatments including biological medicines. The specification will also be updated to reference the most recent clinical guidelines such as the British Thoracic Society, NICE, and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network asthma guideline covering diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children, and which is expected to improve outcomes for people with asthma and identify early those who require further investigation and treatments including biologic medicines. This guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng245

What assessment he has been made of the adequacy of national production capacity for PSMA radiotracers in the context of projected clinical demand for prostate cancer diagnosis.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radiotracers are commissioned for use as part of PET-CT prostate cancer imaging, as set out in the published clinical commissioning policy. Access to PET-CT, as with any healthcare service, is closely monitored.

Whether his Department plans to support the adoption of the a) Asthma Control Test and b) COPD Assessment Test as part of annual reviews for respiratory patients in primary care.

The Asthma Control Test and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test are accessible online for patients to use and the results can be taken to a general practice to help inform an annual assessment or other general practice appointment associated with these conditions.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of access to PSMA PET-CT imaging on regional and ethnic inequalities in prostate cancer diagnosis and outcomes.

The Department recognises that access to PSMA PET-CT imaging varies across England and that this may exacerbate existing disparities.NHS England has introduced a commissioning policy for PSMA PET-CT imaging for patients with high-risk or recurrent prostate cancer, and work is underway to expand capacity and improve resilience in diagnostic servicesTackling health inequalities remains a core priority. Through the Core20PLUS5 framework, NHS England is working to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis and equitable access to cancer services across England.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of health inequalities associated with a) asthma and b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is aware of the disproportionate impact that asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) have on deprived communities. The Government is acting on smoking, air pollution, and poor housing that will particularly benefit such communities.Smoking is the number one preventable cause of COPD. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be the biggest public health intervention since the 2007 indoor smoking ban and will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom.Poor air quality can exacerbate COPD and asthma. To address this, DHSC is working across Government with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to tackle air pollution, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to fix housing and reduce damp and mould. Infections can also exacerbate COPD and asthma, so the National Health Service is running winter vaccine campaigns against respiratory infections including COVID-19, flu, and pneumococcal disease.To enable faster diagnosis of asthma and COPD 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 2000 tests per month more than in the previous year.

How admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have changed since the start of the winter season; and what geographical variation there has been in those admissions.

The information requested is not collected centrally. NHS England publishes annual data on the number of admissions with a primary diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2024/25, there were 121,506 admissions. This data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2024-25NHS England also publishes winter situation reports, which are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/uec-sitrep/urgent-and-emergency-care-daily-situation-reports-2025-26/

What steps his Department is taking to help avoid creating a single point of failure in PET-CT diagnostic services.

NHS England’s specialised commissioning function commissions positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) diagnostic services and is responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient capacity across England to meet planned demand. To avoid creating a single point of failure in these services, NHS England has ensured that PET-CT services in England are delivered by a range of different organisations, including National Health Service trusts, the independent sector, and charities, often working in partnership. They help to provide resilience across the system.NHS England is in the process of reprocuring some PET-CT services to replace current contracts that are due to expire at the end of March 2027. NHS England has recently concluded a round of market engagement on its proposals. NHS England has not yet finalised its proposals for the procurement, as the point of market engagement is to receive feedback and take this into account in the final design. PET-CT scans use isotopes from a comprehensive network of United Kingdom based cyclotrons. The Government has made up to £520 million available through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund to support UK manufacture of medicine and medical technology products. This includes applications looking to establish, expand, or improve UK-based manufacture of medical radioisotopes for diagnostic or therapeutic applications.

What plans his Department has to address multiple sclerosis in the updated Women’s Health Strategy; and whether there will be discussions on how this can inform development of the Northern Ireland Women’s Health Action Plan.

We know that women can be impacted by a range of different health conditions at the same time, including those that only affect women, those that affect women differently or more severely to men, or those that affect everyone equally. This is why the renewed Women’s Health Strategy will set out how we are improving experiences and outcomes for all women as we deliver the 10-Year Health Plan.At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology.We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together, to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including MS.Health policy and delivery are devolved to the administration of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. As a UK Government department, the Department of Health and Social Care engages constructively and works collaboratively with the devolved administrations on areas of shared interest, including information sharing, coordination, and issues that have UK wide or cross-border implications.

Whether he has had made an assessment of the potential impact of the findings and recommendations of the Independent Review of Carer's Allowance payments on carers in Northern Ireland.

The Independent Review into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance linked to earnings covered England and Wales. In view of the principle of parity with DWP in matters of social security, I informed the Minister for Communities of the Review’s findings and the Government’s response to them, and officials from the two Departments are in discussion on the issues raised. Since social security is transferred in Northern Ireland, questions 99735 and 99736 are matters for the Executive.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the independent review of Carer's Allowance overpayments.

The Independent Review into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance linked to earnings covered England and Wales. In view of the principle of parity with DWP in matters of social security, I informed the Minister for Communities of the Review’s findings and the Government’s response to them, and officials from the two Departments are in discussion on the issues raised. Since social security is transferred in Northern Ireland, questions 99735 and 99736 are matters for the Executive.

What assessment he has made of the number of unpaid carers in Northern Ireland affected by Carer's Allowance overpayments in relation to a) earnings and b) fluctuating earnings from 2015 to 2025.

The Independent Review into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance linked to earnings covered England and Wales. In view of the principle of parity with DWP in matters of social security, I informed the Minister for Communities of the Review’s findings and the Government’s response to them, and officials from the two Departments are in discussion on the issues raised. Since social security is transferred in Northern Ireland, questions 99735 and 99736 are matters for the Executive.

How many referrals have been made for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as part of the Targeted Lung Health Checks programme; and what regional variation there has been in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnoses arising from that programme.

The data requested is not available centrally. To enable faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 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.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK National Screening Committee’s draft recommendation on prostate cancer screening on future demand for PSMA PET-CT imaging, including modelling of the different demand scenarios included in the current public consultation.

The independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which is made up of leading medical and screening experts, advises ministers in all four nations of the United Kingdom on the evidence on screening. They have carried out an evidence review to look at screening for prostate cancer.  Where the committee is confident that screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.  Treatment can lead to immediate life changing side effects which need to be balanced against potential benefits some years in the future.On 28 November 2025, the UK NSC opened a 12-week public consultation on an evidence review to look at screening for prostate cancer and a draft recommendation to:offer a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme to men with confirmed BRCA1/2 gene variants every two years, from the age 45 years old to age 61 years old;not recommend population screening;not recommend targeted screening of black men;not recommend targeted screening of men with family history; andcollaborate with the Transform trial team to answer outstanding questions on screening effectiveness for black men and men with a family history, as soon as trial data becomes available, and await the results of the study to develop and trial a more accurate test than the prostate specific antigen test alone, to improve the balance of the benefits and harms of screening.Alongside the consultation, work is being carried out to assess the costs and resources required to deliver the possible screening pathway, this could include an assessment of future demand for PSMA PET-CT imaging.We anticipate that the UK NSC will make a final recommendation on screening for prostate cancer in early 2026. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will consider this and make a decision on whether to accept and next steps at this point.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Department of Health on the application of learning from the NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme to improve access to specialised neurology care for people living with multiple sclerosis in Northern Ireland.

The Department is committed to sharing learning and best practice across the United Kingdom health systems.The Neurology Transformation Programme in England aims to improve access, coordination, and outcomes for people with neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, through service redesign and workforce development.Officials continue to engage through the UK Neuro Forum to ensure that insights from this work are available to colleagues in Northern Ireland and other devolved administrations.

How many community diagnostic centres have spirometry equipment.

As of December 2025, community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country.Spirometry with bronchodilator response is a minimum test requirement of all standard and large CDCs. It is therefore expected that all fully operational standard and large CDCs offer this service.CDC programme funded diagnostic test activity is reported from management information collected monthly. Spirometry test activity is included as part of the ‘other respiratory’ category. 307,866 ‘other respiratory’ tests have been delivered between January 2025 and the end of October 2025, the latest published data. Spirometry is not recorded separately and so individual testing volumes are not held in the format requested. CDC management information, including a list of tests categorised under the ‘other respiratory’ grouping, can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/cdc-management-information/

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the forthcoming guidance to local authorities on statutory duties under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989; and what steps she is taking to ensure that safeguarding and the best interests of the child are explicitly embedded in that guidance.

This Government remains firmly committed to safeguarding children from a range of harms. This includes ensuring that statutory safeguarding partners, including the police, have the right resources, tools and training to identify and respond and work together effectively.I have continued to discuss these important issues with cross-government Ministerial colleagues and will be writing a joint letter out to safeguarding partners on this important issue, alongside ensuring relevant guidance remains up to date.The new Centre for VAWG and Public protection will also ensure that the response by police continues to be improved, including supporting best practice in working together to ensure a robust multiagency response in supporting children.

How many people received spirometry testing in community diagnostic centres in 2025.

As of December 2025, community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country.Spirometry with bronchodilator response is a minimum test requirement of all standard and large CDCs. It is therefore expected that all fully operational standard and large CDCs offer this service.CDC programme funded diagnostic test activity is reported from management information collected monthly. Spirometry test activity is included as part of the ‘other respiratory’ category. 307,866 ‘other respiratory’ tests have been delivered between January 2025 and the end of October 2025, the latest published data. Spirometry is not recorded separately and so individual testing volumes are not held in the format requested. CDC management information, including a list of tests categorised under the ‘other respiratory’ grouping, can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/cdc-management-information/

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on whether the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia plans to declare independence from Algeria on 14 December 2025.

We were aware of the intention of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia to make a declaration of independence on 14 December, which they have since done. I refer the Hon. Member to the responses I provided in February regarding the situation in Kabylia and confirm that we continue to monitor developments closely.