Written questions by Shannon.

What steps he is taking to improve diagnosis for people with chronic throat issues.

General practitioners (GPs) are usually the first point of contact for patients with persistent throat symptoms. They are expected to carry out an initial assessment, rule out common causes, and identify any “red flag” symptoms that require urgent referral to specialists.We expect GPs to have regard to guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) and others when diagnosing or referring patients with persistent throat problems, as these set out evidence-based standards and best practice for assessment and referral. Relevant advice appears in guideline NG84, titled Acute sore throat antimicrobial prescribing, and guideline NG12, titled Suspected cancer referral criteria, as well as Clinical Knowledge Summaries for related conditions. NICE recommendations do not override the individual responsibility of health professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of each patient, in consultation with the patient or their carer.Healthcare professionals are expected to maintain their clinical knowledge as part of their continuing professional development. NICE guidance underpins this by providing evidence-based recommendations and structured learning resources that help them maintain up-to-date knowledge and improve the quality of patient care.

What steps she is taking to improve (a) road resurfacing and (b) other infrastructure completion times.

This year, the Government made an additional £500 million available for local highway authorities to maintain their highway network, bringing the total to a record investment of nearly £1.6 billion. A quarter of the additional funding is contingent upon local highway authorities complying with certain criteria aimed at driving best practice and continual improvement in highways maintenance. The Government also supports the rollout of lane rental schemes. This allows highway authorities to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at peak times. This encourages quicker completion, off-peak working, or relocating works to reduce disruption on our roads. From January 2026, authorities will be able to use 50% of lane rental revenue for highway maintenance. Highway authorities can issue overrun charges of up to £10,000 per day for works that exceed agreed timeframes. Currently these charges can only be applied on weekdays, however we are making changes to allow these charges to apply on weekends and bank holidays. Finally, the Government has set out a new approach to infrastructure in the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, which was published in June 2025. This will restore confidence and drive economic growth by providing stability and certainty, and improve how infrastructure projects, like transport, are planned and delivered. We are working closely with HMT to ensure lessons learned from transport projects, such as set out in the James Stewart Review (published in June 2025) are incorporated into future priorities. The Department has accepted all recommendations from this Review and is already taking steps to implement them.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of violence in women's prisons.

Violence in prisons may be caused, or triggered, by a range of factors, including personal characteristics such as existing patterns of behaviour, substance misuse or traumatic life experiences. Factors particularly relevant to the women’s estate include trauma, relational complexities and separation from children.Information on the rate of assaults in female establishments in the 12 months to June 2025 can be found at the following link: Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2025 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2025 - GOV.UK.The Managing Women in Crisis Working Group in His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) was established to increase understanding of complex behaviour in this group of prisoners, and to consider how best to support them. This includes developing guidance and training for staff. In addition, HMPPS’s Women’s Estate Case Advice and Support Panel supports establishments in the management of women with complex needs. It aims to help reduce risk and to enable women to progress in their sentences.

How many people have had a kidney transplant on the NHS in the last 12 months.

NHS Blood and Transplant is the organisation responsible for organ donation in the United Kingdom, and they manage the NHS Organ Donor Register and National Transplant Register.Between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025, 3,381 individual patients received a kidney transplant from 3,385 donors. 2,373 were from deceased donors and 1,012 were from living donors. Of the 3,381 patients that received a kidney transplant, four received two transplants within this period.This is a United Kingdom four nation service and I am proud of its achievements.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of her policies of the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern by the US.

The UK Government does not comment on our partners' decisions on individual designations.

What steps she is taking to help reduce business crime.

We encourage retailers to join their local Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) or Business Improvement District (BID) to support local community efforts to reduce crimes, including business crime.We are providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, £2 million of which has been specifically allocated to the police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC). NBCC provide a valuable resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime. This funding will help tackle the crimes most affecting businesses today.We also supported the recent Safer Business Action week (SaBA) organised by the NBCC. SaBA weeks are a joint initiative by police, business, private security, Business Crime Reduction Partnerships and Business Improvement Districts, who work in together and focus resources into a designated location, creating a significant impact to reduce crime.The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will also ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues, and that neighbourhood teams spend the majority of their time in their communities providing visible patrols and engaging with local communities and businesses. This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by Spring next year, as part of our ambition to deliver 13,000 neighbourhood officers into police forces across England and Wales by the end of this parliament.Additionally, the Home Secretary recently announced a “Winter of Action”, building on the success of our Safer Streets Summer campaign to tackle town centre crime including shop theft and anti-social behaviour.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of the potential long term effects of melatonin usage.

In the United Kingdom, melatonin must be prescribed by a healthcare professional. Melatonin is authorised for a number of indications which specify short term use. For indications that may require longer term use, such as insomnia in children and adolescents aged six to 17 years old with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, where sleep hygiene measures have been insufficient, there is advice to regularly review treatment, at least every six months, and that during treatment, especially if the treatment effect is uncertain, treatment should be interrupted, stopped briefly, once per year to check whether the treatment is still needed.The product information provides information to support the use of melatonin, including warnings about possible interactions with other medication as well as details of possible side effects.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously monitors the safety of all medicines on the UK market, including melatonin, and will take appropriate regulatory action if new safety issues are identified.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of the long term impact of prescription painkillers.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.Medicines authorised to treat pain fall with several different classes of medicine. Prescription medicines include opioids, gabapentinoids, namely pregabalin and gabapentin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). Other classes of medicine such as anti-epileptics or antidepressants may also be used for the treatment of neuropathic pain, a type of pain evolving from nerve damage, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), with further information available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg173New medicines are also available for the treatment of migraine. The MHRA monitors the safety of all these medicines and has issued warnings and updated product and patient information on the risk of addiction to opioids, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/opioids-risk-of-dependence-and-addictionThe MHRA is currently undertaking a review to improve the information supplied with dependency-forming medicines including gabapentinoids. If additional signals of risk arise, action will be taken to protect public health.All medicines have side effects, although not everyone will experience them. The MHRA encourages anyone who suspects or experiences a side effect of their medicine to report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme.NICE also provides clinical guidance called Medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: safe prescribing and withdrawal management for adults, code NG 215. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG215Additionally, NHS England has an initiative to reduce long-term opioid use, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/reducing-long-term-opioid-use/In March 2023, NHS England published Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: Framework for action for integrated care boards (ICBs) and primary care, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/optimising-personalised-care-for-adults-prescribed-medicines-associated-with-dependence-or-withdrawal-symptoms/The framework includes five actions, resources and case studies to help systems develop plans that can support people who are taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms by:- optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms;- informing ICB improvement and delivery plans, when commissioning services and developing local policies that offer alternatives to medicines in the first place and/or support patients experiencing prescribed drugs dependence or withdrawal; and- ensuring a whole system approach and pathways involving multiple interventions, to improve care for people prescribed medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms. The commissioning of services to support people to safely withdraw from prescribed medicines that may cause dependence and withdrawal lies with ICBs. NHS England expects ICBs to commission appropriate services to meet the needs of the population that the ICB geographically covers. This includes taking due regard to any national commissioning and clinical guidance.The National Health Service Business Services Authority provides data dashboards relating to painkiller prescribing, to help systems develop plans and to monitor improvement in line with the published Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: Framework for action for integrated care boards (ICBs) and primary care guidance.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for people arrested for upskirting.

We recognise the devastating impact of non-contact sexual offences, such as upskirting, have on victims and are committed to ensuring more perpetrators are bought to justice.The Home Office has supported the development of new training for police on these crimes which was made available to all police forces in February. The training will help ensure officers use the principles from Operation Soteria when responding to or investigating these offences and understand how to identify risk factors to safeguard victims and disrupt offending.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of levels of humanitarian support to Syria over the last 5 years.

Since 2011, Syria has seen one of the worst and most protracted humanitarian crises in the world. The annual UN humanitarian appeals have been consistently underfunded and the trend has worsened in recent years, with just 36.6 per cent of the appeal met in 2024. The UK has consistently been one of the biggest contributors to those appeals, but it is clear that humanitarian support overall has not been adequate to address the scale of the crisis.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of video links used for remote court proceedings.

All prisons in England and Wales now have some modern video provision to support remote court hearings. In 2024/25, prisons facilitated almost 440,000 video links: over 212,000 of these related to remote court hearings, an increase of 17% on the previous year.The backbone of video delivery in prisons is the high-capacity, high-quality Video Conferencing Centres (VCCs). These purpose-built facilities are designed to improve the quality of defendants’ interactions with courts during remote hearings. To date 18, VCCs are operational in prisons, and they account for almost half of all video links facilitated. We have delivered two VCCs this year, with one more under construction, and the investment case for more is being considered.While decisions about remote participation for any parties or witnesses in any jurisdiction is ultimately judicial, HMCTS has the digital and audio technology available to facilitate remote links in all criminal court centres. It is currently investing in the upgrade of that technology through its Digital Audio & Visual Evolution project. This is replacing screens, cameras and audio equipment with modernised hardware which improves the experience for participants where a video link is being used.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Vietnam.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are closely monitoring the impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Vietnam. Current assessments indicate significant disruption to affected communities, including six confirmed fatalities and extensive damage to homes, public infrastructure, and livelihoods, particularly in coastal and low-lying areas.In October, the UK allocated £500,000 in humanitarian assistance to Vietnam to address the devastating impact of typhoons Bualoi and Matmo. We continue to engage with international partners and local authorities to monitor evolving requirements and to ensure that assistance is delivered effectively to those in greatest need.

With reference to the recent announcement by the United States to provide Ukraine with more military equipment through NATO, what plans he has provide additional military equipment to Ukraine.

The UK is ramping up military support to Ukraine to bolster Ukraine’s defences through the depths of winter. The UK have entered a tech sharing agreement with Ukraine which will facilitate the mass production of thousands of advanced air defence interceptor drones per month under Project OCTOPUS. We have also announced that 140 additional lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) manufactured by Thales Northern Ireland will be delivered and that over 85,000 drones had been delivered to Ukraine in the past six months. In the eight months since taking joint leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, we have successfully raised pledges of over £50 billion in military help for Ukraine.

What discussions he has had with his counterparts in Northern Ireland on the retention of district nurses.

Officials from the Department regularly meet with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss and update on the development of the 10-Year Health Plan in England.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.NHS England is already leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of early interventions for prostate cancer.

Early cancer diagnosis remains a key priority for the Government, and we recognise the importance of implementing early interventions to provide faster diagnoses and quicker access to treatment, including for patients with prostate cancer.To help develop early interventions for prostate cancer, the Government has invested £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which aims to identify more effective approaches for detecting prostate cancer earlier. The UK National Screening Committee, which independently advises ministers, is also reviewing the evidence for both population-wide and targeted prostate cancer screening.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots sports.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to, and benefit from, quality sport and physical activity opportunities.In England, the Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sports through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.Sports facilities provide important community hubs for people of all ages to be active and connect people to the places in which they live. On 19 June 2025, we announced that following the Spending Review at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans.

What discussions she has had with her counterparts in Northern Ireland on electric vehicle charging provision.

My officials regularly engage with the Department for Infrastructure on zero emission vehicle (ZEV) initiatives, including charging infrastructure provision. Minister Lightwood met the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure in April during the British-Irish Council meeting, and I met with the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure earlier this month as part of the Interministerial Group for Transport. Both including discussions on the ZEV transition.

What steps she is taking to encourage healthier eating in schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are working with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with updated nutrition guidance.The Relationships and sex education and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that by the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and the risks associated with unhealthy eating and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health). The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

What steps his Department is taking to increase funding for breast cancer research.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.In the period 2020/21 to 2024/25, NIHR Programme and Career Development and Capacity Awards invested approximately £28.6 million into breast cancer research awards. As well as funding cancer research, the Department also invests in centres of excellence, and services and facilities to enable the delivery of cancer research in England. This includes a contribution of £21.6 million over five years to the network of Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, a United Kingdom-wide network for delivery of early phase cancer trials, and the NIHR’s five-year £29 million investment in Biomedical Research Centres, fostering collaborations between world-leading universities and National Health Service organisations, bringing together academics and clinicians to do translational research, including for all cancer types. The NIHR also works closely with industry to bring innovative research to the UK. This creates a strong portfolio of research and innovation to improve breast cancer outcomes.The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is another important example of investment. In February 2025 the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used in the breast cancer screening pathway. The trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via the NIHR, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-leading-ai-trial-to-tackle-breast-cancer-launchedThe NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including breast cancer. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the NHS will improve diagnosis and outcomes for cancer patients in England.

What steps he is taking to support families with food poverty in winter 2025-26.

The UK Government is committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. Universal Credit is claimed by more than 8.2 million people across the UK and we are committed to reviewing it to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty. We have already introduced the Fair Repayment Rate, reducing the Universal Credit overall deductions cap from 25% to 15% of a customer’s standard allowance. In addition, we will increase the Universal Credit Standard Allowance from April 2026, estimated to be worth £725 annually by 2029/30 in cash terms. In Northern Ireland, all DWP policy is wholly transferred, and decisions about policy and delivery are the responsibility of the Assembly. The UK Government has also taken further action to support low-income households including through the increase in the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April 2025, boosting the pay of 3 million workers. It has also announced further measures to support families in a number of other areas where policy in Northern Ireland is transferred including, for example, our expansion of Free School Meals and Breakfast Clubs in England and additional investment in the Holiday Activities and Food Programme in England. To further support struggling families, we provided £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England until 31 March 2026, enabling local authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food. The Devolved Governments receive consequential funding through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. Good work can significantly reduce the chances of families falling into poverty. Our Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 2025/26, will target and tackle economic inactivity and unemployment and join up employment, health and skills support to meet the needs of local communities. In Northern Ireland, these are transferred matters. Ministers and officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive, with a view to maintaining parity on social security matters and sharing best practice in the development of employment support. The UK Government will publish a UK-wide Child Poverty Strategy this Autumn that will look at all available levers to give every child the best start in life, building on work already across all four nations. The Four Nations Ministerial Group on Child Poverty gave Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland an opportunity to contribute to the development of the strategy and ensure that it complements their own initiatives.