Written questions by Robertson.

What recent discussions he has had with the pharmaceutical industry on reforming the NHS branded medicines pricing and access scheme.

The Government will always prioritise the needs of National Health Service patients and understands that delivering access to medicines is an important part of delivering frontline services. The pharmaceutical sector, and the innovative medicines it produces, are critical to our NHS and the Plan for Change.The voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) saw the headline payment rate for newer medicines increase significantly, taking effect in January 2025. This led to bringing forward the mid-scheme review of VPAG from autumn 2025 to earlier in the year. This review was carried out jointly with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to ensure that it continues to deliver for both the industry and NHS. Despite the Government putting forward an unprecedented offer, no agreement was reached as part of this review, however our door has remained open to engagement with industry on all matters relating to life sciences investment and development.The Government is also delivering the Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10-Year Health Plan, a 10-year vision backed by over £2 billion in investment and 33 actions, to support every stage of the life sciences value chain. This includes boosting UK manufacturing capacity and launching new research and development initiatives to accelerate innovation, ensuring the UK remains an attractive destination for pharmaceutical development and the launch of new medicines.

What steps he is taking to balance value for money for the NHS with maintaining the UK’s competitiveness in the global pharmaceutical market.

The Government will always prioritise the needs of National Health Service patients and understands that delivering access to medicines is an important part of delivering frontline services. The pharmaceutical sector, and the innovative medicines it produces, are critical to our NHS and the Plan for Change.The voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) saw the headline payment rate for newer medicines increase significantly, taking effect in January 2025. This led to bringing forward the mid-scheme review of VPAG from autumn 2025 to earlier in the year. This review was carried out jointly with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to ensure that it continues to deliver for both the industry and NHS. Despite the Government putting forward an unprecedented offer, no agreement was reached as part of this review, however our door has remained open to engagement with industry on all matters relating to life sciences investment and development.The Government is also delivering the Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10-Year Health Plan, a 10-year vision backed by over £2 billion in investment and 33 actions, to support every stage of the life sciences value chain. This includes boosting UK manufacturing capacity and launching new research and development initiatives to accelerate innovation, ensuring the UK remains an attractive destination for pharmaceutical development and the launch of new medicines.

If he will take steps to encourage NHS Trusts to increase (a) the number of bills issued and (b) collections made for treatment charges for overseas visitors.

The Department sets policy, guidance, and legislation through the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 and works with NHS England to support the consistent application of these rules through oversight, guidance, and engagement with providers. The Department and NHS England actively engage with the National Health Service to support the improvement of cost recovery through routine engagement with trusts around cost recovery, monitoring of data and activity, sharing of best practice and guidance, targeted follow-ups with trusts where issues are identified, and close working with the Home Office to improve data quality and reporting consistency.The Department has no plans at present to introduce league tables and audits to show the NHS trusts that have the lowest collection rates for charges to overseas visitors.

If his Department will take steps to introduce (a) league tables and (b) audits to show which NHS Trusts have the lowest collection rates for charges for overseas visitors.

The Department sets policy, guidance, and legislation through the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 and works with NHS England to support the consistent application of these rules through oversight, guidance, and engagement with providers. The Department and NHS England actively engage with the National Health Service to support the improvement of cost recovery through routine engagement with trusts around cost recovery, monitoring of data and activity, sharing of best practice and guidance, targeted follow-ups with trusts where issues are identified, and close working with the Home Office to improve data quality and reporting consistency.The Department has no plans at present to introduce league tables and audits to show the NHS trusts that have the lowest collection rates for charges to overseas visitors.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to support the provision of indoor or covered tennis and facilities in Isle of Wight East.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, how much of the £400m UK Government funding for grassroots sports facilities will go to (a) tennis and (b) padel facilities.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled From court to community, published on 17 September 2025, how much funding has been earmarked for (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) other court-based sports.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for tennis and padel facilities.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to support the development of affordable and accessible padel courts in (a) Isle of Wight East and (b) in Britain.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 72865 on Local Government: Hampshire and Isle of Wight, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of that proposed devolution area on (a) transport services and (b) disparities between urban and rural areas.

A Mayoral Strategic Authority over Hampshire and the Solent will play a key leading role on transport planning and delivery for the area, becoming the Local Transport Authority, with responsibility for producing a Local Transport Plan setting out their local transport policies and how these will be delivered. We would also expect the Mayoral Strategic Authority to deliver for all communities and address disparities, this could include through designating a member of the leadership Cabinet with a Rural portfolio to ensure equality of attention across all areas of the region, as has been done in other Strategic Authorities.

Communities and Local Government, whether proposals for English devolution will require the re-organisation of (a) NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board and (b) other integrated care boards.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), alongside NHS England, continue to work closely on any proposals to reorganise integrated care boards (ICBs). In areas where Strategic Authorities are known, DHSC, alongside the MHCLG and NHS England, will proceed with integrated care board (ICB) reorganisation to ensure coterminous boundaries wherever feasibly possible.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 72865 on Local Government: Hampshire and Isle of Wight, if his Department will publish a breakdown of consultation responses by local authority area.

The government published a response to the Hampshire and the Solent Devolution Consultation on 17 July which is available on gov.uk here. This includes detailed breakdowns by several categories of respondents.

If he will publish details of what the deliverables were for the contract awarded to Thinks Insight, Kaleidoscope Health and Care and the Institute for Public Policy Research in relation to the engagement exercise for the 10 Year Health Plan.

To develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we had the biggest ever conversation on the future of the National Health Service with over a quarter of a million contributions from the public, staff, and partners including charities and patient groups.Full information on the deliverables of the initial contract is available at the following link, on pages 172-174:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/80963989-c4d6-4a16-8e12-c31b43a81ddaIn summary, the deliverables were to:design and run deliberative events;open and operate an online portal;develop and disseminate assets for local organisations to run engagement events;design an analytical framework for data collection;report interim findings every three weeks;co-design the engagement plan with the Department; andproduce an engagement exercise report.We committed to co-designing the engagement exercise with our delivery partners following the awarding of the contract, therefore, the scope and requirements were reviewed and adjusted during the contract.A detailed 10-Year Health Plan engagement report will be published shortly, which will set out the methodology and results of this engagement exercise.

How many (a) members of the travelling community, (b) sex workers, (c) asylum seekers, (d) victims of modern slavery, (e) people from ethnic minority backgrounds, (f) people experiencing homelessness, (g) people affected by drug or alcohol addiction and (h) people in contact with the justice system participated in engagement activities in relation to the 10 Year Health Plan.

To develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we had the biggest ever conversation on the future of the National Health Service with over a quarter of a million contributions from the public, staff, and partners including charities and patient groups.A detailed 10-Year Health Plan engagement report will be published in due course, which will set out the methodology and results of this engagement exercise.

With reference to FOI-1626381, what methods of engagement were used by the Department to engage with individuals from (a) the travelling community and (b) the sex worker community as part of the development of the 10-Year Health Plan.

To develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we had the biggest ever conversation on the future of the National Health Service with over a quarter of a million contributions from the public, staff, and partners including charities and patient groups.A detailed 10-Year Health Plan engagement report will be published in due course, which will set out the methodology and results of this engagement exercise.

Which organisations are represented in each Workshop in a Box for the development of the 10 Year Health Plan.

To develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we had the biggest ever conversation on the future of the National Health Service with over a quarter of a million contributions from the public, staff, and partners including charities and patient groups.A detailed 10-Year Health Plan engagement report will be published in due course, which will set out the methodology and results of this engagement exercise.

What criteria his Department used to define which participants in the engagement process for the 10 Year Health Plan were sex workers.

To develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we had the biggest ever conversation on the future of the National Health Service with over a quarter of a million contributions from the public, staff, and partners including charities and patient groups.A detailed 10-Year Health Plan engagement report will be published in due course, which will set out the methodology and results of this engagement exercise.

Which charities received funding from the supplementary fund to support engagement with seldom heard groups as part of the 10 Year Health Plan consultation; and how much funding each organisation received.

National Voices, Friends, Families and Travellers, Homeless Link, and the Race Equality Foundation, carried out these engagement sessions. The total sum of funding provided was £81,311.00. The following table shows the total funding and the amount of funding each charity received: CharityFunding receivedNational Voices£21,070.00Friends, Families and Travellers£14,998.00Homeless Link£6,673.00Race Equality Foundation£11,550.00Maternity Consortium£27,020.00Total£81,311.00

What selection criteria were used to identify charities eligible for funding to support community engagement with (a) sex workers, (b) travelling communities, (c) asylum seekers and (d) other seldom heard groups.

All members of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance were approached to support the 10-Year Health Plan engagement process to help ensure we reached seldom-heard groups and communities. Charities were selected based on their ability to deliver engagement sessions with communities and groups that were under-represented in the national conversation.

What proportion of project licences applied for under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused between 1 January and 1 September 2025.

Between 1 January 2021 to 1 January 2025, one application for a project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 has been refused.The Home Office does not routinely collect information on refused project licences as, due to the structure of the legal framework, this metric is not an indicator for the robustness of the regulatory regime.The Government sets clear expectations of applications through publishing extensive guidance for the regulated sector. Before being submitted to the Regulator for assessment, the regulation requires that applications must be internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body and be signed off by the Establishment Licence Holder. Home Office Inspectors in the Regulator will only review applications from establishments that fulfil all requirements of the legislation. Applications received by the Regulator may be returned to the applicant for clarification and/or amendment before being re-assessed. Applicants may also amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the regulator. This system means that the number of refusals tends towards zero.