Written questions by Glen.

What progress he has made on improving (a) access to, (b) quality of and (c) sustainability of (i) palliative care and (ii) end of life care for people of all ages through the 10 Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations.NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit, launched in January 2024, is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part charitable hospices play as well. This is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) levels of access to and (b) the quality of (i) palliative and (ii) end of life care across England.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populationsNHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit, launched in January 2024, is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part charitable hospices play as well. This is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recent death of Roman Catholic lay leader, Dr Carlos Cardenas Zepeda, in Nicaragua; and what steps she is taking with her Nicaraguan counterparts to ensure the improvement of detention conditions in the country.

As set out in the UK's statements at the UN Human Rights Council on 28 February and 23 September, the UK remains deeply concerned by the relentless attack on human rights in Nicaragua. We will continue to monitor developments closely and urge the Nicaraguan authorities to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the level of annual reporting for small companies.

The Department is reviewing non-financial reporting requirements to simplify, streamline and reduce reporting obligations for all companies. These reforms aim to reduce administrative burdens on business, particularly for small companies. The review has already delivered legislation which increased the monetary size thresholds for micro, small, medium and large companies, as well as removing low value and duplicative reporting from the Directors’ and Director’s Remuneration Reports. A consultation on future reforms to modernise corporate reporting will be published in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK remains an (a) attractive investment environment and (b) listing venue for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to boost the competitiveness of UK markets, including for small and mid-sized quoted companies. This includes overhauling the Prospectus regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets and reducing reporting requirements for the smallest companies. At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, setting out our ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets a core pillar of the strategy.

What steps her Department is taking to implement regulation that increases risk appetite amongst investors.

The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide. That is why the Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms included bold actions to boost retail investment.In particular, the Treasury is working closely with the FCA to roll out a system of targeted support in time for ISA season next year. This represents the biggest reform of the financial advice and guidance landscape in more than a decade, and will be a step change in the support available to consumers.The Government will also move Long-Term Asset Funds (LTAFs) from the Innovative Finance ISA to the Stocks & Shares ISA from April 2026. This will give more access to the higher returns available from less liquid assets, while directing investment into productive assets that will drive economic growth.In addition, the Government welcomes the industry-led initiatives to promote the benefits of investing to the public, and to reform how firms talk about the risks and benefits of investing.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of tax incentives on levels of investment in small and mid-sized quoted companies.

The Government is committed to making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business, and understands how important it is for businesses to be able to access the finance they need to grow and develop. That is why the Government provides three tax-advantaged venture capital schemes: the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs). The schemes provide a range of tax reliefs for investors, to encourage investment in small- and medium-sized companies at the pre-listing stage, which face the biggest challenges in accessing growth capital. The Stamp Taxes on Shares framework also contains multiples reliefs and exemptions which are designed to boost liquidity and growth, particularly for small and medium-sized companies, such as the Growth Market Exemption.

What plans her Department has to improve access to finance for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to boost the competitiveness of UK markets, including for small and mid-sized quoted companies. This includes overhauling the Prospectus regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets and reducing reporting requirements for the smallest companies. At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, setting out our ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets a core pillar of the strategy.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve (a) public and (b) investor confidence in small and mid-sized quoted companies listed in the UK.

The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to boost the competitiveness of UK markets, including for small and mid-sized quoted companies. This includes overhauling the Prospectus regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets and reducing reporting requirements for the smallest companies. At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, setting out our ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets a core pillar of the strategy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of (a) targeted attacks and (b) instances of (i) forced conversion and (ii) imprisonment of (A) Christians and (B) other religious minorities in Afghanistan; and what recent representations she has made to the authorities in Afghanistan on these matters.

Afghanistan is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) freedom of religion or belief approach, announced on 8 July. FCDO officials regularly urge the Taliban to uphold human rights. We also engage directly with a range of Afghans to inform our policy and programmes. The UK Government supports the UN Special Rapporteur's mandate to document abuses, including those targeting religious minorities. Without inclusive governance that reflects Afghanistan's religious, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity, we will never see an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts to ensure the protection of (a) Yazidis, (b) Christians and (c) other religious and ethnic minority groups in Iraq; and what steps she is taking to ensure aid reaches displaced communities in northern Iraq.

The UK is committed to supporting displaced communities in northern Iraq. We fund quick impact projects and livelihood support activities through the International Organisation for Migration and, through our Building Peace and Stability in Iraq programme, fund the office of the UN Durable Solutions Adviser which leads the UN's strategic coordination efforts.The UK champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. On 8 July, the Government publicly set out its approach to FoRB, providing a framework for UK engagement including for countries navigating the impact of conflict, both past and present, such as Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.In July 2025, the former Minister for Human Rights and the UK Special Envoy for FoRB met with Mir Hazem Tahsin Beg, the Prince of the Yazidis. We also raise threats to minority faith communities in regular engagements with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and in multilateral fora. For example, at Iraq's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in June, we recommended that Iraq upholds the right for minorities to freely practice their religion or belief, without fear of persecution.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the authorities in Myanmar on the reported increase in attacks on the Rohingya community; and what steps he is taking with international partners to help ensure humanitarian aid reaches displaced minority communities.

The UK continues to condemn the Myanmar military regime's use of violence against civilians, including the systematic persecution and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Rohingya. In April, we co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar calling for the Myanmar military to fully respect and protect the human rights of all persons in Myanmar, including Rohingya and other persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities.Since 2017, the UK has provided over £108 million in support to communities in Rakhine, with an estimated £52 million in aid for the Rohingya and other Muslim minority groups. We are deeply concerned by the food security situation in Rakhine State and are working with international partners to improve humanitarian access to communities across the state.Through our humanitarian programme, we have reached 1.3 million people since 2022 in conflict affected areas across Myanmar with essential humanitarian support.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 68387 on Epilepsy and Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate, whether his Department plans to (a) mandate central tracking and annual reporting on how many women (i) received the Pregnancy Protection Porgramme and (ii) signed the risk acknowledgement form.

NHS England has worked collaboratively with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the safer use of valproate containing medicines.There are no plans to mandate central tracking and annual reporting on how many women (i) received the Pregnancy Protection Programme and (ii) signed the risk acknowledgement form.This is because such a measure would not be helpful, at an aggregated and anonymised level without a holistic review of each patient’s clinical and social circumstances. This could only be achieved with a national clinical audit. Such audits are expensive and can only be justified when there is significant room for improvement in outcomes, which is not the case in this instance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 68387 on Epilepsy and Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate, whether his Department is taking steps to guarantee that every female valproate patient aged 13-54 received documented counselling and signs the annual risk form before continuing treatment.

NHS England has worked collaboratively with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the safer use of valproate containing medicines.The Medicines and Pregnancy Registry monitors prescribing of valproate and highlights the number of pregnancies potentially exposed to valproate. The Registry is available at the following link: https://tabanalytics.data.england.nhs.uk/t/Public/views/MedsPreg/TitlePage?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y.This data demonstrates a reduction in prescribing valproate to women and girls as well as a reduction in the number of possible exposed pregnancies since the Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) was introduced in 2018. Analysis shows the implementation of the PPP by ICBs is consistent across the country.No such guarantee is being pursued. The existing measures described above including the regulatory position is a strong statement of the expected quality of care which is monitored through the Medicines and Pregnancy Registry.

How many NHS employees with a declared terminal diagnosis die when in (a) employment and (b) retirement.

Whilst the Department does not hold the information requested, it does hold information on the number of National Health Service staff applications for NHS pension benefits on the grounds of serious ill-health. These pensions may be paid where members of the NHS Pension Scheme are terminally ill and have a life expectancy of less than 12 months.The following table shows the number of applications for serious ill-health pensions accepted by the scheme administrator, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), for the last five complete scheme years, and is correct as of 2 September 2025: Scheme YearTotal Applications Accepted2020/212142021/222222022/232582023/242652024/25259Source: NHSBSA Notes: These figures do not include NHS staff who are terminally ill but do not meet the criteria for a serious ill-health pension, those who choose to not apply, and those who are not members of the NHS Pension Scheme. Therefore, the numbers of NHS employees with terminal diagnoses who die in employment and retirement may be greater than those set out in the table.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 68387 on Epilepsy and Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate, what his Departments planned timeline is for establishing a centralised register caputring Pregnancy Prevention Programme interventions and acknowledgements, linked to prescribing data.

NHS England has worked collaboratively with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the safer use of valproate containing medicines. The best way to a centralised register is through the single patient record and the use of this to populate the federated data platfor, which would allow for the functionality of a centralised register. This is enabled by the Transformation Directorate to ensure that clinical care can be effectively and accurately coded.The Medicines and Pregnancy Register monitors prescribing of valproate and highlights the number of pregnancies potentially exposed to valproate. This data demonstrates a reduction in prescribing valproate to women and girls as well as a reduction in the number of possible exposed pregnancies since the Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) was introduced in 2018. Analysis shows the implementation of the PPP by ICBs is consistent across the country. The register is available at the following link:https://tabanalytics.data.england.nhs.uk/t/Public/views/MedsPreg/TitlePage?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 68387 on Epilepsy and Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) consistent and (b) effective implementation of the Pregnancy Prevention Programme by Integrated Care Boards.

NHS England has worked collaboratively with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the safer use of valproate containing medicines and there have been several steps to ensure that integrated care boards (ICBs) lead the implementation of the regulations set out by the MHRA. The agency issued a National Patient Safety Alert on valproate in November 2023, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/national-patient-safety-alert-valproate-organisations-to-prepare-for-new-regulatory-measures-for-oversight-of-prescribing-to-new-patients-and-existing-female-patients-natpsa-slash-2023-slash-013-slash-mhraThe Medicines and Pregnancy Register monitors prescribing of valproate and highlights the number of pregnancies potentially exposed to valproate. This data demonstrates a reduction in prescribing valproate to women and girls as well as a reduction in the number of possible exposed pregnancies since the Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) was introduced in 2018. Analysis shows the implementation of the PPP by ICBs is consistent across the country. The register is available at the following link:https://tabanalytics.data.england.nhs.uk/t/Public/views/MedsPreg/TitlePage?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=yOther information available to patients, clinical practitioners and prescribers includes: information from the MHRA; Decision Support Tools and Patient Information leaflets issued by NHS England; and the Valproate Integrated Quality Improvement Programme offered by NHS England. These are available at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/valproate-reproductive-riskshttps://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/shared-decision-making/decision-support-tools/https://www.southeastclinicalnetworks.nhs.uk/our-networks/valproate/https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/sodium-valproate/

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 65744 on Special Educational Needs: Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder, if her Department will take steps to include the number of children with foetal valproate spectrum disorder in future statistic reports.

The department does not have any plans to collect information on the numbers of children with special educational needs (SEN) who have foetal valproate spectrum disorder.The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with foetal valproate spectrum disorder. The SEND code of practice makes it clear that meeting the needs of a child with SEN does not require a diagnostic label. Instead, we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question HL9069 on Epilepsy and Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate, how many women prescribed Valproate (a) received the pregnancy prevention programme and (b) signed the acknowledgement of risk form.

There is no central record of the number of women who have ‘received’ the Pregnancy Prevention Programme, nor whether they have signed the Annual Risk Acknowledgement Form.Responsibility for the implementation of the new regulatory measures relating to valproate was assigned to integrated care boards (ICBs) in November 2023, via a National Patient Safety alert, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/national-patient-safety-alert-valproate-organisations-to-prepare-for-new-regulatory-measures-for-oversight-of-prescribing-to-new-patients-and-existing-female-patients-natpsa-slash-2023-slash-013-slash-mhraICBs across the country have taken action in response to this alert. The Cheshire and Mersey ICB is a particular exemplar. NHS England monitors primary care prescribing and the exposure to valproate during pregnancy using the Medicines in Pregnancy Registry, with further information available at the following link:https://tabanalytics.data.england.nhs.uk/t/Public/views/MedsPreg/TitlePage?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=yThis shows a significant reduction in the number of pregnancies during which valproate may have been taken. In the last six-month reporting period, the data indicates that there were up to 11 pregnancies during which valproate may have been prescribed. This is across a population of approximately 15,000 women between the ages of 13 to 54 years old who are prescribed valproate each month.

When he plans to make a decision on the future of (a) UKHSA Porton Down and (b) the single science hub at Harrow.

On 17 July 2025, my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced that the Government will proceed with plans to develop new state-of-the-art scientific facilities at Harlow, Essex. The move to Harlow will only affect UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) staff and therefore anyone on the site employed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory will be unaffected.The Harlow site, with its proximity to the Oxford-Cambridge Investment Corridor, also represents a significant growth opportunity. Moving UKHSA facilities to the area will unlock opportunities for partnerships with industry and academia.This process will not be immediate. We expect the new site at Harlow to open in stages, beginning in the mid-2030s and concluding by 2038, and therefore given the criticality of the work carried out at both Colindale and Porton Down, these two sites will remain open until that time. UKHSA staff will receive extensive support throughout the next decade on this transition.