Written questions by Hayes.

What steps he is taking to reduce cardiology waiting lists in Lincolnshire.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has appointed staff from outside the civil service other than special advisers since July 2024.

Awaiting answer.

If he will take steps to guarantee access to Whole Genome Sequencing for all brain cancer patients.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of how the needs of specialised services for cystic fibrosis will be assessed under the new proposals as set out in the NHS Modernisation Bill.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to help mprove access to dental services for for care home residents in Lincolnshire.

Awaiting answer.

How many political appointees have been made by his Department since July 2024.

We have taken ‘political appointees’ to mean special advisers. A list of special advisers by Department is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers which is laid in Parliament. The Annual Report on Special Advisers 2026 will be publish...

What recent steps have been taken to reduce ambulance waiting times in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Emergency ambulance provision for South Holland and The Deepings and Lincolnshire is delivered by the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS). On 25 October 2025, we published the Medium-Term Planning Framework. It marks the first steps towards delivering ...

If he will undertake a horizon review to identify emerging actionable gene mutations that should be fast tracked onto the National Genomic Test Directory, prioritising (a) rare and less survivable

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as direc...

What assessment he has made of regional variations in the roll out of genomic testing for pancreatic cancer.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as direc...

Whether his Department has hired external public relations consultants since July 2024.

The Department has not procured or engaged the services of any external consultants, either individuals or companies, for the general purpose of public relations since July 2024.

What steps his Department is taking to improve integration between NHS services and social care provision in Lincolnshire.

The Department is committed to improving integration between health and social care services nationally and locally. Our vision for neighbourhood health will see the National Health Service and local government working more closely together. In March 2026...

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of artificial intelligence chatbots in place of receptionists for GP surgeries.

General practice (GP) receptionists are a valued part of GP teams. Any artificial intelligence (AI) tools utilised, including AI-assisted triage and chatbots, are designed to support, not replace, the professional oversight and signposting provided by pra...

What recent steps he has taken to support people with multiple sclerosis to access high quality care and treatment in Lincolnshire.

The Department is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), including in Lincolnshire. NHS England has published a service specification for specialised neurology services, which aims to ensu...

What steps he is taking to ensure vulnerable patients are not excluded from plans to introduce digital screening at hospitals.

National Health Service organisations must ensure that all patients have equitable access to care, and that decisions or policies do not unfairly disadvantage people or lead to an increase in inequalities. All NHS organisations are legally obliged to not ...

What steps he is taking to ensure people with disabilities are not excluded from the move to digital triage in hospitals.

National Health Service organisations must ensure equitable access to care and avoid policies that disadvantage individuals or widen inequalities. All NHS organisations are legally obliged to not discriminate against patients or staff.NHS England is imple...

What steps he is taking to increase support for voluntary and charitable organisations providing dementia support services in Lincolnshire.

The Government is empowering local leaders with the autonomy they need to provide the best services to their local community, including for those with dementia.The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care b...

Whether his Department permits civil servants employed in the UK to work from overseas on a regular basis.

The Department does not permit civil servants to work overseas on a regular basis. The Department has a policy for staff to work remotely overseas for short defined periods of time if travelling on official business, where there is a critical business nee...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure all major trauma centres and specialist hospitals in Lincolnshire have onsite helipad access.

Funding for helipads is decided by individual acute trusts, based in clinical requirements and reflecting the need for suitable infrastructure for an air ambulance to land.

Whether his Department permits (1) Ministers, (2) Special advisers and (3) officials to use (a) Chat GPT, (b) Google Gemini, (c) Claude, (d) Deepseek and (e) Grok as part of their official duties.

The Government is committed to harnessing the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the productivity of the Civil Service and the quality of public services.Departments provide officials, Ministers and special advisers with access to secure,...

How many slaughterhouses have been fined for failing hygiene standards in each of the last ten years.

The following table shows the number of convictions secured against the business operators of slaughterhouses or plant operatives working in approved slaughterhouses for offences under the welfare of animals at the time of killing, in the last 10 years:Ye...