Written questions by Hollinrake.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of referrals rejected by NHS providers due to capacity constraints.

Awaiting answer.

Whether NHS England collects data on referrals declined because a service lacked capacity or was deemed overloaded.

Awaiting answer.

What guidance NHS England has issued to NHS trusts on the circumstances in which referrals from GPs may be rejected or returned.

Awaiting answer.

What proportion of GP referrals have been rejected on administrative grounds since July 2024.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the impact of rejected referrals on reported NHS waiting list figures.

Awaiting answer.

How many referrals from general practitioners to secondary care providers have been (a) rejected, (b) returned and (c) declined since July 2024.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department is still working towards the Smokefree 2030 ambition for England.

The Government’s ambition is to deliver a smoke-free United Kingdom, and we are going even further than the smoke-free 2030 target.The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will create the first smoke-free generation which is expected to help reduce smoking rates of 14- to 30-year-olds to near zero by 2050.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85831 on Public Houses, whether he plans to allow 16 and 17 year olds to consume alcohol-free drinks when accompanied by an adult and when drinking with a substantive meal in a licensed premises.

In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to explore measures to regulate access to no- and low-alcohol (NoLo) products in line with other alcoholic beverages. This policy is being pursued as alcohol substitute drinks are only intended for consumption by adults.Department officials are progressing work to take forward this commitment and are in the process of scoping out the full details. We will update stakeholders in due course.There are no current plans to change the licensing rules in pubs for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 90801 on NHS Trusts: City of Sanctuary UK, what support and engagement his Department, including NHS England, has given to City of Sanctuary.

After reasonable checks, neither the Department or NHS England have given any formal support or engagement to the City of Sanctuary.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 92263 on Low Alcohol Drinks: Children, if he will cite the sources and titles of the evidence.

The effect of the growing no and low alcohol products market on alcohol consumption and public health is still emerging. The World Health Organization’s 2023 report A Public Health Perspective on zero-and low alcohol beverages consolidated the available scientific evidence, but the evidence base continues to grow and there have been several academic studies published since. The World Health Organization’s report is available at the following link:https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240072152There are also several academic studies underway investigating the effects of no and low alcohol beverages (NoLo), including a National Institute for Health and Care Research funded No/Lo Project, titled Evaluating and responding to the public health impact of no and low alcohol drinks: A multi-method study of a complex intervention in a complex system, which is being conducted by the University of Sheffield. The researchers will, as part of the wider research, ask different groups, including young people, about their experiences with NoLo drinks. Further information on the study is available at the following link:https://sarg-sheffield.ac.uk/projects/no-lo-project/The Department will continue to monitor the emerging evidence from these and other studies about the impact of NoLo products on children and young people.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 92263 on Low Alcohol Drinks: Children, what research his Department has conducted and assessed on the potential impact of the consumption of non-alcoholic products and the level of exposure to alcoholic drinks.

The effect of the growing no and low alcohol products market on alcohol consumption and public health is still emerging. The World Health Organization’s 2023 report A Public Health Perspective on zero-and low alcohol beverages consolidated the available scientific evidence, but the evidence base continues to grow and there have been several academic studies published since. The World Health Organization’s report is available at the following link:https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240072152There are also several academic studies underway investigating the effects of no and low alcohol beverages (NoLo), including a National Institute for Health and Care Research funded No/Lo Project, titled Evaluating and responding to the public health impact of no and low alcohol drinks: A multi-method study of a complex intervention in a complex system, which is being conducted by the University of Sheffield. The researchers will, as part of the wider research, ask different groups, including young people, about their experiences with NoLo drinks. Further information on the study is available at the following link:https://sarg-sheffield.ac.uk/projects/no-lo-project/The Department will continue to monitor the emerging evidence from these and other studies about the impact of NoLo products on children and young people.

With reference to page 92 of NHS England's annual report and accounts 2024-25, whether a Minister approved NHS England's spending on paid trade union activities.

The use of paid facility time for trade union duties and activities is a matter for NHS England as the employer. Trade union representatives are entitled to paid time for trade union duties and unpaid time for trade union activities by law under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, with local agreements with trade unions determining specifics.Section 25 of the National Health Service staff terms and conditions of service handbook, Agenda for Change, gives NHS employers the flexibility to determine what union activities are paid. These payments do not require ministerial approval.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 91039 on Trade Unions: Equality, how many (a) chairs and (b) committee members are entitled to use their work time for network activity; and what the name is of each diversity network in (i) his Department and (ii) NHS England.

The Department advises that up to three individuals per network, including chairs, co-chairs and committee members, may receive a 10% work time allocation for network activity, with line manager agreement. The Department has eight recognised diversity networks which align with characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010 and/or characteristics particularly important to our organisational demographic:Age Network;Disability, Neurodiversity, Long-term Conditions and Carers Network;Faith and Belief Network;Parenting Network;Race Network;Sex Network ("sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refers specifically to biological sex recorded at birth, not acquired gender, and as such this network covers sex, with supporting forums discussing 'men's' and 'women's' issues);Sexuality and Gender Network; andSocial Equality and Support Network.NHS England does not set an organisation wide allocation or entitlement of protected time for staff network chairs or committee members. Any arrangements for time spent on network activity are agreed locally, based on business need.NHS England has 12 staff networks:Ability;Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic;Carers and Family Network;Christian Network;Disability and Well-being;Jewish;LGBTQIA+;Menopause;MultiKultural;Muslim;Neurodiversity; andWomen’s.

With reference to pages 92 and 96 respectively of NHS England's annual report and accounts 2024-25 and 2023-24, if he will set out the business case for the increase in (a) facility time headcount to 88, (b) facility time paybill to £193,550, and (c) paid trade union activities to 1,068 hours.

The increased facility time in 2024/25 noted in NHS England’s Annual Report and Accounts was due to NHS England undergoing organisational change. This followed the transfers of Health Education England and NHS Digital into NHS England, which required formal consultation under employment legislation with recognised trade unions. This is also the reason for the increased facility time paybill and paid trade union activities.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of NICE's draft guidance on brexucabtagene autoleucel on (a) the Life Sciences Strategy and (b) outcomes for patients with rare cancers.

The Government remains committed to the ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, which set out an ambition that by 2030, we will be one of the top three fastest places in Europe for patient access to medicines. We will achieve this by reducing friction in the system to optimise access and uptake of new medicines so the most clinically and cost-effective can reach patients faster.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently re-evaluating brexucabtagene autoleucel to determine whether it should be recommended for routine National Health Service use following a period of managed access through the Cancer Drugs Fund. NICE’s draft guidance, published in December 2025, does not recommend it as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resource, although NICE has not yet published final guidance. The Government recognises that the potential withdrawal of brexucabtagene autoleucel as a treatment for future patients will be concerning for patients and their families, but it is right that these decisions are taken independently and on the basis of the available evidence. In line with an arrangement between NHS England and the company, if NICE’s final guidance does not recommend use, patients who started treatment during the managed access period can continue their treatment.

With reference to his Department's register of board members' interests, 2025 to 2026, published on 5 September 2025, what business A.M.Strategy undertakes.

The Rt. Hon. Alan Milburn has declared A.M. Strategy Ltd in the Department’s register of interests. This is the business through which he has provided advisory services for several years.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of meat hygiene Inspectors.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not have directly employed staff who are subject to skilled worker visas.The FSA recruits and trains domestic Official Auxiliaries, Meat Hygiene Inspectors, twice a year in line with the Government strategy of placing a strong emphasis on developing a sustainable, United Kingdom-based workforce. The FSA is also supporting its delivery partners in the development of domestic recruitment and training capabilities and plans to align with this strategy.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed retrospective changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain qualifying periods on (a) the number of migrant meat hygiene inspectors working in the Food Standards Agency and (b) food safety and export standards.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not have directly employed staff who are subject to skilled worker visas.The FSA recruits and trains domestic Official Auxiliaries, Meat Hygiene Inspectors, twice a year in line with the Government strategy of placing a strong emphasis on developing a sustainable, United Kingdom-based workforce. The FSA is also supporting its delivery partners in the development of domestic recruitment and training capabilities and plans to align with this strategy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 84923 on Public Houses: Electronic Cigarettes, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of a ban on vaping in pubs on their (a) financial viability and (b) profitability.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill gives the Government powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free.We plan to consult on making most indoor settings, that are subject to existing smoke-free legislation, vape-free. This would include inside pubs and other hospitality venues. A number of places have already done this voluntarily.These measures will be subject to a full consultation, and we will be guided by public health advice. All future regulations will be accompanied by an impact assessment that will consider the economic effects of the proposed measures and will be published as part of the consultation process.

If he will investigate NHS Barts Health Trust funding for the Tower Hamlets Muslim Charity Run; and if he will make it his policy to ensure NHS funds are not used to support events which discriminate against women and offer no alternative single-sex provision.

The Tower Hamlets Muslim Charity Run is not funded by NHS Barts Health Trust. National Health Services are available to all, irrespective of sex. The Government does not tolerate discrimination within public services.