Written questions by Anderson.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of US tariffs on Chinese vape products on the level of illegal Chinese vapes entering the UK.

We are closely monitoring the impact of the tariffs introduced by the United States, and are prepared to act in the best interests of the United Kingdom, as shown through the Economic Prosperity Deal signed with the US in May. No assessment has been made of the specific impact of US tariffs on Chinese exports of vapes to the UK. The Government is concerned about the access to and availability of vapes to children. This is why, alongside the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This will support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales in England and the implementation of the measures in the bill.Furthermore, in October 2026, we are introducing a new Vaping Products Duty which will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit products.

What interim support his Department is providing to integrated care boards in relation to NHS dentist shortages in Ashfield constituency.

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.Integrated care boards have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS, a central part of which will be our workforce. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of available NHS dental appointments in Ashfield constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Ashfield constituency, this is the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB is expected to deliver 24,360 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of access to NHS dental care in Ashfield constituency.

The Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324In the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, which includes the Ashfield constituency, 42% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England, and 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to healthcare for the elderly population in Ashfield constituency.

We recognise that patients are finding it difficult to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to bringing back the family doctor so patients with complex conditions and the elderly population receive the care they deserve. We have invested an additional £889 million in GPs and, through the 2025/26 GP Contract, have incentivised primary care networks (PCNs) to improve continuity of care.The Enhanced Health in Care Homes framework is a key contractual requirement for PCNs, ensuring coordinated healthcare services for care home residents across the country. Under the terms of this framework, all residents must have a comprehensive assessment of need completed and personalised care and support plans put in place within seven days of admission or re-admission to a care home, and all care homes must have a weekly home round supported by a multidisciplinary team.

Whether his Department plans to provide additional support to carers of people with Parkinson’s disease.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need.Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers and carers of people with Parkinson’s disease.To support unpaid carers, on 7 April 2025 the Government increased the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This represents the largest increase in the earnings limit since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.We are also providing support for unpaid carers. The Better Care Fund can be used for unpaid carer support, including short breaks and respite services for carers. The Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) has also provided a total of £42.6 million to support innovation and scaling in adult social care. More than half of the ARF projects are focused on identifying, recognising, and supporting unpaid carers.

Whether his Department is taking steps to help shorten waiting times for dementia diagnoses.

A timely diagnosis is vital to ensuring that a person with dementia can access the advice, information, care, and support that can help them to live well and remain independent for as long as possible.We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. The Government is also committed to transforming diagnostic services, including the detection and diagnosis of dementia, and will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography scanners.The Dementia Care Pathway: Full Implementation Guidance, commissioned by NHS England, outlines the dementia care pathway and the associated benchmarks to support improvements in the delivery and quality of care and support. It showcases good-practice examples of services that have successfully reduced their waiting times. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/nccmh/dementia/nccmh-dementia-care-pathway-full-implementation-guidance.pdfTo support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, NHS England has developed a dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers of memory services with appropriate data and enable targeted support where needed.

What steps is he taking to reduce NHS waiting times in Ashfield.

We are ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care, including in the Ashfield constituency. We have already exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, with three million more delivered between July 2024 and January 2025.In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board has been working with local National Health Service trusts and independent sector providers to secure additional capacity to see, diagnose and treat patients; review all waiting times; reduce any inequity of waits; and support patient choice.We have also increased diagnostic capacity in Ashfield through investment in new computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanners and reducing wasted appointments through improved communication with patients. This has resulted in waits for diagnostic tests improving significantly, contributing to improvements in the overall waits for diagnosis and treatment. It has also led to a reduction in the number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for surgery and improvements in the number of patients who are seen and treated within 18 weeks.

What steps he is taking to increase the availability of jobs for newly qualified nurses in Nottinghamshire.

Decisions about the employment of newly qualified nurses in Nottinghamshire is a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level to ensure they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

What diversity, equality and inclusion targets his Department has for staff recruitment.

The Department does not have any diversity, equality, or inclusion targets for recruitment. The Department does, however, aim to ensure that its staff are drawn from all walks of life and are representative of the public it serves.

What steps he is taking to ensure the provision of healthcare jobs for British born medical graduates.

The Government is committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our National Health Service.Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual NHS employers. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas.

What steps he is taking to ensure that only registered nurses are able to use the title of nurse.

The Government recognises that the protection in law of certain professional titles is important for public safety. Protecting a title provides assurance to the public that the person using that title is competent and safe to practise.Although ‘registered nurse’ is a protected title, ‘nurse’ is currently not a protected title. The Government is aware of the concerns which this generates, along with the complications associated with protecting the nurse title, given that it is used in multiple professions, for example registered nurses, dental nurses, school nurses, and veterinary nurses.The Government will continue to work with the professional regulators, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, as it considers its priorities for professional regulation, and will set out its position shortly.

What the total cost was of providing translation services in his Department in the last year.

The Department uses external suppliers to meet its requirements for translation and interpretation services. In the 2024 calendar year, the cost to the Department was £16,833.

What steps his Department is taking to prioritise British medical graduates for medical posts in the NHS.

There is no obligation on employers to prioritise British nationals before foreign nationals for medical posts in the National Health Service. Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. However, the Government is also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS.In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the increase of international medical graduates coming to the UK for work on the employment rate of British medical graduates.

There is no obligation on employers to prioritise British nationals before foreign nationals for medical posts in the National Health Service. Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. However, the Government is also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS.In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

Whether Amanda Pritchard will receive an exit payment.

Amanda Pritchard led the National Health Service through the biggest health emergency for our country in modern history. Following her decision to step down as Chief Executive, any exit payment will be in line with contractual entitlements and subject to the necessary approvals.

What steps his Department has taken to increase the number of appointments for people displaying signs of endometriosis.

Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the National Health Service’s constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for endometriosis treatment, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments as a First Step to achieving this, seven months ahead of schedule.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard and ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes innovative models that offer care closer to home and in the community, and the piloting of gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding. We have also committed to increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures with the largest waiting lists, including for certain endometriosis pathways, and reviewing support options from the independent sector.

What steps his Department is taking to shorten the diagnosis period for endometriosis.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis times for gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis. We have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres.Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. The General Medical Council is introducing the Medical Licensing Assessment for most incoming doctors, including all medical students graduating from academic year 2024/25 and onwards. Within this assessment are several topics relating to women’s health, including endometriosis. This will encourage a better understanding of endometriosis among doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom.Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published updated recommendations on the diagnosis, management and treatment of endometriosis. This is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73

What steps his Department has taken to help tackle shortages of Creon.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within local areas is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production and mitigate the supply issue. Suppliers have managed to secure additional pharmaceutical ingredients resulting in expected increased volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to prescribe unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure that local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.

What steps his Department taking to improve access to dentistry care in Nottinghamshire.

In the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), in the 24 months to June 2024, 42% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist, compared to 40% in England. In the 12 months to June 2024, 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the ICB, compared to 56% nationally.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England. For the Ashfield constituency, this is the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB.