Written questions by Ingham.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the US CLOUD Act on the security of NHS patient data held or processed by US-based companies; and whether his Department has sought independent legal advice on whether contractual protections can override valid requests from US federal authorities.

NHS England takes seriously its responsibility to handle health and care data lawfully, proportionately, ethically, and in confidence.There is no overseas processing of any type of data under contracts, and access to data and systems outside of the United Kingdom is not permitted. Data is held in UK data centres and doesn’t leave the UK, with data access subject to UK law, regulations, and best practice.These measures collectively ensure that National Health Service data remains under UK jurisdiction and all processing of patient information will be within the UK only.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of critical health data infrastructure being operated by companies subject to foreign law on national resilience; and whether the Government plans to develop a policy on digital sovereignty as it applies to NHS data.

The Government takes seriously its responsibility to ensure critical health data is handled lawfully, proportionately, ethically, and in confidence, whether by United Kingdom based companies or those that are subject to foreign law. Digital sovereignty is ensured through prohibiting overseas processing of critical health data under existing contracts. Access to critical data systems from outside of the UK is not permitted. Critical health data is held in UK data centres and does not leave the UK, with data access subject to UK law, regulations, and best practice. These measures collectively ensure that National Health Service data remains under UK jurisdiction and that national resilience is not compromised.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the regulation of cosmetic procedures; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost of treating complications from such procedures.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce legal restrictions which will ensure that the highest risk cosmetic procedures are brought into Care Quality Commission regulation and can only be performed by specified regulated healthcare professionals.In addition, the Government has also committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for lower risk procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under the proposed scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed. To protect children and young people, the Government is also committed to mandating age restrictions for cosmetic procedures.Further details of the Government’s commitments are available in the Government’s response to the 2023 consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/licensing-of-non-surgical-cosmetic-proceduresThe Department does not have data on the annual costs to the National Health Service of treating complications from cosmetic procedures. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) waiting times at urgent care centres and (b) the geographical coverage of urgent care provision in Staffordshire; and what is the timetable for the (i) opening of new and (ii) upgrading of urgent treatment centres in that county.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local communities, as they are best placed to take those decisions. In doing so, ICBs – including NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, which is responsible for services in Staffordshire – consider how best to provide urgent care, including Urgent Treatment Centres, to meet patient demand.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes the expansion of Urgent Treatment Centres to allow for the effective streaming of patients, helping to reduce waiting times and overcrowding.We have been taking key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on Accident and Emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing ICB and trust winter plans to confirm they are able to meet demand and support patient flow.

Whether there are internal NHS targets for blood test waiting lists; and what steps he is taking to ensure timely access to blood tests for patients in Staffordshire.

We are committed to transforming National Health Service diagnostic services and ensuring timely access to diagnostic tests, including blood tests and that patients have the best possible experience of care.The Elective Reform Plan published in January 2025 sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this parliament. To achieve this, the plan commits to transform and expand diagnostic services and speed up waiting times for tests.Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), including Cannock Chase CDC in Staffordshire, are supporting one of the Government’s key strategic shifts – moving care from the hospital to the community. CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including phlebotomy, closer to home and greater choice on where and how they are undertaken. Cannock Chase CDC has delivered 21,673 phlebotomy tests since July 2024.We are continuing to invest in expanding diagnostic capacity in the NHS. As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, we plan to build up to five more CDCs in 2025/26, alongside increasing the operating hours of existing sites so that more offer services 12 hours a day, seven days a week. This is backed by part of the £600 million capital investment for diagnostic services announced at the October Spending review.We are also funding all pathology networks to increase digital capabilities by March 2026. This will reduce unnecessary waits and repeat tests to ensure that patients receive their blood test results sooner, including in Staffordshire.

What steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England are taking to support the widest possible implementation of the Play Well Toolkit.

We recognise the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play, as games and active play in all settings build social skills and support children’s wellbeing. The Play Well toolkit that was recently jointly launched by NHS England and the charity Starlight helps services to identify opportunities to improve health play services.While funding decisions for health play services remain the responsibility of local commissioners, the Department remains supportive of NHS England’s work to continue to champion the toolkit and the importance of child-centred care across healthcare settings.To support implementation, NHS England is promoting the Play Well toolkit to managers of health play services across a wide range of settings, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards.A range of communication channels have been used to raise awareness, including engagement with services via professional bodies, messaging via the Chief Nursing Officer, and a forthcoming blog post and press release in partnership with Starlight. Starlight will be co-leading a webinar with NHS England this month to raise awareness of the toolkit.

Whether his Department is taking steps to mark Play in Healthcare Week 2025.

We recognise the importance of supporting children's right to play as games and play help build social-skills and support children’s wellbeing. In October 2025, the Starlight Children's Foundation will mark Play in Healthcare Week, celebrating 50 years of play and highlighting its importance for children in healthcare settings. Together with NHS England, Starlight co-published the Play Well Toolkit, which is designed to help services enhance the quality of health play provision.The Department remains supportive of the Starlight Foundation and NHS England’s work to champion that toolkit and promote child-centred care across healthcare settings and encourages work to publicise its use during this week.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory follow-up ultrasounds after surgery related to miscarriage in (a) general and (b) cases of pregnancy being over 10 weeks gestation.

Experiencing pregnancy or baby loss can be extremely difficult and traumatic and we are determined to make sure all women receive the right care.An assessment has not been made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory follow-up ultrasounds after surgery related to miscarriage in (a) general and (b) cases of pregnancy being over 10 weeks gestation.Best practice guidance for the care of women following surgical management of miscarriage is based on evidence about what will give the best outcomes of care. Ultrasound following the procedure is only clinically indicated in a small proportion of cases. Performance of ultrasound post procedure is determined by clinical need and judged on a case-by-case basis both before and after 10 weeks gestation.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of community provision of palliative care in Stafford constituency.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. ICBs, including the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, which covers the Stafford constituency, are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.As set out in the Government’s recently published 10-Year Health Plan, we are determined to shift more care out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services, including hospices, will have a big role to play in that shift, and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative and end of life care services to ensure that, in future, services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining how to operationalise the required shifts in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

Whether he has made a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of (a) Urgent Treatment Centres and (b) Accident and Emergency Departments.

Urgent treatment centres and emergency departments, also known as accident and emergency, provide a different range of services to patients.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for this year will continue the expansion of urgent treatment centres that are co-located with emergency departments. This allows for the effective streaming of patients away from emergency departments, helping to reduce the number of people who spend time there, and overcrowding.

What proportion of appeals against decisions on NHS Continuing Healthcare funding by integrated care boards were upheld in favour of the applicant in the last 12 months.

If an individual disagrees with the outcome of an NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessment, they may apply to the integrated care board (ICB) for a Local Resolution procedure. Where it has not been possible to resolve the matter through the Local Resolution procedure, the individual may apply to NHS England for an Independent Review of the decision. We have interpreted ‘appeals against decisions’ as a request for Local Resolution or Independent Review of CHC eligibility decision requests, and ‘were upheld in favour of the applicant’ to mean the number of these found eligible. The following table, provided by NHS England, shows the number of Local Resolution requests to review a CHC eligibility decision completed by ICBs, and the number and percentage of those found eligible, from Quarter four of 2023/24 to Quarter three of 2024/25, for England:Number of Local Resolution requests completed by ICBsNumber found eligiblePercentage eligible2,45337615% In addition, the following table show the number of Independent Review requests to review a CHC eligibility decision carried out by NHS England, and the number and percentage found eligible, from Quarter four of 2023/24 to Quarter three of 2024/25, for England: Number of Independent Review Panels carried out by NHS EnglandNumber found eligiblePercentage eligible47611624%

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the benefits of regulating private-owned retirement residential services.

In November 2024, the Government published the independent Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, originally commissioned prior to the July 2024 General Election. The Taskforce undertook an assessment of public and private specialised and supported older people’s housing, with a particular focus on the private market for those on middle incomes, and explored options for the provision of greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people. The full report and recommendations alongside two pieces of research undertaken for the Taskforce are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-older-peoples-housing-taskforce-reportThe Government is currently considering the recommendations set out in the report and remain fully committed to providing homeowners with greater rights, powers and protections over their homes by quickly implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing guidelines to social workers for parents with autism.

Social workers involved in an autistic person’s care have a duty to promote their human rights, safety and wellbeing, assess their needs and help facilitate access to the right services.The regulator for the social work profession, Social Work England, sets the professional standards. These are standards all social workers must meet. The professional standards include that social workers must be able to provide, or support people to access, advice and services tailored to meet their needs.Social workers complete initial education and training, for which training providers must meet Social Work England’s Education and Training Standards. These standards require training providers to ensure that the course is continually updated because of developments in research, legislation, Government policy and best practice.Additionally, under the Health and Care Act 2022, Care Quality Commission-registered providers are required to ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role. This will help to ensure that staff, including social workers, have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care.To support this, we have been rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. Over two million people have already completed the e-learning package which is the first part of this training.

What recent assessment he has made of the levels of ambulance delays for Category (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4 calls; and what assessment he has made of the impact of ambulance delays on healthcare in Stafford constituency in the last 12 months.

Ambulance services in Stafford are provided by the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, with responsibility for commissioning services a matter for the local Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board. Any assessment of the specific local actions needed to improve response times should be undertaken and agreed locally by National Health Service organisations in the best interests of the local population and patients.At a national level, the Government and NHS England are committed to improving ambulance response times. The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance sets national priorities, which include improving accident and emergency waiting times and ambulance response times compared to 2024/25.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the number of open NHS Dentists (a) on the most recent date for which figures are held and (b) in 2010 in Stafford Constituency.

As of 4 February 2025, in the Stafford constituency, there were 13 National Health Service dentist practices, with five showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and two showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. Data is not held on the number of open NHS dentists in the Stafford constituency for 2010.This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of regulating companies that are funded by local government to provide day activity services to adults with disabilities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The CQC has powers under the Health and Care Act 2008 to regulate adult social care services to make sure they provide safe, effective, compassionate, and high-quality care. Where concerns on quality or safety are identified, the CQC uses the regulatory and enforcement powers it has available, and will take action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.Day activity centres, in which social, recreational, and care services may be provided to older people or those with a disability, are not currently within the scope of the CQC’s regulation, as set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.Any changes to those regulations would be subject to the usual Parliamentary process, which would include a public consultation, and thus an opportunity to consider the merits of further regulation of services.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) funding and (b) National Insurance contributions at the Autumn Budget 2024 on hospices.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life, and their loved ones.The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.At the Autumn Budget 2024, we have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances, enabling the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The employer National Insurance contributions (ENICs) rise will be implemented in April 2025, and the Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, like hospices, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with ENIC liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Businesses and charities will still be able to claim ENIC reliefs, including those for under 21-year-old and under 25-year-old apprentices, where eligible.