Written questions by Taylor.

What steps he is taking to reduce variations in the approaches of commissioners in meeting local population need for palliative and end of life care services.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access to, and quality of, palliative and end of life care services at local and regional levels.This is further made clear in the recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium Term Planning Guidance, which make clear the expectations that integrated care boards should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.

If he will take legislative steps to ensure that food outlets must display their Food Standards Agency food hygiene rating.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.Introducing a statutory scheme in England would require primary legislation as well as the securing of a suitable legislative vehicle and parliamentary time. Ministers will consider the options in due course supported by the FSA.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the measures outlined in the document entitled Reforming elective care for patients, published on 6 January 2025, on waiting lists for gynaecology treatment.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra 2 million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered 5.2 million more appointments. This marks a vital First Step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment – in line with the National Health Service constitutional standard – by March 2029.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard. Since our plan was published we have seen improvements in gynaecology, with average waits reducing from 15.9 weeks in January 2025 to 15.2 weeks in August 2025, and the number of patients waiting 18 weeks or less from referral to treatment increasing from 55.2% in January 2025 to 56.4% in August 2025. But we know there is still much more to do, and we will continue to support NHS trusts to deliver our targets through innovation, sharing best practice to increase productivity and efficiency, and ensuring the best value is delivered.

Whether he plans to allocate capital funding for maternity and neonatal services.

We recognise that repairing and rebuilding our healthcare estate is a vital part of the Government's ambition to create a National Health Service that is fit for the future. As a first step towards improving our maternity and neonatal estate, we are investing £131 million through the 2025-26 Estates Safety Fund to address critical safety risks on the maternity estate, enabling better care for mothers and their newborns. The funded works will deliver vital safety improvements, enhance patient and staff environments, and support NHS productivity by reducing disruptions across NHS clinical services. In addition, the Government is backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital in 2025-26, enabling systems to allocate funding to maternity and neonatal services where this is a local priority.

What plans he has to help improve (a) clinical understanding, (b) diagnosis, and (c) treatment pathways for people with bile acid malabsorption.

The United Kingdom has a well-developed network of clinicians interested in bile acid disorders, namely the UK Bile Acid Related Diarrhoea Network, which is working with the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) on a major clinical trial. The current treatment is mainly with “bile acid sequestrants” that bind the bile acids in the gut, but there is a recognised need to further develop new treatments. In 2025, the NIHR announced a £2 million investment in a research study to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments for bile acid malabsorption (BAM). Further information is available at the following link:https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR160696In addition, BAM has been highlighted in national guidance on managing chronic diarrhoea by the British Society of Gastroenterology, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued public-facing guidance on their website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/esuom22/ifp/chapter/What-is-bile-acid-malabsorptionThe standard diagnostic test for BAM is a SeHCAT study, pronounced “see cat” and named after the tauroselcholc [75 selenium] acid used in the procedure, and its use in the United Kingdom has rapidly expanded over the last 10 to 15 years, although there are limited research findings internationally, and consequently NICE has recently recommended further research in this area.

What steps he is taking to ensure equitable access to Mounjaro for people with bile acid malabsorption.

In the United Kingdom, medicines need to have a licence before they can be marketed, and these are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). To get a licence, the manufacturer of the medicine has to provide evidence which shows that the medicine is safe and effective enough to be used for a specific condition and for a specific group of patients, and that they can manufacture the medicine to the required quality.Most newly licensed medicines are then evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to see if they can be recommended for routine use on the National Health Service, based on an assessment of their clinical and cost-effectiveness. Mounjaro is not currently licensed for the treatment of bile acid malabsorption and therefore has not been evaluated by NICE for routine NHS use in this indication.Clinicians can however prescribe medicines outside their licensed indication (known as ‘off-label’ use) where they consider it to be the best treatment option for their patient, and subject to funding by the NHS locally. In the absence of NICE guidance on the use of a medicine, including where it is used off-label, NHS organisations are expected to make decisions on funding based on an assessment of the available evidence.

What steps he is taking to support the (a) development and (b) expansion of women’s health hubs across the country.

We are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs, in line with their responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their local populations.We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women’s access to care in the community and their experience. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to moving towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered in local communities, to identify and address problems earlier and closer to home. Women’s health hubs are an example of this approach and can play a key role in delivering the government’s manifesto commitments on tackling long NHS waiting lists, as well as shifting care into the community.

What steps his Department plans to take to reduce the average time taken to diagnose postural tachycardia syndrome.

We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment, by March 2029.Additionally, the shifts outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting prevention to reduce the onset and severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will allow specialists to focus on more complex cases of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), enabling earlier identification and management, and improved patient outcomes.

What steps he plans to take to update the existing regulations on composition, marketing and labelling of commercial infant and toddler foods.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life. The Government has published voluntary industry baby food guidelines as part of our comprehensive strategy to give children the best start in life. The guidelines challenge businesses to reduce the levels of salt and sugar in commercial baby food and drink products aimed at those aged up to 36 months. The guidelines also set out voluntary labelling actions for industry, in addition to reinforcing legislative requirements around labelling and health and nutrition claims. This will help to support parents and carers to make informed choices about what to feed their children. Businesses have 18 months from the publication of these guidelines, therefore by February 2027, to deliver the required changes. We will monitor industry progress towards implementing the sugar, salt, and labelling guidelines. It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we also have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that commercial baby foods are suitable for infants and young children and require businesses to ensure labelling is clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. The Best Start in Life health website has advice for parents and carers on successful weaning of infants to introduce healthy solid foods, and is available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/ It has been updated to provide new advice on shop-bought baby food and healthy weaning practices. The update has been made in light of the increased availability and range of commercial baby food products, highlighting the need for clear and consistent advice for parents and carers. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflects the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. The voluntary industry baby food guidelines should support improvements in this area.

What steps he is taking to end recruitment freezes in maternity services.

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The guarantee will ensure that there are enough positions for every newly qualified midwife in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs, ensuring thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for National Health Service trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and enabling a seamless transition from training to employment.Vacant maternity support worker posts will be temporarily converted to Band 5 midwifery roles, backed by £8 million to create new opportunities specifically for newly qualified midwives and to further ease the recruitment strain.These new measures aim to tackle graduates’ concerns about job availability and ensure the NHS has the right staff to provide the best possible care to patients everywhere.

If he will include targets to improve diagnosis times for myeloma in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

If he will include targets to improve diagnosis times for myeloma in the National Cancer Plan for England.

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers such as myeloma, as well as other unstageable cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, in order to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancer earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

If he will provide funding for newly qualified midwifery posts.

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The guarantee will ensure that there are enough positions for every newly qualified midwife in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs, ensuring thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for National Health Service trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and enabling a seamless transition from training to employment.Vacant maternity support worker posts will be temporarily converted to Band 5 midwifery roles, backed by £8 million to create new opportunities specifically for newly qualified midwives and to further ease the recruitment strain.These new measures aim to tackle graduates’ concerns about job availability and ensure the NHS has the right staff to provide the best possible care to patients everywhere.

What assessment he has made of the impact of workforce pressures on levels of (a) burnout and (b) staff attrition in maternity services.

The health and wellbeing of all NHS staff is a top priority. NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff and to ensure they have the conditions they need to thrive, including access to high quality health and wellbeing support.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out Staff Treatment hubs to ensure all staff have access to high quality occupational health support, including for mental health. To further support this ambition, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of caring responsibilities on levels of social isolation among unpaid carers.

The Government has launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.Local authorities have duties to support unpaid carers and are required to deliver sustainable, high-quality care and support services.

Whether he plans to introduce ring-fenced funding for hospice clinical services.

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, which can include hospice services being available within the ICB catchment area.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 the end of life and their loved ones.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. 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.I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care, included services provided by hospices, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of waiting times on children and young people seeking urgent mental health support.

We know that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that, as we recognise the importance of timely access to mental health support for children and the positive impact this can have on areas such as family life and educational outcomes.Backed by an extra £688 million in Government funding this year, we are transforming mental health services, including hiring more staff and getting waiting lists down through our 10-Year Health Plan, so children can have the best possible start in life.We will deliver on our commitment to get every child who needs it access to mental health support within school, and over the course of this year we will roll that support out to nearly a million extra children. Under Government plans, all pupils will have access to mental health support in school by 2029/30.

What steps his Department is taking to protect vulnerable people during periods of extreme heat.

The UK Health Security Agency delivers the Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) and Weather-Health Alerting (WHA) System, which provides alerts for the public and public sector organisations to prepare for impacts of adverse weather, including heat.Risks to health are communicated via the WHA system. Enhanced amber and red alerts are used to alert those at the greatest risk. The alerts have enhanced communications to support partner organisations and the public. Heat-health guidance and checklists are available for both health and social care professionals and the public on what action they should take.The AWHP is designed to protect public health during extreme weather conditions. It emphasises preparedness, early warning systems, communication strategies, and targeted support for vulnerable populations. It aims to reduce illness, hospital admissions, and mortality through timely interventions, public awareness, and resilience-building measures.

Whether he plans to introduce permanent patient registration with NHS dental practices.

The Government has no current plans to introduce a system of patient registration for National Health Service dental practices.Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly, and some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. NHS dentists are required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have up-to-date information on where they can access care.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 per year. Integrated care boards have been making the extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

If he will take steps to help ensure that Givinostat is made available in for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy across all NHS trusts areas.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is currently evaluating givinostat for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its independent Appraisal Committee will meet to consider the evidence in July 2025.Ahead of NICE’s evaluation, ITF Pharma UK, the United Kingdom’s marketing authorisation holder for givinostat, is providing access to givinostat through a type of compassionate use scheme called an Early Access Programme (EAP). The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored EAPs is not the responsibility of NHS England. Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual NHS trust level and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both the patients taking part in it, and to the NHS, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/