Written questions by Wrigley.

If he will take steps to ensure that dementia care receives long term investment.

With our Plan for Change, the Government is committed to getting the National Health Service back on its feet and creating a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to the end of life. The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with complex health and care needs, including those with dementia. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care The Department delivers dementia research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has established significant investments into research for dementia care. This includes a £13.5 million investment in the NIHR’s Three Schools Dementia Programme, which links public health, primary care, and social care. The programme addresses key evidence gaps around how we can effectively support and care people living with dementia

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of early diagnosis rates on the quality of care for dementia patients.

Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that a timely diagnosis is vital to ensure 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. The Government and NHS England are committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%.Improving dementia care is one of four workstreams delivering NHS England’s Ageing Well Strategy. The dementia workstream is looking at improving early diagnosis and early access to care and support for patients, families, and carers, as well as taking preventative action through public health messaging, promoting healthy lifestyle choices, and expanding NHS Health Checks. The workstream is also looking at improving local services and delivering an integrated approach to care across statutory, voluntary, community, and social enterprises, as well as other services, and providing dementia training for the workforce.The Department delivers dementia research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research into dementia, for example an £11 million programme to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of early diagnosis rates on the quality of life choices for dementia patients.

Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that a timely diagnosis is vital to ensure 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. The Government and NHS England are committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%.Improving dementia care is one of four workstreams delivering NHS England’s Ageing Well Strategy. The dementia workstream is looking at improving early diagnosis and early access to care and support for patients, families, and carers, as well as taking preventative action through public health messaging, promoting healthy lifestyle choices, and expanding NHS Health Checks. The workstream is also looking at improving local services and delivering an integrated approach to care across statutory, voluntary, community, and social enterprises, as well as other services, and providing dementia training for the workforce.The Department delivers dementia research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research into dementia, for example an £11 million programme to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia.

With reference to NHS England's guidance entitled 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 30 January 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the dementia diagnosis target rate on people with dementia.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the National Health Service around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. The Darzi Investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable.Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform, recognises the role of the NHS in driving economic growth, and enshrines our commitment to financial rigour in the system.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public.Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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.The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of water butts in reducing sewage overflow in Devon.

Defra have had no recent discussions with water companies about the use of water butts to prevent sewage overflow in Devon. However, as part of a well-designed sustainable drainage system (SuDS), water butts can help in reducing pressure on sewerage. This Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised SuDS in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure an adequate provision of supply teachers in schools.

Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers and are best placed to make decisions on their approach to recruitment.There are various approaches to providing supply teachers, such as using supply agencies.The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. More information on the agency supply deal can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of combined sewerage systems in Devon on water quality.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. Storm overflows are safety valves within our combined sewage system to protect properties from flooding. The Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan sets stretching targets to reduce the harms from storm overflows. This ambitious plan is guiding future investment in sector. Water companies are investing around £12 billion between 2025-2030, a record amount, to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales, and reduce spills by 45% compared to 2021 levels. In Devon, a large spill reduction programme of works will be undertaken by South West Water, in the next 5 years to improve overflows in the Exe river & estuary catchments. This will see improvements to Combined Storm Overflows, pumping stations & sewage treatment works. We are also carrying out a full review of the water sector to shape further legislation that will transform how our water system works and clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good.

With reference to NHS England's guidance entitled 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 30 January 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the dementia diagnosis target rate on access to care for non-diagnosis dementia patients.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the National Health Service around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. The Darzi Investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable.Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform, recognises the role of the NHS in driving economic growth, and enshrines our commitment to financial rigour in the system.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public.Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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.The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

What steps her Department is taking to help support children who have a parent in prison.

The department knows growing up with a parent or primary carer in prison can have a devastating impact on a child’s life chances. These children can experience the trauma of separation, social isolation and shame, and support is often lacking.This government has a key mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child, which includes better supporting and identifying children affected by parental imprisonment.The department and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are working together to see how we can support children affected by parental imprisonment. We have also closely engaged the sector who have provided us with invaluable support during the early stages of policy development.At the department, we are looking at how best to support children and their families within the community, including as part of our wider reforms to Children’s Social Care. The MoJ is looking at how to improve support for parents in prison and the visiting experience for families, with a focus on strengthening family ties where appropriate.At present, prisons across England and Wales offer a range of services to maintain family relationships including social visits and family days.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the dementia diagnosis rate target on the adequacy of dementia care.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the National Health Service around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. The Darzi Investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable.Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform, recognises the role of the NHS in driving economic growth, and enshrines our commitment to financial rigour in the system.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public.Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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.The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of snares on animal welfare.

Defra recognises many people in this country have concerns about the use of snares on animal welfare and bans have now been brought into place in Scotland and Wales. Wildlife management is a devolved matter which means that the Scottish and Welsh Governments are free to make their own laws in relation to snaring. Free-running snares are currently legal in England and are regulated by law. They must be checked at least once a day and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the setting of any type of snare in places where they are likely to catch certain non-target animals. Anyone using snares also has a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ensure their activities do not cause wild animals or pets any unnecessary suffering. This government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. Defra is considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

If he will have discussions with his US counterpart on plans to impose tariffs on Canada.

There are ongoing discussions between Canada and the US on their relationship and interests. It is not for the UK to comment on another country’s trade relationships. The UK deeply values its strong trading ties with both the US and Canada, and we will work to build on these relationships in the future.

With reference to NHS England's guidance entitled 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 30 January 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the dementia diagnosis target rate on local health service accountability.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the National Health Service around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. The Darzi Investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable.Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform, recognises the role of the NHS in driving economic growth, and enshrines our commitment to financial rigour in the system.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public.Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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.The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

With reference to NHS England's guidance entitled 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 30 January 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the dementia diagnosis target rate on (a) support and (b) treatment for non-diagnosis dementia patients.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the National Health Service around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. The Darzi Investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable.Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform, recognises the role of the NHS in driving economic growth, and enshrines our commitment to financial rigour in the system.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public.Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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.The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

With reference to NHS England's guidance entitled 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 30 January 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the dementia diagnosis target rate on the number of patients at risk of going into urgent care.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the National Health Service around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. The Darzi Investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable.Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform, recognises the role of the NHS in driving economic growth, and enshrines our commitment to financial rigour in the system.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public.Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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.The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Canadian counterparts on recent tariffs applied to that country by the US.

The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly with Canadian Foreign Minister Joly, most recently on 28 January, where they discussed a range of bilateral and global issues. Canada is one of our closest allies, underpinned by a broad trade and investment relationship which we are committed to deepening further.

With reference to NHS England's guidance entitled 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 30 January 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the dementia diagnosis target rate on the NHS.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the National Health Service around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. The Darzi Investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable.Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform, recognises the role of the NHS in driving economic growth, and enshrines our commitment to financial rigour in the system.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public.Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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.The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

What recent discussions he has had with the NHS on the dementia diagnosis target rate.

We remain committed to increasing dementia diagnosis rates and agree that early diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need. NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the National Health Service does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that 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. The dementia diagnosis target has not been met for half a decade.We have taken a new approach to NHS Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. We will only turn the NHS around by doing things differently. These are the first steps on our journey for long-term reform of the NHS.The Darzi investigation found that there are too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or to be held properly accountable. Our aim is to give more power to local systems and let them decide how they use local funding to best meet the needs of their local population. This approach signals our ambition for reform and putting patients at the centre of care.Through our extensive public engagement as part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will continue to listen to patients’ priorities and keep focused on what matters most to the public. The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

If he will take steps to improve access to the NHS for transgender adults.

The Government wants all patients, including transgender adults, to feel safe and confident in accessing National Health Service health services. This is part of our mission to ensure that the NHS is there for everyone when they need it, providing equal access to health care which promotes choice and inclusivity. Transgender adults may seek access to NHS gender services specifically and these should be available when needed. NHS England has increased the number of adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics in England from seven to 12. The rollout of these new clinics is helping to tackle long waiting times, which had increased due to a shortage of specialist clinical staff to meet the rapidly rising demand. NHS England is currently undertaking a review of adult gender services, chaired by Dr David Levy. The review will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients, with the aim of producing an updated service specification.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS Trusts are (a) aware of and (b) encouraged to participate in the Givinostat Early Access Programme.

ITF Pharma UK, the United Kingdom marketing authorisation holder for givinostat, is providing access to givinostat through a type of compassionate use scheme called an Early Access Programme (EAP). Under the EAP, givinostat is free to both patients taking part in it and to the National Health Service, but the trusts must still cover the cost of administering it to patients. Only Duchenne muscular dystrophy clinicians can make requests for givinostat for their patients. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis for individual named patients, aligned to eligibility criteria.NHS England does not have any initiatives to encourage participation in compassionate use schemes, which are the responsibility of individual pharmaceutical companies. Participation in the EAP for givinostat, which must be through one of the 23 NorthStar Centres in the UK, is decided at an individual NHS trust level, although there is general advice that trusts should engage with the relevant commissioner if they choose to participate, so that any impacts on the wider service can be taken into account. A NorthStar Centre will not be able to provide givinostat if its local trust has not approved participation.NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes such as EAPs, including providing advice on potential financial, administrative, and clinical risks. The guidance aims to support the NHS to drive value from the medicines and ensure consistent and equitable access to medicines across England. ICSs should follow the recommendations to 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/