Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What comparative assessment he has made of the processes in place for dentists from overseas who wish to set up in (a) private practice and (b) the NHS.

The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentistry in the United Kingdom. Only dentists and dental care professionals registered with the GDC can legally practise dentistry, both within the National Health Service and privately, in the UK. Routes to registration as a dentist in the UK are set out in the GDC’s legislation, The Dentists Act 1984. In 2023, the Department introduced legislative changes to give the GDC greater flexibility to expand and improve its registration processes for overseas-qualified dentists.In 2024, the Department consulted on introducing legislation that would give the GDC powers to provisionally register overseas-qualified dentists. Individuals holding provisional registration would be able to work as a dentist under supervision whilst seeking to demonstrate the required knowledge and skill for full registration. Our position on this proposal will be set out in due course.To work under an NHS primary care dental services contract, a dentist must join the NHS Dental Performers List (DPL). All dentists wishing to join the DPL in England must show they have either completed UK Dental Foundation Training or demonstrate equivalence to foundation training via the competence assessment route. In 2023, the competence assessment route was streamlined, enabling individuals to practise NHS dentistry more quickly by providing for applicants’ specific clinical knowledge and skills to be assessed, and for more tailored support to be put in place. Dentists providing private treatment are not required to be on the DPL.The Government plans to expand access to NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and to recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, and increase access to NHS dental care, the Government plans to reform the dental contract with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for health professionals to spend at least three years in the NHS following training before they can practice privately.

The Department consulted on a tie-in to National Health Service dentistry for graduate dentists in 2024. We are considering the responses and will set out our position in due course. No assessment has been made for other healthcare professionals.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring private health providers to pay a fee back to the NHS.

No assessment has been made of the merits of private health providers paying a fee back to the National Health Service.Independent healthcare providers do have a role to play to strengthen the overall health service in England. NHS England and the Independent Healthcare Provider Network recently agreed a new Partnership Agreement that supports the use of excess independent sector capacity to help meet the Government’s commitment to tackle elective waiting lists, and to provide the choice of being treated by independent providers, at no cost to patients. The agreement is also clear that independent sector providers will support broader work to grow the overall elective workforce, provide training opportunities, and continue to meet the same high standards expected of all providers.

Whether he has plans to introduce legislation on advertising restrictions for foods that are high in (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt.

Implementing restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink products on television and online is a commitment for the Government. This includes a 9:00pm watershed on television and a 24-hour restriction on paid-for advertising of these products online.On 3 December 2024, we brought forward secondary legislation to confirm the products, businesses, and services in scope of the restrictions, and published guidance on the affected food and drink products. We are working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and regulators to support businesses as they prepare for the regulations to come into force United Kingdom-wide from 1 October 2025.

Whether his Department has plans to issue guidance to industry on steps to reduce (a) sugar and (b) salt in baby and toddler foods.

A 2019 evidence review showed that babies and young children are exceeding their energy intake requirement and are eating too much sugar and salt. Some commercial baby foods, particularly finger foods, had added sugar or salt, or contained ingredients that are high in sugar or salt.More recently, the independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) highlighted in their report, Feeding Young Children aged one to five years, published in 2023, that free sugar intakes are above recommendations for children at all ages where recommendations have been set, and that commercial baby food and drinks contributed to approximately 20% of free sugar intake in children aged between 12 and 18 months old. The SACN also recommended that in diets of children aged between one and five years old, foods, including snacks that are high in salt, free sugars, saturated fat, or are energy dense, should be limited and that commercially manufactured foods and drinks marketed specifically for infants and young children are not needed to meet nutrition requirements.We face a childhood obesity crisis, and the Government is committed to raising the healthiest next generation. We will provide an update on publication of voluntary industry guidelines to limit the levels of salt and sugar in commercially available baby food and drink in due course.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of uto-enroling eligible families to the Healthy Start scheme.

The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and infant formula. Those on the scheme have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old.The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. All applicants to the Healthy Start scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, NHS BSA is not able to automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card. However, the scheme is kept under review, and we remain open to all viable routes to improve uptake to ensure that as many eligible people as possible are accessing the scheme, to support their children with a healthy start in life.In January 2025, Healthy Start supported over 353,000 people.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) conditions and (b) treatments for people with a chronic urinary tract infection.

NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, and health and social care staff. This guidance covers both urinary and bowel, also known as faecal, incontinence. Further information on Excellence in Continence Care is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/excellence-in-continence-care/NHS England will consider the next steps for Excellence in Continence Care.

What steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of shingles.

To increase awareness of the shingles programme and of potential vaccination benefits amongst health professionals and the wider public, the UK Health Security Agency provides a comprehensive suite of public facing resources and assets, including information leaflets in multiple languages and accessible formats, like easy read, British Sign Language, and braille, and also provides guidance for healthcare professionals. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.healthpublications.gov.uk/Home.htmlIn addition, further information on the shingles immunisation programme specifically is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shingles-vaccination-guidance-for-healthcare-professionals/shingles-immunisation-programme-information-for-healthcare-practitioners

What plans he has to reform the NHS pay structure.

In 2024, the Government accepted the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendations for the 2024/25 financial year in full. One of those recommendations was to deliver a funded mandate to deliver reforms to the Agenda for Change pay structure through the NHS Staff Council.The Government remains committed to delivering this mandate and has asked the NHS Pay Review Body to provide a view, as part of its 2025 to 2026 report, on the level of funding that should be provided.

Whether he plans to replace the NHS pay review body process with collective bargaining.

There are no plans to replace the National Health Service’s Pay Review Body process with direct negotiation. We published written evidence to the Pay Review Bodies as per the usual process on 10 December 2024, and oral evidence sessions are due to take place in January and February 2025.

If he will provide additional resources to healthcare trusts to enable them to bring outsourced services back in-house.

Responsibility for spending decisions rests with individual National Health Service trusts. As public bodies, NHS trusts should maintain the highest standards of rigour, value for money and propriety in the use of public funding. All spending must contribute to organisational objectives and support the delivery of high-quality patient care.Regardless of how staff are employed, the expectation from the Government is that their pay, terms and conditions remain attractive to support recruitment and retention.

What plans he has to meet with the leadership of the Lobular Moon Shot Project to discuss funding.

The Department invests £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24 reflecting its high priority.There are no current plans to meet with the leadership of the Lobular Moon Shot Project to discuss funding. Officials meet regularly with partners to discuss research investments and priorities. We are proud to have invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre in 2022, supporting their efforts to strengthen research into cancer, including lobular breast cancer. Wider investments into breast cancer research include a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, including lobular breast cancer. NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including into lobular breast cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

With reference to the oral statement entitled Puberty-suppressing Hormones of 11 December 2024, Official Report, column 914, what groups representing trans youth he consulted with before making his

A full list of groups which represent trans youth and that were consulted as part of the Government’s targeted consultation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-the-availability-of-puberty-bloc...

If he will take steps to expand the reach of Start for Life services to (a) Poole and (b) other local authorities.

The Prime Minister’s Plan for Change outlined that there will be investment to continue to build up the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. In 2025/26, this investment will fund the 75 local authorities in England with high levels of deprivation tha...

What steps he is taking to increase (a) the level of funding for and (b) access to Children's and Young People's Gender Services.

As my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out during his oral statement to Parliament on 11 December 2024, the Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review.NHS England ...

What recent discussions he has had with NHS England on the future of the mental health investment standard.

Ministers and officials hold discussions regularly with NHS England on a range of issues. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will set out expectations for mental health funding, including the share of overall National He...

If he will take steps to (a) reschedule Psilocybin to allow it to be prescribed and (b) retain its status as a class A substance for other purposes.

There are no current plans to reschedule psilocybin under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, also known as the Act.There is an established process for the development of medicines, overseen by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Thi...

What assessment he has made of the potential risks associated with aggregating NHS performance data; and what steps he is taking to provide transparent data on an individual hospital level for emer

NHS England is publishing more data about patient care in hospital emergency departments than ever before. Performance data is published at an organisational level, so that it is appropriately aligned with accountability.The Government will continue to co...

Whether the Children's Hospital Grant will be (a) centrally distributed, (b) ringfenced and (c) take account of the recent proposed increase in employers National Insurance contributions.

2023/24 was the final year of the Children’s Hospice Grant. In 2024/25, however, NHS England provided £25 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices, maintaining the level of funding from 2023/24.For the first time, however, this funding ...

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Child health GP hubs on access to specialists in local GP settings.

We will trial neighbourhood health centres to bring together a range of services, ensuring healthcare is closer to home and patients receive the care they deserve. This is part of our broader ambition to move towards a neighbourhood health service, with m...