Written questions by Timothy.

What steps is he taking to reduce waiting times for access to (a) Walking With The Wounded’s Head Start psychotherapy service and (b) OpCourage in the East of England.

Part of the allocation from the Department to NHS England includes funding for National Health Service bespoke commissioned services for veterans such as Op COURAGE. Whilst there has been no assessment of the funding provided for Op COURAGE services across England, the funding received by Op COURAGE in the East of England is based on historic demand for veterans’ mental health services in that region.The Head Start Psychotherapy service is not funded by the Department, as it is part of a formal sub-contractual arrangement between Op COURAGE in the East of England and Walking with the Wounded. As such, any referral cap would be agreed between Op COURAGE and Walking with the Wounded.NHS England meets with the regional providers of Op COURAGE on a regular basis to review the service, including reviewing the time waited for treatment. NHS England discusses the overall performance of Op COURAGE with providers to ensure that the service, including those elements delivered by partners such as Walking with the Wounded, is meeting the needs of veterans.

If he will take steps to (a) increase and (b) remove the referral cap for Walking With The Wounded’s Head Start psychotherapy service in the East of England.

Part of the allocation from the Department to NHS England includes funding for National Health Service bespoke commissioned services for veterans such as Op COURAGE. Whilst there has been no assessment of the funding provided for Op COURAGE services across England, the funding received by Op COURAGE in the East of England is based on historic demand for veterans’ mental health services in that region.The Head Start Psychotherapy service is not funded by the Department, as it is part of a formal sub-contractual arrangement between Op COURAGE in the East of England and Walking with the Wounded. As such, any referral cap would be agreed between Op COURAGE and Walking with the Wounded.NHS England meets with the regional providers of Op COURAGE on a regular basis to review the service, including reviewing the time waited for treatment. NHS England discusses the overall performance of Op COURAGE with providers to ensure that the service, including those elements delivered by partners such as Walking with the Wounded, is meeting the needs of veterans.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the funding provided by his Department for (a) Walking with the Wounded’s Head Start psychotherapy service and (b) OpCourage in the East of England.

Part of the allocation from the Department to NHS England includes funding for National Health Service bespoke commissioned services for veterans such as Op COURAGE. Whilst there has been no assessment of the funding provided for Op COURAGE services across England, the funding received by Op COURAGE in the East of England is based on historic demand for veterans’ mental health services in that region.The Head Start Psychotherapy service is not funded by the Department, as it is part of a formal sub-contractual arrangement between Op COURAGE in the East of England and Walking with the Wounded. As such, any referral cap would be agreed between Op COURAGE and Walking with the Wounded.NHS England meets with the regional providers of Op COURAGE on a regular basis to review the service, including reviewing the time waited for treatment. NHS England discusses the overall performance of Op COURAGE with providers to ensure that the service, including those elements delivered by partners such as Walking with the Wounded, is meeting the needs of veterans.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of dental undergraduate training in the East of England.

Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital. As part of the hospital to community shift that will be set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will see people get better access to dentists. We will be working with NHS England as part of the NHS Workforce Plan to assess the need for more dental trainees across the country.

What steps he is taking to investigate NHS penalty charges resulting from errors in direct debits for prescriptions.

The Department has no plans to investigate National Health Service penalty charges resulting from errors in direct debits for prescriptions.Only the 12-month Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) can be paid for by direct debit, and there are processes in place to ensure individuals who pay for their PPC via direct debit are informed of the procedures and their responsibilities.The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) administers PPCs on behalf of the Department. A patient’s PPC and payments automatically renew unless it is: requested or cancelled by the certificate holder; there is an outstanding balance to be paid on a PPC; or if the holder is turning 60 years old within nine months of their certificate expiring. In these instances, the individual will be notified by letter before the end date of their existing certificate. Where a patient is turning 60 years old within nine months of their certificate expiring, they are advised of alternative routes to exemption to cover the period until they are entitled to the age exemption.Only where the individual fails to manually renew their PPC but continues to claim free prescriptions after the expiry date of their PPC, will a penalty charge be issued by the NHSBSA.

How much revenue was raised by NHS penalty charges for (a) prescriptions and (b) other services in each year since 2020.

The following table shows the revenue raised by National Health Service penalty charges each year from 2020 to 2024:Payment yearTotal payment received from penalty charges for prescriptionsTotal payment received from penalty charges for dental treatment2020£2,600,479.92£1,893,654.292021£55,725.35£693,560.842022£5,883,895.30£9,291,868.332023£18,349,147.70£10,901,045.182024£21,334,486.51£16,244,861.91Source: NHS Business Services Authority.Dental treatment is the only service aside from prescriptions that can result in an NHS penalty charge notice.

What discussions his Department has had with food manufacturers on the labelling of (a) phosphorus, (b) potassium and (c) other minerals that are potentially harmful for people on dialysis.

Labelling of packaged foods and drinks plays an important role in helping individuals access information they need to make informed choices about the food they buy and eat.Where minerals are added to foods, these must be included by law in the list of ingredients. Having this information on-pack means that consumers will always know if a product contains an added micronutrient, such as potassium. It is also mandatory for food and drinks packaging to include a nutrition declaration which shows the quantities of energy and key nutrients contained within them. Information on energy plus amounts of fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt in required by law. When minerals are added to a packaged foods and drinks at a significant amount, as set out in legislation, it is mandatory to include them in the nutrition declaration.Unpackaged foods, such as loose fruit and vegetables, are not required by law to carry a label, which we understand makes it difficult for consumers to know their mineral content. However, manufacturers may, supplement the nutrition label with the amounts of naturally occurring minerals in a product, such as phosphorus and potassium, provided they are present in at least a significant amount as defined in legislation, should they choose to do so.The key nutrients that must be included in the nutrition declaration on a mandatory basis are the most relevant to current population level public health concerns in Great Britain. A standardised set of nutrients ensures consumers can easily compare products and requiring too many nutrients to be included on a mandatory basis may complicate labels and make comparisons harder.The Department has not had discussions with manufacturers specifically on this topic, but we maintain forums to regularly engage industry and enforcement authorities on general labelling matters where these issues can be discussed.For individuals with specific dietary needs, such as those on dialysis, personalised advice from a registered dietitian or healthcare professional is recommended to help manage mineral intake, including minerals from naturally occurring sources, while maintaining a healthy balanced diet.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that dementia care is included in the NHS 10 year plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs, including people living with dementia. We are carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with dementia, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, as we develop the plan.

How many (a) hospitals and (b) other NHS buildings are in each Integrated Care Board’s area.

The annual Estates Return Information Collection collects data on National Health Service sites and integrated care boards by type and total, for instance hospitals and buildings, and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection

For what reason the dementia diagnosis target has been removed from the NHS Operational Planning Guidance.

We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rates (DDR) to the national ambition of 66.7%, with rates in England being 65.4% as of the end of February 2025. A timely diagnosis is vital to ensure people with dementia can access the treatment and support they need. Overall, the rate remains higher than previous years.We have taken a new approach to National Health Service Planning Guidance this year, reducing the number of national directives from 32 to 18. 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.

How many NHS (a) hospitals, and (b) other buildings in England will be (i) sold, (ii) refurbished, and (iii) demolished between 2025 and 2030.

The Department does not currently hold estimated figures for the number of sales, refurbishments and demolitions of hospitals and other National Health Service buildings in England for 2025 to 2030.Decisions to sell, refurbish or demolish hospitals and other NHS buildings in England are matters for the local NHS organisations in line with their local infrastructure planning.Decisions on sales, refurbishments and demolitions will also be shaped by capital availability. We are backing NHS systems to invest in local priorities in 2025/26, with over £4 billion in operational capital, and national funding, including the £750 million Estates Safety Fund. Systems are in planning stages for capital investments in 2025/26, informed by the NHS capital guidance for 2025/26, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/capital-guidance-2025-26/Capital funding levels for 2026/27 to 2030/31 will be determined through the current Spending Review, which concludes in June 2025.

What meetings (a) Ministers and (b) Officials in his Department have undertaken with the sporting and cultural events sector to discuss proposals for the Care Quality Commission to increase its regulation over them.

Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume Two report, the Government sought to make the necessary changes in the law to enable the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to regulate event healthcare at sporting venues and gymnasiums, and at temporary sporting and cultural events. The CQC will not be responsible for regulating sports and cultural events as a whole.The CQC has taken steps to ensure that any changes are implemented in a way that gives healthcare providers appropriate time to register with the CQC. This provides further reassurance to both event organisers and the public on the level of healthcare expected.In addition to the recent public consultation, the CQC will consult further on their approach to regulating these activities. The Government and the CQC continues to engage with stakeholders within the health, sports, and events sector regarding the changes in the regulations.

If he will list (a) the contracts signed by NHS trusts for (a) designing and (b) constructing new NHS buildings that are net zero in operation and (b) the value of each of those contracts.

The Department of Health and Social Care has not provided targeted funding for heat decarbonisation measures since 2015, nor does it hold a list of any net zero building contracts entered by individual National Health Service trusts. Since 2019, targeted funding for low carbon heating measures has been provided by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, where NHS trusts have secured £1.2 billion in grant funding. This scheme is funded and led by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.Alongside this, the Department of Health and Social Care has invested in reducing the NHS’s energy bills through the National Energy Efficiency Fund, with associated decarbonisation benefits. This has provided targeted funding for high-return measures, like LED lighting and building management systems, of £40 million in the 2023/24 financial year, and £95 million in the 2024/25 financial year. NHS England has also provided substantial guidance to the system on decarbonisation issues, including the 2023 Net Zero Health Building Standard, and the 2020 Delivering a Net Zero NHS report.Looking ahead to 2025/26, we are working with Great British Energy to invest £100 million in trusts’ renewable energy infrastructure across 196 NHS sites, where the average trust could save up to £45,000 on their yearly energy bills.Spending plans beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the forthcoming Spending Review.

What assessment he has made of the capacity of the Care Quality Commission to regulate sporting and cultural events.

Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume Two report, the Government sought to make the necessary changes in the law to enable the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to regulate event healthcare at sporting venues and gymnasiums, and at temporary sporting and cultural events. The CQC will not be responsible for regulating sports and cultural events as a whole.The CQC has taken steps to ensure that any changes are implemented in a way that gives healthcare providers appropriate time to register with the CQC. This provides further reassurance to both event organisers and the public on the level of healthcare expected.In addition to the recent public consultation, the CQC will consult further on their approach to regulating these activities. The Government and the CQC continues to engage with stakeholders within the health, sports, and events sector regarding the changes in the regulations.

What information his Department holds on the projected cost for spend on ultra-low carbon measures for NHS buildings in England by 2030.

The Department of Health and Social Care has not provided targeted funding for heat decarbonisation measures since 2015, nor does it hold a list of any net zero building contracts entered by individual National Health Service trusts. Since 2019, targeted funding for low carbon heating measures has been provided by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, where NHS trusts have secured £1.2 billion in grant funding. This scheme is funded and led by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.Alongside this, the Department of Health and Social Care has invested in reducing the NHS’s energy bills through the National Energy Efficiency Fund, with associated decarbonisation benefits. This has provided targeted funding for high-return measures, like LED lighting and building management systems, of £40 million in the 2023/24 financial year, and £95 million in the 2024/25 financial year. NHS England has also provided substantial guidance to the system on decarbonisation issues, including the 2023 Net Zero Health Building Standard, and the 2020 Delivering a Net Zero NHS report.Looking ahead to 2025/26, we are working with Great British Energy to invest £100 million in trusts’ renewable energy infrastructure across 196 NHS sites, where the average trust could save up to £45,000 on their yearly energy bills.Spending plans beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the forthcoming Spending Review.

How much has been spent on ultra-low carbon measures for NHS buildings in England in each year since 2015.

The Department of Health and Social Care has not provided targeted funding for heat decarbonisation measures since 2015, nor does it hold a list of any net zero building contracts entered by individual National Health Service trusts. Since 2019, targeted funding for low carbon heating measures has been provided by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, where NHS trusts have secured £1.2 billion in grant funding. This scheme is funded and led by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.Alongside this, the Department of Health and Social Care has invested in reducing the NHS’s energy bills through the National Energy Efficiency Fund, with associated decarbonisation benefits. This has provided targeted funding for high-return measures, like LED lighting and building management systems, of £40 million in the 2023/24 financial year, and £95 million in the 2024/25 financial year. NHS England has also provided substantial guidance to the system on decarbonisation issues, including the 2023 Net Zero Health Building Standard, and the 2020 Delivering a Net Zero NHS report.Looking ahead to 2025/26, we are working with Great British Energy to invest £100 million in trusts’ renewable energy infrastructure across 196 NHS sites, where the average trust could save up to £45,000 on their yearly energy bills.Spending plans beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the forthcoming Spending Review.

Whether his Department has plans to consult on the temporary exemption for sporting and cultural events at associated premises to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

From 26 April 2024 to 21 June 2024, a public consultation was run to gather views on the Government’s proposal. An easy read version was then made available from 13 August 2024 to 27 September 2024. The Government’s response to the consultation was published on 18 December 2024. A copy of the consultation response can be viewed on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-regulations-relating-to-the-care-quality-commission/outcome/government-response-to-the-results-of-the-consultation-on-changing-regulations-relating-to-the-cqc#:~:text=Across%20the%20easy%20read%20and,72%20hours%20of%20its%20use..

How much each NHS trust in England has spent on purchasing electric vehicles in each year since 2015.

Data on the costs of purchasing electric vehicles is not collected centrally by NHS England. This data is held by National Health Service organisations locally.

If he will make an estimate of the number of NHS trusts that have spent funding on (a) installing charge points and (b) upgrading the local distribution network in each year since 2015.

National Health Service trusts have submitted data on electric vehicle (EV) charging points through the annual Estates Return Information Collection since 2018/19, with further information available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collectionThe following table shows the number of trusts that have increased their number of EV charging points, each year from 2018/19 to 2023/24:YearNumber of trusts that have increased EV charging points2018/19472019/20482020/21592021/221042022/23872023/2481Please note that this data does not account for trust mergers, as, for example, a newly formed trust merged from two trusts with no change to the number of charging points will be recorded as an increase. There is no centrally collected data recording costs or differentiating whether the charging points are trust-funded or externally funded. NHS England does not collect data on distribution network upgrades relating to EV charger installation.

How many smart meters have been installed in NHS buildings in each year since 2015.

Data on National Health Service smart meter usage in the NHS is not collected or projected centrally by NHS England. The annual Estates Return Information Collection does collect data on electricity meters, but this does not currently differentiate smart meters. Further information on the annual Estates Return Information Collection is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection