Written questions by Timothy.

What the (a) start and (b) end dates are of all lease agreements held by NHS ambulance trusts for (i) ambulances and (ii) other vehicles.

The information requested is not held centrally.

How many (a) electric ambulances and (b) other electric vehicles were there in the ambulance service fleet for (i) England, (ii) the East and (iii) Suffolk in each year between 2014 and 2024.

The following two tables show the number of electric double-crewed ambulances and other emergency vehicles for England and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, respectively, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:EnglandYearNumberDouble-crewed ambulance2019/2002021/2212022/2312023/242Other emergency fleet2019/2012021/22312022/23802023/24150 East of England Ambulance TrustYearNumberDouble-crewed ambulance2019/2002021/2202022/2302023/240Other emergency vehicle2019/2002021/2202022/2302023/242 Notes: there will be some variation in numbers when comparing between years due to different levels of data quality and completeness in the data collections.Data is only held for the years included in the tables, and information is not available for the Suffolk geographical area.

For what reason ambulance services must sign up to a maintenance package in order to reclaim VAT in relation to the leasing of vehicles.

Requirements for reclaiming value added tax are set by HM Revenue and Customs. Guidance on the approach for the Government and the health bodies, including ambulance services, for contracted out services is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-government-and-public-bodies/vatgpb9720

What guidance his Department issues to NHS England on extending the legal duty to provide care for asylum seekers to individuals with rejected asylum applications; and whether that guidance is mandatory.

Guidance for the National Health Service has been published, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guideThe guidance underlines the need for NHS bodies to act in line with the relevant legislation. This includes legislation determining the circumstances under which an individual may continue to be exempt from NHS charges for care when an asylum application has been rejected.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) improve access to neurology services for people with multiple sclerosis and (b) increase funding for research into neurological conditions.

There are several initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, most people with MS can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of MS care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including specialist nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.The Department delivers research into neurological conditions via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In 2023/24, the most recent year we have data for, the NIHR spent £72.9 million on research into neurological conditions across research projects, programmes, and infrastructure.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including neurological conditions, including MS. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Whether there is specific support for haemophiliacs impacted by the infected blood scandal.

The victims of the infected blood scandal have suffered immeasurably. It is the Government’s utmost intention to deliver what justice and compensation it can to all those impacted, as quickly as possible.Haemophiliacs infected via National Health Service blood or blood products are eligible for financial and psychological support from the United Kingdom’s infected blood support schemes, as well as a bespoke Infected Blood Psychological Service that has been introduced by NHS England. They may also apply for comprehensive compensation from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.As set out in the Government’s response to the inquiry’s recommendations on protecting the safety of haemophilia care in their final report, NHS England is undertaking work on a peer review of haemophilia centres, networks for haemophilia care, recombinant products, and a national haemophilia database. Work is also underway in the Department to review the support being offered to the relevant charities for the infected and affected community in England.

What the average recorded ambulance response time was for (a) England, (b) the East of England and (c) Suffolk in each year between 2014 and 2024.

The Department does not hold the information requested. NHS England has published ambulance quality indicator official statistics monthly at a national level, and at an ambulance trust level since August 2017. This data is not published at smaller geographies below the national and ambulance trust level, such as for the Suffolk County boundary.The attached table shows the average ambulance categories 1, 2, 3 and 4 incident response times for the East of England and England from 2017 to October 2024, displayed in hours, minutes, and seconds.

If he will publish the location of ambulance stations by postcode (a) in West Suffolk constituency and (b) within 20 miles of that constituency.

The Department does not hold this information. The location of ambulance stations is held locally by ambulance services. The East of England Ambulance Services NHS Trust publishes an up-to-date list of ambulance stations on its website, which is available at the following link:https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join-the-team/working-for-us/EEAST-station-list

If he will publish the location of dental surgeries in Suffolk by postcode.

National Health Service dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK website profiles up to date, so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients, and can be searched using postcodes. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

How many (a) dentists and (b) dental surgeries there were per capita in (a) England, (b) the East of England and (c) Suffolk in each year between 2014 and 2024.

We do not hold data on how many dental surgeries there were per capita in England, in the East of England, or in Suffolk, each year between 2014 and 2024. However, the following table shows the number of National Health Service dentists per 100,000 population each year in England, in the East of England, and in the Suffolk and Northeast Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), each year from 2014/15 to 2023/24:YearSuffolk and Northeast Essex ICBEast of EnglandNational2014/1553.349.154.22015/1652.948.154.72016/1751.347.1542017/1853.847.854.82018/1953.548.4552019/205147.952.92020/2147.245.448.62021/2246.545.9512022/2345.245.150.32023/2444.244.549.5Source: the figures for 2019 to 2024 are published by the NHS Business Services Authority, and the figures prior to 2019 were published by NHS Digital, and both are available, respectively, at the following two links: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324 https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statisticsNote: the figures from the two different data sources are not directly comparable, and caution should be taken when comparing pre and post 2019 figures.

How many meetings Alan Milburn attended with (a) ministers and (b) officials in his Department between 5 July 2024 and 9 November 2024; and how his Department communicated with Mr Milburn in that period.

As my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said in Parliament on 9 September 2024, “The right honourable Alan Milburn is a former Member of this House, a member of the Privy Council and a former Health Secretary. There is a clear distinction between inviting people with a wide range of experience and perspectives into the Department to have policy debates and to generate ideas, and having meetings that are about transacting Government business. I can assure the House that nothing commercially sensitive has been shared with Alan Milburn.”He also said that “transparency matters. That is why meetings in the Department, and their attendees, will be published in the right and proper way on a quarterly basis.” As part of this quarterly return, and in line with guidance, we will be listing the purpose of the meetings.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2024 to Question 12788 on Menopause: Health Services, when the curriculum was introduced; and whether any additional training is provided to GPs after qualifying.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is responsible for publishing the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs), and ensuring that it remains up to date. The RCGP curriculum was last updated in 2019. It is scheduled to be updated again in August 2025, pending approval by the General Medical Council. GPs are responsible for ensuring that their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. The RCGP Women’s Heath Library contains educational resources and guidelines on women’s health that are relevant to GPs and other primary healthcare professionals. It brings together national guidance and resources produced and accredited by the RCGP, and resources from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. Further information on the RCGP Women’s Heath Library is available at the following link:https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/index.php?categoryid=57

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 10237 on Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People Independent Review, when he plans to update the House on further developments.

With reference to the answer I gave the Hon. Member on 31 October 2024, to Question 10237, my Rt. Hon friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is actively considering the timing of a further update, such that it can be of most use to the House.

If he plans to decolonise the artwork or heritage assets in (a) his department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies; and what is the policy of NHS England on this issue.

The Department borrows art from the Government Art Collection and does not own artwork. As separate legal entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork sits with each individual Arm’s Length Body, rather than with the Department. NHS England does not have a national policy on artwork and heritage assets.

What industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) his Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to his Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.

No recognised trade union is currently in dispute with, or holds a mandate to call industrial action in, the Department or its Arm’s Length Bodies and executive agencies.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of training for GPs to (a) diagnose and (b) treat women experiencing the menopause.

The curricula for postgraduate medical specialty training is set by individual Royal Colleges and faculties. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) sets the curriculum that all general practitioners (GPs) must cover before they are able to pass the examination to become a member of the RCGP and to work independently as a GP. The curriculum includes a specific section on women’s health, including the menopause. As a result, the menopause is a core area of knowledge for all qualified GPs.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to hormone replacement therapies for women experiencing the menopause.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. Women should not have to suffer in silence and any woman concerned about menopause symptoms should seek advice from their general practitioner or other healthcare professional, who can advise about treatment options, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).There are over 70 HRT products, and the vast majority are in good supply. There have been issues with the supply of a limited number of HRT products, primarily due to very sharp increases in demand, but the supply position for the majority has improved considerably over the last year.More than 500,000 people benefitted from accessing cheaper HRT prescriptions during its first year of operation. The HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) can represent significant savings for patients who are prescribed one of the listed HRT medications. For example, a patient who pays the prescription charge could save nearly £220 per year with an HRT PPC, if they were prescribed two listed HRT items per month.

Whether Ministers have a role in appointing individuals to NHS England's Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board.

The National Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board oversees a joint NHS England and National Institute of Health and Care Research programme of research underpinning the redesign and ongoing development of specialised gender services. This includes the planned study into the potential benefits and harms of puberty suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The board has been established, and is run, by NHS England. As such, ministers do not have a role in determining its membership. The Department is represented on the board.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Leader of the House of 17 October 2024, Official Report, column 1000, what his planned timetable is for providing an update on the implementation of the Cass review in the NHS.

On 4 September 2024, my Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care laid a written ministerial statement in the House of Commons outlining the Government and NHS England's work to implement the Cass Review and transform gender services.In line with NHS England’s ambitious two-year implementation plan, two new services in the North-West and London opened in April. A third new service will open in the South West in November, and a fourth in the East of England in spring of next year. NHS England is advancing towards meeting its commitment for there to be a specialist children’s gender service in every region by 2026. My Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will update the House when there are further developments.

Whether his Department had discussions with the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board on the (a) planned puberty supressing hormone study and (b) proposals to consider the benefits of puberty blocking treatments in children.

The National Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board oversees a joint NHS England and National Institute of Health and Care Research programme of research underpinning the redesign and ongoing development of specialised gender services. This includes the planned study into the potential benefits and harms of puberty suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The board has been established, and is run, by NHS England. As such, ministers do not have a role in determining its membership. The Department is represented on the board.