Written questions by Gill.

What consideration has been given to the West Midlands and Birmingham as an early Regional Health Innovation Zone.

Regional Health Innovation Zones will be selected using a fair and open bidding process.Initially, two to three regions with strong existing life sciences assets, including data assets, research infrastructure, Health Innovation Networks, industry footprints, and local government support, and a clear plan for how to use the designation will be selected as trailblazers.Further information on the process and timelines for how regions can secure zone designation will be shared in due course, once finalised, to ensure a fair and transparent opportunity for all interested areas.

What progress has been made in establishing Regional Health Innovation Zones as part of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Work to establish Regional Health Innovation Zones is ongoing. Given the cross-cutting nature of the policy, spanning health, research, local government, and economic systems, significant engagement and careful policy design are essential before any Regional Health Innovation Zones can be formally established.Officials have conducted substantial internal engagement across Government departments and with NHS England to build out the conceptual model and ensure it is aligned with wider strategic priorities. Substantial engagement with local government, National Health Service systems, and industry will happen in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to improve early intervention for strokes.

The Department recognises the importance of early access to treatment in the event of a stroke. We have committed to improving ambulance response times for category 2 incidents, which includes strokes, from 30 to 25 minutes on average in 2026/27.The National Health Service is also working to increase the delivery of thrombolysis and thrombectomy rates as a key intervention to support improved patient outcomes.

What steps he is taking to improve access to radiotherapy for cancer patients in the West Midlands.

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients have access to timely diagnosis and treatments, including those in the West Midlands.Radiotherapy is vital in cancer care, and it remains a key priority for the Government to provide the highest quality of treatment available. We have invested £70 million of central funding into new radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These newer machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen over the same period.Responsibility for purchasing new machines sits at the local level. Local providers have been allocated £15 billion in operational capital for local priorities, and £5 billion to support a return to constitutional standards on waiting times. We expect local systems to use this capital to deliver further investment into new radiotherapy equipment, to meet local needs, including for patients in the West Midlands.Through the National Cancer Plan, we are modernising cancer services, expanding the workforce and tackling inequalities in access, so that all patients receive high-quality care regardless of where they live.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of stroke rehabilitation provision across England; and what steps are being taken to reduce regional disparities in access to specialist rehabilitation services for stroke survivors.

The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities, and foster innovation where it is needed most.The National Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS) Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home. NHS England continues to provide the national clinical leadership needed to transform services so there is less fragmented provision, moving from separate delivery of early supported discharge and separate community stroke teams to integrated teams delivering the ICSS model.

What steps he is taking to improve support for stroke survivors and their families during the transition from hospital to home.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community.The National Stroke Service Model provides best practice for stroke care, including post-discharge, which should include comprehensive rehabilitation and personalised care and support.The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.

What steps he is taking to ensure timely access to mental health services for stroke survivors and their families.

The National Health Service Integrated Community Stroke Service model sets out that rehabilitation should begin as soon as the patient is medically stable, often within 24 to 72 hours following discharge. Rehabilitation should be tailored to the individual's needs, focusing on regaining independence, improving mobility, and managing cognitive or emotional changes.Access to community-based stroke rehabilitation services has increased across England, for instance access to Early Supported Discharge/community stroke teams has increased from 64.5% in October 2024 to 67.5% in September 2025.NHS England is supporting improvements through funding for 20 Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks and the Stroke Quality Improvement for Rehabilitation network, embedded in each NHS England region.

Whether his Department was invited by the Office for National Statistics to provide evidence or input into its review of the ethnicity harmonised standard; and what evidence it submitted, including in relation to the recording of Sikhs and Jewish people as ethnic groups.

The Department was invited by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to provide evidence. The Department has not responded, deferring to NHS England, who are leading work on the Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics (UIPSC). The UISPC programme is a wide-ranging review of how the National Health Service records data in relation to protected characteristics, workforce/employment, and patient datasets and associated surveys. NHS England has been fully engaged with the work on the ethnicity harmonised standard throughout the development of the UISPC. The ONS sit on the UISPC Publication Steering Group, which was established to bring together key representatives from NHS system partners and cross Government agencies.NHS England reviewed the consultations from the ONS on the 2031 Census and the Government Statistical Service on the harmonised standard on ethnicity. It has been agreed that once the UISPC report recommendations are made to the Department, ministers will review and consider next steps, including how best to consult more widely.

What steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendation in the Cass Review to undertake a comprehensive tracing and long-term follow-up study of the approximately 9,000 children and young people who were seen by the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

The Government and NHS England have made a clear commitment to implement all the recommendations in the Cass Review’s final report, and this includes the data linkage study.The data linkage study remains an important commitment within the wider national research programme underpinning the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service care in place in England for children and young people with gender incongruence / dysphoria. The study is observational in nature, linking and analysing existing, routinely collected healthcare data for adults who, as children, were referred into the former Gender Identity Development Service, previously operated by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.The data linkage study design will enable consideration of any associations observed within currently available data, rather than providing direct evidence on the cause and effect of any individual treatment approach. Nonetheless the study aims to provide valuable additional insights into the characteristics, healthcare experience and intermediate outcomes of this previous cohort of children and young people accessing NHS gender care, and to inform future gender care.The Department has continued to regularly engage with and support NHS England, which has taken on responsibility for study delivery. Since taking over responsibility for delivering the data linkage study, NHS England has taken time to undertake further due diligence on the data sources that will underpin the study, and to re-engage with data-sharing organisations, on which the study will be dependent. This has led to small but important proposed improvements in study design, subject to the approval of the Health Research Authority (HRA), that both respond positively to stakeholder feedback and that will better facilitate the collaboration of study data sharing partners. This will include carefully monitoring and considering whether any further steps may be required to ensure timely progress on data collaboration.These improvements also include a more appropriately confined data ask of adult gender clinics, planned phasing so that initial linkages can be completed against national data sets already available to NHS England, before additional adult clinic data becomes available from study partners, and the option for individuals in the study cohort to register via a single, more simply accessed study specific data opt-out which can remain open up until just before the study analysis is finalised.Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the study to begin. On 26 February, an updated order was laid in both Houses of Parliament to facilitate delivery of the data linkage study. The order will provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, for the purpose of the study. The order is expected to come in to force on 20 March 2026. Final HRA study approval will also need to be in place before the study can begin.

If his Department will mandate data sharing across NHS trusts and adult gender services to enable a robust, independent longitudinal study consistent with the recommendations of the Cass Review.

The Government and NHS England have made a clear commitment to implement all the recommendations in the Cass Review’s final report, and this includes the data linkage study.The data linkage study remains an important commitment within the wider national research programme underpinning the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service care in place in England for children and young people with gender incongruence / dysphoria. The study is observational in nature, linking and analysing existing, routinely collected healthcare data for adults who, as children, were referred into the former Gender Identity Development Service, previously operated by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.The data linkage study design will enable consideration of any associations observed within currently available data, rather than providing direct evidence on the cause and effect of any individual treatment approach. Nonetheless the study aims to provide valuable additional insights into the characteristics, healthcare experience and intermediate outcomes of this previous cohort of children and young people accessing NHS gender care, and to inform future gender care.The Department has continued to regularly engage with and support NHS England, which has taken on responsibility for study delivery. Since taking over responsibility for delivering the data linkage study, NHS England has taken time to undertake further due diligence on the data sources that will underpin the study, and to re-engage with data-sharing organisations, on which the study will be dependent. This has led to small but important proposed improvements in study design, subject to the approval of the Health Research Authority (HRA), that both respond positively to stakeholder feedback and that will better facilitate the collaboration of study data sharing partners. This will include carefully monitoring and considering whether any further steps may be required to ensure timely progress on data collaboration.These improvements also include a more appropriately confined data ask of adult gender clinics, planned phasing so that initial linkages can be completed against national data sets already available to NHS England, before additional adult clinic data becomes available from study partners, and the option for individuals in the study cohort to register via a single, more simply accessed study specific data opt-out which can remain open up until just before the study analysis is finalised.Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the study to begin. On 26 February, an updated order was laid in both Houses of Parliament to facilitate delivery of the data linkage study. The order will provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, for the purpose of the study. The order is expected to come in to force on 20 March 2026. Final HRA study approval will also need to be in place before the study can begin.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the absence of outcome data on the cohort of young people treated by the Gender Identity Development Service during the period in which referral patterns and clinical presentations changed significantly on (a) patient safety and (b) public confidence.

The Government and NHS England have made a clear commitment to implement all the recommendations in the Cass Review’s final report, and this includes the data linkage study.The data linkage study remains an important commitment within the wider national research programme underpinning the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service care in place in England for children and young people with gender incongruence / dysphoria. The study is observational in nature, linking and analysing existing, routinely collected healthcare data for adults who, as children, were referred into the former Gender Identity Development Service, previously operated by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.The data linkage study design will enable consideration of any associations observed within currently available data, rather than providing direct evidence on the cause and effect of any individual treatment approach. Nonetheless the study aims to provide valuable additional insights into the characteristics, healthcare experience and intermediate outcomes of this previous cohort of children and young people accessing NHS gender care, and to inform future gender care.The Department has continued to regularly engage with and support NHS England, which has taken on responsibility for study delivery. Since taking over responsibility for delivering the data linkage study, NHS England has taken time to undertake further due diligence on the data sources that will underpin the study, and to re-engage with data-sharing organisations, on which the study will be dependent. This has led to small but important proposed improvements in study design, subject to the approval of the Health Research Authority (HRA), that both respond positively to stakeholder feedback and that will better facilitate the collaboration of study data sharing partners. This will include carefully monitoring and considering whether any further steps may be required to ensure timely progress on data collaboration.These improvements also include a more appropriately confined data ask of adult gender clinics, planned phasing so that initial linkages can be completed against national data sets already available to NHS England, before additional adult clinic data becomes available from study partners, and the option for individuals in the study cohort to register via a single, more simply accessed study specific data opt-out which can remain open up until just before the study analysis is finalised.Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the study to begin. On 26 February, an updated order was laid in both Houses of Parliament to facilitate delivery of the data linkage study. The order will provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, for the purpose of the study. The order is expected to come in to force on 20 March 2026. Final HRA study approval will also need to be in place before the study can begin.

Whether he has held discussions with NHS adult gender clinics on cooperation with researchers commissioned to undertake follow-up work on former Gender Identity Development Service patients.

The Government and NHS England have made a clear commitment to implement all the recommendations in the Cass Review’s final report, and this includes the data linkage study.The data linkage study remains an important commitment within the wider national research programme underpinning the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service care in place in England for children and young people with gender incongruence / dysphoria. The study is observational in nature, linking and analysing existing, routinely collected healthcare data for adults who, as children, were referred into the former Gender Identity Development Service, previously operated by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.The data linkage study design will enable consideration of any associations observed within currently available data, rather than providing direct evidence on the cause and effect of any individual treatment approach. Nonetheless the study aims to provide valuable additional insights into the characteristics, healthcare experience and intermediate outcomes of this previous cohort of children and young people accessing NHS gender care, and to inform future gender care.The Department has continued to regularly engage with and support NHS England, which has taken on responsibility for study delivery. Since taking over responsibility for delivering the data linkage study, NHS England has taken time to undertake further due diligence on the data sources that will underpin the study, and to re-engage with data-sharing organisations, on which the study will be dependent. This has led to small but important proposed improvements in study design, subject to the approval of the Health Research Authority (HRA), that both respond positively to stakeholder feedback and that will better facilitate the collaboration of study data sharing partners. This will include carefully monitoring and considering whether any further steps may be required to ensure timely progress on data collaboration.These improvements also include a more appropriately confined data ask of adult gender clinics, planned phasing so that initial linkages can be completed against national data sets already available to NHS England, before additional adult clinic data becomes available from study partners, and the option for individuals in the study cohort to register via a single, more simply accessed study specific data opt-out which can remain open up until just before the study analysis is finalised.Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the study to begin. On 26 February, an updated order was laid in both Houses of Parliament to facilitate delivery of the data linkage study. The order will provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, for the purpose of the study. The order is expected to come in to force on 20 March 2026. Final HRA study approval will also need to be in place before the study can begin.

What timetable he has set for commissioning and commencing a tracing and follow-up study of former GIDS patients.

The Government and NHS England have made a clear commitment to implement all the recommendations in the Cass Review’s final report, and this includes the data linkage study.The data linkage study remains an important commitment within the wider national research programme underpinning the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service care in place in England for children and young people with gender incongruence / dysphoria. The study is observational in nature, linking and analysing existing, routinely collected healthcare data for adults who, as children, were referred into the former Gender Identity Development Service, previously operated by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.The data linkage study design will enable consideration of any associations observed within currently available data, rather than providing direct evidence on the cause and effect of any individual treatment approach. Nonetheless the study aims to provide valuable additional insights into the characteristics, healthcare experience and intermediate outcomes of this previous cohort of children and young people accessing NHS gender care, and to inform future gender care.The Department has continued to regularly engage with and support NHS England, which has taken on responsibility for study delivery. Since taking over responsibility for delivering the data linkage study, NHS England has taken time to undertake further due diligence on the data sources that will underpin the study, and to re-engage with data-sharing organisations, on which the study will be dependent. This has led to small but important proposed improvements in study design, subject to the approval of the Health Research Authority (HRA), that both respond positively to stakeholder feedback and that will better facilitate the collaboration of study data sharing partners. This will include carefully monitoring and considering whether any further steps may be required to ensure timely progress on data collaboration.These improvements also include a more appropriately confined data ask of adult gender clinics, planned phasing so that initial linkages can be completed against national data sets already available to NHS England, before additional adult clinic data becomes available from study partners, and the option for individuals in the study cohort to register via a single, more simply accessed study specific data opt-out which can remain open up until just before the study analysis is finalised.Important final steps are currently being taken to enable the study to begin. On 26 February, an updated order was laid in both Houses of Parliament to facilitate delivery of the data linkage study. The order will provide appropriate legal protections for those individuals and organisations who will be sharing or processing data potentially subject to the specific protections of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, for the purpose of the study. The order is expected to come in to force on 20 March 2026. Final HRA study approval will also need to be in place before the study can begin.

Whether his Department plans to mandate frontline Placenta Accreta Spectrum diagnostic training for relevant maternity clinicians.

To ensure effective diagnosis and management of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), national guidance is provided within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Placenta Praevia and Placenta Accreta: Diagnosis and Management guidelines. Both these guidance documents are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng192/documents/draft-guideline-2https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/green-top-guidelines/placenta-praevia-and-placenta-accreta-diagnosis-and-management-green-top-guideline-no-27a/The Department does not hold data on what proportion of the maternity workforce has received PAS diagnostic training in each of the last five years, as PAS training is managed locally by trusts. The Department does not currently have plans to mandate frontline PAS diagnostic training.In 2020, NHS England commissioned placenta accreta networks in the United Kingdom to support local and regional screening, shared protocols, and co-ordinated referral pathways to specialist pregnancy accreta centres. These centres consist of highly experienced multidisciplinary teams with the expertise to manage this condition and improve the safety outcomes for women and babies.

What steps he is taking to ensure frontline diagnostic capability for Placenta Accreta Spectrum at every level of maternity care.

To ensure effective diagnosis and management of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), national guidance is provided within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Placenta Praevia and Placenta Accreta: Diagnosis and Management guidelines. Both these guidance documents are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng192/documents/draft-guideline-2https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/green-top-guidelines/placenta-praevia-and-placenta-accreta-diagnosis-and-management-green-top-guideline-no-27a/The Department does not hold data on what proportion of the maternity workforce has received PAS diagnostic training in each of the last five years, as PAS training is managed locally by trusts. The Department does not currently have plans to mandate frontline PAS diagnostic training.In 2020, NHS England commissioned placenta accreta networks in the United Kingdom to support local and regional screening, shared protocols, and co-ordinated referral pathways to specialist pregnancy accreta centres. These centres consist of highly experienced multidisciplinary teams with the expertise to manage this condition and improve the safety outcomes for women and babies.

How many cases of suspected Placenta Accreta Spectrum were (a) recorded antenatally and (b) confirmed at delivery in each of the last five years; and what the rate of missed antenatal diagnosis was by trust.

This data is not held centrally.

What proportion of the maternity workforce has received Placenta Accreta Spectrum diagnostic training in each of the last five years.

To ensure effective diagnosis and management of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), national guidance is provided within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Placenta Praevia and Placenta Accreta: Diagnosis and Management guidelines. Both these guidance documents are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng192/documents/draft-guideline-2https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/green-top-guidelines/placenta-praevia-and-placenta-accreta-diagnosis-and-management-green-top-guideline-no-27a/The Department does not hold data on what proportion of the maternity workforce has received PAS diagnostic training in each of the last five years, as PAS training is managed locally by trusts. The Department does not currently have plans to mandate frontline PAS diagnostic training.In 2020, NHS England commissioned placenta accreta networks in the United Kingdom to support local and regional screening, shared protocols, and co-ordinated referral pathways to specialist pregnancy accreta centres. These centres consist of highly experienced multidisciplinary teams with the expertise to manage this condition and improve the safety outcomes for women and babies.

Which recommendations from the Fuller Inquiry he plans to implement; and in what timeline.

On 16 December 2025, the Government published an Interim update on government progress in responding to the Fuller inquiry phase 2 report, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-inquiry-government-interim-update-on-phase-2-recommendationsThe interim update set out the solid progress that has been made in taking forward recommendations. Of the 75 recommendations: 11 have been accepted in full; 43 accepted in principle; and 21 remain under consideration. Full details of the status of all recommendations are contained in the published update.The Government will publish a full response to the inquiry’s recommendations in summer 2026.

How many registered organ donors there are, listed by (a) religious and (b) ethnic group.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for organ donation in the United Kingdom, including managing the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). The following table shows the number of registered organ donors by religion, as of 8 January 2026:ReligionNumber of ‘opt-in’ organ donor registrationsChristian1055179Hindu35986Muslim27555Jewish9851Sikh12083Buddhist16822Other religion44959No religion1566903Not stated/reported32375474Total35144812Source: NHSBTNote: this data reflects the total number of ‘opt-in’ ODR registrations by religion and ethnic group, including duplicates when individuals have registered more than once and those who have since passed away, this means the total number of reported potential donors in any one group may be overestimated.In addition, the following table shows the number of registered organ donors by ethnic group:EthnicityNumber of ‘opt-in’ organ donor registrationsWhite - British7062158White - Irish174375White - Other343510Asian - Indian127393Asian - Pakistani18508Asian - Bangladeshi4936Asian - Chinese21307Asian - Other46251Black - Caribbean25536Black - African25707Black - Other5467Mixed - White/Black African15277Mixed - White/Black Caribbean36071Mixed - White/Asian39363Mixed - Other33825Other30976Not reported27134152Total35144812 For further details on ethnic differences in organ donor registration, see the Annual Report on Ethnicity Differences in Organ Donation and Transplantation, which is available at the following link:https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/37859/annual-report-on-ethnicity-differences-2024_2025.pdf

Whether he is planning to introduce targeted measures to tackle the specific challenges for patients with less survivable cancers through the National Cancer Plan.

Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published in the new year. The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for patients with cancer, including less survivable cancers, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.The Department has been working closely with members of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce as part of the development of the plan to understand the specific challenges and to identify how to improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for less survivable cancers, which includes lung, pancreatic, liver, brain, oesophageal, and stomach cancer.