Written questions by Maskell.

If he will take steps to expand the scope of the Pharmacy First scheme to include the (a) management of long-term conditions and (b) provision of public health advice.

We are committed to expanding the role of community pharmacies. We want to develop and better utilise the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to improve access to care in local communities and address inequalities.That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. In preparation, NHS England is piloting the use of prescribing by community pharmacists in a range of pathways that will enable them to play an increasing role in delivering clinical services in primary care.Local authorities’ health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) have a statutory duty to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served, and to keep these assessments up to date until the next assessment is produced. The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 outline minimum statutory requirements for PNAs, and an information pack was published in October 2021 to support HWBs in meeting their duty.Whilst PNAs inform integrated care board commissioning and decisions on applications by new contractors wishing to provide NHS pharmaceutical services in the local area, contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy if they can demonstrate that they will meet a need that was not foreseen by the PNA.

If he will take steps to ensure that health checks are available at all stages of life.

Health checks throughout all stages of life are important, from ensuring the best start in life, through five health and development reviews before a child reaches two and a half years old, to 12 screening programmes from birth through to adulthood that help identify and protect people from a range of diseases, including cancer. In addition, through the NHS Health Check, all eligible people aged 40 to 74 years old are invited to have a cardiovascular disease check every five years. The Government has extended heart health checks to over 130,000 people in their workplaces, to make checks more accessible.

If he will take steps to review the dental contract.

To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment on reducing particulate matter in the air.

The Department works closely with departments across the Government to improve public health. The Department of Health and Social Care has regular engagement with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at both a ministerial and an official level on various issues, including air quality.

What steps he is taking to expand community pharmacy provision in York.

We are committed to expanding the role of community pharmacies. We want to develop and better utilise the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to improve access to care in local communities and address inequalities.That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. In preparation, NHS England is piloting the use of prescribing by community pharmacists in a range of pathways that will enable them to play an increasing role in delivering clinical services in primary care.Local authorities’ health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) have a statutory duty to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served, and to keep these assessments up to date until the next assessment is produced. The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 outline minimum statutory requirements for PNAs, and an information pack was published in October 2021 to support HWBs in meeting their duty.Whilst PNAs inform integrated care board commissioning and decisions on applications by new contractors wishing to provide NHS pharmaceutical services in the local area, contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy if they can demonstrate that they will meet a need that was not foreseen by the PNA.

What steps she is taking to ensure adequate funding for support for victims of sexual violence after 31 March 2025.

My department provides funding for vital rape and sexual abuse support, to help victims cope and recover from the impacts of crime, through a mix of locally and nationally commissioned services. Funding beyond March 2025 will be agreed with HM Treasury through the Spending Review, which we cannot pre-empt. We will work closely with HMT officials through this process.