Written questions by Lowe.

How many (a) irregular migrants and (b) asylum seekers attended how many NHS therapy sessions in the most recent year for which information is available; and what the cost to the public purse was of (i) those sessions and (ii) interpreters at those sessions.

While NHS England does hold some data on this, the information is not considered robust enough to be published, given that only a small number of providers have recorded data in a format that allows asylum seekers and refugees to be separately identified. It is not possible to identify irregular migrants within this information. Neither would it be possible to provide information on the actual cost of these therapy sessions, as this information is not held at this level of granularity.

Which interpreting agencies are contracted to provide services to the NHS; and what the cost to the public purse of those contracts is.

The Department does not hold the requested information centrally. Integrated care boards are responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services to meet the needs of their respective populations, which includes translation services.The Department has no plans to estimate the average additional time taken during appointments for translation and interpretation.The Department also has no plans to collect information on the proportion and cost of letters posted by the NHS in each language over the last five years, for which interpreting agencies are contracted to provide services to the NHS, the cost of such contracts, or how many test results have been translated into languages other than English for each of the last five years.

What proportion of letters posted by the NHS were in each language in each of the last five years; and what the cost of translation was for those letters.

The Department does not hold the requested information centrally. Integrated care boards are responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services to meet the needs of their respective populations, which includes translation services.The Department has no plans to estimate the average additional time taken during appointments for translation and interpretation.The Department also has no plans to collect information on the proportion and cost of letters posted by the NHS in each language over the last five years, for which interpreting agencies are contracted to provide services to the NHS, the cost of such contracts, or how many test results have been translated into languages other than English for each of the last five years.

How many test results have been translated into languages other than English for each of the last five years.

The Department does not hold the requested information centrally. Integrated care boards are responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services to meet the needs of their respective populations, which includes translation services.The Department has no plans to estimate the average additional time taken during appointments for translation and interpretation.The Department also has no plans to collect information on the proportion and cost of letters posted by the NHS in each language over the last five years, for which interpreting agencies are contracted to provide services to the NHS, the cost of such contracts, or how many test results have been translated into languages other than English for each of the last five years.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 15631 on NHS: Translation services, which languages e-RS letters sent in 2024-25 were translated into.

Please see the list below which outlines the languages which e-Referral Service letters sent in 2024/25 were translated into:- Arabic; - Bengali; - Gujarati; - Kurdish; - Persian; - Polish; - Punjabi; - Somali; - Turkish; - Urdu; - Albanian; - Chinese; - French; - Greek; - Hindi; - Hungarian; - Italian; - Lithuanian; - Portuguese; - Romanian; - Russian; - Slovak; - Spanish; - Tamil; and - Wolof.

If he will make an estimate of the average additional time taken during the appointments for (a) translation and (b) interpretation.

The Department does not hold the requested information centrally. Integrated care boards are responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services to meet the needs of their respective populations, which includes translation services.The Department has no plans to estimate the average additional time taken during appointments for translation and interpretation.The Department also has no plans to collect information on the proportion and cost of letters posted by the NHS in each language over the last five years, for which interpreting agencies are contracted to provide services to the NHS, the cost of such contracts, or how many test results have been translated into languages other than English for each of the last five years.

What the average height is of male asylum seekers recorded via the National Child Measurement Programme.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a mandatory public health function of local authorities, and it collects data on the weight status of children aged four to five years old, or those in Reception, and 10 to 11 years old, or those in Year 6. The data is used both nationally and locally to inform child health and obesity policy planning and commissioning.Data on asylum seeker status is not collected in the NCMP. Data on average height of male asylum seekers in England is not available. The height data for boys is measured in the NCMP. The following table shows the average height of boys aged five and 11 years old in the academic year 2023 to 2024:Age in yearsAcademic yearSexMean height52023 to 2024Boys110.3cm112023 to 2024Boys146.4cm

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November to Question 13915 on Protective Clothing: Storage, if he will publish a breakdown of where personal protective equipment that is unsuitable for NHS use is stored.

Since April 2022, operational management of pandemic era personal protective equipment (PPE) has been carried out by the NHS Supply Chain. They report that PPE considered unsuitable for use in the National Health Service is currently held at the following locations prior to exit from the system, as per data from the end of November 2024:containerised stock is currently in Hartlepool and Tadcaster; andpalletised stock is currently held in Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 15631 on NHS: Translation Services , what the reason was for the change in the number of e-RS letters sent out in (a) 2019/20 and (b) 2020/21.

The main reason for the change in the number of e-Referral Service (e-RS) letters sent out in 2019/20 and 2020/21 was the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced the number of referrals being created in the National Health Service e-RS. In addition, in early 2020, NHS England halved the number of e-RS letters sent to patients where their referral was considered Routine, as it had not been classified as either Urgent or for Suspected Cancer.

How many private provider contracts have been commissioned by the NHS to treat irregular migrants in each of the last ten years; and what the cost to the public purse was of those contracts.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 November 2024 to Question 14728.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing (a) family and (b) friends to provide (i) translation and (ii) interpretation during NHS appointments.

The General Medical Council’s guidance states that all possible efforts must be made to ensure effective communication with patients. This includes arrangements to meet patients’ communication needs in languages other than English.Where language is a problem in discussing health matters, NHS England and NHS Scotland’s guidance states that a professional interpreter should always be offered, rather than using family or friends to interpret. Further information on NHS England and NHS Scotland’s guidance is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/guidance-for-commissioners-interpreting-and-translation-services-in-primary-care/https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/interpreting-communication-support-and-translation-national-policy/Working with professional interpreters will:- ensure the accuracy and impartiality of interpreting;- minimise legal risk of misinterpretation of important clinical information, for example informed consent to undergo clinical treatments and procedures;- minimise safeguarding risk, for example for victims of human trafficking, where the trafficker may introduce themselves as a family member or friend and speak on behalf of the patient;- allow family members and friends to attend appointments and support the patient, emotionally and with decision-making, without the added pressure of needing to interpret; and- foster trust with the patient. It is also inappropriate to use children as interpreters. An interpreter should also be present in all situations where there are concerns about child safety or gender-based violence, and language translation is required.

How many calls within the NHS were translated by each language code in each of the last ten years; and what the cost was to the public purse in each of those years.

The Department does not hold this information centrally.

What the cost is of (a) the National Child Measurement Programme and (b) feedback letters relating to that Programme.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a mandatory public health function of local authorities, and collects data on the weight status of children aged four to five years old, who would be in reception, and 10 to 11 years old, who would be in Year 6. The data is used both nationally and locally, to inform child health and obesity policy planning and commissioning.The NCMP is funded through the Public Health Grant for local authorities, at a cost of £19,967,000 in 2023/24, the latest year for which data on cost is available. Local authorities determine the method and model of delivery. Local commissioning and delivery therefore varies between local authorities.Providing feedback to parents in the form of feedback letters is not a mandated component of the NCMP. It is a local authority’s decision on whether to notify parents of their children’s measurements, and what information and support is offered. The Department does not hold or have access to data on the costs of providing feedback letters to parents. The information is collected at a local authority level, and forms part of the local authority revenue expenditure and financing for social care and public health services on ‘obesity – children’.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2024 to Question 13915 on Protective Clothing: Storage, which companies have contracts to store personal protective equipment unsuitable for National Health Service use.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on 15 November 2024, to Question 12461.

Pursuant to the answer of 14 November to Question 14378 on NHS Translation Services what the (a) cost for translation of and (b) percentage of communications in each language in e-RS communication letters was in each of the last five years.

The e-RS translated letters are based on standard templates, so NHS England only pays translation costs when the templates change, or when they add additional languages. The cost incurred in the last five years is £4,213, which breaks down as:¾ £780 as of June 2019, with 10 languages;¾ £1,593 as of June 2023, with 25 languages; and¾ £1,840 as of January 2024, with 25 languages.In addition, the following table shows the total letters sent and the proportion of translated letters sent each year since April 2019, at a summary level:YearTotal e-RS lettersTotal translated2019/203,050,5463.88%2020/211,056,2183.78%2021/221,454,0614.24%2022/231,496,4274.45%2023/241,147,5436.92%2024/25689,9348.09%Note: for 2024, the data is not for the whole year, but for the year to date.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2024 to Question 14365 on Hospital Beds: Foreign Nationals, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the occupation of hospital beds by chargeable overseas visitors.

There are no plans to collect this data centrally; it is for National Health Service trusts to manage bed occupancy regardless of whether the patient is chargeable or not.

How many GP appointments were attended by irregular migrants in each year since 2018.

Primary care services delivered by general practitioners and nurses are free for all in England. Therefore, the migration status of individuals is not recorded, as it is not relevant to the care provided, or in relation to cost recovery.

How many dentist appointments were attended by irregular migrants in each year since 2018.

We do not hold data on how many dental appointments were attended by irregular migrants each year since 2018. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2024 to Question 14197 on General Practitioners: Translation Services, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the cost of translation and interpretation services incurred by GPs.

The Department has not made, and has no plans to make, an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the cost of translation and interpretation services incurred by general practices (GPs).The Department has also not made, and has no plans to make, an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of GP and outpatient appointments conducted in a language other than English and British Sign Language.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November to Question 14376 on Health Services: Translation Services, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of (a) GP and (b) outpatient appointments conducted in a language other than English and British Sign Language.

The Department has not made, and has no plans to make, an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the cost of translation and interpretation services incurred by general practices (GPs).The Department has also not made, and has no plans to make, an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of GP and outpatient appointments conducted in a language other than English and British Sign Language.