Written questions by Champion.

What the Official Development Assistance funding will be provided to the UK-Public Health Rapid Support Team project in the financial years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, what assessment his Department has made of adequacy of training for reporting child sexual abuse for (a) healthcare professionals and (b) people who volunteer to deliver healthcare services for children.

The Government is committed to tackling the appalling crime of child sexual abuse. Every registered health professional working across the National Health Service has a professional duty of care to protect children from abuse, harm, or violence. This will be strengthened through the introduction of mandatory reporting, as part of the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, which introduces a legal duty for those who work with children, including volunteers, to report child sexual abuse to the police or social services.The Government will set out clear guidance on the operation of the duty, and we will work with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure that the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.All healthcare staff and volunteers working with NHS providers complete mandatory safeguarding training. This training is being strengthened for launch in December 2026. This will reinforce to staff their safeguarding responsibilities and support them in identifying and supporting victims of abuse.The Department and NHS England are developing standalone training on addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation for launch in 2026 to further support healthcare staff to identify victims and survivors and respond in a supportive and trauma-informed manner.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 38992 on Mental Health Services: Children, what metrics his Department uses to provide a comparative assessment of the impact on long-term outcomes of children and young people’s well-being practitioners with (a) accredited school-based counsellors and (b) other relevant professionals; and if he will take steps to commission an independent review on the impact of different mental health practitioners on children and young people’s well-being.

All interventions delivered by mental health practitioners, including those in mental health support teams, are evidence-based and use a range of clinical evidence.An early evaluation of the children and young people’s mental health trailblazer programme examined the development, implementation, and early progress of the 25 ‘trailblazer’ mental health support teams created as the first step of the programme. The interim report was published in January 2023, and highlights the impacts of the mental health support teams on improving pupil mental health and improving teacher mental health. The report is available at the following link:https://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/2023/children-and-young-people-s-mental-health-trailblazer-programme.htmlThere are currently no plans to commission an independent review on the impact of different mental health practitioners on children and young people’s well-being.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that policy decisions on children’s mental health provision reflect the full range of evidence-based interventions, including counselling, rather than prioritising only interventions with randomized control trial data.

All interventions delivered by National Health Service mental health services are evidence-based and use a range of clinical evidence. This includes counselling services.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines make evidence-based recommendations on a wide range of topics to guide planning, commissioning, and practice across the health and social care system, including for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. These recommendations are based on the best available evidence, reflecting a range of evidence and information from scientific research using a variety of methods, to testimony from practitioners and people using the services.

Whether his Department plans to (a) formally recognise accredited school-based counsellors as part of the children’s mental health workforce and (b) integrate those counsellors into (i) NHS and (ii) education-based mental health services.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school, through expanding NHS-funded mental health support teams, so that every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. We are working with our colleagues at NHS England and the Department for Education to consider options to deliver this commitment.Department for Education guidance encourages mental health support teams to work with other existing professionals, such as school or college-based counsellors, educational psychologists, school nurses, pastoral care, educational welfare officers, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, local authority provision, primary care, and NHS children and young people’s mental health services.It is important for schools to have the freedom to decide what support to offer to pupils based on their needs, drawing on an evidence base of effective practice. This support can include counselling, which can be an effective part of a whole school approach. However, counselling is not suitable for all needs and many pupils also benefit from other in-school support, including from trained pastoral staff and educational psychologists.In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

Whether the term child practitioner is used exclusively to refer to Children and Young People's Wellbeing Practitioners.

Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners assess and support children and young people with mental health problems, improving their access to therapies. They play a key role in signposting children and young people to appropriate mental health and community services and referring those with more complex problems to the right mental health support.The term child practitioner is an education term, used for support within education services. It is not recognised by the central NHS Workforce Team as a National Health Service job title, although it may be used colloquially in some local situations.

What steps he plans to take to return HPV vaccination rates to pre-2020 levels.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with several organisations to develop resources to raise awareness of the human papilloma virus (HPV). The UKHSA also publishes annual statistics, which are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2022-to-2023/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccination-coverage-in-adolescents-in-england-2022-to-2023These publications support local National Health Service teams in developing plans to improve uptake and reduce inequalities for the HPV universal programme. The UKHSA produces several HPV resources, which are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programmeThe NHS Commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent HPV vaccination programme. To support increased access and uptake of the HPV vaccination to school aged children, NHS England continues to work with all key stakeholders at a regional level to strengthen local initiatives and encourage innovative models to approach the robust delivery of school aged vaccinations. Further information on the NHS’ ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/11/nhs-sets-ambition-to-eliminate-cervical-cancer-by-2040/

What steps he plans to take to (a) return cervical cancer screening rates to pre-2020 levels and (b) meet cervical cancer screening targets.

To support improving the access and uptake of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, the National Health Service has a series of initiatives underway, including:- developing a digital-first approach to cervical screening invitations and reminders, including using the Cervical Screening Management System (CSMS) to create opportunities to communicate with the population differently;- introducing a revised invitation correspondence, and subsequent reminder letter, in 2025/26, that is sent to 24.5 year olds to specifically highlight the need to attend a cervical screening even if they have had the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, and to raise awareness of the HPV vaccine catch-up offer for those up to 25 years old;- using CSMS to enable an opt-in process for transgender and non-binary peoples’ screening invitations to ensure that no-one eligible misses out on the opportunity to be invited and participate;- expanding the range of accessible public information materials across all screening programmes, and continuing to highlight the importance of screening within our regular equalities-focused communications and engagement;- developing an agile cervical screening workforce that can respond to fluctuations in demand through workforce planning, accounting for potential future changes to screening offers, which is being directed by the UK National Screening Committee;- identifying low-cost/no-cost opportunities to communicate the NHS’s aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, highlighting the value of cervical screening and the HPV vaccination as fundamental to achieving this goal.The UK National Screening Committee is also considering the benefits of introducing self-sampling for cervical screening non-attenders.

What assessment he has made of the potential risk of microplastic pollution to human health; and what practices he has in place to continuously evaluate the growing body of research on this topic.

The UK Health Security Agency is carrying out research to understand if there are potential health risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes, as part of the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health. In addition, the potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. The most recent statement was published in 2024 and is available at the following link: https://cot.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-02/Microplastics%20inhalation%20final%20draft%20statement%20Acc%20V%20SO.pdf.Under the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. The evidence project has reviewed their emissions, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. It also included a socio-economic assessment. This project is expected to report in early 2025. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh and Scottish Governments will consider its findings once complete.

What distinguishes child practitioners from other professionals working in children's mental health services.

Children and young people’s wellbeing practitioners assess and support children and young people with mental health problems, improving their access to therapies. Further information on children and young people’s wellbeing practitioners is available at the following link:https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/psychological-therapies/roles-psychological-therapies/childrens-wellbeing-practitioner

What (a) functions and (b) responsibilities are assigned to child practitioners.

Children and young people’s wellbeing practitioners assess and support children and young people with mental health problems, improving their access to therapies. Further information on children and young people’s wellbeing practitioners is available at the following link:https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/psychological-therapies/roles-psychological-therapies/childrens-wellbeing-practitioner

What definition of child practitioner his Department uses for children's (a) health and (b) mental health services.

Children and young people’s wellbeing practitioners assess and support children and young people with mental health problems, improving their access to therapies. Further information on children and young people’s wellbeing practitioners is available at the following link:https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/psychological-therapies/roles-psychological-therapies/childrens-wellbeing-practitioner

Whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of access to fertility treatment for female couples.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. ICBs are expected to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. We are aware that compliance with these guidelines is variable for same-sex female couples and other groups.The NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guideline and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate. We expect this review to be published later in 2025. The Department is working with NHS England to consider future policy options to support ICBs to provide more equitable in vitro fertilization services.

What steps he is taking to ensure local integrated care boards implement NHS guidance on equitable access to fertility treatment for same-sex female couples.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. ICBs are expected to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. We are aware that compliance with these guidelines is variable for same-sex female couples and other groups.The NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guideline and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate. We expect this review to be published later in 2025. The Department is working with NHS England to consider future policy options to support ICBs to provide more equitable in vitro fertilization services.

What steps his Department is taking to support the implementation of electronic prescribing across all NHS settings.

The Frontline Digitisation programme in NHS England is supporting National Health Service trusts to reach a core level of digitisation, as set out in our minimum digital foundations.83% of all NHS trusts have stated that they have electronic prescribing capabilities in place, largely as part of their core Electronic Patient Record. NHS England's Transformation Directorate is supporting the remaining NHS trusts to achieve this as part of their core level of digitisation over the next financial year.In primary care, 95% of all prescriptions are produced electronically via the national Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). The EPS is not strictly mandated, but it is strongly recommended for use by prescribing and dispensing services in NHS settings.

Whether the 10 Year Health Plan will help tackle specific health challenges faced by women; and whether gender-specific health interventions such as menstruation will be included in its long-term goals.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. We are considering how to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy, by aligning it to the Government’s missions and forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan.The 10-Year Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. We will carefully be considering policies with input from the public, patients, health and care staff, and our partners as we develop the plan.

What progress his Department has made on the implementation of the recommendations of his Department's report entitled Good for you, good for us, good for everybody: A plan to reduce overprescribing to make patient care better and safer, support the NHS, and reduce carbon emissions, published on 22 September 2021.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 September 2024 to Question 2902.

What steps he is taking to help reduce melanoma incidence rates.

The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on reducing the risk of melanoma. The advice is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/