Written questions by Gibson.

What proportion of Carer’s Allowance overpayment cases identified by her Department in each of the last six years were subject to investigation prior to the commencement of debt recovery procedures.

The Department looks into every case where an overpayment is calculated before the overpayment is finalised and debt recovery commences. Where overpayments do occur, the Department has a duty to the taxpayer to protect public funds and to ask for money to be paid back. We remain committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms and will always look to negotiate sustainable and affordable repayment plans

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the the potential merits of writing off historical Carer’s Allowance overpayments in cases involving small or inadvertent breaches of the earnings limit.

The Government inherited a system where busy carers, already struggling under a huge weight of responsibility, have been left having to repay large sums of overpaid Carer’s Allowance (CA) – sometimes worth thousands of pounds. We needed to understand exactly what had gone wrong so we could set out our plan to put things right. That is why we launched an Independent Review of earnings-related overpayments of CA. The review is investigating how overpayments of CA have occurred; what can best be done to support those who have accrued them; and how to reduce the risk of these problems occurring in future. It is anticipated that the Independent Review will arrive at its conclusions this summer. We will, of course, carefully consider the findings of the review and its recommendations. Both the report from the Independent Review and the Government’s response will be published. We have been clear (including in the Terms of Reference) that the review is not a substitute for legal proceedings (Mandatory Reconsiderations/Appeals) and the existence of the review does not prejudice any business-as-usual activity by DWP. It would not be appropriate to speculate on the findings of the review or any potential outcomes. Where overpayments do occur, the Department has a duty to the taxpayer to protect public funds and to ask for money to be paid back. We remain committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms and will always look to negotiate sustainable and affordable repayment plans.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) urban and (b) rural access to pharmacies.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS funded services. Most pharmacies are not directly commissioned or contracted by the NHS, instead contractors apply to gain entry to the NHS pharmaceutical list and if an application is approved, a pharmacy can open and start providing services.Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and fund the contract from the ICBs’ budgets.The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.In general, despite a reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years, patient access to pharmacies remains good, and continues to be better in the most deprived areas when compared with the least deprived.

What steps he will take to (a) support and (b) expand the clinical role of community pharmacies.

We have concluded the most recent consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26 with the community pharmacy sector. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26, and will support community pharmacies in providing clinical services.As part of this deal, we have increased the fees for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the Pharmacy Contraception Service, Pharmacy First Clinical Pathways and Minor Illness, and the New Medicine Service, to support contractors offering these services. We will also expand the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the New Medicine Service.The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. NHS England is currently testing how prescribing in community pharmacy could work to inform the commissioning of prescribing from community pharmacies in future.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of high street pharmacies.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS funded services. Most pharmacies are not directly commissioned or contracted by the NHS, instead contractors apply to gain entry to the NHS pharmaceutical list and if an application is approved, a pharmacy can open and start providing services.Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and fund the contract from the ICBs’ budgets.The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.In general, despite a reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years, patient access to pharmacies remains good, and continues to be better in the most deprived areas when compared with the least deprived.

What steps his Department is taking to prevent the creation of pharmacy deserts in the south west of England.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS funded services. Most pharmacies are not directly commissioned or contracted by the NHS, instead contractors apply to gain entry to the NHS pharmaceutical list and if an application is approved, a pharmacy can open and start providing services.Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and fund the contract from the ICBs’ budgets.The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.In general, despite a reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years, patient access to pharmacies remains good, and continues to be better in the most deprived areas when compared with the least deprived.

What the average number of patients per GP is in (a) Wiltshire (b) England.

As of 31 March 2025, the median number of full time equivalent doctors in general practice (GP) per 10,000 registered patients was:6.6 in Wiltshire; and5.6 in England.GPs employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme are not included as they are employed by primary care networks (PCNs), rather than directly by practices. PCNs’ work may occur across county borders, so it is not possible to say how many PCN employed staff work in Wiltshire.

How many GP practices there (a) are (b) were in 2019 in Wiltshire.

As of February 2025, there were 45 main practices and 28 branch practices in Wiltshire. This compares to 47 main practices and 27 branch practices in December 2019.

What steps she is taking to assess the potential impact of the extended £2 bus fare cap on residents' access to (a) essential services and (b) employment opportunities in Wiltshire.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help keep bus fares affordable. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap was published on 12 February. An evaluation of the £3 fare cap is due to be commissioned shortly.

How many full-time equivalent GPs were employed (a) in the latest period for which data is available and (b) five years ago in Wiltshire.

The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice (GP) in Wiltshire was:328.0 FTE in March 2025; and309.3 FTE in March 2020.GPs employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme are not included as they are employed by primary care networks (PCNs), rather than directly by practices. PCNs’ work may occur across county borders, so it is not possible to say how many PCN employed staff work in Wiltshire.

What steps he is planning to take to support community pharmacies in the forthcoming 10-Year NHS Plan in Wiltshire.

The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and community pharmacies will have a big role to play in that shift.As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have been carefully considering policies, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, including from the community pharmacy sector.

How many GP practices have closed in Wiltshire in each of the last five years.

The following table shows the number of general practices in Wiltshire which have closed in each of the last five years:YearNumber of practice closures2020220210202202023020240Practices close for a variety of reasons, including mergers or retirement, and so this does not necessarily indicate a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice does close, patients are informed of the closure and advised to register at another local practice of their choice within their area.

What steps he has taken to ensure that additional urgent dental appointments are distributed equitably across Integrated Care Boards; and what the target number is for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. The ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB is expected to deliver 13,990 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme. The methodology used to determine how to allocate the 700,000 appointments across the ICBs has considered factors including unmet need, population size, and projected contract delivery at an ICB level in 2024/25. Details can be found in the letter sent to the ICBs on 21 February 2025 in Annex A, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/arrangements-for-nhs-urgent-primary-dental-care-during-2025-26-and-confirmation-of-the-closure-of-the-new-patient-premium-scheme/

What steps he has taken to (a) monitor and (b) assess the impact of the Dentistry Rescue Plan in (i) Wiltshire and (ii) Chippenham; and what criteria he uses to assess improved access to NHS dental services in those areas.

The Government’s ambition is to make sure that everyone who needs dental treatment can access a dentist. The Government will tackle the immediate crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.We are working with NHS England, the NHS Business Services Authority, and the integrated care boards to set out the requirements for monitoring and reporting progress against the 700,000 urgent appointments, which will enable us to identify where further support is needed. Data on the number of dentists recruited under the Golden Hello scheme is regularly collected by NHS England.

What plans he has to increase the recruitment of dentists in (a) Chippenham and (b) Wiltshire; and how many dentists he plans to recruit in those areas by 31 December 2025.

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Chippenham and Wiltshire, this is Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB.ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 March 2025, in England, 45 dentists have commenced in post and a further 36 dentists have been recruited but are yet to start in post.To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

When he plans to implement the supervised tooth-brushing scheme for children in Wiltshire; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the scheme is available in Chippenham.

On 7 March 2025, we confirmed plans to implement targeted supervised toothbrushing programme to reach up to 600,000 children between three and five years old in the most deprived areas of England. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supervised-toothbrushing-for-children-to-prevent-tooth-decay£11 million of additional funding for 2025/26 has been allocated to eligible local authorities, including Wiltshire Council, through the Public Health Grant. Full details are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2025-to-2026/public-health-ring-fenced-grant-financial-year-2025-to-2026-local-authority-circularImplementation will be led locally to ensure this targeted investment best meets local needs.

If he will publish regular updates on the progress of the implementation of NHS dental contract reforms.

To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of National Health Service 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.We continue to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.

What assessment he has made of the comparative merits of (a) air-to-air and (b) other heat pump technologies eligible under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not currently support air-to-air heat pumps, as heat pump installations must provide both space heating and hot water heating, using liquid as a medium for delivering that heat. We want to target support at technologies that offer the greatest potential to decarbonise our buildings. The Government is committed to incentivising moves to cleaner, more affordable heating, and will keep its position on alternative heating technologies under review and make further assessments as the supporting evidence base develops.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of paying the State Pension on a monthly basis.

The current State Pension payment regime has been in place since 6 April 2010 for those people who reached pensionable age on or after that date.However, to make the opportunity of being paid calendar monthly available, there would need to be significant and very costly system changes and not just to systems used by this Department – HMRC would also be affected. It is not something the Department is considering at this time, but it remains an option should there be a review of the method of payments in the future.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of four-weekly State Pension payments on the ability of pensioners to plan financially.

The current State Pension payment regime has been in place since 6 April 2010 for those people who reached pensionable age on or after that date.However, to make the opportunity of being paid calendar monthly available, there would need to be significant and very costly system changes and not just to systems used by this Department – HMRC would also be affected. It is not something the Department is considering at this time, but it remains an option should there be a review of the method of payments in the future.