Written questions by Owen.

How many (a) breast implants and (b) PIP breast implants have ruptured and had to be removed in the last 10 years; and how many of those ruptured implants were not listed on the breast and cosmetic implant registry when implanted.

The Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry (BCIR), set up in 2016, collects all implant data, and explant data where possible.Practically, it is always difficult and often impossible to identify a model and product code on an explant. If explanted devices, or patients undergoing explant, cannot be linked to data collected at time of implant, then this often reduces explant data to 'patient, surgeon, location, date'. This in turn makes it impossible to monitor trends in explant/failure.NHS England is in the process of clarifying and mandating the detail required in the BCIR and other device-related collections.This will place a greater responsibility on trusts to either identify a device at the point of explant, or to identify the device from internal trust records created during the same patient's implant procedure. This will only be possible if the implant and explant are performed at the same trust. It is then the intention of NHS England to provide the same matching service for implant/explant where the trusts differ.This solution will, when implemented, give a full, proactive picture of device longevity/risk, for the purposes of research and surveillance, alongside the existing ability to identify patients affected by a device recall notice.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing child poverty on the economy.

The Child Poverty Action Group estimate the cost to the country at £40bn per year, which is one of the reasons why the government is removing the two-child limit and lifting 550,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this Parliament.

What discussions he has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on wait times for (a) general cases and (b) cases before the case examiner.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The NMC is independent of Government, directly accountable to Parliament and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees the bodies that regulate health and care professionals in the UK, which includes the NMC.As Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care), I monitor the NMC’s performance and meets with the organisation regularly, which includes discussion on the timeliness of the NMC’s fitness to practise processes. In line with the Ministerial Code, details of all ministerial meetings, including those with the NMC, are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the impact of Sport England’s consultee status on planning applications for playing fields.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. A consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system is underway and can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation asks for views on the impacts of removing Sport England’s status as a statutory consultee as part of our work to align the statutory consultee system with the development and economic growth objectives set out in our Plan for Change.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect leaseholders from (a) poor-performing managing agents and (b) excessive service charges.

I refer the hon. Member to the proposals set out in the consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services published on 4 July 2025 (which can be found on gov.uk here) and the answer given to Question UIN 77534 on 17 October 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to support victims of rape and sexual violence through the court system.

I recognise that the experience of attending court can be distressing, particularly for vulnerable victims, such as those of rape and sexual violence.Special measures can help vulnerable witnesses who may otherwise feel unable to give evidence.The Ministry of Justice-funded Witness Service also provides on-the-day support to victims at court.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure fire safety for new (a) high rise buildings, (b) complex or mixed use developments and (c) sites with known access or water-supply constraints and (d) other new build major residential developments.

The Department has taken steps to strengthen fire safety in all new buildings, including those that are high-rise, complex, or located on constrained sites.The Building Safety Act 2022 established the Building Safety Regulator, which since October 2023 has acted as the Building Control Authority for Higher Risk Buildings. Fire safety is considered from the earliest design stages through Planning Gateway One and Gateway Two.Approved Document B (Fire Safety) is subject to continuous review. Updates since 2017 include the ban on combustible materials in external walls over 18 metres, sprinkler requirements for buildings over 11 metres, evacuation alert systems, and provision for second staircases in buildings over 18 metres, which will apply to new buildings where applications are submitted after 30 September 2026.For complex or mixed-use developments, applications are assessed by multi-disciplinary teams. Where standard guidance is insufficient, expert advice should be sought.For sites with access or water-supply constraints, developers must demonstrate compliance with fire service access provisions or justify alternative approaches.All new residential developments, regardless of size, must comply with the Building Regulations, including Part B (Fire Safety). Approved Document B provides statutory guidance on how these requirements may be met in common building situations, but developers may choose alternative approaches provided they can demonstrate compliance with the functional requirements of the Regulations.

What steps he is taking to promote (a) culturally competent and (b) community-led prevention measures for older black men.

This Government recognises the evidence that men of Black ethnicity are at a higher risk of some diseases. Tackling these inequalities is a top priority for the Government.For example, black men are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease yet evidence shows that men in Black and Mixed ethnic groups are the least likely to receive lipid-lowering therapy or reach blood pressure targets. The National Health Service is tackling these inequalities through the Core20PLUS5 programme, a national approach to inform action to reduce healthcare inequalities in the most deprived areas. Hypertension and lipid management are one of the top clinical priorities for the framework, and the NHS is supporting systems where the burden of undiagnosed hypertension and untreated cholesterol is highest. Community based delivery models, such as pharmacy blood pressure checks and BP@Home, are also increasing access for underserved groups, including those in deprived and ethnically diverse communities.Prostate cancer is another example where incidence rates are higher among Black men. We are jointly delivering the £42 million TRANSFORM trial with Prostate Cancer UK, with £16 million from the Department, which aims to find better ways of detecting prostate cancer and address inequalities, ensuring at least 10% of those invited to participate are Black men. In November, the first men began receiving letters from their general practitioners, inviting them to join the landmark trial designed to make diagnosis earlier, safer, and more effective.There are around 17,000 people living with sickle cell disease in England. It is the fastest growing genetic condition in the country and is more common in people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage (77% of patients) and in more deprived communities (47% of patients). NHS England, through the Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Quality Improvement programme, has stepped up a programme of work aligned to the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan particularly focusing on the shift to prevention, through a new education programme, that aims to develop a series of e-learning modules, training and communication material, which will focus on improving the knowledge and awareness about the condition, including for black men.

Whether the use of X for Government communications is in accordance with the (a) propriety and ethics guidance of the Government Communications Service, (b) Civil Service Code, and (c) Public Sector Equality Duty.

The Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE (Safety and suitability, Ads context, Freedom of speech, and Ethics and enforcement) Framework is the single, comprehensive framework that the government uses to regularly provide thorough guidance ensuring use of digital advertising environments is appropriate. SAFE supports the principles of GCS propriety and ethics guidance, the Civil Service Code and the Public Sector Equality Duty. The platform X is currently used for non-paid communications activity only (also known as 'organic' activity). We review the use of different platforms as needed, to ensure we meet the high standards set out in the SAFE Framework.

Whether he has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on pay for specialist community public health nurses.

Specialist community public health nurses in England are typically paid on the National Health Service’s Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system.Annual AfC pay awards are decided following recommendations from the independent NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB). We accepted the 2025/26 recommendations in full, and the Government has asked the NHSPRB to begin the 2026/27 pay round. Relevant stakeholders are invited to submit evidence to the NHSPRB to inform its deliberations.Officials and ministers continue to engage with AfC unions on pay and contractual matters via the NHS Staff Council.

Media and Sport, how much funding (a) her Department and (b) Sport England have allocated to support elite Deaf sportspeople in each of the last five years.

Our Arm's Length Body, Sport England, has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to support deaf sport at the grassroots level, build wider participation, and develop strong governance within UK Deaf Sport.Sport England are also exploring a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore issues around accessibility and suggest potential solutions. Sport England has also awarded UK Deaf Sport £150,000 to fund a specialist Talent Inclusion post to further the work of the pilots.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with UK Deaf Sport on funding for athletes competing in the Tokyo 25 Summer Deaflympics.

Our Arm's Length Body, Sport England, has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to support deaf sport at the grassroots level, build wider participation, and develop strong governance within UK Deaf Sport.Sport England are also exploring a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore issues around accessibility and suggest potential solutions. Sport England has also awarded UK Deaf Sport £150,000 to fund a specialist Talent Inclusion post to further the work of the pilots.

Media and Sport, how much funding (a) her Department and (b) Sport England have allocated to support elite Deaf sportspeople to attend the Tokyo 2025 Summer Deaflympics.

The Government, through the UK Sport grant, supports Olympic and Paralympic success. Beyond this the Government does not provide additional funding to performance sport, in line with our approach to a great many other areas of individual sporting performance.Sport England are exploring a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore issues around accessibility and suggest potential solutions. Sport England has also awarded UK Deaf Sport £150,000 to fund a specialist Talent Inclusion post to further the work of the pilots.

Whether British citizens who receive undergraduate medical training overseas will be considered as part of plans to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation postgraduate training.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out next steps in due course.Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the NHS workforce, and we recognise the valuable role that British citizens who studied medicine abroad play in our NHS.

Innovation and Technology, what recent progress has been made on cross-departmental plans to phase-out animal testing in the UK.

I refer the hon. Member for Luton North to the answer of 9th June 2025 to Question 54862.

Whether he is taking steps to stop the use of paper forms for blood tests ordered by (a) GPs and (b) hospitals.

Pathology service transformation is critical to delivering the Government's ambitions for the National Health Service. The NHS has invested heavily in delivering digital transformation for pathology services to reduce reliance on paper-based processes; working closely with integrated care boards, pathology networks, and clinical IT suppliers to ensure interoperability between clinical systems to enable a fully digital, joined-up approach to pathology services.This includes implementing and expanding use of electronic test requesting systems and supporting efforts to standardise their use. These systems allow clinicians in general practice and hospital settings to request pathology tests digitally, improving efficiency, reducing transcription errors, and enhancing patient safety.

Representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether topping up statutory parental bereavement leave payment with occupational pay up to a staff member’s full pay for two weeks includes bereavement leave for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.

The occupational policies funded by IPSA with regard to MPs' staff aim to align with the eligibility criteria set by the Government with respect to statutory payments, in accordance with the need for IPSA's policy to reflect the experience of other working citizens.The eligibility criteria for statutory parental bereavement pay establishes that the payment only applies after 24 weeks gestation. IPSA is, however, monitoring the progress of the Employment Rights Bill and once enacted, will update it policies and procedures in accordance with any changes.Within the rules of the Scheme of of MPs' Staffing and Business Costs, MPs have the discretion to provide compassionate or bereavement leave to any staff member and this is laid out on IPSA's guidance website.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle racism in sport.

The Government’s stance is unequivocal: racism has absolutely no place in our society, and no place in sport and activity. We are committed to stamping it out, from the elite level to the grassroots, ensuring that sport truly is for everyone, regardless of their background, or ethnicity.The Government is working closely with the sector, particularly its Arm’s Length Bodies Sport England and UK Sport, and the national governing bodies, to tackle racism and discrimination in sport.The online abuse directed at many athletes is appalling and deeply wrong. We stand with them in condemning it and demanding safer online experiences for everyone.

If she will make it her policy to waive the Secure English Language Test requirement for foundation year students applying for study visas from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Government is keeping all existing visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available.The English language requirements on the Student route are designed to ensure that Students being offered places to study in the UK are genuine students who also genuinely possess the English language ability required to see their course through to completion.Officials are working across government to address the complex issues arising from the current situation in Gaza.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to help support Palestinians with student visas to (a) travel to and (b) commence their studies in the UK.

We are aware of Palestinian students seeking to commence studies in the UK and are considering the request for support.