Written questions by Jermy.

What contingency plans are in place if the target for 24/7 thrombectomy access is not achieved on schedule.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of progress towards delivering universal 24/7 access to thrombectomy services for stroke patients in England.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for (a) speech and language therapy, (b) physiotherapy, (c) psychological support and (d) other elements of stroke rehabilitation.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to address (a) regional differences in out-of-hours provision of and (b) other regional differences in access to thrombectomy services for stroke patients.

Awaiting answer.

What recent steps his Department has taken to achieve (a) universal and (b) 24/7 access to thrombectomy services.

Awaiting answer.

How his Department plans to include (a) thrombectomy and (b) stroke rehabilitation in the Modern Service Framework for cardiovascular disease.

Awaiting answer.

What steps Department is taking to support people (a) at risk of stroke and (b) who have recently suffered strokes.

Awaiting answer.

Whether non-animal alternatives must be validated if they are being used to provide data on the safety and efficacy of potential new pharmaceuticals within submissions to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

The term ‘validation’ is broad and subject to a variety of definitions. Regarding the use of animal models for submission to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), non-animal alternatives must be demonstrated to be fit for the purpose intended when used to characterise the safety and potential efficacy of new pharmaceuticals. A new guideline issued in March of this year describes the current MHRA approach to medicines using non-animal methods, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mhra-approach-to-medicines-using-non-animal-methods#:~:text=In%20making%20an%20application%20to,not%20support%20testing%20in%20animals

What proportion of nurses graduating from nursing degree courses in the UK find employment within the NHS during the first year after qualifying.

The Department does not hold the data requested. Nurses upon graduation may take up registered nursing roles in a range of organisations such as local authorities, social care providers, charities, or private sector providers as well as in the National Health Service.

What steps his Department is taking to provide universal, 24/7 thrombectomy access across England by April 2026.

NHS England is working to increase the size of the workforce trained to deliver thrombectomy so that 24/7 access is available across England by April 2026. To achieve this, NHS England is working with the General Medical Council in approving a credential to support neuroradiologists to conduct thrombectomy and increase the number of thrombectomies that can be delivered. In addition, NHS England’s National Medical Director and National Clinical Director for Stroke have supported comprehensive stroke centers in England to improve quality and reduce variation in thrombectomy delivery.

How many people with disabilities were employed in his Department on 2 September 2025.

As of 2 of September 2025, 481 individuals employed by the Department have declared that they have a disability.

What steps their Department is taking to implement the guidance entitled The government’s approach to rural proofing 2025, published on 15 May 2025.

The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed. Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed. Rural proofing is important because rural communities are an important part of the economy. Rural areas are home to approximately one-fifth of England’s population and half a million registered businesses. Policy outcomes in rural areas can be affected by economies of scale, distance, sparsity, and demography. That is why it is important that Government policies consider how they can be delivered in rural areas. Rural proofing ensures that these areas receive fair and equitable policy outcomes. Our Department takes its obligation to rural proof seriously. The 10-Year Health Plan and its three shifts, from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital, are aiming to better reflect the needs of the local population and thereby support better health and social care access and outcomes in rural communities.

What proportion of eligible families are receiving Healthy Start in (a) England, (b) East Anglia and (c) South West Norfolk constituency.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. In addition, the NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme in England as of 23 May 2025:CountryNumber of people on the digital schemeEngland328,685 East Anglia is not defined as specific geographical region within the Office for National Statistics’ Open Geography Portal, which the NHSBSA uses to define geographical regions. Therefore, the following table shows the number of people on digital scheme in the East of England region, which comprises of 45 local authorities, as of 23 May 2025: RegionNumber of people on digital schemeEast of England30,892 In addition, South West Norfolk consists of two local authorities, namely Breckland, and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk. Therefore, the following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme in Breckland, and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, as of 23 May 2025:Local authorityNumber of people on the digital schemeBreckland706King's Lynn and West Norfolk734

What discussions he has has with relevant stakeholders on the provision of sustainable funding for transforming (a) palliative and (b) end of life care services.

In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.I also recently met Rachael Maskell MP and Baroness Finlay to discuss the progress of their independent commission into palliative and end of life care.As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. 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 palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Transformation Fund announced in the Spring Statement 2025; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating a sum of this money for the palliative and end of life care sector.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.As part of the Spring Statement, the Government announced a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund to drive efficiencies across Government and save money later in the Parliament and set out how this would be allocated over the Spending Review process.

Whether he plans to include measures on reforming funding allocations for (a) palliative and (b) other end of life care services in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

The Spending Review is underway. We are, however, already supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care, and £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the Transformation Fund announced in the Spring Statement 2025; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using this fund to improve palliative and end of life care services.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.As part of the Spring Statement, the Government announced a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund to drive efficiencies across Government and save money later in the Parliament and set out how this would be allocated over the Spending Review process.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of people requiring palliative care over the next 10 years.

Currently, approximately 600,000 people die per year in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that up to 90% of deaths could benefit from palliative and end of life care.The Office for National Statistics has projected that, by 2040, approximately 800,000 people a year will die in the UK. Also, current trends point to a growing proportion of people dying from chronic disease, particularly cancer and dementia. Taking these considerations together, it has been estimated that the number of people needing palliative and end of life care could increase by 42% by 2040.We have committed to develop a 10-Year Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered, from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.

What measures will be included in the 10 Year Health Plan to improve palliative and end of life care.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and families receive the care they need when and where they need it, including those who need palliative and end of life care.As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have been carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, including the hospice sector.

What he has made of the potential merits of using pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy for people with cystic fibrosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on best practice, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NICE’s guideline on the diagnosis and management of cystic fibrosis recommends pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy as a treatment option for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in patients with cystic fibrosis. The guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng78