Written questions by Forster.

What steps his Department is taking to increase funding for local authorities to ensure timely access to vision rehabilitation services for people with sight loss, including residents in Woking.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing individuals’ care and support needs, including sight loss and, where eligible, for meeting those needs. Where individuals do not meet the eligibility threshold, they can get support from their local authorities in making their own arrangements for care services, as set out in the Care Act 2014.The Government is making around £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care, which includes vision rehabilitation, in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the National Health Service contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with the Department’s Spending Review settlement.The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement confirms the Government’s plans to simplify adult social care funding to give local government more flexibility, and to redistribute it to where it is needed most. This will enable local authorities to deliver the Government’s priorities for adult social care within a more flexible funding system and give councils greater discretion over how to use funding to respond to local needs, including for vision rehabilitation.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease; and what support the NHS provides to people with Motor Neurone Disease in southern England.

NHS England does not commission services from the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Funding for the centre is provided by the Leeds Hospital charity service. Therefore, neither NHS England, nor the Department, have made an assessment of the effectiveness of the centre.NHS England commissions specialised services for neurology, which includes MND. There are 27 specialised neurology centres in England, eight of which are in London, three of which are in the south-east, and two of which are in the south-west.In August 2025, NHS England published a revised service specification for specialised adult neurology services. It outlines a number of minimum service requirements for key specialties, including neuromuscular disorders like MND, and is avaiable at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/specialised-neurology-services-adults-service-specification-august-2025.pdfThere are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MND, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MND.

What steps the Government is taking to promote active and healthy lifestyles among pensioners, including through access to affordable physical activity and active travel.

The Government recognises that reducing physical inactivity and promoting active, healthy lifestyles in people of all ages, including among pensioners, is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, and is a key part of the Department’s shift from treatment to prevention.The NHS Better Health Campaign promotes ways for people of all ages to move more, and signposts to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking and NHS Couch to 5k app.The Department supports the National Health Service, together with local authorities, to provide a range of community and social prescribing approaches to support older people, such as walking groups and aquatic/swimming classes.The Government is promoting active and healthy lifestyles among pensioners through investment in walking and cycling infrastructure and community-based programmes that make active travel safer and more accessible for older adults, and has recently closed its consultation on the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, due to be published next year.

How frequently his Department and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation review eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

The Government’s policy on the groups eligible for vaccination programmes, including for the COVID-19 vaccination programme, is based on the advice of the independent expert body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI meets three times a year, in February, June, and October.

When his Department will assess the effectiveness of the urgent care dental pilot project.

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.These appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most.We are also incentivising high street dentists to offer even more appointments to maximise the availability to those in need of urgent care.Data on the delivery of urgent dental care will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of National Health Service dental care.

How many patients have been supported (a) nationally and (b) in Woking constituency by the urgent care dental pilot project.

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available from April 2025.These appointments are available across the country, with specific expectations for each region. These appointments are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most.We are also incentivising high street dentists to offer even more appointments to maximise the availability to those in need of urgent care.Data on the delivery of urgent dental care will be published annually as part of the NHS Dental Statistics England Official Statistics series. These statistics are released each August and are the primary source of data on the delivery of National Health Service dental care.

Whether his department will considered introducing a covid-19 booster vaccination programme for front line NHS staff.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026On 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that for autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over.In line with JCVI advice, frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs) and staff working in care homes for older adults will not be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under the national programme for autumn 2025. This is following an extensive review by the JCVI of the scientific evidence surrounding the impact of vaccination on the transmission of the virus from HSCWs to patients, protection of HSCWs against symptoms of the disease, and staff sickness absences.In the current era of high population immunity to COVID-19, additional COVID-19 doses provide very limited, if any, protection against infection and any subsequent onward transmission of infection. For HSCWs, this means that COVID-19 vaccination likely now has only a very limited impact on reducing staff sickness absence. Therefore, the focus of the programme is now on those at greatest risk of serious disease and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination.Any HSCW who is otherwise eligible, because of their age or due to immunosuppression, is encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.

If his department is considering extending the eligibility for the winter covid-19 vaccination programme.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, involving hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.On 13 November 2024, JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the government accepted the JCVI’s advice that in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following groups:- adults aged 75 years old and over;- residents in care homes for older adults;- individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the UK Health Security Agency Green Book. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

What steps his Department is taking to increase NHS capacity for ADHD assessments.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays in accessing such assessments.It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available the appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later this year. We will carefully consider its recommendations.For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan and has also released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and to publishing more localised data in future. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

What steps his Department is taking to support people who have been diagnosed privately with ADHD to enter shared care agreements with GPs.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.Shared care with the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP).The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. Practices may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds.The GMC has issued guidance on prescribing and managing medicines, which helps GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors such as whether the proposed activity is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes the GP being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician, and this applies to both NHS and private medical care.

For what reason he plans to reduce the allocation of NHS funding for mental health services in 2025-26.

We are determined to transform NHS mental health services, with a shift to prevention and earlier intervention. Spending on mental health support will increase relative to 2024/25 and is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion in 2025/26. That is an increase of £688 million in cash terms.All integrated care boards are expected to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard (MHIS) in 2025/26 by increasing their investment in mental health services in line with their overall increase in funding for the year.Mental health’s share of total National Health Service spend has fallen slightly by 0.07% in 2025/26 as a result of increased investment in other areas, for example in bringing down waiting lists for elective operations and additional investment in general practice. While elective and GP investment is not included in mental health funding, mental wellbeing is a biopsychosocial phenomenon and this funding is also likely to impact positively on mental health outcomes.

What (a) data and (b) other information his Department used to inform public health (i) policies and (ii) campaigns related to reducing alcohol consumption in the development of the NHS 10 Year Plan; from which (A) individuals and (B) organisations that information was sourced; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of (1) impartiality and (2) scientific robustness of those sources.

The impact statement of the 10-Year Health Plan will be published in full shortly. This document explains the rationale for, and potential effects of, a number of measures outlined in the plan, including references to the relevant evidence.

What steps his Department is taking to meet the World Health Organisation’s vaccination target for the human papillomavirus vaccine.

In March 2025, NHS England published the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 –for England, which outlines how the National Health Service will improve uptake and coverage across human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical screening. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors uptake of HPV vaccination nationally, regionally and by local authority and publishes annual reports at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#hpv-vaccine-uptakeWhile HPV vaccination uptake rates in England have been very high, vaccine coverage by cohort has been steadily declining since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2023 to 2024 academic year, this decline appeared to be stabilising.NHS-commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent HPV vaccination programme based on population need, to offer vaccination to those young people who may have missed out at the point of initial offer. UKHSA works closely with charities and academics to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of vaccination including for boys. NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.

What steps is his Department taking to reduce inequalities in uptake of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus maternal vaccination programme by (a) region, (b) ethnicity and (c) socioeconomic background.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) monitoring of programme uptake by ethnicity and region is a key tool in identifying disparities in uptake across diverse populations. UKHSA has prepared respiratory syncytial virus antenatal vaccine information leaflets in over 30 languages, and in other formats, to support programme accessibility and reduce inequalities. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-maternal-vaccinationAn update to UKHSA’s Immunisation Equity Strategy is forthcoming and will support action to ensure that everyone can access vaccination at the right time, irrespective of where they live, their ethnicity and their socioeconomic background. The current Immunisation Inequalities Strategy can be found on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phe-immunisation-inequalities-strategy

What steps his Department is taking to support people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Woking constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs, including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, which covers the Woking constituency, to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services. There are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England, including in the Woking constituency. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and by promoting best practice. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England is also updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. Our 10-Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. We also plan to publish our refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver a transformed health service over the next decade and to treat patients wherever they live in England, including those with MS, on time again.

What plans he has for new specialist mental health crisis centres in Surrey.

Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis in Surrey can access support 24/7 through the Mental Health Crisis Helpline, operated by the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The service is staffed by trained professionals who provide immediate advice, support, and signposting to a range of community services.There are five Safe Havens across Surrey that provide out-of-hours help and support to individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress. Each Safe Haven is staffed by a mental health practitioner from the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and two trained Safe Haven workers. Peer support from people with lived experience of mental health issues is also increasingly available.At a national level, substantial progress has been achieved in building more robust crisis care pathways across all ages and in all regions, ensuring that people in a mental health crisis can receive the right care.As part of this, the Government has committed £26 million in capital investment to support people in a mental health crisis, including opening new mental health crisis centres across England, which aim to provide accessible and responsive care for individuals in a mental health crisis. In addition, we are piloting six 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres which provide support to individuals with severe mental illness, without needing to book an appointment.People of all ages in England experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained NHS professional at any time of the day via the NHS 111 service. This service gives people the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.

Whether he has considered providing dedicated capital funding for new (a) MRI and (b) CT scanners for radiotherapy departments.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the reforms needed to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) constitutional standard by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. This will include ensuring the diagnostic capacity, such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners, required to deliver on the standard.As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, capital spending is set to increase to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, representing record levels of capital investment into healthcare.This settlement includes a £1.65 billion capital investment to fund new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds, supporting National Health Service performance across secondary and emergency care in 2025/26. Of this, £70 million will fund new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment.In addition, the Government is backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital in 2025/26, enabling systems to allocate funding to local priorities such as replacement diagnostic and radiotherapy equipment.All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process.

Whether he plans to review the use of block contracts for radiotherapy services, in the context of (a) recent trends in levels of patient numbers and (b) Lord Darzi's Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England, published in September 2024.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that the healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include ensuring adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including in remote and rural areas. This includes radiotherapy treatment. The Government will work to ensure that the best standard of healthcare is available no matter where people live.Since April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines has been with local systems. However, the Government is investing £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it. There are no current plans to review the use of block contracts for radiotherapy services.All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26, including this one, will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of (a) clinical oncologists, (b) therapeutic radiographers, (c) medical physicists and (d) engineers as part of the NHS 10 year plan.

A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and those who support our workforce, and how we ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.Getting the NHS back to working for patients means ending the workforce crisis across the health service. We intend to take a fresh look at the Long Term Workforce Plan, to ensure it fully aligns with the level of ambition and reforms required following the 10-Year Health Plan. Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual NHS trusts.

If he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on ensuring the provision of community pharmacies in new housing developments.

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. Legislation requires PNAs to include consideration of the future need for pharmaceutical services in the area. The Department has published an information pack to support local authorities in preparation of PNAs, which is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/617bdc31d3bf7f5601cf3168/pharmaceutical-needs-assessment-information-pack.pdfChapter 6 of the information pack provides advice on how future needs, improvement, or better access should be articulated in the PNA, including following any new housing developments. These assessments inform commissioning decisions by integrated care boards.