Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb cols 2–3), what integrated care board groups do not have at least one fracture liaison service.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 1 September in response to Question HL2030, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

Our 10-Year Health Plan is clear that the future National Health Service must be more preventative, more integrated, and deliver more care closer to home, including for people with osteoporosis.

The Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030, and we are clear that everyone at risk of fragility fractures should be able to benefit from high-quality, timely care that supports prevention, early intervention, and effective management. We are pursuing those goals across the whole pathway of fracture prevention, including improving access to diagnosis, supporting the adoption of effective treatments, and encouraging local systems to develop services that identify people at the highest risk of future fractures and intervene early.

Earlier this year, the Government announced £2.6 million of funding for 20 new DEXA bone density scanners across England. Tens of thousands of patients will benefit from faster access to bone scans as a result, helping to ensure that people with bone conditions, such as osteoporosis, get diagnosed earlier. This builds on the first wave of 13 DEXA scanners announced last year. In 2025, over 21,000 extra DEXA scans were delivered in England compared with 2024.

We continue to work closely with NHS England to improve access to fracture prevention services and to explore the best ways of supporting local systems to deliver high-quality care which meets the needs of their populations. The Government has been clear that integrated care boards are best placed to shape services for their localities and we have set expectations, through the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, that they should prioritise community-based models when commissioning new services.

Progress in this area can be monitored through activity and outcomes reported through the Fracture Liaison Service Database.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what data they hold on the number of years on the National Insurance records of all UK residents and citizens and what assessment they have made of the potential cost savings that would be incurred by increasing the number of qualifying years for a full state pension from 35 to 48.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department holds information on individuals' National Insurance contribution records, including qualifying years relevant to State Pension entitlement. DWP has made no assessment of the savings arising from increasing the number of qualifying years required for a full State Pension from 35 to 48.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment it has made of the savings to the Treasury over the next 10 years of (1) dropping the 2.5 per cent element of the triple lock on pensions, and (2) only uprating the equivalent of the basic state pension's value by the triple lock each year, with the remaining state pension payments uprated by prices.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

An assessment of dropping the 2.5% element of the Triple lock on pensions and only uprating the equivalent of the basic state pension's value by the triple lock each year, with the remaining state pension payments uprated by prices, would incur disproportionate cost.

The Office for Budget Responsibility assume long-term annual growth rates for the following economic determinants: Consumer Price Index (2.0%), Average Earnings (3.75%) and ‘Triple Lock’ (4.31%).

Source: OBR Long-term economic determinants - March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost to the Treasury of the Bank of England's quantitative tightening policies since 2022 in terms of the impact of reimbursed losses on the fiscal deficit and the increased cost of servicing government debt.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Since October 2022, HM Treasury has transferred £110.72bn to the Bank of England to cover losses arising from the indemnity of the Asset Purchase Facility, the vehicle used to implement quantitative easing. This covers losses incurred from net interest costs and the sale and redemption of bonds as the portfolio is unwound.  

Data on these cash transfers between HM Treasury and the Bank of England are made publicly available by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its monthly Public Sector Finances publication.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts the fiscal impact of quantitative tightening, including for the next three years, as part of the fiscal forecasts in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook. This was last updated in March 2026 (see table below), and the next scheduled update will be published on 28 October 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the Bank of England's quantitative tightening to the Treasury in the next three years, in terms of reimbursed losses.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Since October 2022, HM Treasury has transferred £110.72bn to the Bank of England to cover losses arising from the indemnity of the Asset Purchase Facility, the vehicle used to implement quantitative easing. This covers losses incurred from net interest costs and the sale and redemption of bonds as the portfolio is unwound.  

Data on these cash transfers between HM Treasury and the Bank of England are made publicly available by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its monthly Public Sector Finances publication.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts the fiscal impact of quantitative tightening, including for the next three years, as part of the fiscal forecasts in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook. This was last updated in March 2026 (see table below), and the next scheduled update will be published on 28 October 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they last reviewed contingency plans for buy-in and buy-out pension annuity products in the event of a life insurer having financial difficulties; and whether they plan to review this in the next year.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government keeps the framework for managing insurer distress and failure under review. The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is responsible for the prudential regulation and supervision of insurers and has a range of powers to intervene where firms experience financial difficulties. Insurers are subject to robust prudential requirements and ongoing supervision designed to protect policyholders and promote the safety and soundness of firms.

In 2023, HM Treasury consulted on proposals for an Insurer Resolution Regime, which would provide the authorities with additional tools to manage the failure of a systemic insurer in an orderly manner. The Government is considering the implementation of these proposals and will continue to engage with stakeholders on the development of the regime.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is a state guarantee for life insurers' buy-in or buy-out policies.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Prudential Regulation Authority carefully supervises insurers and requires them to maintain sufficient financial resources and robust risk-management arrangements. If a UK-regulated insurer fails, eligible annuity policies, as contracts of long-term insurance, are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme at 100% with no upper limit.

The Government is also developing proposals for an Insurer Resolution Regime, following consultation in 2023. This would provide additional powers to manage the failure of a systemic insurer in an orderly way, helping to protect policyholders and financial stability.

Found: Supported by: Baroness Altmann, Baroness Barran, Lord Hunt of Wirral, Baroness Kramer, Baroness O’Grady