Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total cost of redundancy as a result of the plan to abolish NHS England and restructure integrated care boards; and what redundancy costs have been incurred as a result of those plans to date.

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

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we have been clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as on the need to scale back integrated care board (ICB) running costs and National Health Service provider corporate costs, in order to reduce waste and bureaucracy.

Good progress is being made, with the Department and NHS England having announced voluntary exit and expressions of interest respectively.

In the case of ICBs, ahead of asking the NHS to commence a multi-year planning round we are now carefully reviewing how the settlement is prioritised, including making provision for redundancy costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the present, and planned intake for (1) medical school places, (2) GP trainees, (3) nursing trainees, (4) nursing associate trainees, (5) midwifery trainees, (6) pharmacist trainees, and (7) dentist trainees in (a) 2025, (b) 2026, (c) 2028, and (d) 2031.

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

In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school and dental school places on an annual basis. For the 2025/26 academic year, the OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places and 809 for dental school places. The latest published medical and dental intake data is available on the OfS website. The number of dental and medical school places taken is as follows:

• 8,045 medicine places; and
• 810 dentistry places.

The data above is initial data from 2024 and so may change. General practice training places are set out annually by NHS England.

Undergraduate training places for nurses, nurse associates, midwives, and pharmacists are not centrally commissioned by the Government. Instead, they are determined by local employers and education providers who decide the number of learners they admit based on learner demand and provider capacity funding. The number of acceptances for nursing and midwifery is:

• 18,640 for nursing; and
• 3,390 for midwifery.

The above data is from 2025, was taken 28 days after A-level results day, and is not final data. Further information is available on the UCAS website. The number of entrants to pharmacy courses was 3,880, as per data from 2023. Further information is available on the Higher Education Statistics Agency website, in an online only format. Data is not available for nurse associates

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the report into young people and work will examine the reasons behind the number of young people claiming health and disability benefits.

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

We recognise that some young people are struggling to find their place in work, education or training.

The report into young people and work will seek to:

• Understand the drivers of the increase in the number of young people who are Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) and claiming health and disability benefits, including childhood experience
• Investigate the root causes of this rise in economic inactivity among disabled young people and those with health conditions
• Make recommendations for policy responses aimed at increasing opportunities for young people

The Right Honourable Alan Milburn will author the report and will be supported by a range of voices with expertise from the labour market and health spheres.