Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the minutes of the Food Standards Agency’s Committee on Toxicity meeting of 25 March 2025; and whether he plans to hold discussions with the Food Standards Agency on the potential merits of (a) withdrawing its review of the safety of nitrites in processed meats, (b) publishing (i) correspondence, (ii) criteria and (iii) communications relating to its preparation and (c) commissioning a multidisciplinary study considering (A) animal, (B) human and (C) mechanistic evidence.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) review of nitrates and nitrites as food additives is an important piece of work and will not be withdrawn. Its purpose was to summarise recent evidence from human studies to inform policy decisions, rather than to provide a full risk assessment. Current policy continues to align with NHS dietary advice, which recommends limiting consumption of red and processed meat, some of which contain nitrites, to 70g per day. We understand public concern about potential long-term health effects, including cancer risk, and remain committed to monitoring emerging evidence closely.
To maintain transparency, the full report, including its scope, search criteria, and details of the external contract, has been published on Government websites. This allows stakeholders and the public to see exactly how the review was conducted and how conclusions were reached.
The published report clearly sets out the methodology and criteria used, providing clarity and confidence in the process. While the FSA does not routinely publish internal correspondence or preparatory communications, due to the potential inclusion of commercially sensitive or personal information, the report itself provides full transparency on the evidence base and decision-making approach.
There are no plans to commission a broader multidisciplinary study. Existing permitted nitrite levels are based on robust international risk assessments and remain appropriate to protect public health. Commissioning a new study would require significant resource and is not justified without new evidence indicating a change in risk.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of 999 calls that were made in Scotland and handled by an Ambulance Service in England and Wales since 2020.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held by the Department.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed increase in national insurance contributions on general practices in Scotland.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget 2024, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The employer national insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025, with the Department setting out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course.
Whilst the Department holds some reserved functions, health is predominantly devolved. This includes the National Health Service in Scotland, which is therefore the responsibility of the Scottish Government.
It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding across devolved areas as they see fit, and they are accountable to their respective legislatures for the decisions they take.