Caroline Johnson Portrait

Caroline Johnson

Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham

4,346 (8.9%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 8th December 2016

Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)

(since July 2024)

Tobacco and Vapes Bill
19th Dec 2024 - 30th Jan 2025
Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Health and Social Care)
19th Jul 2024 - 6th Nov 2024
Health and Social Care Committee
21st Nov 2022 - 30th May 2024
Human Rights (Joint Committee)
6th Feb 2023 - 30th May 2024
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
24th Apr 2024 - 14th May 2024
Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill
8th May 2024 - 12th May 2024
Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill
24th Apr 2024 - 1st May 2024
Ballot Secrecy Bill [HL]
1st Mar 2023 - 7th Mar 2023
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
8th Sep 2022 - 27th Oct 2022
Education Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 25th Oct 2022
Judicial Review and Courts Bill
27th Oct 2021 - 23rd Nov 2021
Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill (England and Wales)
27th Oct 2021 - 3rd Nov 2021
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Health and Social Care Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 20th Feb 2018


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Caroline Johnson has voted in 185 divisions, and 4 times against the majority of their Party.

26 Nov 2024 - Tobacco and Vapes Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Johnson voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Conservative Aye votes vs 35 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 415 Noes - 47
14 Jan 2025 - Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Sixth sitting) - View Vote Context
Caroline Johnson voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Conservative No votes vs 3 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 3 Noes - 12
28 Jan 2025 - Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Fourteenth sitting) - View Vote Context
Caroline Johnson voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 12 Noes - 2
26 Mar 2025 - Tobacco and Vapes Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Johnson voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 24 Conservative Aye votes vs 31 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 366 Noes - 41
View All Caroline Johnson Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Andrew Gwynne (Independent)
(118 debate interactions)
Jack Rankin (Conservative)
(36 debate interactions)
Gregory Stafford (Conservative)
Opposition Assistant Whip (Commons)
(31 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(385 debate contributions)
Home Office
(26 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(15 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-26
(65,969 words contributed)
Crime and Policing Bill 2024-26
(1,805 words contributed)
Data (Use and Access) Act 2025
(1,499 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Caroline Johnson's debates

Sleaford and North Hykeham Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

In modern society, we believe more consideration needs to be given to animal welfare and how livestock is treated and culled.

We believe non-stun slaughter is barbaric and doesn't fit in with our culture and modern-day values and should be banned, as some EU nations have done.


Latest EDMs signed by Caroline Johnson

4th June 2025
Caroline Johnson signed this EDM on Monday 30th June 2025

Mauritius Treaty

Tabled by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
That the Agreement, done at London and Port Louis on 22 May 2025, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia, should not be ratified.
107 signatures
(Most recent: 1 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 93
Reform UK: 4
Independent: 4
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Traditional Unionist Voice: 1
Ulster Unionist Party: 1
Labour: 1
2nd September 2024
Caroline Johnson signed this EDM on Monday 2nd September 2024

Social Security

Tabled by: Rishi Sunak (Conservative - Richmond and Northallerton)
That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 869), dated 22 August 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22 August 2024, be annulled.
81 signatures
(Most recent: 10 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 74
Independent: 4
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Scottish National Party: 1
View All Caroline Johnson's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Caroline Johnson, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


2 Urgent Questions tabled by Caroline Johnson

Thursday 19th December 2024

1 Adjournment Debate led by Caroline Johnson

1 Bill introduced by Caroline Johnson


A Bill to make provision about the notice period for termination of funding agreements for secure 16 to 19 Academies; to make provision about the Secretary of State’s duty to consider the impact on existing educational institutions when it is proposed to establish or expand a secure 16 to 19 Academy; and to alter the consultation question required when it is proposed to establish or expand a secure 16 to 19 Academy.

Commons Completed
Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 20th May 2024

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to support employers in providing single-sex workplace facilities for biological women.

The Supreme Court’s ruling has brought clarity for women and employers. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has already committed to supporting organisations, including workplaces, with updated guidance; we will work closely with the EHRC as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.

Nia Griffith
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what guidance her Department issues to employers on the rights of biological women under the Equality Act 2010.

The Supreme Court’s ruling has brought clarity and confidence that for the purposes of the Equality Act, the term ‘woman’ refers to a biological woman.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to support organisations, including workplaces, with updated guidance; we will engage them as necessary as they progress this work. All government departments should follow the ruling.

Nia Griffith
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
5th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of items of correspondence from Parliamentarians received by (a) his Department, (b) him and (c) his Ministers in each month since August 2024 have not yet received a substantive response.

The Government attaches significant importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from MPs, either directly or on behalf of their constituents. The Department’s correspondence team has already implemented an improvement plan that will deliver a more effective and streamlined process.

The correspondence performance of all Whitehall Departments is published quarterly. The full data for 2024 is due to be published soon by the Cabinet Office. Data for Quarter 1 of 2025 will be published in due course.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what meetings (a) he has and (b) his Ministers have had with (i) the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (ii) other Ministers in the Department for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of the Data (Use and Access) Bill on the (A) quality of, (B) use of and (C) safety considerations for data on a person's sex.

The Secretary of State and Ministers meet with health Ministers regularly to discuss a range of topics. The Secretary of State and Ministers have not met with health Ministers specifically to discuss the Data (Use and Access) Bill and sex data. Official level engagement has taken place to share information regarding the ways the NHS handles medical records in the process of an individual changing gender, and ensures individuals are correctly registered for relevant screenings and other sex/specific treatment. We have used the insights from this engagement to inform our approach to the Bill.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which official documents can be used to prove a person's sex to participate in single sex sports.

We have always been clear that, when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion. In terms of gender eligibility, National Governing Bodies set their own policies for who can participate in their sports in domestic competitions.

Our Sports Councils produce guidance to provide domestic sports bodies with the framework and support to determine the right position for their sport. Our Sports Councils are consulting with legal experts to clarify whether the Supreme Court ruling affects the guidance. The outcome of this will feed into their timescale for a planned wider review of the guidance.

In addition the Equalities and Human Rights Commission has confirmed their work to develop a revised Code of Practice which supports service providers, public bodies and associations to understand their duties under the Equality Act and put them into practice. Their revised code will incorporate the implications of the Supreme Court judgment. They hope to lay the revised code before Parliament before the summer recess.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to review funding criteria for sports organisations that do not comply with the legal definition of sex as biological under the Equality Act 2010.

We have always been clear that, when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.

In terms of gender eligibility, National Governing Bodies set their own policies for who can participate in their sports in domestic competitions. Our Sports Councils produce guidance to provide domestic sports bodies with the framework and support to determine the right position for their sport. Our Sports Councils are consulting with legal experts to clarify whether the Supreme Court ruling affects the guidance. The outcome of this will feed into their timescale for a planned wider review of the guidance.

Alongside this, sports need to come up with approaches to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part somehow - and I know that sporting bodies will be considering this in light of the Supreme Court decision.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance her Department plans to provide to sports governing bodies on maintaining female-only categories for biological women following the Supreme Court ruling of the definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010.

We have always been clear that, when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.

In terms of gender eligibility, National Governing Bodies set their own policies for who can participate in their sports in domestic competitions. Our Sports Councils produce guidance to provide domestic sports bodies with the framework and support to determine the right position for their sport. Our Sports Councils are consulting with legal experts to clarify whether the Supreme Court ruling affects the guidance. The outcome of this will feed into their timescale for a planned wider review of the guidance.

Alongside this, sports need to come up with approaches to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part somehow - and I know that sporting bodies will be considering this in light of the Supreme Court decision.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department plans to provide to schools on ensuring that biological girls have access to female-only (a) spaces, (b) sports and (c) facilities.

Single-sex spaces based on biological sex are protected in law and will always be protected by this government.

The department is currently reviewing the draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children, in addition to reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education. The guidance on gender questioning children will reflect the legal protection for single-sex spaces and facilities in schools, as well as the Equality Act protection for single-sex sport in schools to ensure fairness and safety.​

​My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance and, as such, the government is looking carefully at the consultation responses, discussing with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, including the final report of the Cass Review which was published post-consultation, before setting out next steps.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
8th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 41472 on Childcare: Fees and Charges whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the £100k cut off for free childcare provision on (a) overall workforce productivity, (b) willingness of impacted employees to take on additional hours and responsibilities and (c) willingness of impacted NHS clinical staff to take on additional hours of work and responsibilities.

I refer the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 41472.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the £100k cut off for free childcare provision on (a) overall workforce productivity, (b) willingness of impacted employees to take on additional hours and responsibilities and (c) willingness of impacted NHS clinical staff to take on additional hours of work and responsibilities.

All families are eligible for universal 15 hours of free childcare for three and four year-olds, including those who earn over £100,000.

The £100,000 level was chosen to correspond with income tax thresholds and to be easily understandable for parents. Only a very small proportion of parents, 3.8% of parents of three and four year-olds in 2023/24, earn over the £100,000 threshold.

The government needs to use public funds in a way that provides value for money and considers it reasonable to target this funding at those individuals earning under £100,000 adjusted net income.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of schools whose grant offered to cover the rise in employers National Insurance contributions is not enough meet the actual cost incurred.

The government has agreed that public sector employers will receive support in recognition of the increase in their National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025. The department is providing schools and high needs settings with over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support them with their increased NICs costs. This support is additional to the £2.3 billion increase to core school funding announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This means that the core schools budget, which includes the core revenue funding for schools and high needs, will total over £64.8 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. The amount of public sector support is based on HM Treasury analysis of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, and allocated between departments based on headcount and wage/salary data.

The NICs grant will allocate funding to schools according to their pupil numbers, and the numbers of pupils with additional needs, along with a lump sum component for every school regardless of pupil numbers. The department’s funding system is not designed so that every school receives funding that fully matches their precise spending as that, including the NICs costs, varies between institutions because of the decisions that each school takes on its staffing.

The department has distributed this funding in proportion to the needs of the different sectors and phases of education. The department will continue to monitor cost pressures, as it usually does.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of whether the additional funding provided to schools for the increased cost of employer National insurance contributions is adequate to meet those costs.

The government has agreed that public sector employers will receive support in recognition of the increase in their National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025. The department is providing schools and high needs settings with over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support them with their increased NICs costs. This support is additional to the £2.3 billion increase to core school funding announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This means that the core schools budget, which includes the core revenue funding for schools and high needs, will total over £64.8 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. The amount of public sector support is based on HM Treasury analysis of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, and allocated between departments based on headcount and wage/salary data.

The NICs grant will allocate funding to schools according to their pupil numbers, and the numbers of pupils with additional needs, along with a lump sum component for every school regardless of pupil numbers. The department’s funding system is not designed so that every school receives funding that fully matches their precise spending as that, including the NICs costs, varies between institutions because of the decisions that each school takes on its staffing.

The department has distributed this funding in proportion to the needs of the different sectors and phases of education. The department will continue to monitor cost pressures, as it usually does.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the increases to employers national insurance contributions on the cost to parents of pre-school childcare.

I refer the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham to the answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12804.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the minimum wage announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 on the cost of childcare.

The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed £1.8 billion in the 2025/26 financial year to support the expansion of the early years entitlement offer for eligible working parents from 15 hours to 30 hours from September 2025. This £1.8 billion will mean the budget for childcare entitlements next year will be over £8 billion, reflecting the additional money needed for the 30 hour expansion, and ensuring funding for the entitlements reflects the national living wage.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the badger population in each year since the enactment of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

Since the enactment of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, two national badger monitoring surveys have taken place. A 1994-97 survey estimate did not provide an estimate of the overall population but instead estimated there were 46,100 family groups in England and Wales. A survey of the badger population in 2011-13 estimated that there were approximately 424,000 badgers in 71,600 family groups in England and Wales.

In February 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Agency commenced the latest badger population survey which will estimate badger abundance and population recovery to illustrate the impact of widespread culling over the past decade.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the size of the badger population (a) in June 2025 and (b) in each of the last 10 years.

The first major badger population survey in over a decade began in February 2025 and is currently ongoing. The most recent previous national survey was conducted in England and Wales between 2011 and 2013, estimating the badger population at approximately 485,000 individuals across 71,600 social groups.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
13th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of hectares of (a) agricultural land, (b) Grade 1 agricultural land, (c) Grade 2 agricultural land, (d) Grade 3a agricultural land, (e) Grade 3b agricultural land, (f) Grade 4 agricultural land, (g) Grade 5 agricultural land, (h) brownfield land in (i) the UK, (ii) Great Britain, (iii) England and (iv) England broken down by (A) region and (B) county.

An estimate will be made when an updated Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map is published later this year.

Land classification is a devolved matter, and each nation within the UK takes a different approach. In England and Wales, the ALC system is used to assess agricultural land quality.

The Government remains committed to maintaining accurate land classification data to support planning and policy decisions. The new strategic-scale ALC map will replace the 1960s provisional map in England, ensuring alignment with current ALC guidelines and including the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of vape (a) distributors, (b) importers, (c) manufacturers and (d) producers that are registered with (i) the Environment Agency and (ii) a producer compliance scheme under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE) 2013.

The Environment Agency maintains a public register of registered producers and approved compliance schemes under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013. There are currently 34 registered vape producers in the UK.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013, how many times the Office for Product Safety and Standards has taken enforcement action in relation to vape (a) distributors, (b) importers, (c) manufacturers and (d) producers that have not registered with an appropriate authority in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024 to date.

Distributors are not required to register under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013. There are takeback obligations on vape distributors which are enforced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). OPSS regulates in a proportionate, evidenced and risk-based manner, that utilises a range of regulatory interventions to promote compliance. OPSS has taken no enforcement action, such as prosecutions, on vape distributors in either 2023 or 2024. OPSS has, however, been working closely checking compliance with distributors through 2024 to build the takeback network with some 10,500 points added so far this year.

Importers and manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment are required to register with their appropriate environment regulator, with companies based in England registering with the Environment Agency. OPSS does not have an enforcement role under the WEEE regulations in respect of importers and manufacturers, whether registered or not.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, how many times his Department has taken enforcement action in relation to vape (a) distributors, (b) importers, (c) manufacturers and (d) producers that have not registered with an appropriate authority in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024 to date.

No enforcement action has been taken against vape producers or distributors under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 in either 2023 or 2024 to date.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of items of correspondence from Parliamentarians received by (a) her Department, (b) herself and (c) her ministerial team have not received a substantive response in each month since August 2024.

The information requested is in the table below. Please note that some correspondence received in January will not be due for reply until February and so that month has been excluded.

Month

Number of Cases

Number Closed

Number still Open

% Still Open

August

383

382

1

0.2%

September

343

338

5

1.5%

October

402

398

4

1%

November

385

366

19

5%

December

382

337

45

12%

Total

1895

1821

74

4%

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the letters of 29 July and 8 November 2024 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham, what progress she has made on billing the North Hykeham Relief Road.

It is the responsibility of the Local Authority, Lincolnshire County Council, to provide the Department with a Full Business Case, which will be reviewed and assessed prior to a decision whether to grant full approval for the scheme.  We are expecting to see the Full Business Case in the summer of 2025 and my officials are working with the council to progress that.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria her Department is using to assess the (a) value and (b) prioritisation of road projects in its capital spend review.

As the Chancellor set out in her statement on 23 September, the Government has inherited extremely challenging fiscal conditions and a litany of unfunded commitments. The Transport Secretary is undertaking a review of the previous governments transport plans, including unfunded schemes.

The value of roads projects is assessed using the principles set out in the Green Book. Rather than assessing value and prioritisation of individual projects, the review will consider the alignment of capital schemes across mode with the Government’s priorities and provide strategic advice to the Secretary of State on how she might approach prioritisation of projects.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
11th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming benefits under special rules with a form SR1 have been claiming for (a) more than 12 months and (b) less than 12 months.

The Department supports people nearing the end of life through special benefit rules – called the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

SREL applies to these benefits Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Universal Credit (UC), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Disability Living Allowance for children (DLAc) and Attendance Allowance (AA).

The department holds some data on special rules for end of life (SREL) claims for PIP and UC based on receipt of the medical evidence form, the SR1, but does not centrally collate equivalent data on SREL claims for AA, DLA and ESA, so we cannot provide the total number of SREL claimants. We have therefore provided data for UC and PIP only below.

Benefit*

Claim duration less than 12 months

Claim duration of 12 months or more.

Total

PIP

16,900

15,400

32,300

UC

5,900

4,800

10,700

*All figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

The PIP data covers England and Wales and is from October 2024. The UC data covers Great Britain and is from September 2024.

The numbers above count the number of claims for each benefit, not the number of individuals. Some individuals may be counted more than once, as they may be in receipt of both benefits.

It is possible, although rare, to make a SREL claim without a SR1 form, so these data do not necessarily present the full picture in terms of total numbers of SREL claims.

DLA: Cases in Payment - Data from May 2018’ and ‘AA: Cases in Payment - Data from May 2018’ data is available on Stat-Xplore by ‘Main Disabling Condition’, this includes ‘Terminally Ill’ claims. This data is available by ‘Duration of Current Claim’. ESA - Data from May 2018 is available on Stat-Xplore by ‘Medical condition’ which includes ‘Neoplasms’. This data is available by ‘Duration of Current Claim’. A claimant’s main disabling condition being ‘Terminally Ill’ does not necessarily mean they are classed as an SREL claimant. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
4th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of items of correspondence from Parliamentarians received by (a) her Department, (b) herself and (c) her ministerial team have not received a substantive response in each month since August 2024.

The Department does not keep this information centrally and therefore it is not readily available. Providing the information that the Department does hold would incur disproportionate costs.

Andrew Western
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit were (a) received, (b) processed and granted and (c) processed and not granted in each month between July and December 2024.

Statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 28 November 2024. This includes numbers of applications that were received, awarded and not awarded, up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK.

Please note, the next publication of Pension Credit application statistics is due around the end of February 2025 and will cover the data up to week commencing 10 February 2025.

Emma Reynolds
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pension credit claims received since 1 August 2024 have (a) not been paid to the claimant and (b) refused on grounds the claimant is ineligible.

Because of how we capture our operational data, information on claims received over that period which have not been paid to the claimant/refused on the grounds of the claimant being ineligible is not available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Statistics on Pension Credit award volumes were published on 28 November 2024. This publication includes numbers of applications that were received, awarded and not awarded, up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK. Please note, the next publication of Pension Credit application statistics is due around the end of February 2025 and will cover the data up to week commencing 10 February 2025.

Emma Reynolds
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners who have an annual income that is (i) lower and (ii) higher than (a) £23,795.20, (b) £12,570, (c) £50,271, (d) £125,140, (e) £60,000, (f) £70,000 and (g) £24,000.

These estimates are provided at a pensioner unit level. The estimated number of pensioner units with the gross annual incomes specified are stated in the following text. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 and then displayed in millions. Individual figures have been rounded independently, so figures may not sum due to rounding.

(a) (i) lower than £23,795.20 – 4.1m, (ii) higher than £23,795.20 – 4.6m

(b) (i) lower than £12,570 – 1.0m, (ii) higher than £12,570 – 7.7m

(c) (i) lower than £50,271 – 7.4m, (ii) higher than £50,271 – 1.2m

(d) (i) lower than £125,140 – 8.5m, (ii) higher than £125,140 – 0.2m

(e) (i) lower than £60,000 – 7.9m, (ii) higher than £60,000 – 0.8m

(f) (i) lower than £70,000 – 8.2m, (ii) higher than £70,000 – 0.5m

(g) (i) lower than £24,000 – 4.2m, (ii) higher than £24,000 – 4.5m

These estimates are based on Pensioners’ Incomes data derived from the Family Resources Survey and cover private householders in the United Kingdom and the financial year 2022/23.

A pensioner unit can be a single pensioner over State Pension age, a pensioner couple where one member is over State Pension age, or a pensioner couple where both members are over State Pension age.

Emma Reynolds
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents are (a) making child maintenance payments through the Child Maintenance Service and (b) in arrears on those payments.

The principle of the Child Maintenance Service is to increase levels of cooperation between separated parents and encourage parents to meet their responsibilities to provide financial support for their children through their own family-based arrangements where possible. Where a family-based child maintenance arrangement is not suitable we offer a statutory scheme to those parents who need it.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children and the Child Maintenance Service will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are available up to March 2024. The number of Paying Parents using the Collect and Pay service are published on Stat-Xplore in the CMS Paying Parents dataset.

In the latest quarter ending on 31 March 2024, there were 188,945 parents due to pay through the Collect and Pay service. Information on the full arrears status of those parents is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Andrew Western
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the HIV action plan.

The Government is committed to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and is developing the new HIV Action Plan which we aim to publish this year.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Boost to mental health services from thousands of extra staff, published on 27 June 2025, where the dedicated mental health emergency departments will be located.

The announced expansion of crisis assessment centres, also referred to as mental health emergency departments, builds on a number of early implementer sites that have been established in recent years by local health systems to provide a dedicated therapeutic alternative to emergency departments for individuals in a mental health crisis.

Locations for the new centres are being identified through a capital allocation process, involving expressions of interest from integrated care boards and regionally and nationally coordinated assessments of local need, existing provision, and system readiness.

The new centres will typically serve multiple emergency departments and will be accessible via NHS 111, ambulance conveyance, walk-in, or referral pathways.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House of Lords on the commencement date for the Committee stage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Ministers and officials from the Department are regularly in touch with their counterparts across Government. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has had its Second Reading in the House of Lords, and the Committee stage will take place when parliamentary time allows. We expect the bill to complete its passage within this parliamentary session.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding has been allocated to Healthy Start for 2026-27.

The Spending Review on 11 June 2025 set total departmental budgets for day-to-day spending from 2026/27 until 2028/29. Departments must now allocate these budgets to portfolios, programmes, and projects. As such, the budget allocated to Healthy Start for 2026/27 is still to be determined.

Healthy Start is a demand-led, statutory scheme and aims to support those in greatest need. We recently announced in Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan that we will uplift the value of weekly payments by 10%, boosting the ability to buy healthy food for those families who need it most. From April 2026, pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) efficiency and (b) productivity of the MHRA.

The Department and its ministers regularly hold assurance meetings with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to assess its efficiency and productivity. Under the Government, the MHRA has cleared all backlogs, and statutory performance targets are now being met.

As part of the MHRA’s ongoing commitment to greater transparency in service delivery, the agency began publishing monthly performance data externally on clinical trials and medicines licenses in April 2023 and extended this to reflect reporting of performance against all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from March 2025. This enhanced reporting provides detailed insights into progress against KPIs and processing times. It enables stakeholders, customers, and partners to plan with greater certainty by offering clear visibility into the performance of key functions, including licensing and clinical trials applications, inspections, batch release, and safety signals. These improvements support more informed engagement and planning across the sector.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the MHRA will build on this to develop a more pro-innovation approach to regulation, while maintaining safety, ensuring that the United Kingdom remains one of the best places in the world to develop and launch new products, with an international reputation for safety and quality.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 12 of his Department's policy paper entitled Fit for the Future: The 10 Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, whether it remains his policy to abolish NHS England.

Yes, as announced on 13 March, NHS England will be brought into the Department to form a new joint centre. The necessary work to formally abolish NHS England is underway.

NHS England will continue to undertake its statutory functions, working with the new executive during the transition, until parliamentary time allows for the necessary legislative changes to be made.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his target date is for 92% of patients to begin elective treatment within 18 weeks.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.

Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets a target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement on current performance over that period.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 10 of the 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether he plans to introduce tie-ins for dentists (a) beginning training after September 2025, (b) already in training and (c) already qualified.

We believe that working in the National Health Service will give dental graduates the best start to their careers, by giving them the broadest range of experience, great support from strong teams of dental professionals, and the most comprehensive training.

It costs £200,000 of taxpayer’s money to train a dentist. We believe it is right and fair to taxpayers to expect graduate dentists to invest their skills and expertise in the NHS for at least some amount of time.

We will consult with the sector on the detail of introducing this change.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's publication, Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July 2025, how many additional GPs will be trained in each of the next 10 years.

We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, which will increase capacity, end the 8:00am scramble, and take the pressure off those currently working in the system.

We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. The 10-Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

Further details on training places will be confirmed in due course.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's publication, Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July 2025, if he will publish the new employment contracts which will allow GPs to (a) work over a larger geographies and (b) lead new neighbourhood providers.

On 3 July 2025, we published the 10-Year Health Plan for England, which announced the plan to introduce two new contracts, for neighbourhood providers and multi-neighbourhood providers, which will encourage general practitioners to work over larger geographies. We will begin make these new contracts available in 2026. Further details will be provided in due course.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects negotiations on a new dental contract to conclude.

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, but we need to take the time to get this right. There are no perfect payment models and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver genuine improvements for patients and the profession.

We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for National Health Service dental patients.

As a first step to reforming the dental contract, we are consulting on a package of changes to improve access to, and improve the quality of, NHS dentistry, which will deliver improved care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. Further information on the consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

The consultation was launched on 8 July and will close on 19 August 2025.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of newly qualified GPs recruited were trained in the UK since October 2024.

The Department does not hold the requested information as workforce and recruitment decisions are made locally by practices and primary care networks. As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is up to general practices to determine how they run their operations.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan we published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training. We will also prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which community diagnostic centres are under construction.

170 community diagnostic centre (CDCs) sites are operational across England. 110 of these CDCs are described as ‘fully operational’. Of the remaining 60 CDCs, 39 are live and delivering activity on their permanent site but are still operating some services via temporary facilities, and 21 are delivering activity from a nearby temporary location whilst the permanent site is completing construction.

£1.65 billion of capital funding has been made available in 2025/26 for secondary and emergency care, which includes £0.6 billion for investment in diagnostics. This includes funding to enable the completion of 2024/25 schemes. Funding will also support the National Health Service to expand existing CDCs and build up to five new CDCs as part of our Elective Reform Plan.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 22 May 2025 on NHS Workforce, HCWS663, which areas of spending have been reduced in order to fund these pay uplifts.

As the Written Ministerial Statement sets out, the Government has had to make difficult decisions to afford the pay award.

Areas of spending where we have made, or plan to make, reductions include administration budgets, bank and agency spend, and the Department and NHS England’s central programmes, including communications and campaigns. Additionally, a change to the personal injury discount rate has also led to a reduction in the forecast for clinical negligence.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on taking steps to keep the NHS data of serving military personnel confidential.

My Rt. Hon. friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Defence, are united in their commitment to ensuring serving military personnel receive excellent health services through the Defence Medical Services working in partnership with the National Health Service.

The Defence Medical Services provide primary healthcare for serving personnel. All serving personnel will have a Defence Health Record which records their healthcare through their military service, whether provided by the Defence Medical Services or the NHS. Serving personnel are provided with a medical care summary and a patient’s full Defence Health Record can be provided on request from their NHS general practitioner (GP).

There is an existing process for the transfer of healthcare information to the NHS when they leave the Armed Forces. A secure email gateway exists between the Ministry of Defence and NHS networks, permitting the secure transmission of email classified up to, and including, OFFICIAL SENSITIVE PERSONAL material.

To improve the transfer of healthcare information, the Defence Medical Services are working towards a greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from Defence Medical Services to NHS GPs.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the confidentiality of NHS data for serving personnel.

My Rt. Hon. friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Defence, are united in their commitment to ensuring serving military personnel receive excellent health services through the Defence Medical Service working in partnership with the National Health Service.

The Defence Medical Services provide primary healthcare for serving personnel. Secondary care for Armed Forces personnel is provided by the NHS in England or by the devolved administrations outside of England, working with the Defence Medical Services to ensure that specific defence requirements are met.

All serving personnel will have a Defence Health Record which records their healthcare through their military service, whether provided by the Defence Medical Services or the NHS. The principles that underpin the handling of such sensitive records are patient privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. There is an existing process for the transfer of healthcare information to the NHS when people leave the Armed Forces. Serving personnel are provided with a medical care summary and a patient’s full Defence Health Record can be provided upon request from their NHS general practitioner.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on (a) medical and (b) dental healthcare provision for serving military personnel.

My Rt. Hon. friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Defence, are united in their commitment to ensuring serving military personnel receive excellent health services through the Defence Medical Service working in partnership with the National Health Service.

The Defence Medical Services provide primary healthcare for serving personnel. Secondary care for Armed Forces personnel is provided by the NHS in England or by the devolved administrations outside of England, working with the Defence Medical Services to ensure that specific defence requirements are met.

All serving personnel will have a Defence Health Record which records their healthcare through their military service, whether provided by the Defence Medical Services or the NHS. The principles that underpin the handling of such sensitive records are patient privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. There is an existing process for the transfer of healthcare information to the NHS when people leave the Armed Forces. Serving personnel are provided with a medical care summary and a patient’s full Defence Health Record can be provided upon request from their NHS general practitioner.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)