Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help increase the number of blood donors.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. Recently, NHSBT has led a number of initiatives to increase blood donations and in turn improve blood stocks, specifically:
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many medical school places are funded for start in 2026.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school places on an annual basis. OfS will publish its intake target for the 2026/27 academic year in due course. For the 2025/26 academic year, information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase the level of exercise undertaken by children.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the physical and mental health benefits that an active lifestyle can bring for children and young people.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Education co-fund the Primary School PE and Sport Premium, which enables schools to support children to have fun and move more through PE, sport, play and other forms of physical activity.
As committed to in the 10-Year Health Plan’s Prevention chapter, both departments are also working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop a new School Sport Partnerships network that will drive collaboration between schools and break down barriers for those who are less active, increasing opportunities for all children to move more. This is alongside wider cross sector action to reduce physical inactivity and get millions moving more. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
In the summer, DHSC teamed up with Joe Wicks to launch ‘Activate’, a series of animated, fun five-minute workouts to help families and schools tackle inactivity among children.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) schools, (b) nurseries and (c) early years settings have signed up to the Big Brush Club supervised toothbrushing scheme.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Big Brush Club is commissioned across seven integrated care boards (ICBs) in the National Health Service South West region in England to deliver supervised toothbrushing at schools and nurseries. The total number of schools participating is 738. The number of nurseries and early years settings are not available separately, but the total number of nurseries and early years settings participating, combined, is 462.
The national supervised toothbrushing programme now being implemented across England will reach up to 600,000 children between the ages of three and five years old in the 20% most deprived Lower Super Output Areas according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation. This is backed by £11 million funding to local authorities in 2025/26 and a five-year partnership with Colgate-Palmolive. Where there are existing schemes in place, there is local flexibility to provide additional programmes, including those for older or younger children, those with special educational needs and disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 85259 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 85256 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 84679 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 85848 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on:
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the Question 85844 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on: