Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (i) medical, (ii) dental and (iii) midwifery students it will fund to start studies 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 and dental 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, the OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places and 809 for dental school places

Undergraduate training places for midwives 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.

For the 2025/26 academic year, the number of acceptances for midwifery was 3,390. This data is from 2025 and was taken 28 days after A-level result day. It is not final data. Further information is available on the UCAS website, at the following link:

https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/statistical-releases-daily-clearing-analysis-2025

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 of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress it is making on the implementation of the New Hospital Programme.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In January 2025, we published the Plan for Implementation, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementation

This plan put the programme on a credible and sustainable footing, ensuring taxpayers get maximum value for money. We are committed to delivering all schemes and are moving at pace with the funding in place for design work, construction, and business case development.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Trusts offer robotic assisted surgery.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold trust-level data on the offer of robotic assisted surgery. Decisions to offer robotic assisted surgery are agreed at an integrated care board and trust level, in line with local population need.

Our 10-Year Health Plan commits to expand surgical robot adoption over the next decade, in line with The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. We will establish national registries for robotic surgery data from 2029 and develop telesurgery networks. The National Health Service aims to increase the number of robotic-assisted procedures to 500,000 by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023/24.

Earlier this year, NHS England published the first national guidance for the implementation of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) in the NHS, offering guidance on procurement, commissioning, implementation, training, and evaluation. A national steering committee is already in place to support the adoption of RAS, ensure safe implementation, and to oversee the training requirements for surgeons and surgical teams.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the final report of the Cass Review, published in April 2024, what steps he is taking to help ensure the data linkage study is completed.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

A children and young people’s gender research programme, jointly led by NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is in place to underpin the design and delivery of the new model of National Health Service specialist gender care in England.

NHS England is responsible for delivery of the Data Linkage Study. It is a retrospective study based on an analysis of data collected historically for a cohort of adults who, as children, were cared for under a former model of NHS gender care, the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS). This study requires no active patient participation and instead relies on an analysis of the available digital information held within health records and other nationally held databases. The analysis will look for potential linkages or associations that do not prove ‘cause and effect’ but nonetheless may provide useful insights on the experience and outcomes of former GIDS patients.

NHS England has taken time to undertake due diligence work on the data sources critical to the study, and to work with organisations to refine the planned approach to data sharing. Study approvals are currently in progress. As with usual research practice, the data linkage study protocol will be made available in the public domain once independent research and ethical approvals have been appropriately secured, at which point the analytical work can begin.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces carry naloxone on the front line.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is supportive of police carriage and administration of naloxone - a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of opioid overdose.

The latest available data on which police forces carry naloxone can be found here: Police carriage of naloxone - monitoring data - GOV.UK.

The NPCC and the Home Office are in ongoing dialogue with all police forces on this topic.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds information on the number of resident doctors who, whilst on strike, work for another trust.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients waited more than (a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 48 and (d) 60 hours at A&E at Lincoln County Hospital in the last 12 months.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

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 uptake of the HPV vaccine.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Uptake rates in England remain high by international standards but adolescent vaccine coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic, although evidence suggests coverage trends have stabilised more recently. National Health Service commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent vaccination programme. There are established approaches to offering catch-up vaccination, and further work is underway to explore options for strengthening the catch-up offer. Currently, those who miss out on vaccination via the school-based offer can catch-up via the general practice (GP) HPV campaign, which went live from July 2025. GPs have been asked to invite unvaccinated individuals aged 16 to 24 years old for their HPV vaccine as a requirement of the GP Contract. The campaign runs until 31 March 2026, with girls remaining eligible until they are 25 years old, as do boys born after 1 September 2006.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes and provides a range of supporting materials to health professionals on both the 12- and 13-year-old HPV offer and the vaccine programme for those at higher risk. For example, further information on the HPV vaccination programme over all and the HPV vaccination programme for men who have sex with men is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programme

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men-msm-programme#resources

The UKHSA also works closely with charities and academics to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of vaccination, including for boys.

NHS England, in conjunction with regional colleagues, has produced an HPV vaccination school-aged immunisation improvement and uptake plan for internal operational NHS use, as part of their commitment to improving vaccine coverage.

In addition, NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS App, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93572, what steps he is taking to protect NHS staff from second hand vape.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service trusts have a duty of care to both staff and patients, as outlined in the NHS constitution, to ensure a safe working and care environment.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will also give the Government powers to make public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free. This includes National Health Service settings. Many places already have voluntary vape-free restrictions in place. Exactly which settings should become vape-free, along with the scope and detail of the regulations, will be a matter for secondary legislation and will be subject to a consultation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Question 85849 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, what estimate he has made of the time taken for a patient to be transferred from the referring centre to a hospital offering thrombectomy services after the decision to accept the patient for care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should have rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.

The Department does not hold information on transfer times to thrombectomy units in the format requested. The proportion of patients that had access to a stroke unit within four hours has risen to 51.3%, from 47.7% in 2024.

Presently there are 24 Comprehensive Stroke Centres offering mechanical thrombectomy services in the NHS in England, covering six out of the seven NHS regions. NHS England has committed that all NHS regions in England will have access to 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy by April 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Question 85849 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, when he expects people to be able to access thrombectomy services within four hours when needed.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should have rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.

The Department does not hold information on transfer times to thrombectomy units in the format requested. The proportion of patients that had access to a stroke unit within four hours has risen to 51.3%, from 47.7% in 2024.

Presently there are 24 Comprehensive Stroke Centres offering mechanical thrombectomy services in the NHS in England, covering six out of the seven NHS regions. NHS England has committed that all NHS regions in England will have access to 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy by April 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Question 85849 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, how many and what proportion of stroke units are in trusts which offer mechanical thrombectomy.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should have rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.

The Department does not hold information on transfer times to thrombectomy units in the format requested. The proportion of patients that had access to a stroke unit within four hours has risen to 51.3%, from 47.7% in 2024.

Presently there are 24 Comprehensive Stroke Centres offering mechanical thrombectomy services in the NHS in England, covering six out of the seven NHS regions. NHS England has committed that all NHS regions in England will have access to 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy by April 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 94188, what steps has he put in place to improve the speed of answering written parliamentary questions.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Slough on 1 December 2025 to Question 92737.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by his Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of written parliamentary questions (PQs).

The proportion of Named Day and Ordinary Written Parliamentary Questions answered on time from May to November is:

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the government’s consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by her Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of written parliamentary questions (PQs).

The proportion of Parliamentary Questions answered by the Department during the May-November 2025 period is as follows:

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the governments consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by her Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of written parliamentary questions (PQs).

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the government's consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by her Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of questions from Members of Parliament. Between April and December 2025, the department has received 100% more written parliamentary questions (WPQs) versus the same period last year.

The below table provides the proportion of (a) named day and (b) ordinary written parliamentary questions answered with the required timescales for the months requested.

Notes on the data:

• Data based on the date a WPQ was due for answer.
• Named Day WPQs are due for answer on a specified date. Ordinary WPQs should be answered within five working days of the question being tabled.

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the government’s consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.

Found: Jess Asato (Labour; Lowestoft) Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Labour; Wolverhampton North East) Dr Caroline Johnson

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Sureena Brackenridge; Dr Caroline Johnson

Found: Jess Asato (Labour; Lowestoft) Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Labour; Wolverhampton North East) Dr Caroline Johnson

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Mrs Sureena Brackenridge; Dr Caroline Johnson