Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in areas where badger culls have been undertaken.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal and Plant Health Agency publish annual TB monitoring data for each badger control area licensed from 2013. The latest report, published in September 2025 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-in-cattle-badger-control-areas-monitoring-data-up-to-2024.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to help develop an effective vaccine to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The CattleBCG vaccine, when coupled with the new Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) skin test, represents a significant advancement in bovine TB control for cattle herds.

Field trials began in June 2021, with the final planned phase now underway and due to complete by 2027. Data gathered during laboratory and field trials has supported the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s application to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for Marketing Authorisation for the vaccine. The government is looking at all options to accelerate development and advance progress towards achieving Officially TB Free status for England by 2038.

The recently published recommended Bovine TB Control Strategy for England (https://tbhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-Recommended-Bovine-TB-Strategy.pdf) sets a clear ambition to deploy a cattle vaccine and a DIVA test by 2030. Government will now carefully consider the recommendations in the proposed strategy.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the strategy and outcomes of Ireland's Bovine Tuberculosis Programme as a model for tackling the spread of tuberculosis.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

While no formal assessment of Ireland’s Bovine Tuberculosis Programme has been conducted, the 2025 Godfray evidence review, commissioned by Defra, draws on a broad range of scientific and policy evidence, including international experience where relevant.

In addition, the UK Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) regularly engages with counterparts from other nations, including Ireland, as do policy officials through the TB Liaison Group, which provides a forum to discuss respective strategies and programmes.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the economic effect on farmers of cattle culling in areas with a high incidence of bovine tuberculosis.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Bovine TB control places significant costs and disruption on farmers, vets, and rural communities, particularly those in areas with high incidence rates. Defra commissioned research published in 2020 outlines the economic costs of TB breakdowns on wide range of farm types. Estimating the economic cost of bovine TB incidents on cattle farmers in the High Risk and Edge Areas of England and Wales - SE3139 The department uses these estimates when evaluating current policies and when calculating the effect of eradicating bovine TB on productivity in the farming industry. The Department’s economic analysis indicates that cattle culling associated with bovine TB breakdowns imposes significant indirect costs on farmers, including movement restrictions, additional labour, production losses and cashflow impacts, with average costs estimated at around £9,000 (median) to £33,000 (mean) per breakdown.

The analysis also shows that new approaches set out in the recently published recommended bovine TB control strategy for England, including wider roll-out of more sensitive gamma interferon testing, can help reduce both the number and duration of breakdowns, thereby lowering the overall economic impact on farmers over time, particularly in high-incidence areas.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the reliability of the tuberculin skin test currently used for detecting bovine tuberculosis.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The tuberculin skin test, also known as the Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (SICCT) test, is the primary screening test for TB in cattle in the UK and the internationally accepted standard for detecting TB in cattle.

No diagnostic test is fully accurate. At standard interpretation, the SICCT test has a very high specificity, estimated to be 99.98% in Great Britain, meaning false positives are extremely rare. However, its sensitivity is around 70-80%, so about one quarter of infected animals in a herd may not be detected after a single round of testing. This is why herds experiencing a TB breakdown are tested more frequently using a severe interpretation until they achieve two consecutive negative tests. The SICCT test may be supplemented by more sensitive ancillary tests, such as the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) blood test, to support earlier detection of infected animals and strengthen disease control.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the European Commission's press release entitled Commission adopts temporary State aid framework to support sectors affected by Middle East crisis, published on 29 April 2026, what steps her Department plans to take to support the relative competitiveness of farmers compared to their EU counterparts.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government understands the concerns of farmers and food producers regarding market volatility and are taking seriously the impacts of the Middle East Conflict on the food and farming sector.

Defra is investing £120m in 2026 on grants to boost productivity and innovation in the farming sector and ELM schemes continue to support English farmers to adopt farming practices which are less reliant on artificial fertiliser.

Defra is working with farmers to provide access to Government tools, such as the nutrient management planning tool, to boost fertiliser use efficiency, as well as consulting on plans to modernise fertiliser rules and diversify supply for farmers. The Government is determined to keep costs down for farmers as the war in Iran drives up global fuel prices and will continue to monitor the situation, including the EU’s response to the Middle East Crisis, to understand and address any impacts on food and farming.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the impact of the new Nutrient Profiling Model on (a) producers and (b) processors in the British dairy industry.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The current Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) is over 20 years old and out of date. It does not reflect the latest evidence, particularly on free sugars, which are strongly correlated with poor health outcomes, like dental caries and weight gain that could lead to obesity.

The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink by applying the new NPM.

Like the current NPM, NPM 2004/5, the new NPM, NPM 2018, uses a scoring system in which points are allocated for nutrients or ingredients within a food or drink per 100 grams. The model attempts to balance the contribution made by ‘beneficial’ nutrients, that is, protein, fibre, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, to a child’s diet, alongside the ‘negative’ contributions from nutrients, that is, energy, saturated fat, free sugars and salt, of which children’s intakes are higher than recommended. The protein component of the model acts as a marker for nutrients such as calcium, iron, and n-3 polyunsaturated fats, and accounts for foods such as meat, fish, and dairy, and their contribution to intakes of these nutrients.

The review of the NPM was undertaken by an independent expert group to align with the latest Government dietary recommendations. The United Kingdom’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition updated their dietary recommendations on sugar and fibre in 2015 and are reflected in the Eatwell Guide. The new NPM has undergone rigorous scientific scrutiny and extensive consultation since its development.

Many dairy products can and do pass the new NPM, particularly those lower in free sugars and saturated fat and can provide healthier sources of calcium and protein within the diet.

We have launched a consultation on the proposed application of the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on less healthy food and drink products, which is open until 17 June. A consultation-stage impact assessment was published alongside the consultation. We will use the feedback and evidence from the consultation to inform final policy decisions and the final impact assessment which, subject to the outcome of the consultation, would be published ahead of any legislative changes being made.

We continue to engage regularly with stakeholders and other Government departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as we develop these proposals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of promoting adequate consumption of (a) calcium, (b) protein and (c) other key nutrients in the plans for a new Nutrient Profiling Model.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The current Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) is over 20 years old and out of date. It does not reflect the latest evidence, particularly on free sugars, which are strongly correlated with poor health outcomes, like dental caries and weight gain that could lead to obesity.

The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink by applying the new NPM.

Like the current NPM, NPM 2004/5, the new NPM, NPM 2018, uses a scoring system in which points are allocated for nutrients or ingredients within a food or drink per 100 grams. The model attempts to balance the contribution made by ‘beneficial’ nutrients, that is, protein, fibre, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, to a child’s diet, alongside the ‘negative’ contributions from nutrients, that is, energy, saturated fat, free sugars and salt, of which children’s intakes are higher than recommended. The protein component of the model acts as a marker for nutrients such as calcium, iron, and n-3 polyunsaturated fats, and accounts for foods such as meat, fish, and dairy, and their contribution to intakes of these nutrients.

The review of the NPM was undertaken by an independent expert group to align with the latest Government dietary recommendations. The United Kingdom’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition updated their dietary recommendations on sugar and fibre in 2015 and are reflected in the Eatwell Guide. The new NPM has undergone rigorous scientific scrutiny and extensive consultation since its development.

Many dairy products can and do pass the new NPM, particularly those lower in free sugars and saturated fat and can provide healthier sources of calcium and protein within the diet.

We have launched a consultation on the proposed application of the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on less healthy food and drink products, which is open until 17 June. A consultation-stage impact assessment was published alongside the consultation. We will use the feedback and evidence from the consultation to inform final policy decisions and the final impact assessment which, subject to the outcome of the consultation, would be published ahead of any legislative changes being made.

We continue to engage regularly with stakeholders and other Government departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as we develop these proposals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to integrated care boards on the funding of community services.

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

There are no specific or ring‑fenced funding instructions for community health services; instead, integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning and funding community health services to meet local population needs, within their overall National Health Service allocations and in line with national planning guidance, including the Medium-Term Planning Framework (MTPF). We have set clear ambitions for community health services through the MTPF and for the first time, we have set a target for systems to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services in line with targets for elective care.

In addition, in February 2025, NHS England published Standardising Community Health Services, setting out the core community health services that ICBs should consider when planning and commissioning services for their local populations. Further guidance was published in February 2026, providing more detailed descriptions of the core components of community health services. This will support systems in designing, commissioning and delivering community health services.

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 impact of the gap between the publication of the interim Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care and the implementation of any subsequent commissioning and funding reforms on the financial position of hospices.

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

We have supported the hospice sector in England with a £125 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing approximately £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them the stability they need to plan ahead.

We recently published an interim update on the Modern Service Framework (MSF) in the form of a Written Ministerial Statement, accompanied by a letter containing further information for interested parties. The Written Ministerial Statement is available at the following link:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-06-04/hcws88

As part of this interim update, the National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England has written to systems, setting out two actions to ensure progress is made towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services:

• Action 1: Produce an integrated needs assessment and understand service provision and utilisation; and

• Action 2: Move to sustainable contracting of hospice services.

The interim update outlines that the MSF will embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on clear and transparent contractual arrangements for commissioned palliative care activity across all providers, including hospices, to meet population health needs, with explicit regard to reducing inequalities and improving outcomes for underserved and disadvantaged groups. The full MSF will be published in Autumn 2026.

As set out in the interim update, we expect all integrated care boards to complete an integrated needs assessment, to gain a detailed understanding of their current and future population, including people of all ages with palliative care and end-of-life care needs. This is vital in order to commission the services to best meet that need, whilst providing the best value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support will be available to hospices during the period between the publication of the interim Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care and the implementation of subsequent commissioning and funding reforms.

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

We have supported the hospice sector in England with a £125 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing approximately £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them the stability they need to plan ahead.

We recently published an interim update on the Modern Service Framework (MSF) in the form of a Written Ministerial Statement, accompanied by a letter containing further information for interested parties. The Written Ministerial Statement is available at the following link:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-06-04/hcws88

As part of this interim update, the National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England has written to systems, setting out two actions to ensure progress is made towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services:

• Action 1: Produce an integrated needs assessment and understand service provision and utilisation; and

• Action 2: Move to sustainable contracting of hospice services.

The interim update outlines that the MSF will embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on clear and transparent contractual arrangements for commissioned palliative care activity across all providers, including hospices, to meet population health needs, with explicit regard to reducing inequalities and improving outcomes for underserved and disadvantaged groups. The full MSF will be published in Autumn 2026.

As set out in the interim update, we expect all integrated care boards to complete an integrated needs assessment, to gain a detailed understanding of their current and future population, including people of all ages with palliative care and end-of-life care needs. This is vital in order to commission the services to best meet that need, whilst providing the best value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the MS Society and Neurological Alliance’s report entitled Neurological Conditions: The Case for a Modern Service Framework, published in May 2026, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing the recommended goal of a 30% reduction in avoidable emergency admissions for neurological conditions by 2035.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department welcomes the report from the MS Society and Neurological Alliance as a valuable contribution to the evidence base, and recognises the important issues it raises, including variation in access to care, diagnostic delays and pressures across neurological services.

The Government is already taking forward work to improve neurological services through national programmes like NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Programme (GIRFT) NHS RightCare, updated service specifications and new guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which together aim to reduce variation and deliver more coordinated, person‑centred care.

The Department has made no specific assessment of introducing a target to reduce avoidable admissions for neurological conditions by 30% by 2035. However, the Department recognises the importance of reducing avoidable hospital admissions and improving outcomes for people with neurological conditions. National Programmes like GIRFT and RightCare strengthen early diagnosis, improve community‑based support and develop integrated care pathways, with the aim of reducing avoidable deterioration and supporting patients closer to home.

The Government will continue to consider evidence and proposals to improve care for people with neurological conditions as part of wider health system reforms, including the 10-Year Health Plan.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is developing a programme of Modern Service Frameworks (MSFs) which will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The first wave was agreed as Cardiovascular Disease, Sepsis and Severe Mental Illness. The second wave has now been agreed as Frailty and Dementia, Children and Young People, and Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, for future waves of MSFs. The criteria for determining future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

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 Department's policies of the MS Society and Neurological Alliance’s report entitled Neurological Conditions: The Case for a Modern Service Framework, published in May 2026.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department welcomes the report from the MS Society and Neurological Alliance as a valuable contribution to the evidence base, and recognises the important issues it raises, including variation in access to care, diagnostic delays and pressures across neurological services.

The Government is already taking forward work to improve neurological services through national programmes like NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Programme (GIRFT) NHS RightCare, updated service specifications and new guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which together aim to reduce variation and deliver more coordinated, person‑centred care.

The Department has made no specific assessment of introducing a target to reduce avoidable admissions for neurological conditions by 30% by 2035. However, the Department recognises the importance of reducing avoidable hospital admissions and improving outcomes for people with neurological conditions. National Programmes like GIRFT and RightCare strengthen early diagnosis, improve community‑based support and develop integrated care pathways, with the aim of reducing avoidable deterioration and supporting patients closer to home.

The Government will continue to consider evidence and proposals to improve care for people with neurological conditions as part of wider health system reforms, including the 10-Year Health Plan.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is developing a programme of Modern Service Frameworks (MSFs) which will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The first wave was agreed as Cardiovascular Disease, Sepsis and Severe Mental Illness. The second wave has now been agreed as Frailty and Dementia, Children and Young People, and Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, for future waves of MSFs. The criteria for determining future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

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 value of introducing a Modern Service Framework for neurological conditions.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department welcomes the report from the MS Society and Neurological Alliance as a valuable contribution to the evidence base, and recognises the important issues it raises, including variation in access to care, diagnostic delays and pressures across neurological services.

The Government is already taking forward work to improve neurological services through national programmes like NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Programme (GIRFT) NHS RightCare, updated service specifications and new guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which together aim to reduce variation and deliver more coordinated, person‑centred care.

The Department has made no specific assessment of introducing a target to reduce avoidable admissions for neurological conditions by 30% by 2035. However, the Department recognises the importance of reducing avoidable hospital admissions and improving outcomes for people with neurological conditions. National Programmes like GIRFT and RightCare strengthen early diagnosis, improve community‑based support and develop integrated care pathways, with the aim of reducing avoidable deterioration and supporting patients closer to home.

The Government will continue to consider evidence and proposals to improve care for people with neurological conditions as part of wider health system reforms, including the 10-Year Health Plan.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is developing a programme of Modern Service Frameworks (MSFs) which will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The first wave was agreed as Cardiovascular Disease, Sepsis and Severe Mental Illness. The second wave has now been agreed as Frailty and Dementia, Children and Young People, and Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, for future waves of MSFs. The criteria for determining future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Fair Dealing Obligations (Pig) Regulations 2025.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations (FDOP) are the result of extensive consultation with farmers, producer groups and the wider industry. They have applied to any new contracts since August 2025 and will come into force fully (for all contracts) from August 2026.

FDOP includes a statutory requirement for post-implementation review, which will be carried out at the appropriate time, to assess the effectiveness and adequacy of the regulations. In the interim, the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA) continues to engage with the pig sector and wider industry stakeholders to support implementation and monitor how the regulations are operating in practice.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect independent pig producers.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

The Government brought in the Fair Dealing (Pigs) Regulations 2025 for the pig sector, to give pig producers stronger protections against unfair contract practices and greater certainty. Defra works closely with trade bodies from across the pig supply chain and will continue to closely monitor the performance of the sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed steel trade measures on the number of people employed in the UK steel processing and manufacturing industry.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government held extensive engagement with producers and downstream users of steel to inform development of the new steel trade measure, including a Call for Evidence in July 2025, and will continue to engage regularly with companies across the supply chain. Our aim with the new steel trade measure is to strike the right balance: securing the future of domestic capability while maintaining secure supply chains to make the UK economy more resilient in the long term.

The Government will monitor implementation of the measure and conduct a review after twelve months to ensure it remains effective and that the balance is right for both producers and downstream users.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 121915, which sites have been affected by temporary suspension of cadet activity; and when the closures of those sites began.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

It is taking time to collate the requested information for each Royal Air Force Air Cadet Squadron, and I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of long waiting times in A&E departments on excess deaths.

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

The Department is aware of a range of evidence suggesting an association between longer waits in emergency care and poorer patient outcomes, including mortality. However, the Department has not undertaken its own assessment of the impact of long waiting times in accident and emergency departments on excess deaths.

The Government is taking action to improve urgent and emergency care performance and reduce long waits for patients. Through the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26, the Government and NHS England have provided over £450 million to expand urgent and emergency care capacity, including:

• new and expanded Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment Centres;

• additional mental health crisis capacity;

• connected care records for ambulance services; and

• nearly 1,000 replacement ambulances. 
  

These capacity and flow improvements are being supported by new national clinical standards, including the Model Emergency Department and the Model Acute Pathway.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings ministers have had with a) independent pig producers or b) representatives of the pig industry since 5 September 2025.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra Ministers have met with representatives of the pig industry on several occasions since 5 September 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue guidance on clinical liability for triage decisions where a Single Point of Access triage system determines that a referral judged clinically appropriate by a GP should be (a) redirected and (b) declined.

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

General practices (GPs) and other primary care referrers remain professionally accountable for making appropriate clinical decisions, including referring patients to specialist care when this is in the patient’s best interests.

While advice is being sought or acted on in primary care, the GP remains responsible for the patient’s overall clinical care and risk. Under this model, requests for specialist advice and referrals are clinically reviewed by a named consultant, with the aim of ensuring patients are directed to the most suitable pathway. The specialist is responsible for the quality and appropriateness of the advice they give, not for ongoing management or follow‑up unless they formally assume responsibility for the patient’s care. Specialists also have clinical responsibility from the point at which a specialist advice request is converted into a referral or if the specialist initiates investigations or treatment directly.

Where a local model is already established, or has been agreed between primary and secondary care, that provides timely specialist clinical assessment with clear accountability, this may continue with oversight from a named consultant.

NHS England continues to support clinicians through guidance on clinical accountability, including where a patient’s referral is redirected or declined. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/supplementary-information-to-support-changes-to-the-2026-27-gp-contract/

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that police forces remain equipped with specialist local knowledge to tackle rural crime.

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

We recognise that theft of farming equipment and livestock can have a serious financial impact on victims, as well as wider effects on rural businesses and communities, which is why we are focused on preventing these crimes and improving the recovery of stolen property.

We are implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act to make it harder for criminals to sell stolen vehicles and equipment and to support the police in identifying owners. The Act’s secondary legislation will require forensic marking to be applied to new all-terrain vehicles and GPS units used in agricultural and commercial settings, with details recorded on a property database. This will provide an important tool to help the police identify stolen items and return them to their rightful owners.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Bill will introduce new powers for the police to enter and search premises where stolen items have been electronically tracked, supporting a more rapid recovery of stolen equipment and machinery.

Last financial year (FY25/26), the Home Office provided the first funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). We are continuing this funding of over £800,000 throughout 2026/27 to help these specialist policing units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

These policing units play key roles in helping police across the UK target organised crime groups stealing farm equipment and to disrupt networks exploiting endangered species in the UK and abroad.

We have also worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver the new Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy which has just recently been published. The strategy sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, including theft of farming machinery and livestock theft as priority areas of focus for policing.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support police forces to tackle (a) agricultural equipment theft and (b) other rural crimes.

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

We recognise that theft of farming equipment and livestock can have a serious financial impact on victims, as well as wider effects on rural businesses and communities, which is why we are focused on preventing these crimes and improving the recovery of stolen property.

We are implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act to make it harder for criminals to sell stolen vehicles and equipment and to support the police in identifying owners. The Act’s secondary legislation will require forensic marking to be applied to new all-terrain vehicles and GPS units used in agricultural and commercial settings, with details recorded on a property database. This will provide an important tool to help the police identify stolen items and return them to their rightful owners.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Bill will introduce new powers for the police to enter and search premises where stolen items have been electronically tracked, supporting a more rapid recovery of stolen equipment and machinery.

Last financial year (FY25/26), the Home Office provided the first funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). We are continuing this funding of over £800,000 throughout 2026/27 to help these specialist policing units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

These policing units play key roles in helping police across the UK target organised crime groups stealing farm equipment and to disrupt networks exploiting endangered species in the UK and abroad.

We have also worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver the new Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy which has just recently been published. The strategy sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, including theft of farming machinery and livestock theft as priority areas of focus for policing.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support victims of rural crime with the cost of livestock and equipment theft.

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

We recognise that theft of farming equipment and livestock can have a serious financial impact on victims, as well as wider effects on rural businesses and communities, which is why we are focused on preventing these crimes and improving the recovery of stolen property.

We are implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act to make it harder for criminals to sell stolen vehicles and equipment and to support the police in identifying owners. The Act’s secondary legislation will require forensic marking to be applied to new all-terrain vehicles and GPS units used in agricultural and commercial settings, with details recorded on a property database. This will provide an important tool to help the police identify stolen items and return them to their rightful owners.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Bill will introduce new powers for the police to enter and search premises where stolen items have been electronically tracked, supporting a more rapid recovery of stolen equipment and machinery.

Last financial year (FY25/26), the Home Office provided the first funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). We are continuing this funding of over £800,000 throughout 2026/27 to help these specialist policing units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

These policing units play key roles in helping police across the UK target organised crime groups stealing farm equipment and to disrupt networks exploiting endangered species in the UK and abroad.

We have also worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver the new Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy which has just recently been published. The strategy sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, including theft of farming machinery and livestock theft as priority areas of focus for policing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve hospital flow and reduce preventable mortality.

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

Long waits in accident and emergency (A&E) have been proven to be associated with worse patient outcomes and increased patient mortality, and the Government is committed to restoring urgent and emergency care waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution as laid out in our 10‑Year Health Plan. The medium-term planning framework for the National Health Service, published in October 2025, includes a commitment that 85% of patients wait no more than four hours in A&E by 2028/29, as well as committing to reduce year on year between 2026/7 and 2028/9 the proportion of patients who wait over 12 hours in A&E.

Improving flow through emergency departments is critical to delivering the four- and 12- hour A&E standards. To support this, the Government has provided £450 million of capital investment including in new and expanded Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment Centres; additional mental health crisis capacity; and connected care records for ambulance services.  In February 2026, the NHS published new national clinical standards, including The Model Emergency Department and The Model Acute Pathway, to support more consistent, high-quality care and improve flow through hospitals.

In June 2026, for the first time, NHS England published data on instances of corridor care, to support trusts to identify and target action to reduce it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to ensure that Single Point of Access pathways do not prevent patients being referred to consultant-led services where GPs consider it clinically appropriate.

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

Under Single Point of Access Pathways, general practitioners (GPs) should continue to make a clinical decision to refer for specialist care where that is in the patient’s best interests. GPs retain responsibility for referral decisions, and this model supports, and does not replace, clinical judgement. It is important to emphasise that the clinical threshold for a referral remains unchanged.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to address the increase in racial abuse towards NHS workers.

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

Any form of racism or discrimination is unacceptable and has no place in our National Health Service.

Action is being taken to address racism and discrimination in the NHS. This includes an urgent review by Lord John Mann into antisemitism and other forms of racism, which was published on 4 June 2026 and contains a programme of recommendations across the NHS and UK health regulatory system to help stamp out racism in the NHS.

The Government published its response alongside the review and is supportive of all recommendations in the Mann report. The Government will be taking forward action to implement the recommendations that are for the Department and NHS England, and we are committed to working closely with system partners ahead of implementation to ensure that they are supported in delivering meaningful changes in line with the review’s findings.

Furthermore, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment which will include reducing violence against staff and tackling racism and sexual harassment. They will underpin the NHS Oversight Framework and act as an early warning signal for the Care Quality Commission.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of midwives leaving the NHS before retirement age in each year since 2015 by numbers leaving more than 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years before retirement age.

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

Retirement age is not a fixed date and can vary depending on National Health Service pension arrangements, the State Pension Age, and individual choices. Data held by the Department cannot therefore show how many years a midwife has left until retirement.

NHS England does publish data on the age of staff leaving active service in the NHS trust sector. The attached table presents this data by five-year age bands.

A midwife counted as a “leaver” may have left active service for a range of reasons, including retirement, moving to a non-English NHS organisation, moving to another non-NHS healthcare employer, taking a career break, going on maternity leave, or leaving the workforce temporarily.

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 6676 from the hon. Member for North Shropshire.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 June 2026 to Question 6676.

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