Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much their Department has spent on translating documents into languages other than (a) English and (b) other native UK languages in each year since 2023; and what these languages were.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has been no expenditure by the Department on translating documents into any languages other than English and other languages native to the United Kingdom since 2023.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential risk of infectious diseases from immigrants who arrive illegally on boats.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency routinely monitors infectious disease risk across England and manages any public health action required following notification of infectious diseases.
The Migrant Health Guide recommends that all new arrivals to the United Kingdom, including people seeking asylum, should have access to an initial health assessment, which includes infectious disease screening and routine vaccine catch-up. The guide is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migrant-health-guide
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to launch targeted outreach programmes in areas with low HPV vaccination rates.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England works with the UK Health Security Agency and local health partners and communities to understand the needs of their populations and tailor immunisation programmes to meet the needs of under-vaccinated communities.
Boys and girls in cohorts eligible for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination through the adolescent programme remain eligible until their 25th birthday. Many young people who missed out on their vaccinations have already been caught up, but work is ongoing to ensure that all those who are eligible are vaccinated, and School-Aged Immunisation Service providers are continuing to focus on HPV programme recovery post-pandemic.
In March 2025, NHS England published the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, which outlines how the National Health Service will improve uptake and coverage across HPV vaccination and cervical screening. The plan sets how NHS England will improve HPV vaccination rates through increasing access, raising awareness, reducing inequalities, improving digital capabilities, and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the plan is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/
The 10-Year Health Plan for England, published 3 July 2025, has committed to increasing the uptake of HPV vaccinations among young people, including those who have left school, to support our aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
NHS England, in conjunction with regional colleagues, has also produced a HPV vaccination improvement and uptake plan for internal operational NHS use, as part of their commitment to improving vaccine coverage.
For Cervical Screening Awareness week, which takes place between 19 and 24 June 2025, NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit. The campaign includes digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public about HPV, and build confidence in the HPV vaccine and cervical screening.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to launch targeted outreach programmes in areas with low cervical screening rates.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, which took place from 16 to 24 June 2025. The campaign included digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and which aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public, and build confidence in cervical screening.
In March 2025, NHS England published its Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the National Health Service will improve equitable uptake and coverage across cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. NHS England will build on what is already working well to drive vaccination and screening uptake and coverage, focussing on five cross-cutting themes: increasing access; raising awareness; reducing inequalities; improving digital capabilities; and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the plan is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/
From early 2026, screening providers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England will be able to offer human papillomavirus self-sampling kits to women if they have not attended their appointment for six months, or more following routine invitation.
Barriers to vaccination and screening services for underserved communities and people who experience health inequalities must continue to be addressed. This will include identifying groups using national and local level data who may be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer, to inform national initiatives, such as tailored screening invitations, and support local service planning.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 (a) improve public awareness and (b) provide educational campaigns on cervical screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, which took place from 16 to 24 June 2025. The campaign included digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and which aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public, and build confidence in cervical screening.
In March 2025, NHS England published its Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the National Health Service will improve equitable uptake and coverage across cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. NHS England will build on what is already working well to drive vaccination and screening uptake and coverage, focussing on five cross-cutting themes: increasing access; raising awareness; reducing inequalities; improving digital capabilities; and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the plan is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/
From early 2026, screening providers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England will be able to offer human papillomavirus self-sampling kits to women if they have not attended their appointment for six months, or more following routine invitation.
Barriers to vaccination and screening services for underserved communities and people who experience health inequalities must continue to be addressed. This will include identifying groups using national and local level data who may be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer, to inform national initiatives, such as tailored screening invitations, and support local service planning.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 (a) improve public awareness and (b) provide educational campaigns on the HPV vaccine.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works in partnership with NHS England and the Department to promote human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination as part of a national programme to prevent cervical cancers caused by HPV.
UKHSA uses data and surveillance to create public and stakeholder communications that raise public awareness of HPV and the importance of the vaccine. 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.
On 19 June 2025, NHS England launched the cervical cancer elimination campaign and toolkit for stakeholders, to increase awareness of the elimination target by 2040, educate the public about HPV, and build confidence in the HPV vaccine and cervical screening.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the vaccine coverage rate of the HPV vaccine in Ashfield Constituency in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage is presented for England at national, National Health Service commissioning region, and local authority levels. Data is not gathered at constituency level.
Vaccine coverage data for the routine school-aged HPV immunisation programme in England, including for the 2023 to 2024 academic year, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#hpv-vaccine-uptake
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 ensure UK medical graduates stay in the NHS after completing (a) degrees and (b) foundation training.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. The plan also set out that we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.
We have made progress over the past year to improve the working lives of resident doctors. This includes: agreeing to an improved exception reporting system which should ensure doctors are working a safe number of hours and are compensated fairly for additional work; reviewing how resident doctors rotate through their training; and reforming and rationalising statutory and mandatory training to reduce unnecessary burden and repetition.
We will publish a new 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure UK graduates are prioritised in applications for specialty medical training spaces.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. The plan also set out that we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.
We have made progress over the past year to improve the working lives of resident doctors. This includes: agreeing to an improved exception reporting system which should ensure doctors are working a safe number of hours and are compensated fairly for additional work; reviewing how resident doctors rotate through their training; and reforming and rationalising statutory and mandatory training to reduce unnecessary burden and repetition.
We will publish a new 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 offer more medical specialty training posts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. The plan also set out that we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.
We have made progress over the past year to improve the working lives of resident doctors. This includes: agreeing to an improved exception reporting system which should ensure doctors are working a safe number of hours and are compensated fairly for additional work; reviewing how resident doctors rotate through their training; and reforming and rationalising statutory and mandatory training to reduce unnecessary burden and repetition.
We will publish a new 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.