Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 impact of transport, housing instability, language barriers and digital exclusion on patient engagement with QOF requirements in high-deprivation areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the 2024 to 2025 contract year, 83.2% of practices achieved over 90% of the available Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) points. General practices (GPs) servicing populations in areas of higher deprivation face greater levels of unmet need and barriers to patient engagement, which can affect delivery against contractual frameworks, such as QOF.
The indicators and thresholds included in the QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and are underpinned by a robust evidence base. Thresholds are designed to be attainable, reflecting the potential challenges involved with delivering the intended outcomes for certain interventions or care practices, while encouraging and incentivising practices to provide the best possible care. Thresholds are aspirational rather than a contractual obligation.
We recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. This is why we are currently reviewing the way GP funding is allocated across England (the Carr-Hill formula). The review will look at how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP Contract.
To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.
In 2025, NHS England published an improvement framework for community language, translation, and interpreting services to support the provision of consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the National Health Service to people with limited English proficiency. In primary care, the framework supplements the existing guidance for commissioners on interpreting and translation services.
NHS England’s statement on information on health inequalities sets out details on the recording of housing status. This can enable a better understanding of how social risk factors such as insecure housing or homelessness affects health outcomes and health inequalities. The statement is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-englands-statement-on-information-on-health-inequalities/
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 potential impact of higher rates of missed GP appointments in deprived areas on practices’ ability to deliver QOF requirements.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the 2024 to 2025 contract year, 83.2% of practices achieved over 90% of the available Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) points. General practices (GPs) servicing populations in areas of higher deprivation face greater levels of unmet need and barriers to patient engagement, which can affect delivery against contractual frameworks, such as QOF.
The indicators and thresholds included in the QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and are underpinned by a robust evidence base. Thresholds are designed to be attainable, reflecting the potential challenges involved with delivering the intended outcomes for certain interventions or care practices, while encouraging and incentivising practices to provide the best possible care. Thresholds are aspirational rather than a contractual obligation.
We recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. This is why we are currently reviewing the way GP funding is allocated across England (the Carr-Hill formula). The review will look at how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP Contract.
To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.
In 2025, NHS England published an improvement framework for community language, translation, and interpreting services to support the provision of consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the National Health Service to people with limited English proficiency. In primary care, the framework supplements the existing guidance for commissioners on interpreting and translation services.
NHS England’s statement on information on health inequalities sets out details on the recording of housing status. This can enable a better understanding of how social risk factors such as insecure housing or homelessness affects health outcomes and health inequalities. The statement is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-englands-statement-on-information-on-health-inequalities/
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has commissioned on the drivers of lower QOF attainment in deprived areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the 2024 to 2025 contract year, 83.2% of practices achieved over 90% of the available Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) points. General practices (GPs) servicing populations in areas of higher deprivation face greater levels of unmet need and barriers to patient engagement, which can affect delivery against contractual frameworks, such as QOF.
The indicators and thresholds included in the QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and are underpinned by a robust evidence base. Thresholds are designed to be attainable, reflecting the potential challenges involved with delivering the intended outcomes for certain interventions or care practices, while encouraging and incentivising practices to provide the best possible care. Thresholds are aspirational rather than a contractual obligation.
We recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. This is why we are currently reviewing the way GP funding is allocated across England (the Carr-Hill formula). The review will look at how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP Contract.
To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.
In 2025, NHS England published an improvement framework for community language, translation, and interpreting services to support the provision of consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the National Health Service to people with limited English proficiency. In primary care, the framework supplements the existing guidance for commissioners on interpreting and translation services.
NHS England’s statement on information on health inequalities sets out details on the recording of housing status. This can enable a better understanding of how social risk factors such as insecure housing or homelessness affects health outcomes and health inequalities. The statement is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-englands-statement-on-information-on-health-inequalities/
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 support general practices serving populations with higher levels of multimorbidity and patient complexity to meet QOF indicators.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), clinical indicators all have a target population. Patients with co-morbidities are included in all relevant target populations and registers where they meet the defined criteria. These patients are eligible for the interventions outlined in all relevant disease areas and as such, practices are reimbursed for these interventions.
The indicators and thresholds included in the QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, underpinned by a robust evidence base.
We recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. This is why we are currently reviewing the way general practice funding is allocated across England (the Carr-Hill formula). The review will look at how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP Contract.
Over the past 16 months, the Government has invested an extra £1.1 billion into primary care, prevented over 3,000 GPs from graduating into unemployment, and have halved the number of targets GPs are held to so GPs spend more time caring for patients. Over 6.5 million more GP appointments have been delivered in the 12 months to November 2025 compared to the same period last year, building capacity for continuity of care and improving access so that patients can be seen when they need to be in primary care.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to publish the outcome of the review of surplus sharing in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I am meeting the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees next month to discuss future surplus sharing arrangements. The outcome will be published once agreement is reached.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to publish a report on the implementation and outcomes of the first year of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Yes. The Government will publish a report on the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate outcomes for 2024, by 15 March 2026, as required by legislation.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87556, how long the pause on the introduction of new electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes in the public sector will last; and if she will publish the planned timetable for the cross‑government review of those schemes.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The review and decision on new electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes for academy trusts is being led by HM Treasury. The department remains in contact with HM Treasury on this issue and will inform academy trusts when a decision has been made.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 a comparative assessment of the clinical and administrative workload required to deliver QOF indicators in (a) practices serving highly deprived populations and (b) other practices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department consults with the profession to ensure that the Quality and Outcomes Framework’s (QOF) proposals are reasonable and deliverable for practices in England, using the relevant available performance data to inform the setting of achievement thresholds.
There are high achievement rates in the majority of practices, for instance in the 2024/25 contract year, 83.2% of practices achieved over 90% of the available QOF points.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 help improve outcomes for people with pulmonary fibrosis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has established 13 respiratory clinical networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.
NHS Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) clinics offer expert care from specialist respiratory doctors and nurses for pulmonary fibrosis and other ILDs, often with access to additional services like lung function testing and research facilities.
The National Health Service also provides pulmonary rehabilitation, which plays an important role in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and which should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help increase high-resolution geoscientific data coverage across the UK to support domestic critical mineral exploration.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DBT works with the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) at the British Geological Survey (BGS) and industry to assess UK critical raw material potential. DBT supports BGS’ efforts to improve geoscientific data acquisition, although recognises that this requires investment. High-resolution geophysical and geochemical data in Northern Ireland and South West England have been vital for the minerals industry and in support of the UK Critical Mineral Strategy. I have met BGS recently to discuss how they can support to further realise the UK’s Critical Minerals potential.