Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Kinnock Excerpts

Tuesday 25th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Ben Goldsborough (South Norfolk) (Lab)]

9. What steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS dental services in Norfolk.

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

NHS dentistry is out of reach for too many people, and that issue is felt particularly acutely in rural areas such as Norfolk. This Government are rolling out extra urgent dental appointments across the country, and we will be making further improvements for patients to come in from April 2026. NHS dentistry was left to rot for 14 years under the Conservatives; Labour is putting it on the road to recovery.

[Ben Goldsborough]

After 16 months of a Labour Government, the share of adults in Norfolk seen by a dentist has risen from barely scraping 30% to well over 40%—lots done, but lots more to be done. The University of East Anglia proposed a dental school as part of the solution. Will the Minister work with Department for Education colleagues to ensure that the Office for Students and other bodies give it the green light?

[Stephen Kinnock]

I, too, am absolutely delighted that more patients can see a dentist in Norfolk but, as my hon. Friend says, there is a long way to go. We are certainly not complacent, but we are showing that it is possible to turn things around. I am also pleased that the University of East Anglia has been approved as a dental school by the General Dental Council. The Office for Students has statutory responsibility for allocating dental school places, but I fully agree that UEA would be a good candidate for any additional Government-funded places allocated in future.

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

The Minister told the Health and Social Care Committee that the spending envelope for dentistry would be confirmed by the end of the summer at the latest. Is the Office for Students still waiting for a ministerial direction to launch that competition for new places, so that UEA can bid along with others and so that we can get training places in Norfolk for the first time?

[Stephen Kinnock]

The hon. Gentleman is right: it is the Government’s responsibility to give a steer to the Office for Students, and we are very close to being able to put that together. I am expecting some advice from my officials later in the week, and I shall be happy to keep the hon. Gentleman updated on further progress.

[Josh Dean (Hertford and Stortford) (Lab)]

10. What steps his Department is taking to tackle health inequalities impacting women in the NHS.

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[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

13. If he will publish a national strategy for palliative care.

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

I am delighted to have announced in a written ministerial statement yesterday that the Government are developing a palliative care and end-of-life care modern service framework for England. The modern service framework will be aligned with the 10-year health plan, prioritising shifting care out of hospitals and into the community to ensure personalised, compassionate support for individuals and their families.

[Gregory Stafford]

There has been cross-party and cross-charity campaigning for this strategy, so I welcome the fact that the Minister has announced it. However, hospices across the country and especially in my constituency are telling me that their biggest problem is the national insurance rise. For example, a children’s hospice that covers my constituency tells me that the £90,000 extra it has to pay in national insurance could have funded three nurses. What discussions has the Minister had with the Chancellor ahead of tomorrow’s Budget to ensure that hospices, and indeed other health and social care organisations, are exempt from any national insurance rises, either in the past or in the future?

[Stephen Kinnock]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I notice he did not welcome the fact that we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost and £80 million in revenue funding for children’s hospices over three years. We also notice that Conservative Members do like to welcome the additional investment generated from the last Budget, but they do not seem to welcome the means by which it was generated, so I would say to them: what would they cut or what taxes would they put up to pay for what we are doing to get our NHS back on its feet and fit for the future?

[Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab)]

I welcome the Government’s commitment to a strategy for palliative care, which is as overdue as it is important, but it will mean nothing for hospices that are not able to last out until it comes into effect. Garden House hospice in my constituency is facing a crucial funding shortfall, and although the capital funding from the Government that came through earlier this year is incredibly welcome, it is still just short of filling the cash-flow gap it needs to fill to secure its operations. Would the Minister meet me to see what further work the integrated care board may be able to do to protect this vital hospice serving my constituents?

[Stephen Kinnock]

I am very pleased that the measures we have taken have provided financial support. I absolutely recognise the challenging financial position, and I would of course be more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that further.

[Mr Connor Rand (Altrincham and Sale West) (Lab)]

14. What steps his Department is taking to improve cancer care.

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[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

T2.   It is great news that we are starting to see NHS dentists return to Burton upon Trent, but my constituents in Uttoxeter are still without an NHS dentist for adults. For a growing town of over 16,000 people, when can my constituents expect to put a smile on their face?

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

I thank my hon. Friend, who is a tireless campaigner on this issue. We want to see more dentists in Burton and Uttoxeter, and across the country, which is why we are offering dentists £20,000 to work in underserved areas. We are making it a requirement for new dentists to practice in the NHS through our tie-in policy. We are also making additional urgent appointments available across the country, including for my hon. Friend’s constituents in Burton and Uttoxeter.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State, the birthday boy!

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[Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)]

T4.   There is a higher prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Scotland than in any other part of the UK. What steps is the Department taking to ensure that people living with MS can access both a timely diagnosis and equitable specialist care, regardless of where they live in the UK?

[Stephen Kinnock]

My hon. Friend raises an important point, and I would be more than happy to meet her to discuss it, because I think the complexity of what she raises needs some detail.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

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[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

T7. In Somerset, only 41% of children have seen an NHS dentist in the past two years, which is well below the national average. Ben from Somerton is a single parent of four children. He lives in an NHS dental desert and worries about the health of his children’s teeth. There is no way he can pay for private dental care, as he can barely afford to pay for his children’s food. Ahead of the Budget tomorrow, can the Minister confirm what action he is taking?

[Stephen Kinnock]

We have the interim reforms, and our response on those will be published very soon. We are working on the long-term reform of the NHS dentistry contract with the British Dental Association, and I would be happy to keep the hon. Lady updated on our progress.

[Mr Connor Rand (Altrincham and Sale West) (Lab)]

T8. I am proud that this Government have invested record amounts into our national health service. In Altrincham and Sale West, the results are clear: waiting lists down 10 months in a row, extra investment in local GP surgeries and, most recently, a new skin cancer diagnostic centre at Altrincham hospital, ensuring early intervention at the heart of local healthcare. Does the Secretary of State agree that this is exactly the change we were elected to deliver?

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[Pippa Heylings (South Cambridgeshire) (LD)]

T9. Two weeks ago, when I asked the Government whether they had had discussions with the Cambridgeshire integrated care board on the 16,000-strong petition to save beds at the Arthur Rank hospice, I was informed that it would not be possible to provide a response within the usual time period. I have a simpler request today: will the Minister meet me and the new Central East integrated care board to discuss how to identify need and strategically commission beds?

[Stephen Kinnock]

Yes, I am happy to meet the hon. Lady.

[Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)]

Bracknell is a life sciences superpower, with Eli Lilly, Sandoz and Boehringer Ingelheim all having a footprint in our town. What can we do to speed up clinical trial set-up to help to deliver the next generation of treatments for our NHS?

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[Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)]

I have seen at first hand how severe musculoskeletal conditions such as lower back pain can devastate someone’s ability to work, have relationships and sleep, as well as their overall wellbeing. The education of more than 1 million children is disrupted by MSK conditions due to missed schooling and fragmented, hard-to-navigate services. Will the Minister therefore prioritise MSK conditions in phase 2 of the modern service framework and confirm when that will be published?

[Stephen Kinnock]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for saving the Ladies Walk health centre in her constituency, which the Conservatives were trying to shut. We are advancing modern service frameworks for conditions where we can swiftly and significantly raise the quality of care. The National Quality Board makes recommendations on future modern service frameworks; its next meeting is on 8 December.

[Sir Roger Gale (Herne Bay and Sandwich) (Con)]

It is estimated that there are some 200 highly qualified Ukrainian dentists resident as refugees in the United Kingdom. They could be working for the health service, but, because of the moribund attitude of the General Dental Council, they are not allowed to do so. Can we try to drag the GDC into at least the 20th century so that those talents can be utilised?

[Stephen Kinnock]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that question. I met the GDC recently. It has completed the procurement of the new management agent to run the overseas registration examination, and I am confident that we will see a significant boost in the numbers—that is coming onstream very quickly. However, I agree with the right hon. Gentleman: it has been too slow, and it needs to speed up.

[Sarah Smith (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

About 38% of children in my constituency are sadly growing up in poverty. This Government are committed to ensuring the best start in life for all children, so in addition to the increase in mental health support teams in schools, does the NHS workforce plan currently address the vital need for trained specialist community public health nurses in schools?