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 12 June 2023 to Question 187027 on Medical Equipment: Energy, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the report by Marie Curie entitled One charge too many, published 15 July 2023; and if he will make a statement.

As set out in the autumn statement, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, including organisations representing people with in-home medical equipment to assess the impact of energy prices on households.

The Department of Health and Social Care is supporting the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero with this. The NHS England specialised commissioning team is working to support Departmental colleagues with identifying energy-reliant medical devices used in patients' homes, and identifying clinical expert nominees, to advise more widely, as part of their operational response.

The Government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review, including with respect to the most vulnerable households.