Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the oral evidence, Work of HM Revenue and Customs, Treasury Select Committee, 9 September 2026, HC5, Q610, what is the specific health survey for England that is used to obtain data from people’s saliva, and whether the participants are explicitly informed that the data will be used by HMRC.

The Health Survey for England (HSE) is an annual survey that provides estimates of the prevalence of health conditions, health-related risk factors, and behaviours among people living in England. Participants provide a saliva sample, which is used to measure cotinine levels. Cotinine is a derivative of nicotine and is used as an indicator of exposure to tobacco smoke.

Participants are informed that anonymised survey data will be made available for research and statistical purposes. Before data are shared, information that could directly identify an individual, such as their name, date of birth, address and contact details, are removed.

Researchers and analysts can apply to access the data, but only for approved research or statistical purposes and subject to strict data governance standards.