Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how organisations providing mental health services to children and young people can engage with the Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has launched an independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. We are deeply concerned that many adults, young people and children with mental health conditions, ADHD and autism have been let down by services and are not receiving timely or appropriate support and treatment. This Government has already taken significant steps to stabilise and improve NHS mental health services but there is much more to do. Transforming the system will take time, but we are committed to delivering a new approach to mental health.
Therefore, this independent review will inform our new approach to mental health, so people receive the right support, at the right time and in the right place. Likewise, the review will inform our approach so that people with ADHD and autistic people have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.
As this is an independent review, it is for the Chair and Vice-chairs to consider who to consult and the relevant forums for engagement, that are relevant to deliver the terms of reference, set by the Department.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has been made of the adequacy of national production capacity for PSMA radiotracers in the context of projected clinical demand for prostate cancer diagnosis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radiotracers are commissioned for use as part of PET-CT prostate cancer imaging, as set out in the published clinical commissioning policy. Access to PET-CT, as with any healthcare service, is closely monitored.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of access to PSMA PET-CT imaging on regional and ethnic inequalities in prostate cancer diagnosis and outcomes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that access to PSMA PET-CT imaging varies across England and that this may exacerbate existing disparities.
NHS England has introduced a commissioning policy for PSMA PET-CT imaging for patients with high-risk or recurrent prostate cancer, and work is underway to expand capacity and improve resilience in diagnostic services
Tackling health inequalities remains a core priority. Through the Core20PLUS5 framework, NHS England is working to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis and equitable access to cancer services across England.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the recent uptake of covid boosters.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
COVID-19 vaccination uptake figures are published regularly during the spring and winter campaigns, as part of the National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report, available at the following link:
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 effectiveness of (a) early intervention and (b) prevention services aimed at supporting children affected by parental alcohol misuse in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children affected by parental alcohol problems can experience adverse health, social, and economic outcomes, which can continue for generations without effective public health early interventions to break the cycle. The Government’s mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes supporting the children of parents with alcohol problems and preventing intergenerational transmission.
The Government is funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, which will be rolled out from April 2026. The hubs have been developed from the best of the Sure Start and Family Hubs and Start for Life approaches and will build on the £126 million funding boost for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme in 2025/26. Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all and based in disadvantaged communities. Services will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, such as intergenerational transmission of problem alcohol use.
From this year, all drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding will be channeled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13.45 billion allocated across three years, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services according to local need and can use this funding to ensure that parents/carers with alcohol problems, and their children, can access high quality help and support.
For 2026/27, Surrey County Council will receive £12,356,996 in protected drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery funding. Furthermore, to inform local authorities’ assessment of need and support the children of parents with alcohol problems, the Department is producing a suite of resources, including local prevalence and treatment data on parents/carers with alcohol problems, and child safeguarding guidance for alcohol and drug treatment commissioners.
Finally, the Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment
The guidelines promote and support good practice and improve quality of service provision. It includes a section on the specific support needs of parents with alcohol problems and makes recommendations on how to address them.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 prevent the intergenerational transmission of alcohol misuse in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children affected by parental alcohol problems can experience adverse health, social, and economic outcomes, which can continue for generations without effective public health early interventions to break the cycle. The Government’s mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes supporting the children of parents with alcohol problems and preventing intergenerational transmission.
The Government is funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, which will be rolled out from April 2026. The hubs have been developed from the best of the Sure Start and Family Hubs and Start for Life approaches and will build on the £126 million funding boost for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme in 2025/26. Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all and based in disadvantaged communities. Services will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, such as intergenerational transmission of problem alcohol use.
From this year, all drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding will be channeled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13.45 billion allocated across three years, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services according to local need and can use this funding to ensure that parents/carers with alcohol problems, and their children, can access high quality help and support.
For 2026/27, Surrey County Council will receive £12,356,996 in protected drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery funding. Furthermore, to inform local authorities’ assessment of need and support the children of parents with alcohol problems, the Department is producing a suite of resources, including local prevalence and treatment data on parents/carers with alcohol problems, and child safeguarding guidance for alcohol and drug treatment commissioners.
Finally, the Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment
The guidelines promote and support good practice and improve quality of service provision. It includes a section on the specific support needs of parents with alcohol problems and makes recommendations on how to address them.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of junk food advertising on childhood obesity.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. We have implemented United Kingdom-wide restrictions on advertising of less healthy food and drink on television and online which we estimate will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from UK children’s diets each year and deliver health benefits of approximately £2 billion. We have also committed to updating the standards that underpin the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink to reflect the latest dietary advice and strengthen the restrictions by more effectively targeting the products of most concern to childhood obesity.
An impact assessment on the advertising restrictions of less healthy food and drink on television and online is published on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the economic impact of acquired brain injury on local authorities and health systems; and how that information is informing future funding models for neurorehabilitation.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the significant economic impact of acquired brain injury (ABI) on both the National Health Service and local authorities due to the costs of acute care, long-term rehabilitation, social care, and support for education and employment.
This is informing the development of future funding models for locally commissioned neurorehabilitation by emphasising the value of early, intensive rehabilitation in reducing long-term costs and improving outcomes. The ABI Action Plan will set out proposals to strengthen commissioning frameworks, promote integrated funding approaches between health and social care, and ensure resources are targeted where they deliver the greatest benefit.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 raise awareness of challenges faced by children of parents with alcohol problems in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children affected by parental alcohol problems can experience adverse health, social, and economic outcomes, which can continue for generations without effective public health early interventions to break the cycle. The Government’s mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes supporting the children of parents with alcohol problems and preventing intergenerational transmission.
The Government is funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, which will be rolled out from April 2026. The hubs have been developed from the best of the Sure Start and Family Hubs and Start for Life approaches and will build on the £126 million funding boost for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme in 2025/26. Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all and based in disadvantaged communities. Services will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, such as intergenerational transmission of problem alcohol use.
From this year, all drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding will be channeled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13.45 billion allocated across three years, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services according to local need and can use this funding to ensure that parents/carers with alcohol problems, and their children, can access high quality help and support.
For 2026/27, Surrey County Council will receive £12,356,996 in protected drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery funding. Furthermore, to inform local authorities’ assessment of need and support the children of parents with alcohol problems, the Department is producing a suite of resources, including local prevalence and treatment data on parents/carers with alcohol problems, and child safeguarding guidance for alcohol and drug treatment commissioners.
Finally, the Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment
The guidelines promote and support good practice and improve quality of service provision. It includes a section on the specific support needs of parents with alcohol problems and makes recommendations on how to address them.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 reduce the consumption of junk food by children.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. As part of this, the Government has announced an ambitious programme aimed at improving the healthiness of the food environment. In December 2024, the Government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government. As part of this, local authorities were given the stronger, clearer powers they have told us they need to block new fast-food outlets near schools.
On 1 October 2025, we implemented restrictions on volume price promotions for less healthy food and drinks, such as three for two offers, in stores and their online equivalents and United Kingdom-wide restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink on television and online came into force on 5 January 2026.
We have also consulted on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old and announced changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the Autumn Budget to deliver greater health benefits to children.
We announced in the 10-Year Health Plan that, in a world-first, we will introduce mandatory healthier food sales reporting for large food businesses and set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales. We will also strengthen the existing advertising and promotions restrictions by consulting on applying an updated definition of ‘less healthy food and drink’.