Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
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 the junk food advertising ban on trends in the level of obesity.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our manifesto commitment to restrict junk food TV advertising before 9pm, and online at all times, was a moral imperative. This measure is expected to remove around 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year and prevent 20,000 cases of childhood obesity. With this milestone achieved, we’re well on the way to raising the healthiest generation of children ever.Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulation of non-therapeutic male circumcision.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates male circumcisions including those performed for non-therapeutic reasons, when carried out by a healthcare professional. Circumcisions performed by regulated healthcare professionals are subject to CQC registration and oversight, ensuring consistent standards of safety and quality in those cases. Religious or cultural circumcisions by individuals who are not registered healthcare professionals remain outside the regulatory scope.
The Department had made no recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulation of non-therapeutic circumcision when performed by those who are not healthcare professionals.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 ensure that people living with incurable secondary breast cancer have timely access to new and effective medicines, including treatments such as Enhertu and Trodelvy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness.
NICE has recommended Enhertu, also named trastuzumab deruxtecan, for use in the Cancer Drugs Fund for the treatment of women with HER2-positive secondary breast cancer and it is now available for the treatment of eligible patients while further data on its effectiveness is being collected that will inform a NICE decision on routine funding. NICE did not recommend Enhertu for the treatment of HER-2 low metastatic and unresectable breast cancer as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources.
NICE terminated its appraisal of Trodelvy, also named sacituzumab govitecan, for treating hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer after two or more treatments in August 2025, as the company, Gilead, did not provide an evidence submission.
Asked by: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
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 improve patient access to GPs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In our manifesto we said that we will end the 8am scramble, and that is precisely what we are doing.Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the Question 84255 from the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2026 to Question 84255.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the percentage uptake of flu vaccines in children in each region of England; and what is their target uptake for children this winter.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season.
Monthly regional level data for general practice patients, including two- and three-year-olds and school-aged children, is available throughout the season. The following table shows the provisional vaccine uptake for two- and three-year-olds in England, by region, for the 2025 to 2026 season:
National Health Service region | Two year olds | Three year olds |
East of England | 36.8% | 37.0% |
London | 27.9% | 27.0% |
Midlands | 31.8% | 32.0% |
North East and Yorkshire | 33.6% | 33.7% |
North West | 28.2% | 29.0% |
South East | 41.2% | 41.6% |
South West | 41.1% | 40.7% |
England | 33.8% | 33.9% |
In addition, the following table shows the provisional vaccine uptake for school-aged children in England, by region:
NHS region | All primary school-aged in reception to Year 6 | All secondary school-aged in Year 7 to 11 | All school-aged children (reception to year 11) |
East of England | 43.7% | 47.9% | 45.4% |
London | 25.9% | 16.9% | 22.1% |
Midlands | 27.7% | 23.8% | 26.0% |
North East and Yorkshire | 33.4% | 19.9% | 27.6% |
North West | 29.2% | 12.6% | 22.1% |
South East | 35.1% | 15.4% | 26.3% |
South West | 37.6% | 9.3% | 25.0% |
England | 32.7% | 20.8% | 27.6% |
Providers are expected to deliver a 100% offer to eligible groups. They should ensure they make firm plans to equal or improve uptake rates in 2025 to 2026, particularly in those cohorts where uptake has been lower.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether nicotine-containing vaping liquids imported into the United Kingdom in pre-filled pods or cartridges are subject to the same testing, notification, and compliance requirements under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 as those manufactured domestically; and what testing or evidence of conformity producers or importers are required to hold prior to placing such products on the UK market.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All businesses placing nicotine vaping products on the United Kingdom market are required to notify the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA’s notification scheme for nicotine-containing vaping products, including pre-filled pods or cartridges, helps ensure that products are in line with the requirements set out by the Tobacco and Related Product Regulations 2016. Businesses are required to provide key product information before these products can be sold, including toxicology data, nicotine dose, and the name and contact details of the manufacturer, so the MHRA can review the data for compliance with the notification requirements. Where products fail to align with the notification data, Trading Standards have powers to remove the products from UK supply chains.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides the Government with regulation making powers to develop a new registration system for tobacco, vape and nicotine products that are sold on the UK market. Under this registration system, all producers and manufacturers will be required to provide relevant information before their product can be sold in the UK. Additionally, we are taking powers to establish a new testing regime for these products.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been spent on Bootham Park Hospital (a) security and (b) maintenance and upkeep since its closure as an NHS facility.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The former Bootham Park Hospital site was declared surplus to National Health Service requirements in 2016 and has been vacant since 2018. Returning the property to any operational use is considered unviable, with previous estimates indicating that approximately £75 million would be required to bring it back into economic use.
NHS Property Services, who own the site, invited bids from public bodies and other interested parties in October 2023, but none were received. Separately, a potential purchaser withdrew their interest after securing planning permission for redevelopment that included significant public benefits alongside a commitment that 50% of sale proceeds will be reinvested into the local health system. Since its closure, combined holding costs for security, maintenance, and upkeep have totalled approximately £5.5 million, reflecting the management of a Grade I heritage asset in line with Historic England and Cabinet Office guidance.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of Botham Park Hospital being used as an asset for community use.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The former Bootham Park Hospital site was declared surplus to National Health Service requirements in 2016 and has been vacant since 2018. Returning the property to any operational use is considered unviable, with previous estimates indicating that approximately £75 million would be required to bring it back into economic use.
NHS Property Services, who own the site, invited bids from public bodies and other interested parties in October 2023, but none were received. Separately, a potential purchaser withdrew their interest after securing planning permission for redevelopment that included significant public benefits alongside a commitment that 50% of sale proceeds will be reinvested into the local health system. Since its closure, combined holding costs for security, maintenance, and upkeep have totalled approximately £5.5 million, reflecting the management of a Grade I heritage asset in line with Historic England and Cabinet Office guidance.
Asked by: Lord Booth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to evaluate the effectiveness of the salt reduction programme, and what plans they have for further measures to achieve that public health objective.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Evaluation to date has shown that through the voluntary programme, salt reductions of up to 20% have been achieved in some products. Data also shows that retailers and manufacturers have a higher proportion of products that meet the targets set than the out of home sector. Planning for future monitoring of salt reduction in foods is ongoing.
The legislated restrictions on the advertising of junk food on television and online, and on the promotion of less healthy foods in certain locations in supermarkets and with reduced prices, also target foods that are high in salt, through the inclusion of products such as crisps, pizza, and sandwiches, and through the criteria that are used to assess the “healthiness” of products, which includes salt levels per 100 grams.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government has committed to introducing healthy food sales reporting for all large businesses in the food sector before the end of this Parliament and to set targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities. This mandatory measure will cover foods that are high in salt.