Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a list of new GP surgeries which have opened in the last decade in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The data provided shows the number of general practices (GPs) that opened, at 74, and that closed, at 15, between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2026 in England.
If a practice ceases to be a main practice and becomes a branch practice of another, this will count as a “closure” in this data, while in reality GP provision at the site may well have continued under the new head practice.
Practices close for a variety of reasons, including mergers or retirement, and so closure does not necessarily indicate a reduction in the provision of services. When a practice does close, patients are informed of the closure and advised to register at another local practice of their choice within their area. Commissioners are accountable for ensuring that patients have access to a GP. In the event of a closure, commissioners will assess the need for a replacement provider before transferring patients to alternative practices.
The table attached shows a list of new GP surgeries which have opened in the last decade in England.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to make trauma-informed training mandatory for all criminal court staff by spring 2026.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We are rolling-out national trauma-informed training for HMCTS criminal court staff from spring 2026. Staff will be encouraged to undertake the training, particularly where their role involves regular interaction with witnesses and victims.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 variations between GP surgeries in the provision of basic clinical procedures, including suture removal.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local enhanced services, such as suture removal, are negotiated and agreed locally, and are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs) to fit the needs of the local population. General practices can choose whether or not they would like to participate in directly providing these services. These services can vary in scope and funding across the country.
ICBs are responsible for commissioning health care services within their regions. This includes ensuring service providers are able to meet the reasonable needs of their patient population.
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, what recent discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on the timing of the introduction of legislation on the abolition of NHS England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department uses AI to automate decision making about access to public services.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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, whether he has decided who the members of the maternity and neonatal taskforce will be.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made towards global debt reform in discussions with the London Coalition.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is committed to working with our international partners and the private sector to tackle unsustainable debt. The London Coalition for Sustainable Sovereign Debt, initiated last year, continues to make progress on bolstering the private sector international debt architecture. The Coalition aims to promote greater resilience and debt sustainability for debtor countries through contractual innovations and enhanced coordination of creditors.
The bonded debt working group continue to advance work on pause clauses, which suspend interest payments when events like climate shocks occur. This includes consulting with key stakeholders on their input paper published in November. The non-bonded debt working group is developing guidelines for how private sector creditors can better coordinate themselves during debt restructurings.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of regional variation in breast cancer screening uptake, particularly in areas where uptake is significantly below the national average.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This Government is committed to improving the NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHS BSP) and addressing regional variation in uptake.
To improve uptake and address inequalities, this year, NHS England is planning to publish a Breast Screening Programme Uptake Improvement Review.
This will include a review of actions taken at a national level by the NHS BSP so far, as well as setting out where the focus will be going forward, to support local services to drive uptake even further.
The review supports breast screening service providers with national solutions such as:
In February 2025, NHS England launched the first ever National Health Service breast screening campaign nationally to widespread media attention. It ran across television, radio, social media, and outdoor advertising during February and March, targeting women of breast screening age, with a focus on those least likely to attend, including younger women, those in deprived areas, ethnic minorities, and disabled women.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what objectives her Department have set the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future; and what assessment she has made of the Taskforce’s progress to date.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future was established by HM Treasury and the US Treasury on 22 September.
Its purpose is to bring the world’s leading financial centres together to develop concrete policy options and recommendations on further financial market innovation, with a particular focus on digital assets and capital markets. Innovation in these industries will be central to the government’s mission for economic growth.
The Chancellor has discussed progress on the Taskforce with US Treasury Secretary Bessent and HMT officials continue to work closely with US counterparts. Both parties are keen to ensure the Taskforce is a success.
Further details can be found here: Boosting collaboration between UK and US financial systems to drive innovation and growth in global markets - GOV.UK
Asked by: Lord Booth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the mandatory targets proposed under the healthy food standard on population salt intake.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The Plan committed to introducing mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large businesses in the food sector before the end of this Parliament and targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities, in line with United Kingdom dietary guidelines. This will set full transparency and accountability around the food and drink that businesses are selling and to encourage healthier products.
The policy is expected to cover foods that are high in salt and we expect businesses to consider salt reduction as part of actions to increase the healthiness of their sales.