Written questions by Macdonald.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of women being able to access paid leave for fertility treatment on the economy.

Data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) states that around 52,500 patients had in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and 3,000 had donor insemination (DI) treatment, at HFEA licensed fertility centres in the UK in 2022. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not hold any additional data on how many of those individuals were working, either nationally or by region. DBT has not specifically assessed the potential impacts on women in the workplace of seeking fertility treatment, however, the Government recognises how important that treatment is to individuals and couples undertaking it. We have set out our immediate priorities for reforming employment law in the Plan to Make Work Pay, and while the Plan does not include any specific measures on fertility treatment, our plan aims to deliver change so that people are more able to balance working life with their personal circumstances.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of community accessible covered tennis courts in underserved communities.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone from all backgrounds have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manife...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department last raised the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan in the (a) UN Human Rights Council and (b) General Assembly.

The government continues to call for the human rights of all Afghans to be protected. We condemned the Taliban's actions against women and girls in a statement at the UN Third Committee on 8 October and in a statement on Afghanistan at the 57th UN Human R...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle global hunger.

We are urgently addressing catastrophic forms of hunger through diplomatic and humanitarian channels. The Foreign Secretary recently committed to doubling our aid for those affected by war in Sudan. Last week, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s Board-l...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of health services for women.

Women’s health is a priority for this government. We are considering how to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy and aligning our work on women’s health with the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan.Work continues to improve health outcomes for women, incl...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of NHS dentistry for (a) pregnant women and (b) new mothers; and what steps he is taking to increase the availability of that treatme

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild den...

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of challenges accessing dental care on pregnant women.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild den...

What data his Department holds on the number of (a) pregnant women and (b) new mothers receiving free dental treatment on the NHS (i) nationally and (ii) by region.

Pregnant women and new mothers are entitled to free National Health Service dental care. The following table shows the total number of Courses of Treatment delivered nationally to new mothers and pregnant women over the last five years:Patient type2019/20...

How many people are affected by long covid in (a) Norfolk, (b) the East of England and (c) England.

The most recent data from the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period of 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated 1.8...

What guidance the Government provides to local authorities on the inspection of school ceilings.

Responsibility for keeping buildings safe and well-maintained lies with responsible bodies, such as local authorities and academy trusts, along with their schools. The department supports them by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding prog...

What steps he is taking to ensure that people with Alzheimer’s disease in the East of England receive (a) an early diagnosis and (b) swift treatment.

Improving dementia care is one of four workstreams delivering NHS England’s Ageing Well Strategy. The dementia workstream is looking at improving early diagnosis and early access to care and support for patients, families, and carers, as well as taking pr...

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of ADHD medication; and what steps he is taking to improve the availability of that medication.

The Department has been working with industry to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available. We are working to resolve medicine supply issues, where they remain, for some strengths of methylphenidate. These are anticipated to be resolved by October 2024.We are asking suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term.The Department has worked with specialist clinicians to develop management advice for National Health Service clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance to offer rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinion for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further, we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients, which is available at the following link:https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd/

What estimate his Department has made of the number of open dentistry practices that accept new adult NHS patients in Norwich North constituency on the (a) most recent date for which figures are available and (b) same date in 2010.

While data for 2010 is not held centrally, as of 10 July 2024, there were nine open dentistry practices in the Norwich North constituency, none of which were showing as accepting new adult patients. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website, and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

What steps her Department plans to take to increase rail capacity in the East of England.

Greater Anglia are in the final stages of the £1.4 billion fleet transformation programme with all services now operated by new trains which provide many more seats and greater capacity for customers across the region. In addition, the Government is funding the construction of new stations at Cambridge South and Beaulieu Park, both of which are due to open in 2025 and will create additional rail capacity for the East.

What steps he is taking to increase (a) levels of home insulation and (b) access to renewable energy sources in (i) Norwich North constituency and (ii) Norfolk.

The Department is committed to increase home insulation and renewable energy sources in all parts of the country, including in Norwich North and Norfolk. The Warm Homes Plan will offer grants and low interest loans to support investment in insulation and other improvements to cut bills. We will announce policy details of the Warm Home Plan soon. Delivering on our renewable electricity ambitions is integral to delivering our clean power by 2030. We are working in collaboration with the private sector to radically increase the deployment of onshore wind, solar and offshore wind.