Written questions by Johnson.

What recent estimate he has made of (a) the number of cases of leptospirosis and (b) the epidemiology of those cases.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes routine surveillance for leptospirosis infections in humans and publishes a quarterly report on the common animal-associated infections, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-animal-associated-infections-2024/common-animal-associated-infections-england-second-quarter-2024#leptospirosisThe following table shows the most recent figures of confirmed cases of leptospirosis in each quarter, from quarter one of 2023 to quarter two of 2024:Quarter20232024Quarter one515Quarter two815Quarter three34N/AQuarter four23N/ATotal70N/ALeptospirosis cases in England show seasonality, with more cases reported in summer and autumn. Many cases diagnosed in England report exposure to potentially contaminated water or direct contact with rodents as the probable source of infection. Reported infections are most common in adult men, likely due to occupational and recreational exposures. However, infection can occur in anyone directly exposed to urine or urine-contaminated environments, regardless of age or sex.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of uncollected rubbish in Birmingham on (a) public health and (b) levels of Weil’s disease.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is closely monitoring the situation in Birmingham.Birmingham City Council is conducting a risk assessment on the potential public health impacts of uncollected waste. The assessment is being led by the Director of Public Health for Birmingham and encompasses a broad range of potential impacts, including risk of infectious diseases, including Weil’s disease.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is part of a multi-agency response Strategic Coordinating Group, led by Birmingham City Council, and has contributed to the risk assessment. UKHSA will continue to provide advice and support to Birmingham City Council as long as is necessary.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on long term public sector borrowing relating to health administration.

Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. The transition team will work across NHS England and the Department, bringing together the expertise and experience of both organisations.As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds, including the financial implications of the changes. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of restructuring administrative functions following NHS England’s abolition.

We recognise that there may be some short-term upfront costs as we undertake the integration of NHS England and the Department, but these costs and more will be recouped in future years because of a smaller and leaner centre. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) severance payments and (b) redundancy packages for NHS England staff following the abolition of NHS England.

We recognise that there may be some short-term upfront costs as we undertake the integration of NHS England and the Department, but these costs and more will be recouped in future years because of a smaller and leaner centre. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.

How many bilateral mastectomies for gender dysphoria funded by the NHS were performed on patients (a) over 18 years old, (b) under 18 years old and (c) in total in each of the last five years.

The Department does not hold this data centrally. This information is held at individual National Health Service provider level.NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, which delivers care for those who are under 18, do not make referrals for surgical interventions.

How many and what proportion of items of correspondence from Parliamentarians received by (a) his Department, (b) himself and (c) his ministerial team have not received a substantive response in each month since August 2024.

The Department is committed to meeting the target of responding to at least 80% of correspondence from Hon. Members within 20 working days. Parliament has a right to hold ministers to account. The Leader of the House of Commons wrote to all Cabinet members in November to remind ministers of their responsibilities to provide helpful and timely responses to Members' Parliamentary Questions and correspondence.The Department receives some of the highest, and most sensitive, volumes of correspondence. In 2024 alone we received over 65,000 queries, with over 15,000 of those from Hon. Members. Ministerial correspondence performance data by Department is published annually by the Cabinet Office on the GOV.UK website.

What the average ambulance response time was for each category in each of the last 24 months.

The following table shows the national mean average ambulance service response times in England, in minutes and broken down by category, in each of the last 24 months:YearMonthCategory 1 meanCategory 2 meanCategory 3 meanCategory 4 mean2022November0:09:26...

What proportion of people with a nursing qualification working in the NHS are not in patient-facing roles.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

What steps he is taking to increase the availability of medical radioisotopes.

Supply of radioisotopes that were in short supply in recent weeks has now returned to normal levels and a Written Ministerial Statement was laid on 26 November 2024 to update Parliament. During the disruption to supply, the Department worked with industry...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a dental school in Lincolnshire.

It is for individual universities to decide whether they wish to establish a dental school. Before a university, such as the University of Lincoln, can apply to receive Government-funded dental school places, it needs to have met the requirements of the G...

How many (a) foetuses, (b) infants and (c) children have been diagnosed with trisomy 21 in each of the last five years.

The National Disease Registration Service in NHS England collects and quality assures data about people with congenital anomalies and rare diseases across the whole of England. The service does not hold data in the relevant form for children.The following...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS preparedness for a pandemic.

Ensuring the United Kingdom is prepared for a future pandemic is a top priority for the Government, and the Department continuously reviews and updates our pandemic preparedness to reflect the latest scientific information, lessons learned from exercises,...

What steps he is taking to improve the uptake of routine childhood immunisations.

In England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with NHS England, the Department, and wider health system partners at the national, regional, and local levels to improve uptake of the routine childhood immunisations and catch-up children w...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the uptake of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine among eligible infants.

Official vaccine coverage estimates for the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine are measured for eligible children at three months and 12 months old, and are published quarterly by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and annually by NHS England. The...

What steps he is taking to reduce perineal injury during vaginal deliveries.

Integrated care boards are rolling out the Perinatal Pelvic Health Services (PPHS) across England, to reduce the rates of perineal tears and improve outcomes for women. A national service specification was published in October 2023 that set out the expect...

What his planned timetable is to bring forward legislation to regulate NHS managers.

This Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the NHS has strong and effective leadership in place, and we are committed to introducing professional standards for, and regulation of NHS managers. On 26 November 2024 we published a consultatio...

What proportion of elderly people have received their (a) influenza, (b) RSV and (c) covid-19 vaccination in the last six months.

As of 17 November 2024, 68.7% of those aged 65 years old and over had been vaccinated for influenza, whist 54.2% had been vaccinated for COVID-19.The respiratory syncytial virus adult vaccination programme in England began on 1 September 2024, however onl...

How many (a) people and (b) children are living with long covid.

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 between 6 February 2024 and 7 March 2024, an estimat...

What estimate he has made of rates of tuberculosis in (a) adults and (b) children in each of the last ten years.

The following table shows the total number and rate of tuberculosis (TB) notifications in England, each year from 2012 to 2024:YearTotal number of notificationsTotal rate per 100,000 (95% Confidence interval)20128,08715.12 (14.79 to 15.45)20137,26613.49 (...