Written questions by Morello.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure ongoing compliance with statutory safeguarding duties if designated safeguarding professionals are removed from Integrated Care Boards.

Ministers and the Department are working with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure that integrated care boards (ICBs) continue to fulfil their functions effectively within the running costs cap, and we expect ICBs to still deliver on their duties. NHS England has stressed that any cuts should be made without compromising statutory responsibilities, and protecting frontline staff from cuts remains a priority for the Government.No changes are taking place to statutory safeguarding responsibilities. The Model ICB Blueprint starts to map out the purpose and core functions of ICBs going forward, and the functions that may transfer over time.NHS England is actively engaging with safeguarding professionals across the system, including those in local government, ICBs, and provider organisations, to ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are not compromised. This engagement is being supported by the NHS Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework 2024 and the National Safeguarding Steering Group’s Integrated Care Board Safeguarding Protocols.For the areas which will be reviewed for transfer, there is recognition that further work and engagement is required. Responsibility for some of these functions may ultimately need comprehensive resolution through legislative change.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of making caring a protected characteristic on carers in (a) rural communities and (b) West Dorset.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need.People with caring responsibilities are afforded protections under the Equality Act 2010 by provisions relating to age and disability discrimination.The act also protects people from direct discrimination “by association”, meaning that individuals with caring responsibilities for someone who is a child, elderly, or disabled has protection from unlawful discrimination due to their association with someone with a recognised protected characteristic.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to respite care services for unpaid carers in (a) West Dorset and (b) other rural areas.

The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers. Additionally, the Government’s Better Care Fund can also be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides assessments of how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers. Formal assessments commenced in December 2023 and as of June 2025, the CQC has published over 40 local authority assessments, which can be accessed via the CQC website at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports

Whether he plans to introduce a statutory entitlement to regular respite breaks for unpaid carers.

The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.The Better Care Fund includes funding that can be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers, who provide vital care and support.In addition, through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App.

What steps he is taking to establish a National Care Agency to (a) set minimum standards of care and (b) maintain a national register of care workers.

The Government is committed to a well-supported adult social care workforce who are recognised as the professionals they are. Enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care is vital to ensuring that the care provided is of good quality, fair, personalised, and accessible. Promoting opportunities to develop skills and knowledge is essential to raising the status of adult social care as a career. We have expanded the first ever national career structure for adult social care, the Care Workforce Pathway, adding new roles and clear career pathways. Backed by £12 million for training through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, this supports staff development and recognises the vital work care professionals do.The Government is committed to transforming adult social care to create a National Care Service and to improving the lives of people drawing on care, unpaid carers, and the social care workforce. We have also launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey, as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission's Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit and to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future.

Whether he plans to implement the provisions of the Care Act 2014 on protecting individuals from unaffordable care costs.

The Government inherited a commitment to implement charging reforms, including a cap on care costs and an extended means test, in October 2025. Regrettably, funding for these reforms had not been guaranteed, preparations for full rollout were not on track, and thus it was impossible to deliver these reforms by October.The means test thresholds for support with adult social care costs continue to be reviewed annually.The Government remains committed to reforming the adult social care sector and we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including considering the affordability of care costs if she sees fit.

Whether he plans to introduce a more generous means test for social care funding in line with the framework set out in the Care Act 2014.

The Government inherited a commitment to implement charging reforms, including a cap on care costs and an extended means test, in October 2025. Regrettably, funding for these reforms had not been guaranteed, preparations for full rollout were not on track, and thus it was impossible to deliver these reforms by October.The means test thresholds for support with adult social care costs continue to be reviewed annually.The Government remains committed to reforming the adult social care sector and we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including considering the affordability of care costs if she sees fit.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of training for (a) general practitioners and (b) dentists for (i) recognising and (ii) managing temporomandibular joint disorder.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) treatment is considered as planned non-emergency care. The NHS.UK website advises that it is not usually serious and generally gets better without treatment. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/temporomandibular-disorder-tmd/Treatment options for TMJD are:- conservative treatments such as pain relief, physiotherapy, bite guards, and self-management advice. These are usually provided through primary care and would be considered as non-urgent but necessary care;- specialist referral, if conservative treatment does not help, specifically referral to oral maxillofacial surgery or a specialist pain clinic may occur. These referrals are part of the routine National Health Service pathways but are prioritised on clinical need; and- surgical treatments in severe cases, which are scheduled as planned elective procedures. In NHS terms this falls under elective care, but it is not optional in a cosmetic sense, as it is clinically indicated.NHS England Getting It Right First Time and the Royal College of Surgeons’ Faculty of Dental Surgery have produced guidance to better manage the condition, which is available at the following link:https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/FDS/Comprehensive-guideline-Management-of-painful-Temporomandibular-disorder-in-adults-March-2024.pdfNo assessment has been made on the adequacy of the training for general practitioners and dentists on recognising and managing TMJD. The standard of training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council and General Dental Council, which are independent statutory bodies.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of not being able to access a consistent brand of Letrozole on patient adherence.

Where a prescriber specifies a specific brand or manufacturer on the prescription, the pharmacy should provide that specific product to the patient. However, obtaining a product from a particular supplier may take the pharmacy longer to source.Pharmacies are largely private businesses, which provide National Health Services and have their own buying arrangements. Not all manufacturers supply to all wholesalers and not all pharmacies use the same wholesalers. This can mean there may be some specific manufacturer’s products that a pharmacy may not easily be able to source.Where a pharmacy is unable to supply a particular medicine promptly, their professional guidance states that they should talk to the patient to discuss the possible options available to them. This includes checking whether the medicine is available at another pharmacy or offering to contact the patient’s prescriber to jointly consider whether another suitable brand or medicine is available.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that patients prescribed Letrozole are able to access a brand they can tolerate.

Where a prescriber specifies a specific brand or manufacturer on the prescription, the pharmacy should provide that specific product to the patient. However, obtaining a product from a particular supplier may take the pharmacy longer to source.Pharmacies are largely private businesses, which provide National Health Services and have their own buying arrangements. Not all manufacturers supply to all wholesalers and not all pharmacies use the same wholesalers. This can mean there may be some specific manufacturer’s products that a pharmacy may not easily be able to source.Where a pharmacy is unable to supply a particular medicine promptly, their professional guidance states that they should talk to the patient to discuss the possible options available to them. This includes checking whether the medicine is available at another pharmacy or offering to contact the patient’s prescriber to jointly consider whether another suitable brand or medicine is available.

If she will take steps to review pharmacy procurement practices for generic cancer drugs in rural areas.

The Department has no current plans to specifically review pharmacy procurement practices for generic cancer drugs in rural areas. Pharmacies are largely private businesses which provide National Health Services, and therefore have their own buying arrangements.The Government’s policy on generic medicines is to allow suppliers freedom of pricing for their products, relying on competition between suppliers and efficient purchasing by community pharmacies to deliver value for money for the NHS.

Whether his Department is taking steps to assess the (a) affordability and (b) accessibility of transferring people unable to access timely care on the NHS to private sector providers for temporomandibular joint disorder.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) treatment is considered as planned non-emergency care. The NHS.UK website advises that it is not usually serious and generally gets better without treatment. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/temporomandibular-disorder-tmd/Treatment options for TMJD are:- conservative treatments such as pain relief, physiotherapy, bite guards, and self-management advice. These are usually provided through primary care and would be considered as non-urgent but necessary care;- specialist referral, if conservative treatment does not help, specifically referral to oral maxillofacial surgery or a specialist pain clinic may occur. These referrals are part of the routine National Health Service pathways but are prioritised on clinical need; and- surgical treatments in severe cases, which are scheduled as planned elective procedures. In NHS terms this falls under elective care, but it is not optional in a cosmetic sense, as it is clinically indicated.NHS England Getting It Right First Time and the Royal College of Surgeons’ Faculty of Dental Surgery have produced guidance to better manage the condition, which is available at the following link:https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/FDS/Comprehensive-guideline-Management-of-painful-Temporomandibular-disorder-in-adults-March-2024.pdfNo assessment has been made on the adequacy of the training for general practitioners and dentists on recognising and managing TMJD. The standard of training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council and General Dental Council, which are independent statutory bodies.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment pathways for people with temporomandibular joint disorder.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) treatment is considered as planned non-emergency care. The NHS.UK website advises that it is not usually serious and generally gets better without treatment. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/temporomandibular-disorder-tmd/Treatment options for TMJD are:- conservative treatments such as pain relief, physiotherapy, bite guards, and self-management advice. These are usually provided through primary care and would be considered as non-urgent but necessary care;- specialist referral, if conservative treatment does not help, specifically referral to oral maxillofacial surgery or a specialist pain clinic may occur. These referrals are part of the routine National Health Service pathways but are prioritised on clinical need; and- surgical treatments in severe cases, which are scheduled as planned elective procedures. In NHS terms this falls under elective care, but it is not optional in a cosmetic sense, as it is clinically indicated.NHS England Getting It Right First Time and the Royal College of Surgeons’ Faculty of Dental Surgery have produced guidance to better manage the condition, which is available at the following link:https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/FDS/Comprehensive-guideline-Management-of-painful-Temporomandibular-disorder-in-adults-March-2024.pdfNo assessment has been made on the adequacy of the training for general practitioners and dentists on recognising and managing TMJD. The standard of training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council and General Dental Council, which are independent statutory bodies.

What steps his Department is taking with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to support care users to use technology in day to day life.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regularly meets with other Ministers to discuss shared priorities and cross-cutting policy areas. While there is no single cross-government digital strategy focused specifically on care users, the Department for Health and Social Care regularly engages with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and other departments on the importance of digital inclusion, infrastructure, and technology adoption in social care. These discussions inform our joint efforts to promote access to technology and digital services across the sector, ensuring that care settings are equipped with the digital infrastructure needed to support people who draw on care to access and use connected technologies in their day to day lives.Officials from both Departments are in regular contact to align on shared priorities, including the digital switchover, infrastructure investment, and support for innovation in care technology. An example of this joint working can be seen in the Telecare National Action Plan, published in February 2025.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on the potential merits of implementing a digital strategy to enable care users to use technology.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regularly meets with other Ministers to discuss shared priorities and cross-cutting policy areas. While there is no single cross-government digital strategy focused specifically on care users, the Department for Health and Social Care regularly engages with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and other departments on the importance of digital inclusion, infrastructure, and technology adoption in social care. These discussions inform our joint efforts to promote access to technology and digital services across the sector, ensuring that care settings are equipped with the digital infrastructure needed to support people who draw on care to access and use connected technologies in their day to day lives.Officials from both Departments are in regular contact to align on shared priorities, including the digital switchover, infrastructure investment, and support for innovation in care technology. An example of this joint working can be seen in the Telecare National Action Plan, published in February 2025.

If he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on improving digital (a) access and (b) support for care users.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regularly meets with other Ministers to discuss shared priorities and cross-cutting policy areas. While there is no single cross-government digital strategy focused specifically on care users, the Department for Health and Social Care regularly engages with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and other departments on the importance of digital inclusion, infrastructure, and technology adoption in social care. These discussions inform our joint efforts to promote access to technology and digital services across the sector, ensuring that care settings are equipped with the digital infrastructure needed to support people who draw on care to access and use connected technologies in their day to day lives.Officials from both Departments are in regular contact to align on shared priorities, including the digital switchover, infrastructure investment, and support for innovation in care technology. An example of this joint working can be seen in the Telecare National Action Plan, published in February 2025.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of merging of integrated care boards on (a) Dorset and (b) other rural areas.

No mergers involving the seven integrated care boards (ICBs) in the South West NHS England footprint have been approved.The Dorset ICB, the Somerset ICB, and the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB are preparing to ‘cluster’ by April 2026, and this will see increased joint working across the three ICBs to achieve the running cost reductions for ICBs announced by the Department. Formal approval for the merger of ICB footprints will not be given before a comprehensive assessment of the local circumstances and rationale. Our commitment to coterminous boundaries wherever possible will be at the forefront of our decision-making.As part of cluster preparation arrangements, every ICB will complete an Equality Impact Assessment, which will consider the footprint population and the impact of the changes to ICB working arrangements.ICBs and regional leaders assessed potential clustering arrangements using the design criteria.

What assessment he has made of the potential benefits of a Royal College of Care Workers to support rural care staff in West Dorset constituency.

The Department has no current plans to introduce a Royal College of Care. The Government is committed to transforming adult social care to create a National Care Service and to improving the lives of people drawing on care, unpaid carers, and the social care workforce. We have also launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey, as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission's Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals for unpaid carers to claim respite breaks in West Dorset constituency.

The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.The Better Care Fund includes funding that can be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers, who provide vital care and support.In addition, through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App.

How many overheating incidents have been logged in NHS hospitals in the South West in each of the last five years.

Data on overheating incidents is collected as part of the Estates Return Information Collection, and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collectionThe following table shows how many overheating incidents have been logged in National Health Service hospitals in the South West in each of the last five years:YearOverheating incidents2023/244132022/232592021/221912020/21Not collected2029/20Not collectedTotal863Source: Estates Returns Information Collection dataset, published January 2025.