Written questions by Morello.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of private providers increasing the cost of weight loss drugs by 170% with two weeks’ notice on patients.

As we shift the focus from treatment to prevention through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are determined to bring revolutionary modern treatments to everyone who needs them, not just those who can afford to pay.NHS England has worked with Eli Lilly to ensure that the list price increase will not affect National Health Service commissioning of tirzepatide in England as a treatment for eligible patients, and we remain committed to the rollout of this medicine as a weight loss treatment based on clinical priority. This will enable 220,000 eligible people to access the medication over the first three years. Not everyone who wants tirzepatide will be able to access it at first, and the initial eligibility criteria will be for people with a body mass index of 40 or more in addition to four or more qualifying comorbidities.Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have also entered equivalent agreements to maintain their current commissioning approaches.Pricing in the private market is a matter for Eli Lilly and for private providers. Private patients who are impacted by price increases should discuss any concerns with their private provider. This includes their options regarding payment plans, alternative treatments, and/or stopping or tapering off their current medication. Eli Lilly is working with private providers to support continued patient access.

Whether his Department has had discussions with the University of Birmingham on the future of the Global Surgery Network beyond June 2026.

Departmental colleagues met with representatives of the University on 12 August 2025 to discuss the future of the Global Surgery Network. These discussions took place following the announcement from the Prime Minister in February 2025 to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of gross national income by 2027. After this announcement, and the outcome of the 2025 Spending Review, the Department has taken the decision to focus new ODA research funding on global health security and particular diseases of poverty.The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery was originally awarded over £6.9 million in Global Health Research’s inaugural Units call in 2017 and, following a second NIHR funding competition, received a further award of £7 million in 2021 to establish a sustainable network of surgical research. This latest award is due to conclude in June 2026. The Department will honour all on-going research commitments.We continue to recognise the critical importance of global health research to drive the health and well-being of the poorest and most vulnerable. Any updates on our funding opportunities will be reflected on the NIHR website.

If his Department will take steps to allocate funding for a dental school in West Dorset to increase the local dental workforce.

Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital, and the Government welcomes efforts to help deliver this ambition.Government approval or funding is not required to establish a new dental school in West Dorset. We encourage prospective dental schools to approach the General Dental Council (GDC), who need to approve any new programmes.Provided a prospective dental school meets the requirements of the GDC and the Office for Students, it would be considered for any future Government-funded training places.The GDC published guidance for prospective dental schools in January 2025, which is available at the following link:https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/education-and-cpd/das-guidance-for-providers-gdc-january-2025.pdf?sfvrsn=75d82e2a_3/DAS-guidance-for-providers-GDC-January-2025.pdf

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing compensation to people impacted by in utero exposure to Debendox.

Debendox was originally available as a triple combination of doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, a form of vitamin B6, and dicyclomine hydrochloride, an antispasmodic. The product was later reformulated to remove dicyclomine hydrochloride following a review which concluded that dicyclomine did not contribute to the effectiveness of the other two ingredients. In the early 1980s, the medicine was available as a dual combination product, as doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.Since July 2018, the dual combination of doxylamine succinate 10 milligram and pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 milligram has been authorised as Xonvea, a safe and effective treatment for nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management, like changes in diet or other non-medicine treatments. As described in the product information for Xonvea, a large amount of data on pregnant women, including two meta-analyses with over 168,000 patients and 18,000 exposures to the doxylamine/pyridoxine combination during first trimester, indicates no malformative nor feto/neonatal toxicity due to doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will keep this issue under review and will carefully evaluate any new evidence which becomes available linking use of Debendox or Xonvea with adverse outcomes in pregnancy.The Department has not made any recent assessments of the number of people exposed to Debendox and is not considering support or compensation.

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of people impacted in utero by their mother's use of Debendox during pregnancy.

Debendox was originally available as a triple combination of doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, a form of vitamin B6, and dicyclomine hydrochloride, an antispasmodic. The product was later reformulated to remove dicyclomine hydrochloride following a review which concluded that dicyclomine did not contribute to the effectiveness of the other two ingredients. In the early 1980s, the medicine was available as a dual combination product, as doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.Since July 2018, the dual combination of doxylamine succinate 10 milligram and pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 milligram has been authorised as Xonvea, a safe and effective treatment for nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management, like changes in diet or other non-medicine treatments. As described in the product information for Xonvea, a large amount of data on pregnant women, including two meta-analyses with over 168,000 patients and 18,000 exposures to the doxylamine/pyridoxine combination during first trimester, indicates no malformative nor feto/neonatal toxicity due to doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will keep this issue under review and will carefully evaluate any new evidence which becomes available linking use of Debendox or Xonvea with adverse outcomes in pregnancy.The Department has not made any recent assessments of the number of people exposed to Debendox and is not considering support or compensation.

What steps his Department has taken to assess the long-term health and social care requirements of people impacted by in utero exposure to Debendox.

Debendox was originally available as a triple combination of doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, a form of vitamin B6, and dicyclomine hydrochloride, an antispasmodic. The product was later reformulated to remove dicyclomine hydrochloride following a review which concluded that dicyclomine did not contribute to the effectiveness of the other two ingredients. In the early 1980s, the medicine was available as a dual combination product, as doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.Since July 2018, the dual combination of doxylamine succinate 10 milligram and pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 milligram has been authorised as Xonvea, a safe and effective treatment for nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management, like changes in diet or other non-medicine treatments. As described in the product information for Xonvea, a large amount of data on pregnant women, including two meta-analyses with over 168,000 patients and 18,000 exposures to the doxylamine/pyridoxine combination during first trimester, indicates no malformative nor feto/neonatal toxicity due to doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will keep this issue under review and will carefully evaluate any new evidence which becomes available linking use of Debendox or Xonvea with adverse outcomes in pregnancy.The Department has not made any recent assessments of the number of people exposed to Debendox and is not considering support or compensation.

Whether the Government has considered introducing a (a) support and (b) compensation scheme for people with lifelong disabilities as a result of exposure to Debendox during pregnancy.

Debendox was originally available as a triple combination of doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, a form of vitamin B6, and dicyclomine hydrochloride, an antispasmodic. The product was later reformulated to remove dicyclomine hydrochloride following a review which concluded that dicyclomine did not contribute to the effectiveness of the other two ingredients. In the early 1980s, the medicine was available as a dual combination product, as doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.Since July 2018, the dual combination of doxylamine succinate 10 milligram and pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 milligram has been authorised as Xonvea, a safe and effective treatment for nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management, like changes in diet or other non-medicine treatments. As described in the product information for Xonvea, a large amount of data on pregnant women, including two meta-analyses with over 168,000 patients and 18,000 exposures to the doxylamine/pyridoxine combination during first trimester, indicates no malformative nor feto/neonatal toxicity due to doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will keep this issue under review and will carefully evaluate any new evidence which becomes available linking use of Debendox or Xonvea with adverse outcomes in pregnancy.The Department has not made any recent assessments of the number of people exposed to Debendox and is not considering support or compensation.

What discussions he has had with representatives of people affected by Debendox on redress or compensation schemes.

Debendox was originally available as a triple combination of doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, a form of vitamin B6, and dicyclomine hydrochloride, an antispasmodic. The product was later reformulated to remove dicyclomine hydrochloride following a review which concluded that dicyclomine did not contribute to the effectiveness of the other two ingredients. In the early 1980s, the medicine was available as a dual combination product, as doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.Since July 2018, the dual combination of doxylamine succinate 10 milligram and pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 milligram has been authorised as Xonvea, a safe and effective treatment for nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management, like changes in diet or other non-medicine treatments. As described in the product information for Xonvea, a large amount of data on pregnant women, including two meta-analyses with over 168,000 patients and 18,000 exposures to the doxylamine/pyridoxine combination during first trimester, indicates no malformative nor feto/neonatal toxicity due to doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride.As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will keep this issue under review and will carefully evaluate any new evidence which becomes available linking use of Debendox or Xonvea with adverse outcomes in pregnancy.The Department has not made any recent assessments of the number of people exposed to Debendox and is not considering support or compensation.

What steps her Department is taking to improve access to specialist dementia care services in West Dorset constituency.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking into account National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.This Government is committed to improving dementia care and is empowering local leaders with the autonomy that they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia. That is why we have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help places and systems identify where improvements need to be targeted.Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of dementia care provision in (a) rural constituencies and (b) West Dorset constituency.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking into account National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.This Government is committed to improving dementia care and is empowering local leaders with the autonomy that they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with dementia. That is why we have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help places and systems identify where improvements need to be targeted.Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

Whether his Department has had discussions with the Dorset Integrated Care Board on the use of the electronic prescription service in all care settings.

No discussions have been held between the Department and the Dorset Integrated Care Board on the use of the electronic prescription service (EPS) in all care settings.NHS Dorset has been collaborating with providers of healthcare under the National Health Service’s service agreements to work with suppliers to enable EPS solutions in all environments, commencing in outpatient environments. Independent service provider contracts on renewal or in tender will prioritise EPS as a service requirement.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funding for (a) addiction services and (b) wider support for people who use addictive drugs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to local authorities to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Beyond drug and alcohol treatment services, this year the Government is providing an additional £70 million for local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England, building on existing funding made available via the Public Health Grant. On 30 December 2024, the Department confirmed final funding allocations for 2025/26 for each local authority, and published guidance to support local authorities to plan their local interventions, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-for-2025-to-2026/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-allocations-and-methodology-for-2025-to-2026This additional funding will ensure that there is a comprehensive offer across local authorities in England, while providing additional weighted funding to local authorities with the highest smoking rates. Decisions on funding for future years will be made once the Spending Review process has concluded.In April 2025, a new statutory levy on gambling operators, expected to raise approximately £100 million per year, was introduced to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. The levy will be distributed across the three workstreams, with 50% allocated to NHS England, alongside the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, to commission the development of effective treatment and support services at national and sub-national levels, and 30% allocated to the Department, Public Health Wales, and an appropriate body in Scotland to deliver prevention activity.

Whether his Department plans to increase funding for (a) addiction services and (b) wider support for people who use addictive drugs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to local authorities to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Beyond drug and alcohol treatment services, this year the Government is providing an additional £70 million for local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England, building on existing funding made available via the Public Health Grant. On 30 December 2024, the Department confirmed final funding allocations for 2025/26 for each local authority, and published guidance to support local authorities to plan their local interventions, with further information available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-for-2025-to-2026/local-stop-smoking-services-and-support-funding-allocations-and-methodology-for-2025-to-2026This additional funding will ensure that there is a comprehensive offer across local authorities in England, while providing additional weighted funding to local authorities with the highest smoking rates. Decisions on funding for future years will be made once the Spending Review process has concluded.In April 2025, a new statutory levy on gambling operators, expected to raise approximately £100 million per year, was introduced to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. The levy will be distributed across the three workstreams, with 50% allocated to NHS England, alongside the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, to commission the development of effective treatment and support services at national and sub-national levels, and 30% allocated to the Department, Public Health Wales, and an appropriate body in Scotland to deliver prevention activity.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of supervised drug consumption facilities on (a) crime and (b) health.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not discussed the potential impact of supervised drug consumption facilities on crime and health with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department.The Government will continue to promote preventative public health measures to support people to live longer and healthier lives, and we are committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug problem can access the help and support they need.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) access to, (b) waiting times for, (c) availability of specialist therapies in and (d) other provision of child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency.

The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in West Dorset. Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions, and getting waiting lists down.We have confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across child and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament, and 6,700 of these extra workers have been recruited since July 2024.We also want to intervene much earlier to support better outcomes for children and young people. That is why the 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work with schools and colleges to better identify and meet children's mental health needs by expanding mental health support teams in schools to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30 and by embedding mental health support in the new Young Futures hubs.Additionally, we are continuing to provide top-up funding of £7 million to 24 existing early support hubs, to expand their services and to take part in an ongoing evaluation of these services in 2025/26. This funding will enable the supported hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions, so that more children and young people are supported.

What information his Department holds on the average (a) annual total cost and (b) cost per appointment was for the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency in each of the last five years.

Information on the annual cost of children and young people’s mental health services is not available at a constituency level. The following table shows the annual funding spent on children and young people’s mental health services for the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board area: YearFunding2020/21£12,147,000,0002021/22£15,863,000,0002022/23£16,988,000,0002023/24£21,972,000,0002024/25£23,442,000,000Source: NHS England. Information on the cost per appointment is not held.

What steps his Department is taking to help (a) improve access and (b) reduce waiting times for children and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency.

The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in West Dorset. Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions, and getting waiting lists down.We have confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across child and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament, and 6,700 of these extra workers have been recruited since July 2024.We also want to intervene much earlier to support better outcomes for children and young people. That is why the 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work with schools and colleges to better identify and meet children's mental health needs by expanding mental health support teams in schools to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30 and by embedding mental health support in the new Young Futures hubs.Additionally, we are continuing to provide top-up funding of £7 million to 24 existing early support hubs, to expand their services and to take part in an ongoing evaluation of these services in 2025/26. This funding will enable the supported hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions, so that more children and young people are supported.

What information his Department holds on the (a) number of (i) children and young people who were in the care of and (ii) staff employed by and (b) average caseload per care coordinator in child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency on 18 June 2025.

NHS England has advised that 4,036 children and young people were on the caseload of child and adolescent mental health services in the West Dorset constituency on 18 June 2025. 179 staff were employed by child and adolescent mental health services in the constituency on that date. Information on the average caseload per care coordinator is not available.

Whether his Department has produced an impact assessment into the potential impact of (a) removing and (b) reducing levels of safeguard functions provided by 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 discussions he has had with the (a) nursing and (b) safeguarding workforce on system-wide NHS reforms.

Ministers and Department officials regularly meet with staff side representatives to discuss the implications of policy changes, including system-wide reforms, for the workforce. The national Social Partnership Forum (SPF) is the primary forum for collective discussions with trade unions and employers on such matters, and meetings are chaired by a health minister. All recent SPF meetings have featured discussions on the system-wide National Health Service reforms.