Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps the Government is taking to increase public awareness of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Yellow Card scheme for reporting medicine side effects and product issues.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is committed to improving patient safety and strategically runs regular public health campaigns to raise awareness of patient safety in healthcare products and the importance of reporting to the Yellow Card scheme, which relies on voluntary reporting by healthcare professionals and the public, including patients, parents, and care givers. Further information on the MHRA is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agencyA primary platform for education and awareness is the MHRA’s dedicated Yellow Card scheme website, which is regularly updated with educational resources, including Continuing Professional Development accredited e-learning modules, waiting-room videos, posters, and real-world case studies to support understanding of how and what to report as well as the importance of reporting. In 2025, the MHRA launched a new Yellow Card Partner Toolkit containing a package of materials specifically designed to support other organisations and networks in encouraging patient reporting.To strengthen local engagement with the public, the MHRA commissions six Yellow Card Centres across the United Kingdom, covering the North and Yorkshire, the North West, the West Midlands, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and which focus on education and the promotion of reporting with the public and healthcare professionals, as well as their representative organisations within their regions.Additionally, all MHRA safety alerts and guidance signpost users to the Yellow Card scheme, and by law, every patient information leaflet that comes with a medicine includes information signposting patients to report suspected side effects via the Yellow Card scheme. There is also information on the importance of reporting to the Yellow Card scheme on all repeat paper prescriptions given to patients.On World Patient Safety Day, most recently 17 September 2025, the MHRA announced that statutory relationships, sex, and health education guidance for schools in England would, for the first time, include information on recognising side effects and reporting them via the Yellow Card scheme. This initiative introduces children and young people to patient safety early, empowering them to speak up and contribute to safer healthcare.The MHRA also proactively promotes awareness through presence at conferences such as the annual Health and Safety Journal Patient Safety Congress. In addition, the MHRA also supports a number of campaigns including MedSafetyWeek, which is now an annual international social media campaign which includes 117 countries that the MHRA initiated 10 years ago, to raise awareness of medicines safety and adverse incident reporting.The MHRA has worked with the National Health Service to ensure that there are links to Yellow Card across every single NHS page relating to a medicine or vaccine, and the MHRA is also building upon this by working with NHS colleagues to support better links between the NHS app and Yellow Card, aiming for increased visibility of the Yellow Card scheme and improved reporting of suspected reactions by the public.Together, these measures increase public awareness of the Yellow Card scheme, helping protect patient safety and strengthen monitoring of medicines and medical devices.

How many Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Yellow Card reports on over‑the‑counter cough and cold medicines were received in each of the last five years.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) publishes information in the form of interactive Drug Analysis Profiles which can be accessed here on the Yellow Card website, at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/idapsYou will be able to access a complete listing of all suspected adverse drug reactions that have been reported to the MHRA via the Yellow Card scheme for all medicines, including medicines used to treat coughs and colds. This includes all reports received from healthcare professionals, members of the public, and pharmaceutical companies.Please note information regarding whether a drug was prescribed or purchased over the counter is not mandatory to provide on a Yellow Card and as such we do not capture this information in a structured data field to be able to provide as part of this request.

Whether additional resources have been provided to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to support winter‑related medicine safety surveillance.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.Safety surveillance activity at the MHRA is funded through the annual service fee. Recent and sufficient fee increases mean that this funding now covers all required surveillance activity, with separate Living with COVID funding helping to support periods of peak demand.

What assessment his Department has undertaken of the potential impact of Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency winter wellness campaigns during the last five years.

The main Government health winter campaigns are run by the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, which the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports. The MHRA also runs annual winter campaigns to raise public awareness of medicines and medical devices safety that achieves media coverage and social media engagement. For example, the MHRA’s 2025/26 campaign provided five public safety tips covering medicines and medical devices. It achieved media coverage in national print and online, regional and trade press, as well as an interview on BBC One Breakfast. The MHRA created and posted social media content throughout this period which was seen approximately 50,000 times. The MHRA also worked with key stakeholders, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, to help amplify safety messages.

Whether changes are planned to the provision of NHS blood, plasma, and organ donation campaigns following the appointment of WPP Media as the Government’s lead media agency.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England and organ donation services across the United Kingdom, including campaigns to promote blood and organ donation in England.WPP media has been appointed to provide media strategy, planning, and buying services across the Government and the wider public sector. However, there are no planned changes to NHSBT’s blood, plasma, and organ donation campaigns as result of the appointment.These campaigns will continue to be managed by NHSBT, who appoint a media agency via their own tender process. When the current term expires, NHSBT will review the agency contracts in adherence with public procurement regulations.

Whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency plans to update its public communications strategy to increase the reporting of adverse reactions to medical supplements.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicines, for human use, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom.If a “medical supplement” was covered by the definition of a medicinal product as set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, or the definition of a medical device under Medical Devices Regulations, it would fall under the remit of the MHRA and would be subject to the relevant regulatory requirements. Food supplements are regulated by the Food Standards Agency.Ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the Yellow Card scheme will enhance public understanding of the scheme’s remit and the range of healthcare products it covers, including the reporting of suspected side effects associated with herbal and/or homeopathic medicines, as set out in existing information and general awareness materials available on the Yellow Card scheme website.

With reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, what plans he has to increase the provision of health and social care-related courses.

While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for health and care professions, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.The closure of the University of Essex Southend campus is a consolidation of oral health, adult, and mental health nursing courses to their main campus at Colchester. This is not expected to negatively impact overall training numbers or local recruitment to these professions.

With reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of health and social care staff in south Essex in the next five years.

While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for health and care professions, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.The closure of the University of Essex Southend campus is a consolidation of oral health, adult, and mental health nursing courses to their main campus at Colchester. This is not expected to negatively impact overall training numbers or local recruitment to these professions.

With reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, what assessment his Department has made of the provision of dentistry training in south Essex in the next five years.

While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for health and care professions, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.The closure of the University of Essex Southend campus is a consolidation of oral health, adult, and mental health nursing courses to their main campus at Colchester. This is not expected to negatively impact overall training numbers or local recruitment to these professions.

What comparative assessment he has made of accident and emergency performance at (a) Basildon Hospital, (b) other hospitals within Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and (c) other national trusts.

The Government acknowledges that urgent and emergency care performance has not consistently met expectations in recent years. The Government is committed to restoring urgent and emergency care waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution by the end of this Parliament, as laid out in our 10-Year Health Plan.NHS England publishes monthly data on the proportion of patients seen, admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours in accident and emergency departments. The following table shows the latest figures as of November 2025 for the four-hour performance rates for Basildon Hospital, other hospitals within the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and the national rate:MonthAreaPercentage of total accident and emergency type 1 and 2 attendances admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hoursLatest provisional performance data for November 2025England61.2%Basildon54.2%Mid Essex Hospital52.9%Southend Hospital53.4%Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust53.6%Note: site level performance data is only published as type 1 and 2 performance.Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of unrecovered income on a) NHS trust finances and b) service delivery.

No formal assessment has been made of the potential impact of unrecovered income from the charging of overseas visitors on either National Health Service trust finances or service delivery.However, we continue to work with NHS England to ensure that the system of NHS cost recovery works as effectively and fairly as possible.

What the cost was of Private Finance Initiative contracts within the NHS in Essex in the latest financial year.

Unitary Charge payments associated with Private Finance Initiative contracts are captured in the annual National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority data collection, available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pfi-and-pf2-projects-2024-summary-data

What steps he is taking to help reduce avoidable ambulance demand in the East of England.

The Government is taking a comprehensive approach to reducing avoidable ambulance demand across the country including in the East of England. Our Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Plan for 2025/26 aims to improve UEC performance with a focus on reducing ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, freeing up ambulances to get back on the road.The plan also commits to increasing the number of patients receiving urgent care in the community by expanding services such as urgent community response, neighbourhood multidisciplinary teams, and increasing the use of virtual wards. By boosting the capacity and accessibility of these services, people can receive the care they need closer to home, reducing the need to call an ambulance or attend accident and emergency.NHS 111 continues to play a crucial role in managing demand by providing clinical advice and triage over the phone or online, ensuring patients are directed to the most appropriate service for their needs. This includes supporting more ‘hear and treat’ and ‘see and treat’ responses, where patients receive advice or treatment without the need for an ambulance to convey them to hospital.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of accessibility requirements for Changing Places toilets in private sector developments.

Through our £30.5 million Changing Places Toilet programme, we have supported the installation of 483 new disabled toilet facilities across 220 local authority areas in England. This targeted investment helped address gaps where provision was limited or non-existent. Although this programme closed on 31 March 2025, changes to the statutory guidance which accompanies the Building Regulations (Approved Document M, Volume 2), made in January 2021, make provision for Changing Places facilities in new buildings other than dwellings (or those undergoing major redevelopment) that fall above a certain size threshold. This aims to significantly increase the availability of these vital facilities over time and makes accessibility a mainstream consideration in how we plan and build our public spaces.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled £78bn for councils in turning point settlement to cut deprivation, published on 17 December 2025, what impact the National Care Service will have on two-tier authority areas such as Basildon.

We are progressing towards a National Care Service based on higher quality of care, greater choice and control, and better join up between services, with approximately £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care by 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.We know that meaningful, lasting reform of adult social care across all tiers of local authority in England cannot be delivered overnight. To build consensus on plans for a National Care Service, Baroness Casey is chairing an Independent Commission into adult social care to shape the medium- and longer-term reforms needed, with phase 1 reporting later this year.We have already been putting the core foundations for a National Care Service in place, aligned with the Government’s three objectives for adult social care, by improving the quality of care by valuing and supporting our vital care workforce, and by legislating for a Fair Pay Agreement backed by £500 million of funding. We are strengthening join-up between health and social care services by developing neighbourhood health services and reforming the Better Care Fund. We are also enabling people to have more choice and control over their care, for instance by promoting greater use of direct payments.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled £78bn for councils in turning point settlement to cut deprivation, published on 17 December 2025, what impact the National Care Service will have on single-tier authorities such as Thurrock Council.

We are progressing towards a National Care Service based on higher quality of care, greater choice and control, and better join up between services, with approximately £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care by 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.We know that meaningful, lasting reform of adult social care across all tiers of local authority in England cannot be delivered overnight. To build consensus on plans for a National Care Service, Baroness Casey is chairing an Independent Commission into adult social care to shape the medium- and longer-term reforms needed, with phase 1 reporting later this year.We have already been putting the core foundations for a National Care Service in place, aligned with the Government’s three objectives for adult social care, by improving the quality of care by valuing and supporting our vital care workforce, and by legislating for a Fair Pay Agreement backed by £500 million of funding. We are strengthening join-up between health and social care services by developing neighbourhood health services and reforming the Better Care Fund. We are also enabling people to have more choice and control over their care, for instance by promoting greater use of direct payments.

What guidance his Department has issued to pharmacies on safe dosing of over‑the‑counter cold and flu remedies.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy and safety. The MHRA has recently updated voluntary Best Practice Guidance on the general sale of medicines for pain, to further highlight the risks of overdose, to address public concerns and recognise current sales techniques. Links are also provided to patient support groups, including Papyrus for young people. The update was undertaken in collaboration with retailers, stakeholders and healthcare professionals including pharmacists and the updated guidance is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e69e9e085277e9961b201b/Best_practice_guidance_on_the_sale_of_medicines_2025.pdfMost retailers adhere to the guidelines on not promoting multiple purchases and have introduced in store measures such as till bars that restrict sales to a maximum of two packs across a range of products containing aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen. The aim of these voluntary measures is to balance the need of people for access to pain relief medicines against the dangers for vulnerable individuals and to reduce the opportunity for customers to purchase on impulse excessive quantities of any single analgesic, like paracetamol, aspirin, or ibuprofen.The use of paracetamol and accidental overdose is a safety concern, especially in relation to the many trade names of non-prescription and prescription medicines containing paracetamol. Therefore, the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 contain a number of conditions for the presentation of these medicines to highlight the presence of paracetamol in a medicine, including the requirement for “paracetamol” or “contains paracetamol” to be on the outer packaging. In addition, the patient information leaflet should include the warning “Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine”.For those medicines containing paracetamol which are prescribed to a patient, the statutory warnings should be added to the prescribing label which is applied to the box by the pharmacist. These are highlighted in the British National Formulary, with further information available at the following link:https://bnf.nice.org.uk/about/labels/The Summary of Product Characteristics for healthcare professionals including pharmacist, provides a summary of the clinical particulars in the use of a medicine, including the recommended maximum daily dose. In addition, particulars in reference to overdose are provided. This includes the potential dose over which liver damage may occur and potential risk factors which may elevate the risk of overdose, including medical history, concomitant medicines, or alcohol intake. A summary of the symptoms of overdose and management are also provided.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's medicine safety communications reach vulnerable groups during the winter period.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.In 2024, the MHRA issued a new Strategy for Improving Safety Communications which set out its aim to reach more patients directly with accessible and helpful safety communications, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mhra-strategy-for-improving-safety-communications The MHRA is committed to ensuring that all safety messages reach everyone who needs to receive them, especially those who are most vulnerable, including during the winter months. Where patients, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders need to be made aware of a safety issue, the MHRA will consider publishing and cascading a safety communication through multiple channels. These can include a National Patient Safety Alert, Recall, Drug Safety Update, or a Device Safety Information, as well as utilising the media and sustained and targeted campaigns on social media platforms aimed at reaching those at risk. These communications are issued to relevant target audiences including vulnerable patients and patient group representatives and are published on the MHRA’s website and delivered to healthcare professionals through various routes such as direct email or subscription communications.

What steps she is taking to support young people to pursue careers in the logistics sector.

DWP is working to make logistics a sector of choice for young people by promoting awareness and creating clear entry routes. We support Generation Logistics, an industry-led campaign to promote careers in the sector to young people and other underrepresented groups. Campaigns like Generation Logistics aim to change perceptions and highlight opportunities in the industry, while partnerships with trade bodies such as Logistics UK and UKWA help strengthen employer engagement. DWP also supports schools through its adviser network and collaborates with organisations like the Careers & Enterprise Company to build a talent pipeline. These efforts focus on attracting young people, women and underrepresented groups to address skills shortages and improve diversity in a traditionally male-dominated sector. DWP is also a member of the Freight Workforce Group, chaired by the Department for Transport, which provides a forum to share evidence, align activity and support initiatives that strengthen the long-term supply of skilled workers into the sector. Guidance will soon be published by the Department for Transport to support employers with coordinating work experience and recruiting from hard-to-reach groups. DWP is currently piloting Road to Logistics training in the East Midlands to raise aspirations particularly in young people and those in less advantaged communities. More generally, this Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy. Further details of the announcement can be found in the Written Statement from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 8 December 2025 HCWS1137.

What proportion of Category 2 calls in the East of England were responded to within national target times in the last 12 months.

The current national target for Category 2 (C2) incidents is an average response time of 30 minutes. The National Health Service constitutional standard is 18 minutes. The Medium Term Planning Framework outlines plans to move towards achieving the constitutional standard over the coming years.For the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST), data on the exact proportion of calls meeting this target is not centrally collected or routinely published for the last 12 months.For each of the past 12 months, the average response time for C2 incidents at EEAST exceeded the national target. The following table provides monthly figures for the number of C2 incidents and the corresponding mean response times:MonthNumber of C2 incidents at EEASTC2 mean response time at EEASTDecember 202445,4730:57:20January 202542,7920:41:23February 202538,5140:36:55March 202542,7440:32:25April 202539,8610:36:18May 202540,5470:32:11June 202540,4840:32:51July 202543,1530:32:35August 202542,2040:30:55September 202541,4300:35:59October 202544,4570:40:41November 202544,1680:37:27Source: Ambulance Quality Indicators, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/