Written questions by Dillon.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of NHS England's review entitled General Practice Premises Policy Review, published on 27 June 2019; and whether his Department plans to ensure that leases for GP practices are assigned to NHS bodies.

The GP Premises Policy Review suggested the need to simplify the Premises Costs Directions (PCDs). The PCDs were revised and published on 9 May 2024 and came into force on 10 May 2024. They are available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/663cd8d2bd01f5ed32793867/nhs_general-medical-services-premises-costs_directions-2024.pdfWhilst NHS England has delegated the power to hold leases to integrated care boards (ICBs), the GP Contract terms ordinarily require the Contractor to hold the premises liability.To bring ICBs into these leasing arrangements would require capitalisation under the International Financial Accounting Standard IFRS16 and limited National Health Service capital budgets would have to be diverted to offset this commitment, in addition to the payment of rents against the properties.ICBs do hold the power to step into such operational leases. A more appropriate way of managing the potential issue is for ICBs to exercise its power to step in to leases only where it is an action of last resort, or by exception, to ensure that vital capital allocations are not adversely affected and continue to be directly invested in primary care estate to provide key improvements and expansion to support patient and service growth.Given where the liabilities lie within contracts and the power held by ICBs to provide exceptional support, NHS England currently only accepts assignment of general practice leases as an action of last resort or by exception.

What steps his Department plans to take to support NHS services in Newbury, in the context of his Department's review of the New Hospital Programme.

The Government recognises that delivering high quality National Health Services requires the right facilities and support systems in the right places. We understand that investment in capital projects, whether through allocations prioritised locally or through national programmes, is important in achieving this.We inherited a New Hospital Programme which was delayed and the funding for which ran out in March. We are reviewing it to provide people in Newbury and across the country with a realistic and costed timetable for delivery. Newbury is served by the Royal Berkshire Hospital scheme which is in scope of the review. The review is feeding into the Spending Review process where the Government will confirm the outcome.Managing the local capital budget for its area and reconfiguring services, which includes addressing estates issues, as well as allocating funds according to local priorities, including investment to support healthcare services, are matters for local NHS organisations. Any future national capital programmes to support NHS organisations delivering local and national priorities will also be considered as part of the Spending Review process.

What steps he plans to take to increase hospice funding.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care, including hospices, will have a big role to play in that shift.Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.No assessment has been made on the level of variation of hospice funding. Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by ICB area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth and range of palliative and end of life care provision within their ICB footprint.

If he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of social work vacancy rates in Newbury.

We do not hold information for specific localities, and therefore no assessments have been made. We are committed to the recruitment and retention of social workers, through our existing initiatives like bursaries and the Assessed and Support Year in Employment, which helps build a supply of social workers with the right skills, knowledge, and values.