Written questions by Collins.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Universal Care Plan for London to the East of England.

The Department is not planning to make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Universal Care Plan, as this would be a decision for local determination by commissioners and their providers.As we work towards a single patient record, we will be engaging with the public, professions, and stakeholders to understand what matters to them, and we will be keen to hear their experience of local or regional programmes, to join up data to support patient care.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of full-time community palliative and end of life care.

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 patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care 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. NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications to support ICBs in this duty, which make specific reference to the fact that commissioners should ensure there is sufficient access to continuous care.I recently met NHS England and discussions have begun on how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and the quality of, palliative and end of life care. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care in the coming months.

What steps he is taking to help tackle inequalities in maternal mortality rates for (a) Black women and (b) women from ethnic minority backgrounds.

It is unacceptable that there are such stark inequalities in maternal outcomes. The Government is committed to closing the black and Asian maternal mortality gap. We are urgently considering the immediate action needed to tackle inequalities for women and babies in maternity care, including what targets are needed. A key objective in NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, which we are currently supporting them in delivering, is to reduce inequalities for all in maternity access, experience, and outcomes, and to improve equity for mothers and babies. As part of that, all Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems have published Equity and Equality actions plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas, tailored to the needs of the local area.

For what reason vosoritide is not available for the treatment of achondroplasia in children.

Voxzogo has not been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Should an application for Voxzogo, or any product containing the active ingredient vosoritide, be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly, with regard to its quality, safety, and effectiveness. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation.

What steps he is taking to increase funding available for pancreatic cancer research.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR's research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23, and the NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.The NIHR has committed £4.3 million in research on pancreatic cancer since 2018/19. This includes research exploring whether a standard surveillance programme after pancreatic cancer surgery would improve survival rates, and what impact surveillance would have on quality of life and healthcare providers.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. The NIHR welcomes further high-quality proposals to inform approaches to preventing and treating pancreatic cancer.

If he will launch a nationwide review of neonatal (a) mortality rates and (b) unexplained deaths.

The Government has no current plans to launch a nationwide review of neonatal mortality rates and unexplained deaths. Professor Lord Darzi’s report on his independent investigation of the National Health Service in England has shone a light on the critical condition of the NHS, and the Government will continue to work closely with NHS England to ensure that women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care.Neonatal mortality and neonatal unexplained deaths are measured by both the Office for National Statistics and the National Child Mortality Database. Since 2010, the neonatal mortality rate in England has decreased by 25% for babies with at least 24 weeks completed gestation. Since 2010, the number of babies who died unexpectedly in their first 28 days of life in England and Wales decreased from 40 to 29.The NHS is working to further improve outcomes for babies and is rolling out the third version of the Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle to all trusts. This provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth.