Stephen Kinnock
MP for Aberafan Maesteg · Labour · United Kingdom
“I thank the shadow Secretary of State for her kind words and look forward to our exchanges across the Dispatch Box. I am ready to engage with her on getting the maximum benefits for the people of Wales.”
“I thank the right hon. Lady and look forward to working with her. My understanding is that there were challenges around the helicopter capability. Decisions were taken by Natural Resources Wales some time ago to change the way that the tendering for helicopter capability works. We certainly need to look at that.”
“I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. Like him, I pay tribute to all those involved in the collective and heroic response to the wildfires.”
“I thank the right hon. Lady for her question. Many of the ideas coming forward for devolving power right across our United Kingdom, beyond Cardiff Bay and Holyrood, are very exciting, and I look forward to exploring them with her.”
“Just to be clear, this is not about staying out of the issue; it is about respecting the devolution settlement, but being prepared to work constructively where we can in partnership with the Welsh Government. The hon.”
“I know about and welcome the right hon. Gentleman’s strong connections to Wales. I recognise the connectivity benefits that WSMR’s proposal could deliver, particularly for passengers in Wales and the west midlands.”
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“Those extra appointments are available across the country, and are more heavily weighted towards the areas in which they are needed most. We are also incentivising high street dentists to offer further appointments in order to maximise availability for those in need of urgent care. We recognise that access to NHS dental services remains a challenge in certain parts of the country. In addition to our urgent appointments, integrated care boards are recruiting dentists through the dental recruitment incentive scheme—known as the “golden hello” scheme. That initiative offers a financial incentive to encourage dentists to work in underserved areas for a minimum commitment of three years. This Government have heard dentists’ concerns that they do not think the current dental contract is fit for purpose.”
“The decrease in underspend is leading to an increase in NHS dentistry, but I absolutely accept that there is still a long way to go. Over the past 18 months, the Government have made great strides in improving NHS dentistry, not just for patients but for the dental workforce delivering oral care to our nation. My immediate priority when taking up this ministerial post was to ensure that people who need an urgent dental appointment are prioritised and able to access the care that they need quickly. It is essential that we direct care towards those who need it most. We all have a duty to reduce health inequalities, which are sorely felt in NHS dentistry. That is why, since last April, we have been making extra urgent dental appointments available to ensure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require.”
“In July 2024, we inherited a dental system in crisis. That is evident in the adult oral health survey of 2023, which provides the first picture of adult oral health in England for more than a decade, and shows poor oral health in adults. Among adults with their own teeth, over two fifths—41%—showed evidence of obvious decay, 93% had some form of gum disease, and 19% had one or more potentially urgent dental conditions. This Government are determined to fix that. Our 10-year health plan confirms our commitment to transforming NHS dentistry so that it is fit for future generations. We have established a platform for future success by reducing the NHS dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023-24 to just £36 million.”
“I congratulate the hon. Member for North Down (Alex Easton) on securing this important debate. I thank him for his work to raise awareness of the challenges facing dental patients in his constituency and across the United Kingdom. It is vital that we work together, across the four nations of the United Kingdom, to tackle the long-standing problems that adults and children have been facing in accessing an NHS dentist when they need one. I also thank other hon. Members and hon. Friends for their powerful contributions to the debate. I know that access to dentistry is a matter of continuing concern for Members and their constituents. The concerns Members have raised support the many testimonies I have heard directly from patients, dentists, members of the wider dental team, and their representatives.”
“Delivering that ambition will take time, and it is vital that we put in place solutions that work for both patients and the dental professionals who care for them. Question put and agreed to.”
“We are already investing in integrated care boards to support supervised toothbrushing for three-to-five-year-old children, and our innovative partnership with Colgate-Palmolive will support up to 600,000 children to develop good oral health habits for life. We are working with all sectors of the food industry to make further progress on reducing levels of sugar in the everyday food and drink that people buy. This is to ensure that it is easier for people to make healthier choices. Oral cancer and periodontal diseases are directly caused by tobacco. Dental teams and local stop-smoking services can work collaboratively in a variety of ways. We have already made important progress, but I accept that there is still a lot more to do and a long way to go. We are determined to ensure that everyone who needs an NHS dentist can secure one.”
“I expect the measures to be taken by the GDC to deliver substantial improvements to the international registration processes, enabling increased numbers of overseas qualified dentists to join the register more swiftly and efficiently. We know that prevention is better than cure. Alongside urgently needed reforms to treat existing poor oral health, I am committed to improving oral health in this country, not just for children, but the wider population too. Water fluoridation is an effective public health intervention for reducing the prevalence of tooth decay and improving oral health inequalities. Under this Government, we will see much needed expansion of water fluoridation in the north-east of England, with further feasibility studies for other parts of the country.”
“I welcome the General Dental Council’s recent announcement confirming the appointment of a new provider for the overseas registration exam—the ORE. The new arrangements are set to more than double the annual number of dentists able to join the register via that route, and it represents a significant step forward in addressing workforce shortages and NHS patient access. I met the General Dental Council at the end of last year to discuss its comprehensive plan to address the current ORE waiting list, and to urge it to get that waiting list sorted, because frankly the backlogs were not acceptable. We are looking at an increase in the supply of overseas qualified dentists joining the GDC register.”
“I congratulate the University of East Anglia on its accreditation through the GDC as a dental school. That is a huge step in the right direction, and we strongly support it. The next step is that the Office for Students has to allocate places. The Government have not funded any new dental school places since 2007. I am fighting hard for those dental places to be made available. We are quite close, I hope, to being able to share some positive steps on that. The OfS makes the decisions about allocating the places, but it does take advice from Ministers. My counterpart in the Department for Education and I will be sending a letter to the OfS, with some advice on how it should make decisions about where dental places should be made available, and the fact that UEA has a new dental school is an important factor in those considerations.”
“We have a mountain to climb on this. We are not going to fix our national health service unless we fix our care service; it is a deeply integrated ecosystem and we have to get both sides of it right. The 10-year plan and our plans for a neighbourhood health service are all about moving from fragmentation to integration, and that is the way we have to go if we are to get our health and care systems back on their feet and fit for the future. It has been a real pleasure to respond to the hon. Member for Eastleigh. I hope I have reassured her that dementia is a priority for this Government, and that we are going to do all that we can to ensure that those living with dementia, and their loved ones and carers, are supported and cared for. Question put and agreed to.”
“To help local authorities to fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, we are making around £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. I again thank the hon. Member for Eastleigh for bring forward such an important topic for discussion. Whether on research, the workforce or unpaid carers, we recognise that there is a tremendous amount to do. We have two work streams, one of which is the Casey commission, which will look at how we fundamentally rewire how we do care in our country, and the other is what the Government are doing immediately. We are not sitting on our hands and waiting for the Casey review; we are taking forward the measures that I have, I hope, outlined with sufficient clarity. I absolutely recognise that there is a huge way to go.”
“To support unpaid carers, on 7 April 2025 the Government increased the carer’s allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 to £196 a week—the equivalent of 16 hours at the national living wage. This was the largest cash increase since the carer’s allowance was introduced in 1976. As a result, more than 60,000 additional people will be able to receive carer’s allowance between 2025-26 and 2029-30. We are reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and considering the benefits of introducing paid leave for carers. On 19 November 2025, we published the terms of reference for the review of employment rights for unpaid carers, and in 2026 we will run a public consultation on employment support for unpaid carers.”
“We will continue to invest in dementia research in Hampshire and across the UK. We recognise the vital role of unpaid carers and are fully committing to ensuring that they have the support they need. I chair a cross-Government ministerial group with the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions, all at the ministerial level. Through the 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 “My Carer” section in the NHS app.”
“For example, NIHR infrastructure investment has supported the groundbreaking DROP-AD trial, which has shown that Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers can be detected using finger-prick blood samples. That is a really exciting development that brings us closer to accurate and timely diagnoses of dementia. Research cannot take place without the incredible people who volunteer to be part of it. Through the NIHR, my Department works closely with charity partners in the delivery of joint dementia research. People with and without a diagnosis of dementia can use an online platform to sign up to take part in vital dementia research. I encourage everybody and anybody who might be watching this debate to register with the service, to help to shape the future for people living with dementia.”
“As announced in the life sciences sector plan, we are taking a number of measures to reduce friction and to optimise access to and uptake of new medicines. The measures will boost the speed of decisions and cut administrative burdens for the system and for industry. NICE and NHS England are doing the work to plan for the adoption of any new licensed and NICE-recommended treatments. Research is crucial to support people living with dementia and their carers. The Government are investing in dementia research across all areas, from causes, diagnosis and prevention to treatment, care and support. The National Institute for Health and Care Research, which is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, funds and supports impactful research.”
“Over time, the neighbourhood health service and the national care service will work hand in hand to help people to stay well and live independently. I know it is disappointing that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has been unable to recommend the two new disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s—lecanemab and donanemab—in the final draft guidance, but it is right that such decisions are evidence based and taken independently. NICE is a world-renowned health technology assessment body, and I remain confident in its methods and processes for ensuring that any new medicines recommended for use on the NHS provide the most health benefit at a cost-effective price to the taxpayer.”
“The 10-year health plan sets out how we will work towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems sooner and integrate health into the social fabric of places. This is crucial for those living with dementia. Adult social care is part of our vision for a neighbourhood health service that shifts care from hospitals to communities, with more personalised, proactive and joined-up health and care services that help people to stay independent for as long as possible. Social care professionals will be a vital part of neighbourhood teams, working alongside the NHS to help people to stay independent for longer and playing an enhanced role in rehabilitation and recovery.”
“The consultation looked at how the process should operate, including who will be part of the negotiations and how the agreement will be implemented. The consultation closed on 16 January 2026. The regulations to establish the negotiating body and to bring together employer and employee representatives are expected to be laid this year. We expect negotiations on pay, terms and conditions and other matters such as training and career progression to be held in 2027. Once the body has reached an agreement on how the funding should be spent, the fair pay agreement will be implemented in 2028. The Government are backing that with a £500 million investment.”
“The framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and to narrow inequality for those living with dementia. It will set national standards for dementia care and redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support. We are committed to a well-supported adult social care workforce who are recognised as the professionals they are. The Department is supporting the professionalisation of the adult social care workforce through our recently expanded care workforce pathway, which provides a framework for progression and development opportunities so that people can build their skills and careers in care. We launched a public consultation on the design of the fair pay agreement process—a major step towards implementing it in 2028.”
“People have braved incredibly difficult circumstances and faced hard, emotionally overwhelming conversations to get their diagnoses, and we cannot abandon them afterwards. That is why, under the 10-year plan, we will make sure that those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. By 2027, 95% of those with complex needs will have an agreed care plan. We have also committed to delivering the first ever modern service framework for frailty and dementia. This will help to deliver rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and in productivity, and will be informed by phase 1 of the independent commission on adult social care led by Baroness Louise Casey, which is expected this year.”
“That is why we are committed to increasing diagnosis rates to the national ambition of two-thirds of those with dementia receiving a diagnosis. During the pandemic, we sadly dropped to lows of 61%. At the end of November 2025, the overall estimated dementia diagnosis rate for patients aged 65 and over was 66.5%, while the estimated dementia diagnosis rate for Hampshire was 64%. That is, of course, an overall increase from March 2020, due to sustained recovery efforts. But even when they are armed with a diagnosis, many people have found that there is varying and unequal access to support. We know that our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those living with dementia.”
“As I am sure everyone present will agree, it is vital that every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The first step in delivering great care and support for those living with dementia is ensuring that they are able to get a diagnosis. The Alzheimer’s Society’s recent survey on lived experience told us that 96% of people affected by dementia reported a benefit to getting a diagnosis. It is, therefore, our duty to ensure that as many people as possible can access that benefit. We know that a diagnosis is the gateway to better care, support and potential treatments, and the least we can do is help those living with dementia, and their friends, families and carers, to step through that gateway.”
“Lady has brought to the table the subject of dementia support in Hampshire, I hope she will appreciate that I will cast the net somewhat wider in my response, because it is important to see services in Hampshire in the broader context. Almost 1 million people across the UK are living with dementia. Every one of those people, as well as their friends, families and carers, have their own unique and important story of living with dementia. Even those united by geography will have vastly different experiences. Our goal is to make sure that those experiences differ because we are all fundamentally different people with different thoughts, feelings and backgrounds, and not because of unequal access to diagnoses, health services or support.”
“I really appreciate serving under your chairship, Ms Lewell—I think it is one of the first times I have done so. I thank the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Liz Jarvis) for securing this debate; I know that dementia support in Hampshire is a cause that is close to her heart. It is also very close to my heart—sadly, I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s in December 2023—and I know exactly what the hon. Lady means when she talks about what a tough time it is for everybody concerned. I also thank her for her huge efforts to raise awareness of the condition, and for her active participation in the all-party parliamentary group on dementia. Although the hon.”
“This Government are committed to ending the gaps in teeth by filing the gaps in local provision, including in rural areas such as Dorset. We will work to introduce fundamental changes to the dental contract before the end of this Parliament, but already from April the reforms to NHS dentistry that I announced last month will mean more NHS appointments and better oral health.”
“The hon. Gentleman will have noted that we have committed to tie-ins for future dentists going through the training programme. It costs the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds to train a dentist, and we believe it is absolutely right that a significant percentage of their time should be put into NHS dentistry. In terms of improving access, in financial year 2023-24 there was a shocking £392 million underspend on NHS dentistry at a time when demand was going through the roof. I made clear that every penny allocated to NHS dentistry must be spent on NHS dentistry, and I am very pleased to report that we have got that underspend down to just £36 million. The decrease in the underspend is leading to an increase in NHS dentistry, but I accept that there is still a long way to go.”
“Rapid housing and population growth can put real pressure on GP services. That is why we are investing an extra £1.1 billion in general practice, taking total GP funding to £13.4 billion. We are also creating 250 neighbourhood health centres, upgrading surgeries through a £102 million fund, and working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine how developer contributions from new housing, through section 106 and the community infrastructure levy, can be improved to enable the delivery of local health services as an integral part of new housing developments.”
“I am not familiar with the details of that case, but I get the impression that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is. A really important part of our manifesto commitment was to end the 8 am scramble, which is all about access, and that is precisely what we are doing. In September 2024, patient satisfaction with ease of access stood at just 61%; today it stands at 73%. That is huge progress. It is all about getting better access, and building a primary care estate that is fit for purpose is a very important part of that. I would be happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss the details of that specific case.”
“I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and congratulate him on the addition of the facial hair. I am glad to see that he is joining that particular club—I think it is the only club we may both be a member of! The Government are aware of the pressure on pharmacy; it is a major challenge that we are facing. We gave pharmacy a 19% uplift in the last spending review. Of all the sectors in my portfolio, that was the one that received the largest uplift. We are also looking to secure better progress with the use of technology, and we are looking at the medicines margin and the dispensing fee, recognising the significant financial pressures that pharmacies are under. Through reform and investment, we believe that we can turn the corner and rebuild pharmacy in our country.”
“I think there is some dispute over the number that was on the front page of the Express. We are looking into that number and will certainly come back to the hon. Gentleman on it. On his broader point about the decisions that the Chancellor took at the last Budget, I suppose I have a question back to him: would he be cutting the £26 billion that this Labour Government are investing in the NHS, and if not, how would he be paying for it?”
“As my hon. Friend knows, we inherited an NHS dentistry system in crisis. This Government are determined to fix it with fundamental reform of that vital service by the end of this Parliament. Since last April, we have delivered extra urgent dental appointments nationwide, and last month we announced new measures to get the right care to the right people at the right time, incentivising dentists to offer more NHS care.”
“I congratulate my hon. Friend on the pun in her question. There is good news, in that we are making progress on children’s oral health, but we accept that we still have a way to go on the broader picture. We are making 27,196 additional urgent appointments available in the Humber and North Yorkshire ICB area. Our reforms, which I announced in December, will kick in from April of this year. They will significantly increase the unit of dental activity fee rate that we pay for urgent care to incentivise more dentists to do urgent NHS dentistry. We also have the golden hello system and a number of other measures that we are taking to address underserved areas. A lot has been done, but there is still a long way to go.”
“We are committed to delivering 250 centres by 2035, with a progressive roll-out over this Parliament. Early sites are focused on areas of greatest need, with consideration of factors including deprivation and access. Integrated care systems are in the process of planning the best holistic local configuration of a neighbourhood service. I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the potential for a neighbourhood health centre for Long Stratton.”
“My hon. Friend is right that NHS mental health, ADHD and autism services have never fully met the needs of the population in a tailored, personalised or timely way. The independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, autism and ADHD will explore the current challenges facing clinical services. My hon. Friend the Minister for mental health is currently overseas on departmental business, but I am sure that he would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend on his return.”
“We are in negotiation with the British Dental Association about the long-term contract reform that is so clearly needed, but I also draw the hon. Member’s attention to the announcement I made in December about a range of interim reforms, particularly on urgent work, where we are significantly increasing the fee rate for urgent dental activity. That will kick in from April and will make a real difference in access to urgent care.”
“My hon. Friend is right that, although we are making progress on urgent treatment with the urgent dental access centre that he mentioned, there is a real challenge with new routine care in Hartlepool. We are looking to improve that unacceptable situation, which we inherited, by offering dentists £20,000 to work in underserved areas and making it a requirement for new dentists to practise in the NHS. However, he is right to point out that the situation is not acceptable and we have to improve it.”
“I have a huge amount of respect for the hon. Gentleman, but I have to say that I am a little taken aback to be told about the lack of progress when the Conservatives had 14 years to sort out NHS dentistry. Nevertheless, we are engaging intensively with the BDA. The interim reforms, which kick in from April, will make a big difference, as I have said, but we are looking to put the long-term reforms in place from 2027 onwards. We want this situation to be rectified by the end of this Parliament, not to have a new contract by the end of this Parliament.”
“That does sound somewhat baffling, given that there is demand for the service. Pharmacies play an absolutely vital role in our communities. I would be happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss the details further.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out this issue. As I have said, the reforms that we announced in December will make a major difference, because dentists have not been incentivised to do NHS dentistry. That requires us to significantly increase the UDA, as we are doing, but there is a range of other measures that we need to take. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the specific details of that case.”
“My hon. Friend and I have discussed this matter. I hope that her issues in accessing the commission, which I know has made contact with her, have been resolved. The commission is, of course, an independent body, but I am in no doubt at all that parliamentarians will hold it to account through the mechanisms at their disposal—the Select Committee, for example. The Government are not sitting on our hands; we are delivering the fair pay agreement, we have delivered the biggest uplift to unpaid carers since 1976, and we are pursuing a range of other measures to get our adult social care system fixed and fit for purpose.”
“I thank the hon. Lady for that question. I am not familiar with the details, of course, so might she write to me with the clear details? I am sure that officials will then take the matter up as a matter of urgency.”
“I am a little bit surprised; I think that that technology does exist. I have visited a couple of GP practices where the online booking system gives the patient the option to specify the doctor that she or he would like to see. I would be happy to connect my hon. Friend with relevant officials in the Department, so that they can connect with the GP surgery to resolve that issue.”
“We have the £102 million primary care estate fund, which can help with refurbishments and improving the functionality of primary care, particularly GP surgeries. If the hon. Member writes to me about the specifics of that case, I am sure that the relevant officials can give her the answer she needs.”
“We are recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers by the end of this Parliament. The Mental Health Act 2025 reforms will ensure that people with a learning disability, autistic people and people with the most severe mental health conditions have greater choice and control over their treatment and receive the dignity and respect they deserve.”
“Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and other hon. Friends stood, as I did, on a manifesto to halve health inequality between the richest and poorest areas of our country. I know he will agree that access should not be based on where we live. A key part of our elective reform plan, published at the start of the year, is transforming and expanding diagnostic services so we can reduce waiting times for tests and bring down overall waits. NHS England is working closely with services to improve access to self-referral options, aiming for a more consistent offer right across the country.”
“Systems are also asked to ensure that all providers in acute, community and mental health sectors are onboarded to the NHS federated data platform and use its core products. Our 10-year health plan sets out how we would make the shift from analogue to digital by making the NHS app the digital front door to services. We will make it easier for patients to access audiology services through self-referral. This will transform the working lives of GPs, letting them focus on care where they provide the highest value-add. This is how we will make sure everyone can self-refer—not just the most confident and health-literate. Patients can access NIH-funded audiology services directly without having to wait for a referral from their GP. That means improved access to care and shorter waiting times. My hon.”
“For the first time, we have published an overview of the core community health services, which include audiology, for ICBs to consider when planning for their local populations and commissioning processes. Our medium-term planning framework for the next financial years sets out our ambition to bring waiting times over 18 weeks down, develop plans to bring waits over 52 weeks to zero, and to increase capacity to meet growth in demand, which is expected to be around 3% nationally every year. We are asking systems to seek every opportunity to improve productivity and get care closer to home, from getting teams the latest digital tools and equipment they need so they can connect remotely to health systems and patients, to expanding point-of-care testing in the community.”
“Each ICB commissions the services it needs for its local area, taking into account its annual budget, planning guidance and the wider needs of the people that it serves. This year, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor confirmed the Government’s commitment to getting our NHS back on its feet and fit for the future, with day-to-day spending increasing by £29 billion in real terms over the next five years. By the end of this Parliament, the NHS resource budget will reach £226 billion. That funding will support the growing demand for community health services, including audiology. It will help integrated care boards to expand diagnostic capacity, invest in local estates and equipment, and sustain the workforce needed to deliver high quality hearing care for patients of all ages.”
“Member says about the need to move forward on that. It has been a complex process. Obviously some of the changes and restructuring around what we are doing on NHS England have also had an impact on the process of putting the workforce plan together, but I am reliably informed that that will be in the spring of 2026. Timely access and effective support to services can make all the difference to someone’s quality of life, wellbeing and independence. As part of our effort to shift care from hospital to home, this Government want to support people to live independently in the community, and community audiology will play an essential part in making that happen. Community audiology is commissioned locally by integrated care boards. Funding is allocated to ICBs by NHS England.”
“We honestly hold our hands up and say that we have not got that right in all cases, but we are committed to self-referral as a principle and as a really important part of the shift from hospital to community. On ICB budgets, we have secured £6 billion through the spending review process for capital upgrades. A lot of that will help us to ramp up what we are doing on community diagnostics. That is one way to square the circle around the investment that we need on the ground for ICBs to be able to do more in terms of the services they provide by improving the equipment, the kit and the technology they have. Part of the answer to the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth’s question relates to capital investment really helping to boost the services provided. The workforce plan is coming in the spring of 2026. I absolutely hear what the hon.”