Question follow-through · 122536

Meningitis: Smoking

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) smoking and (b) passive smoking on the risk of invasive meningococcal disease.

answeredDepartment of Health and Social Care

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Department of Health and Social Care
Tabled
20 Mar 2026
Target answer date
25 Mar 2026
Answer
14 Apr 2026 · 25 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Health and care

Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.

Votes on this topic

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

  1. 20 Mar 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) smoking and (b) passive smoking on the risk of invasive meningococcal disease.

  2. 25 Mar 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 14 Apr 2026

    Answer published

    There is established evidence that exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of meningococcal disease. Tobacco smoking increases the risk of meningococcal carriage and meningococcal disease by damaging the nasopharyngeal mucosa and suppressing immune r...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Health Services: Women

23 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the renewed Women's Health Strategy.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Medical Records: Data Protection

23 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on the number of data breaches of patient information in the NHS in the last year.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Out-patients

14 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he intends outpatient referrals to (a) hospitals and (b) secondary care providers to be managed by people other than consultants.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Out-patients

14 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential risks of rejecting secondary care referrals that are currently accepted.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Cancer: Diagnosis

14 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients referred urgently with suspected cancer are (a) diagnosed and (b) reassured within (i) 28, (ii) 29, (iii) 30, (iv) 31, (v) 32 and (vi) 33 days of referral for which the latest dat

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Out-patients

14 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of referrals to (a) hospital outpatient care and (b) secondary care are (i) accepted to be seen and (ii) rejected and provided with advice and guidance instead for which the latest

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Breast Cancer: Medical Treatments

16 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve treatment for lobular breast cancer.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

16 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 1 April 2026 to Question 122780 and 25 March 2026 to Question 120988 on General Practitioners: Contracts and with reference to the oral statement of 16 April 2026 on the

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

General Practitioners: Contracts

18 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answers of 1 April 2026 to Question 122780 and 25 March 2026 to Question 120988 on General Practitioners: Contracts and with reference to the oral statement of 16 April 2026 o

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Medicine: Training

18 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he expects NHS England’s review of the preference informed allocation method to be completed before the abolition of NHS England.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce

18 May 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on which dates the maternity and neonatal task force (a) has met and (b) is due to meet.