theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_249

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to decouple gas and electricity prices. \p Michael Shanks: The Government is determined to increase the share of renewables on the system so that the electricity price is set by cheaper clean power sources rather than gas. Every wind turbine we switch on and solar panel we deploy helps push gas off as the price setter.

Government support, such as the Contracts for Difference scheme has been highly successful in driving investment in renewable electricity and our Clean Power 2030 Mission is focused on accelerating this transition to a renewable power system. This will help reduce reliance on gas and protect consumers from volatile fossil fuel prices.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will take steps to ensure that the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy between the UK and the United States does not adversely impact nuclear (a) security and (b) safety. \p Michael Shanks: The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy between the UK and United States will support the government's effort to improve our energy security, drive economic growth, and underpin our efforts to deliver of Net Zero.

The paramount importance placed on nuclear safety and security by government remains unchanged. All the nuclear projects announced as part of the Alliance will be subject to the scrutiny of an independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and will need to meet the robust standards safety and security standards demanded by government and the public.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last five years. \p Michael Shanks: Desnz does not hold a centralised record of the number of officials who were investigated under the Department’s disciplinary processes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Sally Jameson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish the consultation on the expansion of the Clean Industry Bonus to the hydrogen sector. \p Michael Shanks: As set out in the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, we are considering expanding the Clean Industry Bonus to hydrogen and will consult on any proposals. We are currently developing a new Hydrogen Strategy and will provide an update on this in due course.

In addition to considering the Clean Industry Bonus, we have a strong offer for domestic manufacturing including support from our Public Finance Institutions and deployment certainty through Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs). Additionally, we welcome the industry-led voluntary ambition of 50% UK local content for hydrogen across the value chain from 2030.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much was allocated to the security and cybersecurity spend of the National Gas Business Plan in (a) 2024-25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) 2026-27. \p Michael Shanks: Funding for National Gas Transmission is set by Ofgem’s RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs) framework for each five-year regulatory period. Both the current RIIO-2 framework (covering the 2021-2026 regulatory period) and the draft RIIO-3 framework (which will cover 2026-2030) include a Cyber Resilience UIOLI (‘Use it or lose it’) allowance, providing flexible funding capped at up to 20% of total expenditure for network companies to improve cyber resilience.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK-manufactured hydrogen and fuel cell technologies use hydrogen production and usage schemes. \p Michael Shanks: The Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan sets out a clear plan to support the growth of the UK’s manufacturing base for hydrogen technologies, including deployment certainty and timelines for future Hydrogen Allocation Rounds; the launch of the first transport and storage allocation round and hydrogen to power business model; establishing the UK’s first regional hydrogen network from 2031; exploring options to expand the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Clean Industry Bonus to hydrogen; working with projects to deliver events connecting developers and suppliers; and a comprehensive public financial institution offer including the £1 billion Great British Energy supply chain fund.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK hydrogen supply chain on (a) creating skilled jobs and (b) supporting regional growth. \p Michael Shanks: The hydrogen industry will create investment and jobs across the UK’s industrial heartlands. The UK is well placed to be a global leader in hydrogen supply chains, further supporting regional growth. Our forthcoming Hydrogen Strategy will include the latest jobs estimates and plans to optimise economic benefits delivered by the UK hydrogen economy. We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain; working together with industry and unions to identify actions that support the skills and workforce needs of the UK’s low carbon hydrogen economy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps help tackle retrofit older homes in Cumbria. \p Martin McCluskey: The government understands there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to tackle the UK’s diverse building stock, and as part of this we recognise the need to ensure older homes have the right measures for them. The government’s home retrofit tool, Find ways to save energy in your home - GOV.UK, provides tailored guidance to consumers. There is also a phoneline service on xx-xxxx-xxxx.

There are a number of government schemes offering support for home retrofits and details can be found at the GOV.UK Clean Energy Homepage.

The Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon, will be a universal offer of support to upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country, including in Cumbria.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will allocate funding to Future Proof Cumbria to develop targeted solutions for insulation in rural homes. \p Martin McCluskey: The UK government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings.

Therefore, research was commissioned by the Department to develop a definition for housing stock for which the presence, and combination, of attributes and contextual factors can add complexity to improving energy efficiency and utilising low carbon heating solutions.

The government is currently carefully considering the findings of the research, which can be found at: (www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-and-identifying-complex-to-decarbonise-homes.) These will inform any future funding decisions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to change the eligibility criteria so that people living in older homes with non-cavity walls can access home insulation grants. \p Martin McCluskey: The government has several energy efficiency schemes offering a variety of insulation measures, including those suitable for older homes with non-cavity walls. Eligibility for these is based on factors such as the household income, vulnerability and the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of the property. Consumers can visit the government’s home retrofit tool on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency to get tailored recommendations for home improvements to make their property cheaper to heat. There is also a phoneline service available on xx-xxxx-xxxx.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help support (a) rural and (b) off-grid households that use heating oil in the context of the Warm Homes Plan; and what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of renewable liquid heating fuels for supporting those households to decarbonise affordably. \p Martin McCluskey: For most off-grid properties, decarbonising heat will involve installing a heat pump. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants offer £7,500 for heat pumps, and £5,000 for biomass boilers in specific rural cases.

The government recognises that renewable liquid fuels (RLF) could play a role in heating. We expect sustainable biomass, a limited resource, to be prioritised where there are fewer alternatives to decarbonisation. RLFs are also more expensive to use than other heating solutions. The government continues to review evidence on the affordability and availability of sustainable feedstocks for RLFs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the CQC's publication of 27 November 2024 entitled CQC finds improvement in CAMHS wards at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, when the CQC plans to publish the full report. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an assessment of Child and Adolescent Mental Health wards at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in September 2024. The report of that assessment was published on the CQC’s website on 28 November 2024, and is available at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RQ3/reports/AP2111/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-wards
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Kim Leadbeater:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timescale is to provide funding for newly opened dental practices in Spen Valley aiming to secure NHS contracts. \p Stephen Kinnock: This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Spen Valley constituency, this is the NHS West Yorkshire ICB.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Chris McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the maximum application amount for the Disabled Facilities Grant. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are giving older and disabled people more independence in their own homes through an immediate in-year uplift to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) of £86 million in 2024/25. This increase will provide approximately 7,800 additional home adaptations. This is on top of the £625 million paid to local authorities in May 2024. The Government also announced an £86 million additional investment in the DFG for 2025/26 at the Budget, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £711 million also.

To ensure the DFG is as effective as possible, we will continue to keep different aspects of the grant under consideration. As part of this, we are reviewing the suitability of the current upper limit and will set out further detail in due course.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the data on the number of general practitioners employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme will be available. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 19417 on Genetics: Diseases, how much funding was provided by NHS England to the Genetic Risk Equity project; and what that funding was used for. \p Andrew Gwynne: The project began in 2022/23, with total spend being £2.7 million. The following table showing the breakdown by year and to the nearest £100,000:

Year

Spend (£)

2024/25

1,000,000

2023/24

1,000,000

2022/23

700,000

Source: NHS England

Note: The funding was spent on additional midwifery capacity, genomics associates, neonatal nurses (2024/25 only) and genetic literacy/public health outreach. 5% was spent on project management and evaluation.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 2024/25 priorities and operational guidance, updated on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to hold NHS England accountable for implementing regular demand and capacity assessments of Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) services. \p Karin Smyth: The Department continues to support the National Health Service in England to increase cancer treatment capacity. NHS England had previously established a task-and-finish group to gather, collate, and compile available information to establish Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) delivery capacity, and to generate recommendations for the short, medium, and longer term to alleviate identified pressures on service delivery.

Recommendations have been shared with local systems and, working with Cancer Alliances, they are considering how to progress those that will best support the needs of their local populations. In support of this work, each Cancer Alliance should have a nominated lead for overseeing and supporting demand and capacity of SACT across its footprint, including the completion of a bi-annual evaluation of demand and capacity of SACT services, and should escalate any issues to the relevant integrated care board for resolution.

Additionally, with support from Cancer Alliances, cancer pathway improvement work will focus on maximising the productivity of cancer diagnostic and treatment pathways by regularly assessing supply and demand for systemic anti-cancer therapy services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which organisation is responsible for procuring radiotherapy machines. \p Karin Smyth: Responsibility for purchasing radiotherapy treatment machines sits with local systems. The Government committed £70 million for new machines in last year’s Budget, to ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to reduce waiting times for cancer treatment. \p Karin Smyth: We know that patients are waiting too long for cancer treatment, and we will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time or earlier, treating it faster, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.

As we set out in our new plan for reforming elective care, we are committed to improving performance on cancer waiting times. Further details will be set out in a dedicated national cancer plan and the NHS’s annual operational planning guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to decrease the amount of time it takes for a repurposed medicine to be granted an MHRA licence. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reviews the efficacy, safety and quality of a repurposed medicine in a similar way to other medicinal applications.

This review is part of the activities which MHRA contributes to under the Medicines Repurposing Programme. Once sufficient evidence is available, MHRA will consider the applications within the statutory timelines which can be expedited if company dossiers contain all required information. Timelines for assessment vary and depend on the nature of the application.

MHRA continuously reviews processes for the assessment of applications to determine whether any efficiencies and improved timelines are feasible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation entitled NHS Pension Scheme: proposed amendments for April 2025, published on 10 December 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The Department launched the consultation ‘NHS Pension Scheme: proposed amendments for April 2025’ on GOV.UK on 10 December 2024, with more information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-pension-scheme-proposed-amendments-for-april-2025

As per the Government’s Publishing Accessible Documents guidance, the consultation document is published in HTML format to make it easier to read and to find. The digital survey for users to respond to the consultation is also hosted on an accessible platform. The draft regulations which accompany the consultation are lengthy and technical in nature, and so these are published as a PDF to preserve formatting and technical content. Users of assistive technology (such as screen readers) can request a copy of the draft regulations in an accessible format by emailing xxx@xxx.xx.

Users who have queries on the consultation or require an alternative format can also contact xxx@xxx.xx.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average length of time has been for a repurposed medicine to be granted an MHRA licence from the point of application in the last two years. \p Karin Smyth: In the last two years, there has been one medicine to date, namely Anastrozole, coming through the Repurposed Medicines Programme, with more information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/medicines-2/medicines-repurposing-programme/

As only one medicine has been through the Repurposed Medicines programme so far, there is no meaningful 'average time' at this point, but the review times are being monitored.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing non-academic routes for people to train as nurses. \p Karin Smyth: We have a complete apprentice pathway for nursing, from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice. NHS England is expanding routes into healthcare professions through apprenticeships.

Our 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service will establish how to train and provide the staff the NHS needs, including nurses, through all training routes, to care for patients across our communities. A refreshed NHS Long Term Workforce Plan due for publication in summer 2025 will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, ensuring the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to give the care patients need when they need it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 15960 on Neonatal Inequalities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) monitoring and (b) reporting on (i) pre-term births and (ii) neonatal brain injuries by (A) ethnicity and (B) deprivation. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies received safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. I am urgently considering the immediate action needed across maternity and neonatal services to improve outcomes and address the stark inequalities that persist for women and babies across ethnicity and deprivation.

The Department’s officials work closely with NHS England and maternity and neonatal sector partners to monitor inequalities in perinatal outcomes by ethnicity and deprivation, including through the published Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK reports. The Office of National Statistics’ report on preterm birth by ethnicity and the recent Imperial College London Brain Injury Surveillance Reports include breakdowns by ethnicity and deprivation. There are no current plans to make a further specific assessment of the merits of monitoring and reporting on pre-term births and neonatal brain injuries by ethnicity and deprivation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been fined for accessing prescriptions without a valid Maternity Exception Certificate. \p Karin Smyth: There are no plans to revise the application process for maternity exemption certificates that provide entitlement to free National Health Service prescriptions. The NHS Business Services Authority has advised that in 2024, 48,063 Penalty Charge Notices were issued to those who indicated they held a valid maternity exemption certificate that could not be validated.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase (a) the level of funding for and (b) access to Children's and Young People's Gender Services. \p Karin Smyth: As my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out during his oral statement to Parliament on 11 December 2024, the Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review.

NHS England has opened three new services in the North West, London, and Bristol that offer a fundamentally different clinical model, embedding multi-disciplinary teams in specialist children’s hospitals. A fourth service in the East of England will open in spring of next year. NHS England is making progress towards its commitment for there to be a specialist children’s gender service in every region by 2026, which will increase capacity and reduce the waiting list.

Investment in children and young people’s gender services in 2024/25 has more than doubled compared to 2023/24 and this will increase further as new services are established.
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Jeremy Hunt:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS Secondary Care Trusts are reporting all of the legally required elements of the Learning from Deaths national guidance. \p Andrew Gwynne: This information is not collected centrally. All National Health Service trusts, apart from NHS ambulance trusts, are required to meet the reporting requirements in The National Health Service (Quality Accounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 relating to national learning from deaths policy. These reporting requirements are set out in the National Guidance on Learning from Deaths, published in March 2017. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nqb-national-guidance-learning-from-deaths.pdf

The reporting requirements on learning from deaths for NHS ambulance trusts are set out in National Guidance for Ambulance Trusts on Learning from Deaths, published in July 2019, and are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/learning-from-deaths-guidance-for-ambulance-trusts.pdf

Under the NHS Standard Contract, trusts are required to comply with national guidance on learning from deaths where applicable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20545 on Department of Health and Social Care: Correspondence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that 80% of hon. Members receive a response to correspondence in 20 days. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department is committed to meeting the target of responding to at least 80% of correspondence from Hon. Members within 20 working days. Parliament has a right to hold Ministers to account. We recognise there is room for improvement and we are committed to doing things differently. The Leader of the House of Commons wrote to all Cabinet members in November 2024 to remind Ministers of their responsibilities to provide helpful and timely responses to Members' written parliamentary questions and correspondence.

The Government has already taken steps to strengthen its approach to correspondence, with a Ministerial champion for correspondence identified in each department. As the lead Minister appointed for this Department, I am receiving information from my officials on performance and highlighting the importance of this work in communicating with Hon. Members across both Houses of Parliament.
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Kim Leadbeater:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to expand the eligibility criteria for winter flu vaccinations. \p Andrew Gwynne: Eligibility for the seasonal influenza vaccination programme is based on the advice and recommendations of an independent expert committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The latest JCVI advice on seasonal influenza vaccines is available on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation#influenza-vaccines-jcvi-advice

Details on the annual influenza vaccination programme, based on the JCVI’s advice, are set out in the annual flu letter, a copy of which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-flu-immunisation-programme-plan-2024-to-2025/national-flu-immunisation-programme-2024-to-2025-letter

The groups in the 2024/25 programme are:

The JCVI keeps its advice on seasonal influenza vaccines under regular review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has provided for child brain tumour research in each year since 2015. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department invests £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23. Cancer is a major area of NIHR spend, reflecting its high priority.

For research specifically on child brain tumours, the NIHR has made three direct awards since 2015 with a total value of approximately £650,000. The following table shows the NIHR’s committed spend on research into child brain tumours in each year since 2015/16, and the total award budget:

Financial year

Total

2015/16

£0

2016/17

£0

2017/18

£54,305

2018/19

£59,110

2019/20

£64,058

2020/21

£57,691

2021/22

£0

2022/23

£48,801

2023/24

£179,149

Total award budget

£649,614

Between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the NIHR directly invested £11.3 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumors across 15 awards. Additionally, wider NIHR investment in research infrastructure, supporting the facilities, services, and the research workforce, supported the delivery of 227 brain cancer research studies over this period, enabling an estimated 8,500 people to participate in research at estimated cost of £31.5 million. This NIHR infrastructure-supported research included a significant number of studies involving children and young people, including those delivered by NIHR Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre.

In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation. Further information on these opportunities is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-funding-opportunities-novel-brain-tumour-research-launched

The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health, including childhood cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in Widnes and Halewood constituency were being treated for lung cancer as of 1 October 2024. \p Andrew Gwynne: We do not collect data on the number of people treated for lung cancer by constituency. However, we do have the total number of people being treated for lung cancer across trusts throughout the country. The number of people who received either a first or subsequent treatment for lung cancer in September 2024 was 4,676.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of prostate cancer services in (a) South Holland and The Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department is committed to improving the adequacy of all cancer services including for prostate cancer, this includes cancer services in South Holland and The Deepings and Lincolnshire.

NHS England has funded 10 clinical audits, including a national prostate cancer audit. Using routine data, collected on patients diagnosed with cancer in a National Health Service setting, the audit is looking at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. This will seek to reduce unwarranted variation in treatment and reduce inequalities across different groups.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve all cancer services and outcomes for people living with cancer including those with prostate cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer services across England.

We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be and will provide updates on this in due course.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the additional funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 for the National Institute for Health and Care Research will be allocated. \p Andrew Gwynne: The 2025/26 settlement for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will fund research into a range of health and care challenges facing the population. A key element of this investment is research to support the goals of the Government health and growth missions, including investment to maximise our potential to be a world leader and develop a more competitive, efficient, and accessible clinical research system.

To allocate research funding, the NIHR employs a competitive and peer-reviewed process for applications to its research funding programmes, evaluating submissions based on scientific rigour, potential patient benefits, and alignment with population health and care priorities.

Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated on an ongoing basis on the ‘Open Data’ site of the NIHR at the following link:

https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/pages/homepage/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce inequalities of care for blood cancer patients. \p Andrew Gwynne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 October 2024 to Question 5808.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS is taking to improve training for doctors on (a) understanding and (b) treating chronic urinary tract infections. \p Andrew Gwynne: The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC sets the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level. The curricula for postgraduate training is set by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for foundation training, and by individual Royal Colleges and faculties for specialty training. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme.

Curricula across the specialties where doctors in training might regularly treat patients with urinary tract infections will contain competencies relating to understanding, identifying and treating urinary tract infections and the associated symptoms. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Evidenced-based interventions (EBI) programme includes guidance on chronic UTIs, with more information available at the following link:

https://ebi.aomrc.org.uk/interventions/investigation-and-onward-referral-of-women-with-recurrent-uti/

In September 2024, the EBI programme was adopted as standard operating procedure by the National Health Service.

The Royal College of General Practitioners also provide e-learning on UTIs, with more information available at the following link:

https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=12652
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in the UK have been diagnosed with vitiligo. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Department does not hold data on the number of people in England who have been diagnosed with vitiligo. Data relating to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved governments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) his international counterparts and (b) the World Health Organisation on human metapneumovirus. \p Andrew Gwynne: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has had no recent communications from the World Health Organisation or other countries in relation to human metapneumovirus (hMPV).

UKHSA’s long-term surveillance of hMPV in England, through systems covering general practice surgeries and hospital laboratories, indicates that hMPV levels in winter 2024-25 are in line with what we would expect to see at this time of year.

Healthcare data for hMPV and other respiratory viruses is routinely published on the UKHSA dashboard, which is available at the following link:

https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/respiratory-viruses/other-respiratory-viruses
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of not allowing carers to be vaccinated for Covid-19 on people requiring care. \p Andrew Gwynne: The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness, namely hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

In its advice for the autumn 2024 vaccination campaign, the JCVI advised that COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to: adults aged 65 years old and over; residents in a care home for older adults; and persons aged six months to 64 years old in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book, for which more information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/medicines-repurposing-programme-annual-highlights/

The JCVI noted that in the current era of high population immunity to COVID-19 and with all cases due to highly transmissible Omicron sub-variants, any protection offered by the vaccine against transmission of infection from one person to another is expected to be extremely limited. On this basis the JCVI did not advise offering vaccination to unpaid carers. The Government accepted JCVI advice for autumn 2024, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-autumn-2024-vaccination-programme-jcvi-advice-8-april-2024/jcvi-statement-on-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme-for-autumn-2024-8-april-2024

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme covering vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026

The Government has accepted JCVI advice on eligibility for the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Government is considering the advice for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully and will respond in due course.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of human metapneumovirus have been identified in the UK. \p Andrew Gwynne: The UK Health Security Agency’s long-term surveillance of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in England, through systems covering general practice surgeries and hospital laboratories, indicates that hMPV levels in winter 2024-25 are in line with what we would expect to see at this time of year.

Healthcare data for hMPV and other respiratory viruses comes from the sentinel surveillance system, a data collection method used to monitor trends. This means it is not a count of every person being treated for the respiratory virus in hospital. Total case numbers are therefore not held centrally.

Further information on data collection is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sources-of-surveillance-data-for-influenza-covid-19-and-other-respiratory-viruses
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the most recent quarterly Gross Domestic Product growth figures published by the Office of National Statistics on levels of available Overseas Development Aid spending for 2025. \p Tulip Siddiq: At Phase One of the 2025 Spending Review, departmental allocations for Official Development Assistance (ODA) were reset for 2024-25 and provided for 2025-26. As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, this settlement provides departments with £13.3 billion of ODA in Financial Year 2024-25 and £13.7 billion in Financial Year 2025-26, enabling the UK to spend 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI) on ODA in Calendar Years 2024 and 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Alex Brewer:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review the Lifetime ISAs property price limit. \p Tulip Siddiq: Data from the latest UK House Price Index) shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values.

The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Charlotte Nichols:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will assess the effectiveness of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. \p Tulip Siddiq: Following the conclusion of the Eat Out Help Out scheme, HMRC published statistical analysis, which included data on scheme’s costs, take up, and geographical breakdown.

The Covid Inquiry is also investigating the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government is cooperating fully with the Inquiry in its extensive and detailed work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing duty relief to brewers of cask conditioned beers. \p James Murray: Draught Relief provides a duty discount for eligible draught beer and cider. Cask conditioned beers will be able to benefit from Draught Relief if they are sold in a container of 20 litres or more, connected to a dispense system and are below 8.5 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV).

At the Budget, the Chancellor increased the relief available on draught products to 13.9%. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and is equivalent to a 1p duty reduction on a typical pint.

Cask conditioned beer producers will also be eligible for Small Producer Relief if they make 4,500 hectolitres or fewer of alcohol per year on all products below 8.5 per cent ABV. This is an additional duty discount to support small producers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the her Department's consultation entitled Transforming business rates, published 30 October 2024, whether she plans to meet with (a) British Business Improvement Districts, (b) The BID Foundation and (c) the Association of Town Centre Management as part of the engagement process. \p James Murray: At Autumn Budget, the Government published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform of the business rates system. This paper invites industry to help co-design a fairer system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.

Treasury officials are engaging with stakeholders who registered interest by the 15 November deadline, and the Government is open to receiving further written evidence to xxx@xxx.xx until the end of March 2025.