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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48852 on Diabetes, what his planned timetable is for responding to the (a) research and (b) other recommendations made in the position statement by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on the on the World Health Organization’s guideline on Non Sugar Sweeteners. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department welcomed the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN’s) statement on the World Health Organisation’s guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), published in April 2025.

As a result of these recommendations, we are in the process of updating our consumer advice on the NHS.UK website, which will focus on the long-term goal to reduce both sugar and NSS intake, with NSS being a useful swap for sugar in the short-term.

SACN’s recommendations to Government will be considered as part of our ongoing activities and in discussion with the Food Standards Agency; no timeline has been set.

The Department encourages the research community and industry to take up SACN’s recommendations directed at them.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve funding for sarcoma cancer research at hospitals in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR has invested in 11 projects with a total award value of £5.2 million to directly funded sarcoma research over the last five years, from 2020/21 to 2024/25.

Examples of these investments include the MILI trial, a Phase II study investigating metformin's potential to reduce cancer risk in individuals with Li Fraumeni Syndrome, and the SarcoSIGHT trial, which is a randomised controlled trial of fluorescence guided sarcoma surgery versus standard care, involving 500 participants. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including sarcoma 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 Frimley Park Integrated Care System, located within the constituency, is part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network, and they play a key role in supporting the delivery of research, including into sarcoma cancer. The NIHR’s flagship recruitment service, Be Part of Research, is a free, quick, and simple way for people to register and take part in research by allowing users to search for relevant studies. This makes it easier for people, including those in the Surrey Heath constituency, to find and take part in health and care research. Be Part of Research is central to the Government’s plans to turbocharge medical research and a key priority in the 10-Year Health Plan, set to be published over the coming weeks.
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Jim Dickson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when age of sale restrictions will be brought into force for nicotine pouches. \p Ashley Dalton: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

The bill includes a range of new regulation-making powers for the Government. Proposed regulations will be consulted on and subsequently laid. They will be implemented as soon as possible after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent.

The new age of sale restrictions for nicotine pouches will come into force six months after Royal Assent.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) transport, (b) digital appointments and (c) other support to families managing the transition of cystic fibrosis patients from paediatric to adult care services in Wiltshire. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England commissions 47 specialised cystic fibrosis (CF) centres for adults and children across England, in addition to supporting the optimal monitoring of patients with CF at home, and supporting best practice in remote consultations.

Service specifications published by NHS England clearly define the standards of services, care, and outcomes that people, including those in Wiltshire, can expect from specialist CF centres. Those service specifications aim to deliver improvements to life expectancy and quality of life for adults and children with CF. The service specification for children with CF outlines that the transition from paediatric to adult services should be planned with the patient and their parents/carers with due regard to patient choice, and discussions should take place as early as possible about the process of transition and the options for adult care.

The age of transition should be flexible, with the opportunity to visit the adult centre and meet key multi-disciplinary team members. There should be a detailed clinical handover and a documented paediatric and adult multi-disciplinary team member liaison. Specialist adult CF centres should demonstrate that they are actively engaging in the transition process for each child and are required to submit an annual audit report to commissioners of the experience of patients who transitioned during the year.

In August 2024, NHS England published the RightCare cystic fibrosis toolkit to help improve CF services and reduce unwarranted variation. The toolkit recommends that outpatient services should consider a hybrid model of face-to-face and virtual consultations, as appropriate. It recommends that trusts should provide the infrastructure and resources to provide virtual consultations, including IT tools and virtual monitoring capability, but should not replace face-to-face care where it is more appropriate, dependent on clinical need, or preferred by individuals.

To support patients, including those in Wiltshire, with the cost of travel, the National Health Service runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. The scheme allows patients to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria and have been referred to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests. Further details are available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire. \p Ashley Dalton: The House of Commons Library has published estimates at a constituency level for a variety of health conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with further information available at the following link:  https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-data-how-healthy-is-your-area/

For the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, this data shows an estimated prevalence of 2.45% for COPD. This is higher than the estimated prevalence for the West Midlands and England, with both having a prevalence of 1.85%. These figures are based on modelled estimates, derived from data published by NHS Digital in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) 2022/23. Integrated care board (ICB) level QOF data for the same 2022/23 period is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/quality-and-outcomes-framework-achievement-prevalence-and-exceptions-data/2022-23

This shows that for the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, the COPD register consists of 26,564 patients, and has a prevalence rate of 2.24%.

The latest QOF data that has been published by NHS England is for the 2023/24 period, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/quality-and-outcomes-framework-achievement-prevalence-and-exceptions-data/2023-24

This shows that for the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, the COPD register consists of 27,019 patients, and has a prevalence rate of 2.26%.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) HIV prevention and (b) HIV care services in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to ending new transmissions of HIV in England by 2030 and is developing the new HIV Action Plan which we aim to publish this year. The plan will address ways to improve and support HIV prevention and HIV care services across the whole of England, including in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Local authorities, such as Surrey County Council, are responsible for commissioning comprehensive open access to most sexual health services, including HIV prevention. It is for individual local authorities to commission HIV prevention services that best suit their population. In 2025/26, the Department has increased funding through the Public Health Grant to £3.858 billion, providing local authorities with an average 3% real terms increase, the biggest real-terms increase after nearly a decade of reduced spending.

NHS England is responsible for providing HIV treatment and care, which continues to have very high coverage and effectiveness across England. Commissioning responsibility for adult specialist services for people living with HIV has been delegated by NHS England to the integrated care boards.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Woking constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs, including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, which covers the Woking constituency, to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.

There are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England, including in the Woking constituency. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and by promoting best practice.

The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services.

NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care.

NHS England is also updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.

Our 10-Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. We also plan to publish our refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver a transformed health service over the next decade and to treat patients wherever they live in England, including those with MS, on time again.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS Blood and Transplant are taking to increase the number of blood donations. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. NHSBT has been using several initiatives to increase blood donations and in turn improve blood stocks.

For instance, the Department provided seed-funding to support NHSBT’s work to increase collection capacity and resilience, including the new Brixton Donor Centre which opened in December 2024. Additionally, the newly re-opened donor centre in Southampton and the Brighton donor centre that will open later in the year will increase NHSBT’s capacity to collect more blood.

National Blood Week, between 9 and 13 June 2025, saw campaigns seeking to recruit donors, particularly for blood groups where demand is high, and to increase the number of bookings. Messaging included a strong call to action for a million people to become regular donors.

NHSBT has a hotline to enable priority donors, which are currently O negative, B negative, and Ro donors, to find an available appointment. This function will be available for online and app bookings later in June 2025.

A Marketing Automation Tool was launched in September 2024 that will enable NHSBT to personalise the messages it sends to donors so that over the coming year, more of the communication donors receive will be relevant to them, making it easier for them to book an appointment at a time and place that suits them.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce consumption of ultra-processed food among children. \p Ashley Dalton: United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 and 2025 position statements on processed foods and health, the SACN concluded that while there are limitations in the evidence, on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and low in fibre.

In relation to foods and drinks that would be classified as high in calories, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, work on our health commitments is progressing through:

There are a range of actions have already been taken to create a healthier environment to help children reduce their consumption of foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and these include:
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to specialist cystic fibrosis services through (a) NHS Trusts in (i) Bath and (ii) Swindon and (b) other routes for patients in Wiltshire. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England commissions 47 specialised cystic fibrosis centres for adults and children across England. This includes the Bristol Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, based at Bristol Royal Infirmary, the Oxford Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, based at John Radcliffe Hospital, and the Wessex Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, based at Southampton General Hospital, which serve patients in Bath, Swindon, and the wider county of Wiltshire.

Service specifications published by NHS England clearly define the standards of services, care, and outcomes that people can expect from these centres. Those service specifications aim to deliver improvements to life expectancy and quality of life for adults and children with cystic fibrosis.

In addition, NHS England is supporting the optimal monitoring of patients with cystic fibrosis at home and supporting best practice in remote consultations. In August 2024, NHS England published the RightCare cystic fibrosis toolkit to help improve cystic fibrosis services and reduce unwarranted variation. The toolkit is designed to help support systems to understand key priorities and ways of optimising cystic fibrosis care, by providing key actions for improvement. The toolkit should be used in conjunction with the NHS England service specification for cystic fibrosis and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust Standards of Care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the diagnosis and management of cystic fibrosis, which specifies how to monitor the condition and manage the symptoms to improve quality of life.
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Oliver Ryan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility requirements for the NHS Health Check to adults aged between 25 to 39. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, assesses the risk factors for CVD in people aged 40 to 74 years old, provides advice on how to reduce the risk of developing CVD, and refers people to behaviour support programmes, clinical assessment, and treatment where appropriate.

Data shows that the older a person is, the more likely it is they will attend their NHS Health Check, with the highest uptake in the 70 to 74 year old age group.

We are undertaking a review of the evidence for expanding eligibility to people under 40 years of age. This work will inform the ongoing policy for the NHS Health Check programme.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential barriers to reducing levels of of melanoma skin cancer cases. \p Ashley Dalton: To address barriers and reduce the levels of melanoma skin cancer cases, the Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on reducing the risk of skin cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/melanoma-skin-cancer/

NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, and to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers, including melanoma, at an earlier point.

The Department and NHS England are committed to working closely with partners and patient groups to shape the long-term vision for cancer. The call for evidence for the National Cancer Plan closed on 29 April 2025, with over 11,000 responses from individuals, professionals, and organisations, sharing their views on how the Government can continue to improve cancer care in England.

Alongside the call for evidence, the Department regularly engages with many cancer partners, including charities and those within the cancer community, to ensure we are hearing from a range of different voices.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. The National Cancer Plan for England is planned for publication in the second half of this year.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to help support (a) integrated care boards and (b) cancer alliances to develop (i) local and (ii) regional long-term workforce plans. \p Ashley Dalton: We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places to deliver the care patients need, transforming the health service and making it fit for the future.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the uptake of HPV vaccines. \p Ashley Dalton: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Rotherham on 5 March 2025 to Question 31921.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of US tariffs on Chinese vape products on the level of illegal Chinese vapes entering the UK. \p Ashley Dalton: We are closely monitoring the impact of the tariffs introduced by the United States, and are prepared to act in the best interests of the United Kingdom, as shown through the Economic Prosperity Deal signed with the US in May. No assessment has been made of the specific impact of US tariffs on Chinese exports of vapes to the UK.

The Government is concerned about the access to and availability of vapes to children. This is why, alongside the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This will support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales in England and the implementation of the measures in the bill.

Furthermore, in October 2026, we are introducing a new Vaping Products Duty which will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit products.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the difference in funding levels is for research into (a) lobular and (b) ductal breast cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department of Health and Social Care invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.

The level of funding for research generally depends on funding applications received. The NIHR continues to welcome high quality, high impact funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including lobular cancer and ductal breast cancer.

The Department of Health and Social Care has invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre from 2022 to 2027, supporting their research on cancer and lobular breast cancer. This is complemented by wider investments into breast cancer research including, for example, a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, again including lobular breast cancer.

Current NIHR funded research into breast cancer covers aspects of prevention, detection, treatment and follow-up care, which are relevant to both lobular and ductal breast cancer. Of 29 currently active studies, totalling £49.54m in funded awards, there is currently one active study designed to look at the impact of screening on ductal breast cancer diagnosis and treatment specifically.

On 4 February 2025, the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (EDITH) trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via the NIHR.

The Department of Health and Social Care recognises that further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and disease processes of cancer, including lobular and ductal breast cancer, to unlock pathways for developing new treatments. This type of discovery research is supported by the Medical Research Council, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, via UK Research and Innovation, though funding decisions are made independently from Government.
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Claire Hanna:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families subject to no recourse to public funds in Northern Ireland (a) are in receipt of Healthy Start and (b) have had their application for Healthy Start rejected. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department transferred the Healthy Start Extension Scheme to the NHS Business Services Authority at the beginning of April 2025.

Since April 2025, and as of the 11 June 2025, there are no families in Northern Ireland subject to no recourse to public funds who are in receipt of the Healthy Start Extension Scheme, or who have had an application rejected.

The Department does not hold data on the number of rejected applications prior to the NHS Business Services Authority taking over the running of the extension scheme in April 2025.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to make cancer diagnoses in Nottinghamshire. \p Ashley Dalton: We will reduce cancer waiting times so that patients are diagnosed and treated faster, including patients in Nottinghamshire.

We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, and we have now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster diagnosis.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including in Nottinghamshire, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. It will ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. These actions will help bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of eligible families are receiving support through the Healthy Start scheme in South Norfolk constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/

The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. In addition, the NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The number of people on the digital scheme in the local authority of South Norfolk as of 23 May 2025 is 423.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps with the Food Standards Agency to align the labelling of early-weaning baby food sold as suitable for babies aged four months and older with NHS guidance on introducing solid foods to babies from six months old. \p Ashley Dalton: Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.

Government dietary advice is that babies should be introduced to a healthy and varied diet, alongside their usual breast milk or first infant formula, when they are approximately six months old. This advice is communicated on the Start for Life and the NHS.UK websites, and we recommend businesses follow this advice when labelling products. Manufacturers are aware of this dietary advice and many already state six months on their products or have made a commitment to do so soon.

The Department is responsible for legislation and policy on foods for infants and young children. Regulations set minimum standards for nutrition, composition, and labelling for commercial baby food, and we challenge industry to act responsibly and take voluntary action to align products with dietary guidelines and best practice.

We continue to keep regulations for commercial baby food under review against the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to include the (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) research of urinary tract infections in the (i) 10-year Health Plan and (ii) Women’s Health Strategy. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will set out how we tackle the inequities that lead to poor health. This will include how we will improve access to and the experience of care for conditions such as chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their conditions, including chronic UTIs, closer to home.

Recurrent UTIs are more prevalent in women. This Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future, and our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible actions to improve health for women.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been prescribed stem cell transplantation therapy for MS in the last five years, by NHS region. \p Ashley Dalton: Whilst there is no data available for how many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been prescribed a stem cell transplant, the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy (BSBMTCT) reports that, between 2018 and 2022, there were 232 autologous stem cell transplants performed for MS in England. There may be patients for whom a stem cell transplant was prescribed but they did not go ahead with the transplant.

This data has not been made available to NHS England by BSBMTCT by National Health Service region.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered launching a time-limited regional pilot of a blood-donor loyalty programme that awards perks to donors. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. NHSBT has a Donor Recognition Scheme (DRS) that thanks donors, using personalised emails at various milestones, digital badges, and for higher donation thresholds, distributes pin badges and formal certificates. Further information on the DRS is available at the following link:

https://www.blood.co.uk/the-donation-process/recognising-donors/

NHSBT’s strategic objective is to grow and diversify the donor base to meet evolving hospital needs, and to reduce health inequalities. To support this, the DRS is being reviewed. The new approach will shift the emphasis from recognition alone to retention, with a stronger focus on engaging newer donors. In the coming year, a series of pilots will shape a new donor recognition and retention proposition that will improve access and engagement of donors, and build a more sustainable donor base. These pilots will play a critical role in shaping a scheme that supports NHSBT’s goals of equitable access, long-term engagement, and sustainability in blood donation.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of the (a) symptoms and (b) treatment of prostate cancer among men. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.

The Department continues to advise patients in England to follow National Health Service guidance on the signs and symptoms of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/

Improving access to treatment and care are key priorities for the Government for all cancer types, including prostate cancer. To achieve this, the NHS in England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to ensure early diagnosis and faster treatment. Additionally, the Government will spend £70 million on new radiotherapy machines in England, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.

The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, thereby increasing the consistency of access to treatments, and helping to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.

To increase awareness of treatment options, the Department is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.

The National Cancer Plan for England, planned for publication later this year, will include further details on how the NHS will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as improving access to treatment and care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_227

Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England supports the policy of excluding children from community health services on the basis of school type; and what assessment he has made of the merits of such a policy. \p Ashley Dalton: There is no policy that excludes children from community health services on the basis of school type. The National Health Service is free at the point of use and provides care to anyone who need it based on clinical need.

NHS occupational therapy services are provided for all children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). For those without an EHCP, some schools provide on-site NHS occupational therapy.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_229
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_229

Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of access to spinal services for patients in Boston and Skegness constituency; and what steps he is taking to ensure that residents can access (a) timely and (b) geographically appropriate spinal care. \p Ashley Dalton: The local acute trust in Lincolnshire, United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (ULTH), does not have a spinal service. Emergency services take non-complex patients with potential spinal issues to the closest accident and emergency within Lincolnshire to be treated or stabilised, but if the patient is assessed at scene as having a spinal injury they will be transported directly to the Tertiary Centre at Nottingham University Hospital (NUH). NUH also provides a spinal consultant who supports ULTH on a weekly basis.

General practitioners in the Skegness and Boston area can refer patients to a local spinal assessment service which completes a full assessment of the patient’s condition with appropriate diagnostics. There are then two pathways for spinal services based on clinical need. Non-complex patients will be offered choice of local acute services and complex patients are offered a choice of the tertiary centres at NUH & Sheffield.

NHS England’s Midlands Regional Team has developed and implemented a network model of care for spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Specialist clinicians in SCI provide acute care, intervention and training including outreach to local hospitals for patients who need SCI rehabilitation whilst they are waiting for a bed at a specialist SCI centre. SCI rehabilitation for Lincolnshire patients is primarily delivered via the specialist SCI centre in Sheffield. For Lincolnshire, NHS England has recognised that there is a significant clinical gap in these patients being managed locally whilst waiting for a specialist SCI rehabilitation bed. NHS England has allocated funding as part of the Network Model of Care for a post to be based at Lincoln Country Hospital to provide specialist support for Lincolnshire residents. Currently, this post is vacant, but NHS England and the trust are working towards successful recruitment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_230

Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53036 on Coronavirus: Research, when he plans to publish the audit; whether he plans to publish his Department's initial assessment of the PMCPA’s ruling; and if has made an assessment of the level of breach of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Code that would impact the delivery of the Moderna-United Kingdom Strategic Partnership. \p Ashley Dalton: The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) is a non-governmental, self-regulatory body, which independently administers the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will review the PMCPA's audit of Moderna once the report is available. This review will include consideration of the audit findings, any impacts for delivery of the Moderna-UK Strategic Partnership and next steps if required.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_231

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the recovery pathways for the care of sudden cardiac arrest survivors. \p Ashley Dalton: In December 2024, to support local systems to commission high quality cardiac rehabilitation, NHS England published the document, Commissioning standards for cardiac rehabilitation, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/commissioning-standards-for-cardiovascular-rehabilitation/

These standards of care complement the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation’s Standards and Core Components document, published in 2023, to support the delivery of high-quality care and adherence to evidenced-based practice.

The NHS Long Term Plan committed to improve community first response and build defibrillator networks to help save 4,000 lives by 2028. This is being supported by educating the public, including young people of school age, about how to recognise and respond to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

NHS England is also working with partners such as the British Heart Foundation to harness new technology and ensure the public and emergency services can rapidly locate this life saving equipment in an emergency.

Patients who survive cardiac arrest and their families are supported through referral to local services within the National Health Service; this will include rehabilitation such as cardiac and neurological rehabilitation and mental health services for psychological support.

There are different pathways for cardiac arrest survivors, depending on the severity of the damage caused by the cardiac arrest. For people being discharged from secondary care and those with ischemic heart disease, namely myocardial infarction, cardiac rehabilitation services are available in every region.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_232

Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the four out of 10 cases of cancer which are preventable. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government recognises the importance of primary and secondary prevention, to reduce the number of people with cancer.

There are significant national programmes across vaccination, screening, and education, which have the potential to support both reductions in cases of cancer, and increases in early diagnosis rates. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has led to a substantial reduction in cervical cancer cases. All children aged 12 to 13 years old in England, those in Year 8, are offered the HPV vaccine, and NHS England is taking action to increase uptake, as outlined in the NHS Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan. In addition, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect certain types of HPV infection, which is the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancer.

Smoking is the cause of 72% of all lung cancers, and in response to this, the Government is committed to creating a smoke-free generation through the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country.

The Government and the National Health Service also recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of certain cancers. To address risks related to overweight and obesity across the United Kingdom, the Government has laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink products, and is taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. The Department will continue to work across the Government to understand how to reduce alcohol-related harms in England and the UK. The Government and the NHS recognise the importance of physical activity for the prevention and management of long-term health conditions.

The National Cancer Plan, planned for publication later this year, will set out how we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.