theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) members of the Royal Family and (b) parliamentarians will be required to have digital ID cards. \p Josh Simons: There will be no requirement to enrol in Digital ID. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks by the end of this Parliament.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will publish all consultation responses on the proposed digital ID scheme prior to the introduction of legislation. \p Josh Simons: We will follow the Cabinet Office principles for consultations and consider all responses received, from both individuals and organisations.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what process the he is planning for (a) employers and (b) landlords to verify digital ID credentials; and whether that process will require personal data to be transmitted to a (i) central record and (ii) broker service. \p Josh Simons: Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital credential by the end of this Parliament.

We will be consulting on the detail of the programme in due course, including how to help employers onboard onto the system and how they will validate the credential to prove an employee's right to work.

There are no plans to pool data in a single location. The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to take steps to prevent commercial entities acting as digital ID verifiers from using verification data for (a) marketing, (b) analytics and (c) employment profiling. \p Josh Simons: The Government will conduct a full public consultation on the new digital ID to inform our approach. We are currently exploring best practice from other countries with digital identity schemes and other private sector companies who have digitised their services in order to develop the set of proposals to take to public consultation.

The Government has been clear that privacy and security will be hard-wired into the system from the start, and user control will be central to plans. It will operate to best practice standards for security and privacy.

This includes established standards for cyber security, counter-fraud and data storage, and following all existing UK legislation.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Irish citizens in Northern Ireland will be required to have digital ID cards. \p Josh Simons: There will be no requirements for Irish citizens, or UK citizens, to have a digital ID. We will design this system to ensure everyone who has a right to live and work in any part of the UK can do so more easily and securely, ensuring our commitments in the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area are respected.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the number of people who have died due to mercury poisoning in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in every year since 2010. \p Josh Simons: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 31st October is attached.

PQ 87020 (pdf, 88.5KB)
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she has taken to support the pub sector in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government recognises the vital role that hospitality businesses such as restaurants and pubs play in supporting the UK’s economy and communities, including in Romford.

As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with ratable values (RVs) below £500,000 from 2026/27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that small hospitality businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

In addition, we
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to increase the Government contribution to savings in Lifetime ISAs. \p Lucy Rigby: On the Government LISA contribution, LISA holders can receive a generous 25% government bonus on contributions up to £4,000 per year. This means an individual who made the full contribution would receive a £1,000 bonus from the Government.

On the age limits, the LISA is designed to encourage younger people to get into the habit of saving for the longer-term. Individuals who did not open a LISA before the age of 40 are still able to save in another ISA type and benefit from the annual subscription limit of £20,000. They can also contribute to a pension, where their contributions will generally receive significant tax relief from the Government.

Those who opened a LISA before their 40th birthday can continue to subscribe until they are 50 and can continue managing their account beyond that date. This includes transferring the account to another LISA manager and changing their investment profile from cash to stocks and shares or vice versa.

The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review, and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reforms to the Landfill Tax on businesses engaged in environmentally-responsible waste (a) treatment and (b) recycling. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government recently consulted on proposals to reform Landfill Tax to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the Government’s circular economy objectives. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including from businesses that are engaged in environmentally responsible waste management practices. The consultation closed on 28 July, and the Government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of recent changes to Landfill Tax rates on chemical manufacturing operations in Teesside. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government recently consulted on proposals to reform Landfill Tax to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the Government’s circular economy objectives. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the chemical manufacturing sector. The consultation closed on 28 July, and the Government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the treatment of electric vehicles under the benefit-in-kind system. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC publishes annual statistics which provide information about the company cars provided as benefits in kind to employees by employers, including the proportion of the company car stock which is electric. The most recent statistics were published in June 2024 for the tax year 2022-23, which showed that 220,000 company cars were fully electric, or 29% of the total company car stock, an increase from 50,000 in 2020-21.

The Government recognises that Company Car Tax Regime and salary sacrifice exemption for ultra-low and zero emission vehicles continues to play an important role in the EV transition. The Government is committed to supporting the transition to electric vehicles, and generous company car tax rates for electric cars have been a key incentive for increasing their number on the road. Electric company cars also play a significant role in supporting the used EV markets. At the end of their lease company cars are sold into the used markets, which is where the majority of car sales take place in the UK.

More widely, the UK has a range of measures to support people to transition to zero emission vehicles, including the plug-in grant for vans and support for charging infrastructure across all of England.

The Government has more recently announced the new Electric Car Grant, which supports drivers to purchase ZEVs with grants of up to £3,750. The grant will help save drivers money and get more of them buying EVs, whilst helping the Government to deliver its environmental commitments.

The Government keeps all taxes including benefit in kind taxation of electric vehicles under review.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many e-bikes have been imported from China in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025. \p Dan Tomlinson: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK which includes data on imports of e-bikes. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited Official Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com).

From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.

Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist you in accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Global Tariff. Goods moving to and from the UK are identified by commodity codes. These are publicly available from the UK Trade Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. E-bikes are classified within commodity codes 87116010 and 87116090. However, these commodity codes will also include similar types of electric transportation such as e-scooters.

If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact xxx@xxx.xx.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an estimate of annual tax loss from untaxed remittances sent abroad by non-UK nationals. \p Dan Tomlinson: The UK imposes taxes based on individual’s residence status. Individuals who are resident in the UK are typically taxable on their income and gains that arise worldwide. Remitting funds outside of the UK is not generally considered to be a chargeable event for individuals. It should also be noted that funds being remitted will often have already been subject to UK tax, such as income tax, if funded from earnings.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59028 on Public Expenditure, what the monetary value is of the indicative (a) capital and (b) resource departmental expenditure limit settlement budgeted for Parliament over each year of the Spending Review; and whether this includes budgeted funding for the restoration and renewal programme. \p James Murray: Figures on the resource and capital outturns, estimates and forecasts for Parliamentary Bodies over the Spending Review period - including for the Restoration and Renewal of Parliament - are provided in the table below. The figures in future years can change. The budgets for Parliamentary Bodies are set by Parliament.

Outturn 2023-24 (£m)*

Outturn 2024-25 (£m)*

Plans 2025-26 (£m)**

Plans 2026-27 (£m)

Plans 2027-28 (£m)

Plans 2028-29 (£m)

Plans 2029-30 (£m)

Resource

567.7

602.8

634.6

643.7

651.6

657.3

-

Capital

167.1

187.1

233.7

257.0

267.2

278.0

291.3

*Excludes non-cash ringfence

**Main Estimate, excludes non-cash ringfence
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans her Department has to review the future of the fuel duty freeze. \p Dan Tomlinson: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26. The temporary 5p cut is scheduled to expire in March 2026. The Government carefully considers the impact of fuel duty on households and businesses, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of legal protections for public transport workers who have been assaulted in the workplace. \p Lilian Greenwood: Following the horrific attack on the 18:25 LNER Doncaster to London service on the 1st November, my Department are working with British Transport Police (BTP) and the rail industry to understand if any immediate interventions are required. The heroic efforts of rail staff meant that further harm was avoided and undoubtedly saved lives.

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts quickly and that the British Transport Police have a specific remit to protect all rail staff and passengers.

Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to tackle (a) violence and (b) verbal abuse towards public transport workers while at work in (i) Slough and (ii) the South East. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport is working with the transport industry to ensure that public transport is a safe environment for staff and passengers. Ensuring that staff feel safe at work is a priority.

Following the horrific attack on the 18:25 LNER Doncaster to London service at Huntingdon on the 1st November, my Department are working with British Transport Police (BTP) and the rail industry to understand if any immediate interventions are required. The heroic efforts of rail staff meant that further harm was avoided and undoubtedly saved lives.

Prior to the incident, this government brought in the Bus Services Act 2025 which mandates training for staff working in the bus industry, including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public, on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport. This training will require a person to take steps to prevent crime or anti-social behaviour only where it is safe to do so. This will apply to all bus operators including those in Slough and the South East.

BTP are responsible for policing the railway, and they deploy their officers across the network, including in Slough and the South East, based on intelligence led briefings with daily taskings to provide reassurance to the public. They work closely with rail operators that serve those areas to conduct joint operations and have regular engagement with staff and safeguarding and security managers.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's net zero transport spending commitments on its capital allocation for (a) road maintenance, (b) HGV parking and (c) freight infrastructure. \p Keir Mather: All spending allocations were agreed as part of the Spending Review process to deliver Departmental priorities, including road maintenance, HGV parking and freight infrastructure, alongside specific commitments that would support delivery of net zero. This approach ensured that investment in net zero was considered alongside, not at the expense of, other essential priorities.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department is providing to Greater Manchester to fund the removal of Clean Air Zone signage in the region. \p Keir Mather: We agreed in January 2025 an £86m plan for Greater Manchester to help clean up the region’s air, including support for cleaner buses, local traffic measures and moving Greater Manchester’s taxi fleet to cleaner vehicles. Individual spending decisions within that funding package are for Greater Manchester authorities.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East on developments to Active Travel England. \p Lilian Greenwood: Active Travel England has a key role in the planning system as a statutory consultee for development management via Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.

As part of this statutory role, Active Travel England officials regularly offer to hold discussions with local planning authorities, developers and local highway authorities.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the statistics entitled Monthly total number of electric vehicle public charging devices available in the UK, published on 1 October 2025, if she will provide a breakdown by local transport authority. \p Keir Mather: Geographic breakdowns of the number of public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK are published in the tables for Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics: October 2025.

Table 1a summarises the number of public charging devices by region and local authority.

Table 7a summarises the number of public charging devices by parliamentary constituency.

The Department does not hold this data summarised at local transport authority level.

The tables are included as a supplementary attachment to this response.

EV Public Charging Infrastructure Structure (xlsx, 876.8KB)
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82997 on the Restoring Your Railway Fund, how much and what proportion of previously allocated funding has been (a) spent, (b) returned to the Treasury and (c) written off following the programme’s cancellation. \p Simon Lightwood: The Chancellor’s 29 July 2024 announcement confirmed that the Restoring Your Railway programme would be brought to a close, as one of the steps she was taking to address the pressures on the public finances created by unfunded policy announcements made by the previous government. At that time, £349.18m had been spent. The remaining funding anticipated for the Restoring Your Railways fund was reallocated to support other priorities within rail enhancements and across government as part of the Spending Review process. This included concluding work on the delivery of the Northumberland Line, and Dartmoor Line projects, previously part of the RYR fund. The Secretary of State has confirmed funding will be provided for Metrowest (Portishead), Haxby station, Wellington station and Cullompton station projects that had also previously been identified through RYR. No funding was "written off" as part of this process.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide financial support to small businesses to purchase zero emission heavy goods vehicles after 2026. \p Keir Mather: The Government has kickstarted the deployment of zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and their supporting charging and fuelling infrastructure through initiatives such as the Plug-In Truck Grant (PiTG), the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme, and the up to £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID).

These initiatives are open to all businesses, including small businesses, to support the uptake of zero emission HGVs by lowering upfront costs and supporting the provision of dedicated HGV charging infrastructure.

The PiTG remains in place until the end of the 2026/27 financial year. The ZEHID programme is funding hundreds of ZE HGVs and their associated recharging and refuelling sites by March 2026.

While the Depot Charging Scheme will close on or by 28 November 2025, by supporting necessary infrastructure, the funding will provide confidence to the logistics sector and support British businesses to transition to zero emission.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of (a) 44-tonne, five-axle volumetric concrete mixers and (b) traditional drum mixers on (i) the number of vehicle movements, (ii) road wear and (iii) water usage. \p Keir Mather: The Department has not made a specific comparative assessment of the potential impact of 44-tonne, five-axle volumetric concrete mixers (VCMs) and traditional drum mixers.

The Department estimates there are in the region of 1,000 VCMs in operation alongside 20,000 drum mixers. The report undertaken by National Highways as part of the Department’s review of VCMs compared the forces exerted by the VCMs to the standard highway vehicle load model used for assessing bridges and found the effects were up to 17% greater than for vehicles complying with the current standard weight limits. This will likely result in increased wear and tear and may impact the durability and lifespan of existing bridges. In addition to the impact on bridges, heavier vehicles also put more stress on roads.

The outcome of the Department’s review into VCMs, including the report by National Highways, was published on 18 March 2025. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve charging infrastructure for electric heavy goods vehicles. \p Keir Mather: The up to £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) is kickstarting the deployment of zero emission HGV infrastructure and has already funded 73 planned infrastructure locations, representing over 360 chargers. The Government is further supporting the installation of charging equipment at depots through the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the annual economic contribution of volumetric concrete mixers to the economy. \p Keir Mather: The Department for Transport acknowledges the contribution VCMs make to our economy, particularly to the UK construction industry.

The outcome of my department’s review into VCMs was published on 18 March 2025. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a zero emission vehicle mandate for heavy duty vehicles. \p Keir Mather: The Government believes that more needs to be done to decarbonise the road freight sector. We are considering our regulatory approach to decarbonise new non-zero emission heavy goods vehicles and will engage with stakeholders in due course.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of airport expansion on tourism in coastal towns. \p Keir Mather: Airports are key gateways into the UK for international tourists and airport expansion will help to facilitate their ability to visit the United Kingdom, including our coastal towns.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding was provided to the creative industry in the West Midlands by (a) capital and (b) project grants and by (i) county and (ii) county per head in each year since 2015. \p Ian Murray: The Creative Industries Sector Plan includes a universal offer to drive growth in the creative industries in any place in the UK and announced £380m of targeted government support over the Spending Review period.

The £150m Creative Places Growth Fund will be fully devolved to 6 Mayoral Strategic Authorities, including the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to empower local leaders to grow their creative industries and unlock creative skills, jobs and investment opportunities. Shropshire Council is a non-constituent member of WMCA and is not currently within the funding boundary of WMCA. The devolved nature of this fund will enable local leaders to allocate this funding according to local barriers and opportunities, which may include areas beyond funding boundaries.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has provided specific support to the West Midlands through the Creative Scale-Up Pilot (CSUP) and the Create Growth Programme (CGP), providing grants of £1,300,000 and £945,000 to the WMCA and access to direct financial support from InnovateUK on a competition basis with £20 million available across 12 regions. Distribution of CGP and CSUP funding at the county and county per head level is handled by the delivery partners (WMCA and Innovate UK) and is not held by DCMS.

Since 2015, DCMS has delivered UK-wide funding programmes available to businesses and organisations in the West Midlands and Shropshire area, including the UK Games Fund, UK Global Screen Fund and Music Exports Growth Scheme. The Supporting Grassroots Music fund is also available to applicants based in England. Funding is delivered to businesses by the delivery partners and DCMS does not hold data at a regional level. The Sector Plan announced expansion of these programmes for 2026-2029.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to develop a neurology-specific implementation plan to support the 10 year Health Plan for England. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England has established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This programme is underway now and is due to conclude in March 2026.

The Neurology Transformation Programme focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which will include components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.

NHS England Specialised Commissioning published a revised National Neurology Service Specification in August 2025, which provides a detailed description of how patients can access specialised neurology care equitably wherever they are in England, particularly for specialised services that are not available in every part of the country.

There are currently no plans to develop a neurology-specific implementation plan to support the 10-Year Health Plan, although potential conditions and topics for the new modern service frameworks will be kept under review following the development of the first tranche of three referenced in the 10-Year Health Plan.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support patients with postural tachycardia syndrome in Devon. \p Ashley Dalton: Many patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) can be diagnosed and managed effectively within primary care. In complex cases, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team.

Integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England, have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations, including for those with PoTS. It is the responsibility of ICBs, including the NHS Devon ICB, to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet the needs of patients with PoTS.

There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which should have a positive impact on care for patients with PoTS: more tests and scans delivered in the community; better joint working between services; and greater use of technology. These changes will help people with PoTS to manage their care closer to home.

Neighbourhood Health Services will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings with multi-disciplinary teams who can provide wrap-around support services to people with PoTS or other long-term conditions.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will be enhanced to allow patients to manage appointments, medications, and view or create their own care plans. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need. My Medicines will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and My Health will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through My Specialist on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_192

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome have access to (a) specialist (i) clinicians, (ii) nurses, (iii) physiotherapists, (iv) occupational therapists, (v) dieticians and (vi) clinical psychologists and (b) (A) equipment and (B) clinic space in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: Services for people with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory responsibility to provide a health service to the local population, subject to local prioritisation and funding, which includes access to specialist medical services for people with PoTS as appropriate.

The treatment of patients with PoTS in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency area is managed on an individual, case-by-case basis. A multi-disciplinary team approach has been adopted, involving specialists such as physiotherapists, cardiologists, and neurologists. Patients are referred into specialist centres in London if their diagnosis or treatment requires a more specialist approach or facilities.

More widely, the Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it, including for patients with PoTS.
wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_193
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_193

Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether HPV self-sampling will be less frequently than clinician screening, in the context of uncertainties in relation to the accuracy of the self-sampling test. \p Ashley Dalton: The frequency of human papilloma virus (HPV) self-sampling will be the same as the frequency of clinician-led cervical screening. The home kits will only be offered to people who have missed their cervical screening appointment by six months or more. The next stage in the pathway for anyone who tests positive for HPV via self-sampling would be an appointment for a clinician-taken test.

Following the announcement to introduce HPV self-sampling in the National Health Service cervical screening programme for the under-screened population, the NHS has begun planning an in-service evaluation (ISE) of HPV self-sampling in the wider population.

The purpose of the ISE is to ensure that the self-sampling test is acceptable, accurate, and feasible compared with a clinician collected specimen, and to evaluate its impact on cervical screening uptake. The findings of the ISE will inform any future UK National Screening Committee recommendation to ministers to offer self-sampling across the whole population, alongside clinician-led screening.
wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_194
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_194

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what percentage of total research expenditure has been spent on research into (a) Giloma, (b) Glioblastoma, (c) Astrocytoma, (d) DIPG and (e) DMG brain tumour types in the last decade. \p Ashley Dalton: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.

Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million in research projects focused on brain tumours. These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. Data for 2024/25 is not yet available.

The following table shows the percentage of research expenditure invested on specific cancer subtypes for the period 2014/15 to 2024/25:

Type

Amount

% of total NIHR programme spend (£6.1 billion)

Glioma

£3.1m

0.052%

Glioblastoma

£3.2m

0.053%

Astrocytoma

£0.4m

0.007%

DIPG

-

-

DMG

-

-

Total

£6.8m

0.112%

In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, for instance facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £37.5 million, supporting the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and enabling over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research in the National Health Service.

Working with stakeholders from across the research community, in September 2024 NIHR launched a package of support to stimulate high-quality research applications through:

i. establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage and treat brain tumours;

ii. a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and

iii. a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.

The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas in advance. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including all cancer types.
wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_195
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_195

Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to prioritise research into the early detection of pancreatic cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.

These investments are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. An example of this investment is research led by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Imperial College London on breath tests for early detection of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. Further information on the breath tests is available at the following link:

https://imperialbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2023/06/05/imperial-led-uk-cancer-breath-tests-reach-final-stages/

The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including pancreatic cancer research. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes for cancer patients in England.
wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_196
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_196

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to protect household contacts of the immunosuppressed from covid-19 infection. \p Ashley Dalton: 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, involving hospitalisation and/or death, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024 noted that in the 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 the transmission of infection from one person to another was expected to be extremely limited. On this basis, the JCVI did not advise offering vaccination to household contacts of people with immunosuppression. The Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024, with both the advice and the Government’s response available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-accepts-advice-on-2024-autumn-covid-vaccine-programme

Household contacts were therefore not offered vaccination in the autumn 2024 campaign. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme covering vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026. In line with its advice for the autumn 2024 campaign, the JCVI did not advise COVID-19 vaccination for household contacts of people with immunosuppression. This advice 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 accepted the JCVI’s advice on eligibility for the spring and autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Government is considering the advice for spring 2026 carefully and will respond in due course.

Those with concerns are advised to discuss these with their general practitioner or healthcare professional.
wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_197
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_197

Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May to Question 51941 on Paraneoplastic Encephalomyelitis: Diagnosis, if his Department will write to the laboratories that do provide testing for the condition and ask whether they provide testing for KLHL11 antibodies. \p Ashley Dalton: There are no current plans to write to laboratories that provide testing for paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis to ask whether this includes KLHl11 antibody testing.

27 pathology networks across England are working to provide a vast range of tests to ensure the accurate and timely diagnosis of conditions. This includes those tests that are typically used to support the diagnosis of paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis, such as immunology tests.

The Government is supporting pathology networks to increase digital capabilities by March 2026 to reduce unnecessary waits and repeat tests, to ensure that patients receive their results sooner. This is supported by £600 million of capital in 2025/26 for diagnostics. This investment also provides funding for the automation of histopathology laboratories.
wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_198
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_198

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of lactose-free medication in the South East. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The patient’s doctor is best placed to understand their requirements and might consider it necessary to prescribe lactose free products, possibly by brand. Alternatively, the doctor might be able to stipulate “lactose free” on the prescription and liaise with local pharmacists to find a suitable product.

The British National Formulary is an evidence-based independent drug formulary used by health professionals as a source of key information on the selection, prescribing, dispensing, and administration of medicines. It advises that the lactose content in most medicines is too small to cause problems in most lactose-intolerant patients. However, in patients with severe lactose intolerance, lactose content should be determined before prescribing, especially if they are taking several products containing lactose.

It is a requirement to state the presence of lactose on the label of a medicine. All ingredients present in a medicine must be declared in the patient information leaflet (PIL). The PIL is provided in the packaging of all medicines. In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the electronic medicines compendium can be used to see the composition of medicines licensed in the United Kingdom, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc
wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_199
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-10 conversation_199

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the relationship between deprivation and lung cancer diagnosis. \p Ashley Dalton: We know that some cancers disproportionately impact those living in deprived areas, notably lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is designed to identify cancer at an earlier stage and is aimed at high-risk individuals or people with a history of smoking between the ages of 55 to 74 years old. The National Health Service is currently rolling out the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme to people with a history of smoking.

Additionally, reducing inequalities is a key priority for the National Cancer Plan, which will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival. This includes looking at protected characteristics, such as ethnicity, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, and geographic location.