Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what further action they are taking to procure UK-made steel for alterations and additions to (1) Royal Air Force, (2) Royal naval, and (3) army bases and installations.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. The sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities, including specialist cast and forged steel components for a range of defence programmes. The department publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, enabling UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for upcoming contracts.

The National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence Review, and Defence Industrial Strategy set out how a strong industrial base is critical for maintaining our national security infrastructure. While steel used in our major Defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurement activity will continue to apply PPN 022, a policy aimed at increasing the use of British-produced steel in public contracts. The MOD also supports the recently published UK Steel Strategy which sets out a long-term plan to revitalise the UK steel sector and restore domestic production to sustainable levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve access to genetic testing for inherited cardiovascular conditions.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Genomic testing in the National Health Service plays an important role in diagnosing and managing inherited cardiovascular conditions. The National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD) outlines eligibility criteria for genomic testing, including for conditions such as familial hypercholesterolaemia, cardiomyopathies, Long QT syndrome, and Brugada syndrome. The NGTD is reviewed annually, with input from expert groups, to ensure it reflects the latest scientific advances and delivers value for money.

Seven NHS Genomic Medicine Service Alliances improve access to genomic testing, including for cardiovascular conditions, through the systematic embedding of genomics in end-to-end clinical pathways and clinical specialities, as well as improving clinicians’ awareness of genomic testing services available for patients.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed to creating a genomics population health service by the end of the decade. This will support earlier detection of inherited causes of major diseases and begin integrating genomic insights into cardiovascular disease prevention and care, including through a service evaluation with Our Future Health on Integrated Risk Scores and through neighbourhood health teams to increase equitable uptake of genomic testing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure an equitable provision of radiotherapy treatment.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients have timely access to cutting-edge cancer treatments, including radiotherapy. This commitment has been demonstrated by a £70 million investment into 28 new LINAC radiotherapy machines, which are currently being rolled out and replacing outdated, inefficient radiotherapy equipment. These new machines will reduce waiting times and increase treatment capacity by 15%, enabling an additional 27,500 patients to be treated each year.

We expect that local systems will continue to look for opportunities to streamline radiotherapy treatment services, improve treatment availability, and harness artificial intelligence technology to support oncologists to plan radiotherapy treatments faster and more accurately.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to improve the quality and consistency of sorted scrap metal to meet increased demand for future electric arc furnace steelmaking in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Steel Strategy, announced on 19 March 2026, sets out the creation of a cross-government group consisting of DBT, DEFRA, DESNZ, other departments and devolved governments. The group will evaluate proposals and engage representatives from industry, unions, academia, and other stakeholders across the market, to ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality scrap for the domestic steel sector.

The Group will take into account that the UK demand for scrap could grow to 6.7m tonnes, whilst UK supply is around 10-11m tonnes a year.