Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Food Standards Agency, Safety of Nitrates and Nitrites as Food Additives, published on 1 October; what discussions they have had with the FSA about publishing the correspondence, criteria and communications relating to the preparation of that review; and whether they plan to commission a comprehensive multidisciplinary study of the safety of nitrites in processed meats.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) review of nitrates and nitrites as food additives is an important piece of work that summarises recent evidence from human studies to inform policy decisions.
To maintain transparency, the full report, including its scope, search criteria, and details of the external contract, has been published on Government websites. This allows stakeholders and the public to see exactly how the review was conducted and how conclusions were reached.
The published report clearly sets out the methodology and criteria used, providing clarity and confidence in the process. The FSA does not routinely publish internal correspondence or preparatory communications, due to the potential inclusion of commercially sensitive or personal information. However, the report itself provides full transparency on the evidence base and decision-making approach. There have been no discussions on changing this approach.
There are no plans to commission a broader multidisciplinary study. Existing permitted nitrite levels are based on robust international risk assessments and remain appropriate to protect public health. Commissioning a new study would require significant resource and is not justified without new evidence indicating a change in risk.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick on 22 September (HL10373), when they will publish an updated plan for the delivery of a single trade window.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to minimising administrative burdens and frictions experienced by businesses trading internationally and is engaging with key stakeholders to better understand their needs for the future operation of the UK border.
The Government does not have a definitive timeframe for the implementation of the Single Trade Window, though traders are able to submit import and export documentations electronically via the Customs Declaration Service.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the evaluation framework of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation reflects the full economic and societal value of vaccination.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As an independent Departmental Expert Committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on matters related to vaccination and immunisation. The JCVI bases its advice and recommendations on evidence of the burden of disease, of vaccine safety and efficacy, and of the impact and cost-effectiveness of immunisation strategies.
The cost-effectiveness analysis which is presented to the JCVI for its consideration does not include broader socio-economic factors such as productivity costs from illness, improved educational attainment from reduced school absences, or out-of-pocket expenses and opportunity costs from attending a vaccination. However, these impacts may be highlighted by the JCVI or by officials who provide advice to ministers.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote long-term fiscal devolution; and what assessment they have made of the potential of greater fiscal devolution to address regional inequalities and growth rates.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The United Kingdom Government regularly considers how fiscal devolution arrangements are working in practice, taking into account the views of a range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consider the learnings on fiscal devolution of each nation and region in Council of the Nations and Regions.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The United Kingdom Government regularly considers how fiscal devolution arrangements are working in practice, taking into account the views of a range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consider the learnings on fiscal devolution of each nation and region in the British–Irish Council.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The United Kingdom Government regularly considers how fiscal devolution arrangements are working in practice, taking into account the views of a range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies for treatment for cancers; and whether new medicines using these therapies this will be approved.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England funds the use of licensed medicines that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), or the off-label use of licensed medicines that have been approved via the NHS England clinical policy process.
NICE has evaluated and recommended several CAR-T therapies for both high-grade and low-grade lymphomas, some of which are recommended for a period of managed access:
To support implementation of NICE recommendations, NHS England sets clinical treatment criteria to ensure that treatments are made available to those intended by the NICE guidance. Clinical input helps set the clinical and patient treatment criteria based on the NICE committee deliberations, how the treatment will be used within the treatment pathway, and the evidence base considered by NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of access to new innovative therapies for cancers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims wherever possible to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients are able to benefit from rapid access to clinically and cost effective new medicines. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE technology appraisal, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
NICE is able to recommend the most promising new cancer drugs for use through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) where there is too much uncertainty for NICE to be able to recommend routine funding. NHS England funds NICE-recommended cancer medicines from the CDF from the point of positive draft NICE guidance, bringing forward patient access by approximately five months than would otherwise be the case.
In England in 2024/25, 93% of NICE recommendations for cancer treatments were positive. Positive includes recommended, optimised, recommended in the CDF, and optimised in the CDF. Where guidance is optimised, the treatment has been recommended for a subset of patients rather than the full cohort for which it is licensed.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the research by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors in its letter to Ofcom published on 1 August, what plans they have to issue regulatory guidance for telecoms companies on best practice governance and oversight.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of including guidance on internal audit for broadband providers as part of the update to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.