Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to assess the impact of NICE’s severity modifier on people with secondary breast cancer.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes that it uses in its evaluations independently and in consultation with stakeholders. The severity modifier is based on evidence of societal preferences and was introduced in 2022, as part of a comprehensive review of the NICE’s methods and processes, following extensive public and stakeholder engagement.
The NICE carried out a review of the severity modifier in 2024 and found that it is operating as intended. Since its introduction, the severity modifier has resulted in a higher approval rate for cancer medicines compared to the NICE’s previous methods, and has also allowed greater weight to be applied to non-cancer medicines that address a broader range of severe diseases, enabling the NICE to recommend medicines for conditions such as cystic fibrosis and hepatitis D.
The NICE has commissioned research to better understand societal preferences that will inform future method reviews, but there is no prospect of any change until it concludes, and any future changes would need to be consistent with the principle of cost neutrality.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the requirement for opportunity cost neutrality in NICE's severity modifier.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing the methods and processes that it uses in its evaluations independently and in consultation with stakeholders. The severity modifier is based on evidence of societal preferences and was introduced in 2022, as part of a comprehensive review of the NICE’s methods and processes, following extensive public and stakeholder engagement.
The NICE carried out a review of the severity modifier in 2024 and found that it is operating as intended. Since its introduction, the severity modifier has resulted in a higher approval rate for cancer medicines compared to the NICE’s previous methods, and has also allowed greater weight to be applied to non-cancer medicines that address a broader range of severe diseases, enabling the NICE to recommend medicines for conditions such as cystic fibrosis and hepatitis D.
The NICE has commissioned research to better understand societal preferences that will inform future method reviews, but there is no prospect of any change until it concludes, and any future changes would need to be consistent with the principle of cost neutrality.
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 adequacy of current care pathways for patients diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS.UK website has a conditions page on primary biliary cholangitis, available in an online only format, which provides an overview of the care pathway. NHS England commissions a specialist paediatric liver service from three hospitals, the Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. This service provides assessment, diagnosis, and management of children with all forms of liver disease, including primary biliary cholangitis.
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 primary care clinicians receive training to distinguish symptoms of primary biliary cholangitis from perimenopause, and to support early diagnosis and timely referral for women affected by the condition.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We remain committed to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases, such as primary biliary cholangitis. One of the four priorities of the UK Rare Diseases Framework is increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals. Our fourth England action plan, published in February 2025, reports on progress.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has a holistic curriculum of training, with a specific section on women’s health, including menopause. To support practicing general practitioners, the RCGP has developed a Women’s Health Library with educational resources and guidelines on women’s health, which includes a specific section on menopause.
Primary biliary cholangitis has a set of commonly found symptoms, and work is underway to raise awareness of them. NHS England, through the Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group, is working closely with partners to raise awareness and understanding of primary biliary cholangitis and its treatments. Plans include the production of a treatment algorithm for use by emergency departments, which may also be helpful for general practitioners.
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 greater primary care awareness and early identification of primary biliary cholangitis.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We remain committed to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases, such as primary biliary cholangitis. One of the four priorities of the UK Rare Diseases Framework is increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals. Our fourth England action plan, published in February 2025, reports on progress.
GeNotes is an online resource for clinicians, providing educational information as needed. This year the specialty of gastro-hepatology was launched in GeNotes, and includes resources for clinicians on primary biliary cholangitis.
NHS England, through the Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group, is working with partners to raise awareness and understanding of primary biliary cholangitis and its treatments. Plans include production of a treatment algorithm for use by emergency departments, which may also be helpful for general practitioners.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency regarding the contamination risk and clearance operation following the collision between two ships in the North Sea on 10 March.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
His Majesty's Government has had regular discussions with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) throughout this incident. HM Coastguard has provided bespoke operational updates to the Department and MCA officials have attended cross-Government meetings. DfT and MCA personnel also attend daily meetings with the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SoSRep). Ministers have been kept informed throughout.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the impending European Union carbon border adjustment mechanism on clean energy investment on the island of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is in an implementation period and applies to exports of electricity to the EU but not electricity for the UK market. The EU Commission has said that it intends to finalise the regulation via legislation ahead of the CBAM entering its definitive period.
The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM and will continue to raise the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the impending European Union carbon border adjustment mechanism on the functioning of the single electricity market on the island of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government plans to apply the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism across the whole UK, including in NI. The UK will continue to work with international partners, including the EU, to ensure our approach is implemented in a way that works for businesses.
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism could only apply in Northern Ireland with the agreement of the UK and in line with the democratic safeguards of the Windsor Framework.
For goods moving from Northern Ireland into the EU, guidance is a matter for the European Commission and EU Member States. The UK have raised with the EU Commission the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for trade in electricity.
The EU Commission website is the most up to date source of information and guidance.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rollout of suicide prevention training to prison and probation staff.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
All new members of prison staff with prisoner contact receive training on suicide and self-harm prevention, and all staff who undertake key roles in risk assessment and case management receive specific training related to those roles. An e-learning module has also recently been made available for all staff to access on postvention support following a self-inflicted death in custody. We continue to improve the training that we provide, and we are currently developing a new module on risks, triggers and protective factors.
There are two suicide prevention learning packages for probation staff: a Zero Suicide Alliance package that is required refresher training for all staff, and a package that is completed by all new entrant Professional Qualification in Probation and Probation Service Officers as part of a broader introduction to mental health.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison and probation staff have died by suicide in England in the last five years.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its dedicated public servants.
The Department offers staff support through its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which includes a 24-hour confidential helpline. Additionally, there is access to mental health support including wellbeing workshops, confidential counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapies where clinically appropriate. These services can be accessed by employees absent or at work and employees do not have to inform their manager before accessing confidential counselling.
In addition, staff are able to access preventative mental health support in the form of Reflective Sessions where they can discuss with a qualified counsellor the effects of work on life and life on work. These sessions are available to all HMPPS staff via the EAP supplier.
The information requested is not held by the Ministry of Justice. The Department’s Shared Operating Platform (SOP) which is used for HR payroll does not have a record of the cause of death for its deceased employees.
Recording a Death in Service as suicide is not something Ministry of Justice staff are able to do as the cause of death is not determined immediately after a Death in Service, but many months or sometimes years later by a Coroner. Coroner’s data is not then retrospectively added to SOP, but is published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).