Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL1488), how the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will communicate the conclusions of its review of mental health risks for migraine prophylaxis medications; whether that Agency will consider a drug safety update or other national safety communication; and whether any resulting changes to product information would be reflected in national electronic prescribing and medicines decision-support systems.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.

The MHRA has plans to gather the currently available evidence on mental health and other related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications, as referenced in the separate responses to questions HL1488 and HL1543. A formal timeline for this review has not yet been agreed, and consequently we are unable to provide an expected completion date at this stage.

The MHRA is committed to communicating any findings that may have implications for patient safety or the safe use of medicines. The MHRA will sometimes issue communications, such as drug safety updates, after the conclusion of a review. However, the review is at an early stage, and it would be premature to comment on any potential communication plans. In addition, any product information changes that may arise as a result of this review would be reflected in the published product information available at locations such as the MHRA website or the Electronic Medicines Compendium website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL1488), when they expect the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to complete its review of evidence on mental health and related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications.

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

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.

The MHRA has plans to gather the currently available evidence on mental health and other related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications, as referenced in the separate responses to questions HL1488 and HL1543. A formal timeline for this review has not yet been agreed, and consequently we are unable to provide an expected completion date at this stage.

The MHRA is committed to communicating any findings that may have implications for patient safety or the safe use of medicines. The MHRA will sometimes issue communications, such as drug safety updates, after the conclusion of a review. However, the review is at an early stage, and it would be premature to comment on any potential communication plans. In addition, any product information changes that may arise as a result of this review would be reflected in the published product information available at locations such as the MHRA website or the Electronic Medicines Compendium website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the equality impact assessment Health Bill: ICBs as strategic commissioners, published on 14 May, what mechanisms they intend to use to ensure enhanced oversight of Integrated Care Board specialised commissioning.

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

Subject to the passage of the Health Bill, specialised services commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs) will continue to operate within a framework of nationally-set standards, service specifications, and clinical commissioning policies to ensure consistent and equitable access to care across England.

Alongside ICB accountability for commissioning these services, the Department, through its new regional offices, will be responsible for providing oversight and assurance of both the commissioning system and the quality and performance of providers. This will include monitoring against national standards and quality and outcome metrics for different services.

In addition, ICBs will be supported in discharging their new commissioning responsibilities through seven Offices for Pan-ICB Commissioning, which aim to ensure that we maintain a critical mass of expert commissioning knowledge and the capability necessary for the effective and efficient commissioning of these important and complex areas of service provision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what indicator outcomes have been agreed for improving brain cancer outcomes across the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, regulators, and delivery bodies.

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

The National Cancer Plan sets out a whole-system approach to improving outcomes for all cancers, including brain tumours, with a focus on earlier diagnosis, faster access to treatment, research and innovation, patient experience, and survival. The plan's overarching ambition is that three in four people diagnosed with cancer will survive for five years or more by 2035.

The Government is also strengthening support for brain tumour research. In January 2026, the NIHR announced increased investment of more than £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, which aims to accelerate the development of new treatments and improve outcomes for adults and children with brain tumours.

The Department continues to work closely with NHS England, the NIHR, and other partners to deliver the commitments set out in the National Cancer Plan and to support improvements in outcomes for people affected by brain tumours.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of preventable deaths in the UK due to respiratory diseases; and what steps they are taking to address this.

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

The Government recognises that many respiratory diseases are associated with preventable risk factors, including smoking, air pollution, occupational exposures, poor housing conditions, and delayed diagnosis.

Data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that the under 75 year old mortality rate from respiratory disease considered preventable in England was 19.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2024.

The Government is taking action to reduce respiratory disease morbidity and mortality through measures that prevent disease, improve early diagnosis, and support effective treatment, including implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, support for local smoking cessation services, improvements in air quality, vaccination programmes against respiratory infections, and delivery of NHS Long Term Plan commitments on respiratory disease.

NHS England's National Respiratory Programme is focused on improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease through earlier diagnosis, better disease management, and access to effective and innovative treatments. This includes improving access to quality-assured spirometry, pulmonary rehabilitation, and earlier diagnosis of conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), supported by commissioning standards and guidance for commissioners.

NHS England, working with Health Innovation Networks, has also established a multi-year Respiratory Transformation Partnership to identify scalable approaches to reducing premature mortality, improving disease recognition, supporting the consistent delivery of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended care, and increasing access to existing and emerging biologic therapies for people living with asthma and COPD. A nationally coordinated evaluation will support evidence generation, shared learning, and future investment decisions.