Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that when conducting framework tenders for medical devices in England, NHS Supply Chain refrains from introducing maximum pricing thresholds and fully adopts the recently-launched value-based procurement national standard guidance.

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

The NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) is fully committed to the adoption of value-based procurement (VBP) and has moved to a comply or explain model for future frameworks. NHSSC considers the application of pricing threshold approaches on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific market dynamics at play. NHSSC does not currently, and does not intend to, apply thresholds to all framework tenders. The Department is continuing to work with NHSSC on the application of VBP to future frameworks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 16 July (HL1674), what estimate have they made of public expenditure on glioblastoma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma between 2015–16 and 2024–25, identifying separately NIHR, UKRI, MRC, attributed infrastructure expenditure and other public funding; stating what proportion of each figure derives from attributed infrastructure expenditure; and what proportion of total public expenditure each tumour type represents.

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

I refer the Noble Lord Hunt to the answers provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677 and 16 July in response to Question HL1674.

Further to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677, over eight years, from 2018/19 to 2025/26, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) committed £66.3 million to brain tumour research. UKRI also supported 93 studentships over this period. All associated work packages for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium have now been fully executed.

The information requested is not held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Information on trials supported through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) can be found on their website. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Other information is not available as it is not held in the format requested or is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many patients with brain tumours underwent molecular profiling or liquid biopsy testing in each of the last five years; how many were matched to a molecularly targeted therapy, therapeutic vaccine or clinical trial as a result; how many subsequently received treatment; and how many patients sharing the same actionable mutation were subject to different treatment or clinical trial eligibility outcomes.

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

I refer the Noble Lord Hunt to the answers provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677 and 16 July in response to Question HL1674.

Further to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677, over eight years, from 2018/19 to 2025/26, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) committed £66.3 million to brain tumour research. UKRI also supported 93 studentships over this period. All associated work packages for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium have now been fully executed.

The information requested is not held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Information on trials supported through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) can be found on their website. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Other information is not available as it is not held in the format requested or is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many international studies of novel brain tumour therapies, including Safusidenib, commenced recruitment in comparable jurisdictions but not in the United Kingdom since 2020; how many were reviewed through the CVLP, MHRA innovation initiatives or the MHRA Industry Hub; and in how many cases those reviews resulted in (1) UK site activation, (2) UK patient recruitment, or (3) no UK participation.

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

I refer the Noble Lord Hunt to the answers provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677 and 16 July in response to Question HL1674.

Further to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677, over eight years, from 2018/19 to 2025/26, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) committed £66.3 million to brain tumour research. UKRI also supported 93 studentships over this period. All associated work packages for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium have now been fully executed.

The information requested is not held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Information on trials supported through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) can be found on their website. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Other information is not available as it is not held in the format requested or is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate have they made, if any, of the total audited, reconciled and direct public expenditure on brain tumour research since 2018; and what proportion of this amount derives from direct expenditure, attributed infrastructure expenditure, estimation, reconciliation adjustments or overlap with any other reported figure.

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

I refer the Noble Lord Hunt to the answers provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677 and 16 July in response to Question HL1674.

Further to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677, over eight years, from 2018/19 to 2025/26, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) committed £66.3 million to brain tumour research. UKRI also supported 93 studentships over this period. All associated work packages for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium have now been fully executed.

The information requested is not held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Information on trials supported through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) can be found on their website. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Other information is not available as it is not held in the format requested or is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the NHS National Data Opt-out creates a bias in data.

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

The National Data Opt-Out Dashboard provides information on the demographic break down of opt-out choices that have been made by age, index of multiple deprivation, gender, and region. This enables researchers to take into account any distortions in data created by higher levels of opt-out across certain groups.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what the current policy and practice is for (1) requesting independent advice, oversight, and assurance on potential internal data disseminations within NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, and (2) deciding which projects do not require such advice.

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

Decisions on whether additional advice, oversight, or assurance are required for a particular project are based on the nature of the processing activity and the level of privacy and confidentiality risk identified through the relevant assessment processes.

Under statutory guidance issued on 23 May 2023, NHS England is required to seek advice from the Advisory Group for Data (AGD) on specific data access requests, including internal use of specific data, and to support the development and maintenance of precedents, standards, and guidance on data access. AGD publishes its minutes online.

NHS England also undertakes annual assurance of its information governance and security arrangements through the Data Security and Protection Toolkit. Independent auditors are commissioned to review supporting evidence before the annual submission is finalised.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to direct Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to inform patients that their records were inappropriately accessed by staff members.

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

NHS England published new guidance on 8 July 2026, Stopping unlawful access to records guidance for health and care professionals, in an online-only format. It is the responsibility of the organisations who are data controllers, rather than the Department, to determine if patients, or the Information Commissioner’s Office, should be alerted in the case of a data breach or inappropriate access to patient records.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow patients to object to their personal data being processed by the Health Data Research Service.

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

National Health Service data held in the Health Data Research Service will be subject to the National Data Opt-out, in line with national opt-out policy, and the right to object to data being processed under the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will apply the NHS national data opt out to personal data held by the Health Data Research Service.

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

National Health Service data held in the Health Data Research Service will be subject to the National Data Opt-out, in line with national opt-out policy, and the right to object to data being processed under the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding is available for research into Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Rt Hon The Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE on 16 July 2026 in response to Question HL1674.

Available data on this issue is also published by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/our-research/cancer/brain-tumours

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase Government funding for research to improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Rt Hon The Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE on 16 July 2026 in response to Question HL1674.

Available data on this issue is also published by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/our-research/cancer/brain-tumours

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that eligible UK medical graduates are able to progress from medical school into Foundation Programme training without delays.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On the question of the number of eligible medical graduates who have been unable to commence Foundation Programme training, prior to this year every eligible applicant was allocated a place on the UK Foundation Programme, and this year, following the commencement of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list as of 12 August 2026.

Applicants may withdraw from the process or be unable to take up a Foundation Programme place for personal reasons. However, the Department does not hold data on applicants’ reasons for withdrawal or non-acceptance.

On the other questions raised, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE on 25 August 2026 in response to Question HL2127.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that eligible medical graduates remaining on the UK Foundation Programme reserve list are able to enter training.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On the question of the number of eligible medical graduates who have been unable to commence Foundation Programme training, prior to this year every eligible applicant was allocated a place on the UK Foundation Programme, and this year, following the commencement of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list as of 12 August 2026.

Applicants may withdraw from the process or be unable to take up a Foundation Programme place for personal reasons. However, the Department does not hold data on applicants’ reasons for withdrawal or non-acceptance.

On the other questions raised, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE on 25 August 2026 in response to Question HL2127.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of eligible medical graduates unable to commence Foundation Programme training in each of the last three years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On the question of the number of eligible medical graduates who have been unable to commence Foundation Programme training, prior to this year every eligible applicant was allocated a place on the UK Foundation Programme, and this year, following the commencement of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list as of 12 August 2026.

Applicants may withdraw from the process or be unable to take up a Foundation Programme place for personal reasons. However, the Department does not hold data on applicants’ reasons for withdrawal or non-acceptance.

On the other questions raised, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE on 25 August 2026 in response to Question HL2127.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of Foundation Programme training posts available to eligible medical graduates in 2026.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On the question of the number of eligible medical graduates who have been unable to commence Foundation Programme training, prior to this year every eligible applicant was allocated a place on the UK Foundation Programme, and this year, following the commencement of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list as of 12 August 2026.

Applicants may withdraw from the process or be unable to take up a Foundation Programme place for personal reasons. However, the Department does not hold data on applicants’ reasons for withdrawal or non-acceptance.

On the other questions raised, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE on 25 August 2026 in response to Question HL2127.