Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 May (HL7354), what factors the UK Health Security Agency's forum has identified impacting the decline in uptake; and what immediate actions the forum has suggested to improve access to services and to address other potential barriers.

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

In 2023, at the request of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a forum for the four nations of the United Kingdom on inequalities and declining coverage across the routine immunisation programmes was set up. This time-limited group brought together relevant stakeholders from across the UK nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Ten deep dives took place in total, ending in June 2025.

These forums facilitated sharing experiences and learning within and across each nation. They explored possible contributing factors to declining coverage across the UK routine immunisation programmes. Areas for further activity included data collection systems, attitudinal work, delivery models, system leadership and coordination, commonalities and difference with other public health programmes.

Immediate actions have included expanding annual attitudinal surveys of parents of infants from England to UK wide, to further strengthen understanding of barriers and facilitators to vaccination uptake. Updating and strengthening training and quality standards for healthcare professionals providing clear expectations and guidance. Sharing expertise to improve data systems and data collection as well as strengthening collaboration with the Department of Education to improve uptake in educational settings.

A final report from the outputs of the UK Forum will be compiled and presented to a future JCVI meeting.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 May (HL7354), how many meetings the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) forum will have in 2025–26; and what engagement UKHSA has planned with stakeholders.

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

In 2023, at the request of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a forum for the four nations of the United Kingdom on inequalities and declining coverage across the routine immunisation programmes was set up. This time-limited group brought together relevant stakeholders from across the UK nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Ten deep dives took place in total, ending in June 2025.

These forums facilitated sharing experiences and learning within and across each nation. They explored possible contributing factors to declining coverage across the UK routine immunisation programmes. Areas for further activity included data collection systems, attitudinal work, delivery models, system leadership and coordination, commonalities and difference with other public health programmes.

Immediate actions have included expanding annual attitudinal surveys of parents of infants from England to UK wide, to further strengthen understanding of barriers and facilitators to vaccination uptake. Updating and strengthening training and quality standards for healthcare professionals providing clear expectations and guidance. Sharing expertise to improve data systems and data collection as well as strengthening collaboration with the Department of Education to improve uptake in educational settings.

A final report from the outputs of the UK Forum will be compiled and presented to a future JCVI meeting.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many children received flu vaccinations in school nurseries in the 2024–25 pilot run; and what plans they have to scale this initiative.

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

School based vaccination is provided by School Age Immunisation Services (SAISs). In January 2025, some SAIS providers trialled expanding their flu vaccination offer by running catch up clinics in nurseries located in primary schools. This was to encourage flu vaccine uptake for two to three year-olds who had not already been vaccinated via their general practices (GPs). As these were local pilots, delivered by some providers in Yorkshire and the East of England, NHS England does not hold this data nationally.

Ahead of the flu 2025/26 season, the SAIS Service Specification 2025/26 is currently being improved. This will enable SAIS providers to support flu vaccination for two to three year olds, in a variety of different settings, and any plans, supplementary to the core GP offer, will be based on if there is a need locally. Evaluations will be undertaken at a local level by NHS England’s regional commissioning teams as part of their contract and performance management.

This initiative aligns with broader efforts to strengthen the childhood vaccination offer and improve vaccine uptake, including exploring the role of community pharmacies, as outlined in the NHS Vaccination Strategy, and trialling the use of health visitors to administer childhood immunisations, thereby increasing access for underserved families across selected areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government following the joint statement released on 9 June by the British Association of Urological Surgeons and Prostate Cancer UK regarding the poor utility of the digital rectal examination as a test for prostate cancer, whether they will review the current clinical guidelines and referral criteria to remove “outdated” testing and ensure men at highest risk of prostate cancer can be diagnosed faster, fairer and better.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that all patients with cancer, including prostate cancer, are diagnosed faster and with the best diagnostic approaches. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance on best practice for health and social care professionals in England.

Current NICE guidance does not recommend digital rectal examination for diagnosing prostate cancer. NICE does recommend digital rectal examination as part of the physical examination that should be offered to all men with lower urinary tract symptoms as part of their initial assessment. If their prostate is assessed as likely malignant, they should be referred using a suspected cancer pathway referral for prostate cancer. To date, NICE has found no evidence that affects these recommendations or the need to review the current guidelines.

NICE is monitoring studies relating to the identification of prostate cancer in primary care and will consider the findings, when available, to assess if its recommendations need to be reviewed.

To further improve how we diagnose prostate cancer, the Government has invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping to find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms.

Furthermore, NHS England has introduced a best-practice timed pathway for prostate cancer so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures that only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy. The AI in Health and Care Award has also been established, which aims to accelerate the testing and development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that align with the NHS Long Term Plan. £113 million has already allocated to support 86 AI technologies, and three of these projects specifically relate to prostate cancer, one of which is the Paige prostate cancer detection tool, developed by the University of Oxford.

We will also publish a new National Cancer Plan later this year, which will include further details on how we will improve diagnostics, access to treatments, and outcomes for all tumour types, including prostate cancer.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of anti-Zionism with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we’re taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms.  Sadly, we have seen how events in the Middle East are used as an excuse to stir up hatred and violence against Jewish communities.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism outlines that antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

The Definition contains several illustrative examples that demonstrate what may be considered antisemitism, depending on the overall context.

We became the first country to adopt the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism and continue to encourage other bodies to do so. Over three quarters of councils in England have now adopted the IHRA definition.

Found: Morris of Yardley (The Chair); Lord Bradley; Lord Carter of Coles; Baroness Coffey; Lord Laming; Lord Mott

Found: Clause 16 LORD MOTT _ Clause 16, page 9, line 20, at end insert “within three months of the day on

Found: Clause 16 LORD MOTT _ Clause 16, page 9, line 20, at end insert “within three months of the day on

Found: Clause 16 LORD MOTT _ Clause 16, page 9, line 20, at end insert “within three months of the day on

Found: Clause 16 LORD MOTT _ Clause 16, page 9, line 20, at end insert “within three months of the day on

Media APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Grey-Thompson (Non-affiliated) Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat) Lord Lucas (Conservative) Lord Mott

Media APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Grey-Thompson (Non-affiliated) Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat) Lord Lucas (Conservative) Lord Mott