Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of funding for research and innovation for (a) less survivable cancers and (b) other cancer types.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.

These investments are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes. An example of this investment is the Imperial College London research on breath tests to detect less survivable cancers, with further information available at the following link:

https://imperialbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2023/06/05/imperial-led-uk-cancer-breath-tests-reach-final-stages/

Another example of Government investment was the launch of the NIHR’s national Brain Tumour Research Consortium in September 2024, which is bringing together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of making scientific advances in how we prevent, detect, manage, and treat rare and less-survivable brain tumours in adults and children.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into less common cancers and other cancer types. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes for all cancer patients in England, including for less common cancers, and other cancer types.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent engagement her Department has had with international partners on the 2025 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October to question 83638.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people with Parkinson's disease who have access to a Parkinson’s nurse in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No estimate has been made of the number of people with Parkinson's disease who have access to a Parkinson’s nurse in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. The Department does not hold data on how many hospitals have staff who are members of the Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to meet the care and support needs of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Patients living in the Surrey Heath constituency would be covered by either the NHS Frimley ICB or the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB. ICBs are responsible for commissioning services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations and, in doing so, we expect them to have regard to best practice guidance, such as that published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

The new NHS App will end the 8am rush by providing more flexibility in the way that people contact their general practitioner (GP), enabling better GP appointment booking as long as GPs make appointments available in the App. It will also help people to get care quicker without seeing their GP, for example improved self-care by going to a pharmacy or by self-referring into a specialist pathway or by providing remote consultations with specialists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospitals have staff who are members of the Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No estimate has been made of the number of people with Parkinson's disease who have access to a Parkinson’s nurse in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. The Department does not hold data on how many hospitals have staff who are members of the Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to meet the care and support needs of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Patients living in the Surrey Heath constituency would be covered by either the NHS Frimley ICB or the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB. ICBs are responsible for commissioning services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations and, in doing so, we expect them to have regard to best practice guidance, such as that published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

The new NHS App will end the 8am rush by providing more flexibility in the way that people contact their general practitioner (GP), enabling better GP appointment booking as long as GPs make appointments available in the App. It will also help people to get care quicker without seeing their GP, for example improved self-care by going to a pharmacy or by self-referring into a specialist pathway or by providing remote consultations with specialists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) promote earlier detection of mouth cancer, (b) ensure (i) dentists, (ii) GPs and (iii) other frontline health professionals are trained to identify early warning signs and (c) reduce the time taken to (A) diagnose and (B) refer patients for treatment for mouth cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We know that cancer incidence, including mouth cancer incidence, is increasing. We know that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients with mouth cancer, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Our forthcoming National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart, and it will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, we are now delivering additional checks, tests and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.

Additionally, to help increase early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or their symptoms have escalated.

We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure we have a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.

Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of mouth cancer in the last ten years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We know that cancer incidence, including mouth cancer incidence, is increasing. We know that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients with mouth cancer, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Our forthcoming National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart, and it will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, we are now delivering additional checks, tests and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.

Additionally, to help increase early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or their symptoms have escalated.

We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure we have a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.

Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) number of referrals and (b) time taken to treat people with heart valve disease in each region.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Cutting elective care waiting times, including for cardiology services, is a key priority for the Government. The national waiting list for cardiology services has fallen by 59,307 since this Government came into office, with an increase in the proportion waiting less than 18 weeks, from 60.2% to 62.4%. But we know there is much more work to be done.

Cardiology is identified as a top priority for reform in our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025. Specific actions being taken to reform cardiology include increasing specialist input earlier in care pathways, developing standard pathways for common outpatient presentations such as palpitation, and increasing timely access to cardiac diagnostic tests, including through “straight to test” pathways.

To accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework in 2026. The Department and NHS England are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced £600 million in the October statement to reduce diagnostic waiting lists, supporting new and expanded community diagnostic centres (CDCs), upgraded hospital diagnostic equipment, and digital diagnostic capabilities. NHS England's digital investments, including using artificial intelligence for cardiac imaging, have accelerated cardiology test reporting. From July 2024 to September 2025, CDCs performed 312,049 echocardiography and 281,869 electrocardiography tests, with many centres adopting innovative cardiac pathways to speed diagnosis and treatment, including for women.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future. We know that women deserve better, which is why we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy identified many important issues, including cardiology, which remain valid, so we now need to align the strategy with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further. That is why we are updating the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure access to (a) diagnostic and (b) treatment options for women with heart valve disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Cutting elective care waiting times, including for cardiology services, is a key priority for the Government. The national waiting list for cardiology services has fallen by 59,307 since this Government came into office, with an increase in the proportion waiting less than 18 weeks, from 60.2% to 62.4%. But we know there is much more work to be done.

Cardiology is identified as a top priority for reform in our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025. Specific actions being taken to reform cardiology include increasing specialist input earlier in care pathways, developing standard pathways for common outpatient presentations such as palpitation, and increasing timely access to cardiac diagnostic tests, including through “straight to test” pathways.

To accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework in 2026. The Department and NHS England are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced £600 million in the October statement to reduce diagnostic waiting lists, supporting new and expanded community diagnostic centres (CDCs), upgraded hospital diagnostic equipment, and digital diagnostic capabilities. NHS England's digital investments, including using artificial intelligence for cardiac imaging, have accelerated cardiology test reporting. From July 2024 to September 2025, CDCs performed 312,049 echocardiography and 281,869 electrocardiography tests, with many centres adopting innovative cardiac pathways to speed diagnosis and treatment, including for women.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future. We know that women deserve better, which is why we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy identified many important issues, including cardiology, which remain valid, so we now need to align the strategy with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further. That is why we are updating the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the resilience of the food system.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. The United Kingdom Food Security Report (UKFSR) sets out an analysis of statistical data relating to food security in the UK, fulfilling the duty in the Agriculture Act 2020 to present a report on food security to Parliament at least once every three years. The first UKFSR was produced in 2021. The most recent UKFSR was published on 11th December 2024. The UKFSR examines past, current, and future trends relevant to food security to present the best available understanding of food security at the time of publication.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to replace the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce.

In 2024, the value of UK-grown fruit and vegetables was over £3 billion increasing by 4.5% and 2.1% respectively with the overall fresh fruit and vegetable market valued at approximately £11 billion including exports worth around £170 million contributing significantly to the UK economy.

With the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, future support for the sector is being considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer.

Wider Government support for the sector includes a five-year extension of the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing greater stability for businesses, and a continued easement on import checks for medium-risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement with the EU.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the strength of the horticulture sector.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce.

In 2024, the value of UK-grown fruit and vegetables was over £3 billion increasing by 4.5% and 2.1% respectively with the overall fresh fruit and vegetable market valued at approximately £11 billion including exports worth around £170 million contributing significantly to the UK economy.

With the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, future support for the sector is being considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer.

Wider Government support for the sector includes a five-year extension of the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing greater stability for businesses, and a continued easement on import checks for medium-risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement with the EU.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of food security.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Defra regularly meets with Cabinet Office, other Government Departments, Devolved Governments on resilience planning, including food security.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to protect food security.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Food Sector is one of the UK's 13 Critical National Infrastructure sectors. Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are joint Lead Government Departments (LGDs), with Defra leading on supply and the FSA on food safety. We work closely with the Cabinet Office and other LGDs ensuring food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.  Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.

Future of the BBC

Tidy Randalstown

Held In Our Hearts

Drumchapel Against Racism campaign

100th anniversary of the Bangor Branch of the Royal British Legion

John Wilmott

Election of Clare McNaught as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Suicide prevention on railways

David Rollo, Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame induction

Legacy of Professor Roland Paxton MBE, FICE, FRSE

Gold awards for Oswestry in Bloom, RHS Britain in Bloom 2025

Morrisons Christmas advert 2025

Blackness Bay Distillery and The Lobster Pot

Commemoration of Brian Hill’s service to Epsom Cycling Club

Peterhead Area Community Trust award by Scotland Loves Local

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Units

Tobias Gutteridge

60th anniversary of Glasgow Council on Alcohol

Mission Marigold

Dr Thomas Henry Geddis OBE

Holt Crafters

Bengal Lounge in Linton award of Best Chef of the Year at the Euro Asia Curry Awards 2025