Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will support the establishment of Centres of Excellence for each less survivable cancer type.

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

To support cancer care for rarer and less survivable cancer type, the Government is committed to helping the National Health Service to diagnose all cancers earlier and to treat them faster.

The Government is also committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment, so that people with cancer, including less survivable cancer, can get access to the care they need more quickly. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, the National Health Service is delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.

Moreover, full roll out of non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways, designed to speed up the diagnosis of cancer, has been achieved across England. NSS pathways introduce a route to possible diagnosis for patients who display symptoms that could indicate cancer, but which do not align to specific cancers, often the case for less survivable cancers. The new non-specific pathway complements current cancer diagnostic pathways, as well as providing elements that can be applied to existing pathways. The National Cancer Plan, planned for publication later in 2025, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with rarer and less survivable cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. The Department ran a public Call for Evidence to determine priorities for the plan; responses are currently being analysed. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including less survivable cancer.

For these reasons, the Department does not currently have plans to support the establishment of Centres of Excellence for each survivable cancer type.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will support the (a) rollout and (b) expansion of testing for (i) hepatitis B, (ii) hepatitis C, (iii) HIV, (iv) other precursor conditions to less survivable cancers and (v) NHS England’s risk-stratified Community Liver Health Check programme.

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

Testing for hepatitis B, C, and HIV is available through a variety of routes including, primary care, sexual health services and targeted testing to reach groups most at risk of infections. NHS England’s opt-out testing programme operates at several emergency departments and tests all adults blood test for hepatitis B, C, and HIV, unless they opt out. NHS England is exploring whether funding can be identified to allow the programme to continue beyond the current financial year.

The Department supports testing for precursor conditions to less survivable cancers through several programmes. The NHS Cancer Programme works to detect more hepatocellular carcinomas, namely liver cancer, at an early stage. Six-monthly liver ultrasound surveillance for patients with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis is carried out to identify liver cancers earlier. In 2025/26, community liver health checks will continue to be rolled out across 20 areas to identify patients with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis.

To speed up diagnosis of cancer, a full roll-out of non-specific symptom pathways has been achieved in England. These introduce a diagnosis route for patients displaying symptoms not aligned to specific cancers. This programme has provided funding to Cancer Alliances in 2023/24 and in 2024/25 to invest in local liver surveillance programmes.

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 link between lung health and the adequacy of smoking cessation services in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

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

We are increasing our efforts to support smokers to quit and have invested an additional £70 million, this year and last, for local stop smoking services, in England. It is for local authorities to determine and commission the most appropriate stop smoking services for their area.

No specific assessment has been made of the impact of stop smoking services on lung health in these areas. However, we have commissioned an independent evaluation of the impact of our additional funding to stop smoking services, in which we look at partnerships with health providers.

There is also an established referral pathway between the NHS Targeted Lung Health Programme in University Hospital North Midlands and the local stop smoking service. The local NHS Targeted Lunch Health Check Programme also previously ran a pilot to offer smoking cessation support to patients through community pharmacies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has discussed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill with his counterpart in the Welsh Government.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains neutral on the matter of assisted dying and the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The Bill remains a matter for the hon. Member for Spen Valley who, as its sponsor, leads on policy and engagement in relation to the Bill.

Ministers in the Department have had no discussions about the Bill with counterparts in the Welsh Government.

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 potential cost to the public purse of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the impact assessment.

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 impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on the NHS budget.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the impact assessment.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to include discussions on the future co-operation on chemical regulations in the annual UK-EU summits.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Co-operation with the EU on chemical regulations is provided for under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the Prudential Regulation Authority on the potential impact of reforming Solvency UK on the availability of annuity capital for investment in (a) housing, (b) transport and (c) infrastructure in (i) the UK and (ii) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

I have regular discussions with the Prudential Regulation Authority on a range of subjects, including the potential of recent reforms to the prudential requirements for insurers to have a positive impact on investment into productive UK assets, such as housing, transport, and infrastructure.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether closer co-operation on chemical regulations was discussed at the UK-EU Summit on 18 May 2025.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Co-operation with the EU on chemical regulations is provided for under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the registration dates for industry under UK REACH.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are aware of stakeholder concerns about the feasibility of these dates and will provide further information in due course.

Equitable national prostate cancer screening

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Wednesday 9 July 2025 54 _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper

Found: _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper Christine Jardine Katrina Murray Patricia

Found: be related to a life-long condition. 51 COMMITTEE STAGE Tuesday 8 July 2025 _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee

Found: _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper Christine Jardine Katrina Murray Patricia

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Monday 7 July 2025 44 _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper Christine

Found: be related to a life-long condition. 21 COMMITTEE STAGE Monday 7 July 2025 _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee

Found: _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper Christine Jardine Katrina Murray Patricia

Found: _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper Christine Jardine Katrina Murray Patricia

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Wednesday 2 July 2025 6 _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper

Found: Asato Kim Johnson Tonia Antoniazzi Dr Allison Gardner Jen Craft Abtisam Mohamed Tom Hayes Adam Jogee

Submit Evidence (by 19 Sep 2025)

Kickstarting economic growth is the number one mission for this Government’s term in office. In this inquiry, the committee will examine plans to deliver economic growth in Northern Ireland, including the recent UK Industrial Strategy, with a particular reference to emerging sectors or ‘industries of the future’. Read our call for evidence here  for more detail about the inquiry and how to contribute your views.