Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact on aid delivery of Israel's announcement that it will bar 37 humanitarian organisations from delivering aid in Gaza.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action the Government is taking following Israel's announcement that it will bar 37 humanitarian organisations from delivering aid in Gaza.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 1 December to Question 94595, how many current Access to Work applications which have been allocated for an assessment are there for people identified as living with a (a) form of arthritis and (b) a musculoskeletal condition.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department does not hold data on the number of Access to Work applications allocated for assessment for people identified as living with (a) a form of arthritis or (b) a musculoskeletal condition. While the health condition is recorded on the customer’s record to ensure appropriate support is awarded this information is not collated for reporting purposes. Determining these figures would require a manual review of individual applications, which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of children living with DIPG each year; and what resources has the Government allocated to research into the causes of and treatment of DIPG.

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

The Department is committed to furthering investment in research into the causes and treatment of brain tumours. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department’s research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), invested £11.8 million, and United Kingdom Research and Innovation invested £46.8 million in this area.

In September 2024, the NIHR launched a package of support to deliver a step-change in brain cancer research through:

• establishing a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage and treat brain tumours;
• a dedicated funding call for research into care, support and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and
• the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme, a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.

The Department does not hold specific data on the number of children living with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) each year. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) collects diagnosis, treatment and outcome data on cancer patients in England. The most recent published data on registrations of cancer including cancer incidence and mortality in the Accredited Official Statistics on Cancer Registrations covering 2023 is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics

DIPG is not currently one of the cancer groups routinely published against, however work will be undertaken by the NDRS to understand whether there are any improvements needed in registration to accurately identify DIPG moving forwards.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how reasonable adjustments are assessed and implemented for disabled claimants undergoing migration to Universal Credit.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the migration to Universal Credit works as smoothly as possible for all individuals, including those with disabilities. We recognise that some claimants may require additional support to make and maintain their claim, and we provide a range of reasonable adjustments and tailored support in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Migration notices are issued in the appropriate format to meet any accessibility needs recorded for the customer on the legacy benefit system, such as braille, large print, British Sign Language (BSL), or email. Once a Universal Credit claim is made, customers can update their accessibility preferences directly through their online account.

For those who require additional support, the Department offers an Enhanced Support Journey to ensure legacy benefits do not end before a UC claim is completed. This includes proactive contact and, where necessary, home visits. Alternative channels are also available for claimants unable to use the online service, including telephone claims, face-to-face support in Jobcentres, and Video Relay Services for BSL users. Broader support needs—such as cognitive impairments or safeguarding requirements—are recorded and made visible to Work Coaches, Case Managers, and Visiting Officers to ensure tailored assistance throughout the migration process.

We also fund the Help to Claim service, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, which provides independent, practical support from the point of application through to the first correct payment. Where a claimant cannot manage their own claim, they can give explicit consent for Universal Credit to speak with a third party or appoint an appointee to formally manage the claim.

These measures form part of our broader commitment to equality and inclusion, ensuring that no one is disadvantaged in accessing the support they are entitled to.

Found: Liberal Democrat; Oxford West and Abingdon) (Chair) Danny Beales (Labour; Uxbridge and South Ruislip) Ben Coleman

Found: Q22 Ben Coleman: It is good to see you all today. Thank you for coming.

Found: am Wednesday 6 November 2024 Members present Layla Moran, in the Chair Danny Beales Ben Coleman