Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a proactive approach to offering breast cancer gene (BRCA) testing to those who have lost a family member to ovarian or breast cancer.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases with an associated genetic cause and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including testing for genetic predisposition conditions. Further information on the National Genomic Test Directory is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/

Genomic testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England. Individuals should discuss with their healthcare professional whether genomic testing is appropriate for them. Their healthcare professional will then make a decision whether to refer the individual either directly or via an NHS Clinical Genomics Service or other relevant clinical speciality for genomic testing following clinical review of their and their family’s medical history if known, and the relevant genomic testing eligibility criteria.

Testing for inherited breast and ovarian cancer, where there is a living unaffected individual, is covered in the National Genomic Test Directory under clinical indication R208.

The current eligibility criteria include unaffected individuals who have a first-degree relative with breast cancer or high-grade serous ovarian cancer, where the individual or affected relative meets the relevant risk threshold. Testing is available where no living affected relative is available for genetic testing and no tumour material is available from a deceased affected relative.

The NHS England Genomics Programme and Cancer Programme has also, in recent years, supported the NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme, a three-year pilot programme to offer testing to individuals living in England, aged 18 years old or over with at least one Jewish grandparent, regardless of faith, religious practice, or any other criteria.

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) define populations with high risk of carrying harmful breast cancer (BRCA) gene variants and (b) increase testing levels amongst those communities.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases with an associated genetic cause and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including testing for genetic predisposition conditions. Further information on the National Genomic Test Directory is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/

Genomic testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England. Individuals should discuss with their healthcare professional whether genomic testing is appropriate for them. Their healthcare professional will then make a decision whether to refer the individual either directly or via an NHS Clinical Genomics Service or other relevant clinical speciality for genomic testing following clinical review of their and their family’s medical history if known, and the relevant genomic testing eligibility criteria.

Testing for inherited breast and ovarian cancer, where there is a living unaffected individual, is covered in the National Genomic Test Directory under clinical indication R208.

The current eligibility criteria include unaffected individuals who have a first-degree relative with breast cancer or high-grade serous ovarian cancer, where the individual or affected relative meets the relevant risk threshold. Testing is available where no living affected relative is available for genetic testing and no tumour material is available from a deceased affected relative.

The NHS England Genomics Programme and Cancer Programme has also, in recent years, supported the NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme, a three-year pilot programme to offer testing to individuals living in England, aged 18 years old or over with at least one Jewish grandparent, regardless of faith, religious practice, or any other criteria.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out how his Department will roll out breast cancer gene (BRCA) testing nationally.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases with an associated genetic cause and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including testing for genetic predisposition conditions. Further information on the National Genomic Test Directory is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/

Genomic testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England. Individuals should discuss with their healthcare professional whether genomic testing is appropriate for them. Their healthcare professional will then make a decision whether to refer the individual either directly or via an NHS Clinical Genomics Service or other relevant clinical speciality for genomic testing following clinical review of their and their family’s medical history if known, and the relevant genomic testing eligibility criteria.

Testing for inherited breast and ovarian cancer, where there is a living unaffected individual, is covered in the National Genomic Test Directory under clinical indication R208.

The current eligibility criteria include unaffected individuals who have a first-degree relative with breast cancer or high-grade serous ovarian cancer, where the individual or affected relative meets the relevant risk threshold. Testing is available where no living affected relative is available for genetic testing and no tumour material is available from a deceased affected relative.

The NHS England Genomics Programme and Cancer Programme has also, in recent years, supported the NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme, a three-year pilot programme to offer testing to individuals living in England, aged 18 years old or over with at least one Jewish grandparent, regardless of faith, religious practice, or any other criteria.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his department has have made of the effectiveness of the NHS Business Services Authority in processing NHS pension applications.

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

The Department regularly meets with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to discuss performance levels. These discussions include the processing times for National Health Service pension applications.

The NHSBSA aims to make the first payment for a new pension within 30 calendar days of the retirement date or the date when all information necessary to process the claim is received from the member and employer.

The NHSBSA is processing a high volume of claims. In May 2026, 97% of new pension claims were paid within the 30-day timeframe. For the remaining claims, payments took an average of 14 additional days beyond the 30-day timeframe. Up-to-date information on processing times is available on the NHSBSA website, at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/current-processing-times-nhs-pensions

Where a payment is likely to take longer than 30 days, to minimise the risk of financial hardship, the NHSBSA contacts members who have queried the progress of their claim to offer expedited payment. They also prioritise the processing of claims involving vulnerable members and those experiencing ill health. A member whose first pension payment is delayed beyond the 30-day timeframe will automatically receive interest on the overdue amount.

The Department is supporting the NHSBSA to take all steps necessary to increase performance so that applications can be processed within the 30-day target. To address the delays, the NHSBSA is re-allocating resources, improving their service planning, and recruiting and training new staff.

The Department is working with the NHSBSA to ensure that plans for providing McCloud remedy statements to affected scheme members take account of and protect the delivery of normal pension service operations, which continue to run in parallel to remedy activities.

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 support retiring NHS staff whose pensions are not processed within the target processing time.

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

The Department regularly meets with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to discuss performance levels. These discussions include the processing times for National Health Service pension applications.

The NHSBSA aims to make the first payment for a new pension within 30 calendar days of the retirement date or the date when all information necessary to process the claim is received from the member and employer.

The NHSBSA is processing a high volume of claims. In May 2026, 97% of new pension claims were paid within the 30-day timeframe. For the remaining claims, payments took an average of 14 additional days beyond the 30-day timeframe. Up-to-date information on processing times is available on the NHSBSA website, at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/current-processing-times-nhs-pensions

Where a payment is likely to take longer than 30 days, to minimise the risk of financial hardship, the NHSBSA contacts members who have queried the progress of their claim to offer expedited payment. They also prioritise the processing of claims involving vulnerable members and those experiencing ill health. A member whose first pension payment is delayed beyond the 30-day timeframe will automatically receive interest on the overdue amount.

The Department is supporting the NHSBSA to take all steps necessary to increase performance so that applications can be processed within the 30-day target. To address the delays, the NHSBSA is re-allocating resources, improving their service planning, and recruiting and training new staff.

The Department is working with the NHSBSA to ensure that plans for providing McCloud remedy statements to affected scheme members take account of and protect the delivery of normal pension service operations, which continue to run in parallel to remedy activities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional resources are being given to the NHS Business Service Authority to clear the backlog of NHS Pension applications.

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

The Department regularly meets with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to discuss performance levels. These discussions include the processing times for National Health Service pension applications.

The NHSBSA aims to make the first payment for a new pension within 30 calendar days of the retirement date or the date when all information necessary to process the claim is received from the member and employer.

The NHSBSA is processing a high volume of claims. In May 2026, 97% of new pension claims were paid within the 30-day timeframe. For the remaining claims, payments took an average of 14 additional days beyond the 30-day timeframe. Up-to-date information on processing times is available on the NHSBSA website, at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/current-processing-times-nhs-pensions

Where a payment is likely to take longer than 30 days, to minimise the risk of financial hardship, the NHSBSA contacts members who have queried the progress of their claim to offer expedited payment. They also prioritise the processing of claims involving vulnerable members and those experiencing ill health. A member whose first pension payment is delayed beyond the 30-day timeframe will automatically receive interest on the overdue amount.

The Department is supporting the NHSBSA to take all steps necessary to increase performance so that applications can be processed within the 30-day target. To address the delays, the NHSBSA is re-allocating resources, improving their service planning, and recruiting and training new staff.

The Department is working with the NHSBSA to ensure that plans for providing McCloud remedy statements to affected scheme members take account of and protect the delivery of normal pension service operations, which continue to run in parallel to remedy activities.

Retirement of Godfrey Asare and Margaret Labulo from the Members' Tea Room

Russian sanctions

International Court of Justice's July 2024 Advisory Opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Support for post offices

Payment of employment tribunal awards (No. 2)

Indefinite Leave to Remain changes

FIFA World Cup 2026 match bans

Religious freedom in sub-Saharan Africa

Palantir and the NHS (No. 2)

Found: : Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Alicia Kearns; Noah Law; Brian Mathew

Found: : Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Alicia Kearns; Noah Law; Brian Mathew

Found: ) Alicia Kearns (Conservative; Rutland and Stamford) Noah Law (Labour; St Austell and Newquay) Brian Mathew

Found: ) Alicia Kearns (Conservative; Rutland and Stamford) Noah Law (Labour; St Austell and Newquay) Brian Mathew

Found: ) Alicia Kearns (Conservative; Rutland and Stamford) Noah Law (Labour; St Austell and Newquay) Brian Mathew

Found: Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian Mathew

Found: Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian Mathew

Found: Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian Mathew

Submit Evidence (by 18 Sep 2026)

The Sahel is one of the world's most complex and protracted development contexts. The region faces overlapping humanitarian, governance, security and climate challenges that have contributed to widespread displacement, food insecurity and declining development indicators. Armed conflict, violent extremism and organised crime continue to undermine state institutions and limit access to basic services across much of the region.