Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
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 implications for his policies of the evidence presented in Prostate Cancer Research’s report entitled Prostate Cancer Screening: The Impact on the NHS, on targeted prostate cancer screening for high-risk men; and if he will ensure that this is considered as part of the UK National Screening Committee’s review of prostate cancer screening options.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) Secretariat has noted Prostate Cancer Research’s report entitled Prostate Cancer Screening: The Impact on the NHS and has discussed it with the chair of the UK NSC.
The UK NSC is currently undertaking a new evidence review of prostate cancer screening at both a population level and for targeted high-risk groups such as black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer. We anticipate a public consultation on the findings of this review soon and a recommendation by the UK NSC in the first quarter of next year.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to respond to the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee 2025 report; and if he will meet representatives of regional Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees following that response.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As the new Minister for Veterans and People, I am currently reviewing and understanding my portfolio, which includes the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees. This includes reviewing previous advice also provided to my predecessor. This forms part of a much wider and far-reaching review to streamline and improve the offer to our people, which remains ongoing. A response will be issued in due course.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help increase access to pubs for guest beers from independent breweries within the (a) review of market access for small breweries and (b) statutory review of the Pubs Code.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises that independent breweries are essential to the diversity and character of our pubs. We're currently assessing the beer market to determine whether there are any structural barriers preventing small brewers from accessing pubs.
This review specifically references market access for small brewers, and will cover all subcategories of the pub sector, including leased and tenanted pubs. It will not, however, consider the merits of different pub models. We’re considering the review’s findings and will announce in due course any measures that may need to be taken.
The Pubs Code (the Code) applies to large pub-owning businesses with 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales, covering around 8,000 pubs. Separate to the beer market review, the Government is currently conducting a statutory review into the operation of the Pubs Code and the performance of the Pubs Code Adjudicator. Alongside this statutory review, the Government is also conducting a Post Implementation Review (PIR) which will consider the Pub Code’s impact since it was introduced in 2016.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will take steps to ensure that banks enable prospective customers to open bank accounts using (a) Digital ID and (b) eVisas.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ensuring all individuals have access to the appropriate financial services and products they need is a key priority for Government. Financial institutions are required to ask for proof of identity for new customers when they first open an account as laid out in the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (the Regulations). The Regulations do not stipulate how a firm should verify their customers’ identities. Firms are instead required to apply a risk-based approach to how they comply with the customer due diligence requirements in the Regulations.
The Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) guidance makes it clear that firms can use electronic sources to verify a customer’s identity, provided that they have both (i) verified that the customer (and where appropriate, beneficial owner) exists and (ii) satisfied themselves that the applicant seeking the business relationship is, in fact, that customer (or beneficial owner).
In September, the government set out plans for a new government-backed Digital ID scheme. This Digital ID will make it easier for people across the UK to use vital government services, but will also streamline verification processes across private sectors too, such as when opening a new bank account. The government will be launching a public consultation later this year to engage industry on the proposals.
An eVisa is an online record of a person’s immigration permission in the UK, and any conditions which apply. The Home Office published guidance on the use of eVisas for identity checks, or know your customer (KYC) checks aimed at banks and other financial institutions. Individuals with an eVisa can evidence their identity and immigration status by using the online ‘view and prove your immigration status’ service to provide a time-limited code (‘share code’) to third parties such as landlords, employers and banks.
The Home Office has also implemented a comprehensive engagement strategy to smooth the transition to eVisas and to maximise awareness raising across various sectors. This includes collaboration with key stakeholders including migrant organisations and financial services providers.
Each firm will have their own policies on identification, and on the circumstances in which other checks should be undertaken. Government does not prescribe those detailed policies but expects them to be proportionate and supports firms’ efforts to be flexible and inclusive when considering relevant documentation.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
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 the article entitled European Study of Prostate Cancer Screening - 23 Year Follow-up published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 29 October 2025; and if he will ensure that this research is considered as part of the UK National Screening Committee’s review of prostate cancer screening options.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The article European Study of Prostate Cancer Screening – 23 Year Follow-up was published after the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) completed its formal modelling report as part of its evidence review into prostate cancer screening.
However, given that it is a peer-reviewed update to one of only two large-scale prostate cancer screening trials, the UK NSC Secretariat has checked the key results of this research against the UK NSC’s evidence review.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate the UK Health Security Agency has made of the number of people who died from wildfire smoke in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not made any estimates of deaths attributable to wildfire smoke in the United Kingdom in each of the last ten years.
Whilst there is extensive evidence of health impacts from other countries linked to wildfires, there is relatively limited, but growing, evidence specific to the UK. The UKHSA monitors the broader impact of ambient air pollution on mortality in the UK.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the risk of wildfires crossing the rural-urban interface in London.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Outdoor fires, especially wildfires, are expected by many academics to increase in frequency and impact in the future, predominantly driven by climate change. Wildfires are difficult to predict as risk is based on many factors - such as weather and human activity - and can happen across a wide range of landscapes.
Each fire and rescue authority, including the London Fire Commissioner, is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfire), through their Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), and having regard to the views of other key local responders.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) works closely with a wide range of stakeholders including the National Fire Chiefs Council, England and Wales Wildfire Forum and other Departments and Agencies including DEFRA and the Met Office to promote planning and prevention for wildfire incidents in England. This includes working closely with partners to consider options for enhancing forecasting, monitoring and public communications around wildfire.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Health and Social Care on 17 June 2025, Official Report col 352, what his planned timescale is for a decision of the NHS England Clinical Priorities Advisory Group in relation to commissioning of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone for hormone-sensitive non-metastatic prostate cancer, following the sharing of updated cost impact modelling from Prostate Cancer UK.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In regard to funding for abiraterone specifically, abiraterone is not licensed for use in the treatment of high-risk, non-metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and as such cannot be evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for routine use on the National Health Service. NICE makes recommendations for the NHS in England on the vast majority of new medicines and significant licence indications for existing medicines, but does not evaluate medicines that are used outside their marketing authorisations or “off-label”.
Funding decisions for off-label medicines are the responsibility of NHS commissioners, who are required to make decisions on the basis of the available evidence. For cancer medicines, NHS England is the responsible commissioner and has an established mechanism to do so through its clinical prioritisation process. NHS England considered abiraterone as an off-label treatment for the treatment of hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer through its clinical policy development process in 2024/25. Through this process, NHS England confirmed that there was sufficient supporting evidence to support the routine commissioning of abiraterone in this indication and it was ranked as the top priority for routine commissioning. However, NHS England has not been able to identify the necessary recurrent funding to support the commissioning of abiraterone, or any other treatments within the prioritisation round. This position in being kept under review and will be progressed as soon as recurrent funding is identified.
This position takes into account the need to ensure the affordability of introducing any new routine commissioning policies, alongside maintaining existing services for patients, and of meeting their legal requirement to fund all NICE approved drugs. Abiraterone for the treatment of high-risk, hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer remains the top priority for routine commissioning.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Defence Readiness Bill on balancing fefence mobilisation requirements with current and future industrial demand for specialist personnel working in (a) private sector industries critical to an effective national response to emergencies and (b) critical national infrastructure.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review set out the need for Defence Readiness legislation this Parliament to give the Government more robust or additional powers to make the UK safe. This could include measures to improve the preparedness of key industries including nuclear, to better protect our Critical National Infrastructure and to support the mobilisation of wider Defence, including industry reserves. As this Government set out to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy on 30 June, a Defence Readiness Bill is potentially a legislative vehicle for the wider Government, not just Defence. We are therefore working closely across Government through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence programme to shape our key requirements, and understand and identify the measures needed. This will lay the groundwork to introduce legislation when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to publish a children’s health workforce plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. Ensuring that there is a robust children’s health workforce will be an essential component to delivering on this ambition.
We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service, including the children’s health workforce. It will be more empowered, more flexible and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including children, when they need it. There are no plans to publish a separate children’s health workforce plan.