Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to early-stage and discovery brain cancer research in the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that funding for building a pipeline of new treatments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government responsibility for delivering cancer research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UKRI, primarily supports the discovery science and fundamental biological research. NIHR’s research is complementary to the MRC's focus, supporting the translation of discovery science into patient benefit through a range of mechanisms, including direct funding through our research programmes and through funding to underpin and enable research to take place.
UKRI plays a significant role in supporting interdisciplinary cancer research to bring new discoveries closer to patient benefit and commercialisation. UKRI invests in cancer research to understand the underpinning biology of cancer to inform prevention, diagnosis and treatment options, and to support academic and industry-led innovation in new cancer therapeutic discovery, medicines manufacturing, and precision medicine.
More than half of UKRI’s active projects in this area focus on developing and testing more effective treatments for brain tumours, including reducing side effects.
We are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress and build scientific capacity to do research on brain cancer.
In the five years between 2020/21 and 2024/25, the NIHR has directly invested £10.4 million into research projects and programmes focussed on brain tumours. The NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, including facilities, services, and the research workforce, further allowed leverage of research funding from other donors and organisations. These NIHR investments in infrastructure are estimated to be £32.9 million over the same period.
Over six years, from the financial year 2018/19 to 2023/24, UKRI committed £46.8 million to brain tumour research. In addition, in January 2026 the NIHR announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.
We’re also strengthening our partnership with Cancer Research UK, including approximately £3 million to co-fund Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence. This investment will accelerate the move from foundational research to delivering innovative treatments for patients.
The NIHR continues to welcome high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the status of each work package within the NIHR Brain Tumour Consortium, including submission date, status, date of the latest decision and correspondence and reasons for any delay and return.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1.7 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
We are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress and build scientific capacity to do research on brain cancer.
In January 2026, the NIHR announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.
The NIHR Funding Committee meeting for the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium and associated work packages took place on 14 October 2025. The outcomes of which are made publicly available on the NIHR website. The following table shows the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium funding awards and their decision status:
Award Title | Decision |
NIHR501957 - The Brain Tumour Novel Therapeutics Consortium | Conditional offer |
NIHR502152 - WP1 - Adult Early Phase 5G platform | Conditional offer |
NIHR501153 - WP2 Adult Graduation Phase 5G platform | Declined with possibility to resubmit |
NIHR501826 - TarGeT (Targeted pedicatric high-grade Glioma Therapy) phase 2 umbrella trial | Conditional offer |
NIHR501825 - EPILOGUE- Phase I/II combination umbrella trial in relapsed paediatric low-grade glioma | Conditional offer |
The Brain Tumour Novel Therapeutics Consortium contract commenced in December 2025. Associated work packages were issued and intent to fund letters sent in December 2025, although this is contingent upon submitting and reviewing detailed costs and, if applicable, agreeing to the suggested amendments and requests for clarification, which are currently in progress.
The NIHR is working to ensure that new investments can get up and running as soon as possible. We are expecting to make further announcements in due course.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the role of National Cancer Lead for Rare Cancers is full-time; what the contracted FTE and weekly hours are; and what interim leadership arrangements are in place until the role is filled.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan, published on the 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions, to be delivered within the next ten years. The role of the reformed National Cancer Board will be to support and monitor the delivery of the commitments and ambitions and to provide regular updates to ministers.
Alongside the co-chairs, other leads for specific areas will sit on the board, including a lead for rare cancers. These leads will oversee delivery of the plan and advise on what action should be taken to improve outcomes.
It is important to choose the most suitable appointment process for selecting the lead roles, including for the rare cancer lead. Officials from NHS England and the Department are carefully following the required public appointments procedures, including creating job specifications and agreeing contracted hours. The first meeting of the reformed National Cancer Board will be scheduled once the membership of the board has been agreed, and until such time, senior officials will continue to maintain oversight, reporting to ministers as required.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she’s taking with Cabinet Colleagues to work with voluntary organisations, such as Girl guiding, to help ensure that girls’ voices are heard in the national consultation, Growing up in the online world.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
On 2 March, the government launched a landmark consultation on how to give young people the childhood they deserve in an online world. Alongside the formal consultation, we published a child‑ and parent‑friendly version to ensure these important voices are heard.
Officials are working closely with other government departments, and with voluntary and civil society organisations to reach a diverse range of children and young people.
We recognise that boys and girls have different experiences online. We are actively engaged with organisations such as Girlguiding and the Scouts to ensure these varied perspectives are heard.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether decision-making process on the proposed switch off the UK's digital terrestrial television will take into account the impact on low-income households, particularly in the North West of England.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I can confirm that my department is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to ensure that the impact on low-income households across the UK, including in the North West of England, is fully considered as part of any decisions on the future of digital terrestrial television beyond 2034.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 8 of the Government's document entitled Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, published on 20 January 2026, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce the level of risk of the six ecosystem regions collapsing.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Nature underpins the UK’s security, prosperity and resilience and understanding the threats we face from biodiversity loss is essential to addressing them effectively. The Nature security assessment forms part of cross-government resilience planning and complements the UK’s National Security Strategy, National Risk Register and Chronic Risks Analysis. It will help the Government plan for potential shocks that are credible enough to warrant preparation.
The UK is already taking action to address the potential risks identified in the Assessment, including major investment in nature, forests and climate resilience.
Internationally, the UK is investing in forest and ocean protection and is on track to invest £11.6 billion of International Climate Finance between 2021 to 2026, including £3 billion for vital habitats such as tropical rainforests and marine ecosystems, and to support indigenous communities.
Domestically, tree planting in England is at its highest rate in over twenty years; we are restoring peatlands, improving water quality, protecting pollinators, and have introduced landmark legislation to safeguard our marine environment. The UK is strengthening supply chain resilience through the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy and supporting food security by backing British farmers through new technology, streamlined regulation, and nature-friendly farming schemes that reward sustainable production.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to help mitigate the national security risks identified in the nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Nature underpins the UK’s security, prosperity and resilience and understanding the threats we face from biodiversity loss is essential to addressing them effectively. The Nature security assessment forms part of cross-government resilience planning and complements the UK’s National Security Strategy, National Risk Register and Chronic Risks Analysis. It will help the Government plan for potential shocks that are credible enough to warrant preparation.
The UK is already taking action to address the potential risks identified in the Assessment, including major investment in nature, forests and climate resilience.
Internationally, the UK is investing in forest and ocean protection and is on track to invest £11.6 billion of International Climate Finance between 2021 to 2026, including £3 billion for vital habitats such as tropical rainforests and marine ecosystems, and to support indigenous communities.
Domestically, tree planting in England is at its highest rate in over twenty years; we are restoring peatlands, improving water quality, protecting pollinators, and have introduced landmark legislation to safeguard our marine environment. The UK is strengthening supply chain resilience through the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy and supporting food security by backing British farmers through new technology, streamlined regulation, and nature-friendly farming schemes that reward sustainable production.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the review of pornography law will include differences between online and offline regulation in relation to children’s access to sexually explicit material.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 9 December 2025, during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government announced that it would accept, in part, recommendation 24 of Baroness Bertin’s Independent Review on Pornography:
‘The current criminal justice response is ineffective in tackling illegal pornography online. Government should conduct its own legislative review of this regime to ensure that legislation and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is fit-for-purpose in tackling illegal pornography in the online world.’
The Ministry of Justice will be reviewing the criminal law relating to pornography, which will give an opportunity to look holistically and consider whether it is fit for purpose in an ever-developing online world. This will involve reviewing the effectiveness of existing legislation which criminalises the possession and publication of illegal pornographic material both online and offline. We have accepted in part because the Government cannot accept the recommendation to review CPS guidance. As the CPS is independent, whether to conduct a review of guidance would be a matter for them to decide.
As the review is focused on the criminal law set out above, it will not appraise the adequacy of age-verification, age-assurance methods or regulation.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department's review of the criminal law relating to pornography will consider the adequacy of existing age-verification and age-assurance measures in preventing children from accessing online pornography.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 9 December 2025, during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government announced that it would accept, in part, recommendation 24 of Baroness Bertin’s Independent Review on Pornography:
‘The current criminal justice response is ineffective in tackling illegal pornography online. Government should conduct its own legislative review of this regime to ensure that legislation and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is fit-for-purpose in tackling illegal pornography in the online world.’
The Ministry of Justice will be reviewing the criminal law relating to pornography, which will give an opportunity to look holistically and consider whether it is fit for purpose in an ever-developing online world. This will involve reviewing the effectiveness of existing legislation which criminalises the possession and publication of illegal pornographic material both online and offline. We have accepted in part because the Government cannot accept the recommendation to review CPS guidance. As the CPS is independent, whether to conduct a review of guidance would be a matter for them to decide.
As the review is focused on the criminal law set out above, it will not appraise the adequacy of age-verification, age-assurance methods or regulation.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to publish a review of the criminal law relating to pornography.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 9 December 2025, during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government announced that it would accept, in part, recommendation 24 of Baroness Bertin’s Independent Review on Pornography:
‘The current criminal justice response is ineffective in tackling illegal pornography online. Government should conduct its own legislative review of this regime to ensure that legislation and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is fit-for-purpose in tackling illegal pornography in the online world.’
The Ministry of Justice will be reviewing the criminal law relating to pornography, which will give an opportunity to look holistically and consider whether it is fit for purpose in an ever-developing online world. This will involve reviewing the effectiveness of existing legislation which criminalises the possession and publication of illegal pornographic material both online and offline. We have accepted in part because the Government cannot accept the recommendation to review CPS guidance. As the CPS is independent, whether to conduct a review of guidance would be a matter for them to decide.
As the review is focused on the criminal law set out above, it will not appraise the adequacy of age-verification, age-assurance methods or regulation.