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, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report on dietary and lifestyle patterns for cancer prevention, particularly the evidence on alcohol as a risk factor for bowel cancer.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.
The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.
The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.
It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.
From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.
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, what steps his Department is taking to prevent bowel cancer by addressing key modifiable risk factors, including alcohol.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.
The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.
The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.
It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.
From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.
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, what plans his Department has to improve public awareness of the bowel cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.
The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.
The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.
It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.
From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there are sufficient heating oil supplies into the UK to meet demand.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are confident in the UK’s security of fuel supply, and there are currently no indications of disruption. The Department is working closely with fuel suppliers, distributors, and trade bodies to monitor heating oil supply, demand, and market conditions, and to ensure sufficient supplies are available across the UK. The UK benefits from a diverse and resilient supply chain.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the fiscal circumstances within which the level of the Official Development Assistance budget will be raised to 0.7% of gross national income.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In line with the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015, the Government is required to review whether a return to spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on Official Development Assistance is possible against each new fiscal forecast, and to lay a statement in Parliament in each year when that is not possible. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to liaise closely with HM Treasury on an ongoing basis in relation to these projections.
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 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, 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 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.