Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
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 impact of limited fresh-freezing capacity on patients’ access to emerging cancer (a) testing and (b) treatments.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fresh-freezing, also referred to as snap-freezing, is a standard technique used by pathology networks to preserve tissue architecture without chemical fixatives, allowing for subsequent molecular or histological analysis, typically supporting research or advanced diagnostic applications.
Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues.
Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh tissue samples and for the snap-freezing of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.
It is important that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the latest innovations in the health and care system through research. The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year in research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s investments for capital equipment, technology, and modular buildings support NHS trusts across England to deliver high-quality research to improve the health of the population. This investment includes cutting edge research equipment and fixed assets such as ultra-low and cryogenic freezers, to strengthen research capacity and improve access to samples for research.
The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
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 adequacy of (a) fresh-freezing, (b) snap-freezing and (c) flash frozen capacity for brain cancer tissue samples across NHS trusts in England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fresh-freezing, also referred to as snap-freezing, is a standard technique used by pathology networks to preserve tissue architecture without chemical fixatives, allowing for subsequent molecular or histological analysis, typically supporting research or advanced diagnostic applications.
Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues.
Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh tissue samples and for the snap-freezing of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.
It is important that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the latest innovations in the health and care system through research. The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year in research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s investments for capital equipment, technology, and modular buildings support NHS trusts across England to deliver high-quality research to improve the health of the population. This investment includes cutting edge research equipment and fixed assets such as ultra-low and cryogenic freezers, to strengthen research capacity and improve access to samples for research.
The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the NHS’s capacity for fresh freezing of (a) tumour and (b) other tissue samples.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fresh-freezing, also referred to as snap-freezing, is a standard technique used by pathology networks to preserve tissue architecture without chemical fixatives, allowing for subsequent molecular or histological analysis, typically supporting research or advanced diagnostic applications.
Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues.
Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh tissue samples and for the snap-freezing of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.
It is important that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the latest innovations in the health and care system through research. The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year in research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s investments for capital equipment, technology, and modular buildings support NHS trusts across England to deliver high-quality research to improve the health of the population. This investment includes cutting edge research equipment and fixed assets such as ultra-low and cryogenic freezers, to strengthen research capacity and improve access to samples for research.
The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to phase out the use of animal-derived biomaterials and promote non-animal alternatives in medical research.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government’s recent strategy commits to reducing the use of animals in research and promotes the use of any validated alternative method. This includes replacing the use of animal-derived products, including for example, animal-derived polyclonal antibodies which we aim to replace by 2030. Other animal-derived substances/biomaterials generated in procedures regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 may be considered as part of the alternative-methods research and development priorities that will be developed in consultation with stakeholders and published biennially from 2026.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy 'Replacing Animals in Science' published on 11 November 2025, what assessment she has made of the implications for this strategy of the use of foetal calf serum in the research and pharmaceutical industries; and what steps she is taking to promote its replacement with alternative methods.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government’s publication “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods” sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. The strategy is intended to promote the use of any alternative method that is accurate and validated and so does not concentrate on every specific alternative. However, research and development priorities will be published biennially from 2026, developed collaboratively with industry and academic partners, to determine the best path forward to reduce reliance on animals in science.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in relation to Housing Benefit being tapered at a faster rate than pay, what impact this has had on young people in supported accommodation; and whether he has evaluated the subsequent loss to the Exchequer.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There has been a longstanding work disincentive arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for young people living in supported accommodation. The Autumn Budget 2025 included an announcement to introduce four new earned income disregards into Housing Benefit for residents in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation. This will remove a significant barrier to entering work or increasing hours, ensuring that work pays and these residents are better able to achieve financial independence.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how she marked Red Wednesday on 19 November; and what steps she is taking to support persecuted Christians across the world.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 November 2025 to Question 85662.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the context of the transition from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this transition on people with workplace injuries who have built up their National Insurance contribution.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Customers who are claiming New Style Employment Support Allowance (NS ESA) based on their National Insurance contributions, for example following a workplace injury, will not be transitioned from NS ESA to Universal Credit.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of experiments using animals that were carried out in Wales in 2024; and whether she will be taking steps to reduce these numbers.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In 2024, 25,718 regulated scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Wales, a decrease from 31,940 in 2023.
The Home Office regulates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to assure compliance with the robust protections afforded to animals used in science and to administrate the licensing framework. Licences to test on animals are only granted where applicants comply with the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement. Animals can only be used where there is no non-animal alternative, numbers are minimised, and where the most refined methods of testing are used to minimise harms.
The Government has published the strategy, "Replacing animals in science, A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods" which will accelerate the roll out of safe and effective alternatives to phase out animal testing in all but exceptional circumstances. Available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
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 recommendations on NHS culture in the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission's report entitled Closing the Gap, published in September 2024.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the National Cancer Plan, we have engaged with brain cancer clinical experts and charities, as well as receiving this report, to help us develop the plan. The plan will include how we can reform the workforce to improve cancer patient outcomes, including for patients with brain cancer.
On 24 October 2025, NHS England published the Medium-Term Planning Framework – delivering change together 2026/27 to 2028/29. This sets out that all National Health Service providers must meet the site-specific timeframes of the Government’s 150-day clinical trial set-up target. To support embedding research as part of everyday care, research activity and income should be reported to boards on a six-monthly basis.
We are embedding genomics as routine practice within the NHS and its workforce by delivering the genomics medicines service, seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs and implementing whole genome sequencing as part of routine care. The Genomics Education Programme is responsible for upskilling the entire multi-professional, multi-specialty NHS workforce in genomics.
The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials on brain cancer to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.