Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of using breast density assessment software at women's first breast cancer screening appointments; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of that technology on women's awareness of their personal risk of developing breast cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Breast Screening Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density trial is looking into the use of supplementary imaging techniques for women, within the standard breast screening programme, who are found to have radiographically dense breast tissue. The UK National Screening Committee, which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries in the United Kingdom, will review this evidence when it becomes available.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to not recommend trastuzumab deruxtecan for HER2-low secondary breast cancer for use on NHS on the life expectancy of eligible women.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not yet published final guidance on the use of trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu) for the treatment of metastatic HER2-low breast cancer. The NICE published final draft guidance on 5 March 2024, that does not recommend it as a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. Stakeholders had until 19 March 2024 to lodge an appeal against the NICE’s recommendations. The NICE currently expects to publish final guidance on 3 April 2024.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help strengthen the UK’s security and economic relationship with the Baltic states.
Answered by James Cleverly
The UK has close diplomatic, security and economic relations with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Together we are deterring Russia, supporting Ukraine and deepening our cooperation on defence and security. On 6 June the Prime Minister met the Estonian Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary regularly engages with her Baltic counterparts. In the last 18 months, we have signed declarations of cooperation with each of the Baltic States and will continue to strengthen our security and economic collaboration.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of small boat crossings in the English Channel.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
Working with our French counterparts, our focus is on deterring and preventing people from entering the Channel, tackling the criminal gangs responsible and protecting lives.
The new Migration and Economic Partnership with Rwanda, together with the provisions of the Nationality and Borders Act also seek to create a deterrent effect.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Lebanese Government on reports that labour restrictions on Palestinian refugees are to be eased in that country.
Answered by James Cleverly
The UK welcomes the decision by the Lebanese Government to ease labour restrictions for Palestinian refugees. We acknowledge Lebanon's generosity in hosting refugees, which the UK will continue to support through our assistance for education and basic needs.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of Iran’s support for (a) Hezbollah, (b) Hamas and (c) Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Answered by James Cleverly
The Government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. It is for this reason that we currently have over 200 EU sanctions listings in place against Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety; have proscribed Hamas' military wing as a terrorist organisation; and support the enforcement of UN prohibitions on the proliferation of weapons to non-state actors in the region, including to Lebanese Hizballah (UNSCR 1701).
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the amount spent by HS2 Ltd on enabling staff to work from home in (a) 2020 and (b) 2021.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The spend via expenses for IT and DSE equipment (chairs, desks, risers etc) related to home working is as follows:
£69,843 in 2020
£35,128 for 2021(January – September)
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish details of expenditure by HS2 Ltd on domestic and overseas trips for employees in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021, by destination.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
HS2 Ltd publishes data on senior officials’ expenses and hospitality associated with business trips as part of its transparency disclosures available on gov.uk. This information is updated on a quarterly basis.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has HS2 Ltd spent on (a) rail, (b) air and (c) road travel since 2019.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
HS2 Ltd spend for rail, air and road travel – which reduced as a result of the pandemic - is as follows:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (to Sept) |
Air | £ 30,525 | £2,747 | £271 |
Rail | £2,646,434 | £405,494 | £123,530 |
Road | £170,590 | £74,586 | £78,644 |
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Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent by HS2 Ltd for private security at each HS2 office and site since 2019.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
In line with the Government’s transparency agenda, HS2 Ltd publishes data for all payments over £25,000 and any payments over £500 made using corporate purchasing cards. This information is available on gov.uk