Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to include policies on replacing older radiotherapy machines in the national cancer plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. Radiotherapy plays a crucial role in the care of many cancer patients, and we remain committed to continuing support for radiotherapy in the future.
In October 2024, as part of a broader investment across the health sector, the Government announced that £70 million would be spent on new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment. We expect that trusts will be fully using new machines by the end of June 2026.
The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 potential merits of establishing a national radiotherapy advisory group.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises radiotherapy as a crucial part of cancer treatment, which is why we have invested £70 million in 28 new radiotherapy machines to ensure the most advanced radiotherapy treatment is available to patients when they need it.
There are no current plans to establish a national radiotherapy advisory group, however, the Government regularly engages with key stakeholders, including the All Party Parliamentary Group on Radiotherapy.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 innovation in the beer and pub sector with the (a) development and (b) availability of (i) no and (ii) low alcohol products on the aims of the NHS 10 Year Plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to tackling harmful levels of alcohol consumption through exploring options to standardise which products can describe themselves as alcohol free. One of the first steps will be to explore raising the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV, aligning with international standards. At the same time, we will explore measures to regulate access to no- and low-alcohol (NoLo) products in line with other alcoholic beverages, including prohibiting sales to individuals under the age of 18 years old.
Alongside the plan, a large multi-year National Institute for Health and Care Research study is underway to examine the public health impacts of NoLo products, and we look forward to the findings the study being available in the coming year.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 64682 on Prostate Cancer: Hormone Treatments, if his Department will publish the Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment for abiraterone acetate plus prednisone for hormone-sensitive non-metastatic prostate cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment for abiraterone acetate plus prednisone for hormone-sensitive non-metastatic prostate cancer can be found in the attached document.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) support available to police officers who attend traumatic incidents and (b) suicide prevention training provided to police officers.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The health and wellbeing of our police is a top priority for the Home Office and it’s essential that those who have faced traumatic incidents in the line of duty receive the support they need to recover and continue serving. We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service who have developed an evidenced-based trauma support model which is now available to forces.
NPWS have also created a national suicide action plan which aims to educate and support the workforce, reduce stress and improve data recording. In addition, the Service is piloting a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support Line to provide urgent support for our police when they need it the most.
It is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers to effectively manage their workforce, ensuring the appropriate health and wellbeing provisions are in place for their officers and staff.