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 estimate of the potential impact of prescribing abiraterone in England using the eligibility criteria used in (a) Scotland and (b) Wales on the number of premature deaths from high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England estimates that the number of eligible patients in England is between 7,500 and 9,500 per year. This is based on the same eligibility criteria as are used in Scotland and Wales.

NHS England has not completed any specific work to estimate the potential impact of prescribing abiraterone in England using the eligibility criteria used in Scotland and Wales on the number of premature deaths from high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer. However, the policy was ranked as the top priority for routine commissioning at the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation Meeting in 2024/25, based upon the clinical benefit, which included evidence that demonstrated statistically significantly fewer deaths with abiraterone and androgen deprivation therapy versus androgen deprivation therapy alone.

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 potential merits of minimally invasive therapies for the less survivable cancers.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ongoing research is exploring the potential of minimally invasive cancer therapies for less survivable cancers. This includes non-invasive liver cancer treatments that use ultrasound technology to destroy tumours without surgery, scalpels, or radiation, with minimal damage to surrounding organs.

The adoption of new treatments, including minimally invasive cancer treatments for less survivable cancers, into the National Health Service in England is generally the result of National Institution of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance and/or commissioner decisions.

The NHS has launched a new £2 million programme which is funding 300 general practices to identify pancreatic cancer early by screening high-risk patients over 60 years old with new diabetes diagnoses and unexplained weight loss for urgent testing.

Both NHS England and the integrated care boards are required to put in place access for any treatment that carries a positive recommendation from the Technology Appraisal programme, operated by NICE. Agreements on timelines and funding for making therapies available on the NHS can vary, with implementation supported by the service readiness assessment and the development of additional capacity where necessary.

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 estimate of the (a) cost per patient, (b) number of eligible patients, (c) net cost, (d) incremental quality-adjusted life years gained and (e) incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of extending abiraterone access to high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer patients in England.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is unable to provide information related to the cost per patient as disclosure of this information could be used to identify the discounted price that we have agreed and would prejudice the commercial interests of both NHS England and the supplier.

The number of patients eligible for abiraterone for the treatment of high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer is between 7,500 and 9,500 per year.

The total net cost of the policy, including the drug cost, to NHS England is estimated to be approximately £49.36 million over five years.

NHS England has not calculated the incremental quality-adjusted life years gained or the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio because NHS England uses a relative prioritisation process for policy propositions that require funding in line with the published NHS England Specialised Commissioning Service Development Policy, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/B0026_NHS-England-Specialised-Commissioning-Service-Development-Policy.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of men in England with newly diagnosed high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer who would be eligible for abiraterone under the eligibility criteria used in (a) Scotland and (b) Wales.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England estimates that the number of eligible patients in England is between 7,500 and 9,500 per year. This is based on the same eligibility criteria as are used in Scotland and Wales.

NHS England has not completed any specific work to estimate the potential impact of prescribing abiraterone in England using the eligibility criteria used in Scotland and Wales on the number of premature deaths from high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer. However, the policy was ranked as the top priority for routine commissioning at the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation Meeting in 2024/25, based upon the clinical benefit, which included evidence that demonstrated statistically significantly fewer deaths with abiraterone and androgen deprivation therapy versus androgen deprivation therapy alone.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the estimate made by (a) NHS England, (b) NHS Wales and (c) NHS Scotland of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for abiraterone in high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has not calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for any policy proposition because NHS England uses a relative prioritisation process for policy propositions that require funding in line with the published NHS England Specialised Commissioning Service Development Policy, a copy of which is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England has approved any drugs with a higher incremental cost-effectiveness ratio than abiraterone for high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer in the last five years.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has not calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for any policy proposition because NHS England uses a relative prioritisation process for policy propositions that require funding in line with the published NHS England Specialised Commissioning Service Development Policy, a copy of which is attached.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to write to social landlords to encourage them to offer a proportion of their properties as furnished, in the context of the best practice guide within the Decent Homes Standard.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages actively with registered providers of social housing on all issues facing social housing tenants and with a range of stakeholders on issues facing residents and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.

On 2 July, we opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The consultation proposed that government develop best practice guidance for all landlords including information and support where tenants in need can access help on furniture provision.

The consultation has now closed and responses are being analysed. More information about future guidance will be released as part of the government response.

People in need may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the level of furniture poverty in Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of furnished tenancies on the level of furniture poverty.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages actively with registered providers of social housing on all issues facing social housing tenants and with a range of stakeholders on issues facing residents and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.

On 2 July, we opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The consultation proposed that government develop best practice guidance for all landlords including information and support where tenants in need can access help on furniture provision.

The consultation has now closed and responses are being analysed. More information about future guidance will be released as part of the government response.

People in need may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that landlords (a) introduce flooring in all habitable rooms within a reasonable timeframe and (b) otherwise follow the Decent Homes Standard.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages actively with registered providers of social housing on all issues facing social housing tenants and with a range of stakeholders on issues facing residents and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.

On 2 July, we opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The consultation proposed that government develop best practice guidance for all landlords including information and support where tenants in need can access help on furniture provision.

The consultation has now closed and responses are being analysed. More information about future guidance will be released as part of the government response.

People in need may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the best practice guide within the Decent Homes Standard on the number of landlords who furnish their properties using furnished tenancies.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages actively with registered providers of social housing on all issues facing social housing tenants and with a range of stakeholders on issues facing residents and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.

On 2 July, we opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The consultation proposed that government develop best practice guidance for all landlords including information and support where tenants in need can access help on furniture provision.

The consultation has now closed and responses are being analysed. More information about future guidance will be released as part of the government response.

People in need may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department plans to take to monitor the implementation of the Decent Homes Standard in relation to (a) the best practice guide and (b) furniture provision within social housing.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages actively with registered providers of social housing on all issues facing social housing tenants and with a range of stakeholders on issues facing residents and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.

On 2 July, we opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The consultation proposed that government develop best practice guidance for all landlords including information and support where tenants in need can access help on furniture provision.

The consultation has now closed and responses are being analysed. More information about future guidance will be released as part of the government response.

People in need may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Dr Beccy Cooper;

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Dr Beccy Cooper;

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Layla Moran (Chair); Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Dr Beccy Cooper;