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 adequacy of the (a) support available to ambulance staff who attend traumatic callouts and (b) suicide prevention training provided to ambulance staff.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The mental health of all National Health Service staff is taken seriously, including ambulance staff as responders to emergency incidents. Ambulance trusts and the Association of Ambulance Trust Chief Executives have worked closely with NHS England to ensure there is a good range of health and wellbeing support for staff. This includes an ambulance sector specific suicide prevention pathway to provide immediate support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for staff experiencing suicidal ideation. At a national level, ambulance trust employees have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support, alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps Great British Energy is taking to help public services use more renewable energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

GBE’s first investment, together with government, included £180 million for around 200 schools and 200 hospitals in England to install solar power and complementary technology, cutting energy costs.

Eleven school installations have already happened, enabling estimated annual bill savings of £175,000 total.

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 NHS England’s decision not to commission abiraterone acetate plus prednisone/prednisolone for men with high risk non metastatic prostate cancer on health equity for Black men.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England develops an Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment (EHIA) for policy propositions included in its Policy Work Programme. The EHIA for abiraterone acetate plus prednisone for hormone sensitive non-metastatic prostate cancer noted that incidence rates for prostate cancer are higher in the black ethnic group, compared with the white ethnic group, in males in England. Commissioning decisions for abiraterone acetate plus prednisone/prednisolone apply equally to all individuals with high risk non metastatic prostate cancer regardless of race or ethnicity.

Incidence rates for prostate cancer are higher in the black ethnic group, compared with the white ethnic group, in males in England. To address this inequality, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are Black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) support available to fire and rescue staff who attend traumatic incidents and (b) suicide prevention training provided to fire and rescue staff.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The health and wellbeing of firefighters is of the utmost importance. The government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery. Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) are ultimately responsible for the health and wellbeing of firefighters and the government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.

National organisations such as The Fire Fighters Charity and Mind also offer valuable support to individuals and services. Their resources can assist Fire and Rescue Authorities in developing local approaches to managing mental health risks and promoting the wellbeing of their workforce.

The health and wellbeing support provided by Fire and Rescue services is considered by the fire inspectorate (His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) in the course of their work.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Found: Q115 Danny Beales: Fantastic.

Found: Q115 Danny Beales: Fantastic.

Found: Health and Social Care Committee member present: Danny Beales.

Found: Health and Social Care Committee member present: Danny Beales.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Paulette Hamilton (Chair); Danny Beales; Dr Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft

Submit Evidence (by 28 Aug 2025)

The Committee is holding an inquiry into food and weight management, including treatments for obesity.