Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many learner drivers have had their driving test cancelled by the DVSA (a) once and (b) more than once in each month since April 2025.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows how many learner drivers have had their driving test cancelled by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) once, and more than once, in each month since April 2025.

Please note, this data is based on the month the test was scheduled to take place, which might not be the same month the cancellation was made.

DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only do so as a last resort. DVSA will try to find another examiner to provide cover if it can, but this is not always possible.

DVSA publishes data on car practical test cancellation reasons by month and driving test centre (DTC) on GOV.UK. This data, in report DRT122B, is updated annually and currently shows data to March 2026. The next update is due to be published in June 2027.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in Widnes and Halewood are on the waiting list for access to NHS Dentistry.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested by the Hon Member is not recorded at a constituency level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the average age of diagnosis of children with Asthma in the Cheshire and Mersey ICB area.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance for asthma diagnosis, which is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/asthma/diagnosis/assessment/

There are 22,025 children, those who are under 16 years old, registered to a Cheshire and Merseyside general practice with a diagnosis of asthma in their primary care record. They have an average age at diagnosis of five years and 10 days, based on the earliest confirmed asthma diagnosis recorded in the available primary care data.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the earliest age a child can receive a diagnosis for Asthma.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance for asthma diagnosis, which is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/asthma/diagnosis/assessment/

There are 22,025 children, those who are under 16 years old, registered to a Cheshire and Merseyside general practice with a diagnosis of asthma in their primary care record. They have an average age at diagnosis of five years and 10 days, based on the earliest confirmed asthma diagnosis recorded in the available primary care data.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what data her Department holds on how many people in Widnes and Halewood constituency died from lung cancer each year since 2020.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th September is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has she made of establishing an interim clinician-led access pathway for eligible patients with Friedreich’s ataxia while NICE’s appraisal of omaveloxolone remains unresolved, and what comparative assessment her Department has made of the access arrangements available in Scotland and Wales.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 19 October in response to Question HL3794, Biogen must confirm that it is willing to re-engage with the evaluation process before further action on access to Omaveloxolone for National Health Service patients can be considered.

The Early Access to Medicines Scheme and Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway exist to support the development of medicines before they are licensed, which is not applicable in this case. Nor can NHS England consider providing funding through the Innovative Medicines Fund, in a situation where a company has failed to engage with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, as doing so would circumvent and undermine the established and independent appraisal process in a damaging way.

Health is devolved, and decisions on access to medicines in Scotland and Wales are matters for the respective devolved administrations.

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 merits of whether the Early Access to Medicines Scheme, Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway and Innovative Medicines Fund providing an interim route for Friedreich’s ataxia patients.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 19 October in response to Question HL3794, Biogen must confirm that it is willing to re-engage with the evaluation process before further action on access to Omaveloxolone for National Health Service patients can be considered.

The Early Access to Medicines Scheme and Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway exist to support the development of medicines before they are licensed, which is not applicable in this case. Nor can NHS England consider providing funding through the Innovative Medicines Fund, in a situation where a company has failed to engage with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, as doing so would circumvent and undermine the established and independent appraisal process in a damaging way.

Health is devolved, and decisions on access to medicines in Scotland and Wales are matters for the respective devolved administrations.

Found: Devon) Michelle Scrogham (Labour; Barrow and Furness) Fred Thomas (Labour; Plymouth Moor View) Derek Twigg

Found: Q11 Derek Twigg: Where is the commitment after 2.7%?

Found: 2026 Chairs: Paula Barker, Gill Furniss, Christine Jardine, Dr Andrew Murrison, Graham Stuart, Derek Twigg

Found: 2026 Chairs: Paula Barker, Gill Furniss, Christine Jardine, Dr Andrew Murrison, Graham Stuart, Derek Twigg

Found: 2026 Chairs: Paula Barker, Gill Furniss, Christine Jardine, Dr Andrew Murrison, Graham Stuart, Derek Twigg

Found: 2026 Chairs: Paula Barker, Gill Furniss, Christine Jardine, Dr Andrew Murrison, Graham Stuart, Derek Twigg

Found: 2026 Chairs: Paula Barker, Gill Furniss, Christine Jardine, Dr Andrew Murrison, Graham Stuart, Derek Twigg

Found: 2026 Chairs: Paula Barker, Gill Furniss, Christine Jardine, Dr Andrew Murrison, Graham Stuart, Derek Twigg