Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 sugar additives in soft drinks on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Scientific risk assessments and United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).
The SACN has not carried out an assessment of the potential impact of sugar additives in soft drinks on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in young people. However, the SACN has considered the risk of sugar consumption and non-sugar sweetener (NSS) consumption on health outcomes, including the risk of type 2 diabetes.
In 2015, the SACN published its report on Carbohydrates and Health and recommended that “the consumption of sugars-sweetened beverages should be minimised in children and adults”. With respect to type 2 diabetes, the SACN noted that “a greater risk is associated with a higher intake of sugars-sweetened beverages”.
With respect to children and adolescents, the SACN noted that “consumption of sugars-sweetened beverages, as compared with non-calorically sweetened beverages, results in greater weight gain and increases in body mass index”. Energy intakes that consistently exceed requirements lead to weight gain and obesity in the long term.
On 2 April 2025, the SACN published its position statement on the World Health Organization’s guideline on NSS’. The SACN concluded that the evidence of the risk to health, including of type 2 diabetes, from consuming NSS’ is inconsistent. The SACN made a precautionary recommendation that the intake of NSS’ be minimised. With greater certainty of the impact of sugars on health, including type 2 diabetes, the SACN recommended that “swapping sugars for NSS may help reduce sugar intake from foods and drinks, and so reduce energy intake, at least in the short term. The long-term goal is to limit both sugar and NSS intake”.
The SACN made a number of research recommendations and other recommendations to the Government.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the Prostate Cancer UK-led Transform screening trial to reach any conclusions on future detection of the condition.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year in research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer as the largest area of spend, at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including clinical research on prostate cancer.
These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes. The TRANSFORM trial is an important example of this. On 19 November, the Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) announced the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial, to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer in order to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the Department.
The first recruits to the trial are currently being invited to take part in the study, and the first point at which we will see significant new evidence will be approximately three years after the trial begins. The PCUK website outlines the interim points over the course of the TRANSFORM trial when findings will be shared, with further information available at the following link:
https://prostatecanceruk.org/research/transform-trial
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he plans to implement the Tobacco and Vapes Bill across all parts of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is United Kingdom-wide, and has been developed in partnership with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Department of Health and Social Care in England will work with the devolved administrations to implement the measures in the bill, including future regulations, once the bill receives Royal Assent.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 merits of making atropine eye drops available on the NHS for pre-myopic children.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on whether medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service are for integrated care systems, considering relevant national guidance where available, including from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
NICE is currently considering whether to develop guidance for the NHS on the use of low-dose atropine eye drops for treating myopia in children aged between three and 14 years old through its established prioritisation process.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 future trends in the level of prostate cancer rates up to May 2028.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
An increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing in recent years has led to increased prostate cancer diagnoses. However, it is worth noting that the increase in diagnosis has not impacted upon mortality rates.
We know that the best way to treat prostate cancer is by identifying it as early as possible. The Department is investing £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK-led Transform screening trial, which seeks to find better ways to detect prostate cancer. This trial will compare the most promising tests that look for prostate cancer in men that do not have symptoms and aims to address disparities in detection rates across different groups. This will contribute to our further understanding of prostate cancer including its prevalence. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those living with prostate cancer.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to fund a financial incentives scheme to help pregnant women to stop smoking during this Parliament.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Health is a devolved matter. In England, the Government is funding a broad package of measures to support current smokers to quit, including the National Smoke-free Pregnancy Incentives Scheme. The future settlement for the scheme will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 3 December 2024 to Question 5537 on Bowel Cancer: Screening, whether he expects bowel screening for 50 year-olds to be completed by (a) autumn or (b) winter 2025.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The National Health Service in England has been gradually reducing the age for bowel screening from 60 years old down to 50 years old, since 2021/22. The extension to 50 years old is expected to be completed by 31 March 2025.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to retain (a) doctors and (b) other health professionals, in the context of the abolition of the lifetime allowance on pension savings.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The abolition of the lifetime allowance for tax-free pension saving incentivises senior doctors and other health professionals to continue their National Health Service work. Following extensive engagement with staff, the 10 Year Plan will set out a wide-ranging programme to improve staff retention, including for doctors. Alongside this, NHS England is leading targeted retention work through their NHS Retention Programme. This programme, coupled with the NHS People Promise, aims to improve the support that employers offer to their staff and build a more resilient and supportive workplace culture. It includes initiatives focussed on creating a flexible work environment, addresses career development opportunities, and seeks to enhance staff wellbeing. These elements are crucial in reducing attrition.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 introducing bowel screening for people aged over 74.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee, an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening, as well as supporting implementation.
As screening programmes can cause harms as well as benefits, each of the adult screening programmes has both an upper and lower age range within which there is good scientific evidence that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.
The UK National Screening Committee does not currently recommend routine bowel screening over the age of 74 years old, as there is a lack of evidence regarding the harms and benefits of screening above this age. Once people are 75 years old or over, they can ask for a bowel screening kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help young people with cerebral palsy.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
We want a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as cerebral palsy, receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers also supported. We will change the National Health Service so that it becomes not just a sickness service, but able to prevent ill health in the first place. This will help us be better prepared for the change in the nature of disease and allow our services to focus more on the management of chronic, long-term conditions like cerebral palsy.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on care and support for children and young people with cerebral palsy, to support healthcare professionals and commissioners. The guidance recommends service providers develop clear pathways that allow patients with cerebral palsy access to multi-disciplinary teams, specialist neurology services, and regular reviews of their clinical and functional needs. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng62
NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme aims to improve care for people with neurological conditions in England, including those with cerebral palsy, by reducing variation and delivering care more equitably across the country. The GIRFT National Speciality Report provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts, to improve patient services nationally.
In addition, the Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time, for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home. A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model.
The majority of services for people with cerebral palsy are commissioned locally by ICBs, which are best placed to make decisions according to local need. Nevertheless, at a national level, the Government is working closely with NHS England to continue to improve services for people with neurological conditions, including those with cerebral palsy.