Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will set targets for the reuse of digital devices in the extended producer responsibility regime.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We do not currently set targets for the reuse of digital devices in the waste electricals producer responsibility regime. The Circular Economy Taskforce will consider evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate which interventions are required as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy for England.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to standardise data security protocols for digital device donation, in the context of tackling digital exclusion and reducing e-waste.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government announced a device donation pilot on the 26th February, running to August 2025. We will be working with Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) to refurbish end-of-life laptops from DSIT, DESNZ and DBT and distribute them to those who need them most.
The Government uses an accredited partner with ADISA certification to sanitise devices, meaning each is wiped securely before being collected.
DPA conducts additional verification for recipients of devices, including offering Data Erasure and Data Destruction Reports for processed devices.
We are looking into solutions for standardising protocols for disposal of data to encourage device donation by industry.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will update the 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy to promote the redistribution of digital devices, in the context of tackling exclusion and reducing e-waste.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Government announced on 26 February in our Digital Inclusion Action Plan a device donation pilot. We are working with the Digital Poverty Alliance to refurbish end-of-life laptops from DSIT, DESNZ and DBT and distribute them to those who need them most. We are ensuring no unsuitable devices are donated but instead are stripped for parts and recycled according to Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) guidelines.
We are also working with industry on a device donation charter to encourage more organisations to set up device donation schemes. We hope to publish the charter in Spring 2025.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total amount of research funding spent on lobular breast cancer research was in 2023- 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.
We are proud to have invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre in 2022, supporting their efforts to strengthen research into cancer, including lobular breast cancer. Wider investments into breast cancer research include a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, including lobular breast cancer.
On 4 February 2025 the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via NIHR. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including lobular breast cancer.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total amount of research funding spent on lobular breast cancer research was in 2022- 2023.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.
We are proud to have invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre in 2022, supporting their efforts to strengthen research into cancer, including lobular breast cancer. Wider investments into breast cancer research include a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, including lobular breast cancer.
On 4 February 2025 the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via NIHR. The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including lobular breast cancer.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate his Department has made of the total level of funding allocated by the Medical Research Council into specific research on the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of lobular breast cancer in each of the last five years.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government does not ringfence funding for specific cancers. DSIT invests approximately £200 million into cancer research annually via UK Research and Innovation, including the Medical Research Council (MRC). The average annual funding awarded by UKRI to breast cancer research (including diagnosis and treatment) between 2018 and 2022 was approximately £10 million. The MRC invests approximately £125 million into cancer annually. DHSC spent £121.8 million in 2022/23 on cancer research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research infrastructure funding supports Biomedical Research Centres and the NIHR Research Delivery Network, which has enabled the delivery of 10 lobular breast cancer studies.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when does he plans to publish allocations of the Public Health Grant for 2025-26.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government published the 2025/26 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities on 7 February. Further details are available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's press release Home upgrade revolution as renters set for warmer homes and cheaper bills, published on 23 September 2024, when he plans to consult on new EPC requirements for the private rented sector.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will consult shortly on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation will include proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the cost of temporary accommodation for London councils in each of the last four years.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities in England report revenue and expenditure on an annual basis. Data on council spending on temporary accommodation is contained in the Revenue outturn housing services (RO4) tables, accessible here. The drop down can be used to access data for each local authority, as well as for groups of local authorities including London Boroughs. The net current expenditure column contains data on the net cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities, after they have accounted for income such as from housing benefit.
The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and that this can have a devastating impact on those involved, as well as placing financial strain on councils. We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.
We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings the total spend on homelessness and rough sleeping to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26, a record level of funding.
In December, MHCLG also announced the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million in overall funding to work with 20 local authorities with the highest use of bed & breakfast (B&B) accommodation for homeless families, to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives to reduce the use of B&Bs.
More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including:
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help councils reduce the (a) need for and (b) costs of temporary accommodation.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities in England report revenue and expenditure on an annual basis. Data on council spending on temporary accommodation is contained in the Revenue outturn housing services (RO4) tables, accessible here. The drop down can be used to access data for each local authority, as well as for groups of local authorities including London Boroughs. The net current expenditure column contains data on the net cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities, after they have accounted for income such as from housing benefit.
The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and that this can have a devastating impact on those involved, as well as placing financial strain on councils. We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.
We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings the total spend on homelessness and rough sleeping to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26, a record level of funding.
In December, MHCLG also announced the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million in overall funding to work with 20 local authorities with the highest use of bed & breakfast (B&B) accommodation for homeless families, to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives to reduce the use of B&Bs.
More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including: