Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet the hon. Member for Horsham and Dr Susan Michaelis, founder of the Lobular Moon Shot Project, to discuss his Department's work on invasive lobular breast cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health Mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future. As part of that work, and in response to the Darzi report, we have launched an extensive programme of engagement to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts, from hospitals to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.
In addition, following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will develop a new national cancer plan. The cancer plan will include more details about how to improve outcomes for all tumour types, including lobular breast cancer, and ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be, and will provide updates on this, including on publication dates, at the earliest opportunity. We would encourage the Hon. Member for Horsham and Dr Michalis to input to the process, which would help to shape the national cancer plan.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many projects in the Teesside carbon capture and storage cluster are (a) existing projects being retrofitted and (b) new developments.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Teesside Carbon Capture and storage cluster includes the projects mentioned below:
NEP (Transport and Storage Network) - New network with Northern Endurance Partnership
Net Zero Teesside (NZT) - New dispatchable gas-fired power station with carbon capture technology
H2 Teesside - New build CCUS-enabled hydrogen production plant
BOC - Existing industrial plant owned by BOC looking to add CCUS technology
The NEP and NZT are included in the current funding envelope related to the funding announcement made in October 2024.
H2 Teesside and BOC are currently a part of the Project Negotiation List (PNL). Following a period of assessment and due diligence, the Track 1 PNL was determined and published in March 2023. Projects that were most likely to be delivered within our required timeframes and budget and storage capacity were selected.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Prostate Cancer UK's research entitled Optimising the use of the prostate- specific antigen blood test in asymptomatic men for early prostate cancer detection in primary care: report from a UK clinical consensus, published on 25 July 2024, if he will take steps to implement the recommendation on reviewing guidelines on allowing primary care staff to proactively discuss (a) prostate cancer risk and (b) prostate specific antigen testing with men at highest-risk of developing that cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee is aware of the Prostate Cancer UK report, and this will be considered as part of its evidence review process, with further information available at the following link:
The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) provides general practitioners (GPs) with information and guidance to counsel men who have no symptoms, but wish to have a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. It highlights the potential benefits and harms of PSA testing so that men, including those at higher risk, can make an informed decision about whether to have the test.
Based on the current evidence, the PCRMP guidance is for GPs not to proactively offer a PSA to men without symptoms. This is because of the high level of inaccuracy of the PSA test which could lead to unnecessary tests and treatments that carry risks of life-changing harm, such as urinary and faecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, as well as a smaller but serious risk of sepsis. Additionally, some prostate cancers may not produce elevated PSA levels, leading to false-negative results that provide deceptive reassurance.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's closed consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated 24 September 2024, what her planned timetable is for publishing a revised National Planning Policy Framework; and whether she plans to proceed with the recommendation in paragraph 20.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will amend planning regulations in situations where a tree is found to be endangering the foundations of an adjacent building so that local authorities may recommend options other than felling.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Existing procedures are designed to support options other than felling. The relevant guidance makes clear that applications to address tree-related subsidence damage are to be supported by appropriate information, and the standard application form requires evidence that the tree is a material cause of the problem and that other factors have been eliminated as potential influences so far as possible.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for publishing an updated version of the Housing Delivery Test.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The 2023 Housing Delivery Test outcomes will be published by the end of the year.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will meet the hon. Member for Horsham to discuss the obligations on Horsham District Council (a) to build more than 900 houses a year and (b) not to build new houses that do not meet the requirements of Water Neutrality.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Paragraph 60 of the National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local authorities should plan for as much of an area’s identified housing need as possible, including with an appropriate mix of housing types for the local community.
Addressing the impact of ‘water neutrality’ requirements on housing delivery is a cross-government priority. The way that water resources are planned for is being considered as part of a commission recently announced by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As set out in the King’s Speech, we want to ensure development delivers positive environmental outcomes.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to designate (a) Fire and Rescue services, (b) the Environment Agency and (c) the Health and Safety Executive as statutory consultees in the planning process for Battery Energy Storage Solutions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5520 on 11 October 2024.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to introduce (a) new national standards for the construction of facilities and (b) operational safety regulations for battery energy storage systems.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of having robust measures in place to manage battery energy storage system (BESS) safety. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates BESS under a regulatory regime which requires BESS designers, installers, and operators to take the necessary health and safety measures throughout all stages of the system’s construction, operation and decommissioning.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it is her policy that the Horsham District Council local plan should be allowed to progress without alteration in the context of her proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I regret that due to the Deputy Prime Minister’s quasi-judicial role in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of a specific local plan.
More generally, as part of our current consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we have proposed transitional arrangements to maintain the progress of plans at more advanced stages of preparation. These will apply differently depending on what stage of preparation the plan has reached and the extent to which it is meeting the Government’s housing growth aspirations.
We would encourage any views on the proposed transitional arrangements, or any alternatives that we should consider, to be submitted in response to the consultation.