Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the treatment of crime‑prevention measures, including CCTV systems, within business rates valuations on levels of business investment in security; and whether she plans to reform the business rates system to help support crime prevention.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Please refer to the previous answers to UIN 84492 and UIN 49676.

The Call for Evidence published at Budget sought further evidence on the role business rates and reliefs play in investment, including Improvement Relief. Transforming the business rates system is a multi-year process, and any reforms taken forward will be phased over the course of the Parliament.

Moreover, the Government is providing up to £7m over the next 3-years to support the police in tackling retail crime, including continued funding for a specialist policing team to tackle organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders. This money will also support police-led work to strengthen policing and retailers’ joint response to retail crime.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce regulations under the Tobacco and Vapes Act to require vaping products in retail premises to be stored (a) out of sight, (b) behind the counter, (c) in closed or locked cabinets and (d) in such a way as to reduce their attractiveness and visibility to children.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. The Act contains powers to introduce future regulations on where and how vapes and nicotine products can be displayed within shops.

There is evidence that display has played a role in the growth of youth vaping and that regulating the point-of-sale display of vapes will reduce their appeal to children. It is unacceptable that vapes in some shops have been displayed alongside confectionery and toys.

This is why we will soon consult on proposals for regulating the display of vapes and nicotine products to reduce the appeal and accessibility of vapes to children.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of data generated by the tobacco track‑and‑trace system on police investigations into organised crime; and what steps she is taking to maximise the operational value of that data.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to reducing the amount of illicit tobacco and vaping products on sale nationally.

Tobacco Track and Trace data is used extensively alongside a range of other data and tools to tackle organised crime throughout the supply chain. In 2023, HMRC introduced a sanctions regime relating specifically to tobacco track and trace breaches.

I refer the hon member to the answers provided to UIN 128189, UIN 107092 and UIN 84365 for more information.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the capacity of local authority Trading Standards services to proactively prevent rogue trading activity; and what steps he is taking to ensure those services have the (a) skills, (b) staffing, and (c) resources to intervene before consumer harm occurs in local communities.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Trading Standards are provided by local authorities who operate independently from central government, so local authorities make decisions according to their individual needs.

The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase on 2025-26. Much of this funding is not ringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

My officials are undertaking a review of Trading Standards duties, to ensure that consumers remain protected from harm and that local enforcement teams are able to focus on the issues that have the most impact on citizens and communities.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of women leaving the workforce due to menopause-related health issues.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government is committed to tackling the challenges women face in the labour market at every stage of life, and with the right menopause workplace support, we can help unlock the full talent and creativity of women across the country.

As part of the Employment Rights Act 2025, the government committed to supporting women experiencing menopause in the workplace by encouraging employers with 250 or more employees to produce an action plan, from April 2026, covering the steps they are taking to support employees experiencing the menopause.

As part of the plan to Make Work Pay, the government also committed to publishing guidance, including for small employers, on measures relating to uniform and temperature, flexible working and recording menopause-related leave and absence. This is available on the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) website.

On 1 April 2026, Mariella Frostrup was appointed as the government’s Women’s Employment Ambassador, building on her work over the past 18 months as Menopause Employment Ambassador, where she raised awareness and strengthened employer understanding of menopause in the workplace.

In this expanded role, she is championing women’s health across the life course, ensuring menopause remains a key priority, and working with employers to improve workplace support, raise awareness of key health issues and highlight women’s economic contribution.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's NG12 guideline document entitled Suspected cancer: recognition and referral, updated on 15 April 2026, what steps he is taking to tackle phlebotomy capacity issues to ensure full blood count testing occurs for patients in primary care presenting with non-specific symptoms which may indicate leukaemia within 48 hours of referral, as recommended in the NG12 guidelines.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan for England, published on 4 February 2026, sets out a commitment to diagnose cancers earlier and ensure people receive timely, effective treatment. The Government is committed to helping NHS England detect cancers, including blood cancers, earlier and provide faster treatment to improve outcomes.

NHS England uses non‑specific symptom pathways for people presenting with symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or general illness that do not point to a particular cancer type. These pathways are especially important for detecting blood cancers, which often present with vague or non‑specific symptoms.

In addition, ongoing investment in diagnostic capacity, including new magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners, the Government will support NHS England to diagnose all cancers, including blood cancers, earlier to ensure patients can begin treatment as quickly as possible.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has a guideline on suspected cancer called Recognition and referral, which aims to support the identification of children, young people, and adults with symptoms that could be caused by cancer. The guideline provides guidance on appropriate investigations in primary care, and the selection of people to refer for a specialist opinion. The guideline recommends that people with specific symptoms should be offered a very urgent full blood count to assess for leukaemia. Local National Health Service organisations are expected to take NICE guidelines fully into account in ensuring that their services meet the needs of their local populations. The NHS is held to account to deliver guidelines, which include all NICE directions, at a local and regional level.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee’s Occasional Paper 27 entitled The influence of the social security system on educational and vocational decision-making at age 16, what steps he is taking to support 16- and 17-year-old apprentices experiencing loss of income after starting apprenticeships due to exclusion from family benefit calculations; and if he will implement the Committee’s recommendation to close the transitional payment gap between benefit recalculation and receipt of the apprentice’s first wage.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is determined to reverse the 40% drop in young people starting apprenticeships, and so we welcome the Social Security Advisory Committee’s insight into this important area. We are carefully considering the report's recommendations and will respond in due course.

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 improve timely access to haematology specialists for patients with (a) suspected and (b) diagnosed leukaemia.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan for England, released on 4 February 2026, sets out a commitment to diagnose cancers earlier and ensure people receive timely, effective treatment.

The Government is committed to helping the NHS England detect cancers, including blood cancers, earlier and provide faster treatment to improve outcomes.

NHS England uses non‑specific symptom pathways for people presenting with symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue or general illness that do not point to a particular cancer type. These pathways are especially important for detecting blood cancers, which often present with vague or non‑specific symptoms.

In addition to ongoing investment in diagnostic capacity, including new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanners, we will support NHS England to diagnose all cancers, including blood cancers, earlier and ensure patients can begin treatment as quickly as possible.

The Department will work to end the postcode lottery to ensure that access to the best cancer diagnosis, treatment and care is available for everyone, including leukaemia patients.

The Department is working with partners such as the Royal College of Pathologists, Cancer Alliances, and genomics programme leads to strengthen diagnostic workforce capacity across cancer services, including pathology and cancer genomics. This includes investment in new training pathways, digital pathology, and genomics education, all of which support timely and accurate diagnosis for people with blood cancers, including leukemia.

NHS England is investing in expanding specialty training posts in high-demand disciplines, including haematology, and is supporting local systems to retain and develop multidisciplinary teams. This includes increasing medical training posts in haematology and enhancing the scientific workforce supply through initiatives such as the Scientist Training Programme and Higher Specialist Scientist Training.

As of February 2026, there are 2,318 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of Haematology in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England. This is 130, or 6%, more than a year ago. This also includes 1,082 FTE consultants, which is 51, or 4.9%, more than a year ago.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later this spring to put the NHS workforce on a sustainable footing so staff can deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.