Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Centrepoint’s call to build 40,000 one-bedroom homes per year to address record levels of youth homelessness.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Our National Plan to End Homelessness sets out how we will tackle the root causes of homelessness, including by building 1.5 million homes, including a generational increase in new social and affordable homes backed by £39 billion investment through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme. The new programme is designed to be flexible to support the greater diversity of supply needed, and we are asking providers to come forward with ambitious bids that reflect this diversity.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing (including Social Rent), and reflect this in their planning policies. The Government is consulting on changes to the Framework, including proposals relating to the delivery of social rent and affordable homes. The consultation document is available here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Centrepoint’s finding that local authorities face a £400 million funding shortfall in meeting their statutory duties to young people experiencing homelessness.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has provided more than £1 billion funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services this year. Councils should use this record investment to meet the needs of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in their area, including young people.

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 access to routine tissue freezing for brain cancer patients in Newbury.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Information on the number of National Health Service trusts in England that have facilities for fresh freezing brain cancer tissue samples is not currently collected and no recent assessment has been made on the adequacy, extent, or capacity of procedures for freezing brain cancer and general cancer tissue samples across NHS trusts in England.

Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues. Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh, or snap-freezing, of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.

In addition, the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year in research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s investments for capital equipment, technology, and modular buildings support NHS trusts across England to deliver high-quality research to improve the health of the population. This investment includes cutting edge research equipment and fixed assets such as ultra-low and cryogenic freezers, to strengthen research capacity and improve access to samples for research.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that cancer patients in Newbury are treated within 62 days.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million appointments across elective, diagnostic, and cancer care, having now delivered over five million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment.

Between November 2024 to October 2025, approximately 110,000 more patients were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days compared to the previous 12 months. This supports the achievement of the 62-day treatment standard, as faster diagnosis means that patients can begin treatment sooner.

The latest available data shows that the 62-day treatment standard for the NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board has improved by 3.5% between October 2024 and October 2025.

However, we recognise that there is more to do, including for patients in Newbury.

To ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it, and so that patients can be treated sooner, the Government has also invested £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines, including one at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Chinook Justice Campaign

Social media for under 16s

Health and Care Worker visas

Gambling harms

Commemorating National Care Leaver’s Month November 2025

Import of illegal meat

Dolly Parton's birthday

Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide

Richard Clothier MBE for services to sustainable agriculture and food production

Brain cancer

Iran protests

Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Use of UK bases by the United States and international law in relation to Greenland

Less Survivable Cancers Week

In memory of Andrew Arbuckle MBE

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Mr Lee Dillon; Mary Glindon

Found: Mr Lee Dillon: Lee Dillon, MP for Newbury. Good morning.