Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when people with brain cancer will have access to personalised vaccines as part of their NHS treatment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no personalised cancer vaccines with a marketing authorisation for use in the United Kingdom. All new, licensed medicines, including personalised cancer vaccines, are evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which makes recommendations on whether they should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims wherever possible to issue recommendations on new medicines close to the point of licensing, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of a positive draft NICE recommendation, bringing forward patient access by up to five months.
The measures that we announced in the Life Sciences Sector Plan will enhance NICE’s collaboration with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and will support faster access to medicines for NHS patients in England.
Further, the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform set up to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines and speed up access to mRNA personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials for cancer patients. The CVLP has been instrumental in accelerating trial activity in cancer research, with CVLP sites driving faster activation and enrolment timelines. The platform is designed to be company- and clinical trial type-agnostic. Any company that wishes to deliver trials via the platform, including those developing vaccines for brain tumours, can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Health Adjustment Passport in supporting disabled people to (a) enter and (b) remain in employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Health Adjustment Passports are voluntary and available to everyone with a health condition or disability.
The Health Adjustment Passport enables disabled people to move more easily into employment and between job roles and reduces the need to repeat personal information about their disability. The Passport supports transitions into employment by providing a tool to enable disabled people to have structured conversations with employers about disability. It acts as a transferable record of the adjustments needed, along with sign posts to available support including Access to Work (AtW).
If a user chooses to share the passport with their employer, it can help to raise the visibility of adjustments and highlight support available, including AtW. In the event the user applies for AtW support, the passport can aid an assessment by providing health and disability information beforehand, enabling support to be put in place more quickly.
Further information on the Health Adjustments Passport can be found on: Health Adjustment Passport - GOV.UK
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87510 on Internet: Children and Young People, when the Media Literacy Vision Statement will be published.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is developing a Media Literacy Vision Statement in close collaboration with other government departments. The Vision Statement will set out a shared, whole-of-government vision for a safe, informed, media literate society. It will outline how media literacy will be embedded across key policy areas including education, public services, digital inclusion, and community resilience. We will announce publication in due course.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will introduce Access to Work Adjustment Passports for all claimants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Health Adjustment Passports are voluntary and available to everyone with a health condition or disability.
The Health Adjustment Passport enables disabled people to move more easily into employment and between job roles and reduces the need to repeat personal information about their disability. The Passport supports transitions into employment by providing a tool to enable disabled people to have structured conversations with employers about disability. It acts as a transferable record of the adjustments needed, along with sign posts to available support including Access to Work (AtW).
If an individual chooses to share the passport with their employer, it can help to raise the visibility of adjustments and highlight support available, including AtW. In the event the user applies for AtW support, the passport can aid an assessment by providing health and disability information beforehand, enabling support to be put in place more quickly.
Further information on the Health Adjustments Passport can be found on: Health Adjustment Passport - GOV.UK
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits to North Durham constituency of returning the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme Investment Reserve to members.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As at 30 October 2024, there were 222 members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in North Durham. Any transfer of the reserve would be used to enhance member benefits.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 79968 on Palestine: Education, what discussions his Department has had with the Palestinian Authority on seeking an independent audit into the implementation of the curriculum reform.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary met with the Palestinian Foreign Minister on 1 November. As part of their conversation they discussed educational reforms. The UK continues to monitor and advance the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation through an annual strategic dialogue. In the meantime, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, through the British Consulate in Jerusalem, engage regularly with the Palestinian Authority on many areas, including education reform.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
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 impact of Pride in Place funding on the Stanley South neighbourhood in North Durham constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 25 September the government announced its flagship Pride in Place Programme, which will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 of Great Britain’s most in-need neighbourhoods over the next decade. The Stanley South neighbourhood in North Durham was selected as one of the areas to receive long-term funding and support from the programme.
This investment will help build a stronger community in Stanley South, create a thriving local place, and empower residents to take back control of their neighbourhood. Funding will support a locally led Pride in Place plan shaped around local priorities, with the community represented through a dedicated Neighbourhood Board to ensure that investment reflects local needs and ambitions.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations have been opened under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme into (a) the Islamic Human Rights Commission, in the context of Iran’s Al-Quds Day in the UK, (b) David Miller, in the context of the Iranian state channel Press TV and (c) other activities connected to Iran.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is longstanding policy that the Government does not comment on individual cases.
Iranian state-owned organisations do not automatically have to register with FIRS. Individuals or entities will only need to register under FIRS if they are carrying out activities in the UK at the direction of the Iranian state.
The Government will be publishing an annual report setting out, among other things, the number of registrations, number of information notices issued, the number of persons charged with an offence and the number of persons convicted of an offence. The first report will be published as soon as practicable after 30 June 2026.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people who act as (a) anchors, (b) presenters and (c) regular contributors for Press TV are required to register under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is longstanding policy that the Government does not comment on individual cases.
Iranian state-owned organisations do not automatically have to register with FIRS. Individuals or entities will only need to register under FIRS if they are carrying out activities in the UK at the direction of the Iranian state.
The Government will be publishing an annual report setting out, among other things, the number of registrations, number of information notices issued, the number of persons charged with an offence and the number of persons convicted of an offence. The first report will be published as soon as practicable after 30 June 2026.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Islamic Human Rights Commission is required to register under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is longstanding policy that the Government does not comment on individual cases.
Iranian state-owned organisations do not automatically have to register with FIRS. Individuals or entities will only need to register under FIRS if they are carrying out activities in the UK at the direction of the Iranian state.
The Government will be publishing an annual report setting out, among other things, the number of registrations, number of information notices issued, the number of persons charged with an offence and the number of persons convicted of an offence. The first report will be published as soon as practicable after 30 June 2026.