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 open consultation entitled proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 2 August 2024, what steps she plans to take to help local authorities promote healthy living.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As part of the consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we are seeking views on how national planning policy could better support local authorities in promoting healthy communities, and specifically, in tackling childhood obesity.

The Framework already expects policies at the local level to aim to achieve healthy places. We are considering how to ensure a more consistent approach is taken, for example, in relation to controlling hot food takeaways near schools.

The consultation is open until 24 September and we will use the responses we receive to inform future steps.

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 open consultation entitled proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 2 August 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending compulsory purchase compensation rules to allow local authorities to procure land for use as (a) parks and (b) playing fields.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities have powers under the Local Government Act 1972, Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Education Act 1996 to compulsory purchase land for parks and playing fields providing there is a compelling case in the public interest. Compensation paid will reflect open market value. Under compensation rules, any increase or decrease in value caused by the compulsory purchase must be discounted from the open market value of the land taken.

Local authorities acquiring land under the Education Act 1996 can seek directions from the Secretary of State to remove ‘hope value’ from compensation where justified in the public interest. They can also seek directions to remove hope value when acquiring land under the Local Government Act 1972 or Town and Country Planning Act 1990 providing the use of the land will include provision of affordable housing. For example, a mixed-use scheme including mixed tenure housing, parks, open spaces.

Further reform of compulsory purchase compensation rules will be included in the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Announcements on the timing of that Bill will be made in the normal way in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing women over the age of 65 to request a cervical smear.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are currently no plans to make an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of extending the age of the National Health Service’s cervical screening programme beyond 65 years old. The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence to screen women over 65 years old for cervical cancer in 2019, and due to the lack of evidence, no recommendation was made on changing the age at which women exit the programme.

People over the age of 65 years old who have not had a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical screening result recently are not invited back for screening. Evidence suggests that it is very unlikely that they will develop cervical cancer over the age of 65 years old if they are HPV negative.

Anyone aged 65 years old or older continues to be screened within the NHS cervical screening programme if one of the last three screening tests was abnormal. In addition, people aged over 65 years old who have never had cervical screening, or who have not had a screening since they turned 50 years old, are able to request a cervical screening test through their general practice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of extending the cervical screening programme beyond the age of 65.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are currently no plans to make an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of extending the age of the National Health Service’s cervical screening programme beyond 65 years old. The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence to screen women over 65 years old for cervical cancer in 2019, and due to the lack of evidence, no recommendation was made on changing the age at which women exit the programme.

People over the age of 65 years old who have not had a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical screening result recently are not invited back for screening. Evidence suggests that it is very unlikely that they will develop cervical cancer over the age of 65 years old if they are HPV negative.

Anyone aged 65 years old or older continues to be screened within the NHS cervical screening programme if one of the last three screening tests was abnormal. In addition, people aged over 65 years old who have never had cervical screening, or who have not had a screening since they turned 50 years old, are able to request a cervical screening test through their general practice.

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 page 17 of the Kings Speech 2024 background briefing notes, published on 17 July 2024, what her planned timetable is for delivering proposed reforms to compulsory purchase compensation rules.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Announcements on the timing of the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be made in the normal way in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Business and Trade and (b) Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations on the potential merits of negotiating a mutual recognition of professional qualification agreement with the European Commission for the aviation sector.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has been clear that the UK’s trading relationship with the EU can be improved in several areas. The Department continues to engage with the European Union (EU) Commission on areas where future cooperation or recognition could support UK interests. Any further details will be provided in due course, as engagement progresses.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Government last held discussions with the European Commission on the potential merits of negotiating a mutual recognition of professional qualifications agreement for the aviation sector.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

We have already begun working to reset the UK-EU relationship. The Prime Minister has had positive early calls and meetings, including with Ursula von der Leyen, and key leaders in Member States. The Minister for the Cabinet Office has visited Brussels twice in the first two weeks of the new Government and met with his counterpart, Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič.

We want to improve the trading relationship with the EU, including on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and we look forward to exploring this further with our European partners.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to commence negotiations on a future reciprocal agreement with the European Commission for professional qualifications.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

We have already begun working to reset the UK-EU relationship. The Prime Minister has had positive early calls and meetings, including with Ursula von der Leyen, and key leaders in Member States. The Minister for the Cabinet Office has visited Brussels twice in the first two weeks of the new Government and met with his counterpart, Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič.

We want to improve the trading relationship with the EU, including on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and we look forward to exploring this further with our European partners.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of recorded cases of cervical cancer in patients over the age of 65 in the last five years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Disease Registration Service publishes cancer registration statistics annually, as Accredited Official Statistics. The information requested is therefore available at the following link:

https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/incidence_and_mortality

The interactive dashboard provides the most recent data available to 2020 which represents completed disease registration. The data is broken down by age and types of cervical cancer.

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