Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Department is taking to reduce the time taken to open cancer clinical trials in the NHS, and what assessment they have made of the potential impact of delays in opening cancer clinical trials for new treatments.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan and reinforced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Department is committed to cutting the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up, to under 150 days. I refer the Hon Member to the report, including actions and progress so far against the 150-day target, published by the Government on 9 July 2026, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-plan-one-year-on
The National Cancer Plan, available at the link below, outlines actions to increase the speed, scale, and reliability of cancer clinical trials in detail:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england
The 10-Year Health Plan for England, available at the link below, commits to embedding research as a core component of care:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
An update on the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will be available in due course.
In July 2026, the Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), published the Research Workforce Update for England which aims to ensure that research opportunities and careers are accessible to a broader range of professions and communities, helping to develop a sustainable and inclusive research workforce across all health and social care settings and geographies for the future. The Research Workforce Update for England is available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-workforce-update-england
All NIHR personal awards are open to foreign nationals. The Global Talent visa includes certain NIHR personal awards under the recognised list of personal fellowships that allows people to apply for a fast-track visa. Further details available at the following link:
https://royalsociety.org/grants/global-talent-visa-overview/route-2-individual-fellowships/
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of international researchers working on clinical and cancer research in the UK.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan and reinforced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Department is committed to cutting the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up, to under 150 days. I refer the Hon Member to the report, including actions and progress so far against the 150-day target, published by the Government on 9 July 2026, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-plan-one-year-on
The National Cancer Plan, available at the link below, outlines actions to increase the speed, scale, and reliability of cancer clinical trials in detail:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england
The 10-Year Health Plan for England, available at the link below, commits to embedding research as a core component of care:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
An update on the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will be available in due course.
In July 2026, the Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), published the Research Workforce Update for England which aims to ensure that research opportunities and careers are accessible to a broader range of professions and communities, helping to develop a sustainable and inclusive research workforce across all health and social care settings and geographies for the future. The Research Workforce Update for England is available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-workforce-update-england
All NIHR personal awards are open to foreign nationals. The Global Talent visa includes certain NIHR personal awards under the recognised list of personal fellowships that allows people to apply for a fast-track visa. Further details available at the following link:
https://royalsociety.org/grants/global-talent-visa-overview/route-2-individual-fellowships/
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will include measures to increase NHS capacity to deliver non-commercial clinical trials.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan and reinforced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Department is committed to cutting the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up, to under 150 days. I refer the Hon Member to the report, including actions and progress so far against the 150-day target, published by the Government on 9 July 2026, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-plan-one-year-on
The National Cancer Plan, available at the link below, outlines actions to increase the speed, scale, and reliability of cancer clinical trials in detail:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england
The 10-Year Health Plan for England, available at the link below, commits to embedding research as a core component of care:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
An update on the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will be available in due course.
In July 2026, the Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), published the Research Workforce Update for England which aims to ensure that research opportunities and careers are accessible to a broader range of professions and communities, helping to develop a sustainable and inclusive research workforce across all health and social care settings and geographies for the future. The Research Workforce Update for England is available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-workforce-update-england
All NIHR personal awards are open to foreign nationals. The Global Talent visa includes certain NIHR personal awards under the recognised list of personal fellowships that allows people to apply for a fast-track visa. Further details available at the following link:
https://royalsociety.org/grants/global-talent-visa-overview/route-2-individual-fellowships/
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service for parents.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Children have a right to be supported by both parents. The Child Maintenance Service helps ensure that happens. Information on CMS arrangements, payment compliance and enforcement is available in the Child Maintenance Service statistics to March 2026 and through https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which of the business cases (strategic outline; outline; or full) by East West Rail have been approved for (a) Bletchley to Bedford and (b) Bedford to Cambridge.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Strategic Outline Business Case for the section of East West Rail between Bletchley and Cambridge was produced in 2019. An Outline Business Case is being prepared to support Government decision making on the project ahead of an application for a Development Consent Order. A Full Business Case will be put forward once planning consent is secured.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what level of business case has been submitted by East West Rail regarding traction power and rolling stock for the (a) Bletchley to Bedford and (b) Bedford to Cambridge components of the project.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
East West Rail Company set out the latest proposals for partial electrification of the railway as part of its consultation in Spring 2026. This will be considered as part of future stages of the business case approval process for the project.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what level of business case (Strategic Outline; Outline; or Full) has been submitted by East West Rail for (a) Bletchley to Bedford and (b) Bedford to Cambridge.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Strategic Outline Business Case for the section of East West Rail between Bletchley and Cambridge was produced in 2019. An Outline Business Case is being prepared to support Government decision making on the project ahead of an application for a Development Consent Order. A Full Business Case will be put forward once planning consent is secured.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that payments owed to receiving parents are collected in a timely manner.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) works to ensure that maintenance owed to receiving parents is collected as promptly as possible. Where a paying parent does not make a payment in full or on time, the CMS will take action to re-establish compliance and recover outstanding amounts.
The CMS has a range of collection and enforcement powers available, including Deduction from Earnings Orders and deductions from bank accounts. Where necessary, further enforcement action may be taken against paying parents who persistently fail to meet their child maintenance obligations.
The Department regularly reviews operational performance to support the effective collection of child maintenance and to help ensure that receiving parents obtain the financial support for children to which they are entitled.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy and effectiveness of the enforcement powers of the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government keeps the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) under continuous review and considers its enforcement powers to be robust, while taking forward reforms to strengthen compliance further and prevent paying parents from avoiding their maintenance responsibilities. These powers have helped secure payment of the vast majority of debt, with only 7% of all maintenance arranged via the 2012 scheme remaining to be collected via the Collect and Pay service.
The CMS already has a strong range of enforcement powers to prevent parents who avoid paying their Child Maintenance. These powers include using Enforcement Agents (previously known as bailiffs) to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, removal of driving licences or UK passports, deductions directly form earnings and bank accounts or even commitment to prison. The Government also plans to bring forward regulations to introduce Administrative Liability Orders, replacing the current court-based process and enabling the CMS to take enforcement action more quickly against parents who do not meet their responsibilities.
The Government has confirmed its intention to remove Direct Pay and move to a single, strengthened Collect and Pay service. This will enable the CMS to monitor all payments, identify missed or partial payments more quickly, and take faster enforcement action.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Child Maintenance Service policies in preventing paying parents from avoiding payments.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government keeps the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) under continuous review and considers its enforcement powers to be robust, while taking forward reforms to strengthen compliance further and prevent paying parents from avoiding their maintenance responsibilities. These powers have helped secure payment of the vast majority of debt, with only 7% of all maintenance arranged via the 2012 scheme remaining to be collected via the Collect and Pay service.
The CMS already has a strong range of enforcement powers to prevent parents who avoid paying their Child Maintenance. These powers include using Enforcement Agents (previously known as bailiffs) to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, removal of driving licences or UK passports, deductions directly form earnings and bank accounts or even commitment to prison. The Government also plans to bring forward regulations to introduce Administrative Liability Orders, replacing the current court-based process and enabling the CMS to take enforcement action more quickly against parents who do not meet their responsibilities.
The Government has confirmed its intention to remove Direct Pay and move to a single, strengthened Collect and Pay service. This will enable the CMS to monitor all payments, identify missed or partial payments more quickly, and take faster enforcement action.