Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Department of Health on the (a) operation of the Foundation Programme allocation process and (b) its potential impact on applicants in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) manages the national application process for the UK Foundation Programme, issues guidance on foundation training, and promotes the consistent delivery of the Foundation Programme across the United Kingdom, including in Northern Ireland. The UKFPO is funded by, and is accountable to, the four UK statutory education bodies, including the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency.
NHS England is due to review the Foundation Programme allocation process. The review is aiming to commence in 2026. NHS England will advise stakeholders on how they can input in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether motorcycling will be part of an integrated national transport strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Integrated National Transport Strategy will be published later this year and set the long-term vision for transport across England. As the strategy continues to develop, we are looking at all modes to understand how transport should be better designed, built and operated to meet the needs of people who use it.
To achieve the goals of the strategy, we have conducted a series of engagement activities to gather insights from transport stakeholders and members of the public. This has included a public Call for Ideas and an 11-stop Regional Roadshow where we spoke with motorcyclists and motorcycle user representative groups about their experiences of transport in England and what could be done to improve it. Everything we heard through our engagement has been considered to support strategic development.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming national cancer plan will introduce new targets for reducing late-diagnosis of cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing late diagnosis of cancer is a priority for the Department. As a first step, the National Health Service is now delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support early diagnosis and faster treatment.
NHS England is continuing the roll out of community diagnostic centres to ensure that patients can access the diagnostic tests they need as quickly as possible. The NHS is also improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred, including non-specific symptom pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway.
To further improve early intervention and reduce mortality rates, NHS England’s Help Us, Help You campaigns seek to address the barriers that are deterring patients from accessing the care they need. The campaign encourages people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner, focusing on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging ‘body awareness’ to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.
Further actions on reducing late-diagnosis and improving survival for all cancers will be outlined in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experiences and outcomes for people with cancer. The goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, and the ambition will be set out as part of the National Cancer Plan.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that the TV licence payment structures are (a) transparent, (b) proportionate and (c) accessible to people who cannot afford to pay the licence fee in one lump sum.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Television licences are issued on an annual basis and households can choose a variety of payment plans to spread the cost of the licence, including monthly and quarterly payment plans.
New joiners to TV Licensing’s monthly direct debit scheme pay for their first licence over 6 months. This front-loading of payments is a requirement set out in legislation. After the initial 6 months of joining the scheme, households pay towards their next licence through payments spread over 12 months. This is intended to reduce the BBC’s exposure to unexpected changes in its income that could result from households stopping their fee payments part-way through the year, and which could impact the BBC’s ability to deliver its services for the public.
The Government recognises the financial difficulties faced by some households. This is why we announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan to support more households by enabling them to split up the annual licence fee payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. This payment plan does not require front-loading. The changes, which came into effect in February 2025, make a greater number of households eligible for the Plan.
The Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that the BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity for the Government to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with the BBC on the rationale for requiring new Direct Debit customers to pay six months of licence fees in advance.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Television licences are issued on an annual basis and households can choose a variety of payment plans to spread the cost of the licence, including monthly and quarterly payment plans.
New joiners to TV Licensing’s monthly direct debit scheme pay for their first licence over 6 months. This front-loading of payments is a requirement set out in legislation. After the initial 6 months of joining the scheme, households pay towards their next licence through payments spread over 12 months. This is intended to reduce the BBC’s exposure to unexpected changes in its income that could result from households stopping their fee payments part-way through the year, and which could impact the BBC’s ability to deliver its services for the public.
The Government recognises the financial difficulties faced by some households. This is why we announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan to support more households by enabling them to split up the annual licence fee payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. This payment plan does not require front-loading. The changes, which came into effect in February 2025, make a greater number of households eligible for the Plan.
The Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that the BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity for the Government to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has held discussions with the BBC on requiring new Direct Debit customers to pay six months of licence fees in advance.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Television licences are issued on an annual basis and households can choose a variety of payment plans to spread the cost of the licence, including monthly and quarterly payment plans.
New joiners to TV Licensing’s monthly direct debit scheme pay for their first licence over 6 months. This front-loading of payments is a requirement set out in legislation. After the initial 6 months of joining the scheme, households pay towards their next licence through payments spread over 12 months. This is intended to reduce the BBC’s exposure to unexpected changes in its income that could result from households stopping their fee payments part-way through the year, and which could impact the BBC’s ability to deliver its services for the public.
The Government recognises the financial difficulties faced by some households. This is why we announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan to support more households by enabling them to split up the annual licence fee payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. This payment plan does not require front-loading. The changes, which came into effect in February 2025, make a greater number of households eligible for the Plan.
The Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that the BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity for the Government to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of advance payment requirements for TV licences on low-income households.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Television licences are issued on an annual basis and households can choose a variety of payment plans to spread the cost of the licence, including monthly and quarterly payment plans.
New joiners to TV Licensing’s monthly direct debit scheme pay for their first licence over 6 months. This front-loading of payments is a requirement set out in legislation. After the initial 6 months of joining the scheme, households pay towards their next licence through payments spread over 12 months. This is intended to reduce the BBC’s exposure to unexpected changes in its income that could result from households stopping their fee payments part-way through the year, and which could impact the BBC’s ability to deliver its services for the public.
The Government recognises the financial difficulties faced by some households. This is why we announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan to support more households by enabling them to split up the annual licence fee payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. This payment plan does not require front-loading. The changes, which came into effect in February 2025, make a greater number of households eligible for the Plan.
The Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that the BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity for the Government to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on introducing duty of candour legislation.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Government remains committed to implementing a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities, and criminal sanctions for those who refuse to comply in certain circumstances.
The Cabinet Office and Ministry of Justice are the lead Departments in Government for this matter. Ministry of Defence officials continue to liaise with colleagues across Government on this important issue.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to meet with bereaved families associated with the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 53163 on 3 July 2025 to the hon. Member for Angus and Perthshire Glens (Dave Doogan).
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria was used to determine the 100-year classification of documents on the Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash in 1994; and whether a review of that classification has been held in the last five years.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
For personal information and information linked to identifiable living individuals, The National Archives and the Advisory Council for National Records and Archives advocate a closure period of the ‘lifetime’ of the data subject. This assumes a lifetime of 100 years but will be graduated down from the age or assumed age of the youngest individual in the record. The Ministry of Defence has not conducted a review of the classification of the records within the last five years.