Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide financial support to redress schemes relating to pelvic mesh and valproate proposed by devolved governments.

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

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report. To progress this, I met with the patient safety commissioner late last year and we continue to work closely together.

Should a decision be made for any United Kingdom-wide scheme, appropriate steps would also be taken to engage across the UK at the earliest opportunity. I am also in contact with ministers within the devolved administrations, with engagement between officials across the UK occurring regularly.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the July 2019 implementation date of the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code on victims of authorised push payment scams that occurred before that date; and whether she plans to review redress mechanisms to ensure consistent treatment of victims regardless of when losses occurred.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. To protect consumers, under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams taking place over the Faster Payment system. This came into force on 7 October 2024. The details of the APP reimbursement regime are a matter for the independent PSR.

Transactions that occurred before 7 October 2024, may be governed by the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM), a voluntary code signed by the UK’s largest banks and building societies that came into force in May 2019. However, it is important to note that not all banks or building societies are party to the CRM code. The CRM code is overseen by the Lending Standards Board and more information can be found on their website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Cancer Plan will include measures to improve cancer research capacity in hospitals in the North of England.

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

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is a major area of NIHR spending at £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority. Research is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. The plan will seek to ensure advances in cancer research benefit patients across the country, including the North of England.

The Department is committed to funding health and care research via the NIHR across England, to ensure that the research we support is inclusive and representative of the populations we serve.

NIHR research infrastructure has national coverage across the whole of England across all geographies and settings. Our infrastructure schemes aim to build research capacity and capability across the country across all geographies and settings. In line with prior commitments, the Department has increased funding for research infrastructure schemes delivering cancer research in northern regions, including Biomedical Research Centres, Clinical Research Facilities, and HealthTech Research Centres.

Through the NIHR Research Delivery Network, the NIHR provides funding and support to the National Health Service and other providers to deliver research, operating across 12 regions throughout the country. The North West, North East and North Cumbria, and Yorkshire and Humber Regional Research Delivery Networks operate in all NHS trusts that span the north of England, giving researchers and delivery teams the practical support they need locally so that more research can take place, and more people can take part.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of NHS policies on private access for patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome seeking faster access to specialist care.

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

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is diagnosed by a combination of general practitioners (GPs) and specialist clinicians. GPs can diagnose PoTS in many cases but, if they are unsure of symptoms or if symptoms are complex, they will refer patients to specialists for diagnosis, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ Syncope Toolkit provides information to GPs, including the use of the active stand test, to rule out other conditions and potentially diagnose PoTS more quickly. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team.

Where patients are referred to secondary care for diagnosis, we are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029.

By expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases of PoTS, including specialist diagnostic assessments.

Integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England, have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations, including for those with PoTS. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet the needs of patients with PoTS. While the Department recognises the significant challenges of PoTS diagnoses, responsibility for specific clinical pathways and specialist training rests with local National Health Service bodies.

The Department has made no assessment of the impact of NHS policies on private access for patients with PoTS seeking faster access to specialist care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to involve cancer charities in the delivery and governance of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan.

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

The National Cancer Plan will build on the shift from hospital to community set out by the 10-Year Health Plan and will seek to foster improved collaboration with the voluntary and community sector to deliver this.

Governance mechanisms for monitoring implementation and ensuring accountability for delivery will be established as part of the development of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published in the new year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of NHS referral pathways for patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, including the coordination of care between cardiology and neurology services.

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

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is diagnosed by a combination of general practitioners (GPs) and specialist clinicians. GPs can diagnose PoTS in many cases but, if they are unsure of symptoms or if symptoms are complex, they will refer patients to specialists for diagnosis, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ Syncope Toolkit provides information to GPs, including the use of the active stand test, to rule out other conditions and potentially diagnose PoTS more quickly. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team.

Where patients are referred to secondary care for diagnosis, we are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029.

By expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases of PoTS, including specialist diagnostic assessments.

Integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England, have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations, including for those with PoTS. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet the needs of patients with PoTS. While the Department recognises the significant challenges of PoTS diagnoses, responsibility for specific clinical pathways and specialist training rests with local National Health Service bodies.

The Department has made no assessment of the impact of NHS policies on private access for patients with PoTS seeking faster access to specialist care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to specialist care for patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, including reducing waiting times to see clinicians with relevant expertise.

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

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is diagnosed by a combination of general practitioners (GPs) and specialist clinicians. GPs can diagnose PoTS in many cases but, if they are unsure of symptoms or if symptoms are complex, they will refer patients to specialists for diagnosis, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ Syncope Toolkit provides information to GPs, including the use of the active stand test, to rule out other conditions and potentially diagnose PoTS more quickly. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team.

Where patients are referred to secondary care for diagnosis, we are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029.

By expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases of PoTS, including specialist diagnostic assessments.

Integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England, have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations, including for those with PoTS. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet the needs of patients with PoTS. While the Department recognises the significant challenges of PoTS diagnoses, responsibility for specific clinical pathways and specialist training rests with local National Health Service bodies.

The Department has made no assessment of the impact of NHS policies on private access for patients with PoTS seeking faster access to specialist care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has given to including prehabilitation and rehabilitation as core elements of cancer treatment in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan.

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

The Department is working with NHS England to support local systems to deliver effective rehabilitation and prehabilitation services. The National Cancer Plan will aim to improve how the physical and psychosocial needs of people with cancer can be met, with a focus on personalised care to improve quality of life. It will address how the experience of care can be improved for those diagnosed, treated, and living with and beyond cancer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who his Department plans to consult as part of any review into the prevalence and overdiagnosis of mental health conditions and neurodivergence.

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

The independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism will appoint an advisory working group. This will be a multidisciplinary group of leading academics, clinicians, epidemiological experts, charities and people with lived experience to directly shape the recommendations and scrutinise the evidence.

Ahead of launching the independent review, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, held discussions with a range of mental health, ADHD, and autism stakeholders on the scope of the review.

As this is an independent review, it is therefore for the Chair and vice-chairs to consider who to consult and the relevant forums for engagement, that are relevant to deliver the terms of reference set by the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care what recent discussions he has had with the mental health sector on diagnoses of mental health conditions.

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

The independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism will appoint an advisory working group. This will be a multidisciplinary group of leading academics, clinicians, epidemiological experts, charities and people with lived experience to directly shape the recommendations and scrutinise the evidence.

Ahead of launching the independent review, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, held discussions with a range of mental health, ADHD, and autism stakeholders on the scope of the review.

As this is an independent review, it is therefore for the Chair and vice-chairs to consider who to consult and the relevant forums for engagement, that are relevant to deliver the terms of reference set by the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish the Terms of Reference for any review into the prevalence and overdiagnosis of mental health conditions and neurodivergence.

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

On 4 December 2025, we launched an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism. The review will look to understand the similarities and differences between mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism. It will look at the prevalence, early intervention and treatment, and the current challenges facing clinical services. It will also examine the extent to which diagnosis, medicalisation, and treatment improve outcomes for individuals. This will include exploring the evidence around clinical practice and the risks and benefits of medicalisation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of diagnosis rates for mental health conditions in England.

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

On 4 December 2025, we launched an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism. The review will look to understand the similarities and differences between mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism. It will look at the prevalence, early intervention and treatment, and the current challenges facing clinical services. It will also examine the extent to which diagnosis, medicalisation, and treatment improve outcomes for individuals. This will include exploring the evidence around clinical practice and the risks and benefits of medicalisation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the scope and timeframe is of any planned review into the overdiagnosis of mental health conditions and neurodivergence.

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

On 4 December 2025, we launched an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism. The review will look to understand the similarities and differences between mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism. It will look at the prevalence, early intervention and treatment, and the current challenges facing clinical services. It will also examine the extent to which diagnosis, medicalisation, and treatment improve outcomes for individuals. This will include exploring the evidence around clinical practice and the risks and benefits of medicalisation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is undertaking a review into the prevalence and overdiagnosis of mental health conditions and neurodivergence.

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

On 4 December 2025, we launched an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism. The review will look to understand the similarities and differences between mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism. It will look at the prevalence, early intervention and treatment, and the current challenges facing clinical services. It will also examine the extent to which diagnosis, medicalisation, and treatment improve outcomes for individuals. This will include exploring the evidence around clinical practice and the risks and benefits of medicalisation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on child development outcomes of not matching Start for Life funding with the expansion of Best Start Family Hubs.

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

We are committed to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan ambition to match Healthy Babies, formerly Start for Life, to Best Start Family Hubs over the next decade.

There is strong evidence that the 1,001 days from pregnancy to the age of two years old set the foundations for our cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Supporting babies and their families in this period provides an opportunity to improve health and education outcomes and reduce inequalities, including on Early Years Foundation Stage domains.

We have already started to deliver the shift from treatment to prevention by providing funding to 75 areas to deliver universal, prevention-focussed Healthy Babies services. From April, the Government is rolling out Best Start Family Hubs to all local authorities, backed by over £500 million to reach up to half a million more children and families. This funding will help embed hubs within a wider support system, including integrated child health services, and will enable proactive identification and support for health issues and early developmental delays.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of not extending Start for Life funding to all councils delivering Best Start Family Hubs on (i) the developmental domains assessed in the Early Years Foundation Stage profile and (ii) the government’s commitment to shift from treatment to prevention.

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

We are committed to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan ambition to match Healthy Babies, formerly Start for Life, to Best Start Family Hubs over the next decade.

There is strong evidence that the 1,001 days from pregnancy to the age of two years old set the foundations for our cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Supporting babies and their families in this period provides an opportunity to improve health and education outcomes and reduce inequalities, including on Early Years Foundation Stage domains.

We have already started to deliver the shift from treatment to prevention by providing funding to 75 areas to deliver universal, prevention-focussed Healthy Babies services. From April, the Government is rolling out Best Start Family Hubs to all local authorities, backed by over £500 million to reach up to half a million more children and families. This funding will help embed hubs within a wider support system, including integrated child health services, and will enable proactive identification and support for health issues and early developmental delays.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of the 2025 Autumn Budget on business rates for pubs and hospitality venues; and whether she plans to review the business rates settlement for community-based pubs facing significant cost increases despite transitional relief.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including grassroots music venues, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid.

Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has held recent discussions with the Scottish Government on the inclusion of data from NHS Scotland in the UK Pelvic Floor Registry; and what his expected timescale is for full UK-wide data integration.

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

As a Government department, the Department of Health and Social Care engages constructively and works collaboratively with the devolved administrations on areas of shared interest, including information sharing, coordination, and issues that have United Kingdom wide or cross-border implications.

The NHS England Outcomes and Registries Programme invites relevant health professionals from the devolved nations to participate in monthly clinical steering groups across several clinical registries to foster collaboration and alignment of working practices. Wales and Northern Ireland have participated fully in the Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence Clinical Steering Group. Scottish representatives last participated in November 2024, though they continue to be sent minutes of the progress of the NHS England-led Group.

The registry is due to be launched across 50% of English providers in February, with a second wave covering the remaining English providers planned for summer 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his intention to expand Start for Life funding to the 78 local authorities currently without provision.

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

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda on how we will improve the nation’s health by creating a new model of care that is fit for the future.

We recognise that local authorities are ambitious, seeking to deliver universal support to families and prevent escalating need. We are committed to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan’s ambition to match Healthy Babies, formerly Start for Life, to Best Start Family Hubs over the next decade.

From April, this Government is rolling out Best Start Family Hubs to all local authorities, backed by over £500 million to reach up to half a million more children and families. This funding will help embed Hubs within a wider support system, including integrated child health services, enable proactive identification and support for health issues and early developmental delays.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many removals from elective waiting lists there have been as a result of data validation exercises in 2025-26; and what the cost to his Department has been of those exercises.

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

Validation is a well-established component for the effective management of waiting lists, ensuring that the patients who are on the list should still be there. While we have significantly reduced the size of the total elective waiting list by over 206,000 since the Government took office, a large list requires consistent validation in order to ensure that all patients on the list still require care, and all appointments are of optimum value for patients and clinicians.

The Department does not hold data centrally on the number of patient pathways removed from the elective waiting list as a result of data validation.

NHS England has paid the system £18,818,566 for validation exercises from April to September 2025. Payments for the most recent validation exercises have not yet been issued to providers. We know validation provides significant benefits for patients by reducing missed appointments, making effective use of clinical time, and ensuring patients are on the best care pathway for their needs.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a ban on trail hunting on the economy in rural communities.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The department intends to launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. The responses to that consultation will be used to inform our assessment of the potential impact of a ban on trail hunting on the economy in rural communities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to consult (a) rural stakeholders and (b) trail hunting organisations prior to the introduction of legislative proposals to ban trail hunting.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We intend to launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. We will welcome input from all quarters, including from rural stakeholders and trail hunting organisations.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of jobs in rural areas that will be affected by a ban on trail hunting.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The department intends to launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. The responses to that consultation will be used to inform our assessment of the potential impact of a ban on trail hunting on the economy in rural communities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered freezing or reducing the small business multiplier in response to rising fixed costs for SMEs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to publish analysis of the business rates burden by sector and business size following the 2026 revaluation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the comparative impact of the 2026 business rates revaluation on (a) small retailers and (b) online distribution centres.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to introduce further transitional relief for small businesses facing increases in business rates liabilities following the 2026 revaluation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 2026 business rates revaluation on small businesses operating in high street premises.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the time taken for leukaemia diagnosis; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the findings of Leukaemia UK’s Count Us In campaign.

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

The National Cancer Plan will seek to improve outcomes for all cancers, including non-stageable cancers such as leukaemia. The Department remains committed to the early diagnosis of cancer and to improving outcomes for patients. However, we recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that patients with harder to stage cancers, such as blood cancer, receive fast and early diagnoses.

The National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

We have engaged extensively with Cancer 52 and other cancer charities, including Leukaemia UK to inform development of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published shortly. We have listened to concerns about existing early diagnosis targets and considered the feasibility of adopting new metrics to track progress, including suggestions from stakeholders that we track emergency presentation. Further details on our approach to early diagnosis, including how we can improve outcomes for rarer cancers, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered including emergency presentation as a metric for tracking early cancer diagnosis across all tumour types, including non-stageable cancers such as leukaemia, in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan.

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

The National Cancer Plan will seek to improve outcomes for all cancers, including non-stageable cancers such as leukaemia. The Department remains committed to the early diagnosis of cancer and to improving outcomes for patients. However, we recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that patients with harder to stage cancers, such as blood cancer, receive fast and early diagnoses.

The National Health Service is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

We have engaged extensively with Cancer 52 and other cancer charities, including Leukaemia UK to inform development of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published shortly. We have listened to concerns about existing early diagnosis targets and considered the feasibility of adopting new metrics to track progress, including suggestions from stakeholders that we track emergency presentation. Further details on our approach to early diagnosis, including how we can improve outcomes for rarer cancers, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department considers trail hunting to form part of the UK’s rural cultural heritage.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DCMS and each of the Devolved Governments are working to create inventories of living heritage in the UK. The criteria are set out here: https://livingheritage.unesco.org.uk/info/guidance/criteria.