Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the freeze to the repayment threshold from April 2027 on average annual repayments for Plan 2 student loan borrowers.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of freezing the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold from April 2027 on existing student loan borrowers.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has conducted an equality impact assessment on the freeze to the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold due to take effect in April 2027.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the Autumn Budget.

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 the cost of shipping and air freight following the conflict in the Middle East on the supply of generic medicines to the UK; and what steps he is taking to mitigate that impact.

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

We continue to monitor the impact of the Middle East conflict on the medical supply chain, including on generic medicines. While we understand that transport costs have risen, there are currently no reported shortages of medicines due to the conflict.

If shortages do occur, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for non-specific symptom pathways for earlier diagnosis of leukaemia and other blood cancers.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.

To tackle the late diagnoses of blood cancers including leukaemia, the NHS 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, including leukaemia, are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

The NHS will improve early diagnosis and quicker treatment of blood cancers, including leukaemia, by expanding diagnostic services with investments in magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. Furthermore, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to putting digital health at the heart of the future health service and integrating that with a single patient record and neighbourhood health services, will mean that cancer patients will get the joined-up care they deserve.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Life Sciences Sector Plan includes provision to protect and promote the resilience of the UK’s medicines supply chain.

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

A thriving life sciences sector is key to supporting the United Kingdom’s resilience and securing our medicines supply chain. Through the Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Government is making the UK one of the best places in the world to develop and manufacture new and innovative medicines and build onshore manufacturing capabilities.

The sector plan commits to delivery of the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), which is providing up to £520 million in grants to companies to improve the UK’s manufacturing capability and resilience. So far, LSIMF grants have supported five companies, unlocking over £560 million of investment in life sciences manufacturing, and research and development, with further announcements expected in the coming weeks and months.

Found:

Found: Dr Zubir Ahmed 19/11/2025 Takeda To discuss research and development Dr Zubir Ahmed 19/11/2025 Stuart Andrew