Victoria Collins

The project to develop a breath test to identify pancreatic cancer is funded via the NIHR i4i/OLS: Early Cancer Diagnosis Clinical Validation and Evaluation Call. This £11 million programme funds 6 projects that aim to develop technologies to aid early detection of cancer. This is one strand of the Office for Life Sciences’ (OLS) Cancer Programme, which supports the development of technologies that enable earlier, more effective cancer diagnosis and improved treatment. OLS is a joint Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) unit, ensuring both departments are involved in this work.

Nothing is more important than keeping children safe and the government is committed to protecting children experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, significant harm as well as tackling the underlying factors driving this. The department is interested in all reports, evidence and recommendations which can help it drive forward better outcomes for children and young people, and to that end, regularly engages the NSPCC and stakeholders across the children and families sector.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The government understands that reasons for absence are varied, which is why updated statutory attendance guidance sets out that schools, trusts and local authorities should always work together with other local partners to understand the barriers to attendance and establish strategies for removing them.

The government’s support-first approach is the right one. Penalty notices should only be used in cases where support is not appropriate, such as in cases of holidays taken in term-time, or where support has already been provided and has not been engaged with or has not worked.

Information about the rates of fixed penalty notices is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures.

Protecting all communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. The new Government has established a Floods Resilience Taskforce, a key commitment that marks a new approach to preparing for flooding and working between national, regional and local Government, including the devolved administrations, and flood risk partners.

In the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, the Environment Agency (EA) monitors river levels, working with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), to engage areas that receive flood warnings and flood alerts and review these regularly.

The EA carries out maintenance on the main rivers running through this constituency to ensure that the rivers’ conveyance can be maintained during periods of heavy rain.

Upstream of Batford, the EA recently completed a Flood Storage area at Houghton Regis to limit flows, after heavy rain, through Luton and down the River Lee catchment. An updated hydraulic model of the Upper Lee has been completed, covering the east of the constituency from Harpenden to Wheathampstead. The EA supports HCC LLFA to build resilience to surface water flooding in Harpenden town centre. The EA is also engaging with the public to offer advice and guidance on watercourse maintenance and flood-related matters to the community of Astrope.

There are four wastewater treatment works (WwTW) operated by Thames Water that discharge to chalk streams in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme, improvements have been agreed for the three largest of these WwTWs, which account for over 99% of the effluent flow from these sites, including into chalk streams.

This is part of the Government’s plans to transform the entire water sector, which has already started.

In July, we announced measures including ringfencing vital funding for infrastructure investment and placing customers and the environment at the heart of water company objectives.

In September, the Government introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill to Parliament to give regulators new powers to take tougher and faster action to crack down on water companies damaging the environment and failing their customers.

I would also refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by the Secretary of State on 18 July, HCWS3.

The Climate Change Committee published its most recent Progress Report to Parliament on 18 July 2024. The government will carefully consider all of the CCC’s recommendations and respond later this year.

The statutory deadline for a decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for London Luton airport expansion is 3 January 2025. Given the Secretary of State’s role in determining the application, it would not be appropriate to comment on the application.

This government does not oppose airport expansion as long as it provides economic growth and is compatible with strict environmental standards. We are considering our wider approach to decarbonising aviation and remain committed to achieving net zero target. We have made early progress on sustainable aviation fuel and we will deliver on airspace modernisation.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child.

The Child Poverty Taskforce, co-chaired by the Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring and will explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty.

The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside the Government’s commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, provide stronger protection for families who rent privately as well as deliver our plan to make work pay.

As of April 2024, the number of children (third or subsequent children born on or after 6 April 2017) affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children was 470,000.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child.

The Child Poverty Taskforce, co-chaired by the Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring and will explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty.

The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside the Government’s commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, provide stronger protection for families who rent privately as well as deliver our plan to make work pay.

As of April 2024, the number of children (third or subsequent children born on or after 6 April 2017) affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children was 470,000.

No such assessment has been made, as statistics for the total number of people living in poverty are not available at a constituency level.

This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.

Immediate support for pensioners includes our commitment to the Triple Lock, with over 12 million pensioners set to benefit through the course of this parliament, with the full yearly rate of the new State Pensions forecast to increase by around £1700.

The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.

We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.

The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.   An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

Voxzogo has not been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Should an application for Voxzogo, or any product containing the active ingredient vosoritide, be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly, with regard to its quality, safety, and effectiveness. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation.

The Government has no current plans to launch a nationwide review of neonatal mortality rates and unexplained deaths. Professor Lord Darzi’s report on his independent investigation of the National Health Service in England has shone a light on the critical condition of the NHS, and the Government will continue to work closely with NHS England to ensure that women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care.

Neonatal mortality and neonatal unexplained deaths are measured by both the Office for National Statistics and the National Child Mortality Database. Since 2010, the neonatal mortality rate in England has decreased by 25% for babies with at least 24 weeks completed gestation. Since 2010, the number of babies who died unexpectedly in their first 28 days of life in England and Wales decreased from 40 to 29.

The NHS is working to further improve outcomes for babies and is rolling out the third version of the Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle to all trusts. This provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth.

It is up to local planning authorities to determine what contributions should be sought through Section 106 agreements, in line with statutory tests on their use set out in regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Regulations 2010.

Our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework seeks views on whether changes are needed to the definition of ‘affordable housing for rent’ to make it easier for organisations that are not Registered Providers, including almshouses, to develop new affordable homes. This is intended to inform our approach to National Development Management Policies. The consultation, which closes on 24 September, is published at the following link.

The decision whether to publish a judgment is a judicial one.

Judgments of the Special Education Needs and Disability jurisdiction of the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal are not routinely published.

However, members of the public and the media can apply to the tribunal for a copy of the judgment in a specific case.