Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase early diagnosis for child brain tumours.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive, including children with brain tumours.

Early diagnosis of cancers is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity.

Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committed to speeding up the detection and diagnosis of cancer in children and young people, ensuring their needs are embedded into the design of the neighborhood health service, improving access to specialist support and ensuring safe use of artificial intelligence based decision tools. This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.

To improve the outcomes and experience of children and young people with cancer, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025. Since its launch, the taskforce has brought together experts across a range of sectors to identify tangible improvements across four areas: early detection and diagnosis; genomic testing and treatment; research and innovation; and patient experience, considering both clinical and non-clinical care. The taskforce ensured that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer were carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan for England.