Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to action 25 of the National Cancer Plan, what factors will be used to prioritise locations for new training places; and if he will consider the potential merits of using a formula to identify areas of greatest need for this purpose.

The Department will use training more directly as a lever to support improvements in operational performance, prioritising training places in trusts, often those in rural or coastal areas, where vacancy rates are higher and performance is lower. This also includes targeting grants to train cancer nurse specialists in high-need areas.

The development of the National Cancer Plan has highlighted areas where there are higher vacancy rates in some areas of the country. The Department and NHS England will work with the royal colleges to encourage resident doctors and internal medicine trainees to specialise in clinical and medical oncology to address these pressures.

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. This plan will set out action to create a workforce able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.