Written questions by Gardner.

What steps his Department is taking to support research on vaccinations against recurrent and chronic urinary tract infections.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds, supports, and carries out high-quality research to improve health outcomes and care services. Over the last five financial years, the Department has provided over £22 million in programme research funding for urinary tract infection (UTI) research, including research on improved treatment for recurrent and chronic UTIs. In addition, NIHR infrastructure is supporting Phase 3 trials on vaccines against Escherichia coli infection in older adults who have a history of UTI, delivered by the NIHR Bristol Clinical Research Facility and the NIHR Wellcome Trust Manchester Clinical Research Facility. The NIHR also funds the James Lind Alliance, which has run a Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) focused on chronic and recurrent UTIs. This PSP, funded by AMR Action UK and delivered in partnership with Bladder Health UK and The Urology Foundation, has identified the top 10 research priorities in this area. A rolling funding opportunity is available for research projects that align with priorities aligning with PSPs.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of medical (a) gender inequality and (b) misogyny on the (i) diagnostics and (ii) treatment of urinary tract infections.

The Department has not made a specific assessment. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines, such as those for the diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections, are subject to equality impact assessments as part of NICE’s governance processes, which mean that protected characteristics, including sex, are considered as part of the guideline's development.

Whether his Department is taking steps with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to introduce a definition for chronic urinary tract infections.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence‑based guidance for the National Health Service on best practice in the care and treatment of patients with specific conditions.NICE does not ordinarily define specific clinical conditions. NICE has no current plans to develop guidance on chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) at this time, and the topic has not been considered by its prioritisation board. However, NICE has produced a clinical guideline on antimicrobial prescribing for recurrent UTIs which provides recommendations on treatments and self-care for the prevention of recurrent UTIs. This guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng112

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of phage medicines on tackling (a) recurrent and chronic urinary tract infections and (b) associated antimicrobial resistance.

The Department recognises bacteriophage, or phage, medicines as a promising complementary option for difficult bacterial infections, including recurrent and chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), and as a potential tool to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR).However, phage therapy is not yet used routinely in the National Health Service. Although case reports and small studies show benefit in hard-to-treat infections, there is still insufficient largescale, high-quality clinical trial evidence to support widespread adoption.For UTIs specifically, there is currently no evidence of benefit of phage therapy from randomised controlled trials, the only trial to date showed no effect. The proposed UK Clinical Phage Service will help generate further clinical evidence and support individual patient use where treatment options are limited.As a result, phage therapy in the United Kingdom is generally accessed only through specialist or compassionate use pathways, typically when conventional antibiotics have failed and expert clinical teams judge it appropriate. This cautious approach ensures appropriate safety, efficacy, and regulatory oversight before routine use.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the psychological impacts of chronic urinary tract infections are recognised.

The Department and NHS England recognise the psychological impact of chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). NHS England published the Excellence in Continence Care framework on 23 July 2018, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/excellence-in-continence-care/This framework brings together evidence-based resources and research as guidance for commissioners, providers, health and social care staff, and it explicitly acknowledges a range of psychological impacts including loss of self-esteem, depression, loss of independence, and impacts on relationships and employment prospects.Further, NHS England’s existing system wide clinical messaging around UTIs acknowledges behavioural and cognitive impacts, particularly confusion, agitation, and changes in mental state, indicating institutional recognition of psychological and neuro‑behavioural effects associated with UTIs.NHS England’s national UTI awareness campaign states that UTIs can cause agitation and confusion in older adults, demonstrating the system’s acknowledgement that infection-related symptoms extend beyond physical pain to include cognitive and psychological changes. This ensures clinicians are prompted to consider psychological and cognitive changes as part of UTI presentations. The awareness campaign can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/10/new-awareness-campaign-to-help-reduce-hospital-admissions-for-urinary-tract-infections/

What recent progress has been made on incorporating menopause screening into NHS Health Checks.

We are currently working with experts, including general practitioners, to co-design the menopause content for the NHS Health Check.The inclusion of menopause in the NHS Health Check will support eligible women across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support.We will ask local authorities to implement this addition in the NHS Health Checks later this year and will urge them to implement it as quickly as possible.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of importation of synthetic cathinones through mail; and what progress her Department has made in tackling the importation of illicit substances through mail.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding drug testing on arrest powers to synthetic cathinones.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' recommendations on synthetic cathinones in its report entitled Synthetic Cathinones: an Updated Harms Assessment report.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of updating the Home Office Approved Field Testing guidance in relation to synthetic cathinones.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed change to standard recall length, from the current 28 days to 56 days, on pregnant women and mothers of dependent children.

Recall is a last resort for cases where risk in the community becomes unmanageable.The Department published an Equalities Impact Statement alongside the Sentencing Act, which can be found here: Sentencing Bill equalities statement.It was assessed that the Act’s recall measures will not disproportionately impact those with protected characteristics.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that content relating to women’s health is not inappropriately restricted or shadow-banned on social media platforms; and whether her Department has issued to platforms on safeguarding access to educational health information.

The Online Safety Act does not set out to prevent adults from seeking out legal content, nor does it decide what legal content companies should or should not allow on their platforms. Platforms will not be able to arbitrarily remove content, and users will have access to effective complaints procedures when content is unduly taken down. Ofcom, the independent regulator, is working to ensure services understand how to comply with the new requirements.

With reference to the introduction of HPV self-sampling planned for January 2026, a) what information and awareness-raising programmes are being developed to inform under-screened women of the advantages and disadvantages of the available cervical screening options and b) when will the programmes be rolled out.

NHS England is committed to eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. Following ministerial endorsement of a UK National Screening Committee recommendation, in June 2025, NHS England indicated its intention to transform its approach to cervical screening for under-screened women. From early 2026, they will receive home testing kits starting with those that are the most overdue for screening. This will help tackle deeply entrenched barriers that keep some away from life-saving screening.As part of implementation, NHS England is developing a communications and engagement plan to raise awareness of the option of self-testing. This includes underserved groups, NHS staff providing screening services, and key stakeholders such as charities. Materials developed have been tested with the Eve Appeal and build on extensive insights and user testing in the NHS cervical screening programme.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the National Curriculum adequately covers a) practical skills related to basic food preparation and nutrition and b) education on the origins of food and agricultural production.

Food education is covered primarily within design and technology, and elements of food education can also be covered across biology, geography and relationships, sex and health education in the national curriculum. The curriculum requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor curriculum subjects to meet the needs of their pupils. Additional resources are available from Oak National Academy, who have recently developed a new cooking and nutrition curriculum package. This has been designed by experts to give access to practical, engaging lessons covering food preparation, cooking techniques and healthy eating. In the recent response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department has set out that we will be ensuring that the programmes of study for cooking and nutrition, which will be renamed food and nutrition, are more specific and prepare pupils for life and potential future careers in the food sector.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that cancer patients receive radiotherapy treatment within the 62 day standard wait time in Stoke-on-Trent South constituency.

The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients receive a swift diagnosis and timely access to treatments, including patients in the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency. We know that patients are often waiting too long for treatment which is why we have recently invested £70 million into new LINAC radiotherapy machines, replacing older, less efficient machines. These machines are currently being rolled out. This will be the first step in boosting productivity across the country, thereby allowing more patients to be seen per session, reducing waiting times for patients who require radiotherapy treatment.In addition, the National Health Service is delivering an additional 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week. The NHS has exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of Government, having delivered 5.2 million more appointments.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of private parking firms using payment by app only on users who cannot use a mobile phone.

In accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government has recently consulted on its proposals for a new code of practice for private parking operators to follow.The government is aware that predominantly elderly and disabled motorists are the most likely to experience challenges when using mobile phones to pay for parking.As part of the consultation, the government sought views on the impact its proposals would have on protected groups, as defined by the 2010 Equality Act.The consultation closed on 26 September and the government will respond in due course.

What factors are considered when allocating investment for research in the less survivable cancers; and what steps he is taking to combat underfunding for less survivable cancers.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.These investments are pivotal to informing our efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes. An example of this investment is Imperial College London’s research on breath tests to detect less survivable cancers, including pancreatic cancer. Further information on the research is available at the following link:https://imperialbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2023/06/05/imperial-led-uk-cancer-breath-tests-reach-final-stages/Another example of Government investment was the launch of the NIHR’s national Brain Tumour Research Consortium in September 2024, which is bringing together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of making scientific advances in how we prevent, detect, manage, and treat rare and less-survivable brain tumours in adults and children.The NIHR welcomes further high-quality proposals from researchers to inform approaches to prevention, treatment, and care in relation to less survivable cancers. Furthermore, the Government is committed to ensuring that all patients have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. The Government supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes for all cancer patients in England, including for less common cancers.

What steps her Department is taking as part of its role within the Interministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to reduce and prevent homelessness.

We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and other Departments through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to develop a new long-term cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.We are continuing to expand our Community Accommodation Service 3 (CAS3) to support more prison leavers at risk of homelessness each year. Our CAS3 service supports prison leavers who are subject to probation supervision, by offering up to 12 weeks of basic transitionary accommodation to provide a stable base on release. This programme has been gradually rolled out nationwide since July 2021 and since then has supported over 23,100 prison leavers who would otherwise have been homeless. We have also employed 50 Strategic Housing Specialists to support prisons in their response to reducing homelessness by working in partnership with probation and Local Authorities to identify suitable accommodation for those released to the area, regardless of the prison they are released from.We know that a cross-agency and cross-government approach is required to address the challenge of securing long-term accommodation. That is why we are working closely with MHCLG, health partners and other departments at a national and local level, to address barriers to accommodation for prison leavers, drawing on learning from partnership efforts – including the Changing Futures programme – to take a holistic, trauma-informed approach to supporting individuals with multiple unmet needs.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing an expanded national programme of Housing First to tackle homelessness.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 72851 on 15 September 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the post-decision move on period on levels of homelessness.

We closely monitor the impact of all our policies, including the move on period, on the number and occupancy of asylum hotels, the overall costs of the asylum accommodation estate, the wider effect on local communities, and any pressures placed on local authorities and public amenities. We remain committed to working closely with our partners to identify improvements and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees move on from asylum accommodation.