Written questions by Evans.

Whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase access to alcohol treatment services for people not currently engaged with support.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of licensing regulations to protect people from alcohol-related harms.

The Licensing Act 2003, which is overseen by the Home Office, requires licensing authorities to promote objectives relating to the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the protection of children from harm, and the prevention of public nuisance, which together provide important safeguards against alcohol‑related harms.The Government is considering how best to take forward recommendations to develop a modern, proportionate, and enabling licensing system. This work is being led by the Department for Business and Trade and the Home Office with support from other departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, to ensure public health is fully considered.We will continue to work across Government to consider what other measures might be needed to reduce the negative impact excessive alcohol consumption is having on health, crime, and the economy.

What steps his Department is taking to allow CQC-registered drug and alcohol treatment providers, including charities, to use the NHS Electronic Prescription Service in place of paper instalment prescriptions.

The Department is working with NHS England to extend the NHS Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) to include instalment dispensing for the FP10MDA, or controlled drugs, prescription type. This will allow eligible services, including drug and alcohol treatment providers and community pharmacies, to use EPS rather than paper prescriptions where this is appropriate.

What steps his Department is taking to help support the routine use of digital consultations in community drug and alcohol treatment services.

As part of our shift from analogue to digital, the Department has provided guidance for alcohol and drug treatment services on maintaining a balance between digital, or remote, and in-person interventions. This guidance is available to view at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/substance-misuse-providing-remote-and-in-person-interventions.While the Department supports the use of digital consultations in community drug and alcohol treatment services, they should be considered alongside an assessment of risk and need, to determine whether they are suitable. There are circumstances in which there is no digital substitute for an in-person consultation.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) alcohol advertising and (b) websites selling alcoholic products provide reference to addiction support platforms.

In the United Kingdom, the Advertising Standards Authority is responsible for regulating advertising through enforcing the codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice. There are rules about ensuring alcohol and drinking are portrayed in a responsible way, for instance adverts generally should not imply, condone, or encourage immoderate, irresponsible, or anti-social drinking. The codes do not currently require alcohol advertisements to signpost to addiction support services.Online sales of alcohol are regulated under the Licensing Act 2003. There is currently no statutory requirement for online retailers to signpost to addiction support platforms.The Department of Health and Social Care will continue to work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as the lead Government department responsible for advertising, and the Home Office, as the department responsible for licensing, to understand the evidence base and explore policy responses for addressing alcohol harms.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of people needing treatment for alcohol use disorders.

The Government is committed to reducing the number of people in ill health, with the shift from treatment to prevention being a key priority.Action to prevent harms from alcohol feature in multiple current strategies and plans. The recently published National Cancer Plan reiterated the commitment made in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. The Men’s Health Strategy outlines the impact alcohol can have on men’s health, and several initiatives to address this, including piloting a new brief intervention to target the rise in cardiovascular disease deaths from combined alcohol and cocaine use among older men.Validated alcohol risk screening tools are being built into our new digital resources. The healthy choices quiz, launched in November, includes making health choices around alcohol and users receive tailored advice about reducing health risk from alcohol based on their input about their drinking. The healthy choices quiz and further information on its introduction is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/healthy-choices-quiz/?WT.mc_ID=PaidSearch_Brand&wt.tsrc=paid_search&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22919087208&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpojBzKydkwMV4KRQBh2zgSZFEAAYASAAEgKe3PD_BwEhttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-to-benefit-from-new-health-and-wellbeing-quizIn addition, the NHS Health Check, designed to assess the top risk factors for cardiovascular disease, includes an alcohol assessment, and can refer people to further support for their alcohol use where appropriate.

Pursuant to the answer of 21 November to question 90178, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a standardised approach to tissue freezing.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the fresh-freezing of tissue examples have already been developed across pathology networks in England. It is, however, the responsibility of individual pathology services to maintain their own SOPs for the fresh-freezing of tissue samples. These protocols outline local capabilities and practices.There are no current plans to introduce one standardised approach for the fresh-freezing of tissue samples. NHS England is committed to addressing variation in the provision of pathology services, particularly histopathology, of which the investigation of brain and neural tissues is a core element.The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.

Whether he plans to develop a national fixed framework for the treatment of gambling-related harm.

NHS England will be developing a national commissioning specification during the first half of 2026/27 to ensure consistent, high-quality care across all gambling treatment and support services nationwide. Given the evolving evidence landscape and NHS England’s plans to allocate funding to innovation and evaluation over the coming years, this document will be updated as required to reflect new findings.

What definitions his Department uses for the purposes of determining which activities constitute (a) prevention and (b) treatment in relation to gambling-related harms when allocating funding from the statutory gambling levy; and whether those definitions have been published.

For the purposes of the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Gambling Harms Prevention Fund for 2026 to 2028, potential activities include, but are not limited to: awareness and education; brief advice, early intervention, and harm reduction; community outreach and social action; support for affected others; digital tools, including gambling blocking tools; VCSE capacity building and resilience; and other non-clinical prevention activity. NHS England’s Gambling Harms Treatment Programme includes treatment and support services for those harmed by gambling, from the point of referral and triage through to aftercare and ongoing recovery support. Potential activities include clinical interventions such as cognitive behavioural support and non-clinical interventions, when functioning as psychosocial support and part of a structured care plan, such as peer support and recovery coaching. This information was published on the respective Find a Grant pages for each Fund.

Pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025 to question 90178, what steps his Department is taking to develop standard operating procedures for the handling and freezing of fresh tissue samples.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the fresh-freezing of tissue examples have already been developed across pathology networks in England. It is, however, the responsibility of individual pathology services to maintain their own SOPs for the fresh-freezing of tissue samples. These protocols outline local capabilities and practices.There are no current plans to introduce one standardised approach for the fresh-freezing of tissue samples. NHS England is committed to addressing variation in the provision of pathology services, particularly histopathology, of which the investigation of brain and neural tissues is a core element.The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.

Pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025 to question 90178, if his Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the capacity of NHS pathology services for fresh-freezing brain cancer and other tumour tissue samples.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the fresh-freezing of tissue examples have already been developed across pathology networks in England. It is, however, the responsibility of individual pathology services to maintain their own SOPs for the fresh-freezing of tissue samples. These protocols outline local capabilities and practices.There are no current plans to introduce one standardised approach for the fresh-freezing of tissue samples. NHS England is committed to addressing variation in the provision of pathology services, particularly histopathology, of which the investigation of brain and neural tissues is a core element.The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.

How much funding has been allocated from the statutory gambling levy to (a) NHS specialist gambling treatment clinics, (b) third-sector treatment providers, (c) local authorities and (d) other organisations; and if he will publish a breakdown of awards by recipient.

Subject to final checks, this year the statutory levy has raised just under £120 million, which will be ringfenced solely for the use of tackling gambling-related harm. In England, prevention and treatment funding will include: £15.9 million for integrated care boards in 2026/27 to commission regional National Health Service gambling services; up to £20 million through NHS England’s Gambling Harms Treatment Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Grant Scheme to ensure that those affected by gambling-related harms can continue to access VCSE sector treatment and support services during 2026/7; up to £30 million through the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ VCSE Gambling Harms Prevention Fund for 2026 to 2028; a two‑year prevention grant for all upper tier local authorities for 2026 to 2028; and additional funding during 2026/27 for service delivery and programme activities, such as evaluation and workforce development. Details on awarded funding will be published in due course.

What process NHS specialist gambling treatment clinics are required to follow in order to access funding from the statutory gambling levy; and if he will set out the criteria and decision-making framework used to assess funding allocations to those services.

Regional National Health Service gambling services are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England will be developing a national commissioning specification during the first half of 2026/27 to ensure consistent, high-quality care across all gambling treatment and support services nationwide. This is ahead of ICBs becoming responsible for commissioning the full gambling harms treatment pathway within each region, inclusive of both NHS and voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector services, from 1 April 2027.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of wealth inequality on levels of suicide.

People living in the most deprived areas of England face a higher risk of suicide. Between 2020 and 2024, the age-standardised suicide rate for people aged 25 to 44 years old in the most deprived 10% of areas in England was 14.9 per 100,000 people, compared with 10.6 per 100,000 in the least deprived 10% of areas. The Government is committed to delivering the five-year cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, which sets out over 100 actions aimed at saving lives through early intervention, prevention initiatives, and better support for anyone who may reach crisis point. The strategy recognises that nobody should be left out of suicide prevention efforts. This includes responding to the needs of marginalised communities and addressing inequalities in access to effective suicide prevention interventions, as well as listening to individuals and being responsive to their needs. While the overall framework remains the same, the strategy was designed to be iterative, and we continue to consider where further action can be taken most effectively to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide.

What steps he is taking to fund NHS early-intervention services for children exhibiting gambling-related harm.

NHS England currently funds a national service for children aged 13 years old and over who are experiencing gambling-related harms. This service is provided by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, and is available to children across England. The core treatment offer of this service includes cognitive behavioural therapy, delivered either individually or in age-appropriate groups, and family therapy. NHS England plans to design and begin an evaluation of this service in 2026/27, which will ultimately inform the longer-term commissioning approach.

What steps he is taking to deliver (a) workforce and (b) training requirements to support an expansion of fresh-freezing facilities for brain cancer tissue in the NHS.

There are currently no plans by the Department to expand fresh-freezing facilities for brain cancer tissue. Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues.Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh tissue samples and for the snap-freezing of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.In the new year the Department will publish the National Cancer Plan. The plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as research and innovation. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experiences and outcomes for all patient groups, including those with brain cancer.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of guidance provided to patients on their (a) rights and (b) options for the (i) storage and (ii) future research use of their tissue samples.

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring that patients are fully informed about their rights, options, and choices regarding the storage and future research use of their tissue samples. The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) Code of Practice and Standards on Research aims to provide anyone undertaking activities relevant to this sector with a reference source which gives practical advice on the minimum steps necessary to comply with the relevant legislation and HTA policy. The code was updated in February 2025.The HTA licenses and inspects organisations that collect human tissue. Their role is to make sure that organisations remove, store, and use brains, bodies, and tissues in an appropriate, respectful, and well-managed way, and that the wishes of individual patients and their families are respected. The HTA licensing standards establish consent as the fundamental legal and ethical requirements for the removal, storage, and use of human tissue.The HTA’s regulatory framework helps ensure that tissue is stored to high standards, to be of most use to healthcare training and research.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations on NHS culture in the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission's report entitled Closing the Gap, published in September 2024.

As part of the National Cancer Plan, we have engaged with brain cancer clinical experts and charities, as well as receiving this report, to help us develop the plan. The plan will include how we can reform the workforce to improve cancer patient outcomes, including for patients with brain cancer.On 24 October 2025, NHS England published the Medium-Term Planning Framework – delivering change together 2026/27 to 2028/29. This sets out that all National Health Service providers must meet the site-specific timeframes of the Government’s 150-day clinical trial set-up target. To support embedding research as part of everyday care, research activity and income should be reported to boards on a six-monthly basis.We are embedding genomics as routine practice within the NHS and its workforce by delivering the genomics medicines service, seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs and implementing whole genome sequencing as part of routine care. The Genomics Education Programme is responsible for upskilling the entire multi-professional, multi-specialty NHS workforce in genomics.The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials on brain cancer to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of limited fresh-freezing capacity on patients’ access to emerging cancer (a) testing and (b) treatments.

Fresh-freezing, also referred to as snap-freezing, is a standard technique used by pathology networks to preserve tissue architecture without chemical fixatives, allowing for subsequent molecular or histological analysis, typically supporting research or advanced diagnostic applications.Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues.Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh tissue samples and for the snap-freezing of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.It is important that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the latest innovations in the health and care system through research. The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year in research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s investments for capital equipment, technology, and modular buildings support NHS trusts across England to deliver high-quality research to improve the health of the population. This investment includes cutting edge research equipment and fixed assets such as ultra-low and cryogenic freezers, to strengthen research capacity and improve access to samples for research.The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.