Written questions by Jones.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled AI technology to help cut cancer waiting lists, published on 21 May 2024, whether his Department has distributed all of the announced funding.

The funding for artificially intelligent (AI) radiotherapy contouring quoted in the press release was announced under a previous administration, and was not taken forward at the time.However, AI presents significant opportunities within NHS England to improve the delivery of care and outcomes for patients by increasing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, and improving staff productivity, by freeing up staff time from some routine and administrative work.Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated in NHS England to aid clinical decision-making, healthcare diagnostics, and imaging. For example, the Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest x-ray and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.All future spending commitments beyond 2025 to 2026 will be dependent on the outcome of Phase 2 of the Spending Review process, which will conclude and be published in late spring of 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to include cancer prevention within the National Cancer Plan.

The Government has been clear that there should be a national cancer plan, and we are now in discussions about what form it should take, including the role of prevention in the work to reduce the lives lost to cancer. We will develop and publish the 10-Year Health Plan before publishing a new national cancer plan, and will provide updates in due course.The Government recognises the importance of primary and secondary prevention within a holistic approach to improving cancer outcomes. With this aim, the plan will set out how we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.Work is already underway on cancer prevention, with extensive programmes across vaccination, screening, and education, which have the potential to support both reductions in cases of cancer, and increases in early diagnosis rates. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has led to a substantial reduction in cervical cancer cases. All children aged 12 to 13 years old, those in Year 8, are offered the HPV vaccine, and NHS England is taking action to increase uptake. In addition, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect certain types of HPV infection, which is the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancer.Smoking is the cause of 72% of all lung cancers, and the diagnosis of lung cancer at an earlier stage helps to achieve better results, as there is a wider range of treatment options which can be curative. In response to this, the Government is committed to creating a smoke-free generation through the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The latest data shows that the Targeted Lung Screening Programme contributed to an 8% increase in the early diagnosis of lung cancer compared to the pre-pandemic rate.However, the Government recognises that there is much more to be done on cancer prevention, and the value in engaging in wide-ranging and meaningful engagement and consultation on how cancer services can meet the needs of those living with cancer. We plan to engage with a wide range of cancer partners, including charities and patient representative bodies, in the development of the national cancer plan.

When he plans to provide an Answer to Question 21540 on General Practitioners: Recruitment, tabled on 19 December 2024.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 21540 on 23 January 2025.

With reference to his Department's New Hospitals Programme: plan for implementation, published on 20 January 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the delay in the Royal Berkshire Hospital's construction start date to 2037-2039 on (a) patients and (b) staff.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 January 2025 to Question 25505.

What steps he is taking to fund the ongoing maintenance of the Royal Berkshire Hospital until it is rebuilt.

The safety of National Health Service staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospitals is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan.The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board will continue to receive annual capital allocations. These allocations are managed at a local level, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including estate maintenance works. In addition, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer also committed over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance and tackle dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. Further details on funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025 to 2026, as part of NHS planning guidance. Capital funding levels for future years will be determined through the current Spending Review, which concludes in June 2025.

What steps she is taking to improve SEND provision in Berkshire.

Our promise to families is that we are absolutely committed to improving the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and regaining their confidence.The department and NHS England have systems in place to support and challenge local areas across Berkshire, to ensure children and young people with SEND have the best possible outcomes.Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. We continue to offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through the department’s managed programmes.

What steps his Department is taking to engage teenagers and young people with cancer within the 10-year Health Plan.

We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering all policies, including those that impact teenagers and young people with cancer.We want to ensure the 10-Year Health Plan reflects the diversity of the people who use the NHS every day, and it is important that everyone can have their say as we develop it. The engagement process has been launched, and I would encourage those concerned about the care of teenagers and young people with cancer to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/We are working with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Children’s Commissioner, the National Children’s Bureau, and other partners to ensure we hear from children who are unwell. We have asked local health systems to plan engagement with their local communities, front line staff, and partner organisations, taking care to ensure they reach those who are under-represented, including young people.Young Lives vs Cancer and the Teenage Cancer trust attended our Partners Council event in January, and we are also running a deliberative event with children and young people in February.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a national cancer plan. We are committed to ensuring children and young people with cancer are carefully considered in the plan, and will share further details in due course.

If he will make it his policy to include teenagers and young adults with cancer within the 10-year Health Plan.

We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering all policies, including those that impact teenagers and young people with cancer.We want to ensure the 10-Year Health Plan reflects the diversity of the people who use the NHS every day, and it is important that everyone can have their say as we develop it. The engagement process has been launched, and I would encourage those concerned about the care of teenagers and young people with cancer to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/We are working with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Children’s Commissioner, the National Children’s Bureau, and other partners to ensure we hear from children who are unwell. We have asked local health systems to plan engagement with their local communities, front line staff, and partner organisations, taking care to ensure they reach those who are under-represented, including young people.Young Lives vs Cancer and the Teenage Cancer trust attended our Partners Council event in January, and we are also running a deliberative event with children and young people in February.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a national cancer plan. We are committed to ensuring children and young people with cancer are carefully considered in the plan, and will share further details in due course.

Whether he plans to retain the three objectives on cancer in the forthcoming NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance.

The Operational Planning Guidance is due to be published within the coming weeks. It will reference key cancer performance objectives.

How the forthcoming national cancer plan will consult teenagers and young people with cancer.

The Government has been clear that there should be a national cancer plan, and we are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people. We will develop and publish the 10-Year Health Plan before publishing a new national cancer plan, and will provide updates in due course.We recognise that cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults, and should be treated as such, particularly with regard to treatment, diagnosis, and wider support. We are committed to carefully considering this as part of our work.The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be relaunched in 2025 to identify ways to improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer. We will set out further details on next steps in due course.

With reference to NHS England's TYA Service Specifications, what steps he is taking to deliver age-appropriate care in age-appropriate settings for teenagers and young adults with cancer.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. We recognise that cancer in teenagers and young people is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.We are committed to considering this as part of our work through the relaunch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025, which will focus on teenagers and young adults as well as children, ensuring that their clinical and non-clinical needs are met. We will set out further details on next steps in due course.

What plans he has for the involvement of the Children and Young People's Cancer Taskforce in the formation of the 10-year health plan.

We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering all policies, including those that impact teenagers and young people with cancer.We want to ensure the 10-Year Health Plan reflects the diversity of the people who use the NHS every day, and it is important that everyone can have their say as we develop it. The engagement process has been launched, and I would encourage those concerned about the care of teenagers and young people with cancer to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/We are working with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Children’s Commissioner, the National Children’s Bureau, and other partners to ensure we hear from children who are unwell. We have asked local health systems to plan engagement with their local communities, front line staff, and partner organisations, taking care to ensure they reach those who are under-represented, including young people.Young Lives vs Cancer and the Teenage Cancer trust attended our Partners Council event in January, and we are also running a deliberative event with children and young people in February.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a national cancer plan. We are committed to ensuring children and young people with cancer are carefully considered in the plan, and will share further details in due course.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to complete the Royal Berkshire Hospital on patients in Wokingham constituency.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The plan for implementation was laid in the House Library and published on the GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcomeAn equality impact assessment was carried out for the review which included assessing the extent to which service users might be impacted by these delivery proposals, with specific reference to the impact that these might have on relevant protected characteristics. This was also laid in the House Library and published on 20 January, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-equality-impact-assessment

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing the (a) Low Income Benefits, (b) Disability and (c) Pensioner Cost of Living payment.

The Cost of Living Payments were intended to relieve the immediate financial pressures caused by the rapid rise in cost of living. There are no plans to reintroduce these payments.

Whether his Department has made an impact assessment for the EU Regulation on General Product Safety.

Our assessment of the impact of the updated GPSR remains that it largely formalises how businesses are operating in the UK and that where businesses need to make changes, in most cases, they are already adapting to continue trading with the EU. The measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. We have provided guidance, which we will keep under review, and are engaging businesses directly to ensure they are supported to trade freely across the UK and with the EU.

How many meetings Ministers in his Department had with trade bodies on the EU Regulation on General Product Safety before those regulations came into force.

Ministerial colleagues and I regularly engage with businesses and business representative organisations. Further, officials in my Department have been in contact with businesses and trade bodies in anticipation of the EU GPSR's entry into force and continue to engage with them. This allows businesses to raise questions directly with the Government.

How much time staff in his Department have spent dealing with enquiries on the EU Regulation on General Product Safety in each month between June 2024 and January 2025.

The Department has received more than 500 queries on the new GPSR since June 2024, with the majority coming in December 2024. Officials have responded to these queries in a timely manner.Government has been raising awareness of the regulation through its own channels as well as through trusted stakeholders, which falls under standard operating costs for the Department. We have published guidance on GPSR in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review, and continue to engage directly with businesses.

How many meetings Ministers in his Department had on the EU Regulation on General Product Safety before those regulations came into force.

Ministerial colleagues and I regularly engage with businesses and business representative organisations. Further, officials in my Department have been in contact with businesses and trade bodies in anticipation of the EU GPSR's entry into force and continue to engage with them. This allows businesses to raise questions directly with the Government.

How many enquiries his Department has received on the EU Regulation on General Product Safety in each month between June 2024 and January 2025.

The Department has received more than 500 queries on the new GPSR since June 2024, with the majority coming in December 2024. Officials have responded to these queries in a timely manner.Government has been raising awareness of the regulation through its own channels as well as through trusted stakeholders, which falls under standard operating costs for the Department. We have published guidance on GPSR in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review, and continue to engage directly with businesses.

How much his Department has spent on increasing awareness of the EU Regulation on General Product Safety.

The Department has received more than 500 queries on the new GPSR since June 2024, with the majority coming in December 2024. Officials have responded to these queries in a timely manner.Government has been raising awareness of the regulation through its own channels as well as through trusted stakeholders, which falls under standard operating costs for the Department. We have published guidance on GPSR in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review, and continue to engage directly with businesses.