Every parliamentary written question tabled by Clive Jones this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 381–400 of 507 · this parliament
How the additional funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will be allocated.
There was no additional funding announced for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
What steps his Department is taking to increase levels of awareness on the (a) signs and (b) symptoms of cancer among young people and their families.
We are committed to getting the National Health Service catching cancer on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases. This includes in relation to children and young people.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.We are committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with cancer, and we are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to amend the Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) Regulations to allow, by derogation, the placing on the market of UV-328 present in articles and the use of such articles in land-based motor vehicles until 26 February 2030.
Defra officials are in the process of engaging with the automotive industry in relation the Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) Regulation 2024, including the use of UV-328 by the automotive industry and the issue of derogations. Details of any further steps will be published in due course.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure that new housing developments include (a) GP surgeries and (b) other primary healthcare infrastructure.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure, including health infrastructure.The Government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.
With reference to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, if she will make it her policy to implement the recommendations of that report in full.
Following careful consideration of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report into how changes to the State Pension age were communicated, the Government has decided we will not be paying compensation. We have made our decision on the facts of the matter which we have set out in our detailed response and deposited in the House Library.
With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Health in response to the question from the hon. Member of Wokingham of Wednesday 11 December, Official Report, column 290WH, how his Department plans to collect evidence for the national cancer plan.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for York Central on 11 November 2024 to Question 12437.
What data his Department holds on the average cost of (a) bowel and (b) all cancer care at stage (i) 1, (ii), 2, (iii) 3 and (iv) 4 for patients referred by the NHS in England.
There is currently no available data on the average cost, broken down into cost per stage, of bowel cancer, or all cancer care. However, the following table shows the cost of cancer treatment in National Health Service trusts, reported over the last five years:YearCost2019/20£3,800,000,0002020/21£4,100,000,0002021/22£4,300,000,0002022/23£5,600,000,0002023/24Not availableSource: the data is based on Patient Level Costing submissions from NHS trusts, and other data submissionsNote: the data shows the cost of activities recorded against primary cancer ICD10 codes.This will not include all costs associated with cancer treatment if these are not recorded or linked in the data, for example some diagnostics. It excludes primary care, independent sector, non-NHS activities, and data from some trusts who were excluded from the cost submission for underlying data issues.
Whether the rebuild of the Royal Berkshire Hospital will include IT (a) infrastructure and (b) equipment necessary for greater research capacity.
Plans for the new Royal Berkshire Hospital as part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) are at the early stages of development. The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the scheme to establish their preferred way forward. This is the first stage of the business case process, and as set out in the HM Treasury Green book, the Strategic Outline Case is followed by an Outline Business Case, and finally a Full Business Case.The NHP’s approach to standardising design for future hospitals, known as Hospital 2.0, is being designed with clinical and operational staff. Part of the Hospital 2.0 design is to integrate digital solutions and smart technology to increase productivity and drive efficiency, empowering staff to maximise the use of the facilities. Through the business case process, individual trusts will put forward plans for the relevant infrastructure to meet their digital and research requirements.
What steps his Department has taken to support small businesses with meeting the requirements of the EU Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988).
The updated GPSR largely formalises how many businesses are already operating in the UK and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact. However, we understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns very seriously. Government is supporting small businesses to understand the regulation. We have published guidance on GPSR in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review, and we are continuing to engage directly with businesses. Firms exporting to the EU should note that EU guidance is now available and may also wish to contact the Government’s Export Support Service.
What steps his Department is taking to tackle the future demand for cancer services in (a) the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West integrated care board and (b) England.
The Department is committed to tackling the future demand for cancer services, and this includes cancer patients in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, and across England.Developing our workforce is key to responding to the future demand for cancer services. NHS England invested approximately £90 million on training and educating the cancer and diagnostics workforce throughout 2024/25, focusing on growing the number of specialist doctors, nurses, support workers, and allied health professionals, as well as providing opportunities to upskill those already providing frontline services.To ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients, we are investing £70 million in new radiotherapy machines. In addition, we are committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment across England. As a first step, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, helping to ensure earlier diagnoses and faster treatment for those who need it most.The National Health Service will maximise the pace of the roll-out of the additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), and ensuring timely implementation of new CDC locations and upgrades to existing CDCs, with capacity prioritised for cancer diagnostics.
What steps his Department is taking to improve research capacity for cancer in the (a) Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire integrated care board and b) NHS in England.
Through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department invests in building research expertise and capacity, and specialist facilities and support services, to support research across all aspects of human health, including cancer.Since 2006, the NIHR has supported 189 personal career development awards for researchers working on cancer, as well as 526 awards through the NIHR Integrated Academic Training Programme for doctors and dentists, which combines research training with clinical training. The NIHR also supports the Cancer Research Transatlantic Development and Skills Award and co-funds fellowships with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, focussed on research into brain cancer.The Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMCs), co-funded by the NIHR and Cancer Research UK, act as a United Kingdom-wide network, bringing together world-leading laboratory and clinical researchers to test new treatments for adults and children with cancer. Other infrastructure supporting cancer research includes the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) and Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs), many of which have specialist expertise in cancer.The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire Integrated Care Board benefits from infrastructure supporting cancer research, including the Oxford and Southampton ECMCs, BRCs and CRFs, and the South Central Regional Research Delivery Network.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of EU Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988) on small businesses.
The updated GPSR largely formalises how many businesses are already operating in the UK and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact. However, we understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns very seriously. Government is supporting small businesses to understand the regulation. We have published guidance on GPSR in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review, and we are continuing to engage directly with businesses. Firms exporting to the EU should note that EU guidance is now available and may also wish to contact the Government’s Export Support Service.
What estimate he has made of the proportion of patients that have received a colonoscopy and subsequently been referred to cancer treatment pathways in each of the last five years.
No estimate has been made regarding the proportion of patients, in each of the last five years, who received a colonoscopy, and who were then referred to a cancer treatment pathway. The following table shows the proportion of patients who received a colonoscopy and who were subsequently referred to cancer treatment pathways:YearNumber of colonoscopiesNumber of new colorectal cancer diagnosesProportion of colonoscopies that resulted in a colorectal cancer diagnosis2020310,61633,33410.7%2021483,96940,8478.4%2022465,64639,2088.4%2023-40,449-2024-22,792-Source: data on the number of colonoscopies undertaken per annum in England is from the Fingertips data collection, and data on the number of colorectal cancer diagnosis per annum in England is from the CancerData data collection, with further information on both available, respectively, at the following two links: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/ https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ Note: data on the number of new colorectal cancer diagnoses is incomplete for 2024.Patients may receive a colonoscopy for a variety of different health reasons including, but not limited to, cancer. The Government and the National Health Service are taking crucial steps to improve cancer outcomes for patients across England, including for those with bowel cancer.
What the potential cost to the public purse is of diagnostic colonoscopies per foundation trust in each year since since 2020.
The attached table shows the potential cost to the public purse of diagnostic colonoscopies per foundation trust, each year since 2020, as well as the spend across all National Health Service foundation trusts for two groups of patient activity, specifically: a diagnostic colonoscopy with a biopsy, for those aged 19 years old and over; and just a diagnostic colonoscopy, for those aged 19 years old and over.
What steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England are taking to support the use of (a) medical devices and (b) diagnostic tools after piloting; and what funding his Department provides for such tools and devices.
The Department and NHS England provide support to innovators and systems across the innovation lifecycle, from ideation and design, through to adoption and scaling. A number of policies and programmes are targeted at the adoption of medical devices and diagnostic tools after piloting.In February 2023, the Department published its first ever strategy for MedTech, as well as the One Year On Report in April 2024, outlining our priorities for improving the adoption and spread of safe, effective, and innovative medical technologies across the National Health Service.To help innovators ‘find the front door’ of the NHS, the NHS Innovation Service supports the creation of an Innovation Record and enables support from at least one of 25 organisations, including the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), the Medicines Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority, the National Institute of Health Research, the Health Innovation Network, and the NHS Supply Chain, which provide support across research and testing, to adoption and spread. To date, this service has supported 870 innovations.There are several programmes which directly support early-stage innovators and innovations in designing, developing, and scaling their innovations. The Clinical Entrepreneur Programme is the world's largest entrepreneurial workforce development programme. The NHS Innovation Accelerator provides innovators with support and mentorship to enable adoption of high impact products with demonstrable clinical benefit. The Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare funds the acceleration of innovations to tackle unmet health and care needs. The Innovative Device Access Pathway, with system partners, is supporting eight transformative technologies by providing regulatory and access requirements in route to market. Furthermore, NHS InSites supports the NHS to develop its innovation capability infrastructure.To support later stage innovations with scale and adoption, there are two programmes that have been in place. The MedTech Funding Mandate aims to accelerate equitable patient access to selected NICE recommended technologies, with 12 technologies accelerated to date. Commissioners are mandated to fund these technologies from existing allocations. Additionally, the Health Tech Adoption and Accelerator Fund, investing approximately £28 million to integrated care boards in 2022/23, supports the procurement and implementation of 81 different technologies, mostly supporting virtual wards, at home management, and elective recovery. Spending decisions for use and expansion of new technology is subject to regular review as part of usual financial planning processes.The adoption of innovative products across the NHS is supported by the Innovation Dynamic Purchasing System, aiming to reduce barriers to entry for small to medium size enterprises bringing innovation into the NHS.Looking forward, a consultation on a proposed integrated rules-based pathway was launched by NHS England and the NICE in May 2024, which laid out the creation of a predictable, consistent pathway to access and adoption of medical technology. This would also support technology that had already been piloted to scale in the system. The consultation closed in September 2024 and responses are currently being reviewed.
If he will make it his policy to implement the recommendations of Bowel Cancer UK's report entitled Delivering the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan: A review of progress of bowel cancer in England, published on 3 December 2024.
The Health Mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future. As part of that work, and in response to Lord Darzi’s report, we have launched an extensive programme of engagement to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS highlighted that there is more to be done to increase the speed at which patients are diagnosed with, and treated for, cancer. His report will inform our 10-year plan to reform the NHS, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, including for bowel cancer. We are also currently in discussions about what form a potential cancer plan for England should take, including its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission, and will provide updates in due course. In addition, the Department is taking steps to improve the rate of early diagnosis for all cancers, including bowel and bowel-related cancers. We will support the NHS to transform diagnostic services by spending £1.5 billion on new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, to build capacity for over 30,000 more procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests.
When the Economic Secretary to the Treasury plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wokingham on the Equitable Life Policy compensation scheme, dated 30 October 2024.
A response was sent to the hon. Member for Wokingham on 27 November 2024.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 3112 on Motor Vehicles: Lighting, whether the independent research has begun; when the results of that research are expected; and whether she plans to introduce new regulations to limit glare from motor vehicle headlights.
The independent headlamp glare research commenced in October and is expected to deliver in summer 2025. The Government will consider carefully the outcome of that research to determine what action might be appropriate.
Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wokingham to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on funding for surplus food redistribution, dated 30 October 2024.
A reply to the hon. Member has been prepared and will be issued very shortly.
How much and what proportion of the increase in funding for his Department announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 will be spent on (a) National Insurance contribution increases, (b) pay increases, and (c) overspend by his Department.
We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department, from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.National Insurance contributions will be funded from staffing budgets in the usual way. We have provided written evidence to the Pay Review Bodies setting out our view on what pay increases are affordable, but the eventual spend on pay increases will not be determined until we respond to the Pay Review Body recommendations, which we will do at the earliest opportunity. Finally, the Department is not planning to overspend.