Written questions by Jones.

Whether (a) children and (b) young people under 25 with cancer will be distinctly recognised in the National Cancer Plan.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been clear in his view 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 in regard to treatment, diagnosis, and wider support. We are committed to carefully considering this as part of our work.In spring 2024, a series of stakeholder workshops, carried out in preparation for the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, identified several key areas where we know further work is required to improve the care and treatment of children and young people with cancer. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, and access to clinical trials. The work carried out to date on the taskforce was incredibly valuable, and remains important to the Department's work. We are committed to progressing work in this area and we will set out more details on next steps for the taskforce in due course.Young Lives vs Cancer is a valued stakeholder with a unique perspective on this issue. We will continue to engage with them, as well as other children and young people cancer charity stakeholders as we progress this work.

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) differences between cancer in (i) children and young people under 25 and (ii) older adults and (b) strategic approaches to meet the needs of each population.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been clear in his view 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 in regard to treatment, diagnosis, and wider support. We are committed to carefully considering this as part of our work.In spring 2024, a series of stakeholder workshops, carried out in preparation for the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, identified several key areas where we know further work is required to improve the care and treatment of children and young people with cancer. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, and access to clinical trials. The work carried out to date on the taskforce was incredibly valuable, and remains important to the Department's work. We are committed to progressing work in this area and we will set out more details on next steps for the taskforce in due course.Young Lives vs Cancer is a valued stakeholder with a unique perspective on this issue. We will continue to engage with them, as well as other children and young people cancer charity stakeholders as we progress this work.

What account the development of the National Cancer Plan is taking of the Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan published by Young Lives vs Cancer and the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group in January 2023.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been clear in his view 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 in regard to treatment, diagnosis, and wider support. We are committed to carefully considering this as part of our work.In spring 2024, a series of stakeholder workshops, carried out in preparation for the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, identified several key areas where we know further work is required to improve the care and treatment of children and young people with cancer. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, and access to clinical trials. The work carried out to date on the taskforce was incredibly valuable, and remains important to the Department's work. We are committed to progressing work in this area and we will set out more details on next steps for the taskforce in due course.Young Lives vs Cancer is a valued stakeholder with a unique perspective on this issue. We will continue to engage with them, as well as other children and young people cancer charity stakeholders as we progress this work.

What progress he has made on the New Hospital Programme Review in relation to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital is in scope of the review into the New Hospital Programme. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will set out further details of the outcome, which will include a new and realistic delivery schedule for the programme, at the earliest opportunity.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of recovering costs from insurance providers when patients with private health insurance seek NHS-funded treatment which would be covered under their health insurance policy.

The Department has made no assessment on recovering National Health Service costs from private health insurance providers, when patients with private health insurance seek NHS-funded treatment which would be covered under their health insurance policy. However, the Injury Cost Recovery scheme enables trusts to recover the cost of NHS treatment from insurers, where personal injury compensation is paid, for example after a road traffic accident. £180 million was recovered by trusts in 2023/24, for reinvestment in NHS patient services.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 11480 on Import Controls: Fees and Charges, when he plans to make available further information on the (a) charge and (b) operating costs at Sevington.

The Government plans to publish this information in Spring 2025.

If he will take steps to improve access to gluten-free staple foods for patients with coeliac disease by (a) improving the availability of those foods on prescription and (b) providing financial support to assist patients on obligatory gluten-free diets.

The national prescribing position in England remains that gluten free bread and mixes can be provided to all coeliac patients on a National Health Service prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions based on the individual preferences of their patients, while also being mindful of which product best suits the patient’s dietary needs.I recognise the pressures people are facing with the rising cost of living. Our extensive arrangements to help people afford NHS prescription charges means that almost 89% of prescription items in England are already provided free of charge. For those who are not exempt from charges, pre-payment certificates can be used to cap costs at just over £2 a week for regular prescriptions.

What data his Department holds on the number of men who live in areas without (a) universally accessible and (b) fully NHS funded vasectomy services.

The Department does not hold data on the number of men who live in areas without universally accessible and fully National Health Service funded vasectomy services.NHS vasectomy services in England are commissioned locally by integrated care boards. In most parts of the country, vasectomy is available free of charge from the NHS.

What steps he is taking to improve early diagnosis for prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer patients are waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets so no patient waits longer than they should.We will find the best way to screen for prostate cancer. The Department is investing £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial seeking to find ways to catch prostate cancer in men as early as possible.Furthermore, we will support the NHS to transform diagnostic services by providing approximately £1.5 billion of capital funding in 2025/26 for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, to build capacity for over 30,000 more procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests. £70 million will be invested on new radiotherapy machines, to improve cancer treatment.

What steps his Department is taking to support the national prostate cancer screening programme.

There is currently no national prostate cancer screening programme. This is because it is not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees (UK NSC) due to the inaccuracy of the current best test, called the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme could harm some men, as many would be diagnosed with a cancer that would not have caused them problems during their life. This would lead to additional tests and treatments which can also have harmful side effects, for instance sexual dysfunction and incontinence.The UK NSC is carrying out an evidence review for prostate cancer screening, which includes different potential ways of screening the whole population from 40 years of age onwards, and targeted screening programmes aimed at groups of men identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as those with a family history, carriers of the BRCA2 gene mutation, and based on ethnicity.

What steps she is taking to tackle (a) fraudulent V62 applications and (b) car cloning.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has robust measures in place to help prevent fraudulent V62 applications being processed. When a V62 application is received for a vehicle for which there is already a registered keeper on record, the DVLA will write to the current keeper to check if they still have the vehicle. If the registered keeper confirms that they are still in possession of the vehicle, the V62 application will not be processed, no new vehicle registration certificate will be issued and further investigations will be made.The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. The DVLA is currently working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments on ways to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Pursuant to his Answer on 24 October 2024 to Question 8573 on Trade, if he will publish his trade strategy prior to the conclusion of trade negotiations.

As recently outlined in the Chancellors budget, we intend to publish the Trade Strategy in the Spring.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10718 on Trade Agreements, whether he plans to include labour rights protections in prospective trade agreements.

The Government will protect our labour standards in new trade agreements. To date, we have secured chapters on labour in FTAs with Australia and New Zealand, and within CPTPP. The UK also has labour provisions in a range of other agreements.  We will continue to work internationally to strengthen workers’ rights and enhance labour standards globally.

If he will make it his policy to include human rights clauses in trade agreements.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. This work takes place separately to negotiations on Free Trade Agreements. While aspects of trade policy can provide the opportunity to address other issues in our bilateral relationships, Free Trade Agreements are not generally the most effective or targeted tool to advance human rights issues.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 on Question 11149 on Trade Agreements: Parliamentary Scrutiny, if he will announce his plans for scrutiny arrangements of trade deals prior to the conclusion of the negotiations of those deals.

The Government will continue to fulfil commitments set out under the current scrutiny framework for free trade agreements (FTAs).

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12540 on Trade Agreements: Gulf Cooperation Council, whether his Department has made an assessment of the extent to which the supply chains of Gulf Cooperation Council member states use forced labour.

The UK remains committed to eradicating forced labour in global supply chains, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, and commitments made through the G7. No company should have forced labour in its supply chains. Trade deals like the UK-GCC FTA will be aligned with the trade and industrial strategies. This Government is committed to working with international partners to ensure global supply chains are free from human and labour rights abuses.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10718 on Trade Agreements, what opportunities he plans to provide to parliamentarians to scrutinise proposed free trade agreements.

As well as meeting our statutory obligations under CRaG, the Government will continue to provide additional information and time to support parliamentary scrutiny of FTAs. This includes running a call for evidence on proposed new negotiations, publishing negotiating objectives and publishing regular updates throughout negotiations. Following signature of a new FTA, the Government will publish the full treaty text along with an Impact Assessment and explanatory memorandum and allow a reasonable period of time for Parliament to consider the agreement before commencing the formal CRaG scrutiny period.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) telegraph poles and (b) other infrastructure on inclusive mobility; and what steps she is taking to make streets more accessible.

Accessibility is a priority for this Government. In order to reduce pavement clutter and ensure that footways are accessible to everyone, there are requirements on telecom operators and other operators to share apparatus and to use underground lines where practicable. There are regulations in place to support this and the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice 2016 also includes guidance on how telegraph poles should be sited to account for health and safety and access concerns. The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires public authorities to have due regard to certain equality considerations when making decisions on matters of this sort. This is to ensure that they consider how their policies, programmes, and services, including, for example, decisions on the siting of apparatus of this sort, will affect people with different protected characteristics. Public authorities are also required to monitor the impact of their decisions on those with protected characteristics.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the proportion of bowel cancers diagnosed at each stage in the last five years.

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.The NHS will maximise the pace of roll-out of 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.We are committed to getting the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases. This includes bowel cancer patients in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.

What plans his Department has to encourage earlier diagnosis of bowel cancer in the Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire Integrated Care Board region.

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.The NHS will maximise the pace of roll-out of 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.We are committed to getting the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases. This includes bowel cancer patients in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.