Written questions by Jones.

What steps he plans to take to support children and young people with cancer with the cost of travelling to access their treatment and care in specialist centres.

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The work of the taskforce is ongoing, and officials are exploring opportunities for improvement across a range of areas, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer in all parts of England, including Wokingham. Given wider ongoing work on policy development options and analysis of the call for evidence responses for the National Cancer Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care has not made a formal estimate of the proportion of children and young people with cancer and their families that are claiming travel costs from the HTCS.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the distance that children and young people with cancer must travel to access their treatment and care in specialist centres (a) across the UK and (b) from Wokingham constituency.

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The work of the taskforce is ongoing, and officials are exploring opportunities for improvement across a range of areas, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer in all parts of England, including Wokingham. Given wider ongoing work on policy development options and analysis of the call for evidence responses for the National Cancer Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care has not made a formal estimate of the proportion of children and young people with cancer and their families that are claiming travel costs from the HTCS.

Whether (a) he and (b) the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce have made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a young cancer patient travel fund; and if he will take steps through the National Cancer Plan to reduce travel costs for children and young people with cancer.

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The work of the taskforce is ongoing, and officials are exploring opportunities for improvement across a range of areas, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer in all parts of England, including Wokingham. Given wider ongoing work on policy development options and analysis of the call for evidence responses for the National Cancer Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care has not made a formal estimate of the proportion of children and young people with cancer and their families that are claiming travel costs from the HTCS.

How many and what proportion of children and young people with cancer and their families are successfully claiming travel costs from the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that scheme in meeting the needs of children and young people with cancer and their families.

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The work of the taskforce is ongoing, and officials are exploring opportunities for improvement across a range of areas, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer in all parts of England, including Wokingham. Given wider ongoing work on policy development options and analysis of the call for evidence responses for the National Cancer Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care has not made a formal estimate of the proportion of children and young people with cancer and their families that are claiming travel costs from the HTCS.

How she plans to use the £200 million allocated for charging infrastructure in the Autumn Budget 2004.

We will be investing £200m to accelerate EV chargepoint roll out. This funding will include helping local authorities install charging infrastructure across England; supporting en-route charging infrastructure deployment; and providing targeted support for chargepoints for homes and workplaces.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on steps to help increase levels of ownership of electric vehicles.

Ministers from across Government regularly meet to discuss the transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), including policies to increase levels of ZEV ownership and the ZEV Mandate. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles is a joint office between the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and reports to Ministers in both departments in relation to the transition to zero emission vehicles.

What steps his Department plans to take to reduce the shortfall in breast cancer specialists.

We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it, including for breast cancer.Clinical radiologists play a key role in the breast clinician workforce, by supporting breast screening and symptomatic services. To help address shortfalls in the breast cancer workforce, NHS England is expanding specialty training places in clinical radiology to grow the future pipeline of clinicians involved in breast cancer care. Recruitment of trainees to the clinical radiology specialty has increased from an average of 234 trainees per year, between 2016 and 2020, to an average of 300, between 2021 and 2025, an expansion of 75 specialty trainee places per year.

What steps he plans to take to review the effectiveness of diagnostic pathways for brain tumours.

The Department is working with NHS England in taking steps to improve diagnostic processes in the National Health Service for all patients with cancer, including those with brain tumours.We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes and their experience throughout their treatment pathway. To do this, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster diagnosis.In developing the National Cancer Plan, we will consider how we can streamline cancer pathways, including for diagnosis and treatment. The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with brain cancer.

What steps he is taking to ensure that people with low-grade brain tumours are included in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with brain tumours.Low-grade brain tumours are considered non-cancerous, and they grow more slowly and are less likely to spread. This means treatment may not be needed right away.Although low-grade brain tumours are generally non-cancerous, they can have similar, serious symptoms and require surgery or radiotherapy to treat. The Government has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.The plan will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

What steps her Department plans to take to help tackle potential barriers to the (a) deployment and (b) commercial viability of electric vehicle charging stations.

The £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. The fund will support the commercialisation of, and investment in, the local charging infrastructure sector and is expected to leverage significant private investment to deliver over 100,000 chargepoints. Furthermore, the Government has announced changes to street works and planning permissions, making it easier, quicker and cheaper to install infrastructure.

What progress her Department has made on the implementation of the rapid charging fund.

There has been strong progress with installation of chargepoints on the Strategic Road Network. There are now over 5,250 open-access rapid and ultra-rapid chargers within one mile of the Strategic Road Network (Zapmap, January 2025), of which 1,180 are at motorway service areas (based on industry data). The latter is up around 165% over the last two years. The market had changed significantly since the Rapid Charging Fund was announced, including increased private sector investment in infrastructure, a changed regulatory environment, and improvements in battery technology.The Government will ensure taxpayers' money is used as efficiently as possible to make the transition to electric vehicles a success. The Rapid Charging Fund pilot was launched to better understand where best to target government support. We will apply learning from the pilot to continue working with industry to boost charging infrastructure on the Strategic Road Network.

What steps her Department plans to take to help increase the impact of (a) private sector investment and (b) public sector funding on levels of access to of (i) affordable and (ii) convenient electric vehicle charging points.

The Government is committed to making EV charging infrastructure more affordable and accessible. The £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. The funding, backed by substantial private investment, will support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints.

What steps his Department plans to take to improve the provision of post-treatment psychological care for women diagnosed with breast cancer.

The National Health Service is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England, including women with breast cancer, have access to personalised care, including a needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Psychosocial support, which can include NHS Talking Therapy services, provides evidence-based therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression.To provide options for breast cancer survivors to preserve their fertility, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) fertility guidelines set the clinical standards for the current NHS offer to people with cancer who wish to preserve their fertility. The NICE is currently reviewing its guidelines, with publication of a revised guideline expected later this year.Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer care, including for breast cancer care, is a priority for the Government. To address this, NHS England funded audits into primary and metastatic breast cancer. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with breast cancer in an NHS setting, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. Findings were published on 12 September 2024 by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre, and officials in the Department and NHS England are considering next steps. Further information on the national audits of metastatic breast cancer and primary breast cancer is available, respectively, at the following two link:https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/metastatic-breast/https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/primary-breast/To raise awareness and educate women about primary prevention of breast cancer, the Government and the NHS promote a healthy lifestyle. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. To address risks related to overweight and obesity, Government guidance on healthy eating, including the United Kingdom’s healthy eating model the Eatwell Guide, is communicated through the NHS.UK website and through a range of free, evidence-based tools and apps.

What steps his Department plans to take to reduce (a) geographical, (b) socioeconomic and (c) cultural differences in breast cancer care.

The National Health Service is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England, including women with breast cancer, have access to personalised care, including a needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Psychosocial support, which can include NHS Talking Therapy services, provides evidence-based therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression.To provide options for breast cancer survivors to preserve their fertility, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) fertility guidelines set the clinical standards for the current NHS offer to people with cancer who wish to preserve their fertility. The NICE is currently reviewing its guidelines, with publication of a revised guideline expected later this year.Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer care, including for breast cancer care, is a priority for the Government. To address this, NHS England funded audits into primary and metastatic breast cancer. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with breast cancer in an NHS setting, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. Findings were published on 12 September 2024 by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre, and officials in the Department and NHS England are considering next steps. Further information on the national audits of metastatic breast cancer and primary breast cancer is available, respectively, at the following two link:https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/metastatic-breast/https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/primary-breast/To raise awareness and educate women about primary prevention of breast cancer, the Government and the NHS promote a healthy lifestyle. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. To address risks related to overweight and obesity, Government guidance on healthy eating, including the United Kingdom’s healthy eating model the Eatwell Guide, is communicated through the NHS.UK website and through a range of free, evidence-based tools and apps.

What steps his Department plans to take to increase the options for breast cancer survivors to preserve their fertility.

The National Health Service is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England, including women with breast cancer, have access to personalised care, including a needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Psychosocial support, which can include NHS Talking Therapy services, provides evidence-based therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression.To provide options for breast cancer survivors to preserve their fertility, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) fertility guidelines set the clinical standards for the current NHS offer to people with cancer who wish to preserve their fertility. The NICE is currently reviewing its guidelines, with publication of a revised guideline expected later this year.Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer care, including for breast cancer care, is a priority for the Government. To address this, NHS England funded audits into primary and metastatic breast cancer. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with breast cancer in an NHS setting, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. Findings were published on 12 September 2024 by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre, and officials in the Department and NHS England are considering next steps. Further information on the national audits of metastatic breast cancer and primary breast cancer is available, respectively, at the following two link:https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/metastatic-breast/https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/primary-breast/To raise awareness and educate women about primary prevention of breast cancer, the Government and the NHS promote a healthy lifestyle. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. To address risks related to overweight and obesity, Government guidance on healthy eating, including the United Kingdom’s healthy eating model the Eatwell Guide, is communicated through the NHS.UK website and through a range of free, evidence-based tools and apps.

With reference to the page 7 of the Economist Impact's report entitled Advancing Breast Cancer Care in Europe: a roadmap to a women-centric approach, published in April 2025, what steps his Department plans to take to raise the (a) awareness and (b) education for women about primary prevention of breast cancer.

The National Health Service is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England, including women with breast cancer, have access to personalised care, including a needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Psychosocial support, which can include NHS Talking Therapy services, provides evidence-based therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression.To provide options for breast cancer survivors to preserve their fertility, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) fertility guidelines set the clinical standards for the current NHS offer to people with cancer who wish to preserve their fertility. The NICE is currently reviewing its guidelines, with publication of a revised guideline expected later this year.Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer care, including for breast cancer care, is a priority for the Government. To address this, NHS England funded audits into primary and metastatic breast cancer. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with breast cancer in an NHS setting, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. Findings were published on 12 September 2024 by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre, and officials in the Department and NHS England are considering next steps. Further information on the national audits of metastatic breast cancer and primary breast cancer is available, respectively, at the following two link:https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/metastatic-breast/https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/primary-breast/To raise awareness and educate women about primary prevention of breast cancer, the Government and the NHS promote a healthy lifestyle. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. To address risks related to overweight and obesity, Government guidance on healthy eating, including the United Kingdom’s healthy eating model the Eatwell Guide, is communicated through the NHS.UK website and through a range of free, evidence-based tools and apps.

Whether his Department is taking steps to improve the (a) collection and (b) reporting of age-disaggregated data on participation in cancer clinical trials for (i) people aged between 16 and 24 and (ii) other people other than through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by the Department, funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including cancer clinical trials.The NIHR Research Delivery Network collects age-disaggregated data on participation in cancer clinical trials across all age groups, for studies supported by NIHR infrastructure, and reports on this data where appropriate.The Department is working with NHS England and other partners to develop a new data collection approach which will include the age of people participating in NIHR funded studies, including for cancer clinical trials. Once established, this could be expanded to include age data from studies supported by other funders.The Department is committed to maximising the United Kingdom’s potential to lead the world in clinical research, with the aim of ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

For what reason age is used to determine eligibility for cancer clinical trials; and whether he is taking steps to ensure that people aged between 16 and 24 have equitable access to such trials.

The Department is committed to maximising the United Kingdom’s potential to lead the world in clinical research, with the aim of ensuring that all patients, including teenagers and young adults with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.The eligibility of patients for a clinical trial is determined by a set of criteria designed to ensure the safety of participants and the scientific validity of the study. These criteria are decided by each study's sponsors and researchers, based on scientific evidence, study goals, and safety considerations.The Department is working closely with the National Health Service, industry, academia, research regulators, and charities to make clinical research in the UK more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible. We expect these efforts to attract more commercial investment in clinical research and yield a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical trials in the UK, including clinical trials for teenagers and young adults with cancer.The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including clinical trial participation for young people with cancer.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of age-related eligibility criteria on the inclusion of (a) teenagers and (b) young adults in cancer clinical trials.

The Department is committed to maximising the United Kingdom’s potential to lead the world in clinical research, with the aim of ensuring that all patients, including teenagers and young adults with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.The eligibility of patients for a clinical trial is determined by a set of criteria designed to ensure the safety of participants and the scientific validity of the study. These criteria are decided by each study's sponsors and researchers, based on scientific evidence, study goals, and safety considerations.The Department is working closely with the National Health Service, industry, academia, research regulators, and charities to make clinical research in the UK more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible. We expect these efforts to attract more commercial investment in clinical research and yield a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical trials in the UK, including clinical trials for teenagers and young adults with cancer.The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including clinical trial participation for young people with cancer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing UK tariffs on US meat and seafood products on (a) levels of meat imports and (b) food standards.

The UK has a strong and balanced trading relationship with the US worth £315 billion. Investment supports around 2.5 million jobs across both countries. Trade is second only to the EU where our trading relationship is worth £813 billion.We will always act in the best interests of UK businesses and consumers. That’s why, throughout the last few weeks, the government has been fully focused on negotiating an economic deal with the United States.But we will only ever sign trade agreements which align with the UK’s national interests, and we will always uphold our high food standards.