Written questions by Beales.

Whether he plans to take steps to allow doctors to prescribe Abiraterone.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licenced medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by the NICE for eligible patients in line with its recommendations.The NICE has published guidance recommending abiraterone for the treatment of metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer before chemotherapy is indicated and for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen. NHS England funds abiraterone for these indications of prostate cancer in line with the NICE’s recommendations, making it routinely available for clinicians to prescribe to eligible patients.NHS England considered abiraterone as an off-label treatment for hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer through its clinical policy development process in 2024/25. Through this process, NHS England confirmed that there was sufficient supporting evidence to support the routine commissioning of abiraterone in this indication and it was ranked in the highest priority level. However, NHS England could not identify the necessary recurrent funding to support commissioning of abiraterone, or any other treatments within the prioritisation round. Ministers are considering further advice on this issue.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2025 to Question 32770 Employment: Special Educational Needs, whether her Department has identified West London as one of the trailblazer areas for the Youth Guarantee scheme.

The Youth Guarantee Trailblazers will test a new, more localised delivery framework to help young people access education, training and employment support, providing important learnings to inform the future development of the Youth Guarantee in England. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to begin delivery of Youth Guarantee Traiblazers in the following areas: the West of England, Tees Valley, East Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands and two areas within the Greater London Authority. This will include parts of West London.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff supports the NHS 10 Year Plan in shifting care from (a) hospital to the community, (b) treatment to prevention and (c) analogue to digital.

Part IX of the Drug Tariff covers medical technology products prescribed in the community. In 2025, the Department is updating the product categorisation and listing process, following extensive engagement with patient groups, the National Health Service, and industry. The updated categorisation will support the NHS to prescribe the right products for patients. The new listing process will, for the first time, include the patient’s voice and clinical subject matter experts in the decision-making process, and a new temporary listing process will support early access for patients of innovative products able to support the three big shifts.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of introducing the Youth Guarantee Scheme on (a) Greater London and (b) the UK.

As announced in the “Get Britain Working” White Paper, we are launching a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training. This spring we will be launching trailblazers in eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities, one of which is the Greater London Authority, and will use the learning from the Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England. The additional employment, and education and training in which young people will participate, as a result of the Youth Guarantee, will bring economic benefits to the young people themselves and to wider society through earnings, economic output and through increased skills which open the way to longer term sustained employment.

What steps he is taking to help reduce inequalities in prostate cancer outcomes.

The Government understands that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for all people with prostate cancer. To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men. We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups. The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will develop a new National Cancer Plan. The plan will seek to improve outcomes and address disparities for all cancers, including for prostate cancer. A call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations, including ideas on how to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities for prostate cancer, is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff does not adversely impact investment by the medtech sector.

The Department is working closely with industry through the Drug Tariff Committee to finalise the detail of the update to the product categorisation and listing process of Part IX of the Drug Tariff. The Department remains committed to ensuring that the reforms represent a positive change for patients, the National Health Service, and the medical technology sector. For example, to support innovation and inward investment, a new two-year temporary listing mechanism will be introduced so that innovative products can be made available for patients more quickly.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the NICE Late Stage Assessment on intermittent catheters on the ambition to move more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community.

The Department commissions the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to undertake Late-Stage Assessments (LSAs) to help commissioners, clinicians, and patients identify the most effective products that offer the best value for the National Health Service.The NICE’s LSA of intermittent urethral catheters for chronic incomplete bladder emptying focuses on urethral catheters used in primary care and community settings. This will ensure that as more healthcare is delivered in community settings, commissioners, clinicians, and patients will be better informed when identifying the most effective and best value for money intermittent catheters in a crowded market.

If he will ensure that the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff is aligned to the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Through the Life Sciences Sector Plan and the wider industrial strategy, the Government will take targeted, concerted, and aggressive action to unlock growth. The plan will focus on enabling world-class research and development, making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to start, scale, and invest in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation and reform. This approach will support high-growth businesses, deliver better health outcomes, and cement the UK’s global leadership in life sciences. Backed by deep engagement with industry, the plan will tackle barriers head-on and lay the foundations for long-term, sustainable growth. The reforms to Part IX of the Drug Tariff and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) late-stage assessments align with this approach by supporting the adoption of innovation. The Part IX reforms include a new two-year temporary listing mechanism so that innovative products can be made available for patients more quickly. The NICE’s late-stage assessments are a central element of the NICE’s lifecycle approach to evaluation, valuing incremental innovation in transformative products once they have become established or widely available to the National Health Service. The assessments will provide guidance on value, especially where there are claims of improvements and innovation over time, to support NHS commissioners, procurement teams, patients, and clinicians to select the most effective and cost-effective products, from those available on the market.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of NICE’s Late Stage Assessments on the attractiveness of the UK for inward investment from medtech companies.

The Department commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to undertake Late-Stage Assessments (LSAs) to help commissioners, clinicians, and patients identify the most effective products that offer the best value for the National Health Service. LSAs benefit health technology manufacturers by giving all manufacturers a transparent, robust, and evidence-based process for demonstrating the added value of their products.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 February to Question 31745 on Universities: Industry, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of adults who are likely to take up the opportunity for Life Long Learning across (a) the UK, (b) Greater London and c) West London.

The department is due to announce outstanding policy details related to the Lifelong Learning Entitlement later this year. These details will inform our demand projections for this specific programme, and we will share further information about this in due course.This government recognises the importance and value of investing and creating a culture of lifelong learning in our country to support our industrial strategy and economic growth. This starts with activity already underway, such as the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, establishing Skills England, utilising local skills improvement plans, further supporting skills bootcamps and apprenticeships and devolving the adult skills fund to support learning and development in all stages of life.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on (a) drivers employed by app companies, (b) couriers employed by app companies and (c) gig economy workers.

The impact of the Employment Rights Bill on those individuals will depend largely on their employment status. Individuals in the platform economy can be any status: employee, limb (b) worker, or self-employed, depending on the reality of the relationship between them and their employer.The Employment Rights Bill, once implemented, will represent the biggest upgrade of workers’ rights in a generation. It will raise the minimum floor of employment rights, raise living standards across the country and level the playing field for those businesses who are engaged in good practices.

What progress the Motor Insurance Taskforce has made.

The cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce met for the first time on 16 October 2024 and the Secretary of State is keen to reconvene again soon. The Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities. We will provide updates on the Taskforce in due course.

What steps she is taking to prevent the export of stolen vehicles by organised criminal groups.

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are working with the automotive industry and police – taking a national approach – to ensure our response is as strong as it can be, including working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime.This Government is committed to working domestically, applying the full range of disruption tactics, and with partners internationally to disrupt organised crime groups upstream.We provided £250,000 funding in the financial year 2024-25 to help support enforcement at the ports to prevent stolen vehicles and vehicle parts being shipped abroad. This included additional staff and specialist equipment.Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced measures to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them.Via the recently established National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, we are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles; this includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the international trading of stolen vehicles.

Vehicle theft is a serious crime that has a deeply damaging impact on vehicle owners, manufacturers and the insurance industry.A network of vehicle crime leads has been established in every police force in England and Wales, ensuring forces share information and are better able to respond. The Crime and Policing Bill will ban the electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing, and supplying them.Stolen vehicles often end up being sent overseas so we have provided £250,000 this financial year to provide additional staff and specialist equipment to help enforcement at ports and prevent stolen vehicles and vehicle parts being shipped abroad. We are also engaging international partners to explore what more can be done to disrupt the international marketplace for stolen vehicles.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) cultural, (b) economic and (c) community value of free-to-air coverage of the Six Nations Championship.

The Government believes that the current list of events works well and that it strikes an appropriate balance between access to sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue. Therefore, the Government has no plans to review the list at this time.It is right that the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Six Nations Rugby take a considered and balanced approach: recognising the need to achieve reach with existing and new fans, the importance that the Six Nations has for the cultural pride of each of the Home Nations, all the while maximising broadcast revenue.

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the status of the Six Nations Championship from Category B to Category A in the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events.

The Government believes that the current list of events works well and that it strikes an appropriate balance between access to sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue. Therefore, the Government has no plans to review the list at this time.It is right that the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Six Nations Rugby take a considered and balanced approach: recognising the need to achieve reach with existing and new fans, the importance that the Six Nations has for the cultural pride of each of the Home Nations, all the while maximising broadcast revenue.

What steps he is taking to increase staffing levels in maternity services.

The Government is committed to tackling the retention and recruitment challenges that face the National Health Service. Bringing in the staff we need will take time, but this is a priority for the Government.NHS England is leading a range of initiatives to boost retention of existing staff and ensure that the NHS remains an attractive career choice for new recruits. This includes building a compassionate and inclusive culture, supporting staff wellbeing, and promoting flexible working opportunities. As a part of this, there are interventions in place specific to the maternity and neonatal workforce, such as creating a midwifery and nursing retention self-assessment tool, mentoring schemes, support on pensions, investing in unit-based midwife retention leads. We are also boosting the midwifery workforce through undergraduate training, apprenticeships, postgraduate conversion, and return to midwifery programmes.

What steps he is taking to reduce inequalities in (a) still-birth rates and (b) maternal mortality related to (i) class and (ii) ethnicity.

It is unacceptable that there are such stark inequalities for women and babies. It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.We are supporting NHS England as it delivers its three-year plan to make maternity and neonatal care more personalised, safe, compassionate, and equitable for women and babies. As part of this, all Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems are implementing their equity and equality actions plans, which include targeted interventions to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas. All trusts are implementing version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, brain injuries, neonatal deaths, preterm births, and inequalities. We are working closely with NHS England, and the wider sector, to identify further interventions to address inequalities for women and babies. Some of these will require time to implement, but we also need to ensure that there are immediate actions that can begin to drive forward improvements now. This includes the targets needed to drive change, in line with the Government’s commitment to setting an explicit target to close the black and Asian maternal mortality gaps.

What steps she is taking to support economically inactive people back into work in (a) West London and (b) other parts of London.

The Get Britain Working White Paper published in November set out plans to deliver fundamental reform of our health, employment and skills system, that will help support economically inactive people in all areas in England get back into work. We committed to: Delivering a new jobs and careers service to support people to get into and on at work, available to everyone regardless of whether they are in receipt of benefits.Asking local areas across England, including the Greater London Authority, to develop local Get Britain Working plans which are intended to join up new support and enable local areas to develop a system wide approach to tackling economic inactivity.Funding Trailblazers to help accelerate a more locally led and joined up approach to tackling economic inactivity and the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training.Delivering a Youth Guarantee for 18-21 year olds in England so that young people benefit from support to access education, training opportunities or help to find work.Launching Connect to Work, a forthcoming voluntary, locally led, Supported Employment programme that will help, primarily economically inactive, disabled people, people with health conditions and other complex barriers to employment to get into and stay in work. The Greater London area will host several Trailblazers, covering both inactivity and youth. This will involve working closely with a range of local partners, including those based in West London. Additional funding will also be given to the Greater London Authority to support the development of their local Get Britain Working plan, to cover the four sub-regional London partnership areas delivering Connect to Work.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending school-based counselling on reducing child and adolescent mental health service waiting lists.

The Government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school through expanding Mental Health Support Teams, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.