Written questions by Simmonds.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2025 to Question 44226 on Pest Control: Birmingham, whether he has made a recent assessment of the risks to (a) public health from the continued bin strike and (b) to agency workers.

The Director of Public Health for Birmingham maintains an overview of the potential public health impacts associated with uncollected waste as a result of any disruption to waste services and would lead on initiating and conducting a public health risk assessment. If requested, the UK Health Security Agency can provide health protection advice to any risk assessment, along with other key agencies.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of using brain tumour research funding announced in 2018 for supporting (a) new vaccines and (b) novel therapeutics.

In May 2018 the Government made a commitment to spend £40 million on brain cancer research. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), directly invested £11.8 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours. The NIHR has also invested approximately £37.5 million in research infrastructure to support the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and to enable over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research.The Government is working closely with the patient and researcher communities to provide new funding opportunities for novel brain tumour research and is stimulating high-quality research applications through: establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat brain tumours; a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.

Whether he plans to include astrocytoma brain cancer in the (a) National Cancer Plan, (b) Rare Cancers Bill and (c) NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.

The National Cancer Plan will take into account the needs of all patients with brain tumours. This means we will not be excluding any kinds of brain or spinal cord tumours and astrocytomas will be included as part of our work on brain tumours.The Rare Cancers Bill as currently drafted is relevant to cancers that affect not more than 1 in 2000 people in the United Kingdom. Astrocytoma and low grade gliomas fit this definition and will therefore be relevant to the Bill.The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform that will speed up access to clinical trials for cancer vaccines and immunotherapies for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company, including those developing vaccines for brain tumours, can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Whether he has considered using brain tumour research funding announced in 2018 to fund an increase in the speed of research into new treatments.

In May 2018 the Government made a commitment to spend £40 million on brain cancer research. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), directly invested £11.8 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours. The NIHR has also invested approximately £37.5 million in research infrastructure to support the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and to enable over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research.The Government is working closely with the patient and researcher communities to provide new funding opportunities for novel brain tumour research and is stimulating high-quality research applications through: establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat brain tumours; a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.

What steps his Department is taking with Cancer Research UK to increase levels of future funding for brain tumour research.

The Department continues to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including Cancer Research UK and other third sector organisations, to identify areas of investment in brain tumour research. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the research arm of the Department. Working with stakeholders from across the research community, in September 2024 the NIHR launched a package of support to stimulate high-quality research applications through: establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat brain tumours; a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.We will continue to explore all opportunities for collaborations with Cancer Research UK and other organisations to increase the amount of high-quality research into this important area.

How much funding his Department has provided for brain tumour research in each year since 2018.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes.The following table shows the amount of new funding provided for brain tumour research per financial year:Financial yearTotal Awards Provided2018/2019£1m2019/2020£0.4m2020/2021£3.6m2021/2022£7.3m2022/2023£0.4m2023/2024£0.4m2024/2025£1.6mGrand Total£15.04m

How much and what percentage of total research expenditure has been spent on research into (a) Giloma, (b) Glioblastoma, (c) Astrocytoma, (d) DIPG and (e) DMG brain tumour types in the last decade.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million in research projects focused on brain tumours. These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. Data for 2024/25 is not yet available.The following table shows the percentage of research expenditure invested on specific cancer subtypes for the period 2014/15 to 2024/25: TypeAmount% of total NIHR programme spend (£6.1 billion)Glioma£3.1m0.052%Glioblastoma£3.2m0.053%Astrocytoma£0.4m0.007%DIPG--DMG--Total£6.8m 0.112% In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, for instance facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £37.5 million, supporting the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and enabling over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research in the National Health Service.Working with stakeholders from across the research community, in September 2024 NIHR launched a package of support to stimulate high-quality research applications through:i. establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage and treat brain tumours;ii. a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; andiii. a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas in advance. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including all cancer types.

Whether the national cancer plan will consider (a) astrocytoma and (b) other types of brain tumours.

The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase levels of life expectancy for people with (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.

The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.The Government recognises the significant impact of rare cancers, such as glioma brain tumours, on patients and on their families and carers, and has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours, and increasing life expectancy. The Government fully supports Scott Arthur’s Private Members’ Bill on rare cancers. The bill will facilitate clinical trials in England by ensuring researchers can easily contact eligible patients.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the amount of funding available for research into (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.Whilst no assessment has been made of the adequacy of the funding available for research into low grade glioma and astrocytoma specifically, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million into research projects focused on brain tumours. In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, for instance facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £37.5 million, supporting the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and enabling over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research in the National Health Service.In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain tumour research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.The NIHR also supported the development of Dabrafenib with trametinib, a combined treatment for low grade glioma in children and young people, which is now recommended in guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain tumours. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.Welcoming applications on brain tumours to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

What discussions he has had with (a) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) the National institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to innovative treatment for patients with brain tumours.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with brain tumours, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. As such, officials meet regularly with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to cover a range of related issues.The Department is working with delivery partners and key stakeholders, including the MHRA, to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of future medicines and therapies, including for brain tumours.The MHRA is engaging with public, academic, industry, and patient stakeholder groups to see how the agency can encourage research and product licencing in this underserved area. The MHRA remains focused on enabling safe access to innovative treatment as rapidly as possible.The Government supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers, including brain tumours. As such, the Department has worked closely with the MHRA during the passage of this bill.NICE makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing, and the NHS in England is required to fund NICE recommended medicines. NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance for relevant brain cancer therapies.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of funding for the (a) Medical Research Council and (b) National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Funding levels for health and care research have recently been set as part of the 2025 Spending Review. The Department will receive £9.8 billion for research and development over the period of 2025/26 to 2029/30. This funding will support research and development through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Genomics England, and the Office for Life Sciences, and will support global health research through Official Development Assistance. This funding will ensure that research can provide the evidence needed to support the delivery of the 10-Year Plan and wider Government missions. Funding for the Medical Research Council is determined by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

With reference to the official statistics entitled Wider Determinants of Health: statistical commentary on the location of fast food outlets, February 2025, published on 10 February 2025, whether (a) Greggs, (b) Subway and (c) Pret a Manger were considered fast food outlets; and whether they were included under Indicator ID 94124 in his Department's data set on Wider Determinants of Health.

Fast food is considered to be food that is energy dense and available quickly, usually via a counter service, for consumption on or off the premise. Neither the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities nor its predecessor, Public Health England, have a formally agreed definition of a fast food outlet, and a list of fast food outlets is not held centrally. Data from the Food Standards Agency’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) was used to populate the fast food outlets per 100,000 population indicator, which was published in the Wider Determinants of Health: statistical commentary on the location of fast food outlets, from February 2025. The statistical commentary is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/wider-determinants-of-health-february-2025-update/wider-determinants-of-health-statistical-commentary-february-2025 The FHRS’ data categorises food premises into business types only. Therefore, criteria were developed to select food premises from the FHRS data that best fit the definition of fast food. In addition, all premises from the ‘takeaway/sandwich shop’ business type have been included. All outlets which meet these criteria are included in the indicator. The names of individual outlets are not published.

Whether he has received representations from health professionals have they received on shrinking the default size of the pint glass in licensed premises.

The Government has no plans to restrict the size of a pint of beer served in pubs. Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. The Department will continue to work across Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms, including reviewing the latest evidence.In October 2024, the Department received correspondence from a Cambridge University research team sharing the findings of a research study looking at the impact of pint sizes on alcohol consumption. As part of our commitment to evidenced based policy making, we will consider the findings in the round, alongside other similar studies.

What steps his Department is taking to support (a) adult and (b) paediatric brain tumour patients with a terminal diagnosis to find and participate in clinical trials.

The Department is committed to ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to National Health Service patients, including those with brain tumours, and to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials.The Department funds research and research infrastructure, which supports brain tumour patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).In September 2024, the NIHR announced a new approach to transform the outcomes for patients and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing the lives lost to cancer, with a new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium, a new research funding call, and a new Tessa Jowell Allied Health Professional research fellowship.

What discussions he has had with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry on access to clinical trials for brain tumour patients.

The Department is committed to working with the pharmaceutical industry to implement the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, maximising our potential to be a world leader in clinical trials.The current programme governance groups overseeing the delivery on the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review, including improving access to clinical trials across the United Kingdom, includes representatives from the pharmaceutical industry and across the clinical research sector.Through this programme, the Department is committed to working with the pharmaceutical industry to develop a more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible clinical research system in the UK, ensuring that all patients, including those with brain tumours, have access to cutting-edge clinical research and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing brain tumour patients access to clinical trials.

The Department is committed to ensuring that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to National Health Service patients, including those with brain tumours, and to implementing the recommendations of Lord O'Shaughnessy’s review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials.The Department funds research and research infrastructure, which supports brain tumour patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).In September 2024, the NIHR announced a new approach to transform the outcomes for patients and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing the lives lost to cancer, with a new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium, a new research funding call, and a new Tessa Jowell Allied Health Professional research fellowship.

How much funding his Department has allocated to (a) public bodies and (b) agencies to run campaigns aimed at encouraging brain tumour patients to participate in clinical trials.

The Department awards funding to encourage participation of brain tumour patients in clinical trials through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department’s research delivery arm. Funding is awarded through open competition, and researchers are expected to include a robust plan for patient and public involvement as part of their application.Between 2018/19 and 2022/2, the NIHR has invested £11.3 million directly in brain tumour research, as well as investing £31.5 million in research infrastructure, including facilities, services, and the research workforce, allowing research funding to be leveraged from other donors and organisations. This funding has allowed 227 brain cancer research studies to be carried out and enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research into brain cancer within the National Health Service.In addition, the NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them, such as brain cancer.In September 2024, the NIHR announced a new approach to transform the outcomes for patients who are living with brain tumours and their families, ultimately reducing the lives lost to cancer, with a new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium, a new research funding call, and a new Tessa Jowell Allied Health Professional research fellowship.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 7591 on Brain: Tumours, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government funding into brain tumour research.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department spends £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is the largest area of spend, at over £121.8 million in 2022/23, and with the NIHR spending more on cancer than any other disease group, reflecting its high priority.Over the last five years, the NIHR has directly invested £11.3 million on brain tumour research. In addition, our wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure, facilities, services, and the research workforce, allows us to leverage research funding from other donors and organisations. These investments are estimated to be £31.5 million, between 2018/19 and 2022/23, and have enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place in the same period. In total, NIHR investments have enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the National Health Service over this time. These investments are complemented by efforts led by UK Research and Innovation and the Medical Research Council.Brain cancer remains one of the hardest to treat cancers in both adults and children and we urgently need more research to inform our efforts, which is why the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research last month, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-funding-opportunities-novel-brain-tumour-research-launchedBrain cancer and children's cancer research will continue to be a priority into the future, and the Department, through the NIHR, will continue to fund high-quality science to expand lifesaving and life-improving research.