Written questions by Lewell.

How many claims his Department (a) has settled, (b) has refused and (c) are outstanding for asbestos exposure relating to service in the armed forces.

Service personnel who develop lung cancer or asbestos-related diseases due to Service before 6 April 2005 may be eligible for compensation under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). For conditions arising on or after this date, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) applies. WPS Asbestos-Related Claims (1 April 2020 - 31 March 2025) Claim outcomeAll Years2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Total731143138127175138Awarded614122121101151119Rejected1172117262429Note: Pending claim figures are unavailable, as medical certification – required to confirm relevant conditions – is typically obtained close to the point of claim resolution. Common Law Compensation Claims (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2025) a) 19 asbestos-related claims have been settled with compensation paid.b) 28 claims have been closed without compensation. It is not possible to distinguish between those refused, discontinued, or no longer pursued.c) 320 claims remain outstanding.

What steps he is taking to ensure that missing medical records on the use of Lariam by armed forces personnel are (a) located and (b) provided to those personnel.

The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any issues concerning missing medical records on the use of Lariam (mefloquine) by Armed Forces personnel. The Department can additionally confirm there are no outstanding requests for any medical records where a person believes they have been prescribed Lariam (mefloquine).

What information his Department holds on the prevalence of asbestos in (a) defence equipment platforms and (b) his Department's (i) buildings and (ii) other infrastructure.

We take the health and safety of our Service personnel and defence employees extremely seriously and have robust procedures for managing asbestos which comply with Health and Safety regulations. Asbestos registers are held for Defence Equipment Platforms along with asbestos elimination/management plans that detail the quantity of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) present. An annual report is submitted to the Health and Safety Executive on the progress made in eliminating asbestos from Defence Equipment Platforms. The Department is responsible for circa 1,967 sites and each building with confirmed asbestos is listed on the relevant site asbestos register.

What recent progress his Department has made on establishing an asbestos census.

Asbestos in non-domestic buildings is a key ministerial priority. As part of its work, I have asked HSE to explore how it can develop our understanding of the legacy of asbestos in Great Britian, by building a more objective and reliable evidence base of the extent of asbestos in the built environment through a census, to inform longer-term strategy for continuing its safe removal over time. HSE is taking a phased approach to the development of this work, focussing initially on the government estate. HSE provides regular updates and assurance to ministers about its approach to asbestos management.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) identify and (b) remove deteriorating asbestos in (i) schools and (ii) hospitals.

The safety of those using and working in buildings including schools and hospitals is extremely important. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) require all duty holders to assess whether asbestos is present, what condition it is in and whether it gives rise to a risk of exposure. They must then draw up a plan to manage the risk associated with asbestos, which must include removal if it cannot be safely managed where it is located. Asbestos must also be removed before any major refurbishment work and before demolition. Responsibility for keeping schools and hospitals safe and well-maintained lies with the respective duty holders and they are expected to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos effectively, in line with their legal duties. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to work with other Government and Devolved Administrations to ensure that public sector duty holders are aware of and comply with their responsibilities for asbestos management, taking enforcement action where necessary.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether Ofwat’s recent enforcement package on Northumbrian Water was in respect of overflows from sewage works in South Shields constituency.

Ofwat recently concluded its investigation into Northumbrian Water securing an enforcement package of £15.7 million, including £2 million allocated to further reduce spills at specific overflows. Ofwat does not hold post code specific data on sewage overflows, however South Shields was included in their investigation and factored into subsequent enforcement: OFF-SEN-25-06-04-Northumbrian-Water-final-decision-document.pdf.

What proportion of eligible families are receiving Healthy Start in South Shields constituency.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. An issue was identified with the source data that is used to calculate uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The NHSBSA has therefore removed data for the number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage from January 2023 onwards. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible. The number of people on the digital scheme for South Tyneside in March 2025 was 1,162. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme for all ward areas in South Tyneside, of which South Shields is a part:Local authorityWardPeople on digital schemeSouth TynesideBeacon and Bents44South TynesideBede93South TynesideBiddick and All Saints160South TynesideBoldon Colliery65South TynesideCleadon and East Boldon2South TynesideCleadon Park50South TynesideFellgate and Hedworth54South TynesideHarton59South TynesideHebburn North79South TynesideHebburn South65South TynesideHorsley Hill82South TynesideMonkton42South TynesidePrimrose71South TynesideSimonside and Rekendyke121South TynesideWest Park49South TynesideWestoe26South TynesideWhitburn and Marsden24South TynesideWhiteleas76

How many families receive Healthy Start in South Shields.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures on the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme for South Tyneside in March 2025 was 1,162. The following table shows the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme, broken down by all ward areas in South Tyneside, of which South Shields is a part, as the NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies:Local authorityWardPeople on the digital schemeSouth TynesideBeacon and Bents44South TynesideBede93South TynesideBiddick and All Saints160South TynesideBoldon Colliery65South TynesideCleadon and East Boldon2South TynesideCleadon Park50South TynesideFellgate and Hedworth54South TynesideHarton59South TynesideHebburn North79South TynesideHebburn South65South TynesideHorsley Hill82South TynesideMonkton42South TynesidePrimrose71South TynesideSimonside and Rekendyke121South TynesideWest Park49South TynesideWestoe26South TynesideWhitburn and Marsden24South TynesideWhiteleas76

Whether Tumour-infiltrating Lymphocytes therapy has been licenced in the UK.

The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not licenced any medicines that can be described as tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapy.

What the terms of reference will be for the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce.

The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26821 on Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, whether the taskforce plans to engage with (a) families with lived experience of childhood cancer, (b) children’s cancer charities and (c) other representative groups.

The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.

When he expects the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce to report.

The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will be engaging with experts from across the sector, from clinicians, researchers, advocates, and those with lived experience, and its membership will also be reflective of diverse patient needs. The taskforce is committed to considering patient experience alongside clinical care to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families.Department officials are working with chairs of the taskforce to develop the Terms of Reference ahead of the first meeting, currently planned for March 2025. The taskforce will consider the most appropriate dissemination routes or publication channels for taskforce materials in due course.We expect the taskforce to run for six months with the possibility of extension. The taskforce will feed into, and report in line with the publication of the National Cancer Plan.

What progress the Children and Young People's Cancer Taskforce has made.

The Department will be relaunching the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce in the coming weeks. Dame Caroline Dinenage and Professor Darren Hargrave have been appointed as its co-chairs, alongside Dr Sharna Shanmugavadivel as vice-chair.The taskforce will examine clinical and non-clinical ways to improve outcomes and patient experience for children and young people with cancer. This will feed into the Department’s wider work on the national cancer plan.

What the average time period is for issuing payments via the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

Between November 2021 and January 2025, the average time period for issuing payments following confirmation of a successful claim was 46 calendar days. A payment can only be made once bank details and identification verification has been received from the claimant. Once received, the NHS Business Services Authority operates a 10-working day service level agreement for the payment to be processed.

How many and what proportion of applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (a) are pending, (b) have been paid and (c) have been refused.

Between 1 November 2021 and 17 January 2025, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme has received 19,115 claims. Of these, 7,159, or 37% of claims, are awaiting resolution, 208, or 1% of claims, have been awarded, and 11,748, or 61% of claims, have not been awarded a payment.

How many pensioners are eligible for the Warm Homes Discount in each region.

The Warm Home Discount statistics (published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/warm-home-discount-statistics-2023-to-2024) provide data on the number of rebates received by region (table 2), by the benefits claimed which make recipients eligible (including pension credit, table 12) and by the age of the lead beneficiary (table 14). These statistics reflect rebates paid rather than eligibility.

How much her Department spent on Budgeting Loans (a) overall and (b) in each category in the 2023-24 financial year.

The total spent on Budgeting Loan awards in the 2023/24 financial year was £260.6 million. A category breakdown for budgeting loans will be published in due course in the 2023/24 Social Fund annual report. This will include the breakdowns by regions, claimant group, family composition and reason for refusal by application group. Please see for more information the 2023/24 Social Fund Annual Accounts- Social Fund Account 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK And previous Social Fund Annual reports- Social Fund accounts and reports - GOV.UK

If she will make it her policy to (a) review and (b) update the National Radiological Protection Board report published on 4 January 1988.

The National Radiological Protection Board report that was published in 1988 has been updated a further three times. The publications are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-weapons-test-participants-study/reference-papers-and-reportsA summary of the fourth analysis published in 2022 is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-weapons-test-participants-study/plan-for-the-fourth-analysis-of-the-nuclear-weapons-test-participants-study

What his Department's timetable is for its review of the medical records of nuclear veterans.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 17507 on 12 December 2024 to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Sir John Hayes).

How many nuclear veterans have (a) applied for and (b) been refused compensation under the War Pension Scheme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 13419 on 19 November 2024 to the hon.Member for the Wrekin (Mark Pritchard).