Written questions by Lavery.

How much funding he has allocated to compensate those infected and affected by contaminated blood.

Awaiting answer.

For what reason the new service specification for haemophilia and related bleeding disorders has not been published; and when it will be published.

Awaiting answer.

What the Northern Powerhouse investment fund has done to increase employment in areas historically impacted by deindustrialisation.

The two generations of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) support employment across the North of England by increasing access to finance for smaller businesses to start, scale and innovate.The first NPIF delivered more than £1 billion of combi...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that support offered by Growth Hubs is not only used in places of concentrated wealth.

The Growth Hub network comprises 38 local business support bodies delivered by or via local authorities in England. DBT provides funding to authorities for their Growth Hubs to deliver a core service and to act as local delivery partners for the new Busin...

What steps her Department is taking to encourage a culture of economic growth in deindustrialised areas.

The Government is committed to improving economic growth and living standards across every part of the United Kingdom, including in communities affected by the long-term decline of industry. We are moving away from a model where growth is concentrated in ...

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle skills shortages in areas historically impacted by deindustrialisation.

We are strengthening the skills system so people of all ages can gain the qualifications needed for jobs in a changing economy.Skills England leads on work to identify skills needs, simplify the system, and align training with labour‑market demand. It als...

What steps his Department has taken to encourage businesses in deprived areas historically impacted by deindustrialisation to employ people locally.

The Department for Business and Trade is committed to supporting economic growth and job creation across all parts of the United Kingdom, including in communities historically affected by deindustrialisation. The key objective of the Industrial Strategy i...

What steps her Department is taking to encourage investment in areas with high economic inactivity historically impacted by deindustrialisation.

The Government is committed to improving economic growth and living standards across every part of the United Kingdom, including in communities affected by the long-term decline of industry. We are moving away from a model where growth is concentrated in ...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that investment from the British Business Bank is spread evenly throughout the country.

The British Business Bank seeks to improve access to finance for businesses across the UK through both national and regional interventions. The former includes the Start Up Loans scheme, where loans have been issued in every UK parliamentary constituency,...

What estimate has been made of the long-term cost to the NHS of (a) delayed and (b) disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.The NHS in England runs schemes 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. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. 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 Personal Independence Payment.

What estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of taking on patients who were previously receiving care from Rutherford Health prior to its liquidation.

The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long term NHS costs.

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.The NHS in England runs schemes 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. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. 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 Personal Independence Payment.

What estimate his Department has made of the (a) average and (b) total out of pocket costs incurred by patients and families accessing proton beam therapy, including travel, accommodation and subsistence, in each of the last five years.

The Department does not collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy. However, NHS England and integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel.The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme and who are on a low income may be able to claim travel costs through the Department for Work and Pensions via Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

How many patients in England (a) are awaiting cancer treatment and (b) have been waiting longer than the (i) 31 and (ii) 62 day targets.

Cancer treatment waiting list data is not published, however, we can provide the latest published 62-day cancer backlog figure, which was 15,102 for the week ending 1 March 2026. The 62-day backlog is the number of patients waiting on the 62-day pathway following an urgent suspected cancer referral. These figures include patients who will not have cancer and are waiting for this to be ruled out as well as those who are waiting for initial treatment following diagnosis of cancer.For the latest published month of cancer wating time statistics, from February 2026, 3,878 patients were breaching the 31-day treatment standard, and 8,500 patients were breaching the 62-day standard. These patients received a treatment after 31 and 62 days respectively.

How much the NHS has spent on commissioning proton beam therapy, including overseas referrals, in each of the last five financial years.

The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of (a) patients and (b) unpaid carers.

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.The NHS in England runs schemes 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. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. 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 Personal Independence Payment.

What information on his Department holds on the number of people who have partially or wholly self funded proton beam therapy in each of the last five years.

The Department oversees healthcare in England but does not routinely track how many residents have received proton beam therapy, either domestically or abroad, in the past five years.We also do not routinely collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) current and (b) future demand for proton beam therapy in England.

Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments and what's best for the individual's overall health and well-being.

What assessment has been made of the long-term potential social and economic impacts of closed Rutherford Health sites on communities.

The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing domestic NHS proton beam therapy on value for money in the NHS.

The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.