Written questions by Dickson.

What steps his Department is taking to deliver the national lung cancer screening programme by the target date of end of 2029-30.

The NHS is taking crucial steps to improve cancer outcomes for patients across England, including for lung cancer. The NHS is currently rolling out the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme to people with a history of smoking.The timescale for full implementation of the lung cancer screening programme, alongside further ten-year plan initiatives, will be specified in due course.

Whether her Department plans to reform the role of the Traffic Commissioner function for Great Britain.

A functional review conducted by the Ministry of Justice, published in May 2023, found the function generally effective and offered proposals for improvement. My Department is considering these proposals, alongside a range of reform options, aiming to ensure that the powers and functions of Traffic Commissioners remain robust and effective.

What steps his Department is taking to prevent the sale of nicotine pouches designed to look like confectionary products.

Nicotine pouches are highly addictive, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from potential harms.That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we will introduce age of sale restrictions to 18 years old for nicotine pouches and will ban their advertising and sponsorship. The bill also includes powers to regulate the packaging, flavours, and product standards of all vapes and nicotine products, as well as their display in shops.We plan to consult on these measures, including packaging restrictions, in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the number of households whose water billing is decided by the Assessed Household Charge in Dartford.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is an independent body that represents water consumers and can provide advice and support on water-related issues, including assessed charges.

What steps his Department is taking to prohibit the free distribution of nicotine vapes to children.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will end the current loophole which allows free samples of vaping and nicotine products to be given away to anyone of any age. This will come into force six months after Royal Assent of the bill.

With reference to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, what his Department's planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce new regulations to help reduce the appeal of vapes to children.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.The bill includes a range of new regulation-making powers for the Government. Proposed regulations will be consulted on and subsequently laid. They will be implemented as soon as possible after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent.The new age of sale restrictions for nicotine pouches will come into force six months after Royal Assent.

When age of sale restrictions will be brought into force for nicotine pouches.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.The bill includes a range of new regulation-making powers for the Government. Proposed regulations will be consulted on and subsequently laid. They will be implemented as soon as possible after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent.The new age of sale restrictions for nicotine pouches will come into force six months after Royal Assent.

If her Department plans to update the School Food Standards.

The department announced a review of the School Food Standards on Thursday 5 June.

Whether his Department plans to widen the number of conditions for which pharmacies can assess and treat patients for without the need for a (a) GP appointment and (b) prescription.

We are currently focused on optimising the implementation of the current clinical pathways that allow for the supply of prescription only medicines, and which cover seven common health conditions, including: sinusitis; sore throat; earache; impetigo; shingles; infected insect bites; and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16 to 64 years old. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of the service under review.

What guidance his Department has issued to (i) integrated care boards and (ii) NHS Trusts on including opt-out smoking cessation interventions in routine hospital care.

We are committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards (ICBs) for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.Local authorities work with ICBs to provide a range of interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training, based on the needs of their local populations.

What his Department's planned timetable is for all hospitals to integrate opt-out smoking cessation interventions in routine care.

We are committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards (ICBs) for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.Local authorities work with ICBs to provide a range of interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training, based on the needs of their local populations.

How many (a) volunteer and (b) paid peer support worker positions were created in the NHS England (i) liaison and diversion and (ii) RECONNECT service since peer support was first included in the liaison and diversion national service specification.

The information requested is not collected centrally by NHS England. The national service specifications set an expectation that the workforce composition will include volunteer and paid peer-support roles within each liaison and diversion and RECONNECT service. However, the service specification does not stipulate the number or ratio of volunteer or peer support roles per service. It is a matter for the provider to satisfy the regional commissioner that the overall workforce plan is appropriate to meet the needs of the patient population.

Whether the Integrated National Transport Strategy will include measures to support the(a) efficiency and (b) decarbonisation of the logistics sector.

The Strategy will set the high-level direction for how transport should change to better serve people and is currently in early development. Government recognises the importance of the logistics sector in delivering its missions and transport priorities, ...

Whether the industrial strategy will include measures to support growth in the logistics sector.

I refer the member for Dartford to the answer I provided to UIN 9312 on 18 October 2024.

What technical assistance her Department plans to provide to Kent County Council for restoring the collapsed section of the A226 Galley Hill Road at Greenhithe.

The Department has had a number of meetings with Kent County Council (KCC) on this matter and I visited the road in question in September. The Department is waiting for KCC to submit an analysis of the costs and benefits of different options to inform a d...

Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Statutory levy and online slot stake limits to be introduced to tackle gambling harm, published on 27 November 2024, what steps she plans

As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, the levy will for the first time provide dedicated, statutory investment for prevention activity in the gambling space. This could include a range of projects and services ...

Whether his Department plans to take steps to alter the messaging provided on cervical screening leaflets to make clear it does not screen for (a) ovarian cancer and (b) other gynaecological cancer

NHS England is responsible for delivering the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, and works to ensure that core public information on screening is easily accessible and understandable to the public. NHS England regularly reviews key public information acros...

With reference to the Office for National Statistics web page entitled How the population changed in Dartford: Census 2021, published on 28 June 2022, what assessment she has made of the potential implications

The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England.The vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics. This means that, where pupi...

With reference to the Office for National Statistics web page entitled How the population changed in Dartford: Census 2021, published on 28 June 2022, what assessment she has made of the potential imp

The Home Secretary has already announced that central government funding for policing will increase by over half a billion pounds in 2025-26; this includes an increase of over £260m in the core grant for police forces, additional funding for neighbourhood...

If his Department will take steps to ensure adequate levels of funding for healthcare in Dartford.

We have taken tough decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.NHS Kent ...