Written questions by Shannon.

How he plans to integrate the 10 Year Health Plan for England with the upcoming national cancer plan.

The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention, research, and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experiences and outcomes for people with cancer. The National Cancer Plan will build on the three shifts set out by the 10-Year Health Plan. These shifts will enable rapid progress on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, as well as supporting those living with cancer to better manage their condition and improve their quality of life.The National Cancer Plan will aim to improve how the physical and psychosocial needs of people with cancer can be met, with a focus on personalised care to improve quality of life. It will address how the experience of care can be improved for those diagnosed, treated, and living with and beyond cancer.

What assessment his Department has made of the reasons for trends in the number of reported cases of measles in children; and what advice his Department has provided to parents whose children contract measles.

Coverage for all routine childhood immunisations, including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, has fallen in England over the last decade. National uptake of MMR1 in two-year-olds is currently 88.8%, and uptake of MMR1 and MMR2 in five-year-olds is 92.4% and 82.5% respectively. This is below the 95% needed to prevent measles outbreaks as recommended by the World Health Organisation.Falling vaccination rates have led to an increase of measles cases in England, with 2,911 laboratory confirmed measles cases in 2024. In response, a national MMR catch-up campaign was launched, which contributed to a downward trend in case numbers from mid-July, although small, localised outbreaks continued in some regions.The UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, and the Department will launch a new ‘always on’ vaccination campaign this summer to drive increased uptake of the routine maternal, childhood, and seasonal flu vaccinations. The MMR vaccine is a particular focus, with parents and carers of zero- to five-year-olds and pregnant women being two of the priority audiences for campaign activity.NHS England has provided detailed information for parents whose children have contracted measles, which can be found at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/The Department for Education also provides advice to parents, which is available at the following link:https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/what-to-do-if-you-think-your-child-has-measles-and-when-to-keep-them-off-school/

What steps he is taking to increase awareness of the potential risks of unregulated online pharmacies.

Pharmacies based in Great Britain must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Patients can check if a pharmacy is registered on the GPhC website. The GPhC has recently updated their guidance for online pharmacies to strengthen their safeguards, to prevent people from receiving medicines that are not clinically appropriate for them, and which may cause them harm.Not all providers of medicines online are pharmacies registered with the GPhC. In such cases, the matter falls to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is responsible for regulating the sale, supply, and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. These regulations apply equally to medicines advertised, sold, or supplied via the internet. The MHRA and its Criminal Enforcement Unit actively seeks to identify individuals involved in unlawful activity and, where appropriate, prosecutes those who put public health at risk.

What steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable people are not adversely impacted by welfare reforms.

At the heart of our reforms is the principle that those who can work should work. If you need help into work, the government should support you, while those who can’t work should be supported to live with dignity. We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable. That is why we are legislating in the Universal Credit Bill to ensure any claimants who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria – or who qualify under Special Rules for End of Life – see their combined standard allowance and LCWRA rise at least in line with inflation every year until 2029/30. The Timms Review will also ensure that PIP is fair and fit for the future, and will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard.

What steps he is taking to support dementia patients with (a) memory loss and (b) other symptoms.

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.Those with dementia will also benefit from more joined up care through co-created care plans, and by 2027, 95% of those with complex needs will have an agreed care plan.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of short-term funding grants on the ability of drug treatment services to (a) provide long term care and (b) retain staff.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for greater certainty regarding funding and the ability to set clear budgets.Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. It is also the responsibility of local authorities to set the length of the contracts with services.To better support upper tier and unitary local authorities’ vital public health work, from 2026/27 we will bring together over £4 billion of public health funding for local government, by consolidating service specific grants into the Public Health Grant. It is our intention to publish indicative Public Health Grant funding alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year, with final multi-year local authority Public Health Grant allocations published early in the new year. This will give local authorities more advanced notice of their total funding allocations, further empowering them to plan more effectively and better manage their services.Alongside the funding allocations, the Department and NHS England have also published a 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, from 2024 to 2034, which is the first national workforce plan for this specialist part of the health workforce in England and outlines key milestones to grow, train, and develop staff.

Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on public realm schemes in England in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not held centrally. This Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets.  The Plan for Neighbourhoods provides £1.5bn to support up to 350 communities across the country.

What proportion of drug treatment services have fewer than 24 months of secured funding.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for greater certainty regarding funding and the ability to set clear budgets.Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. It is also the responsibility of local authorities to set the length of the contracts with services.To better support upper tier and unitary local authorities’ vital public health work, from 2026/27 we will bring together over £4 billion of public health funding for local government, by consolidating service specific grants into the Public Health Grant. It is our intention to publish indicative Public Health Grant funding alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year, with final multi-year local authority Public Health Grant allocations published early in the new year. This will give local authorities more advanced notice of their total funding allocations, further empowering them to plan more effectively and better manage their services.Alongside the funding allocations, the Department and NHS England have also published a 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce, from 2024 to 2034, which is the first national workforce plan for this specialist part of the health workforce in England and outlines key milestones to grow, train, and develop staff.

What estimate he has made of the number of babies born with rare diseases in the first half of (a) 2025 and (b) 2024.

Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. Digital data and technology are an underpinning theme of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is part of NHS England and manages two disease registration services, including the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS). The NCARDRS records those people with congenital abnormalities and rare diseases across the whole of England. Further information on the NDRS and the NCARDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrshttps://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrsCurrently, there is no single rare disease registry. The NDRS can access information from the Newborn screening programme, which enables early identification, referral, and treatment of babies with nine rare but serious conditions. The NDRS also approaches services for access to patient data for other rare conditions, but this is not blanket coverage at this stage. There are a number of rare diseases registries, some funded via NHS England, and some via industry or charities. Due to this, NDRS records would not be a full picture of everyone born with a rare disease.

How many people across the UK have been hospitalised for opioid overdoses.

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions and related diagnosis information, including finished admission episodes due to opioid overdoses.The total number of finished admission episodes in England relating to opium, heroin, or other opioids in 2023/24 was 6,582. Further data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24

What steps he is taking to help prevent bullying amongst staff in health settings.

Bullying is unacceptable in any workplace and has no place in the National Health Service. All employers across the NHS should have a robust policy on bullying outlining how it should be handled and the support available to staff.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan this autumn setting out how we will ensure all NHS staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of using nano needles to detect cancers.

The Department looks at opportunities to utilise technology to improve diagnostic performance and bring down cancer waiting times. We are committed to backing an innovative clinical research ecosystem in the United Kingdom so that patients can be among the first to benefit as we make the National Health Service fit for the future.The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not currently made a specific assessment of the potential merits of using nanoneedles to detect cancers.

How many people have been admitted to hospital for detached retinas in the last six months.

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions and related diagnosis information, including finished admission episodes due to detached retinas.The total number of finished admission episodes in England relating to retinal detachments and breaks in 2023/24 was 21,466. Further data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24

What progress he has made on approving new drugs for Alzheimer's disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new medicines should be routinely funded based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE evaluates all new medicines, including medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and aims to publish guidance for the NHS as close as possible to licensing. The NHS in England is legally required to fund recommended treatments, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.NICE published its final draft guidance on the disease-modifying treatments lecanemab and donanemab, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, in June. NICE concluded that the evidence presented so far shows that neither donanemab nor lecanemab provide enough benefit to justify the substantial resources the NHS would need to commit to implement access to them. NICE has received appeals against its draft recommendations which are scheduled to be heard by an independent panel in October 2025.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of using drones for defence missions.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets a new vision for how our Armed Forces should be conceived. This envisages a combination of conventional and digital warfighters; the power of drones, AI, and autonomy complementing the 'heavy metal' of tanks and artillery. It identifies that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence within the UK's conventional forces. As in Ukraine, this would provide greater accuracy, lethality, and cheaper capabilities-changing the economics of Defence. To support this shift towards autonomy, the Government has already announced an additional £2 billion this parliament on autonomy, making total spend on autonomy £4bn, including establishing a new Drone Centre.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on new dog breeding laws.

Animal welfare is a devolved matter in the UK. This means that responsibility for animal welfare policy in each of the nations, including the regulation of dog breeding, is the responsibility of the relevant nation’s Ministers. Defra works closely with the devolved Governments on a range of shared priorities, including animal welfare, and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary, including at meetings of the Interministerial Group (EFRA).

What steps she is taking to ensure that teachers are adequately trained to deal with students with ADHD.

High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, including those with neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, and we are committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers.The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and this is embedded in teacher training. From September 2025, all new teachers will benefit from 3 years of evidence-based training through the revised initial teacher training and early career framework. This has significantly more content related to supporting pupils with SEND, including content adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators.To ensure ongoing review, the department’s Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings. Additionally, the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national, cross-governmental programme, backed by £22 million of investment, which deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children in mainstream primary schools.

If she will make an estimate of the number of schools in England that have a fast food facility within 400m.

The department has not made an estimate of the number of schools in England that have a fast food facility within 400 meters, as the department has no remit over the locations of fast food outlets.As part of the summer 2024 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation, the government sought views on how national planning policy could better support local authorities in promoting healthy communities, specifically in tackling childhood obesity.The revised NPPF published in December 2024 introduced a new policy to restrict new hot food takeaways and fast food outlets within walking distance of schools and other places where children and young people congregate unless the location is in a designated town centre. Applications should also be refused where there is evidence that a concentration of such uses is having an adverse impact on local health, pollution or anti-social behaviour.

What steps schools are taking to help make children aware of the dangers of groomers online.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Keeping children safe is an absolute priority for this government and schools play a critical role in this.As part of statutory relationships education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education in secondary schools, pupils are already taught about online safety and harms.The new statutory guidance, published on 15 July, is clear that pupils should be taught about online sexual harassment and online sexual abuse including grooming and sextortion, about understanding the risks and signs that they may be at risk of grooming or exploitation, and how to seek help where there is a concern. This guidance is accessible at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68761d6b39d0452326e28e6f/RSHE_statutory_guidance_-_July_2025_.pdf.The department also publishes ‘Keeping children safe in education’, the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.This guidance provides schools and colleges with robust information on how to protect pupils and students online and how to respond to any concerns or signs of abuse including grooming.

What steps she is taking to help tackle organised crime.

The government is committed to tackling Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). SOC is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.The National Crime Agency (NCA) plays a pivotal role in disrupting SOC and In November last year the Prime Minister announced an additional £58m to the Agency’s core budget in 2025/26 to support NCA’s disruptions of serious and organised crime. This represents an increase of 9% from their 2024/25 core budget.In addition, on 11 June 2025, the Chancellor announced up to £280 million per year for the Border Security Command by the end of the spending review period in 2028-2029. We’ve boosted the NCA’s capacity to tackle organised immigration crime by funding 100 new specialist officers, bringing the total dedicated FTE close to 500.We have also introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to bring forward new laws to protect the UK border and our communities. This includes a series of measures to enhance the effectiveness of SCPOs, including a new Interim Serious Crime Prevention Order (ISCPO), which will speed up the process for placing restrictions on suspects to prevent, disrupt and restrict serious crime. The Bill also brings forward new criminal offences related to the possession and supply of articles used in serious crime, targeting those who enable or facilitate such activity. (SOC articles included are vehicle concealments, pill presses and templates for 3D printed firearms components).