Written questions by Shannon.

Whether his Department plans to reform colonoscopy services.

A table showing the number of people on a waiting list for a colonoscopy each year between 2020 and 2024, broken down by acute National Health Service trust, is attached. Monthly activity and waiting list data for diagnostics is published monthly, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/Validated data collections on the breakdown of insourced and outsourced activity by NHS trusts, including for individual procedures such as a colonoscopy, are not maintained at a national level, so we do not hold information on how much was spent to outsource or insource additional resources to manage colonoscopy procedures in each of the last five years, by trust.The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services, including for colonoscopies, and will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for these services.The NHS is delivering on a number of specific steps to reduce waiting times for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services, including colonoscopy procedures. This includes the establishment of a national transformation project to recover GI endoscopy services, investment in an additional 80 dedicated endoscopy rooms to expand capacity, as well as a number of Community Diagnostic Centres offering endoscopy services.NHS England has also established GI endoscopy networks across the country. Whilst many are still in their infancy, one of the key functions of these networks is to address unwarranted variation in timely access to care. GI endoscopy training academies have also been established in each region to enable the training and education of the required workforce.At the 2024 Autumn Budget, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £1.5 billion of capital funding for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners. This will build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests, as well as new beds which will create more treatment space in emergency departments, reduce waiting times, and help shift more care into the community.

How much was spent to (a) outsource and (b) insource additional resource to manage colonoscopy procedures in each of the last five years by trust.

A table showing the number of people on a waiting list for a colonoscopy each year between 2020 and 2024, broken down by acute National Health Service trust, is attached. Monthly activity and waiting list data for diagnostics is published monthly, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/Validated data collections on the breakdown of insourced and outsourced activity by NHS trusts, including for individual procedures such as a colonoscopy, are not maintained at a national level, so we do not hold information on how much was spent to outsource or insource additional resources to manage colonoscopy procedures in each of the last five years, by trust.The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services, including for colonoscopies, and will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for these services.The NHS is delivering on a number of specific steps to reduce waiting times for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services, including colonoscopy procedures. This includes the establishment of a national transformation project to recover GI endoscopy services, investment in an additional 80 dedicated endoscopy rooms to expand capacity, as well as a number of Community Diagnostic Centres offering endoscopy services.NHS England has also established GI endoscopy networks across the country. Whilst many are still in their infancy, one of the key functions of these networks is to address unwarranted variation in timely access to care. GI endoscopy training academies have also been established in each region to enable the training and education of the required workforce.At the 2024 Autumn Budget, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £1.5 billion of capital funding for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners. This will build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests, as well as new beds which will create more treatment space in emergency departments, reduce waiting times, and help shift more care into the community.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of salmon stocks in the last 12 months.

The latest assessment of Atlantic salmon stocks in England and Wales, produced by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Centre for Fisheries, Environment and Aquaculture was published on 7 October and can be found here.

If he will provide additional funding for prostate cancer (a) care and (b) research.

The Government is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive with better outcomes, including for those with prostate cancer. The NHS is working towards the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), which ensures a patient receives their cancer diagnosis or has cancer ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral. NHS England has streamlined cancer pathways, including implementing a best-timed prostate cancer diagnostic pathway, so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures that only those men most at-risk undergo an invasive biopsy. Best practice timed pathways support the on-going improvement effort to shorten diagnosis pathways, reduce variation, improve experience of care, and meet the FDS.Furthermore, the NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme published guidance in April 2024 to support the implementation of good practice in the management of prostate cancer, which includes ensuring the diagnostic pathways for prostate cancer were implemented from a primary care setting to a secondary care presentation.The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into cancer. Through partnerships with patients, researchers, funders, and charities we continue to play a significant role in global efforts against the disease. Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.The TRANSFORM trial is an important example of prostate cancer research, as a £42 million screening trial which aims to find ways of detecting prostate cancer earlier. Prostate Cancer UK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the NIHR. The TRANSFORM trial will also aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis today, ensuring that at least 10% of the men who are invited to participate in the trial are black, to inform a targeted approach for earlier diagnosis.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including prostate cancer. 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.

What steps he is taking to encourage international investment across the UK.

Attracting investment is one of the key pillars to the Government’s growth mission and is vital to helping address the challenge of achieving sustained growth, improving productivity and increasing the number of good, well-skilled jobs across the country. At the International Investment Summit, we secured £63bn worth of investments across the whole of the UK, creating nearly 38,000 jobs. On top of this we have launched Invest 2035, our vision for a modern Industrial Strategy “Invest 2035”: a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest. As an example of the many steps we are taking to encourage investment, we have today (12th November) launched the Clean Industries Bonus which will encourage investment in renewable energy projects.

How many people were on waiting lists for colonoscopies in each year between 2020 and 2024 by trust.

A table showing the number of people on a waiting list for a colonoscopy each year between 2020 and 2024, broken down by acute National Health Service trust, is attached. Monthly activity and waiting list data for diagnostics is published monthly, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/Validated data collections on the breakdown of insourced and outsourced activity by NHS trusts, including for individual procedures such as a colonoscopy, are not maintained at a national level, so we do not hold information on how much was spent to outsource or insource additional resources to manage colonoscopy procedures in each of the last five years, by trust.The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services, including for colonoscopies, and will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for these services.The NHS is delivering on a number of specific steps to reduce waiting times for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services, including colonoscopy procedures. This includes the establishment of a national transformation project to recover GI endoscopy services, investment in an additional 80 dedicated endoscopy rooms to expand capacity, as well as a number of Community Diagnostic Centres offering endoscopy services.NHS England has also established GI endoscopy networks across the country. Whilst many are still in their infancy, one of the key functions of these networks is to address unwarranted variation in timely access to care. GI endoscopy training academies have also been established in each region to enable the training and education of the required workforce.At the 2024 Autumn Budget, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £1.5 billion of capital funding for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners. This will build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests, as well as new beds which will create more treatment space in emergency departments, reduce waiting times, and help shift more care into the community.

What progress his Department has made on providing universal access to fracture liaison services by 2030.

The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and to support patients who sustain them. Fracture Liaison Services are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%, depending on the fracture type and population considered.That is why expansion of Fracture Liaison Services is a key priority for the Department and officials are working closely with NHS England to consider a range of options exploring the most effective ways to ensure access to these important preventative services across the country.

Media and Sport, what recent discussion she had with the BBC on decriminalising non-payment of the TV license fee.

The Culture Secretary believes it is important that the television licence fee has a fair enforcement regime that does not disproportionately impact vulnerable people, and has discussed her concerns on this issue with the BBC’s leadership.As part of the next Charter Review, the government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade and beyond. This will include discussions on a range of important issues, including future funding models for the BBC and their enforcement.

How many people aged between 16 and 25 are medically treated for psoriasis in England, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender.

A table showing a count of Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) for patients aged 16 to 25 years old with a recorded primary diagnosis of psoriasis, broken down by patient age and gender, for the period 2019/20 to 2023/24, and in English National Health Service hospitals, is attached.Please be aware that the majority of psoriasis is treated by a general practitioner or elsewhere in the community, with only a small minority of cases, typically the most serious, requiring hospital admission. The data presented will, therefore, only represent a small proportion of the total number of cases that were treated.

How many long covid clinics are active.

Since 2020, the National Health Service in England has invested significantly in supporting people with long COVID. This includes setting up specialist post-COVID services nationwide for adults, and children and young people, as well as investing in ensuring general practice (GP) teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.As of 1 April 2024, there are over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional ten children and young people’s hubs. These services assess people with long COVID and direct them into care pathways which provide appropriate support and treatment. GPs will assess patients that have COVID-19 symptoms lasting longer than four weeks and refer them into a long COVID service where appropriate. Referral should be via a single point of access, which is managed by clinician-led triage.

What estimate he has made of the number of children who have been fully vaccinated for MMR in the last year.

Official childhood vaccine coverage estimates, including for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, are published annually by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England, and also quarterly by UKHSA. Coverage of childhood vaccines are measured when children reach their first, second, and fifth birthdays.Annually published coverage figures from the Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly surveillance scheme show that for 2023/24, at two years old, 649,287 out of 726,395 children, or 89.4%, have one dose of MMR coverage. At five years old, 721,672 out of 781,492 children, or 92.3%, have one dose of MMR coverage, and 660,680 out of 781,492 children, or 84.5%, have two doses.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the average time from women finding breast lumps to being referred for diagnostic tests.

People presenting to their general practice (GP) with signs or symptoms that could indicate breast cancer may be referred on the suspected breast cancer referral pathway, or the breast symptoms referral pathway, depending on the details of their case. Suspected breast cancer contributes the highest number of referrals of any urgent suspected cancer pathway, with over 376,000 patients seen in 2023/24.The National Health Service in England committed, in the NHS Long Term Plan, to provide faster diagnosis through the introduction of the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS). The standard ensures that people are told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out, within 28 days from referral. This applies to the suspected breast cancer pathway and the breast symptoms pathway. Further information on the NHS Long Term Plan is available at the following link:https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/In March 2024, NHS England published the Breast Best Practice Timed Pathway Guidance to support the ongoing improvement effort to shorten diagnosis pathways, reduce variation, improve experience of care, and meet the FDS. The most recent data, for August 2024, shows that 90.4% of patients with suspected breast cancer receive a diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days of referral.The Department does not hold data on the average time from women finding breast lumps to being referred for diagnostic tests. However, data from the 2023 Cancer Patient Experience Survey indicates that the majority of respondents diagnosed with breast cancer had spoken to a health professional at their GP about their symptoms only once before being diagnosed.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the exposure of babies to microplastics.

While there are National Health Service trusts involved in research on the effects of microplastics on certain health issues, the Department has made no assessment of the potential implications for policies of the exposure of babies to microplastics.

What steps her Department is taking to track people working for hostile states in the UK.

As a matter of long-standing policy, we do not comment on the detail of security and intelligence issues.The government’s first duty is to protect our national security and keep our country safe. We keep potential threats to the UK under constant review and, where necessary, we use all the tools at our disposal to mitigate these threats.The UK has a strong record of responding robustly to state threats and our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are at the forefront of these efforts. Alongside our existing operational response, new legislation has been brought in through the National Security Act 2023 to deal with the range of modern state threats and make the UK a harder target for those state which seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, including espionage, interference in our political system, and sabotage.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of local authority charges for social care services on vulnerable unpaid carers.

Adult social care charging policy is designed to ensure that people who are drawing on care are only charged what they can afford for their care and support. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers. This includes undertaking a carer’s assessment to support people caring for family or friends, and to meet their eligible needs when requested.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for hospices in the last three years.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding from the National Health Service. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the market dominance of (a) Springer Nature and (b) other major academic publishers on access to publicly funded research.

The UK mandates open access to publicly funded research via funders such as UK Research and Innovation. Negotiations between Higher Education and academic publishers, including Springer Nature, are supported by Jisc. They seek value for money and off-set read subscriptions and publishing charges, while enabling open access in accordance with UK funder policies.Jisc is negotiating new agreements with publishers in 2025. These focus on pace of change to open access models, financial sustainability, and equity to benefit wider audiences. Also, funders and universities, encourage a diversity of outputs from research, beyond publication, including preprints.

If she will make an estimate of the proportion of the reduction in fuel duty made in 2022 that was passed on to consumers by petrol stations.

Fuel duty rates were first reduced by 5p in March 2022 by the government at the time. The Competition and Markets Authority’s Road Fuel Review into fuel prices, published on 8 July 2022, found that the 5p cut had largely been passed on to consumers. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for families and businesses, by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut for one year and cancelling the planned inflation increase for 2025-26. This maintains fuel duty rates at the levels set on 23 March 2022 for an additional 12 months and represents a saving of £59 for the average car driver in 2025-26.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting lists for cardiac treatments.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. The waiting list for England at the end of August stood at 7.64 million patient pathways, with 418,669 waiting for treatment for cardiology.We will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments per week, including in cardiology services, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks, supported by new funding announced at the Autumn Budget. We will be supporting National Health Service trusts to deliver these through innovation, sharing best practice to increase productivity and efficiency, and ensuring the best value is delivered.The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients across all specialities, including cardiology, are seen on time, and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care. We know that waiting lists are a challenge across the United Kingdom and the Government is keen to take a collaborative approach so that there is strong recovery across all four nations.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness of stroke symptoms among young people.

Although stroke is rare in children and young people, education around the early signs of a stroke in adults, like those shown in the Act FAST Campaign, is still relevant. Spotting the early signs assists in rapid diagnosis, access to time-dependent acute stroke care, and delivery of community-based stroke rehabilitation. Further information about the Act FAST campaign is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/actfast/NHS England works collaboratively with The Stroke Association and Different Strokes, who focus on helping younger stroke survivors to share key messaging. Further information is available at The Stroke Association and Different Strokes’ websites, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.stroke.org.uk/https://differentstrokes.co.uk/Evidence based clinical guidelines on stroke in childhood have been published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Stroke Association, and are accredited by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. These include recommendations for diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation. These guidelines are available at the following link:https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/Stroke%20guideline%2008.04.19%20updated%202021.pdf