Written questions by Morrissey.

What data her Department holds on complications arising from male circumcision for non-medical purposes.

Information on complications arising from male circumcision for non-medical purposes is not held in the format requested.

What is the minimum age requirement for practitioner of male circumcision for non-medical purposes.

There is no requirement in law for a practitioner performing non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) to be of a minimum age. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they will be subject to oversight by the relevant professional regulator such as the General Medical Council for doctors or the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses and midwives.If a regulated healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities, and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that hospices in England receive sustainable funding.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and hospices will have a big role to play in that shift.We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are pleased to confirm that the Government has recently released £25 million for 2024/25, and that Hospice UK will distribute the money to hospices throughout England. An additional £75 million will be available from April for 2025/26.We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding in 2025/26 to support children and young people’s hospices. This is a continuation of the funding which, until recently, was known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant. It will be transacted once again by the integrated care boards on behalf of NHS England. This is in line with National Health Service devolution and promotes a more consistent national approach, and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care.I recently met with key palliative and end of life care, including hospice, stakeholders to discuss the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all brain tumour centres have equitable access to (a) funding, (b) resources and (c) recognition within national frameworks.

The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) is an independent organisation funded by 11 charities as well as by Government. The Centre of Excellence programme is community led, being designed and delivered by a committee of National Health Service professionals and scientists from centres across the United Kingdom. The centres that participate in the TJBCM Centre of Excellence initiative do so voluntarily.All UK neuro-oncology centres are invited to apply for Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status, which is the main “national framework” in neuro-oncology, beyond the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines that apply to all hospitals treating brain tumours. Centres that are not awarded Centre of Excellence designation can also access support from TJBCM and through the Tessa Jowell Network, so all centres and their patients nationally can benefit from this standard-setting. The TJBCM works with every centre in the UK who seeks its support.The TJBCM welcomes applications from any centre which provides treatment and care for patients with a brain tumour who can demonstrate how they meet the Tessa Jowell Standards of Excellence, to achieve the same high standards of treatment, care, and research. The mission works with every centre in the UK who seeks its support to develop its service, both in England and the devolved nations.

What criteria his Department uses to determine the inclusion of tumour centres in the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access for all centres regardless of onsite surgical capacity.

The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) is an independent organisation funded by 11 charities as well as by Government. The Centre of Excellence programme is community led, being designed and delivered by a committee of National Health Service professionals and scientists from centres across the United Kingdom. The centres that participate in the TJBCM Centre of Excellence initiative do so voluntarily.All UK neuro-oncology centres are invited to apply for Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status, which is the main “national framework” in neuro-oncology, beyond the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines that apply to all hospitals treating brain tumours. Centres that are not awarded Centre of Excellence designation can also access support from TJBCM and through the Tessa Jowell Network, so all centres and their patients nationally can benefit from this standard-setting. The TJBCM works with every centre in the UK who seeks its support.The TJBCM welcomes applications from any centre which provides treatment and care for patients with a brain tumour who can demonstrate how they meet the Tessa Jowell Standards of Excellence, to achieve the same high standards of treatment, care, and research. The mission works with every centre in the UK who seeks its support to develop its service, both in England and the devolved nations.

What steps his Department is taking to improve equitable access to clinical trials for brain tumour patients; and what plans his Department has to help eligible brain tumour patients to access treatments through clinical trials.

The Department is committed to working with the pharmaceutical industry to develop a more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible clinical research system in the United Kingdom, ensuring that all patients, including those with brain tumours, have access to cutting-edge clinical research and innovative, lifesaving treatments. Research is crucial in tackling brain cancer, which is why the Department spends £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer being one of the largest areas of investment, at over £121.8 million in 2022/23, reflecting its high priority. The Department is committed to ensuring that clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for brain tumour patients. For example, the NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research which promotes participation in health and care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest.