Written questions by Hurley.

What steps his Department is taking to encourage research into detection (a) tools and (b) tests for the early detection of (i) pancreatic and (ii) other less survivable cancers.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.These investments are pivotal to informing our efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes. An example of this investment is Imperial College London’s research on breath tests to detect less survivable cancers, including pancreatic cancer. Further information on the research is available at the following link:https://imperialbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2023/06/05/imperial-led-uk-cancer-breath-tests-reach-final-stages/Another example of Government investment was the launch of the NIHR’s national Brain Tumour Research Consortium in September 2024, which is bringing together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of making scientific advances in how we prevent, detect, manage, and treat rare and less-survivable brain tumours in adults and children.The NIHR welcomes further high-quality proposals from researchers to inform approaches to prevention, treatment, and care in relation to less survivable cancers. Furthermore, the Government is committed to ensuring that all patients have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. The Government supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes for all cancer patients in England, including for less common cancers.

What steps his Department is taking to monitor people with inherited cancer risk for less survivable cancers.

The Department is supporting NHS England with initiatives to monitor people with an inherited risk of less survivable cancers. The 10-Year Health Plan commits to expanding genomic testing for inherited causes of major diseases to allow for earlier detection and intervention, including for cancer.In June 2024, NHS England launched the national NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme to identify cancer earlier for people with Jewish ancestry, including genetic testing for patients diagnosed historically with an eligible breast or ovarian cancer. BRCA genetic mutations carry a risk of developing other cancers such as pancreatic cancer.For pancreatic cancer, which the latest data showed has the lowest survivable rate with inherited risk, NHS England is working with The European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatitis and Familial Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer UK, and Cancer Alliances to improve surveillance pathways and access to surveillance for people with inherited high risk of pancreatic cancer.In June 2025, NHS England launched a new initiative for general practices to analyse patient records to identify people aged over 60 years old who have the key early warning signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer including diabetes and sudden weight loss. Additionally, Pancreatic Cancer UK has launched the Family History Checker, supported by NHS England. The tool allows people, and their families, affected by pancreatic cancer to self-assess if they have inherited risk.Furthermore, improving the early detection of cancers, including less survival cancers, is also a priority for the National Cancer Plan, which will be published later this year.

Whether he plans to incorporate clinical trials as a performance metric within the NHS to encourage clinicians to prioritise research.

As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Government is committed to providing full transparency on clinical trial performance by publishing a monthly scorecard for the National Health Service on trust-level clinical trial performance, in addition to wider measures to encourage clinicians to prioritise research through the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) Programme.The four-nation UKCRD programme brings together delivery partners and key stakeholders to create a faster, more efficient, more accessible, and more innovative clinical research delivery system in the United Kingdom.In April 2025, the Department began publishing monthly key performance indicators on commercial clinical trial set up performance for all NHS trusts in England, as part of the four-nation UKCRD programme Study Set Up Plan.Trust level data on clinical trials study set up is being published monthly alongside the UKCRD’s Key Performance Indicator Report to provide an additional monthly snapshot of site-level commercial study set-up performance.In May 2025, NHS England wrote a letter to NHS providers requiring board-level reporting of research activity and income, with scrutiny of the UKCRD Programme’s site-level performance metrics for study set-up. NHS England will publish revised guidance on research financial management later in 2025.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable regional access to national cancer (a) research funding and (b) clinical trial opportunities.

Cancer research is a critical priority for the Government. The Government is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients across the UK have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research Institute (UKRI) have made research inclusion a condition of its funding. Applicants to domestic research programmes are required to demonstrate how inclusion and health inequalities are being built into their research. NIHR’s Be Part of Research service on the NHS App, will provide patients with access to life-changing clinical trials and innovative therapies across the UK.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of expanding (a) prehabilitation and (b) rehabilitation services in cancer care on (i) NHS costs and (ii) patient outcomes.

The Department and NHS England are taking a number of steps to support systems to deliver cost-effective, lifesaving prehabilitation and rehabilitation services. Local planning for prehabilitation and rehabilitation services, and any expansion of them, is a matter for National Health Service trusts and Cancer Alliances to take forward in their local areas.NHS England has highlighted the positive impact of efficient prehabilitation and rehabilitation on cancer outcomes and the potential to lead to cost savings. The ‘PRosPer’ Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation learning programme, launched in partnership between NHS England and Macmillan Cancer support, aims to support allied health professionals and the wider healthcare workforce in developing their skills in providing personalised care, prehabilitation, and rehabilitation in the cancer pathway.The National Cancer Plan, to be published later this year, will look at how to improve patient outcomes across the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, including prehabilitation and rehabilitation services where appropriate.

Whether the National Cancer Plan will expand innovation in cancer screening to ensure people from deprived areas are encouraged to participate.

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. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years.Reducing inequalities is a key priority for the National Cancer Plan. The plan will look at targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival and develop interventions to tackle these. This includes looking at protected characteristics, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and geographic location. We know that people living in deprived areas are less likely to have their cancers diagnosed at an early stage, when treatment can be more effective, and we want to reduce the gap in early diagnosis between those living in the richest and poorest areas through the National Cancer Plan.The Lung Cancer Screening Programme has been successful at reducing the gap in early diagnosis. It has led to over 5,000 more lung cancers being diagnosed at stages 1 and 2. The National Cancer Plan will look to learn lessons from the success of this programme.We are working closely with cancer partners as part of our engagement to inform the development of the plan, and continue to prioritise the key areas raised, including cancer screening.

Whether his Department plans to implement automatic enrolment into stop smoking support at (a) A&E departments, (b) cancer screening appointments, (c) mental health services and (d) other NHS services (i) in Liverpool City Region and (ii) nationally.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we remain committed to ensuring all hospitals integrate smoking cessation interventions into routine care.NHS England have already rolled out tobacco dependence treatment programmes in acute and mental health inpatient settings, and maternity services. As of March 2025, 93% of acute and mental health in-patient services and 97% of maternity services, nationally, had tobacco dependence treatment offers. In the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), 12 out of 13 in-patient services and all seven maternity services had an offer.As part of their allocations for 2025/26, ICBs have access to funding to support the provision of tobacco dependency treatment to smokers. Funding for future years is subject to final decisions following the recent Spending Review.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) people and (b) organisations involved in futsal feel able to raise concerns about the conduct of (i) the Football Association and (ii) other governing bodies to the relevant authorities without fear of adverse consequences.

England Futsal is a private company, licensed by the Football Association (FA).In the first instance, participants should follow the complaints process of the relevant National Governing Body (NGB), including any procedures for appeal. UK Sport’s and Sport England’s complaints procedures set out how they handle complaints falling within their remits.The Code for Sports Governance sets out the levels of transparency, diversity and inclusion, accountability and integrity that are required from sporting governing bodies, including the FA, who seek, and are in receipt of, Government and National Lottery funding from either Sport England or UK Sport.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring companies to amend articles of association to reflect (a) environmental and (b) stakeholder responsibilities.

Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 requires company directors to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of their employees, customers and suppliers, and also to the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment. Large companies must report annually on how their directors have met this duty. Section 172 also enables companies to amend their articles of association to adopt a purpose of their own choosing, which may include placing particular weight on environmental, stakeholder or other interests.The United Kingdom Government is an active member of the OECD Corporate Governance Committee which regularly discusses and shares good practice on corporate governance.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of international best practices in embedding stakeholder governance into company law.

Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 requires company directors to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of their employees, customers and suppliers, and also to the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment. Large companies must report annually on how their directors have met this duty. Section 172 also enables companies to amend their articles of association to adopt a purpose of their own choosing, which may include placing particular weight on environmental, stakeholder or other interests.The United Kingdom Government is an active member of the OECD Corporate Governance Committee which regularly discusses and shares good practice on corporate governance.

Whether she plans to extend the Serious Violence Reduction Orders pilot scheme; what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the scheme in Merseyside; and whether her Department has considered expanding the eligibility criteria to include people under the age of 18.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The final independent evaluation of the pilot will look to understand the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying. These insights will be critical in informing future decisions on whether the orders will be expanded or rolled out nationally.

Innovation and Technology, what guidance his Department has issued to telecoms providers on (a) when they are required to use existing underground ducting before installing and (b) minimising the (i) visual and (ii) environmental impact of new telegraph poles.

The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 include requirements for operators to share apparatus where practicable, to use underground lines where reasonably practicable and to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of properties as far as reasonably practicable.In addition, following my call for operators to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice, the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations that operators should explore existing sharing opportunities and minimise the visual impact of poles. It also includes guidance on how to enhance communication with the public.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides support to local authorities to (a) challenge and (b) regulate the installation of telegraph poles where there is strong local opposition; and whether he plans to review the planning powers available to them.

Permitted development rights enable telegraph poles to be deployed without case-by-case approval from the local planning authority. However, local authorities can raise complaints with Ofcom where poles are not sited consistently with the requirements set out in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 and the relevant guidelines, including the new best practice recommendations published by the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group. My Department is monitoring the impact of this new guidance before considering taking any further steps. I have made it clear that disregarding the views of local communities is counterproductive for the industry and that we reserve the right to change regulations if there is continued significant non-compliance.

Innovation and Technology, what mechanisms are in place to (a) monitor and (b) enforce compliance with the Broadband Infrastructure Code of Practice; and how many breaches of that code have been recorded in the last 12 months.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications operators, Ofcom is able to take enforcement action and have stated that they would investigate any complaints from local planning authorities about telegraph poles sited in a way which is not consistent with the requirements and guidelines in place, including where they block residents’ drives or where operators systematically fail to engage with local planning authorities’ suggestions. Ofcom has opened two investigations in the past 12 months into whether specific operators have failed to comply with their obligations when installing apparatus. These can be found on Ofcom’s enforcement page here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) telegraph poles and (b) other above-ground broadband infrastructure on (i) security and (ii) resilience; and whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate potential risks.

Under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, public telecoms providers are required to identify and mitigate risks to the security and resilience of their networks and services. This includes risks to physical infrastructure, such as telegraph poles and other above-ground infrastructure. Ofcom monitors and enforces public telecoms providers’ compliance with their obligations in the Act.

Whether people who receive the Universal Credit (UC) health element and do not receive the Personal Independence Payment daily living component will lose their entitlement to the UC health element once the Work Capability Assessment is abolished.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper announced that we would be scrapping the Work Capability Assessment and moving to a single assessment for financial support related to health and disability benefits. The UC and PIP payment Bill currently before Parliament sets out that existing claimants will continue to receive additional financial support for health on Universal Credit health (the LCWRA addition), frozen at its current cash value, until 2029-30. We are currently considering how the future system will operate and will provide further information, including on transitioning to a reformed system, in a White Paper in the autumn.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that telecoms providers engage transparently with local (a) communities and (b) authorities before installing telegraph poles for broadband infrastructure in (i) areas with no historical precedent for such infrastructure and (ii) other areas.

The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 include requirements for operators to share apparatus where practicable, to use underground lines where reasonably practicable and to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of properties as far as reasonably practicable.In addition, following my call for operators to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice, the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations that operators should explore existing sharing opportunities and minimise the visual impact of poles. It also includes guidance on how to enhance communication with the public.

Media and Sport, if she will support the establishment of an independent governing body for futsal that complies with (a) FIFA and (b) UEFA regulations but operates outside of the control of the Football Association.

Internationally, FIFA and UEFA recognise the Football Association as the recognised National Governing Body (NGB) for football, including futsal, in England.Domestic recognition of an NGB in England is a matter for Sport England in coordination as appropriate with the other UK Sports Councils (Sport Northern Ireland, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales and UK Sport).The Sport and NGB Recognition Process is currently closed to all new applications while the UK Sports Councils undertake a review of the recognition policy and process, which is expected to re-open by Spring 2026.Both processes operate independently of the Government.

On what evidential basis the cervical screening interval was changed from three to five years; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of that interval on rates of early cancer detection.

The UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to change the cervical screening intervals from three to five years for women aged 25 to 49 years old was made in 2019. The evidence and consultation responses supporting the recommendation can be found at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/cervical-cancer/The decision to make the changes was based on what is best for individuals. The more accurate human papillomavirus test requires less frequent screening, and changing the frequency eliminates the unnecessary over screening of the population.The IT system supporting the national cervical screening programme was updated in July 2024, and can now enable the changes that were recommended.A full impact assessment and equality impact assessment were considered before the changes were agreed by the Government. We will publish these shortly.

If he will publish the (a) equality impact assessment and (b) risk-benefit analysis for the decision to change cervical screening intervals.

The UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to change the cervical screening intervals from three to five years for women aged 25 to 49 years old was made in 2019. The evidence and consultation responses supporting the recommendation can be found at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/cervical-cancer/The decision to make the changes was based on what is best for individuals. The more accurate human papillomavirus test requires less frequent screening, and changing the frequency eliminates the unnecessary over screening of the population.The IT system supporting the national cervical screening programme was updated in July 2024, and can now enable the changes that were recommended.A full impact assessment and equality impact assessment were considered before the changes were agreed by the Government. We will publish these shortly.