Written questions by Davies.

If he will publish a yearly evaluation of the suicide prevention training programme; and what steps he is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in the programme.

As part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we have set out our commitment to deliver a renewed drive to tackle the biggest killers, including suicide, while ensuring people live well for longer. As part of this, an additional 8,500 mental health workers will be recruited across children and adult mental health services, and those new workers will be specially trained to support people at risk.We recognise that bringing in the staff needed will take time, as will ensuring they have the necessary training. We are working to develop a plan to deliver this expansion of the mental health workforce, including where they should be deployed to achieve maximum effect.The NHS is committed to ensuring that all healthcare professionals receive the necessary mental health training to meet the current and future needs of patients. In September 2023, NHS England published its suicide prevention toolkit for NHS staff to use.

What plans he has to tackle barriers to implementing suicide prevention training in the workplace.

I refer the Hon Members to the answer given by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 January 2025, Official Report, PQ 24604.

What steps he is taking to ensure that mandatory suicide prevention training for all frontline workers is (a) fully funded and (b) effectively implemented in (i) healthcare, (ii) education, (iii) prisons and probation, (v) emergency services, and (v) money, housing, and employment services.

As part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we have set out our commitment to deliver a renewed drive to tackle the biggest killers, including suicide, while ensuring people live well for longer. As part of this, an additional 8,500 mental health workers will be recruited across child and adult mental health services, and those new workers will be specially trained to support people at risk.The NHS is committed to ensuring that all healthcare professionals receive the necessary mental health training to meet the current and future needs of patients. NHS England has responsibility for working with partners to plan, recruit, educate, and train the health workforce. In September 2023, NHS England published its suicide prevention toolkit for NHS staff to use.It is for employers in the other emergency services, education, prisons and probation, money, housing, and employment services to ensure that their staff receive the appropriate training needed in order to carry out their duties effectively.

What discussions he is having with employers on ensuring that frontline workers receive adequate (a) debriefing, (b) peer support spaces, (c) training for team leaders and (d) other appropriate workplace emotional support.

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the government has committed to the importance of protecting funding on mental health. The Department of Health and Social Care have chosen to prioritise funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support, demonstrating our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and providing support for people to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work. Furthermore, the digital service for Employers, Support with employee health and disability – GOV.UK, offers advice on managing health and disability-related needs at work. There is also the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) offers practical, independent, and impartial help to employers, employees and their representatives about a wide range of employment relations matters (www.acas.org.uk).

What steps he is taking to help ensure that frontline public sector workers are sufficiently resourced to support the (a) implementation of suicide prevention training and (b) effective provision of support to people at risk of suicide.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 January 2025, Official Report, PQ 24604

What steps he plans to take to improve patient outcomes for (a) rarer cancers, (b) sub-types of cancer and (c) triple negative breast cancer in the cancer plan.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with different types of cancer including rare cancers, sub-types of cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. The Government has set out plans to publish a ten-year health plan to reform the National Health Service. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be and will provide updates on this in due course. Data on triple negative breast cancer for England is collected through the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS). An NDRS Quality Assurance Team is in place to identify, investigate, and monitor data quality issues, with over 130 Quality Assurance reports being run each month as well as quarterly reports to assess the completeness of key data. To drive up the completeness of the data for triple negative breast cancer, progesterone receptor status, human epidermal growth factor receptor in situ hybridization status, and oestrogen receptor status are part of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Data set, which supports national registration. In January 2025, the Government published the Elective Reform Plan as part of the government’s Plan for Change. The plan sets out the reform and productivity efforts needed to ensure that patients, including those waiting for pathology tests are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care. To improve the NHS Constitution standard for diagnostics, the cancer waiting time standards and the referral to treatment standard, we expect all community diagnostic centres (CDCs) and hospital-based diagnostic services to be open 12 hours a day, seven days a week so that patients have improved access and availability to diagnostic tests, including pathology. Productivity and reform in CDCs will also be underpinned by investment in digital interventions. This will include all pathology networks reaching maturity in 2025. Networks are essential for facilitating diagnostic digitisation and ensuring the standardisation of systems needed for sharing results and optimising slot booking capacity. Networks can reduce variation and provide patients with equity of services' quality and efficiency, as well as maximise workforce efficiencies that can help to offset workforce shortages.

Whether the cancer plan will contain measures to improve (a) pathology and (b) testing within the (a) overall cancer and (b) triple negative breast cancer pathway.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with different types of cancer including rare cancers, sub-types of cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. The Government has set out plans to publish a ten-year health plan to reform the National Health Service. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be and will provide updates on this in due course. Data on triple negative breast cancer for England is collected through the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS). An NDRS Quality Assurance Team is in place to identify, investigate, and monitor data quality issues, with over 130 Quality Assurance reports being run each month as well as quarterly reports to assess the completeness of key data. To drive up the completeness of the data for triple negative breast cancer, progesterone receptor status, human epidermal growth factor receptor in situ hybridization status, and oestrogen receptor status are part of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Data set, which supports national registration. In January 2025, the Government published the Elective Reform Plan as part of the government’s Plan for Change. The plan sets out the reform and productivity efforts needed to ensure that patients, including those waiting for pathology tests are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care. To improve the NHS Constitution standard for diagnostics, the cancer waiting time standards and the referral to treatment standard, we expect all community diagnostic centres (CDCs) and hospital-based diagnostic services to be open 12 hours a day, seven days a week so that patients have improved access and availability to diagnostic tests, including pathology. Productivity and reform in CDCs will also be underpinned by investment in digital interventions. This will include all pathology networks reaching maturity in 2025. Networks are essential for facilitating diagnostic digitisation and ensuring the standardisation of systems needed for sharing results and optimising slot booking capacity. Networks can reduce variation and provide patients with equity of services' quality and efficiency, as well as maximise workforce efficiencies that can help to offset workforce shortages.

Whether his Department's cancer plan will include measures to improve the collection of data on triple-negative breast cancer.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with different types of cancer including rare cancers, sub-types of cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. The Government has set out plans to publish a ten-year health plan to reform the National Health Service. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be and will provide updates on this in due course. Data on triple negative breast cancer for England is collected through the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS). An NDRS Quality Assurance Team is in place to identify, investigate, and monitor data quality issues, with over 130 Quality Assurance reports being run each month as well as quarterly reports to assess the completeness of key data. To drive up the completeness of the data for triple negative breast cancer, progesterone receptor status, human epidermal growth factor receptor in situ hybridization status, and oestrogen receptor status are part of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Data set, which supports national registration. In January 2025, the Government published the Elective Reform Plan as part of the government’s Plan for Change. The plan sets out the reform and productivity efforts needed to ensure that patients, including those waiting for pathology tests are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care. To improve the NHS Constitution standard for diagnostics, the cancer waiting time standards and the referral to treatment standard, we expect all community diagnostic centres (CDCs) and hospital-based diagnostic services to be open 12 hours a day, seven days a week so that patients have improved access and availability to diagnostic tests, including pathology. Productivity and reform in CDCs will also be underpinned by investment in digital interventions. This will include all pathology networks reaching maturity in 2025. Networks are essential for facilitating diagnostic digitisation and ensuring the standardisation of systems needed for sharing results and optimising slot booking capacity. Networks can reduce variation and provide patients with equity of services' quality and efficiency, as well as maximise workforce efficiencies that can help to offset workforce shortages.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) assess (i) feedback from and (ii) outcomes of and (b) improve literacy programmes for prisoners.

We are evaluating some of the programmes to support literacy delivered by partners and will look to publish an evaluation report later in 2025. We are also improving our understanding of the outcomes of different prison education types, including English courses, through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.As part of BOLD, there is existing funding to conduct research to explore the relationship between prison education and post-release employment outcomes with findings expected to be published in 2025. All this learning will continue to support our evolving understanding of what more we can do to improve literacy in prisons.The success of formal literacy education is primarily measured by prisoners ‘achieving’ and getting an accredited qualification; we regularly use this data to ensure good performance. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23.

What steps he is taking to ensure that social care services are adequately funded to support individuals experiencing loneliness.

Loneliness and social isolation can affect many people and impact on their health and wellbeing. The Government’s current work to tackle loneliness includes: supporting a range of organisations through the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness; working to improve the evidence base around loneliness; and providing advice through the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign’s advice pages. It also includes the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, a grant fund designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England.To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as those that support individuals experiencing loneliness, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes a £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) reduce the stigma associated with and (b) encourage more people to seek help for loneliness.

To reduce the stigma associated with loneliness and to encourage people to seek help, the government provides advice through the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign’s advice pages.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to integrate loneliness prevention programmes into the healthcare system.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) leads on the cross-government tackling loneliness programme, with multiple departments contributing towards the delivery of this work. DCMS is working closely with DHSC and DWP to consider loneliness in future health and workplace policies. This includes adding new loneliness data to the Public Health Outcomes Framework in February 2025, which will enable health organisations and Local Authorities to compare local loneliness data with other health outcomes to inform their work. We know that chronic loneliness negatively impacts physical health, mental health, employee productivity and wellbeing, with those who are unemployed at increased risk of loneliness. Therefore, DWP Jobcentres carry out an important role in identifying people at risk of loneliness, directing people to tailored support such as social prescribing, volunteering opportunities, befriending schemes and other local community opportunities and helping them return, or prepare to return, to the labour market.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to encourage employers to create workplace environments that reduce employee loneliness.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) leads on the cross-government tackling loneliness programme, with multiple departments contributing towards the delivery of this work. DCMS is working closely with DHSC and DWP to consider loneliness in future health and workplace policies. This includes adding new loneliness data to the Public Health Outcomes Framework in February 2025, which will enable health organisations and Local Authorities to compare local loneliness data with other health outcomes to inform their work. We know that chronic loneliness negatively impacts physical health, mental health, employee productivity and wellbeing, with those who are unemployed at increased risk of loneliness. Therefore, DWP Jobcentres carry out an important role in identifying people at risk of loneliness, directing people to tailored support such as social prescribing, volunteering opportunities, befriending schemes and other local community opportunities and helping them return, or prepare to return, to the labour market.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking assess the effectiveness of loneliness reduction initiatives; and whether she plans to take steps to amend her policies in the context of the findings of these assessments.

The Government is working to build the evidence base on loneliness including the demographic groups most affected and the effectiveness of interventions. It uses available evidence to keep policies under review.For example, DCMS has recently published two new qualitative research reports, including one exploring how and why young disabled people experience loneliness and what could be done to reduce it. The research programme for the year 2024/25 includes engaging with existing research on the most effective ways to measure loneliness levels.DCMS is working with external researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund. The Fund aims to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness. The evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the Fund in achieving these aims.DCMS also seeks to support stakeholders and grassroots organisations to evaluate their work robustly by facilitating information sharing and learning via the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness.

If she will take steps to improve public transportation to help people stay connected with communities.

The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. We have also set out plans for the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation by delivering publicly owned passenger rail within the first term in government. The Passenger Railway Services Act 2024 will allow the government to deliver on this commitment, meaning services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders. The government will also establish a new arm's length body, Great British Railways, which will deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services; along with ensuring safety and accessibility.The government also launched its plan to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy which will set the high-level direction for how transport should change over the next 10 years to better serve people and communities.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to promote community-based initiatives that foster social connections among vulnerable populations.

The government funds programmes to increase social connections including those run by Near Neighbours and Schools Linking, which deliver initiatives in communities to bring people together.Community groups also play a crucial role in promoting social cohesion and providing services which improve health and wellbeing, reduce anti-social behaviour, protect nature and offer support to groups in need. On 23 December 2024 we announced the outcome of round 4 of the Community Ownership Fund, with 85 projects from across the UK receiving £36.2 million in funding.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provide funding for research on effective interventions to tackle loneliness across different demographics.

The Government is working to build the evidence base on loneliness including the demographic groups most affected and the effectiveness of interventions. It uses available evidence to keep policies under review.For example, DCMS has recently published two new qualitative research reports, including one exploring how and why young disabled people experience loneliness and what could be done to reduce it. The research programme for the year 2024/25 includes engaging with existing research on the most effective ways to measure loneliness levels.DCMS is working with external researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund. The Fund aims to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness. The evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the Fund in achieving these aims.DCMS also seeks to support stakeholders and grassroots organisations to evaluate their work robustly by facilitating information sharing and learning via the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness.

How she measures the success of literacy programs; and if she will set benchmarks to track progress of those programs.

We are evaluating some of the programmes to support literacy delivered by partners and will look to publish an evaluation report later in 2025. We are also improving our understanding of the outcomes of different prison education types, including English courses, through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.As part of BOLD, there is existing funding to conduct research to explore the relationship between prison education and post-release employment outcomes with findings expected to be published in 2025. All this learning will continue to support our evolving understanding of what more we can do to improve literacy in prisons.The success of formal literacy education is primarily measured by prisoners ‘achieving’ and getting an accredited qualification; we regularly use this data to ensure good performance. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23.

If she will allocate funding to support research on effective literacy interventions for prisoners.

We are evaluating some of the programmes to support literacy delivered by partners and will look to publish an evaluation report later in 2025. We are also improving our understanding of the outcomes of different prison education types, including English courses, through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.As part of BOLD, there is existing funding to conduct research to explore the relationship between prison education and post-release employment outcomes with findings expected to be published in 2025. All this learning will continue to support our evolving understanding of what more we can do to improve literacy in prisons.The success of formal literacy education is primarily measured by prisoners ‘achieving’ and getting an accredited qualification; we regularly use this data to ensure good performance. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23.

Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to ensure that digital inclusion initiatives are accessible to (a) all, (b) the elderly and (c) people in remote areas.

Yes, by definition, that is the intention behind all digital inclusion, which is a priority for this Government, because we want everyone to have the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. We also understand that digital exclusion disproportionately impacts certain demographics, including older people.That is why, as we develop our approach to tackling this issue, we are working closely with key partners in the third sector, industry and local authorities to base interventions on and target them to individual needs. I hope to say more on this in the near future.