Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ruth Jones this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 38 · Department of Health and Social Care
What assessment he has made of whether reliance on tissue stabilisers could limit patients’ future access to a) precision diagnostics, b) whole genome sequencing, c) clinical trials or d) research using fresh frozen tissue.
Awaiting answer.
What steps are being taken to ensure tissue stabilisers do not reduce the need for equitable access to tissue freezing across the NHS.
Awaiting answer.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February to Question 109206 on breast cancer drugs, if he will make it his policy to reform the risk-reducing drug pathway for patients at increased risk of breast cancer .
The Department is taking steps to ensure that women at increased risk of breast cancer are provided with the best information, support, preventative care, and testing.Through our National Cancer Plan, we will develop and deliver more proactive approaches to identifying people at risk of cancer, through symptomatic case finding, additional support for general practitioners (GPs) and genomic testing. The new and world-leading NHS National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Registry, part of the National Disease Registration Service, will help the National Health Service to deliver proactive, targeted prevention, surveillance, and earlier diagnosis for people and their families. Self-testing swabs will accelerate access to genomic tests, and those who need it will get genetic counselling, regular surveillance checks, and prophylactic treatment options. For women at increased risk of breast cancer, this means a more proactive approach and personalised support.Through our National Cancer Plan, and our wider work on improving GP services, we will offer improved support to women at increased risk of breast cancer.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February to Question 109206 on breast cancer drugs, what steps he is taking to ensure that women at increased risk of breast cancer are told about risk reducing drugs as a treatment option.
The Department is taking steps to ensure that women at increased risk of breast cancer are provided with the best information, support, preventative care, and testing.Through our National Cancer Plan, we will develop and deliver more proactive approaches to identifying people at risk of cancer, through symptomatic case finding, additional support for general practitioners (GPs) and genomic testing. The new and world-leading NHS National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Registry, part of the National Disease Registration Service, will help the National Health Service to deliver proactive, targeted prevention, surveillance, and earlier diagnosis for people and their families. Self-testing swabs will accelerate access to genomic tests, and those who need it will get genetic counselling, regular surveillance checks, and prophylactic treatment options. For women at increased risk of breast cancer, this means a more proactive approach and personalised support.Through our National Cancer Plan, and our wider work on improving GP services, we will offer improved support to women at increased risk of breast cancer.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February to Question 109206 on breast cancer drugs, what steps he is taking to improve support and training for GPs to prescribe risk-reducing drugs to women at increased risk of breast cancer.
The Department is taking steps to ensure that women at increased risk of breast cancer are provided with the best information, support, preventative care, and testing.Through our National Cancer Plan, we will develop and deliver more proactive approaches to identifying people at risk of cancer, through symptomatic case finding, additional support for general practitioners (GPs) and genomic testing. The new and world-leading NHS National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Registry, part of the National Disease Registration Service, will help the National Health Service to deliver proactive, targeted prevention, surveillance, and earlier diagnosis for people and their families. Self-testing swabs will accelerate access to genomic tests, and those who need it will get genetic counselling, regular surveillance checks, and prophylactic treatment options. For women at increased risk of breast cancer, this means a more proactive approach and personalised support.Through our National Cancer Plan, and our wider work on improving GP services, we will offer improved support to women at increased risk of breast cancer.
Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that emergency (a) preparedness and (b) response planning includes consideration of rehabilitation needs in line with World Health Organization Resolution 76.6 on Strengthening Rehabilitation in Health Systems, adopted in May 2023.
Rehabilitation is an important consideration within the recovery phase of our emergency response plans and wider preparedness, in line with World Health Organization Resolution 76.6 on Strengthening Rehabilitation in Health Systems. The United Kingdom participated in the negotiation of the resolution which was adopted by the UK and Member States at the World Health Assembly in May 2023.We regularly review our plans and procedures to ensure they continue to reflect best practice and lessons from real events, exercises and international bodies and comparators. The Department plans for a range of risks and scenarios from the onset of an incident through to the recovery phase. Specifically, recovery is a core element of NHS England’s emergency preparedness, resilience and response framework. It includes restoring services and addressing the longer-term health and care needs of people and communities who have been affected.
What formal intergovernmental mechanisms are in place to coordinate enforcement of the vaping product registration and testing regime across the four nations of the United Kingdom.
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to develop a new registration and testing scheme for all vape, nicotine, and tobacco products. These powers will apply across the United Kingdom, and it is therefore vital that the future registration scheme works for all nations.We are in the process of developing the new registration scheme and we launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses.We are working closely with the devolved administrations on all future regulations and officials meet with them regularly to discuss a range of issues. This includes on the registration scheme and the coordination across the United Kingdom that will be a crucial part of any considerations. Policy proposals will be subject to further consultation before regulations are made with sufficient lead time for businesses to adjust to the new requirements.
Whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards will oversee the vaping product registration scheme.
Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Product Safety and Standards are considering whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards would be best placed to oversee the future register.Officials in Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Product Safety and Standards have agreed, at a working level, an interim Memorandum of Understanding to review whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards is a suitable home for the future scheme. We expect to consult on proposals for the product registration scheme later this year.
What specific mechanisms will enable HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force to verify compliance with the vaping product registration scheme at the point of import; and whether registration numbers will be required on customs documentation.
Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care regularly meet with officials from other departments, including HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force, to share intelligence and ensure a coordinated approach to the enforcement of our rules on vaping products. This coordinated approach to enforcement will continue once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law and in the development of subsequent regulations.We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. Policy proposals will be subject to further consultation before regulations are made with sufficient lead time for businesses to adjust to the new requirements.The Government intends to implement vaping duty stamps alongside the Vaping Products Duty commencing in October 2026, in line with HM Revenue and Customs’ strategic objective of making it easy to get tax right and hard to bend or break the rules. Vaping duty stamps will support both enforcement bodies and industry in identifying products that are non-duty paid, therefore illicit. We will work with HM Revenue and Customs to ensure a joined-up approach, where appropriate.
Whether he expects the vaping product registration scheme to be fully operational before the commencement of the Vaping Products Duty in October 2026; and what contingency arrangements will apply if implementation timetables differ.
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to develop a new registration and testing scheme for all vape, nicotine, and tobacco products. This will replace the current notification system and competent authority function which will remain in place until the new regulations. Our current intention is for the new scheme to be operational by the end of this Parliament.While they are linked, there are differences between the future registration scheme and the Vaping Products Duty, commencing in October 2026, which will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit products.
Whether an equality impact assessment will be conducted prior to any implementation of the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) on prostate cancer.
On 28 November, the UK National Screening Committee opened a 12-week public consultation on a draft recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. We anticipate a final recommendation in early 2026. After which, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, and what next steps are needed. Any policy developed from the recommendation will be supported by an equality impact assessment to ensure that possible health inequality that could be caused by the policy will be mitigated against.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that all Agenda for Change NHS pay bands are (a) set at and (b) above the real Living Wage as calculated by the Living Wage foundation.
These specific assessments have not been made.Following acceptance of the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations on pay for 2026/27, Agenda for Change (AfC) entry pay will remain above the National Living Wage for 2026/27. In addition, we have committed to providing the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to reform the AfC pay structure. We expect these talks will begin shortly.Individual organisations remain free to decide whether they wish to commit to being a Real Living Wage employer at a local level.
What his proposed timetable is for introducing the vaping product registration scheme under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill including indicative dates for (a) consultation, (b) publication of regulations, and (c) commencement.
Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have been in discussions to explore whether OPSS, as the Government's primary product safety regulator, would be suitable to oversee the future product registration scheme for tobacco, vape, and nicotine products. We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. We expect to consult on proposals later this year. Our objective is to have the new registration scheme live as soon as possible.
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues about the role (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) Border Force will have in verifying compliance with the vaping product registration and testing regime at the point of import.
Officials in the Department regularly meet with officials from other departments, including HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force, to share intelligence and ensure a coordinated approach to the enforcement of our rules on vaping products. This coordinated approach to enforcement will continue once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law.We are strengthening the enforcement of vape regulations through the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. We are also investing £30 million of new funding in total for enforcement agencies in 2025/26, including Trading Standards, HM Revenue and Customs, and Border Force. This increase in investment will help to stamp out criminal activity by boosting enforcement against illicit tobacco and illicit vapes.We are also introducing a new Vaping Products Duty in October 2026 which will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit products. HM Revenue and Customs will collaborate with agencies such as Border Force and Trading Standards, who will have enhanced their capabilities around vaping by the time the duty is introduced. We are working closely with colleagues in HM Revenue and Customs to understand how the new product registration scheme can work effectively with the Vaping Products Duty to increase compliance. We expect to consult on policy proposals later this year.
Whether he plans to introduce minimum testing standards for vaping product testing.
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new testing regime to ensure vape, nicotine, or tobacco products that are sold on the United Kingdom’s market do not contain harmful ingredients or metals, or breach other regulations, for instance on packaging.We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where a future registration scheme could go further than current requirements, including testing requirements. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. We will consult on policy proposals based on the evidence provided in due course.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of resources required by Trading Standards to enforce the registration and testing regime for vaping products since the regime was introduced.
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to create a new product registration scheme, as well as a new testing regime, for tobacco, vape, and nicotine products. As the bill is not yet enacted, the new scheme has not yet been established and the current notification scheme for nicotine vapes, managed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, remains in place for the time being.Once established, the new product registration system will support enforcement agencies, giving Trading Standards better information to help them remove non-compliant products from the shelves quickly and efficiently. This will also give retailers greater confidence that the products they stock and sell are lawful. We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements, including testing requirements and fees. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. We will consult on policy proposals based on the evidence provided in due course. Furthermore, in 2025/26 we are investing £30 million of new funding for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards, Border Force, and HM Revenue and Customs, to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes and to help enforce the law. As part of this, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This funding is being used to boost the Trading Standards workforce by hiring 94 new apprentices across England. This will increase Trading Standards’ capacity to enforce the new measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including the product registration scheme once established.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a national register to capture and integrate the data of all women at increased risk of breast cancer.
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England provides England’s national resource for data and analytics on cancer, rare diseases, and congenital conditions.The NDRS already serves as a national register for women at very high risk of breast cancer. NDRS curates and quality assures the collected data to ensure sufficient accuracy and completeness. The NDRS works closely with the very high risk National Breast Screening Programme to ensure safe and robust identification of women at very high risk of cancer. The integration of this data within the wider NDRS cancer data infrastructure maximises the use of this data which helps with service planning, evaluation, and improvement, and reduces the fragmentation and siloing that would occur with standalone registers.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the training provided to GPs on prescribing risk-reducing drugs to women at increased risk of breast cancer.
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, the biggest increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is bigger than the 5.8% growth to the National Health Service budget as a whole, demonstrating our commitment to shifting resources to the community.
What steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of data collected on all women at increased risk of breast cancer.
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England provides England’s national resource for data and analytics on cancer, rare diseases, and congenital conditions.The NDRS already serves as a national register for women at very high risk of breast cancer. NDRS curates and quality assures the collected data to ensure sufficient accuracy and completeness. The NDRS works closely with the very high risk National Breast Screening Programme to ensure safe and robust identification of women at very high risk of cancer. The integration of this data within the wider NDRS cancer data infrastructure maximises the use of this data which helps with service planning, evaluation, and improvement, and reduces the fragmentation and siloing that would occur with standalone registers.
What assessment his Department has made of whether Trading Standards services currently have sufficient a) staffing, b) technical capability, and c) funding to enforce the new i) registration and ii) testing regime for vaping products proposed in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill from the point of commencement.
In 2025/26, we are investing £30 million of new funding for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards, Border Force, and HM Revenue and Customs, to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes and help enforce the law. As part of this, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This funding is being used to boost the Trading Standards workforce by hiring 94 new apprentices across England. This will build a workforce tailored to our requirements and increase Trading Standards’ capacity to enforce the new measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Once established, the new product registration system will support enforcement agencies, giving Trading Standards better information to help them remove non-compliant products from the shelves quickly and efficiently. This will also give retailers greater confidence that the products they stock and sell are lawful.We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements, including testing requirements and fees. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. We will consult on policy proposals based on the evidence provided in due course.