Written questions by Munt.

What clinical criteria are under consideration for determining eligibility for any nationally prescribed specialised service for severe or very severe ME.

The myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), final delivery plan, published on 22 July 2025, includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.Three factors determine whether a service is a prescribed specialised service. These are: the number of individuals who require the service; the cost of providing the service or facility; and the number of people able to provide the service or facility.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 63305 on Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants, on what dates they held the meetings with the Patient Safety Commissioner to discuss the recommendations of the Hughes report.

Since the publication of the Hughes Report on 7 February 2024, ministers and Departmental officials have met with the Patient Safety Commissioner on several occasions to discuss the recommendations of the Hughes report.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2024 to Question 327 on Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants, how many meetings have been held with the Patient Safety Commissioner on the recommendations of the Hughes report.

Departmental officials and ministers have met with the Patient Safety Commissioner on several occasions, and we are happy to continue to engage with the Patient Safety Commissioner on this matter.The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.

Which hospitals received funding for machines capable of increasing treatment with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.

The Department does not hold this information. However, a proportion of the machines will be capable of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.

Whether the £70 million funding for new radiotherapy machines is in addition to the prevailing budgets for radiotherapy machines.

The £70 million investment into 28 radiotherapy machines that was announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget is part of the overall financial settlement for the 2025/26 financial year.

How many (a) online and (b) in person meetings NHS England had with (i) Varian, (ii) Elekta and (iii) Accuray before setting the criteria for the allocation of funding for new radiotherapy machines.

We do not currently hold this information, but we are seeking advice from NHS England on whether any engagement took place between NHS England and the medical companies listed.The Government does not routinely publish correspondence between NHS England and medical companies. We have various communication channels to keep the public and stakeholders updated on our work to improve cancer care.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of restricting the radiotherapy machine fund to replacing only end of life machines on his Department's ability to make new radiotherapy capacity available in 2025-26 financial year.

The £70 million fund will replace older radiotherapy machines with new, more efficient radiotherapy machines, which will in turn increase treatment capacity and allow more patients to be treated.All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26, including the replacement of radiotherapy equipment, will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.

Whether the £70 million funding for radiotherapy machines announced in October 2024 is an additional budgetary amount for radiotherapy in the 2025-26 financial year.

The £70 million investment into 28 radiotherapy machines, which was announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget, is part of the overall financial settlement for the 2025/26 financial year.

Whether an application for authorisation of Sipavibart has been submitted to the the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is actively engaging with Astra Zeneca for any applications in flight. We recognise the importance of the rapid assessment of the medicines mentioned and we are ensuring the decisions made appropriately assess quality, safety, and efficacy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 41044 on Radiotherapy, by how much the National Health Service’s capital settlement for 2024-2025 was underspent; how much of the total 2024-2025 settlement was allocated for radiotherapy equipment; whether the £15 million additional funds were in addition to the 2024-2025 radiotherapy equipment settlement; and how much has been allocated from the 2025-2026 capital settlement for new radiotherapy equipment.

The National Health Service’s capital settlement for 2024/25 underspend figure is not yet available, although it should be included in the NHS’s annual accounts, which will be published later this year.£15 million was allocated from capital underspend to replace ageing radiotherapy equipment, as per the answer I gave on 7 April 2025 to Question 41044. Any other spending on radiotherapy equipment was allocated at local level, and we do not hold details on this spend.£70 million of central capital funding was announced as part of the Autumn Budget in 2024, which will be used to replace 28 machines during 2025/26.

What the average waiting time for cancer patients requiring radiotherapy treatment is before they commence that treatment in each region in England.

The Department does not hold the data in this format. Data on cancer waiting times for specific treatments can be found on NHS England’s website, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/monthly-data-and-summaries/2024-25-monthly-cancer-waiting-times-statistics/

What guidance he has provided to NHS England on maximising the the potential utilisation of artificial intelligence for radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients.

No specific guidance has been provided to the National Health Service, however we expect that radiotherapy treatment centres will use all appropriate technology for treating patients, to ensure that they receive the best possible care. This includes the use of artificial intelligence where available.

Whether he plans to allow radiotherapy machines purchased by charities for hospitals to stop treating patients if charitable funds are not available to renew those machines.

Only radiotherapy machines purchased with Government funds are eligible for replacement through Government funding. There are no plans to change this position.

How much funding was allocated to the emergency radiotherapy capital equipment fund in 2024-25; and which hospital trusts have been awarded that funding.

Providers were awarded a total of £15 million to replace ageing radiotherapy equipment from an underspend in the National Health Service’s capital settlement for 2024/25. The providers who were allocated money, and the amount they were allocated, are as follows:£2.5 million for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust;£2.3 million for the Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust;£2.2 million for the South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust;£3.2 million for the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;£2.4 million for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; and£2.4 million for the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust received funding for two machines.

How many new radiotherapy machines were applied for from the funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024; and which hospital trusts applied.

31 trusts submitted applications for funding to replace a total of 40 machines, with some trusts having applied to replace two machines. This became 30 trusts after the North Middlesex University Hospital Trust joined the Royal Free London Group on 1 January 2025, during the application process. Each trust had submitted a separate request.Of the 30 trusts that submitted applications, two withdrew their applications, namely the Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, having received funding for a replacement machine from National Health Service capital underspend. University Hospitals Birmingham did receive a contribution from this funding towards the refurbishment of its radiotherapy bunker infrastructure.The 28 trusts that submitted applications, and who have been awarded funding to replace one machine, are as follows:Barts Health NHS Trust;Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust;Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust;Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust;Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust;Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust;North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (Royal Free London Group);Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust;Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust;Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust;Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust;Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;The Christie NHS Foundation Trust;The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust;The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust;United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust;University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust;University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust;University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust; andWorcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 23296 on Radiotherapy Infrastructure, how NHS England plans to improve the treatment of cancer patients with radiotherapy without such an assessment.

The Government is committed to improving the treatment of cancer patients and reducing waiting times for those undergoing treatment. Further details of how we will do this will be set out in the National Cancer Plan.We have launched a call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations to help shape this plan, including ideas on how to improve treatment for those cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.The call for evidence is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23297 on Radiotherapy Finance, how many members of each working group have (a) clinical and (b) radiotherapy experience treating cancer.

The working groups include members with a wide range of experience and expertise across and beyond the health and care system. We have ensured that groups have a range of lived experience, organisational views, and technical expertise, as well as diversity of characteristics and geography. We are keen that these groups should be able to provide constructive challenges to articulate how we make the National Health Service fit for the future.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23294 on Radiotherapy Medical Equipment, what (a) guidelines, (b) regulations and (c) restrictions have been issued to trusts on the use of NHS England funding to purchase new radiotherapy machines; and whether NHS England has a database of radiotherapy machines including (i) installation and (ii) renewal dates.

Trusts were given a range of potential machines to purchase, and the use of these machines is the responsibility of the trust which houses the machine. Providers of National Health Service-funded radiotherapy services are required to submit a monthly return on their delivery of radiotherapy treatments, and this data is held in the Radiotherapy Data Set.The National Equipment Tracking and Inventory System highlights radiotherapy cancer treatment machines within the NHS, as well as their associated ages.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 23295 on Radiotherapy Equipment, for what reason NHS England did not consult (a) cancer patient groups and (b) the radiotherapy community.

NHS England invited the trusts which deliver radiotherapy services to submit an expression of interest for funding for a replacement machine. NHS England then reviewed the responses, and used allocation criteria to determine which trusts would be allocated funding for a replacement machine. These criteria focused on the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy. Funding decisions for the purchasing of equipment do not usually include wider consultation.

Which trusts have been granted linear particle accelerator renewal funds from the additional funding in the Autumn Budget 2024; what criteria was used by NHS England to make those awards; and whether trusts awarded those funds have to fund bunker modifications from their own budgets.

NHS England will be writing to those trusts which have been allocated funding for a replacement machine soon. The allocation criteria focused on the age of the machine being replaced, the proportion of older machines in use within the trust, and the trust’s performance on radiotherapy. A small amount of the £70 million of funding has been made available to support refurbishment costs.