Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

I refer the Noble Lord Hunt to the answers provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677 and 16 July in response to Question HL1674.

Further to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677, over eight years, from 2018/19 to 2025/26, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) committed £66.3 million to brain tumour research. UKRI also supported 93 studentships over this period. All associated work packages for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium have now been fully executed.

The information requested is not held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Information on trials supported through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) can be found on their website. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Other information is not available as it is not held in the format requested or is not held centrally.

I refer the Noble Lord Hunt to the answers provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677 and 16 July in response to Question HL1674.

Further to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question HL1677, over eight years, from 2018/19 to 2025/26, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) committed £66.3 million to brain tumour research. UKRI also supported 93 studentships over this period. All associated work packages for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium have now been fully executed.

The information requested is not held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Information on trials supported through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) can be found on their website. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

Other information is not available as it is not held in the format requested or is not held centrally.

The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) recognises the importance of ensuring that local prescribing policies and formulary guidance are consistent with relevant national guidance, including NHS England's advice for prescribers for liothyronine, also known as T3, from August 2023, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline Thyroid disease: assessment and management, reference code NG145. NHS England's guidance recognises that while levothyroxine remains the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, a small proportion of patients who continue to experience symptoms despite adequate levothyroxine treatment may be considered for liothyronine following specialist assessment by a National Health Service consultant endocrinologist.

The ICB has previously acknowledged the need for local formulary wording to be clear and aligned with NHS England guidance and has undertaken review work to ensure that local guidance appropriately reflects the role of specialist assessment, individualised clinical decision-making, and shared care arrangements where clinically appropriate.

NHS Dorset continues to review prescribing arrangements to ensure they are informed by specialist endocrinology advice and seek to support safe, evidence-based, and patient-centred care. Prescribing decisions for individual patients are made by appropriately qualified clinicians based on clinical need, specialist advice, patient preference, and the available evidence. NHS Dorset supports clinicians in exercising professional judgement.

The National Data Opt-Out Dashboard provides information on the demographic break down of opt-out choices that have been made by age, index of multiple deprivation, gender, and region. This enables researchers to take into account any distortions in data created by higher levels of opt-out across certain groups.

Decisions on whether additional advice, oversight, or assurance are required for a particular project are based on the nature of the processing activity and the level of privacy and confidentiality risk identified through the relevant assessment processes.

Under statutory guidance issued on 23 May 2023, NHS England is required to seek advice from the Advisory Group for Data (AGD) on specific data access requests, including internal use of specific data, and to support the development and maintenance of precedents, standards, and guidance on data access. AGD publishes its minutes online.

NHS England also undertakes annual assurance of its information governance and security arrangements through the Data Security and Protection Toolkit. Independent auditors are commissioned to review supporting evidence before the annual submission is finalised.

NHS England published new guidance on 8 July 2026, Stopping unlawful access to records guidance for health and care professionals, in an online-only format. It is the responsibility of the organisations who are data controllers, rather than the Department, to determine if patients, or the Information Commissioner’s Office, should be alerted in the case of a data breach or inappropriate access to patient records.

The Government will consider in due course other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme, and will take into account any relevant recommendations and representations made by other bodies, including the Taskforce mentioned by the Noble Lord.

The Government will consider in due course other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme, and will take into account any relevant recommendations and representations made by other bodies, including the Taskforce mentioned by the Noble Lord.

The Health Bill currently before Parliament will abolish NHS England and move the majority of its powers and functions to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Work is ongoing to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities ahead of April 2027, when NHS England will cease to exist as a separate entity.

The new commercial delivery model will ensure compliant, high-quality commercial decisions and will oversee procurement and contract management to secure value for money, deliver intended outcomes, and strengthen supplier performance.

The Health Bill currently before Parliament will abolish NHS England and move the majority of its powers and functions to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Work is ongoing to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities ahead of April 2027, when NHS England will cease to exist as a separate entity.

The new commercial delivery model will ensure compliant, high-quality commercial decisions and will oversee procurement and contract management to secure value for money, deliver intended outcomes, and strengthen supplier performance.

National Health Service data held in the Health Data Research Service will be subject to the National Data Opt-out, in line with national opt-out policy, and the right to object to data being processed under the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

National Health Service data held in the Health Data Research Service will be subject to the National Data Opt-out, in line with national opt-out policy, and the right to object to data being processed under the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

The Government recognises that many respiratory diseases are associated with preventable risk factors, including smoking, air pollution, occupational exposures, poor housing conditions, and delayed diagnosis.

Data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that the under 75 year old mortality rate from respiratory disease considered preventable in England was 19.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2024.

The Government is taking action to reduce respiratory disease morbidity and mortality through measures that prevent disease, improve early diagnosis, and support effective treatment, including implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, support for local smoking cessation services, improvements in air quality, vaccination programmes against respiratory infections, and delivery of NHS Long Term Plan commitments on respiratory disease.

NHS England's National Respiratory Programme is focused on improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease through earlier diagnosis, better disease management, and access to effective and innovative treatments. This includes improving access to quality-assured spirometry, pulmonary rehabilitation, and earlier diagnosis of conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), supported by commissioning standards and guidance for commissioners.

NHS England, working with Health Innovation Networks, has also established a multi-year Respiratory Transformation Partnership to identify scalable approaches to reducing premature mortality, improving disease recognition, supporting the consistent delivery of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended care, and increasing access to existing and emerging biologic therapies for people living with asthma and COPD. A nationally coordinated evaluation will support evidence generation, shared learning, and future investment decisions.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. This year, at the point of primary allocation, there were more applicants for the 2026 Foundation Programme than places available. This meant that eligible non-prioritised applicants were placed on a national reserve list.

Five rounds of allocation from the reserve list took place between June and August 2026, resulting in 476 applicants being allocated to a Foundation School. Following the final allocation round on 12 August 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list. There are no current plans to run any further rounds to allocate places from the reserve list, nor to fund any additional places on the UK Foundation Programme 2026.

We recognise the potential impact of prioritisation on applicants who are eligible for a foundation training place but do not receive one. The UK Foundation Programme Office aims to be as transparent as possible with affected applicants and provide guidance at every stage of the allocation process.

For individuals who did not secure a Foundation Year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to pursuing a medical career in the UK. These include obtaining full General Medical Council (GMC) registration through other established GMC pathways, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained and then entering the UK healthcare system through applying to a locally employed doctor role or another non-training post.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. This year, at the point of primary allocation, there were more applicants for the 2026 Foundation Programme than places available. This meant that eligible non-prioritised applicants were placed on a national reserve list.

Five rounds of allocation from the reserve list took place between June and August 2026, resulting in 476 applicants being allocated to a Foundation School. Following the final allocation round on 12 August 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list. There are no current plans to run any further rounds to allocate places from the reserve list, nor to fund any additional places on the UK Foundation Programme 2026.

We recognise the potential impact of prioritisation on applicants who are eligible for a foundation training place but do not receive one. The UK Foundation Programme Office aims to be as transparent as possible with affected applicants and provide guidance at every stage of the allocation process.

For individuals who did not secure a Foundation Year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to pursuing a medical career in the UK. These include obtaining full General Medical Council (GMC) registration through other established GMC pathways, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained and then entering the UK healthcare system through applying to a locally employed doctor role or another non-training post.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. This year, at the point of primary allocation, there were more applicants for the 2026 Foundation Programme than places available. This meant that eligible non-prioritised applicants were placed on a national reserve list.

Five rounds of allocation from the reserve list took place between June and August 2026, resulting in 476 applicants being allocated to a Foundation School. Following the final allocation round on 12 August 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list. There are no current plans to run any further rounds to allocate places from the reserve list, nor to fund any additional places on the UK Foundation Programme 2026.

We recognise the potential impact of prioritisation on applicants who are eligible for a foundation training place but do not receive one. The UK Foundation Programme Office aims to be as transparent as possible with affected applicants and provide guidance at every stage of the allocation process.

For individuals who did not secure a Foundation Year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to pursuing a medical career in the UK. These include obtaining full General Medical Council (GMC) registration through other established GMC pathways, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained and then entering the UK healthcare system through applying to a locally employed doctor role or another non-training post.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. This year, at the point of primary allocation, there were more applicants for the 2026 Foundation Programme than places available. This meant that eligible non-prioritised applicants were placed on a national reserve list.

Five rounds of allocation from the reserve list took place between June and August 2026, resulting in 476 applicants being allocated to a Foundation School. Following the final allocation round on 12 August 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list. There are no current plans to run any further rounds to allocate places from the reserve list, nor to fund any additional places on the UK Foundation Programme 2026.

We recognise the potential impact of prioritisation on applicants who are eligible for a foundation training place but do not receive one. The UK Foundation Programme Office aims to be as transparent as possible with affected applicants and provide guidance at every stage of the allocation process.

For individuals who did not secure a Foundation Year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to pursuing a medical career in the UK. These include obtaining full General Medical Council (GMC) registration through other established GMC pathways, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained and then entering the UK healthcare system through applying to a locally employed doctor role or another non-training post.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. This year, at the point of primary allocation, there were more applicants for the 2026 Foundation Programme than places available. This meant that eligible non-prioritised applicants were placed on a national reserve list.

Five rounds of allocation from the reserve list took place between June and August 2026, resulting in 476 applicants being allocated to a Foundation School. Following the final allocation round on 12 August 2026, 188 applicants remained on the reserve list. There are no current plans to run any further rounds to allocate places from the reserve list, nor to fund any additional places on the UK Foundation Programme 2026.

We recognise the potential impact of prioritisation on applicants who are eligible for a foundation training place but do not receive one. The UK Foundation Programme Office aims to be as transparent as possible with affected applicants and provide guidance at every stage of the allocation process.

For individuals who did not secure a Foundation Year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to pursuing a medical career in the UK. These include obtaining full General Medical Council (GMC) registration through other established GMC pathways, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained and then entering the UK healthcare system through applying to a locally employed doctor role or another non-training post.

There is no statutory requirement for psychotherapists and counsellors to be registered with an organisation that holds a voluntary accredited register with the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA). Organisations that hold registers that are accredited by the PSA are independent, representative bodies and as such, they do not fall under Government oversight. Any decisions about the practise requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for those organisations and their members.

The Government would encourage anyone accessing psychotherapy and counselling services to choose a professional that is a member of a statutorily regulated profession or registered with a voluntary accredited register listed on the PSA website.

The Department has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to the counselling and psychotherapy professions.

Subject to the passage of the Health Bill, specialised services commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs) will continue to operate within a framework of nationally-set standards, service specifications, and clinical commissioning policies to ensure consistent and equitable access to care across England.

Alongside ICB accountability for commissioning these services, the Department, through its new regional offices, will be responsible for providing oversight and assurance of both the commissioning system and the quality and performance of providers. This will include monitoring against national standards and quality and outcome metrics for different services.

In addition, ICBs will be supported in discharging their new commissioning responsibilities through seven Offices for Pan-ICB Commissioning, which aim to ensure that we maintain a critical mass of expert commissioning knowledge and the capability necessary for the effective and efficient commissioning of these important and complex areas of service provision.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.

The MHRA has plans to gather the currently available evidence on mental health and other related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications, as referenced in the separate responses to questions HL1488 and HL1543. A formal timeline for this review has not yet been agreed, and consequently we are unable to provide an expected completion date at this stage.

The MHRA is committed to communicating any findings that may have implications for patient safety or the safe use of medicines. The MHRA will sometimes issue communications, such as drug safety updates, after the conclusion of a review. However, the review is at an early stage, and it would be premature to comment on any potential communication plans. In addition, any product information changes that may arise as a result of this review would be reflected in the published product information available at locations such as the MHRA website or the Electronic Medicines Compendium website.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.

The MHRA has plans to gather the currently available evidence on mental health and other related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications, as referenced in the separate responses to questions HL1488 and HL1543. A formal timeline for this review has not yet been agreed, and consequently we are unable to provide an expected completion date at this stage.

The MHRA is committed to communicating any findings that may have implications for patient safety or the safe use of medicines. The MHRA will sometimes issue communications, such as drug safety updates, after the conclusion of a review. However, the review is at an early stage, and it would be premature to comment on any potential communication plans. In addition, any product information changes that may arise as a result of this review would be reflected in the published product information available at locations such as the MHRA website or the Electronic Medicines Compendium website.

Clinical reference groups provide expert clinical advice on specialised services and support the development and review of national service specifications and clinical commissioning policies.

The Government recognises the importance of clinical advice and leadership in maintaining high-quality specialised services. Subject to final organisational arrangements, clinical expertise will continue to contribute to the development and review of national standards for specialised services so that commissioning decisions remain informed by the best available evidence and clinical expertise.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are already subject to statutory duties to involve patients and the public in the planning, development, and consideration of proposals for changes to health services. The Government is committed to ensuring that patients, carers, and the public continue to play a central role in shaping specialised services. The Health Bill proposes to further strengthen local arrangements by making ICBs directly responsible for gathering and acting on patient and public feedback.

Clinicians can ask for access to targeted treatments that are not routinely funded through an Individual Funding Request. Where a treatment is not routinely funded, a clinician can apply to the relevant commissioner on behalf of their patient.

Individual Funding Requests are for exceptional individual cases. They are not intended to provide routine access to treatments for groups of patients.