Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they have provided for brain tumour research since 2018; and how that funding was broken down by category, including (1) direct research funding awarded to projects, (2) funding allocated to the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium, (3) funding that remains conditional on approvals, milestones or reporting, (4) research infrastructure funding, and (5) funding delivered through UK Research and Innovation, including the Medical Research Council.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Government responsibility for delivering brain cancer research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

We are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress and build scientific capacity to do research on brain cancer.

As announced in the National Cancer Plan, investment in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, co-funding of the Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence, and other direct programmatic spend through NIHR funding streams totals a combined investment of £32.3 million since July 2024, and a total of £45.2 million since 2018, all of which is designed to accelerate brain cancer research.

The total investment in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium is over £25 million over the course of the awards. This includes an initial £13.7 million investment announced in December 2025, which has been fully contracted. In January 2026, the NIHR announced further investment of a minimum of £11.7 million in the Consortium through funding of work packages. For all work packages, contracting and further payments are contingent upon teams submitting and reviewing detailed costs and, if applicable, agreeing to the suggested amendments and requests for clarification which are currently in progress.

The NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, such as research centres, which run studies, facilities, and services, and the research workforce, leverages research funding from other donors and organisations. These NIHR investments in infrastructure are estimated to be £44.5 million over the period 2018/19 to 2024/25, enabling 298 brain tumour research studies to take place.

Research delivered through UKRI, which includes the Medical Research Council, is the responsibility of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Over six years, from the financial year 2018/19 to 2023/24, UKRI committed £46.8 million to brain tumour research. This is the most recent data we hold.

The NIHR continues to welcome high-quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to accelerate access to modern, biology-driven treatments for brain cancer, including Astrocytoma across all grades, and to reduce reliance on outdated therapies; what national pathway exists to enable access to targeted or repurposed treatments where the same mutation is already treated in another cancer; and what barriers prevent access to those treatments.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the significant impact cancerous brain tumours can have on patients, carers, and families, and that treatment options remain limited. All new licensed medicines, including for brain cancer, are evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which assesses whether they are a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources.

NICE has recommended vorasidenib for eligible patients aged 12 years old and over with IDH mutant low-grade glioma, as an option for treating grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma where it is considered the most suitable treatment. NICE is also actively evaluating further medicines for potential use in brain tumours.

NICE works with companies and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to issue guidance as close as possible to licensing. The NHS in England must fund medicines recommended by NICE, and the Cancer Drugs Fund can provide access from the point of a draft positive NICE recommendation.

The MHRA recognises the challenges of developing treatments for rare cancers, where large-scale clinical evidence can be difficult to generate, and supports timely access to safe, effective, and high-quality treatments for patients with high unmet need.

The MHRA supports innovative approaches such as precision medicine, real-world evidence, and international collaboration. Relevant routes include Project Orbis, the Access Consortium, the International Recognition Pathway, and the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway, alongside the Rare Diseases Framework and recent regulations to support faster development of personalised cancer treatments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what national route exists for clinicians to seek access to targeted treatments already used in other cancers where a patient with a brain tumour has the same actionable mutation; and what barriers currently prevent wider use of that route.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much, and what percentage of total research expenditure, has been spent on research into (1) Oligodendroglioma, (2) Glioblastoma, (3) Astrocytoma, and (4) Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, brain tumour types in the last decade.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Government responsibility for delivering cancer research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s investment in the NIHR facilitates the direct funding of research projects through NIHR programmes, support for researchers to develop and conduct research through NIHR translational infrastructure, and a workforce to deliver research on behalf of other funders through NIHR research delivery infrastructure.

The following table shows the amount the Department, through the NIHR, committed to research for oligodendroglioma, glioblastoma, astrocytoma, and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma between the financial years 2015/16 to 2024/25:

As NIHR infrastructure primarily funds staff and National Health Service support costs for research delivery, the spend is not directly attributable to specific research studies for the most part, but an estimate is derived based on the number of studies in brain tumour research against the annual infrastructure spend, and is included in the above figures.

The data does fluctuate due to changes such as contract variations and updated information regarding financial reconciliations and support activity.

A breakdown of the percentage of the total research expenditure is not available. This is because much of the NIHR’s investments are for cross-cutting cancer research activities within the NHS and wider health and care system, including research facilities and workforce, known as NIHR infrastructure. In addition, the NIHR cancer research portfolio contains non-specific brain cancer research projects, which will add to the evidence base for the different types of tumours.

The NIHR continues to welcome high-quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what process is in place for new innovative assistive technology devices to be identified and included within the section 22 annual report on research and development work under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act 1970.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology.

The Department invests significantly in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department's research operational arm. The latest report, covering the period from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, has been produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Research under the direction of the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what process is in place for the monitoring of research and development work identified and included within the section 22 annual Report on research and development work under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act 1970.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology.

The Department invests significantly in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department's research operational arm. The latest report, covering the period from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, has been produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Research under the direction of the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many mobility product projects have been included in the last five years within the Section 22 Annual Report on research and development work under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act 1970; and how many such devices have (1) been monitored, and (2) come to market via the NHS.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004 to 1007.

As mentioned in those answers, the report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding. The report signposts the public and partners to the full account of research activity.

In the last five available assistive technology reports, covering the financial years 2020/21 to 2024/25, 30 projects were recorded under the primary theme Mobility and Musculoskeletal Health, with a further 15 recorded under that theme as a secondary category. This data has been collated from the published datasets on National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Open Data, with further information available on the NIHR website. The Department does not currently hold central information on how many of these projects have since reached the National Health Service market.

Responsibility for supporting the development of innovative medical devices and assistive technologies sits across the Government. The Department supports research and innovation through organisations such as the NIHR, which helps generate the evidence needed to support the development, evaluation, and future adoption of health technologies.

The uptake of medical devices within the NHS is primarily a matter for NHS England and local NHS organisations, informed by advice from bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The Department is working with NHS England, regulators, and industry to address barriers to adoption and to support faster access to clinically effective and cost-effective technologies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government who has ministerial responsibility for the (1) development, and (2) take up by the NHS, of devices included in the Section 22 Annual Report on research and development work under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act 1970.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004 to 1007.

As mentioned in those answers, the report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding. The report signposts the public and partners to the full account of research activity.

In the last five available assistive technology reports, covering the financial years 2020/21 to 2024/25, 30 projects were recorded under the primary theme Mobility and Musculoskeletal Health, with a further 15 recorded under that theme as a secondary category. This data has been collated from the published datasets on National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Open Data, with further information available on the NIHR website. The Department does not currently hold central information on how many of these projects have since reached the National Health Service market.

Responsibility for supporting the development of innovative medical devices and assistive technologies sits across the Government. The Department supports research and innovation through organisations such as the NIHR, which helps generate the evidence needed to support the development, evaluation, and future adoption of health technologies.

The uptake of medical devices within the NHS is primarily a matter for NHS England and local NHS organisations, informed by advice from bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The Department is working with NHS England, regulators, and industry to address barriers to adoption and to support faster access to clinically effective and cost-effective technologies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what new mobility devices have been adopted by the NHS during the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England does not hold information on what mobility devices, including electrically powered wheelchairs, have been adopted for use by the National Health Service in the last five years.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services and NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services through a range of policies and guidance, including the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets.

Responsibility for providing community equipment to disabled people typically falls to the NHS and local authorities. Local authorities have a statutory duty to make arrangements for the provision of community equipment for disabled people in their area. Types of support include equipment to enable people to live more independently, such as grab rails, walking aids, and wheelchairs for short-term use. Responsibility for managing the market for these services rests with local authorities.

Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs, on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required.

NHS England is supporting ICBs to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of NHS wheelchairs, and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets. The framework is available at the NHS.UK website and applies to all NHS wheelchair services and provision, including electrically powered wheelchairs.

NHS England introduced personal wheelchair budgets, including legal rights in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is investigating prescribing safety for migraine care for patients with psychiatric comorbidity.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

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 related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications, as referenced in a response to HL1488. Prescribing safety will be considered as part of this review within the scope of the MHRA’s remit. This will include, for example, assessing how prescribing conditions are described in the product information of relevant migraine medicines. However, clinical practice, national or regional clinical guidelines, and a healthcare professional’s decision to prescribe a particular medicine are outside the MHRA’s direct scope of work.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the data described in the UK Biobank Data Statement on 28 April (HL Deb cols 1117–18) would be considered identifiable human genomic data under the Safeguarding UK human genomic data guidance, published on 2 July.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham

The Government understands that some of the data described in UK Biobank's statement from 28th April would be in scope of the Government's recent guidance on safeguarding UK human genomic data, however it is for the Information Commissioner's Office to determine if this may be potentially identifiable data. UK Biobank’s dataset is critical in supporting scientific discoveries that improve patient health, and we expect UK Biobank to remain one of the leading health research resources. Government continues to engage with Biobank to ensure that they are working to both protect the data of participants while ensuring that researchers who have a legitimate need to use the datasets can once again resume their research as soon as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the public protection implications of psychotherapists and counsellors continuing to advertise and practise despite having been removed from Professional Standards Authority accredited voluntary registers because of misconduct; and what consideration they have given to strengthening safeguards in that area.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the written answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 4 June, what plans they have to establish a system to record deaths in supported accommodation which is not registered with CQC and does not fall within the definition of personal care.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, providers of supported accommodation must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) if they carry out the regulated activity of ‘personal care’. The Government does not have plans to establish a system to record deaths in supported accommodation that is not registered with the CQC.

However, all supported accommodation providers must comply with their existing legal duties, including meeting the relevant standards for the quality of accommodation.

The local authority must carry out safeguarding enquiries if an adult has care and support needs, whether or not these are being met by the local authority, and is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect and, as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself from the abuse or neglect or the risk of it. This also applies to accommodation that is not registered with the CQC.

Safeguarding adults boards must also arrange safeguarding adults reviews in cases where an adult has died or experienced serious harm and there are concerns about how agencies worked together, helping to identify lessons to apply to future cases to prevent deaths or serious harm occurring again.

More broadly, the Government’s Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 provides a strong and robust framework which aims to ensure that all residents receive good quality support in good quality accommodation. Under this legislation, housing providers will need to apply for a licence for their supported housing schemes in each local authority, pass a fit and proper person test, and meet several conditions, including complying with the National Supported Housing Standards.

The Government takes the quality and safety of all supported housing very seriously and we are committed to keeping these regulatory arrangements under review to ensure they are effective in preventing avoidable deaths.