Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include diffuse astrocytoma brain tumours and all grades of brain tumour subtypes.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with brain tumours.
Although low-grade brain tumours are generally non-cancerous, they can have similar, serious symptoms and require surgery or radiotherapy to treat. The Government has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.
The plan will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the last funding reviews of (1) the Medical Research Council, and (2) the National Institute for Health and Care Research, took place, and when the next funding reviews will be undertaken.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2024 Autumn Budget set 2025/26 departmental budgets, including funding for health and social care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The current Spending Review, which will conclude in June, will consider levels of Government funding for health and social care research through the NIHR, the MRC, and elsewhere for subsequent years.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the increase of incidents of (1) diffuse astrocytoma and (2) low grade gliomas will be considered when allocating research funding for these conditions to the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Over the last ten years, the Department has invested £407,665 across three projects into research for astrocytoma brain tumours, and £632,742 across four projects into research for low grade gliomas through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
More broadly, in the five years between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the NIHR has directly invested £11.3 million in brain cancer research projects and programmes across 15 awards, with wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure, including facilities, services, and the research workforce, at a value of an estimated £31.5 million 2022/23, and has enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place over the same period. In total NIHR investments have enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the National Health Service over this time.
Over five years between 2020 and 2024, the Medical Research Council (MRC) also committed £12.6 million to brain tumour research, including £7.4 million for glioma research. This includes two PhD studentships related to low grade glioma. The MRC did not commit any specific funding for astrocytoma research in this period.
In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. Further details can be found on the NIHR’s website, in an online only format.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including astrocytoma brain tumours and low-grade gliomas. 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 patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they have spent and how much funding they have allocated for research into the treatment of (1) astrocytoma brain tumours and (2) low grade gliomas in each of the past 10 years.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Over the last ten years, the Department has invested £407,665 across three projects into research for astrocytoma brain tumours, and £632,742 across four projects into research for low grade gliomas through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
More broadly, in the five years between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the NIHR has directly invested £11.3 million in brain cancer research projects and programmes across 15 awards, with wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure, including facilities, services, and the research workforce, at a value of an estimated £31.5 million 2022/23, and has enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place over the same period. In total NIHR investments have enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the National Health Service over this time.
Over five years between 2020 and 2024, the Medical Research Council (MRC) also committed £12.6 million to brain tumour research, including £7.4 million for glioma research. This includes two PhD studentships related to low grade glioma. The MRC did not commit any specific funding for astrocytoma research in this period.
In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. Further details can be found on the NIHR’s website, in an online only format.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including astrocytoma brain tumours and low-grade gliomas. 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 patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions ministers or officials have had with the operators of Heathrow Airport on their proposal for a third runway.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
DfT Ministers and officials engage routinely with Heathrow Airport Limited on a range of issues, including their future growth proposals.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on developing a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes the development of a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in released pheasants in Worcestershire resulting in mass mortality, what estimate they have made of the number of pheasants and other birds killed; what assessment they have made of the impact of released pheasants on the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza; and what plans they have, if any, to increase disease surveillance of game birds.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out year-round surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dead wild birds, including wild gamebirds, in Great Britain and publishes results on GOV.UK. These can be explored through APHA’s interactive map and dashboard available at GOV.UK
To ensure our approach to disease control reflects any risk these activities pose, APHA has assessed the impact gamebird releases have on the likelihood of transmission of avian influenza to wild birds, and between wild birds and kept birds. The need to update this risk assessment in response to new scientific evidence or veterinary advice or significant changes in the epidemiological situation is kept under review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in the UK, or working with international partners, to address animal management practices known to be higher risk for the emergence or transmission of avian flu.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Stringent biosecurity is key to protecting the health and welfare of poultry and other captive birds and is critical to preventing disease spread during an avian influenza outbreak. Defra has published guidance and together with the Animal and Plant Health Agency provides support to bird keepers on how to implement strong biosecurity measures. Government will continue to work closely with industry to ensure good flock management and husbandry practices are implemented on all farms regardless of their size or type. The need to mandate enhanced biosecurity or other controls on bird keepers are kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.
At an international level, collaboration and knowledge exchange with international partners takes place regularly through the networks of international reference laboratories, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Quadripartite Organisations and allied projects, including through the joint World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Scientific Network on animal influenza OFFLU.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of cases of avian flu in pheasants, what assessment they have made of the risks that ‘catching up’ pheasants this shooting season may pose to people, captive birds, and wild birds; and what plans they have, if any, to publish guidance and a risk assessment on this activity.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has published on GOV.UK their assessment of the risk of catching up gamebirds and the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. The need to update this risk assessment in response to new scientific evidence, veterinary advice or significant changes in the epidemiological situation is kept under review as part of the Government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.
Defra has also published guidance on GOV.UK specifically covering the avian influenza rules and best practice in disease prevention for gamebirds. Defra, together with APHA and Natural England, work closely with industry groups to ensure this vital information is distributed and utilised by the gamebird sector.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government why a regional avian influenza prevention zone for the East Riding of Yorkshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, and Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk was not put in place before 23 December 2024.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The prevention measures mandated through an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) are introduced in a phased and escalating manner proportionate to the escalating risk to an area. An AIPZ mandating enhanced biosecurity was declared across the East Riding of Yorkshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk on the 13 November 2024 in response to cases in the area and an increase in both the wild bird and poultry avian influenza risk levels. The AIPZ was extended to include mandatory housing from the 23 December 2024 following a further increase in both the wild bird and poultry risk levels and an escalating number of cases in the area indicating further controls were required to stop the spread of disease. Decisions on when to introduce or vary controls are based on risk assessments of the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.