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Written Question
Cancer: Research
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding her Department has provided for research into (a) prevention and (b) the treatment of cancer in each of the last 12 years.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23.

When categorising prevention and treatment, the Department and NIHR uses the Health Research Classification System (HRCS) Health Category coding, which was developed by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Partners and was designed to produce a broad strategic overview of health research funding.

The NIHR have funded 127 projects on cancer prevention for the period April 2012 to date with a combined total funding value of approximately £90.3 million:

F/Y

Funded projects

Funding Amount

2012/13

7

£3,735,044

2013/14

8

£2,858,223

2014/15

16

£7,281,782

2015/16

12

£9,206,926

2016/17

8

£3,503,717

2017/18

26

£25,467,753

2018/19

8

£5,428,968

2019/20

10

£12,099,536

2020/21

8

£4,346,694

2021/22

12

£8,892,741

2022/23

12

£7,529,430

total

127

£90,350,814

The NIHR have funded 685 projects on cancer treatment for the period April 2012 to date with a combined total funding value of approximately £302.4 million:

F/Y

Funded projects

Funding Amount

2012/13

56

£23,937,981

2013/14

44

£19,765,569

2014/15

53

£27,226,212

2015/16

54

£26,887,042

2016/17

70

£19,930,361

2017/18

62

£22,760,373

2018/19

52

£18,283,962

2019/20

66

£18,683,770

2020/21

76

£35,330,181

2021/22

90

£55,518,331

2022/23

62

£34,115,891

total

685

£302,439,673

The NIHR Infrastructure investment funds the world-class facilities, expertise, and skilled delivery workforce for research across the National Health Service and wider health and care system in England from early translational clinical research through to applied health and care research. It is difficult to attribute this funding to specific disease and therapy areas as the staff and facilities funded through the NIHR Infrastructure supports research across disciplines.


Written Question
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Tuesday 28th November 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has held recent discussions with (a) ADHD UK, (b) the ADHD Foundation and (c) other organisations representing people with ADHD.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are routinely published on GOV.UK on a quarterly basis.


Written Question
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs
Friday 24th November 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of ADHD medication; and whether her Department has held recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the availability of ADHD medication.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate, primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites.

We have issued communications to the National Health Service to advise healthcare professionals on management of patients whilst there continue to be disruptions to supplies. Patients are advised to speak to their clinician regarding any concerns they have and to discuss the suitability of treatment with alternative medicines where necessary.

We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be. We are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and meet with them very regularly to help ensure that action is taken to improve the availability of ADHD medicines in the United Kingdom, in the short, medium, and long term.


Written Question
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs
Friday 24th November 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she plans to take to increase the supply of (a) Lisdexamfetamine, (b) Methylphenidate and (c) other ADHD medication.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate, primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites.

We have issued communications to the National Health Service to advise healthcare professionals on management of patients whilst there continue to be disruptions to supplies. Patients are advised to speak to their clinician regarding any concerns they have and to discuss the suitability of treatment with alternative medicines where necessary.

We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be. We are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and meet with them very regularly to help ensure that action is taken to improve the availability of ADHD medicines in the United Kingdom, in the short, medium, and long term.


Written Question
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs
Friday 24th November 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support her Department is offering to patients unable to access medication for ADHD.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate, primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites.

We have issued communications to the National Health Service to advise healthcare professionals on management of patients whilst there continue to be disruptions to supplies. Patients are advised to speak to their clinician regarding any concerns they have and to discuss the suitability of treatment with alternative medicines where necessary.

We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be. We are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and meet with them very regularly to help ensure that action is taken to improve the availability of ADHD medicines in the United Kingdom, in the short, medium, and long term.


Written Question
Cancer: Health Services
Tuesday 10th October 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS cancer patients have waited longer than (a) 62 days, (b) 3 months, (c) 4 months, (d) 6 months and (e) 12 months in each of the last three years.

Answered by Will Quince

The following table shows the number of first treatments following an urgent suspected cancer referral, and the proportion that waited longer than the specified time:

Number of patients treated who waited

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

Over 62 days

38,083 (26%)

53,112 (31%)

70,929 (39%)

Over 3 months (>90 days)

16,084 (11%)

22,323 (13%)

33,652 (18%)

Over 4 months (>124 days)

5,723 (4%)

7,117 (4%)

12,343 (7%)

Over 6 months (>182 days)

1,339 (1%)

1,181 (1%)

2,252 (1%)

Over 12 months (>365 days)

18 (0.01%)

28 (0.02%)

42 (0.02%)

Total Treated

148,280

171,395

182,454

Information on the number of people with an urgent referral waiting to start cancer treatment is not held in the format requested. Monthly information is published on the backlog of patients waiting longer than 62 days from urgent general practitioner referral for suspected cancer. This shows that there were 3,344 patients waiting past day 62 following an urgent suspected cancer referral with a decision to treat.

We are unable to publicly disclose the longest wait for a patient to start cancer treatment on the National Health Service for each of the last three years as we cannot provide information which could be patient-identifiable, in line with established disclosure controls.


Written Question
Cancer: Medical Treatments
Tuesday 10th October 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the single longest wait for a patient to start cancer treatment on the NHS for each of the last three years.

Answered by Will Quince

The following table shows the number of first treatments following an urgent suspected cancer referral, and the proportion that waited longer than the specified time:

Number of patients treated who waited

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

Over 62 days

38,083 (26%)

53,112 (31%)

70,929 (39%)

Over 3 months (>90 days)

16,084 (11%)

22,323 (13%)

33,652 (18%)

Over 4 months (>124 days)

5,723 (4%)

7,117 (4%)

12,343 (7%)

Over 6 months (>182 days)

1,339 (1%)

1,181 (1%)

2,252 (1%)

Over 12 months (>365 days)

18 (0.01%)

28 (0.02%)

42 (0.02%)

Total Treated

148,280

171,395

182,454

Information on the number of people with an urgent referral waiting to start cancer treatment is not held in the format requested. Monthly information is published on the backlog of patients waiting longer than 62 days from urgent general practitioner referral for suspected cancer. This shows that there were 3,344 patients waiting past day 62 following an urgent suspected cancer referral with a decision to treat.

We are unable to publicly disclose the longest wait for a patient to start cancer treatment on the National Health Service for each of the last three years as we cannot provide information which could be patient-identifiable, in line with established disclosure controls.


Written Question
Cancer: Medical Treatments
Tuesday 10th October 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people with an urgent referral are waiting to start cancer treatment on the NHS.

Answered by Will Quince

The following table shows the number of first treatments following an urgent suspected cancer referral, and the proportion that waited longer than the specified time:

Number of patients treated who waited

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

Over 62 days

38,083 (26%)

53,112 (31%)

70,929 (39%)

Over 3 months (>90 days)

16,084 (11%)

22,323 (13%)

33,652 (18%)

Over 4 months (>124 days)

5,723 (4%)

7,117 (4%)

12,343 (7%)

Over 6 months (>182 days)

1,339 (1%)

1,181 (1%)

2,252 (1%)

Over 12 months (>365 days)

18 (0.01%)

28 (0.02%)

42 (0.02%)

Total Treated

148,280

171,395

182,454

Information on the number of people with an urgent referral waiting to start cancer treatment is not held in the format requested. Monthly information is published on the backlog of patients waiting longer than 62 days from urgent general practitioner referral for suspected cancer. This shows that there were 3,344 patients waiting past day 62 following an urgent suspected cancer referral with a decision to treat.

We are unable to publicly disclose the longest wait for a patient to start cancer treatment on the National Health Service for each of the last three years as we cannot provide information which could be patient-identifiable, in line with established disclosure controls.


Written Question
Cancer: Medical Treatments
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are receiving cancer treatment on the NHS.

Answered by Will Quince

The latest published data shows that the total number of patients who received their first or subsequent treatment in June 2023 was 54,112.


Written Question
Food: Production
Wednesday 19th July 2023

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) cautions, (b) prosecutions and (c) other legal actions the Food Standards Agency took against food producers in each of the last five years.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) did not issue any cautions in any of the last five years.

The number of FSA prosecutions against food producers is shown in the following table:

Year

Number of prosecutions

2018/19

9

2019/20

10

2020/21

2

2021/22

7

2022/23

2

Figures for other legal actions taken by the FSA against food producers are shown in the following tables.

The number of executed warrants, confiscation orders and prohibition orders per financial year is shown in the below table:

Financial year

Executed warrants, confiscation orders and prohibition orders

2018/19

2

2019/20

1

2020/21

2

2021/22

5

2022/23

9

The number of approval reviews, Certificates of Competence (CoC) suspensions and revocations by calendar year is shown in the below table:

Calendar year

Approval reviews, CoC suspensions and revocations

2018

31

2019

86

2020

44

2021

73

2022

47

The number of animal welfare, remedial action and hygiene improvement notices between 2018 and 2022 is shown in the below table:

Legal action taken

Number of legal actions taken

Animal Welfare Notices 2018-22

236

Remedial Action Notices 2018-22

602

Hygiene Improvement Notices 2018-22

435

Note: These figures are not available on a year-by-year basis.

When it comes to keeping food safe, prosecutions represent the last line of defence. As the national regulator for food, the FSA plays a key role in the prevention of food safety breaches and food crime.