Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his Department taking to (a) promote earlier detection and (b) ensure (i) dentists, (ii) GPs and (iii) other frontline health professionals are (A) trained to identify early warning signs and (B) improve timely diagnosis and referral for treatment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry and diagnostic activity, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.
Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and, as part of the check-up, will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk.
Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. Members of the public who are worried about their oral health in relation to cancer should seek advice from their dentist or general practitioner (GP). Patients with symptoms of concern should be assessed and offered an urgent dental appointment based upon clinical need, in line with advice from NHS England.
We know how important it is to detect cancer and other potentially life-threatening illnesses earlier, in GPs. That’s why we recently launched Jess’s Rule, a new patient safety initiative, in memory of Jessica Brady. In honour of Jessica Brady, all GPs are encouraged to think again if they have been unable to offer a diagnosis after three appointments or if the patient’s symptoms have escalated. This could include seeking a second opinion, offering episodic continuity of care, ordering additional tests, and offering more face-to-face appointments. As well as supporting the earlier identification of the most serious, potentially fatal conditions, this approach aims to improve timely diagnosis and referral for treatments.
The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament. The plan commits to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and speeding up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of migration from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit on care charges levied on disabled people by local authorities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, the responsibility for interpreting and applying the law and the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance rests with local authorities. Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the CASS guidance.
We are aware of some concerns raised around the impact of migration from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit on care charges. We are actively looking into this potential impact. To date, no specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 19 October 2023 to Question 202528 on Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, when the policy work to clarify Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 was (a) commenced, (b) paused and (c) resumed.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In 2014, the Government commenced a public consultation seeking views on section 24 with the aim of increasing openness and transparency. This work was paused due to changes in administration.
The Home Office since resumed work on this issue and in 2022 a letter was sent from the responsible Minster to the Chair of the Animals in Science Committee setting out the intention to engage stakeholders on clarifying Section 24.
Under this Government, the Home Office has been reviewing the matter internally and the intention to clarify the position on Section 24 remains.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to prioritise research into the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.
These investments are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. An example of this investment is research led by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Imperial College London on breath tests for early detection of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. Further information on the breath tests is available at the following link:
https://imperialbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2023/06/05/imperial-led-uk-cancer-breath-tests-reach-final-stages/
The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including pancreatic cancer research. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes for cancer patients in England.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 16 June 2021 to Question 14142 on Chemicals: Health and Wildlife, when she expects the UK Health Security Agency to publish the biomonitoring data collected on the exposure of UK citizens to chemicals under (a) Horizon 2020, (b) the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative and (c) the Partnership for Chemicals Risk Assessment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the Human Biomonitoring for Europe (HBM4EU) project, funded under Horizon 2020, the feasibility of integrating human biomonitoring data into an existing United Kingdom health examination survey was explored. However, no UK biomonitoring data was collected in the project.
As a result of the HBM4EU work carried out by the UK Health Security Agency in collaboration with Imperial College London, a human biomonitoring module was implemented into the NHS Health Survey for England 2022/23 programme. Samples collected in this study are currently being analysed to ascertain exposure within England to a number of priority substances. This data for England will be integrated into the Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals alongside that of other participating countries.
Data on background levels of metals, bisphenols, and phthalates in the population samples are expected to be published by Autumn 2026, with data on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances and flame retardants to follow at a later stage.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to increase the significance of improving animal welfare within the work of the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Animal welfare is, and will continue to be, a high priority for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Through its knowledge and expertise, effective delivery of regulatory functions, and provision of guidance and advice, APHA plays a critical welfare role.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Nicaraguan counterpart on the imprisonment of Efrén Antonio Vílchez López.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer of 17 October 2025 to question 81287. We remain concerned by the harassment and arbitrary detention of members of the Church in Nicaragua and urge the Nicaraguan authorities to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will create new regulatory protections from hazardous chemicals similar to those of the EU in the revised Environmental Improvement Plan.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The revised Environmental Improvement Plan will set out our approach to chemicals management.
The ‘UK REACH Rationale for Prioritising Substances in the UK REACH Work Programme: 2025 to 2026’ policy paper set out our strategic approach to chemicals regulation. Notably that we are seeking to draw more from regulatory decision-making in other jurisdictions, and that this should enable new protections to be applied more quickly, more efficiently, and in a way which is more aligned with our closest trading partners.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which active substances used in biocidal products are approved for use in the UK and not approved in the EU by (a) name of active substance, (b) product type (c) CAS Registry Number and (d) entity name.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The only active substance that is currently approved for use in biocidal products under the GB Biocidal Product Regulation (BPR) in GB, and which is not approved in the EU under EU BPR, is sulfuryl fluoride, in product types 8 and 18, CAS 2699-79-8. The entity that supported the first approval of sulfuryl fluoride is Dow AgroSciences GmbH, and the company supporting the renewal of the approval in GB is Douglas BLG BVBA.
The EU BPR continues to apply in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that migration from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit does not adversely impact disabled claimants financially.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is committed to ensuring that customers, including those with disabilities, are supported when moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit (UC). For those moved under managed migration, we provide transitional protection to their legacy benefit entitlement at the point of claiming UC.
In addition to transitional protection, customers receiving income-related ESA receive a two-week run-on of their legacy benefits to ensure the move to UC is as smooth as possible.
To support customers moving from ESA who require more support to claim the Department has developed the Enhanced Support Journey. The Enhanced Support Journey helps ESA claimants with potential barriers through proactive measures such as outbound calls, system checks, and home visits to ensure they are not left without support during migration. Key features include safeguards to prevent benefit termination before a UC claim, tailored adjustments like alternative communication channels, and national Complex Case Coaches for vulnerable claimants.