Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of rare cancer patients unable to access treatment options due to standard NHS funding limitations; what steps he is taking to address treatment barriers, and what steps he is taking to increase funding into rare cancer research.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to improving outcomes for rare cancer patients.
Decisions on whether treatments should be routinely available on the National Health Service in England are informed by recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The Department continues to take action to improve outcomes for rare cancers patients. This includes taking action to prioritise access to specialist treatment and multidisciplinary teams for rare cancer patients, and a commitment to explore novel procurement routes for diagnostics and treatments for rare cancer.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has a strong track record in supporting access for NHS patients, including patients with rare cancers, to effective new medicines at a price that represents value to the NHS and is fair to companies. As part of the United States and United Kingdom partnership, announced in December 2025, we will be investing approximately 25% more into new innovative, safe, and effective medicines. As part of this arrangement, NICE is now using a new, higher cost-effectiveness threshold for its evaluations of medicines. The higher threshold has already enabled NICE to recommend additional medicines, including for rare cancers, that it would previously have been unlikely to have been able to recommend.
The Department invests approximately £1.8 billion each year in health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes high-quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including rare cancers.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to simplify the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme for bereaved families and ensure that medical records previously reviewed and compensation payments previously made are take into account.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
The Government recognises that bereaved families and affected people have suffered profound losses. It was clear from the Government consultation, which ended on 22 January, that respondents felt some specific groups of affected people had suffered significant harms and losses, and deserved more compensation in recognition of this. The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) 2026 Regulations introduce a 50% uplift to the core Injury award for some affected people, including eligible bereaved partners and eligible bereaved parents. These regulations were approved by the House of Commons on 6 July.
Regarding medical records, the Government wants the claims process to be as unburdensome to the applicant as possible. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority, or IBCA, who deliver the compensation scheme, ensure that claim managers seek official documentation to support a person’s claim, including from GPs. If a person is registered with an existing support scheme, IBCA will use all this existing information to handle the person’s claim. Someone will only be asked for additional information if there is anything missing that is needed to progress their claim, for example how severe their infection is or when they were diagnosed with their condition.
No past support or ex-gratia payments received through the Infected Blood Support Schemes or Alliance House Organisation schemes will be deducted from the final payments made through the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (“the Scheme”). Any support payments paid from 1 April 2025 will be taken into account when IBCA calculates the amount of compensation that an infected person is entitled to for the awards relating to their future financial loss and future care costs. Where people have previously received interim compensation payments, these will be deducted from compensation awards through the Scheme. Similarly, any past or future compensation awarded through the courts will be deducted from compensation awards through the Scheme.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) what assessments have been carried out on the potential health risks of BPS-coated receipts for workers handling large volumes, including hospitality and retail staff, and (b) what measures are being implemented to ensure these workers are fully protected from these occupational hazards.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in its role as the Agency under the UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (UK REACH) Regulation, published an Agency technical report - Bisphenol and bisphenol derivative developers in thermal paper. The report concluded, on the basis of the available hazard data, that Bisphenol S (BPS) is absorbed through the skin to a lesser extent than Bisphenol A (BPA), resulting in a lower overall dose for those handling thermal paper.
A restriction under UK REACH, mirrored across the UK and EU, prohibits the placing on the market of thermal paper containing BPA at concentrations equal to or greater than 0.02% by weight.
Separately, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) place clear duties on employers and the self‑employed to prevent, or where that is not reasonably practicable, to adequately control exposure to substances hazardous to health in the workplace. This requires dutyholders to assess risks, identify potential routes of exposure, and implement proportionate control measures in line with the recognised hierarchy of control, prioritising elimination or substitution with safer alternatives, followed by engineering and organisational controls, and relying on personal protective equipment only as a last resort.
Manufacturers, importers and suppliers also have legal responsibilities to ensure that substances placed on the market are safe when used as intended. This includes identifying hazardous properties, ensuring correct classification, labelling and packaging in accordance with the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, and providing appropriate information to users. This information must include up‑to‑date Safety Data Sheets and clear advice on safe storage, handling, use and emergency measures.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her department is taking to ensure all schools have the necessary resources to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures during hot weather thereby preventing any disruption to studies.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department takes periods of hot weather and heatwaves seriously and has published a climate risk assessment here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.
We have published guidance to support education settings during hot weather, drawing on guidance from the UK Health Security Agency, here: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/.
We are improving infrastructure and strengthening resilience across the education estate through our Education Estates Strategy here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-estates-strategy. This includes a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to improve condition and climate resilience, investment of almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance to improve the condition of the school and college estate, and investment of almost £20 billion through to 2034/35 in the School Rebuilding Programme, delivering climate‑resilient buildings at over 750 schools.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to stop illegal gambling apps that are using registration; and what support will be put in place for victims of these apps.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The issue of illegal gambling is a concern for this government. We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed.
As part of the 2025 Budget, the Treasury announced that the Gambling Commission will receive an additional £26 million across three years to increase investment, resources and capacity to tackle the illegal market. In addition, the Crime and Policing Act, which received Royal Assent in April 2026, enables the Commission to apply for new powers to obtain orders to suspend internet protocol addresses and internet domain names linked to illegal gambling. We also launched the Illegal Gambling Taskforce at the beginning of this year which brings together a wide range of stakeholders to take action against the illegal market.
We also recognise the impact that harmful gambling can have on individuals, families and communities and are committed to further strengthening measures to protect those at risk. The statutory gambling levy, established last year, provides independent and sustainable funding for the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm. Approximately 50% of this funding will go to NHS England and Scottish and Welsh Governments to work with providers, including the third sector, to increase access to treatment and support for those experiencing gambling-related harm.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that healthcare (a) standards in rural and semi-rural towns and villages meet the same standards as in cities and (b) in Bromsgrove constituency meets the highest standards.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is restoring the founding promise of the National Health Service, to bring quality healthcare to all, regardless of how much you earn or where you live. Local integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the design and commissioning of health care services to best meet the needs of their local population including in more rural areas such as Bromsgrove.
However, we are working across all areas to establish new neighbourhood services and also improve against the key NHS access standards set out in the NHS’s Constitution and are making progress with improvements in waiting times for elective and urgent and emergency care.
Additionally new funding for general practitioners is being prioritised for areas where the need is greatest, and we're sending more cancer specialists to rural hospitals. As we modernise the health service, the NHS App and NHS Online will bring world class healthcare to the most remote corners of our country at the touch of a button.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
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 merits of including anaesthetists on the National Maternity and Neonatal Task Force; what consultation was taken with representative bodies of anaesthetists when creating the National Maternity and Neonatal Task Force; and whether he plans to include anaesthetists on the National Maternity and Neonatal Task Force in the future.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has been designed to be agile and make decisions at pace, whilst still representing a breadth of perspectives, experiences and professions across the maternity and neonatal system. Women’s representation on the Taskforce is essential.
However, we recognise the importance of much wider perspectives to ensure the Taskforce can achieve its aims, which is why we have set up eight expert reference groups, which will feed directly into the taskforce. These groups will ensure the taskforce benefits from a broad range of perspectives including from clinical, academic, workforce, charitable and grassroots organisations, families and women, and regulatory and investigatory bodies.
We currently have anaesthetist representation on the Workforce, Clinical and Academic Expert Reference Group, namely Dr Nuala Lucas, President of the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of processing times for DBS on the trends in the number of carers in the sector.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
As part of the Department’s commissioned research, Understanding recruitment to the adult social care workforce, undertaken by the King’s Fund, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are referenced in relation to recruitment and retention challenges. The full report is available at the following link:
DBS does not report its performance by specific job sectors. DBS publishes its performance for all checks on a quarterly basis at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbs-performance--2
These attainments apply to applications across all employment sectors, including the care sector.
Care workers require enhanced DBS checks, and this is the highest level of check available to those working with vulnerable groups and other positions that involve a high degree of trust. DBS aims to issue 80% of Enhanced checks within 14 days and the average attainment for the most recent quarter was 74.7%, with the 80% target met on day 20. The average turnaround time for all Enhanced checks in the quarter was 12.6 days.
For Enhanced checks, the DBS works closely with all police forces to ensure checks are completed as quickly as possible. This includes funding additional staff and overtime within forces. Where possible, police forces with capacity are also helping those with a large number of outstanding cases, a process managed by the DBS.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken for DBS check processing in Bromsgrove constituency; and what steps she is taking to help reduce that time.
Answered by Natalie Fleet
As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and responsible for the service it provides.
DBS does not collate data on processing times by local area or constituency.
The most recently published performance data for the last quarter of 2025-26 can be viewed at: DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK.
This information provides the average time taken to complete all levels of check and shows that the target to process 85% of Basic checks within 2 days and 85% of Standard checks within 3 days was consistently exceeded. The target to complete 80% of Enhanced level checks within 14 days was not met, with the average attainment being 74.7% and the 80% target met on day 20. The average turnaround time for Enhanced level checks was 12.6 days.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) ensure police forces pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry to avoid categorising victim-based offences cases as a evidential difficulties outcome prematurely and (b) support police forces to reduce the number of victim-based cases being categorised as a evidential difficulties outcome.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The police have a duty to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, as set out in the Code of Practice under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996.
The Home Office works with policing and the Crown Prosecution Service to improve all case outcomes, including best efforts to secure justice for all victims. A joint Police and Crown Prosecution Service action plan is implementing recommendations from a recent Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates’ inspection, which will include improvements around ensuring evidential material is sufficiently robust for a prosecution to proceed. This applies to all cases, including victim-based offences, and supports efforts to reduce closures due to evidential difficulties.