Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to improve cancer waiting times in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving outcomes for cancer patients across England, including in Ely and East Cambridgeshire.
The Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has a strong track record in delivering the cancer performance standards over the years. There is a comprehensive action plan to address the recent deterioration in the waiting times that patients are experiencing for cancer diagnostics and treatment. This includes the provision of additional consultant appointments and theatre lists, as well as recruitment to expand capacity across a number of treatment pathways, with breast, urology, and skin cancer services identified as specific priorities to meet local needs.
A new Cancer Operational Taskforce has been launched to drive the delivery of the actions required to improve cancer waiting times for patients, including those who reside within the Ely constituency area.
The Department will publish a National Cancer Plan which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across England, speed up diagnosis and treatment, and ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
Reducing inequalities is also a key priority for the National Cancer Plan. The plan will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival and will develop interventions to tackle these. This includes looking at protected characteristics, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and geographic location. We know that people living in deprived areas are less likely to have their cancers diagnosed at an early stage, when treatment can be more effective, and we want to reduce the gap in early diagnosis between those living in the richest and poorest areas through the National Cancer Plan.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 trends in the level of inequalities in cancer treatment access in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving outcomes for cancer patients across England, including in Ely and East Cambridgeshire.
The Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has a strong track record in delivering the cancer performance standards over the years. There is a comprehensive action plan to address the recent deterioration in the waiting times that patients are experiencing for cancer diagnostics and treatment. This includes the provision of additional consultant appointments and theatre lists, as well as recruitment to expand capacity across a number of treatment pathways, with breast, urology, and skin cancer services identified as specific priorities to meet local needs.
A new Cancer Operational Taskforce has been launched to drive the delivery of the actions required to improve cancer waiting times for patients, including those who reside within the Ely constituency area.
The Department will publish a National Cancer Plan which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across England, speed up diagnosis and treatment, and ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
Reducing inequalities is also a key priority for the National Cancer Plan. The plan will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival and will develop interventions to tackle these. This includes looking at protected characteristics, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and geographic location. We know that people living in deprived areas are less likely to have their cancers diagnosed at an early stage, when treatment can be more effective, and we want to reduce the gap in early diagnosis between those living in the richest and poorest areas through the National Cancer Plan.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department had with stakeholders in the horseracing industry prior to the Government's consultation on gambling tax simplification being launched.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As part of the consultation process, the Government engaged with a wide range of stakeholders. We are working with representatives of the horseracing industry to identify any potential unintended consequences for the sector, and how they might be mitigated.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to immigration laws on the level of recruitment of skilled science professionals from abroad.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government remains committed to attracting the best talent from around the world to the UK.
The Immigration White Paper makes clear the valuable contribution that high-skilled workers make to our science and technology sectors. It also set-out our ambition to increase the number of very high skilled individuals coming here through high-talent routes like the Global Talent and High Potential Individual visas, alongside faster routes for bringing people to the UK who have the right skills and experience to supercharge UK growth in strategic industries.
DSIT is working closely with the Home Office to implement these commitments.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if the Government will allocate Ministerial responsibility for science centres to a specific Department.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK’s Science and Discovery Centres have an important role in engaging the public with science and technology and in inspiring young people, particularly those from underrepresented groups, their primary role is as visitor centres focussed on the role of science in the UK’s culture. DSIT will engage with DCMS to discuss how government’s relationship with these important institutions can best be supported going forward.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered introducing multi-year NHS funding for the health elements of children's palliative care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services, including for children, are included in the list of services that integrated care boards (ICBs) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.
The Department and NHS England are looking at how to improve the access, quality and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan. The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that the future state of services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of harmonising gambling tax rates on the horseracing industry.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government consultation on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling into one closed on 21 July 2025. Responses are now being analysed and a response to the consultation will be published at Autumn Budget 2025.
If any changes are made to gambling duties at a future Budget following the consultation, they will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take further steps to support children's hospices with their energy costs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While most palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including children’s hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.
Most children’s hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.
We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We know that many hospices have chosen to use this funding on energy efficiency measures, such as boiler upgrades or solar panel installation, to reduce energy costs and improve efficiency in the longer term.
We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that women in the armed forces are equipped with appropriate (a) uniforms and (b) equipment.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is continually seeking to ensure all women in our Armed Forces are equipped with appropriate clothing, including uniforms, and equipment.
Following the House of Commons Defence Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces report, "Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life" published on 25 July 2021, the MOD responded by starting work on improving the experience for women in the Armed Forces, and a branch of that was through updating clothing.
Women’s uniform and equipment is now regularly reviewed and discussed at a Defence-level working group to ensure the equal provision of safe and suitable clothing and equipment to all Service personnel to allow them to deliver their operational outputs and effects.
So far, suppliers have developed more than 85 samples across 38 key clothing items to ensure the female fit meets the requirement. New items now available to women include sports bras, Mess Dress trousers and under-body armour combat shirts.
The Tactical Ballistic Plate project will deliver hard armour plates in a range of different sizes, ensuring greater comfort and integration for all users across Defence. Successful Human Factors Integration trials have been completed across a diverse cohort, that included female representation.
Narrow-fit Scalable Tactical Vest STV are now in service, which provides improved fit and comfort for all personnel, with special measuring available for those who measure outside of the 12 sizes available.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that women in the armed forces are equipped with appropriate (a) uniforms and (b) equipment.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is continually seeking to ensure all women in our Armed Forces are equipped with appropriate clothing, including uniforms, and equipment.
Following the House of Commons Defence Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces report, "Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life" published on 25 July 2021, the MOD responded by starting work on improving the experience for women in the Armed Forces, and a branch of that was through updating clothing.
Women’s uniform and equipment is now regularly reviewed and discussed at a Defence-level working group to ensure the equal provision of safe and suitable clothing and equipment to all Service personnel to allow them to deliver their operational outputs and effects.
So far, suppliers have developed more than 85 samples across 38 key clothing items to ensure the female fit meets the requirement. New items now available to women include sports bras, Mess Dress trousers and under-body armour combat shirts.
The Tactical Ballistic Plate project will deliver hard armour plates in a range of different sizes, ensuring greater comfort and integration for all users across Defence. Successful Human Factors Integration trials have been completed across a diverse cohort, that included female representation.
Narrow-fit Scalable Tactical Vest STV are now in service, which provides improved fit and comfort for all personnel, with special measuring available for those who measure outside of the 12 sizes available.