Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase levels of life expectancy for people with (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.
The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
The Government recognises the significant impact of rare cancers, such as glioma brain tumours, on patients and on their families and carers, and has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours, and increasing life expectancy. The Government fully supports Scott Arthur’s Private Members’ Bill on rare cancers. The bill will facilitate clinical trials in England by ensuring researchers can easily contact eligible patients.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national cancer plan will consider (a) astrocytoma and (b) other types of brain tumours.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.
The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of funding for the (a) Medical Research Council and (b) National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding levels for health and care research have recently been set as part of the 2025 Spending Review. The Department will receive £9.8 billion for research and development over the period of 2025/26 to 2029/30. This funding will support research and development through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Genomics England, and the Office for Life Sciences, and will support global health research through Official Development Assistance. This funding will ensure that research can provide the evidence needed to support the delivery of the 10-Year Plan and wider Government missions. Funding for the Medical Research Council is determined by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) the National institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to innovative treatment for patients with brain tumours.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with brain tumours, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. As such, officials meet regularly with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to cover a range of related issues.
The Department is working with delivery partners and key stakeholders, including the MHRA, to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of future medicines and therapies, including for brain tumours.
The MHRA is engaging with public, academic, industry, and patient stakeholder groups to see how the agency can encourage research and product licencing in this underserved area. The MHRA remains focused on enabling safe access to innovative treatment as rapidly as possible.
The Government supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers, including brain tumours. As such, the Department has worked closely with the MHRA during the passage of this bill.
NICE makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing, and the NHS in England is required to fund NICE recommended medicines. NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance for relevant brain cancer therapies.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 adequacy of the amount of funding available for research into (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.
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 over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.
Whilst no assessment has been made of the adequacy of the funding available for research into low grade glioma and astrocytoma specifically, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million into research projects focused on brain tumours. In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, for instance facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £37.5 million, supporting the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and enabling over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research in the National Health Service.
In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain tumour research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.
The NIHR also supported the development of Dabrafenib with trametinib, a combined treatment for low grade glioma in children and young people, which is now recommended in guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain tumours. 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.
Welcoming applications on brain tumours to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 10 and 17 June 2025 to Questions 54888 and 57271 on Planning Permission, and Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if the designated Planning Minister will make it their policy to issue a direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to facilitate closed hearing planning representations during the their consideration of the Planning Inspectorate's report.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
An independent Inspector held a public inquiry between 11 and 28 February which heard a range of evidence for and against the proposals in question. The Inspector’s Report is now before the Department for consideration.
Ministers are able to issue a direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 on an application where required. There is no section 321 direction in force and no requests have been received in respect of this case.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Letter to Chief Planning Officers of 24 May 2007, entitled Sensitive Information in applications for planning Permission and Listed Building Consent, whether information relating to the planning application for a Chinese Embassy at the former site of the Royal Mint was separately from the main planning register using the procedure set out in paragraphs 3 and 10 of that letter by the (a) London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) Planning Inspectorate.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 58055 on 16 June 2025.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, CP1336, of 11 June 2025, how much (a) capital and (b) revenue funding is being allocated to the Affordable Housing Programme, in each of the 10 years of that programme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Spending Review 2025 policy paper (which can be found on gov.uk here) makes clear that spending on the Social and Affordable Homes Programme will reach £4 billion per year in 2029-30 and rise in line with inflation subsequently.
Government does not usually publish year-by-year spend on specific programmes in advance.
We have announced the overall funding commitment for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme and will continue to publish departmental capital spend figures on an annual basis.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.39 of HM Treasury's document entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, if she will set out the methodology used to select the 350 deprived communities for intervention funding.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has announced communities funding for up to 350 places, including the 75 places named in the Plan for Neighbourhoods in March 2025 and the 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods that will receive up to £20 million over the next decade. We will share further details on the methodology for how places were selected in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to table B.3 of HM Treasury's document entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, whether her Department's average annual real growth in capital expenditure during 2025-26 to 2029-30 includes the Affordable Housing Programme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The calculations showing MHCLG’s average annual real growth in capital expenditure during 2025-26 to 2029-30 in table B.3 of the HM Treasury’s Spending Review 2025 publication includes the funding allocated to the Affordable Housing Programme.