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 encourage foreign investment.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This Government is committed to encouraging international investment to drive economic growth. DCMS’s work to promote investment into the culture and creative industries, media and sport sectors is an important part of this.

Most recently, through the Creative Industries Sector Plan we committed to provide £10 million to expand the National Film and Television School which will unlock £11 million of private investment, including from major overseas companies. We have also recently brought together sporting stakeholders and investors in the third annual One Goal Investment Symposium to highlight opportunities for foreign investment into the sport sector.

The whole Government uses its international engagements to encourage investment from overseas, India being a prime example. On her visit to India earlier this year, the Secretary of State signed a cultural cooperation agreement that will boost cultural exchange and encourage long-term institutional partnerships. On the Prime Minister’s recent visit to India, with a large business and cultural delegation, we secured a commitment from Yash Raj Films to bring new productions to the UK, attracted to the UK by our skillsbase and competitive tax system. This will create over 3,000 jobs and boost the economy by millions of pounds. On the same visit, the Government announced that the Science Museum has received an unprecedented eight-figure donation from the Serum Institute of India to support the transformation of one of the museum’s most iconic spaces.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what conditions for night time rail freight movements have been placed on the Oxford to Milton Keynes stretch of East West Rail.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A noise assessment for East West Rail (EWR) was undertaken for the Environmental Statement supporting the Transport and Works Act Order application for the railway. The assessment assumed a traffic flow of 8 freight trains composed of 36 wagons during the nighttime period (23:00 – 07:00). Mitigations have been provided for this in line with the Noise Insultation (Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems) Regulations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many night time freight movements are permitted on East West Rail.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A noise assessment for East West Rail (EWR) was undertaken for the Environmental Statement supporting the Transport and Works Act Order application for the railway. The assessment assumed a traffic flow of 8 freight trains composed of 36 wagons during the nighttime period (23:00 – 07:00). Mitigations have been provided for this in line with the Noise Insultation (Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems) Regulations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when passenger services from Oxford to Milton Keynes will commence on East West Rail.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is working closely with Chiltern Railways and other partners to confirm a start date for the service. We are looking forward to commencing services as soon as all necessary authorisations and agreements are in place. Passenger services will commence once train testing and driver training have been completed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with Chiltern Railways on the refurbishment of Haddenham & Thame Parkway car park.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

My Officials have been in regular contact with Chiltern Railways regarding the refurbishment of Haddenham & Thame Parkway car park, particularly in light of the closure of the upper deck and the resulting capacity challenges.

The Department will continue to engage with Chiltern Railways to ensure that car park improvements deliver meaningful benefits for rail users and the wider local community.

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 people (a) living with and (b) beyond cancer receive (i) timely and (ii) personalised support following a cancer diagnosis in Mid Buckinghamshire constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England, including those in Mid Buckinghamshire constituency, receive timely, personalised care that is tailored to individual needs.

Where appropriate, every person in England diagnosed with cancer will have access to personalised care, including needs assessment, a care plan and health and wellbeing information and support. This includes provision of information, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. Personalised care ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health as well as any practical or financial concerns.

The National Cancer Plan will seek to improve the experience and outcomes for people living with cancer. Having consulted with key stakeholders and patient groups, the plan will be published early in the new year. It will look at how we can improve communication and coordination for patients, so that they feel informed and in control of their care.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate on the development of non-electric technologies to power motor cars.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate sets annual targets for the proportion of new zero emission cars and vans sold in the UK. This regulation does not require that new zero emission vehicles be electric, only that they emit no CO2 from the tailpipe. The ZEV Mandate therefore considers any vehicles that meet that criteria to be zero emission, including, for example, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Currently, battery electric is the leading ZEV technology.

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 the current NICE QALY threshold on (a) patient access to innovative medicines and (b) the UK’s competitiveness in attracting life sciences investment.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE is able to recommend most new medicines for use by the NHS, with a 91% approval rate for completed appraisals in the last 12 months.

As committed to in our Life Sciences Sector Plan, we will work with industry to accelerate growth in the net spend on innovative medicines over the course of this plan compared with the previous ten years, particularly for those medicines that help keep people out of hospital. Together, this will help ensure that by 2030, the United Kingdom will be one of the top three fastest places in Europe for patient access to medicines.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan also committed to faster patient access to medicines and reduced industry costs, while ensuring good value for the NHS. A Growth Mandate on NHS commercial activity will drive focus on activity which is growth-maximising and will ensure that promoting innovation is seen as an institutional objective alongside achieving value for money. A new, proportionate approach to NICE appraisals and indication-specific pricing will streamline access for multi-indication medicines with strong outcomes and low affordability risk. These commitments will create a more agile, predictable commercial environment that supports investment into the UK.

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 ensure that the medicines budget supports (a) access to innovative treatments and (b) attracts global pharmaceutical investment.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE is able to recommend most new medicines for use by the NHS, with a 91% approval rate for completed appraisals in the last 12 months.

As committed to in our Life Sciences Sector Plan, we will work with industry to accelerate growth in the net spend on innovative medicines over the course of this plan compared with the previous ten years, particularly for those medicines that help keep people out of hospital. Together, this will help ensure that by 2030, the United Kingdom will be one of the top three fastest places in Europe for patient access to medicines.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan also committed to faster patient access to medicines and reduced industry costs, while ensuring good value for the NHS. A Growth Mandate on NHS commercial activity will drive focus on activity which is growth-maximising and will ensure that promoting innovation is seen as an institutional objective alongside achieving value for money. A new, proportionate approach to NICE appraisals and indication-specific pricing will streamline access for multi-indication medicines with strong outcomes and low affordability risk. These commitments will create a more agile, predictable commercial environment that supports investment into the UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the risk of state sponsored terrorism from Palestine.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 September to Question 74028.

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 improve long-term quality of life for people (a) living with and (b) beyond cancer under the National Cancer Plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan, which will be published early in the new year, will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention, and research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. The National Cancer Plan will build on the three shifts set out by the 10-Year Health Plan. These shifts will enable rapid progress on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, as well as supporting those living with cancer to better manage their condition and improve their quality of life.

The National Cancer Plan will aim to improve how the physical and psychosocial needs of people with cancer can be met, with a focus on personalised care to improve quality of life. It will address how the experience of care can be improved for those diagnosed, treated, and living with and beyond cancer.

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 neighbourhood cancer care models in the National Cancer Plan have a role in reducing health inequalities.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, is for our health system to fit around people’s lives. The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean that millions of patients are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of professionals, and neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services on people’s doorsteps.

It will involve care closer to the community, including a focus on prevention, as well as the redesign of outpatient and diagnostic services, and the re-design of urgent and emergency care.

In the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, we will look at how to incorporate this neighbourhood approach into cancer care. The National Cancer Plan will also set out how we will work with organisations representing communities that experience health inequalities, to help us meet the needs of all cancer patients across England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish a framework for neighbourhood cancer care as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, is for our health system to fit around people’s lives. The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean that millions of patients are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of professionals, and neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services on people’s doorsteps.

It will involve care closer to the community, including a focus on prevention, as well as the redesign of outpatient and diagnostic services, and the re-design of urgent and emergency care.

In the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, we will look at how to incorporate this neighbourhood approach into cancer care. The National Cancer Plan will also set out how we will work with organisations representing communities that experience health inequalities, to help us meet the needs of all cancer patients across England.

Found: 1-16 Representations made I: Jen Craft II: Gregory Stafford, David Davis, Linsey Farnsworth and Greg Smith

Found: For example, shadow transport minister Greg Smith called for the government to reward or incentivise