Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of US action in the Middle East on British citizens.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 17 March.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government plans to introduce legislation to limit the creation of echo chambers and the use of harmful algorithms that promote hate for financial gain.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must tackle illegal content, including terrorist content and religious or race-based hatred. They must protect children from additional forms of legal content, including hate or abuse.

Services must ensure their algorithms do not promote this content, and Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure this. Government has met with Ofcom to encourage their enforcement on this issue.

In response to the Social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms report by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, government committed to ensuring individuals have a say over the content they are presented by algorithms. DSIT committed further to exploring options requiring platforms to provide users with greater control over their algorithms in Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what consideration the Government has given to introducing further regulations on social media companies to address the prevalence of hate speech online.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must tackle illegal content, including terrorist content and religious or race-based hatred. They must protect children from additional forms of legal content, including hate or abuse.

Services must ensure their algorithms do not promote this content, and Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure this. Government has met with Ofcom to encourage their enforcement on this issue.

In response to the Social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms report by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, government committed to ensuring individuals have a say over the content they are presented by algorithms. DSIT committed further to exploring options requiring platforms to provide users with greater control over their algorithms in Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government intends to take to regulate social media algorithms that promote or amplify hateful content.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must tackle illegal content, including terrorist content and religious or race-based hatred. They must protect children from additional forms of legal content, including hate or abuse.

Services must ensure their algorithms do not promote this content, and Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to ensure this. Government has met with Ofcom to encourage their enforcement on this issue.

In response to the Social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms report by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, government committed to ensuring individuals have a say over the content they are presented by algorithms. DSIT committed further to exploring options requiring platforms to provide users with greater control over their algorithms in Protecting What Matters, the government’s plan to improve social cohesion.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government plans to bring forward further legislation to help prevent and hold online platforms accountable for the monetisation of hate-driven engagement.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act places duties on online platforms to tackle illegal content that stirs up hatred and to protect children from legal content that is hateful or abusive. Platforms must ensure their algorithms do not promote these types of content.

In March, MHCLG published Protecting What Matters, in which DSIT, in partnership with DCMS, committed to engaging the advertising industry and platforms to further understand how advertising can inadvertently fund legal but harmful content and consider potential solutions to this issue.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses and levels of employment.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses. Responsibility for healthcare service provision sits with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS bodies.

The Government’s priority is to ensure that affected workers are supported, and the Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to provide assistance through Jobcentre Plus and its Rapid Response Service where required. The Government continues to work with local partners to understand and mitigate any wider impacts on employment in affected areas.

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 healthcare treatment uptake on the finances of low income households.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

There has been no specific assessment of the potential impact of healthcare treatment uptake on the finances of low-income households.

National Health Services are free at the point of use for those ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, except for certain charges, such as some NHS prescription charges and dental charges.

Many people are eligible for help with health costs. This includes exemptions for specific groups, and support through the NHS Low Income Scheme for people on a low income. Patients on a low income may also be able to get help with other necessary health-related costs, for example through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, subject to eligibility.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information on his Department holds on the number of people who have partially or wholly self funded proton beam therapy in each of the last five years.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department oversees healthcare in England but does not routinely track how many residents have received proton beam therapy, either domestically or abroad, in the past five years.

We also do not routinely collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many UK residents received proton beam therapy (a) domestically and (b) overseas under NHS commissioning arrangements in each of the last five financial years.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department oversees healthcare in England but does not routinely track how many residents have received proton beam therapy, either domestically or abroad, in the past five years.

We also do not routinely collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the NHS has spent on commissioning proton beam therapy, including overseas referrals, in each of the last five financial years.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment has been made of the cost to the NHS of delivering proton beam therapy domestically versus overseas.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.

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 increasing domestic NHS proton beam therapy on value for money in the NHS.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the long-term cost to the NHS of (a) delayed and (b) disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of taking on patients who were previously receiving care from Rutherford Health prior to its liquidation.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.

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 merits, costs and feasibility of bringing the former Rutherford Centre at Bomarsund into NHS ownership or management.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.

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 clinical impact, treatment timings and associated costs for the NHS resulting from the closure of Rutherford Health centres, including the Bomarsund site.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.

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 long-term potential social and economic impacts of closed Rutherford Health sites on communities.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.

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 (a) current and (b) future demand for proton beam therapy in England.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments and what's best for the individual's overall health and well-being.

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 prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of (a) patients and (b) unpaid carers.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

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 time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long term NHS costs.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

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 travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

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 (a) average and (b) total out of pocket costs incurred by patients and families accessing proton beam therapy, including travel, accommodation and subsistence, in each of the last five years.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy. However, NHS England and integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme and who are on a low income may be able to claim travel costs through the Department for Work and Pensions via Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients in England (a) are awaiting cancer treatment and (b) have been waiting longer than the (i) 31 and (ii) 62 day targets.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Cancer treatment waiting list data is not published, however, we can provide the latest published 62-day cancer backlog figure, which was 15,102 for the week ending 1 March 2026. The 62-day backlog is the number of patients waiting on the 62-day pathway following an urgent suspected cancer referral. These figures include patients who will not have cancer and are waiting for this to be ruled out as well as those who are waiting for initial treatment following diagnosis of cancer.

For the latest published month of cancer wating time statistics, from February 2026, 3,878 patients were breaching the 31-day treatment standard, and 8,500 patients were breaching the 62-day standard. These patients received a treatment after 31 and 62 days respectively.

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 regional disparities in access to proton beam therapy and other highly specialised cancer treatments.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Cancer Plan sets out how every patient will have access to top-quality care through a new approach to quality and by providing more patients with access to specialist treatment centres. We will ensure that every patient, regardless of their postcode, has access to more personalised and more effective treatments.

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 patients who were eligible for proton beam therapy but did not receive it due to availability in each of the last five years.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not routinely collect data on the number of patients eligible for this treatment.

Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments and what's best for the individual's overall health and well-being.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what further action the Government plans to take to help reduce the negative impacts of social media on the mental health of young people and wider society.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Protecting children from harm online is a priority for the Secretary of State and the Government. One of the Secretary of State’s first actions in the job was to criminalise intimate image abuse and cyberflashing. We have legislated to make content that promotes self-harm and suicide priority offences in the Online Safety Act. The Secretary of State and I have acted to prevent platforms hosting child sexual abuse material and material that contributes to violence against women and girls by banning AI nudification apps, requiring platforms to take down non-consensual intimate images 48 hours after they are reported, make it so that women only need to report non-consensual intimate images once and requiring platforms to act faster to address intimate images, strangulation pornography, and pornography depicting adults role-playing as children . We have always been clear that there is still more to do.

On 2 March we published a consultation and national conversation which seeks views and evidence on a range of measures that could further protect children online and enhance their wider wellbeing.

The consultation includes exploring banning social media and gaming for children below a certain age and restricting access to risky and ‘addictive’ features and functionalities.

Payment of employment tribunal awards

International Workers’ Memorial Day 2026

Planned reductions to BBC staff

World Curlew Day

Use of restraint of children in the asylum system removal process

Impact of war in the Middle East on the cost of living

Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners

UN General Assembly Resolution A/80/L.48 on declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement as a crime against humanity

Illegal waste operations

Universal Credit health for under-22s

Workers Memorial Day