Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has commissioned independent research to make a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of using (a) dogs as a second species and (b) new non-animal scientific approaches in toxicological testing.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The use of dogs as a second species in toxicological testing remains an important step in the development of safe new medicines, treatments, technologies, and other chemicals. The use of animals in science is highly regulated, and includes a three-tier system of licensing which licenses each establishment, project, and individual involved in performing regulated procedures involving animals.

Currently, there is no independent research commissioned by the Government, that makes a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of using dogs as a second species and new non-animal scientific approaches in toxicological testing. Instead, the Government’s current approach is to actively support and accelerate advances in biomedical science and technologies to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research and importantly, to avoid some of the scientific limitations of animal models of human diseases. This includes stem cell research, the development of cell culture systems that mimic the function of human organs, imaging, and new computer modelling techniques.

UK Research and Innovation remains strongly committed to supporting the development of techniques that replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs), and provides core funding for the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice, and regulations on animal research.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that mental health training programs equip future clinicians with the necessary digital literacy skills to support the integration of technology into mental health care.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The NHS Digital Academy has a responsibility to support the National Health Service workforce to develop the necessary digital skills for work. The NHS Digital Academy is responsible for a strategy that will help NHS employers to support and upskill these staff through self-assessment, and both online and more traditional face-to-face learning opportunities. 16,000 people in the NHS workforce have undertaken self-assessment tools, as part of its testing stage.

Some clinical education programmes already include digital skills development, and NHS England is exploring how digital capabilities can be more comprehensively developed through existing clinical education programmes, including in mental health.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number and proportion of (a) counsellors and (b) adult psychotherapists in the mental health workforce.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

According to the NHS Electronic Staff Record, there was a 51% growth in the psychological professional workforce from April 2019 to March 2023. This compares to a 16% growth in the National Health Service’s workforce as a whole, over the same period. Counsellors and adult Psychotherapists are two specific occupations within the overall psychological professional workforce of approximately 27,800 full time equivalent staff.

In order to grow the workforce with specific qualifications in counselling and adult psychotherapy, NHS England has commissioned a pilot training programme for Psychotherapeutic Counsellors. This provides a three-year salaried and funded postgraduate education pathway for trainee Psychotherapeutic Counsellors to work in the NHS Talking Therapies services for anxiety and depression, to deliver specified NHS Talking Therapies services for adults with depression. This NHS training route adds to other existing routes for Counsellors to enter and work in the NHS Talking Therapies workforce.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of evidence-based digital mental health innovations on reducing waiting lists for child and adolescent services.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

To date, there has been no assessment made to determine the potential impact of evidence-based digital mental health innovations on reducing waiting lists for child and adolescent services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made recommendations on four products for self-help digital cogitative behavioural therapy technologies for children and young people with low mood or anxiety, through their Early Value Assessment process. Whilst there was no definitive determination on the impact to waiting lists, early evidence suggests that these types of interventions can improve access for patients and can supplement existing treatments whilst patients are waiting for further treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her Department's planned timetable is for its evaluation of the merits of using (a) 3D mammography and (b) other new cancer screening technologies.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is aware of research into the use of three-dimensional (3D) mammography and the growing interest to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the National Health Service breast screening programme. Guidance has been published on GOV.UK on the use of Tomosynthesis 3D imaging in a clinical trial setting as part of the NHS breast screening programme.

The UK NSC had also worked with Health Technology Assessments to design an evaluation of existing AI in a prospective study to look at whether it could be used to read breast screening mammograms.

There are currently no plans to adopt these technologies, but evidence to inform a UK NSC decision on the use of 3D mammography and AI in the NHS breast screening programme will be reviewed by the Committee when available.

75th anniversary of the Strathaven Miniature Railway

National Mentoring Day 2023

Referral of matters of 21 February 2024 to the Committee of Privileges

Found: Current membership Caroline Nokes MP (Conservative, Romsey and Southampton North ) (Chair) Dr Lisa Cameron

Found: Current membership Caroline Nokes MP (Conservative, Romsey and Southampton North ) (Chair) Dr Lisa

Found: Current membership Caroline Nokes MP (Conservative, Romsey and Southampton North ) (Chair) Dr Lisa Cameron