Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will undertake a horizon-scanning review to identify emerging actionable gene mutations for timely inclusion in the National Genomic Test Directory, prioritising pancreatic cancer and other less survivable cancers.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), with further information available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/
This includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing.
NHS England regularly updates the NGTD in line with scientific and technological advances, while delivering value for money for the NHS. NHS England undertakes horizon scanning with system partners, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and a fast-track process ensures amendments that may be identified as requiring more urgent implementation are considered. Anyone can submit an application to the NGTD if the appropriate clinical and scientific evidence is in place. There is a robust and evidence-based Test Evaluation process and policy, with further information available at the following link:
The policy ensures that genomic testing continues to be available for all patients for whom it would be of clinical benefit.
NHS England is working with partners to expand the NGTD to include more comprehensive reporting of clinical trial targets, helping embed these targets in the standard of care and reporting rapid trial enrolment.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 barriers to genomic testing for pancreatic cancer patients and how he plans to increase uptake nationally.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing.
Genomic testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England. The NGTD sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing as well as the genomic targets to be tested and the method that should be used. Genomic testing for pancreatic cancer is available under the M219 clinical indication code and delivered by all seven NHS GLHs.
NHS England captures Patient Level Contract Monitoring data across the NHS GMS to facilitate a national approach to reporting and validating activity data and turnaround times for the genomics element of the pathway. This national approach enables NHS England to understand activity volumes, detect any backlogs, and work with the NHS GLHs to implement improvement activities.
NHS England has been undertaking a procurement of NHS GMS lead providers to embed a new operating model for delivery of the NHS GMS from 2026. This includes a cancer genomics clinical function, which will bring together multi profession leadership to work with partners to embed and develop cancer genomics pathways.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 incentivise research into Inclusion Body Myositis and other rare progressive muscle disorders.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds clinical, public health, and social care research and works in partnership with the National Health Service, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public, and also funds global health research. NIHR funding is not typically ringfenced for specific conditions. Instead, research proposals are assessed through an open, competitive peer review, with funding decisions made on the basis of scientific quality, the importance of the research question to patients and health and care services, and value for money. This approach ensures that the strongest proposals with the greatest potential impact are supported.
In this disease area over the last five financial years, from 2020/21 to 2024/25, the Department committed £40.4 million on new research projects alongside supporting infrastructure into inclusion body myositis and other rare progressive muscle disorders. This has included clinical trials and novel therapies at NIHR clinical research facilities and NIHR biomedical research centres looking at gene silencing, micro-dystrophin, and disease-modifying therapies for neuromuscular condition.
The NIHR’s Be Part of Research allows people to find and take part in health and care research, and shows that there are currently eight studies where researchers are actively looking for participants in several aspects of muscle disorders. Further information on Be Part of Research is available at the following link:
https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Department has made of the level of need for further regulation of autonomous delivery robots operating on public pavements and highways; and whether the Department plans to publish additional guidance on the operation of autonomous delivery robots on public pavements and highways.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows by creating a ‘Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle’ category. This could be used to regulate pavement robots in future. Any new regulations would be subject to public consultation and impact assessment before they came into force.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer to Question UIN 63826 on driving test waiting times in Currie, what the average waiting time is for a practical driving test at the Currie Driving Test Centre; and by what date she estimates the backlog at that test centre will be cleared.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Currie driving test centre in May was 24 weeks.
DVSA is taking sustained action to increase testing capacity and reduce waiting times as quickly as possible, including recruiting and training more driving examiners, making better use of existing capacity, and tackling misuse of the booking system. Progress is kept under close review to ensure reductions are delivered while maintaining road safety.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding to the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods; what assessment he has made of the role of industry co-investment in supporting the Centre's aims; and whether his Department plans to develop a long-term funding mechanism for the Centre.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is supporting the establishment of the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods through funding secured as part of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, with costs informed by analysis of validation requirements and comparable organisations such as the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM). The Government recognises the potential role of industry co‑investment and will work closely with partners across the life sciences sector to develop appropriate approaches as the Centre becomes operational. Long‑term support will be kept under review through delivery of the strategy and the multi‑year funding secured at the Spending Review.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle harmful platform features that put children at risk online.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Protecting children online is a priority for the Secretary of State. Through our recent consultation, which included parents and children's consultations and nationally representative polls, we heard from over 116,000 people.
Following this, on 15 June the government published a progress statement announcing a ban on social media services from providing their services to under 16s as well as targeted functionality restrictions on a wider range of online services. This includes restrictions on creating livestreams and communicating with strangers. These functionalities will also be off by default for 16 and 17 year olds.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to extend proposed restrictions to livestreaming and communication with strangers for child users to other high-risk functionalities including disappearing messages, the visibility of children's accounts to unknown users and in-app gifting.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government recently announced restrictions on social media services offering their services to under-16s and wider services offering livestreaming or stranger communication to under-16s.
Combined with requiring more device level protections for children preventing the taking, sharing or viewing of nude images, this will make a difference tackling the key risks of disappearing messages.
Ofcom’s codes of practice also include recommendations regarding children’s account visibility, to support compliance with existing illegal harm and child safety duties. The government has committed to provide an update on any further restrictions in July.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles is exploring the adequacy of compensation arrangements for victims of accidents involving uninsured vehicles in the context of the Automated Vehicles Act implementation programme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Through the Automated Vehicles Act Implementation Programme, officials from the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles are working with the Motor Insurers' Bureau on insurance for automated vehicles. This includes assessing the adequacy of the insurance and compensation framework to ensure that victims of collisions with uninsured automated vehicles have a clear route to compensation.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of permanent absolute GDP growth on long-term environmental sustainability in the context of the Dasgupta Review.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government recognises the vital role of nature in the economy and agrees with the central conclusion of the Dasgupta Review that biodiversity underpins nature, and sustains our economies, livelihoods and well-being.
As recommended by the Dasgupta Review, HM Treasury assesses the role of climate, nature and environmental sustainability in economic and financial decision making, including supporting economic growth, through a set of integrated analytical frameworks, including the Green Book and supportive supplementary guidance documents including the Enable a Natural Capital Approach (ENCA) and Accounting for the Effects of Climate Change (AECC)