Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) monitoring and (b) enforcement mechanisms are in place to ensure manufacturers comply with the prohibition on pause functions in Audible Vehicle Alert Systems for new (i) electric and (ii) hybrid vehicles registered from 1 September 2023.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All new vehicles are subject to type approval. Vehicle approval requirements were introduced on 1 July 2021 mandating Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) on new types of quiet electric and hybrid vehicles. The use of pause switched to temporarily disable the AVAS have been prohibited for new vehicles being placed on the market from September 2023. Vehicles sold prior to these dates are only required to meet the approval requirements mandated at the time they were placed on the market.
The department does not have any figures for the number of vehicles with AVAS, or that have a pause switch.
As part of compliance and enforcement, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) inspects and tests vehicles and components on the market to ensure they comply with environmental and safety standards. The MSU conducts an annual programme of surveillance, including physical tests and inspections, as well as responding to intelligence provided by industry or the general public.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of (a) electric and (b) hybrid vehicles that (i) do not have an Audible Vehicle Alert System installed and (ii) have an Audible Vehicle Alert System installed with a pause function.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All new vehicles are subject to type approval. Vehicle approval requirements were introduced on 1 July 2021 mandating Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) on new types of quiet electric and hybrid vehicles. The use of pause switched to temporarily disable the AVAS have been prohibited for new vehicles being placed on the market from September 2023. Vehicles sold prior to these dates are only required to meet the approval requirements mandated at the time they were placed on the market.
The department does not have any figures for the number of vehicles with AVAS, or that have a pause switch.
As part of compliance and enforcement, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) inspects and tests vehicles and components on the market to ensure they comply with environmental and safety standards. The MSU conducts an annual programme of surveillance, including physical tests and inspections, as well as responding to intelligence provided by industry or the general public.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what policies his Department plans to include in the National Cancer Plan on increasing access to clinical trials for (a) teenagers and (b) young adults with cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more people survive, and we will improve the experience of cancer patients across the system, including teenagers and young adults.
Since the launch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025, the taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, patient experience, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation, which includes access to clinical trials. The Government is aware of the unique challenges that teenagers and young adults with cancer face, often falling in between paediatric and adult care, and the work of the taskforce has included a specific focus on this issue.
As part of its work, the taskforce will ensure that the needs of teenagers and young adults are carefully considered as part of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan. The plan 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 research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, for all patient groups. This will include teenagers and young adults with cancer.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what policies his Department plans to include in the National Cancer Plan on the earlier diagnosis of (a) teenagers and (b) young adults with cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more people survive, and we will improve the experience of cancer patients across the system, including teenagers and young adults.
Since the launch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025, the taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, patient experience, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation, which includes access to clinical trials. The Government is aware of the unique challenges that teenagers and young adults with cancer face, often falling in between paediatric and adult care, and the work of the taskforce has included a specific focus on this issue.
As part of its work, the taskforce will ensure that the needs of teenagers and young adults are carefully considered as part of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan. The plan 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 research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, for all patient groups. This will include teenagers and young adults with cancer.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help improve data collection on (a) teenagers and (b) young adults with cancer in relation to (i) staging at diagnosis, (ii) routes to diagnosis, (iii) emergency presentation, (iv) waiting times and (v) access to clinical trials.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more people survive, and we will improve the experience of cancer patients across the system, including teenagers and young adults.
Since the launch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025, the taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, patient experience, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation, which includes access to clinical trials. The Government is aware of the unique challenges that teenagers and young adults with cancer face, often falling in between paediatric and adult care, and the work of the taskforce has included a specific focus on this issue.
As part of its work, the taskforce will ensure that the needs of teenagers and young adults are carefully considered as part of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan. The plan 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 research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, for all patient groups. This will include teenagers and young adults with cancer.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the National Cancer Plan for England provides age-appropriate information on the symptoms of cancer for young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more people survive, and we will improve the experience of cancer patients across the system, including teenagers and young adults.
Since the launch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025, the taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, patient experience, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation, which includes access to clinical trials. The Government is aware of the unique challenges that teenagers and young adults with cancer face, often falling in between paediatric and adult care, and the work of the taskforce has included a specific focus on this issue.
As part of its work, the taskforce will ensure that the needs of teenagers and young adults are carefully considered as part of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan. The plan 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 research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, for all patient groups. This will include teenagers and young adults with cancer.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent car insurance premiums from being increased for drivers involved in no-fault accidents.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department has not assessed the potential merits of legislation to prevent premiums rising for drivers involved in no fault accidents.
The setting and the adjustment of premiums following a claim are commercial decisions for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not generally intervene or seek to control the market.
Drivers need to declare incidents that they are involved in, regardless of who or what was at fault. As a result, their premiums may increase, as insurance works on the basis of whether a claim is paid out under the policy, regardless of fault. Where an insurer is able to recover its outlay from the other party, the increase might be readjusted in the future.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help resolve the Cambodian-Thai border conflict.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border in July were a cause for serious concern. The Government welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached on 28 July, as well as the subsequent framework established to support its implementation. Since then, we have consistently encouraged both parties to uphold the ceasefire and to foster mutual trust and understanding.
Officials from our Embassies in Thailand and Cambodia have conducted site visits to the affected areas to assess the situation first-hand. We continue to work closely with our international partners to support efforts by both countries to de-escalate tensions, strengthen dialogue and maintain lasting peace along the border.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
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 (a) improve early diagnosis, (b) increase funding for research and (c) improve access to specialist (i) support and (ii) treatment for patients with scleroderma.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as scleroderma. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the annual England Rare Diseases Action Plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.
Pioneering research is an underpinning theme of the Framework. The Department for Health and Social Care funds and supports research into rare diseases such as scleroderma through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including rare diseases. The usual practice of the NIHR and other research funders is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics.
The 2025 England Rare Disease Action Plan includes information on research for rare diseases through significant investments to support rare disease research. This includes the Rare Disease Research UK Platform, a £14 million investment over five years from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and NIHR, announced in 2023, which is now established and positioned well within the rare disease research landscape. In December 2024, the MRC launched the first two MRC Centres of Research Excellence, both studying gene therapies, and each worth up to £50 million over 14 years.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to prevent phoenixing.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Insolvency Service is tackling abusive phoenixism, working in close partnership with HMRC and Companies House to combat these wrongful activities. A coordinated action plan has been agreed, and an implementation plan is underway. Key measures include, closing loopholes in company registration and dissolution processes; increasing our compliance impact through targeted enforcement; and improving the quantity and quality of referrals for enforcement action in order to maximise enforcement outcomes, including director disqualifications and prosecutions.