Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 offer routine mammography through the NHS for men who (a) have a personal history of breast cancer and (b) who are otherwise at high risk of developing breast cancer.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Men who have had breast cancer themselves should be followed up by the clinical services who cared for them while they had breast cancer.
General practitioners (GPs) can refer symptomatic men for tests and scans at a breast clinic including a chest examination, mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. In addition, GPs can refer men to a genetics clinic for assessment if they think someone is at increased risk. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer-in-men/tests-and-next-steps-for-breast-cancer-in-men/
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has never been asked to examine breast screening for men at high risk. Any person or organisation can submit a proposal for a new screening topic during the UK NSC’s three-month open call process, which will next run from 1 July 2026 to 30 September 2026.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of teachers' wellbeing on their ability to deliver high quality teaching.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve teachers' (a) wellbeing and (b) working conditions to support them to deliver consistent high quality teaching.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of interest rates on student loans on graduates’ likelihood of becoming home owners.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers as repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold, repayments are made at a constant rate of 9%. This rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. For example, someone earning £30,000 will repay around £4 per month in the 2026/27 financial year under the repayment threshold of £29,385.
Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.
Having an outstanding student loan is not a barrier to accessing a mortgage, however regular student loan repayments will be considered alongside other living costs as part of the affordability check for mortgage applications.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his planned timetable is for introducing legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 1 October 2025 the Secretary of State confirmed plans to bring forward legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England. We will seek to introduce this when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Live Labs 2 programme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Live Labs 2 programme is supported by a built‑in monitoring and evaluation period that runs beyond the programme’s delivery phase, which is yet to conclude.
Initial results published by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) already demonstrate tangible progress, including East Riding’s award‑winning deployment of AI‑based video analytics to inform low‑carbon lighting strategies, and early findings from the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, which has secured national recognition for its innovations in low‑carbon materials and asset management.
The Department has recently confirmed the extension of the Live Labs 2 programme for an additional year. This extension is to support wider uptake of project findings across local highway authorities, particularly in relation to innovative, low-carbon maintenance methods.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase the use of recycled plastic materials in road construction.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport continues to support innovation in the local highways sector by creating the conditions for the safe and evidence‑based adoption of new approaches, while leaving decisions on specific technologies to local highway authorities. This includes providing a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years.
In addition, through the £30 million Live Labs 2 programme, the Department is helping local authorities trial innovative approaches to road maintenance, including the use of recycled plastic materials in resurfacing. As part of this programme, North Lanarkshire Council has trialled a technology that replaces traditional oil-based polymers with recycled plastic, reducing carbon emissions from asphalt production by up to 20% while maintaining durability. Further information on this is available online, at: https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/news/recycled-plastic-technology-used-uk-road-first-time.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to regulate how multi-academy trusts address concerns raised by parents of children whose school is joining a multi-academy trust.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Section 5 of the Academies Act 2010 requires maintained schools to consult appropriate persons on whether the school should convert to academy status before the conversion goes ahead. This does not apply to schools that are eligible for intervention.
In the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, the department committed to consult on requiring school trusts to have local governance structures that together include all their schools, hold annual parental forums, and ensure boards hear directly from parents and school communities. The consultation will draw on the strongest sector practice in engaging parents and communities, to ensure that trust boards benefit from clear, consistent insight into the needs and priorities of the families they serve.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is provided on the use of non-animal methods to inspectors in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit who are responsible for assessing project licence applications.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
All Home Office Inspectors are specifically trained to assess licence applications rigorously and robustly and thereby assure compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) are providing training for all Inspectors which includes accessing 3Rs knowledge. Inspectors are also signposted to further resources, including Replacing Animal Research’s “Replacement Checklist”.
The responsibility of ensuring the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) have been fully applied in applications belongs to the applicant. The role of the Home Office is to assure that the applicant has conducted the necessary activity to maximally apply each of the 3Rs.
Establishments which test on animals must establish an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB). AWERBs have a statutory responsibility under ASPA to advise on the application of the 3Rs within establishments. Home Office guidance stipulates that all applications for a new project licence must be evaluated by the local AWERB.
The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and has published a strategy which sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. The strategy is available at:
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has any newly available (a) evidence or (b) modelling related to carriage studies and the potential impact of routinely offering Meningitis B vaccinations for people aged 13-25 on their health.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.