Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has commissioned on the long‑term health effects, including reproductive health outcomes, of occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products among nursing staff; and what estimate he has made of the costs to the NHS of sickness absence related to such exposure.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has not commissioned any research on the reproductive health outcomes or long-term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products. No assessment has been made of the cost to the National Health Service of sickness absence related to this.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the health of the NHS workforce. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of preparedness for a Carrington-class event, in particular whether (1) a warning of an event can be received in good time to act, (2) the people receiving the warning can authorise the disconnection of all grid transformers, (3) the people operating those transformers are aware of that authorisation, and (4) plans are in place to inform the public and ensure access to food and water for the duration of the grid shutdown.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Government works with Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC), National Energy System Operator (NESO) and DESNZ to issue early alerts, providing awareness calls as soon as severe activity is suspected and formal storm watches at least 12 hours before impact.
The UK is a global leader in space weather forecasting, MOSWOC deliver 24/7 forecasts to operators, including NESO, enabling timely protective actions.
NESO and industry are developing the Space Weather Industry Protocol to set out how forecasts are received and acted upon to manage electricity system risks.
The Government has robust contingency plans for major disruptions. While no plans exist specifically for a Carrington scale event, any large-scale outage would follow established national arrangements, including public preparedness guidance, Pre-Agreed Written Science (PAWS) scientific advice, and Cabinet Office planning to support access to essential services
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
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 proportion of men in England who undergo PSA testing outside of a formal screening programme; and whether this was accounted for in the UK National Screening Committee’s modelling of prostate cancer screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is taking men’s health seriously and we want to find the best way of reliably screening for prostate cancer. We are guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee who are consulting on a draft recommendation relating to prostate cancer screening. However, as there is currently no prostate cancer screening programme for men, 100% of men in England who undergo prostate-specific antigen testing do so outside of a formal screening programme.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken with industry leaders to help reduce the prevalence of microplastics in foodstuffs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) works with industry to ensure UK food safety, enforcing strict rules on plastic food contact materials to prevent contamination. Microplastics are not intentionally added to food but may appear due to pollution or plastic breakdown in general. The FSA monitors ongoing research, provides scientific advice, and supports strategies to reduce plastic pollution and microplastic entry into the food chain.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of microplastics in the British food chain.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) continues to monitor and assess emerging data regarding microplastics in food. The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products, and the Environment (COT), an independent scientific committee that provides advice to the FSA and other Government departments, is currently considering the issue of microplastics. The FSA is keeping the issue of microplastics under review as new evidence becomes available.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits to children’s health and inclusion of expanding the School Milk Scheme to include fortified plant-based alternatives.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and this response applies to England only.
Defra regularly reviews the administration and outcomes associated with the School Milk Subsidy Scheme, most recently following the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s assessment report of health benefits and risks of consuming plant-based drinks published in July 2025.
Only milk and relevant dairy products are currently eligible for subsidy in the School Milk Subsidy Scheme and there are no plans to extend the scheme to include fortified plant-based alternatives.
The Government recognises that some children with clinical and dietary needs are unable to consume milk and expects schools to make reasonable adjustments for those with specific needs.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to support research into Functional Neurological Disorder.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department delivers research into functional neurological disorder (FND) via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
This includes £350,000 of NIHR funding for research which seeks to co-develop behaviour change interventions to support people with FND to rehabilitate within the community, with the help of occupational therapists, enhancing their abilities to self-manage symptoms within daily routines.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including FND. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Lord Harris of Haringey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the vulnerability of the United Kingdom's electrical and communications systems to extreme space weather; (2) the strength and distribution of geoelectric fields which would be induced across the UK by a Carrington-class geomagnetic storm; and (3) the impact that any resultant induction hazards may have on man-made conductors.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government works with National Energy System Operator (NESO) to assess and prepare for space weather risks to the power grid and telecoms, supported by the Space Weather Impact for Future Electricity System Resilience (SWIFTER) projects will provide an assessment of the probability of impacts. A severe geomagnetic storm could generate uneven geoelectric fields across the UK, with effects possible nationwide depending on geology and grid configuration. Resulting geomagnetically induced currents may disrupt power systems and cause local outages, which could in turn affect telecoms and GNSS based timing.
While no plans exist specifically for a Carrington scale event, any large-scale outage would follow established national arrangements, including public preparedness guidance, Pre-Agreed Written Science (PAWS) scientific advice, and Cabinet Office planning to support access to essential services.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ringfence funding for brain cancer research.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is a major area of NIHR spending at £141.6 million in 2024/25, reflecting its high priority.
Too little is known about how to prevent, diagnose, and manage brain tumours. They remain one of the hardest cancers to treat and a challenging area for research. That is why we are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress.
In December 2025, the NIHR announced an initial £13.7 million investment in the pioneering Brain Tumour Research Consortium to accelerate research into new brain tumour treatments. Significant further funding is due to be awarded shortly. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on brain cancer to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to phase out the use of crustaceans in scientific experimentation.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
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:
The strategy does not preclude the development of alternatives to the use of animal species not currently covered by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) protections, including decapod crustaceans.
The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognised decapod crustaceans as sentient beings. The Government remains committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans, both for those caught for human consumption and those used in scientific research.
The Home Office is carefully considering next steps, in collaboration with other relevant departments, on whether decapod crustaceans should be brought within the scope of ASPA.