Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
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 ensure that speech and language therapy for children with Down syndrome is delivered on a preventative basis from infancy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service guidance sets out information on how to help children and young people with Down syndrome, including that they may need the support of a Speech and Language Therapist. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/downs-syndrome/how-to-help-children-and-young-people/
Through implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, we want to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome.
Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome.
We considered a range of evidence from our Call for Evidence and engagement when developing the draft Down syndrome guidance, currently out for public consultation, including research on speech and language therapy (SLT).
The draft guidance highlights that people with Down syndrome are likely to have communication needs and sets out support that can be provided, including that people with Down syndrome should be able to access speech and language assessment and support in a timely manner.
The draft guidance is clear that NHS commissioners and providers may offer people with Down syndrome and their families and carers a range of SLT services and interventions to support their communication, tailored to their specific needs. This should include early intervention services starting from birth, continuing through early years to support a good start in life, and then into primary and secondary school and beyond.
The draft guidance is also clear that support should be tailored to individual needs, and it is also important that local systems have the discretion to determine how best to meet the needs of their local communities.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of clinical negligence claims on NHS finances.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on National Health Service finances.
Although forecasts remain uncertain, it is likely that the costs of clinical negligence will continue to grow substantially. The Government Actuary’s Department forecasts that annual payments for compensation and legal costs will increase from £3 billion in 2024/25 to £4.1 billion by 2029/30.
As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office report.
We welcome the report by the National Audit Office. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.
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: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2026, to Question 104159, on Trade Unions: Facilities Agreements, if he will place in the Library the names of the individual public sector organisations which were requested by Cabinet Office Trade Union Facility Time Reporting Service to submit trade union facility time data but which did not do so, for the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 datasets.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The answer provided to 104159 was inaccurate and has been corrected. The Cabinet Office does not hold the requested information.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of upgrading Ofcom’s Violence Against Women and Girls guidance to be a mandatory code.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act has delivered a robust set of legal duties, taking some of the boldest steps in the world. Enforcement for non-compliance is severe.
Ofcom’s guidance on violence against women and girls goes beyond this, setting a new and ambitious standard for women and girls’ online safety with simple and practical measures that tech firms can adopt.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1248, what estimate has been made of the annual cost to the NHS of expanding access to abiraterone; what savings have been achieved through the availability of generic versions of the drug; and how value for money will be assessed over the course of the commissioning policy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now be able to receive abiraterone where it is of clinical benefit, alongside prednisolone. An additional 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and will be eligible for the drug. The clinical treatment criteria are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund list at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-cancer-drugs-fund-list/
These national clinical treatment criteria ensure equity of access for patients across England.
NHS England sets national service standards for those elements of cancer care designated as specialised services. Integrated care boards, supported by Cancer Alliances, are expected to plan and organise access to prostate cancer treatment in line with national standards. The integration of specialised and nonspecialised commissioning allows them to join up care and target resources where they can have the greatest impact on outcomes.
The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) assesses the process of care and its outcomes in men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England and Wales. Further information about the NPCA can be found via the National Disease Registration Service at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/our-work/ncras-partnerships/national-prostate-cancer-audit-npca
Information regarding the annual cost of expanding access to abiraterone is commercially sensitive. The availability of generic abiraterone means the National Health Service in England can procure the treatment at a lower cost than Zytiga under patent. NHS England has been able to give the green light to the rollout of generic abiraterone for thousands more eligible patients thanks to the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value, following the clinical advice to roll the treatment out last year.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1248, what arrangements are in place to monitor patient outcomes following the expanded use of abiraterone at earlier stages of prostate cancer; and whether those outcomes will be published on a national and regional basis.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now be able to receive abiraterone where it is of clinical benefit, alongside prednisolone. An additional 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and will be eligible for the drug. The clinical treatment criteria are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund list at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-cancer-drugs-fund-list/
These national clinical treatment criteria ensure equity of access for patients across England.
NHS England sets national service standards for those elements of cancer care designated as specialised services. Integrated care boards, supported by Cancer Alliances, are expected to plan and organise access to prostate cancer treatment in line with national standards. The integration of specialised and nonspecialised commissioning allows them to join up care and target resources where they can have the greatest impact on outcomes.
The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) assesses the process of care and its outcomes in men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England and Wales. Further information about the NPCA can be found via the National Disease Registration Service at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/our-work/ncras-partnerships/national-prostate-cancer-audit-npca
Information regarding the annual cost of expanding access to abiraterone is commercially sensitive. The availability of generic abiraterone means the National Health Service in England can procure the treatment at a lower cost than Zytiga under patent. NHS England has been able to give the green light to the rollout of generic abiraterone for thousands more eligible patients thanks to the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value, following the clinical advice to roll the treatment out last year.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued on the age at which clinical guidance recommends that speech and language intervention should begin for children with Down syndrome; and whether that guidance includes supporting assistance with speech sounds in infancy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service guidance sets out information on how to help children and young people with Down syndrome, including that they may need the support of a Speech and Language Therapist. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/downs-syndrome/how-to-help-children-and-young-people/
Through implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, we want to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome.
Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome.
We considered a range of evidence from our Call for Evidence and engagement when developing the draft Down syndrome guidance, currently out for public consultation, including research on speech and language therapy (SLT).
The draft guidance highlights that people with Down syndrome are likely to have communication needs and sets out support that can be provided, including that people with Down syndrome should be able to access speech and language assessment and support in a timely manner.
The draft guidance is clear that NHS commissioners and providers may offer people with Down syndrome and their families and carers a range of SLT services and interventions to support their communication, tailored to their specific needs. This should include early intervention services starting from birth, continuing through early years to support a good start in life, and then into primary and secondary school and beyond.
The draft guidance is also clear that support should be tailored to individual needs, and it is also important that local systems have the discretion to determine how best to meet the needs of their local communities.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has reviewed research indicating that speech and language intervention for children with Down syndrome should begin in the first year of life.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service guidance sets out information on how to help children and young people with Down syndrome, including that they may need the support of a Speech and Language Therapist. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/downs-syndrome/how-to-help-children-and-young-people/
Through implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, we want to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome.
Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome.
We considered a range of evidence from our Call for Evidence and engagement when developing the draft Down syndrome guidance, currently out for public consultation, including research on speech and language therapy (SLT).
The draft guidance highlights that people with Down syndrome are likely to have communication needs and sets out support that can be provided, including that people with Down syndrome should be able to access speech and language assessment and support in a timely manner.
The draft guidance is clear that NHS commissioners and providers may offer people with Down syndrome and their families and carers a range of SLT services and interventions to support their communication, tailored to their specific needs. This should include early intervention services starting from birth, continuing through early years to support a good start in life, and then into primary and secondary school and beyond.
The draft guidance is also clear that support should be tailored to individual needs, and it is also important that local systems have the discretion to determine how best to meet the needs of their local communities.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to HCWS1248, what assessment has been made of existing regional variation in access to prostate cancer treatments and what steps are being taken to prevent disparities in uptake between different NHS trusts and integrated care boards.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now be able to receive abiraterone where it is of clinical benefit, alongside prednisolone. An additional 7,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and will be eligible for the drug. The clinical treatment criteria are available via the Cancer Drugs Fund list at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-cancer-drugs-fund-list/
These national clinical treatment criteria ensure equity of access for patients across England.
NHS England sets national service standards for those elements of cancer care designated as specialised services. Integrated care boards, supported by Cancer Alliances, are expected to plan and organise access to prostate cancer treatment in line with national standards. The integration of specialised and nonspecialised commissioning allows them to join up care and target resources where they can have the greatest impact on outcomes.
The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) assesses the process of care and its outcomes in men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England and Wales. Further information about the NPCA can be found via the National Disease Registration Service at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/our-work/ncras-partnerships/national-prostate-cancer-audit-npca
Information regarding the annual cost of expanding access to abiraterone is commercially sensitive. The availability of generic abiraterone means the National Health Service in England can procure the treatment at a lower cost than Zytiga under patent. NHS England has been able to give the green light to the rollout of generic abiraterone for thousands more eligible patients thanks to the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value, following the clinical advice to roll the treatment out last year.