Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 potential impact of self-sampling on reaching under-screened populations for cervical cancer; and what estimate he has made of the uptake of (a) in-clinic and (b) at-home self-sampling options.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan for England: Fit for the Future, restates the National Health Service’s aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through improved uptake of cervical screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Delivering the plan and making progress towards committed targets is a key priority for NHS England, working with the Department, providers, and wider health system partners.
As part of this, NHS England is transforming its approach to cervical screening for under-screened women. From early 2026, they will be offered a home testing kit, starting with those who are the most overdue for screening. This will help tackle deeply entrenched barriers that keep some away from life-saving screening.
National and international evidence suggests that offering the option of HPV self-testing in under-screened groups could help overcome some of the barriers to taking part in cervical screening, leading to improved participation, and ultimately preventing more cervical cancers and associated deaths.
The equality impact assessment on the introduction of human papilloma virus (HPV) self-sampling for the under-screened population in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-hpv-self-sampling-impact-assessments
The self-testing kits, which detect HPV, allow people to carry out this testing in the privacy and convenience of their own homes.
Self-testing specifically targets those groups consistently missing vital appointments, with younger people, ethnic minority communities facing cultural hurdles, people with a disability, and LGBT+ people all set to benefit. Those who are HPV positive on their self-test will need to be followed up with a clinician for a cervical screening test, so it is acknowledged that not all barriers to attendance will be removed with the implementation of self-testing.
Therefore, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in participation from groups that are under screened. NHS England will monitor and evaluate the impact of this programme.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a delivery plan that includes (a) who is responsible for each of the actions in the Cervical cancer elimination by 2040 – plan for England, (b) when they will be delivered and (c) what the metrics are for determining the effectiveness of the programme.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan for England: Fit for the Future restates the National Health Service’s aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through improved uptake of cervical screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Delivering the plan and making progress towards committed targets is a key priority for NHS England, working with the Department, providers, and wider health system partners.
NHS England will be monitoring and evaluating the success of all the individual activities included with its elimination plan and new initiatives as they are developed and implemented. In addition, the World Health Organisation’s cervical cancer elimination targets will be used as the basis for ongoing monitoring, along with regular assessment of cervical cancer rates.
Achieving cervical cancer elimination is a long-term goal that depends on joined up delivery of HPV vaccination and cervical screening programmes at national, regional, and integrated care board (ICB) level.
ICBs are well placed to understand the needs of their local populations and work with partners to offer services that meet those needs. They are best positioned to plan vaccination and screening services, using the recommendations set out in the cervical cancer elimination plan.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support independent museums.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government supports independent museums around the country through funding delivered via Arts Council England (ACE), with ACE investing over £80 million in museums in 2025/26 across its programmes. This funding includes £25 million to support museums across England with urgent infrastructure and maintenance backlogs through the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and a brand new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, both announced last February, in addition to core programming funding for the over 200 museum sites forming part of the National Portfolio. As the National Development Agency for Museums, ACE also funds the Museum Development Network, providing expert advice to smaller museums across the country, and delivers Cultural Property functions that support museums with everything from insurance, to new acquisitions.
Most recently, eligible independent museums could apply to the latest round of the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, launched in September 2025 to support local and regional museums to improve displays, enhance collections care and make exhibitions more accessible to wider audiences. Independent museums are also supported through government schemes including the VAT Refund Scheme for museums and galleries, and the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she intends to respond to the letters of 1 August 2025, 23 September 2025, and 18 December 2025 from the Hon. Mem. for Harrogate and Knaresborough, case reference TG09406, on the Online Safety Act.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I wrote to the Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough on 16 January. The Department sincerely apologises for the exceptional delay in responding on this occasion, and we regret that this fell short of expected standards.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for regulatory oversight of fintech innovation arising from developments in blockchain-based programmable deposit tokenisation in UK banks.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
New forms of digital money and payments present potential benefits for both users and providers of payment services, offering faster, cheaper payments with better functionalities and greater security.
The government, alongside regulators, is considering the innovation opportunities that blockchain-based payments instruments, including tokenised deposits, could present the UK financial services sector.
We are working with regulators and industry to design the next generation of retail payments infrastructure, overseen by the Payments Vision Delivery Committee.
Steps have already been taken to set up the right regulatory conditions for firms to safely innovate and experiment with this technology, specifically through the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) work on the Digital Securities Sandbox.
Furthermore, the government recently laid legislation to regulate cryptoassets and stablecoins. This regime will raise standards, strengthen consumer protection, help tackle market abuse, and support the responsible growth of the UK’s cryptoasset sector by providing clear and consistent rules.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of gambling advertisements on children and young people; and whether she plans to introduce legislative measures to restrict or ban gambling marketing and sponsorship.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All operators advertising in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of Government. These codes are regularly reviewed and updated and include a wide range of provisions designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm.
The Government does not currently have plans to ban gambling advertising. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and we continue to work closely with the gambling industry to further strengthen protections.
We have welcomed the Premier League’s voluntary front of shirt ban on gambling advertisements from next season, which will reduce gambling exposure for children and young people. Additionally, we will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and young people.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of financial penalties for social responsibility failings in acting as a deterrent.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Financial penalties are one element of the Gambling Commission’s regulatory toolkit. Action taken by the Gambling Commission is based on the need to gain compliance from gambling operators with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice at the earliest opportunity. If breaches occur, financial penalties may be imposed.
Since 2016/17, the Commission’s enforcement action has resulted in over £215 million in fines and regulatory settlements. As a result of the Commission’s compliance and enforcement work, in the last three years there have been fewer instances of extreme failings at gambling operators. However, the Commission continues to address any non-compliance through use of its enforcement powers and will continue to do so wherever necessary.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to implement the recommendations set out in policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government’s new strategy sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances, achieved by creating a research and innovation system that drives the development and validation of alternative methods to using animals in science. The strategy has 26 commitments which will be delivered or started during 2026 and 2027 to prioritise the development of non-animal testing methods. This includes creating a preclinical translational models' hub and publishing areas of research interest for alternative methods.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the reporting of the value of frozen assets from Daesh was stopped; and whether they plan to resume that reporting.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, has released the value of frozen funds from its Annual Frozen Asset Review exercise in each OFSI Annual Review since 2017.
OFSI published in its 2024-2025 Annual Review that £19.3 million in assets across multiple sanctions regimes have been reported as frozen as of September 2024.
This is an aggregated total of all entities and individuals listed on the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets under non specified regimes including the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida regime.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for (1) consumer protection, and (2) financial stability, of emerging customer-facing trials of agentic AI systems in the UK banking sector.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government’s ambition is to make the UK a global leader in AI, leveraging our dual strength in financial services and AI to drive growth, productivity, and consumer benefits. Encouraging safe adoption is an essential part of realising that ambition.
The treatment of customers by UK banks and building societies is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), whose independent regulatory powers ensure consumer protection in the financial services sector. The FCA’s Principles for Businesses require firms to provide prompt, efficient, and fair service to all their customers. The FCA’s Consumer Duty requires firms to act in good faith, prevent foreseeable harm, and act in the best interests of consumers.
UK banks are required to comply with relevant laws and regulations that are fundamental to consumer protection, including in any use of customer-facing agentic AI. In April 2024, the FCA published an update on its regulatory approach to AI, making it clear that where firms use AI as part of their business operations, they remain responsible for meeting FCA rules. Firms remain fully accountable for outcomes delivered by AI systems.
The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) is responsible for identifying and monitoring risks to UK financial stability. In their April 2025 Financial Stability in Focus publication, they set out the potential benefits and risks to financial stability that could result from AI use in the financial system, including in relation to agentic AI. HM Treasury continues to work closely with the FPC and UK financial regulators to assess risks to financial stability.
The Government will continue to work with regulators and industry to ensure innovation proceeds safely and responsibly.