Written questions by Maguire.

If he will put Women’s Health Hubs at the centre of the Neighbourhood health framework.

Awaiting answer.

What criteria will be used in the annual summary of progress publication to evaluate the success of the National Cancer Plan’s implementation.

The Department has announced that the National Cancer Plan, published in February 2026, is backed by significant funding committed by the Government at the Spending Review.Investment which will support the delivery of the National Cancer Plan includes £200 million in 2026/27 for cancer alliances to improve performance and early diagnosis as part of service development funding (SDF) with similar spending for each year across the rest of the Spending Review. £70 million has been provided to roll out new radiotherapy machines, and up to £10 million a year will be available so that children and young people with cancer don't face financial barriers travelling to treatment. £2.3 billion has been provided for diagnostics to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 and more than £650 million has been allocated to complete the roll out of lung cancer screening by 2030.A reformed National Cancer Board chaired jointly by the Department and an independent representative of the wider cancer community will track progress and provide regular updates to ministers. Ministers will publish an annual summary of progress, along with a more in-depth report after three years to assess where the plan needs updating and refreshing. The annual summary will be available publicly.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the risk of bowel cancer through encouraging higher fibre diets in schools and other public sector settings.

There is strong evidence that eating a diet high in fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer. Government recommendations on fibre are reflected in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guideThe guide shows that we should base our diets on foods which are sources of fibre, for instance vegetables, fruit, and wholegrain or higher fibre starchy carbohydrate foods, as well as beans and pulses. The principles of the guide are communicated through a variety of channels, including the NHS.UK website and the Department’s social marketing campaigns Better Health, Better Health Families, and Best Start in Life. The Eatwell Guide also underpins catering guidance and standards for school food and prisons, as well as the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services which apply to the Government and its agencies. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-procurement-the-gbs-for-food-and-catering-services/government-buying-standard-for-food-and-catering-servicesThe Department for Education is currently consulting on proposals for updating School Food Standards, bringing them in line with the latest dietary advice, including on fibre.

What steps his Department is taking to help support (a) women on gynaecology waiting lists and (b) the workforce delivering that care.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her Department is taking steps to limit the hours that alcohol can be delivered directly to homes.

The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol. The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services.The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services and monitoring emerging evidence on the impact they may be having on people’s health. I am clear that we will act where necessary to protect public safety.To this end, I will shortly hold a roundtable jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention to consider solutions with healthcare professionals and experts in the field.

What criteria will be used in the appointment of the independent co-chair of the National Cancer Board.

The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions to be delivered within the next ten years, including the establishment of a reformed National Cancer Board. The role of the National Cancer Board will be to support and monitor the delivery of commitments and ambitions and provide regular updates to ministers.It is important to choose the most suitable appointment process for selecting an independent representative to co-chair the board. Officials from NHS England and the Department are carefully following the required public appointments procedures. The criteria for the co-chair were set out in the job advert, which was published on the GOV.UK website.The reformed National Cancer Board will be established once a co-chair is appointed, further details of which will be publicly available in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to use screening programmes to share information and boost prevention awareness of Bowel Cancer.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing alcohol blocks on delivery service apps and supermarket accounts.

The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol. The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services.The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services and monitoring emerging evidence on the impact they may be having on people’s health. I am clear that we will act where necessary to protect public safety.To this end, I will shortly hold a roundtable jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention to consider solutions with healthcare professionals and experts in the field.

How much funding has been allocated to the National Cancer Plan for a) 2027-2028, b) 2028-2029, c) 2029-2030 d) 2030-2031, e) 2031-2032.

The Department has announced that the National Cancer Plan, published in February 2026, is backed by significant funding committed by the Government at the Spending Review.Investment which will support the delivery of the National Cancer Plan includes £200 million in 2026/27 for cancer alliances to improve performance and early diagnosis as part of service development funding (SDF) with similar spending for each year across the rest of the Spending Review. £70 million has been provided to roll out new radiotherapy machines, and up to £10 million a year will be available so that children and young people with cancer don't face financial barriers travelling to treatment. £2.3 billion has been provided for diagnostics to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 and more than £650 million has been allocated to complete the roll out of lung cancer screening by 2030.A reformed National Cancer Board chaired jointly by the Department and an independent representative of the wider cancer community will track progress and provide regular updates to ministers. Ministers will publish an annual summary of progress, along with a more in-depth report after three years to assess where the plan needs updating and refreshing. The annual summary will be available publicly.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a pause between the order and delivery of alcohol from delivery apps when the order is over a certain amount.

The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol. The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services.The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services and monitoring emerging evidence on the impact they may be having on people’s health. I am clear that we will act where necessary to protect public safety.To this end, I will shortly hold a roundtable jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention to consider solutions with healthcare professionals and experts in the field.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the recommendations of the Tackling the GP Work Crisis report by the Royal College of General Practitioners.

We welcome the findings from the Royal College of General Practitioners’ report on Tackling the GP workload crisis. Many of the recommendations align closely with our ongoing commitment to fixing the front door of the National Health Service by cutting red tape and ensuring general practitioners (GPs) can spend more time treating patients.The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our commitment to delivering the recommendations of the Red Tape Challenge, including making improvements at the interface between primary and secondary care. These recommendations also highlight our ambition to improve customer service and experience through better patient communication, support, and navigation, as well as strengthening underpinning infrastructure.The report also mentions simplifying incentives such as Quality Outcomes Frameworks (QOF), which for the 2025/26 GP Contract year, was streamlined significantly, with 32 out of the 76 indicators retired to reduce the administrative burden for practices. For the 2026/27 GP Contract year, QOF remains streamlined with 43 indicators.We are continuing to work across the Government to better understand where additional burdens are being placed on GPs and, where possible, to remove unnecessary requirements and improve ways of working.

What steps he is taking to help protect (a) resources and (b) infrastructure for the delivery of the National Cancer Plan in the context of the NHSE and DHSC merger.

The Government has protected specialist cancer leadership, confirmed Cancer Alliances as the main delivery partners, and aligned national resources and infrastructure within a single system. Clear accountability, safeguarded workforce capacity, and shared digital and delivery infrastructure ensure the plan will continue to be implemented consistently across England during organisational change.Progress against commitments will be monitored through a reformed National Cancer Board, jointly overseeing delivery and providing regular updates to ministers to ensure momentum is maintained during and after the merger.We will work to ensure a smooth transition during the merger of NHS England and the Department, so that the public continues to have access to high-quality cancer care.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the absence of a specific criteria to determine which providers were included in the Neighbourhood Health Framework on the equality of local care provisions.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to empower local leaders to develop and scale neighbourhood health, and to provide clarity and consistency to support joined-up working between integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities.The framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services and maps the process systems should go through to establish local metrics and plans. The framework references how general practice, primary care, pharmacy, mental health provider, civil society partner, and social and community health services can work together to shift care from hospitals to communities. This is not an exhaustive list of all possible providers of neighbourhood health services but illustrates the types of providers with whom we are actively working. It is not prescriptive.No specific criteria were used to determine the providers that were included in the framework. The framework does not prevent other providers from being part of neighbourhood health services.It is important that reforms are locally led, as ICBs and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. However, there are actions that work everywhere, so the framework sets out a minimum set of interventions for all ICBs to deliver over the next three years. This will provide the building blocks of an effective, joined-up Neighbourhood Health Service.We recognise that delivering a Neighbourhood Health Service will be an incremental process, as both local understanding develops and national reforms progress. We will regularly update the Neighbourhood Health Framework to reflect learning from communities.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the National Cancer Plan receives adequate long-term funding.

The National Cancer Plan, published in February 2026, aims to get more from the resources already in the system, improving productivity and modernising services to deliver better outcomes for patients.Through the plan, the Department has announced some targeted new commitments. This includes a £10 million fund to support children and young people with cancer and their families with travel costs, which is reprioritised funding, as well as £200 million of ring-fenced funding for Cancer Alliances in 2026/27, as part of system development funding.

If he will make it his policy to confirm governance arrangements and progress reports for the National Cancer Plan to Parliament.

The National Cancer Plan, published on the 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions, to be delivered within the next 10 years. The role of the reformed National Cancer Board will be to support and monitor the delivery of the commitments and ambitions and to provide regular updates to ministers. The board will be co-chaired by the Director General for Planned Care in the Department and an independent representative. It will meet once a co-chair is appointed.Across the life of the plan, ministers will publish an annual summary of progress, along with a more in-depth report after three years to assess where the plan may need updating and refreshing. The annual summary will be available publicly and ministers would welcome the opportunity to update the House when it is published.

What his planned timeline is for (a) implementing and (b) making available the cancer manuals.

The Department and NHS England will establish clear quality standards for cancer delivery through cancer manuals, published by tumour type. Quality standards will incorporate clinical-effectiveness, safety, and experience of care, in line with the definition of quality set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The manuals will provide a consistent framework against which clinicians, trust boards, and commissioners can assess the quality of their service.Over time, cancer manuals will be transformed into a continuous learning platform, informed by real-time feedback from patients and artificial intelligence supported learning. Publication will begin in 2027.

What progress his Department has made on implementing the National Cancer Plan.

The National Cancer Plan was published in February 2026. The Department has taken steps to implement the plan’s commitments and ambitions to be delivered within the next ten years. While immediate focus is on those to be delivered in 2026, all commitments are being considered by the various delivery partners involved.A reformed National Cancer Board, jointly chaired by the Department and an independent representative, will track progress and provide regular updates to ministers.Across the life of the plan, ministers will publish an annual summary of progress, along with a more in-depth report after three years to assess where the plan may need updating and refreshing.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of developing a specific criteria to determine which providers are included in the Neighbourhood Health Framework.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to empower local leaders to develop and scale neighbourhood health, and to provide clarity and consistency to support joined-up working between integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities.The framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services and maps the process systems should go through to establish local metrics and plans. The framework references how general practice, primary care, pharmacy, mental health provider, civil society partner, and social and community health services can work together to shift care from hospitals to communities. This is not an exhaustive list of all possible providers of neighbourhood health services but illustrates the types of providers with whom we are actively working. It is not prescriptive.No specific criteria were used to determine the providers that were included in the framework. The framework does not prevent other providers from being part of neighbourhood health services.It is important that reforms are locally led, as ICBs and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. However, there are actions that work everywhere, so the framework sets out a minimum set of interventions for all ICBs to deliver over the next three years. This will provide the building blocks of an effective, joined-up Neighbourhood Health Service.We recognise that delivering a Neighbourhood Health Service will be an incremental process, as both local understanding develops and national reforms progress. We will regularly update the Neighbourhood Health Framework to reflect learning from communities.

If he will set out the support currently in place for women on gynaecology waiting lists and for the workforce delivering that care.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

If he will put Women’s Health Hubs at the centre of the Neighbourhood health framework.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.