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Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Asked by Sorcha EastwoodAllianceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 10 February 2026UIN 110552

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what Barnett consequentials arise for Northern Ireland as a result of the £10 million per year funding announced to cover travel costs for children and young people with cancer in England.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families across the United Kingdom.

Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committing up to £10 million a year to a new fund open to all children and young people in England with cancer and their families regardless of income, to support them with the cost of travelling to and from Principal Treatment Centres. This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.

Health is predominately devolved. Devolved administrations receive funding through the Barnett Formula, and it is ultimately for them to allocate, prioritise, and manage their budgets. However, the Department does work closely with our counterparts in the devolved governments to share expertise and identify new opportunities to improve health and social care delivery across the UK.

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