The revised Manual for Streets is currently being developed. Decisions regarding its scope, content and supporting diagrams will be considered and determined as part of that process.

Reducing inequity and variation in cancer care is a priority for the Government. The National Cancer Plan, published in February 2026, sets out how the Government will reduce unwarranted variation in access to cancer treatments to drive up standards across England and tackle health inequalities head on.

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.

The Department is reviewing the process for developing cancer manuals, including the criteria to use to select specific tumour types.

The Department recognises the unique challenges that teenagers and young adults with cancer face, often falling between paediatric and adult care. Through the National Cancer Plan for England, the Government will ensure patients aged between 16 and 24 years old are referred to the Teenage and Young Adult multi-disciplinary team to enable early discussions and age-appropriate support during diagnosis, treatment and beyond.

The Government will also break down barriers to clinical trials for young people aged between 16 and 24 years old, who often do not qualify for pediatric or adult trials, by requiring clinical justifications for age limits.

Furthermore, the Government will improve the experience of staying in hospital, youth support coordinators will provide teenagers and young adults support on education, emotional and practical impacts of cancer, returning to study and fertility concerns.

Reducing inequity and variation in cancer care, including for ovarian cancer, is a priority for the Government. The National Cancer Plan, published in February 2026, sets out how we will reduce unwarranted variation in access to cancer treatments to drive up standards across England and tackle health inequalities head on.

The Department and NHS England will establish clear quality standards for cancer delivery through cancer manuals, published by tumour type, with regional partnerships of health leaders and clinicians utilising data to drive improvements where services are falling short. 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.

The handbook is currently being updated. An updated version with relevant redactions will be laid in the House Library as soon as is practicable.

As noted in our answer to PQ 43222, the Honours Committee handbook is a document used to induct newly appointed independent chairs and committee members to the honours system and the committee process. This document is intended for internal use only. More information on these can be found on gov.uk.

The last published update for the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) Council Tax Manual was August 2023. This document can be accessed through the VTS website here. A further update is near completion and will be published in July 2025.

The last published update for the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) Council Tax Manual was August 2023. This document can be accessed through the VTS website here. A further update is near completion and will be published in July 2025.

The Department is working to bring together and update the Manual for Streets and Manual for Streets 2 to ensure the advice within them is still relevant and enables those designing streets to do so in a way that contributes to sustainable, healthy and active communities. A date for publication has not been set.

The Department will publish the revised Manual for Streets in due course.

The Life Sciences Flexible Apprenticeship Manual was co-developed with the Department for Education and the Life Sciences sector. It sets out how existing flexibilities in apprenticeships can be used and delivered in Life Sciences to meet the needs of employers and apprentices. This manual involved no capital, outsourcing, or other costs beyond officials working with industry partners. This is part of the government’s work to deliver the Life Sciences Vision which commits to increase the uptake of apprentices and use of the apprenticeship levy by the sector.

We have no plans to publish the On Network Works handbook as it is an internal document.

Alongside UK Parliament Week, the updated Guide to Parliamentary Work was published on Monday 14th November and is now available on Gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work). The guide has been produced by the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons, working closely with colleagues across government, and in the service of the House of Commons and House of Lords, and is designed for civil servants who work closely with Parliament and, in particular, Parliamentary teams across Whitehall.

The guide for voluntary community, and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs) bidding for government contracts is currently undergoing final checks. We anticipate publishing this document shortly.

DCMS officials have been working with the Cabinet Office on this guidance that will provide practical information for VCSEs bidding for government contracts, and aims to promote a healthy and diverse marketplace of organisations working with government.

Seaborne Freight will be required to comply with the same stringent International Maritime Organization safety standards that are applied to all vessels. In the UK these are enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

In accordance with the Health Act 2009 we are currently reviewing the handbook that accompanies the NHS Constitution and will publish a revised version in summer 2018. As the handbook is an explanatory document, and cannot alter the NHS Constitution itself, this is a technical update that will bring the handbook up to date with policy developments since it was last published in 2015. Changes will be based largely on contributions provided from within the Department, from NHS England and from Public Health England.

As we set out in response to recommendations on National Health Service sustainability made by the House of Lords, we are looking particularly closely at the section in the handbook that explains patient responsibilities in the NHS Constitution. We will include a stronger statement about the role that patients and the public can play in supporting NHS sustainability by looking after their own health, adopting healthy behaviours, and making appropriate use of NHS resources. We will also point out where there is further information on the NHS website.

When the revised handbook is published, we will encourage NHS England, Public Health England and other stakeholders – including Healthwatch England as the independent national champion for people who use health and social care services – to promote it through their extensive networks. We will also publicise it through the NHS Constitution Twitter and Facebook accounts.

In accordance with the Health Act 2009 we are currently reviewing the handbook that accompanies the NHS Constitution and will publish a revised version in summer 2018. As the handbook is an explanatory document, and cannot alter the NHS Constitution itself, this is a technical update that will bring the handbook up to date with policy developments since it was last published in 2015. Changes will be based largely on contributions provided from within the Department, from NHS England and from Public Health England.

As we set out in response to recommendations on National Health Service sustainability made by the House of Lords, we are looking particularly closely at the section in the handbook that explains patient responsibilities in the NHS Constitution. We will include a stronger statement about the role that patients and the public can play in supporting NHS sustainability by looking after their own health, adopting healthy behaviours, and making appropriate use of NHS resources. We will also point out where there is further information on the NHS website.

When the revised handbook is published, we will encourage NHS England, Public Health England and other stakeholders – including Healthwatch England as the independent national champion for people who use health and social care services – to promote it through their extensive networks. We will also publicise it through the NHS Constitution Twitter and Facebook accounts.