Gosport's MP has questioned the Government over its decision to pause a task force aimed at improving cancer care for children.

Dame Caroline Dinenage has asked the Government to justify why the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce's work has been halted.

The task force was set up earlier this year after a campaign led by Dame Caroline and her constituent, Charlotte Fairall.

The Government indicated its intention to pause the task force in response to a written question by Dame Caroline on Friday, September 6.

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Dame Caroline Dinenage has called on the Government to resume the children's cancer task force (Image: Office of Dame Caroline Dinenage) The MP raised her concerns with health secretary Wes Streeting in the House of Commons.

She said: "The secretary of state will know that cancer is the biggest cause of death by illness of children under the age of 14 in the UK, and September is Children's Cancer Awareness Month.

"He won't know that September is also the third anniversary of the death of my constituent Sophie Fairall - she was 10-years-old - and it's with Sophie's mum Charlotte that I've been campaigning for the last three years for the Children and Young People's Cancer Taskforce to be set up.

"That task force was established at the beginning of this year with a stated aim of meaningfully changing the way that we detect, treat, and care for children with cancer.

"Parents of children with cancer and myself are deeply disturbed by this announcement.

"I wonder if he could explain why?"

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Mr Streeting replied: "The pause is because we want to make sure that as we look at the breadth of the work of the department, we've got the right vehicles to deliver the outcomes that we want to see.

"That's why we've paused rather than cancelled or slammed or criticised the work that she was already doing, and I'd be delighted to meet with her to talk about the genesis of the task force and how we can take forward the outcomes that she wants to see."

The task force was the result of three years of campaigning by Dame Caroline and Ms Fairall, the founder of children's cancer charity Sophie's Legacy.

In September 2020, Ms Fairall's daughter Sophie was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma and tragically died a year later, aged just 10.

Ms Fairall and Dame Caroline met with various health secretaries, proposing a childhood cancer mission developed by a task force that would include scientists, researchers, oncologists, charities and parents, with a goal to create a Children and Young People's Cancer Plan.

In January, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that the task force would be launched, with Dame Caroline chairing it and Ms Fairall on the panel.

Commenting outside of the House of Commons after the exchange, Dame Caroline said: "I am glad that the health secretary has set out his desire to improve the way we treat cancer, but his answer shows he has no idea about how the Children’s Cancer Taskforce was set up to operate.

"It is not a talking shop, it’s an action group designed to deliver urgent change, in partnership with leading experts and medical professionals.

"I would rather the task force wasn’t paused at all while precious time and momentum is wasted.

"And while I am glad that he is willing to meet me to talk about the task force, I hope its vital work will be allowed to continue at pace."

Reacting to the Secretary of State’s answer to Dame Caroline’s question, Ms Fairall said: "I’m not impressed by the secretary of state’s answer.

"I’ve been working tirelessly, with Caroline’s support, to ensure Sophie’s experience delivers a meaningful legacy for other children and young people with cancer.

"This was just beginning to bear fruit; first meetings had taken place and action points already made.

"Stalling the work at this stage feels retrograde and unnecessary."