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To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance entitled NHS Financial Support for Health Students (Fourth Edition): NHS Learning Support Fund, published on 29 June 2020, how many regional incentive payments were made to eligible students in areas where there is a...
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance entitled NHS Financial Support for Health Students (Fourth Edition): NHS Learning Support Fund, published on 29 June 2020, how many regional incentive payments were made to eligible students in areas where there is a...
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to bring forward the Draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to bring forward the Draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.
The Government is committed to introducing this important piece of legislation to Parliament, as announced in the King’s Speech on 7 November.
The Government launched a public consultation on the requirements within the Standard Tier, which closed on 18 March. We are currently reviewing the consultation findings to ensure that all feedback is fully considered and that the measures included in Martyn’s Law are proportionate, and that they do not place an undue burden on premises within scope.
We will introduce the Bill as soon as parliamentary time allows, and I am happy to write to the Honourable Member and Parliament once the Bill is introduced.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to publicise the online system for (a) checking the completeness of National Insurance records and (b) paying voluntary National Insurance contributions.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to publicise the online system for (a) checking the completeness of National Insurance records and (b) paying voluntary National Insurance contributions.
HMRC has been actively promoting the enhanced Check your State Pension forecast service on GOV.UK for customers since it launched on 29 April 2024. This included:
- Briefing to Money Saving Expert and This is Money, which resulted in focused content in a Martin Lewis newsletter with a reach of over 7 million subscribers.
- We have produced and published a short video on X (1) HM Revenue & Customs (@HMRCgovuk) / X (twitter.com)
- A Personal Tax Account tile was introduced linking to the CYSP service, and a link to the service is also provided in the HMRC App
- Between 13 – 20 May Local radio interviews have/will include voluntary NICs information to promote the enhanced service.
- Check your State Pension Forecast enhanced service is a joint project with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP also posted social media to promote the enhanced service on X, there has also been posts by ministers on other social media platforms.
Hydrotreated vegetable oil is a good alternative to ripping out heating systems that already exist in rural homes. We have heard today about the cost to rural homes as we try to address the impact of using less fossil fuels. Will the Government get behind the opportunity for HVO in rural communities to give householders a chance to contribute to reducing harmful emissions in their homes?
Hydrotreated vegetable oil is a good alternative to ripping out heating systems that already exist in rural homes. We have heard today about the cost to rural homes as we try to address the impact of using less fossil fuels. Will the Government get behind the opportunity for HVO in rural communities to give householders a chance to contribute to reducing harmful emissions in their homes?
My hon. Friend has always championed his local constituents to ensure that they get value for money. We must explore all potential options, local or national, to find the best way to deliver energy security and lower bills in future.
Q13
.
Derek Thomas (St Ives) (Con):
I know that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister takes a personal interest in community pharmacy. Community pharmacists play an essential role in reducing pressure
on urgent care services by helping people prevent ill health and manage long-term conditions. Pharmacy First is a good example of Government commitment to community pharmacy. However, community pharmacies are under extreme financial pressure and some are closing, including in St Ives. This year, 177 pharmacies have closed, which compares with a figure of 116 in the same period in 2023. Will he do everything he can to ensure that funds are directed toward community pharmacy, so that our pharmacy friends can help the Government to deliver NHS services where and when they are most needed?
Q13
.
Derek Thomas (St Ives) (Con):
I know that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister takes a personal interest in community pharmacy. Community pharmacists play an essential role in reducing pressure
on urgent care services by helping people prevent ill health and manage long-term conditions. Pharmacy First is a good example of Government commitment to community pharmacy. However, community pharmacies are under extreme financial pressure and some are closing, including in St Ives. This year, 177 pharmacies have closed, which compares with a figure of 116 in the same period in 2023. Will he do everything he can to ensure that funds are directed toward community pharmacy, so that our pharmacy friends can help the Government to deliver NHS services where and when they are most needed?
As my hon. Friend knows, I care deeply about the future of our community pharmacies. There are over 10,500 community pharmacies across the country and they are working incredibly hard to serve their patients. I am pleased that about 80% of people live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy. That is why we are backing them with Pharmacy First, with £645 million of extra funding, whereby people can now go to see their pharmacist, rather than their GP, to get treatments for the seven most common ailments, such as ear infections and the like. Not only will that ensure that they can get treatments closer to home, but it will help to deliver our plan to cut waiting lists and get people the care they need more quickly.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 15 May.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 15 May.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that plans for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome in the Major Conditions Strategy include (a) musculoskeletal and (b) all other symptoms.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that plans for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome in the Major Conditions Strategy include (a) musculoskeletal and (b) all other symptoms.
In the development of the Major Conditions Strategy, we are considering how we improve outcomes for people living with multiple conditions, which is increasingly common in this country. Aligning work across several groups of conditions, including musculoskeletal conditions, for this strategy will allow us to focus on where there are similarities in approach, and ensure care is better centred around the patient, maximising existing resources both within patient pathways and in integrating between pathways.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending water undertakers' licences under the Environment Act 2021 to require those undertakers to accept septic tank waste (a) where there is market failure in the...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending water undertakers' licences under the Environment Act 2021 to require those undertakers to accept septic tank waste (a) where there is market failure in the...
Defra does not have the power to amend water company licence conditions; Ofwat has this power under the Water Industry Act 1991.
In the Plan for Water, the Government has committed to review existing regulatory arrangements and explore funding and other support options for improving septic tank activities. We continue to consider options that mitigate the risks arising from private sewage discharges.
In January 2023, to ease the pressures on the septic tank waste disposal market in Cornwall, the Environment Agency issued a regulatory position statement to increase waste storage capacity. This means that tanks can temporarily store more sewage (up to 60 cubic metres) until South West Water has capacity to take it.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will (a) respond to the letter of 21 February 2024 from Parliamentarians on Excess Deaths and (b) direct the other recipients to respond.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will (a) respond to the letter of 21 February 2024 from Parliamentarians on Excess Deaths and (b) direct the other recipients to respond.
The Department has received the correspondence from the hon. Member and has provided a response in PO-1497930.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to help prevent people (a) promoting, (b) encouraging and (c) glorifying terrorism at universities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to help prevent people (a) promoting, (b) encouraging and (c) glorifying terrorism at universities.
Higher education (HE) providers must comply with the statutory Prevent duty to have 'due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism'. The statutory Prevent duty can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance/prevent-duty-guidance-for-england-and-wales-accessible.
HE providers should have effective policies and procedures in place to safeguard individuals susceptible to radicalisation. This includes assessing the risk of learners becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. The Office for Students has delegated responsibility from the Secretary of State for Education for monitoring compliance of the Prevent duty in Registered HE Bodies.
The department has a team of Prevent Regional Education Co-ordinators who work directly with HE institutions in England to provide advice, support and training to ensure providers are well equipped to prevent people from being drawn into or supporting terrorism. Further guidance, including bespoke training material for HE providers, can be found on GOV.UK.
In the 'Independent Review of Prevent: One year on' progress report, the department announced that it is committed to publishing research on the implementation of the Prevent duty in HE, and guidance for universities on managing external speakers on campus. The Independent Review of Prevent can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-prevents-report-and-government-response/independent-review-of-prevent-one-year-on-progress-report-accessible.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting the practice of intentionally rendering commercial videogames inoperable when support ends.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting the practice of intentionally rendering commercial videogames inoperable when support ends.
The Government recognises recent concerns raised by video games users regarding the long-term operability of purchased products. Video games publishers must comply with existing consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs).
The CPRs protect consumers from being given false or misleading information by businesses. If consumers purchased a game on the understanding that it would continue to be playable, even when support ends, then the CPRs may provide recourse.
Under the CRA, consumers have clear rights when buying digital content, such as video games, supplied in digital form. Any digital content the consumer has paid for must be as described and of a satisfactory quality. If digital content does not meet these requirements, the consumer is entitled to a repair or replacement, or a price reduction or refund if the fault cannot be fixed. The CRA has a time limit of up to six years after a breach of contract during which a consumer can take legal action.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the General Ophthalmic Services sight test fee for opticians; and how many opticians stopped providing NHS services in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the General Ophthalmic Services sight test fee for opticians; and how many opticians stopped providing NHS services in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.
The level of the National Health Service sight test fee is considered annually, taking into account evidence provided by the optical fee negotiating committee, affordability for the NHS, alongside information regarding patient access to sight testing services, which continue to be widely available.
Although 254 contracts for providing NHS sight testing services were terminated between February 2023 and January 2024, 179 new contracts were awarded. There are various reasons why contractors choose to stop providing NHS sight testing services, including retirement, selling the practice to a new owner, and ceasing trading as a business.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason NHS employees in band 4 are only eligible for pay progression after three years, rather than two years as in other bands.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason NHS employees in band 4 are only eligible for pay progression after three years, rather than two years as in other bands.
As part of the 2018 deal, all pay bands underwent a significant amount of structural reform. The reform included reducing the length of time it takes to reach the top of most pay bands, improving pay progression, and removing all overlap between pay bands. As such, the time taken to progress to the top of Band 4 has been reduced from six years to three years. The time taken to progress varies by band. This is to reflect the time needed to develop the knowledge and skills to perform at the top of the relevant band.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety of the use of bright LEDs on cycles and (b) adequacy of standards regulation on those lights.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety of the use of bright LEDs on cycles and (b) adequacy of standards regulation on those lights.
Requirements for the fitment and use of bicycle lamps are set out in the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 as amended.
Enforcement of road traffic law is generally an operational matter for individual Police Forces.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to address the loyalty penalty paid by households reliant on (a) heating oil and (b) LPG; and whether she has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to make an assessment of the adequacy...
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to address the loyalty penalty paid by households reliant on (a) heating oil and (b) LPG; and whether she has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to make an assessment of the adequacy...
We believe consumer choice provides the best long-term guarantee of competitive prices.
The structure of the heating oil market allows for switching of suppliers on a delivery-by-delivery basis. There are commercial price comparison sites and the trade association UKIFDA provides a ‘Find a distributor’ facility at https://ukifda.org/find-a-distributor/.
There is similar consumer choice for bottled LPG users, supported by the trade association LGUK ‘Supplier search’ facility (https://www.liquidgasuk.org/domestic/supplier-search). The bulk domestic LPG market is subject to regulation under the Competition and Markets Authority’s LPG Orders (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/liquefied-petroleum-gas-lpg-market-orders-and-calculator) to enable easier switching of domestic bulk LPG supplier by domestic customers and the CMA continues to monitor that market.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish a response to the report commissioned by his Department entitled The impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish a response to the report commissioned by his Department entitled The impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.
In September 2023 the department published a discussion document which sought the views of the park homes sector on the 2022 report’s recommendations. The Government is considering the response to that discussion document and we will announce next steps shortly.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his Department’s policy that Palestinian citizens of Israel have a well-founded fear of persecution if returned to Israel.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his Department’s policy that Palestinian citizens of Israel have a well-founded fear of persecution if returned to Israel.
All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made by considering any relevant extant caselaw and the latest available country of origin information.
Our position for different groups is set out in the respective country policy and information note(s), which are published on the gov.uk website.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 17 April.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 17 April.
Q11
.
Derek Thomas (St Ives) (Con):
Robotic surgery allows laparoscopic surgery to be performed with increased precision, flexibility and control. This can result in reduced patient complication rates, reduced lengths of stay in hospital and reduced hospital readmission. However, there is currently no robotic surgery provision in Cornwall. As a result, residents of Cornwall must travel to Devon for robotic procedures, a journey of more than 80 miles for those from west Cornwall and 120 miles for those from the Isles of Scilly. Will the Prime Minister commit to ringfence capital funding for Cornwall to establish a robotic surgery service, and address the health inequalities our constituents have lived with for far too long?
Q11
.
Derek Thomas (St Ives) (Con):
Robotic surgery allows laparoscopic surgery to be performed with increased precision, flexibility and control. This can result in reduced patient complication rates, reduced lengths of stay in hospital and reduced hospital readmission. However, there is currently no robotic surgery provision in Cornwall. As a result, residents of Cornwall must travel to Devon for robotic procedures, a journey of more than 80 miles for those from west Cornwall and 120 miles for those from the Isles of Scilly. Will the Prime Minister commit to ringfence capital funding for Cornwall to establish a robotic surgery service, and address the health inequalities our constituents have lived with for far too long?
I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the potential of this innovative technology for patient care. I am delighted that more generally Cornwall is benefiting from our new hospital programme, providing a new women and children’s hospital at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, in the centre of Cornwall, which he and I discussed when I was last with him. NHS England is actively exploring opportunities to expand robotic-assisted surgery. Any decisions on funding new allocations will factor in health inequalities, such as areas with less access to robots to date. I will ensure that the current access to robotic surgery in my hon. Friend’s local community is appropriately considered by the relevant health Minister.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of provisions in the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill on the work of animal rescue charities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of provisions in the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill on the work of animal rescue charities.
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill completed second reading in the House of Commons on 15 March 2024.
In August 2021 we launched a consultation on the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. It was a wide-ranging consultation with excellent engagement with key stakeholders including animal rescue charities. We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and the consultation response will be published soon.