The Department's statutory guidance on implementing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) will apply to new and existing LTN schemes once it is published in final form this summer. Its purpose is to set out the Department’s expectations for comprehensive local engagement; both before new schemes are implemented, and on an ongoing basis for existing schemes. This is to ensure the needs of communities and road users are properly considered.

The Department will not support LTNs unless they are designed and delivered in line with the eventual, finalised statutory guidance; and reserves the right to take further action if local authorities do not follow it.

Parliament set up the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to decide complaints quickly as an alternative to the courts – not to act as a law enforcer. However, firms that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are required under the FCA’s rules to co-operate with the ombudsman.

Following a consumer’s acceptance of the ombudsman’s final decision, this becomes binding on the firm. Firms are required to comply promptly with any decision that ombudsmen may make, including decisions on compensation.
If a firm fails to comply with the Ombudsman's decision, under the legislative framework, a complainant can enforce the decision through the courts. A money award can be recovered by execution of a county court order, while compliance with a direction is enforceable by way of an injunction. This does not require the merits of the case to be considered again by the court.

Parliament set up the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to decide complaints quickly as an alternative to the courts – not to act as a law enforcer. However, firms that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are required under the FCA’s rules to co-operate with the ombudsman.

Following a consumer’s acceptance of the ombudsman’s final decision, this becomes binding on the firm. Firms are required to comply promptly with any decision that ombudsmen may make, including decisions on compensation.
If a firm fails to comply with the Ombudsman's decision, under the legislative framework, a complainant can enforce the decision through the courts. A money award can be recovered by execution of a county court order, while compliance with a direction is enforceable by way of an injunction. This does not require the merits of the case to be considered again by the court.

In relation to the asset purchase facility and how that has worked over recent years, it is not His Majesty’s Government’s—or indeed the Treasury’s—intention to change the way in which that works with the Bank of England, but as with all measures, the Chancellor keeps everything under close review.

I am happy to meet my right hon. Friend to discuss the matter. We have reached pay settlements with the “Agenda for Change” unions, and we continue to reach pay deals with other unions. We are also supporting non-NHS providers whose contracts are dynamically aligned. It is a complex area, so I am more than happy to meet my right hon. Friend to discuss his concerns.

We will deploy dental vans offering appointments to patients in targeted rural and coastal communities who have the most limited access to dentistry, including Somerset, starting later this year.

We are currently working with NHS England and the integrated care boards (ICBs), including NHS Somerset ICB, to agree the exact number of vans, and where they will be deployed. I expect to be able to provide more details on this in due course.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has made an assessment of the merits of using powers under the Professional Qualifications Act 2022 (PQ Act) to increase the number of overseas-qualified dentists able to practice in the United Kingdom.

The PQ Act affirmed the Government’s commitment to protect the autonomy of regulators, including the General Dental Council, to assess overseas-gained professional qualifications and make decisions about whether individuals meet the requirements to work in a regulated profession in the UK.

The PQ Act contains a power for the Government to implement international agreements. This power was used to implement the UK’s free trade agreement with the European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association member states in 2023, meaning that UK regulators are now required to recognise comparable qualifications obtained in Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. Work is currently underway to use the PQ Act power to implement the UK-Swiss Recognition of Professional Qualifications Agreement by 1 January 2025.

My right hon. Friend makes a very good point about regional Mayors, which is that we have devolved powers and resources to them, but they are ultimately accountable to their constituents. I hope very much that if they are punishing the motorist, the motorist will punish them back at the appropriate time at the ballot box.

On 31 October 2022, the total number of civil servants employed within the core Department (excluding Arm’s Length Bodies) was 3,978. As of 18 July 2023, the total number of civil servants employed by the Department was 3,316.

Please note that these figures do not show the full establishment workforce of the Department in line with published figures on GOV.UK. Contingent Labour, secondments in, Fast Streamers and vacancies are not included.

It would not be right if financial services were being denied to anyone exercising their right to lawful free speech. Our new Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 puts in place new measures to ensure that politically exposed persons are being treated in an appropriate and proportionate manner, and having consulted on the payments services regulations, we are in the process of cracking down on that practice by tightening the rules around account closures. But in the meantime, any individual can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which has the power to direct a bank to reopen their account.

Local traffic authorities have the power to introduce parking restrictions by implementing Traffic Regulation Orders and around 98% of local authorities have the power to undertake civil parking enforcement, including Bath and North East Somerset Council. Responsibility for traffic management and parking enforcement on local roads rests with the relevant local authority, as they are best placed to consider how local needs can be effectively met. It is entirely a matter for individual authorities to decide on the nature and scope of parking policies and to balance the needs of residents, emergency services, local businesses and those who work in and visit the areas.

I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. When a person disposing of their vehicle notifies the DVLA that they no longer have the vehicle, they are removed from the record and the DVLA writes to them. If the customer continues to receive correspondence relating to motor vehicle offences, they should contact the DVLA as soon as possible confirming that they are no longer the keeper of the vehicle in question. If he has any constituents with any particular issues, I would be delighted to take them up and look at them as soon as possible.

My right hon. Friend has shown great interest in the work of coroners. They have judicial independence, but I am more than happy to raise his concerns with the Chief Coroner to see if any specific issues in Somerset are causing concern to his constituents.

The Coroner Statistics 2022: England and Wales, published on 11 May 2023, indicate that, for the Somerset coroner area in 2022, the average time from the report of a death to the coroner and the completion of an inquest was 31 weeks. This was an increase from 23 weeks in 2021.

In 2022, the average time for completion of an inquest in England and Wales as a whole was 30 weeks – a decrease from 31 weeks in 2021.

The Ministry of Justice does not have operational responsibility for coroner services, which are administered and funded by individual local authorities. Consequently, this department does not hold information on remote working by staff in the Somerset coroner service.

The Chief Coroner continues to work with individual coroner areas and their funding authorities and the police to ensure that services are effectively delivered. He is engaged with the relevant authority for the Somerset coroner area on service improvements.

The Coroner Statistics 2022: England and Wales, published on 11 May 2023, indicate that, for the Somerset coroner area in 2022, the average time from the report of a death to the coroner and the completion of an inquest was 31 weeks. This was an increase from 23 weeks in 2021.

In 2022, the average time for completion of an inquest in England and Wales as a whole was 30 weeks – a decrease from 31 weeks in 2021.

The Ministry of Justice does not have operational responsibility for coroner services, which are administered and funded by individual local authorities. Consequently, this department does not hold information on remote working by staff in the Somerset coroner service.

The Chief Coroner continues to work with individual coroner areas and their funding authorities and the police to ensure that services are effectively delivered. He is engaged with the relevant authority for the Somerset coroner area on service improvements.

To process Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) applications, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has staff working day shifts and evening shifts, and both shifts then have further overtime hours. While staff do not routinely work between 12am and 6am, for evening shift staff who work from 4pm-10pm, overtime hours are available from 10pm-2am. The below data shows the number of staff who have taken that opportunity to work overtime at least once in each month, but not all of these staff will have worked beyond 12am while working overtime.

Staff do not work beyond 2am. The table below provides the total number of administrative evening shift staff who have worked overtime beyond 10pm. It does not include day shift staff who have worked overtime.

At 3 March 2023, a total of 401,196 applications for a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) were being processed by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). This included 163,279 applications that were in the statutory four-week waiting period for any objections to be lodged prior to registration. At 3 March 2023, the OPG had already registered 809,675 applications for an LPA in 2022/23. These figures exclude the registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney which, while valid, have been replaced by LPAs since the Mental Capacity Act 2005 came into effect.

Customers are currently advised to allow up to 20 weeks for an LPA application to be processed, including the four-week waiting period. The OPG target to register LPAs is within an average of eight weeks. OPG staff are working day and night to register LPAs and extra staff have been hired, which is increasing the number of LPAs being registered each month.

The government is also supporting the Powers of Attorney Bill which will enable a digitalised LPA application process, leading to a faster and simpler service for applicants in future.

Hybrid working is available at OPG as a modern employer, subject to business area requirements and line manager’s discretion. A third of the roles in OPG (c. 600 out of 1,700) are not suitable for hybrid working. These roles are required to be undertaken full-time in the office. For example, in the operational unit responsible for the processing of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), there is a requirement for many of the core manual processes to be conducted from an office and space is prioritised in the office for these roles to be undertaken.

Where OPG business areas are not directly involved in LPA processing activities, staff are required to attend an office for a minimum of two days each per week and have an obligation to attend the office when requested to do so by their line management unless a formal exemption is in place. At 7 February 2023, 1.4% of OPG staff had a formal exemption and the remaining 98.6% were required to work from the office at least two days a week.

Hybrid working is available at OPG as a modern employer, subject to business area requirements and line manager’s discretion. A third of the roles in OPG (c. 600 out of 1,700) are not suitable for hybrid working. These roles are required to be undertaken full-time in the office. For example, in the operational unit responsible for the processing of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), there is a requirement for many of the core manual processes to be conducted from an office and space is prioritised in the office for these roles to be undertaken.

Where OPG business areas are not directly involved in LPA processing activities, staff are required to attend an office for a minimum of two days each per week and have an obligation to attend the office when requested to do so by their line management unless a formal exemption is in place. At 7 February 2023, 1.4% of OPG staff had a formal exemption and the remaining 98.6% were required to work from the office at least two days a week.