I thank my hon. Friend for her kind invitation. I particularly enjoyed Tamworth’s recent FA Cup heroics against Tottenham, although they did not quite win. We are committed to protecting our most vulnerable heritage, and I know that Historic England is working closely with Tamworth borough council to preserve this local treasure for future generations. It is particularly important to continue school visit programmes, supporting our mission to give every child the best opportunities in life.

Q12

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Sarah Edwards (Tamworth) (Lab):

Tamworth castle, which boasts 1,000 years of history, was recently added to the “Heritage at Risk” register following my campaign about its future. Despite needing repairs, it provides a unique and valuable learning environment, welcoming both the public and schools to learn about Tamworth’s rich history. Will the Prime Minister visit Tamworth to see how an 11th-century castle is providing 21st-century learning opportunities while promoting local heritage?

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 16976 on 7 March 2024.

I wish to be clear with the Hon Member once more. My visit to Tamworth was a political visit. It was arranged through political channels.

I notified the Hon Member ahead of visiting her constituency as per parliamentary protocols.

Furthermore, she should note that the cost of answering a written ministerial question has previously been estimated to be in region of £150. I have so far answered multiple questions on this subject.

To put it in perspective, the train ticket I purchased to visit Tamworth (at no cost to the taxpayer) cost £5.60.

If the honourable lady would like to meet me to discuss any of these matters further, at a far cheaper cost to the taxpayer, I am happy to facilitate such a meeting.

But I would prefer to discuss how this Government can level up all parts of this great country, including of course Tamworth.

The Government is committed to levelling up the whole country. Tamworth has been awarded £21.65 million from the Future High Street Fund to deliver regeneration of the Town Centre.

The department understands that inflation is an issue facing many projects. Where requests to re-scope projects are submitted, we are looking to deal with these flexibly, provided changes still represent good value for money. Details of meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.

The Government is committed to levelling up the whole country. Tamworth has been awarded £21.65 million from the Future High Street Fund to deliver regeneration of the Town Centre.

The department understands that inflation is an issue facing many projects. Where requests to re-scope projects are submitted, we are looking to deal with these flexibly, provided changes still represent good value for money. Details of meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.

In a flood situation local partners will come together to manage the response and support their communities. These will include our blue light services, the local authority and the Environment Agency as well as community members themselves. Their staff, and volunteers, play such an important role in supporting those affected, for which I am sure the hon.Member will agree they should be thanked and congratulated.

Depending on the severity of the flooding, this will usually be coordinated through the Local Resilience Forum. This is where partners will come together to will manage a response to a flood event that may have impacts on homes, infrastructure, transport links and community hubs.

Flooding can be devasting for those at risk impacted, which is why we are investing £5.2 billion in continuing to build defences that will better protect both homes and business, building on the £2.6 billion invested between 2015 and 2021 which provided better protection to 314,000 homes across England.

I am aware that during Storm Henk in January, the Polesworth gauge on the River Anker recorded its highest level, which would have been very worrying for your constituents. But I am delighted to know that investment already made in Tamworth meant that some 2,500 properties in Tamworth were protected, with only some minor surface water flooding behind defences. Many of which I am sure benefitted from the £15 million Lower Tame scheme, competed in 2015.

Following the recent storms the Environment Agency is assessing its existing defences to ensure they can continue to meet current and future needs. I know the Environment Agency is also exploring with partners the feasibility of the Tamworth Left Bank Flood Alleviation Scheme, on which, if it can go ahead, they anticipate beginning construction in late 2026 with completion expected in early 2029.

It was a political visit made on 4 January 2024 at no cost to the taxpayer.

It was a political visit made on 4 January 2024 at no cost to the taxpayer.

It was a political visit made on 4 January 2024 at no cost to the taxpayer.

Historic England, HM Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment, is responsible for working with all stakeholders to champion historic places and help people to understand, value and care for them. In particular, Historic England has made assessments in relation to Heritage at Risk in Tamworth. There are three entries on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register in the Tamworth constituency:

1. the Deanery wall at Lower Gungate;

2. the Church of St John the Baptist; and

3. the Fazeley and Bonehill Conservation Area.

The Heritage at Risk programme protects and manages the historic environment. Historic England works with owners, friends groups, developers and other stakeholders to find solutions for ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England.

In addition, heritage assets within the Tamworth constituency have benefited from National Heritage Lottery funding totalling £3,553,753 since 1994, including a grant of £555,400 to the scheduled and grade I listed Tamworth Castle in 2016.

The data is not held in the format requested.

NHS England has advised that Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board, which provides inpatient care for the Tamworth constituency, is developing a long-term solution for inpatient mental health services. This is based on an enhanced community mental health model, in line with the ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan.

This includes providing enhanced crisis support, more personalised care to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and discharge pathways which assist people to stay in the community and prevent readmission and maintain bed capacity for patients who require admission.

The Government’s position towards the creation of new museums, as set out in the action plan following The Mendoza Review: an independent review of museums in England, is that public funding should only support the creation of new museums in areas and communities with a demonstrable need for them. Instead we have focused on investment in existing museums and galleries through capital programmes such as the DCMS / Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund and the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and our direct sponsorship of fifteen museum arm’s length bodies (encompassing 48 museum sites).

Arts Council England is our arm’s-length body providing wider support and funding for museums and galleries, and its Museum Development services can provide guidance to organisations on how to open a new museum. They can help develop thinking on how the proposed museum fits within the ecology of arts, culture and heritage in the local area, including determining the scale and interest of the potential audience, and advise on potential avenues for capital funding.

Treasury ministers and officials regularly engage with Barclays UK on a variety of key policy issues.

Decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial decision for banks and building societies.   However, the Government firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have appropriate access to banking services.

The largest banks and building societies have been signed up to the Access to Banking Standard since 2017, which commits them to ensure that customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services.

Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority also sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to close branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.

Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.

Treasury ministers and officials regularly engage with Barclays UK on a variety of key policy issues.

Decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial decision for banks and building societies.   However, the Government firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have appropriate access to banking services.

The largest banks and building societies have been signed up to the Access to Banking Standard since 2017, which commits them to ensure that customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services.

Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority also sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to close branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.

Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.