Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Grant this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 108 · this parliament
Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to enhance mobile phone reception in Maidstone and Malling constituency.
Government wants all areas of the UK to benefit from mobile connectivity.Ofcom’s reporting shows that 92% of the pre-boundary change constituency area has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, and that basic (non-standalone) 5G is availab...
Media and Sport, when she plans to introduce a football governance bill.
The Football Governance Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 24 October 2024. I look forward to working across the House in due course to progress the Bill through Parliament and ensure we deliver on much needed regulation for the game.
Media and Sport, what steps she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to support the development of the broadcasting industry outside of London.
Our world-leading TV sector is too centralised in London and the South East. We need to spread the benefits of the sector into our towns and cities, so that more people can see themselves and their experiences reflected on screen as part of our national s...
What steps he has taken to assess the impact on the health outcomes of people with dementia of the (a) average length of time people with dementia stay in hospital relative to people over 65 withou
NHS England does not hold this information centrally. However, the provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population need...
What steps her Department plans to take to support people who will become ineligible for Winter Fuel Payment as a result of the planned introduction of means-testing in Maidstone and Malling constituenc
Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to a...
If she will publish an equality impact assessment for the means-testing of Winter Fuel Payment.
In making its decision on Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, the Government had regard to an equality analysis in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty requirements. The equality analysis was published on Friday 13th September, and can be found here: GO...
Media and Sport, what plans she has to fund (a) grassroots and (b) community tennis.
I am delighted to take this opportunity to wish Sir Andy Murray well in his retirement. He has contributed a huge amount to British sport throughout his long career, both on and off the court.The Government is committed to improving access to sports and p...
Media and Sport, whether she plans to continue funding the Park Tennis Court Programme.
I am delighted to take this opportunity to wish Sir Andy Murray well in his retirement. He has contributed a huge amount to British sport throughout his long career, both on and off the court.The Government is committed to improving access to sports and p...
Media and Sport, whether she plans to invest in tennis facilities to support more people to play tennis year-round.
I am delighted to take this opportunity to wish Sir Andy Murray well in his retirement. He has contributed a huge amount to British sport throughout his long career, both on and off the court.The Government is committed to improving access to sports and p...
Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking step to use the career of Sir Andy Murray to encourage more people to play tennis.
I am delighted to take this opportunity to wish Sir Andy Murray well in his retirement. He has contributed a huge amount to British sport throughout his long career, both on and off the court.The Government is committed to improving access to sports and p...
Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to take steps to recognise the retirement of Sir Andy Murray.
I am delighted to take this opportunity to wish Sir Andy Murray well in his retirement. He has contributed a huge amount to British sport throughout his long career, both on and off the court.The Government is committed to improving access to sports and p...
Whether she plans to take steps to improve traffic management on the M20.
The Kent & Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) is responsible for operational decision making on traffic management measures in response to disruption at Eurotunnel and/or the Port of Dover. The KMRF have well-practised tactical plans in place, including Operation Brock. While these measures help to mitigate against the worst of any disruption, the Department still recognises the impact disruption has on local residents, businesses, hauliers, and passengers. Therefore, the Department is working with the KMRF and other local stakeholders to continually improve how traffic management plans operate.
If she will take steps to increase local authorities powers to prevent disruptive works by (a) utility companies and (b) Highways England.
Utility companies have a right to access the public road network to repair and maintain the services on which we all rely, as well as to meet the requirements of regulators, for example, to restore services to customers. Utility companies must send a permit to the relevant local highway authority within 2 hours of being on-site and the authority can assess and agree the necessary duration of the works with the company to ensure disruption to road users is minimised. National Highways operate their own arrangements for agreeing access for utility companies to the strategic road network.
If she will provide additional funding to councils to help SEND pupils.
The department recognises the financial pressures on local authorities due to rising costs in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. The Core Schools Budget Grant will provide over £140 million in additional funding for special and alternative provision schools in 2024/25 to cover increased costs from teachers' pay and support staff negotiations. This is in addition to the £10.75 billion allocated this year for high needs funding and teacher-related costs. The department’ budget for the 2025/26 financial year is still under review, with funding allocations dependent on the upcoming Spending Review in October. The department recognises the delay and will announce allocations as soon as possible. We are acutely aware not only of the financial pressures that local authorities are facing due to the increasing cost of supporting young people with complex needs but also of the pressures on the government as a whole due to the financial situation it has inherited.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help ensure habitat (a) creation and (b) enhancement through biodiversity net gain.
It is evident that the previous Government failed to protect and restore nature. The previous Environment Improvement Plan did not focus enough on delivery of our Environment Act targets and as a result nature is in crisis. Biodiversity net gain requires most planning applications to deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity compared to what was there before. The biodiversity to be delivered is calculated using the biodiversity metric, developed by Natural England together with stakeholders over a period of many years, drawing on the best science available. By applying the biodiversity metric to all eligible development sites, we will make sure that the right habitat creation and enhancement takes place to both compensate for what has been lost and deliver a gain. The metric also rewards biodiversity actions taken in line with Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs), incentivising the right actions to be taken in the right places as LNRSs are brought forward across England.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the delivery of the local nature recovery strategies.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are currently being prepared across England. They will identify and prioritise actions and areas for nature recovery and nature-based solutions. The first strategies are expected this autumn with the remainder following in the first half of 2025. In July, the Secretary of State announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to ensure it is fit for purpose to deliver our legally binding environmental targets. Defra is working with stakeholders to undertake this review, including looking at the role of, and support for, LNRSs in its delivery.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help facilitate re-wilding in England.
This Government has set out its intention to deliver for nature, taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, and working in partnership with civil society, communities and business to restore and protect our natural world. Wilding or rewilding is the restoration of ecosystems to the point where they are more regulated by natural processes. This Government is supporting a number of initiatives to create wilder landscapes across England, as part of a broader approach to nature recovery. Rewilding is not appropriate in all situations, and we must balance priorities including food production. One of the ways this Government is supporting wilder landscapes and wildlife-rich habitat is through Landscape Recovery (LR), one of Defra’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. LR is for landowners and managers who want to take a large-scale, long-term approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land. It will facilitate and fund ambitious projects through bespoke, 20+ year agreements. LR supports objectives such as restoring ecological or hydrological function across a landscape, peatland restoration, woodland management, or habitat restoration.
What steps he is taking to improve dementia care in England.
The Dementia Training Standards Framework sets out the required essential knowledge and skills, as well as the expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum. To support the quality of dementia care planning by primary care providers, the Dementia: Good Personalised Care and Support Planning guide promotes consistent personalised care and support planning. To further improve care, NHS England has refreshed the RightCare Dementia Scenario. This sets out best practice for supporting people with dementia, from diagnosis to dying well.To enhance an integrated approach to hospital discharge, six national discharge frontrunner pilots are testing improved dementia care. This includes dementia hubs, which aim to improve care and support for dementia patients waiting for discharge, so that their needs are at the centre of every decision.
What steps she is taking to help schools to support pupils with dyslexia.
Mainstream schools have a statutory duty to use their best endeavours to ensure that provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), such as dyslexia, is made for those who need it. Guidance on this duty is set out in the special educational ne...
What steps he is taking to help improve the diagnosis of dyslexia in children.
Assessments for dyslexia in children are currently provided through Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services by an educational psychologist or an appropriately qualified specialist dyslexia teacher.If a parent thinks their child may be dyslexic, as a first step they should speak to their child’s teacher or their school's special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about their concerns. They may be able to offer additional support to help the child if necessary.The government will be focusing on a community-wide approach to meeting the needs of children with SEND, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools. On 22 November 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education and NHS England launched a joint project, Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS), with £13million of funding to test an innovative delivery model to improve access to specialist support in mainstream primary schools, upskilling those settings to meet a range of neurodiverse needs. The programme is ongoing, with delivery due to be completed by 31 March 2025. The programme is being evaluated, and learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.