Every parliamentary written question tabled by Manuela Perteghella this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 281–300 of 441 · this parliament
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Public Order Act 2023 on (a) freedom of assembly and (b) peaceful protest.
We have committed to carry out post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 beginning in May 2025. This process will review how the legislation has operated since it came into force.
What steps he is planning to take to support community pharmacies in the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan.
The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and community pharmacies will have a big role to play in that shift. As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have been carefully considering policies, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, including from the community pharmacy sector.
If he will take steps to prevent pharmacy closures in Warwickshire.
The Government recognises that pharmacies, including in Warwickshire, are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.We have now concluded the consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26 and have agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion. This deal represents an uplift of over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26 and demonstrates a commitment to rebuilding the sector.Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, integrated care boards (ICBs) can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and fund the contract from the ICBs’ budgets. The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of community pharmacy provision in Stratford-on-Avon constituency.
The Government recognises that pharmacies, including in Stratford-on-Avon, are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.We have now concluded the consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26, and have agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a commitment to rebuilding the sector.Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes, and fund the contract from the ICB’s budget. The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.
If she will make it her policy to mandate (a) allergy safety training, (b) the provision of spare epipens and (c) other allergy safety measures in schools.
Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.In 2017 the Department of Health published non-statutory guidance confirming that schools are able to purchase spare adrenaline auto injectors (AAIs) from a pharmacy, without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation. This guidance is kept under review and gives clear advice to schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered for pupils in schools.
Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that planning (a) policies and (b) decisions support UK (i) nature and (ii) climate targets.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41339 on 3 April 2025.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will review the offer of a state visit to President Trump.
No.
If she will introduce a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to provide financial support for children and young people travelling to specialist cancer centres for treatment.
The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer. The Department of Health and Social Care has not made an estimate of the average distance travelled and cost incurred by children and young people when attending cancer appointments in the North Cornwall constituency. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.
What information her Department holds on the number of current gross misconduct hearings for Warwickshire Police; and what the average length of time taken to conclude gross misconduct hearings for Warwickshire Police was over the past five years.
The Home Office does not hold information on the number of current gross misconduct hearings for police forces, including Warwickshire Police. Nor does it publish information on the average length of time taken to conclude gross misconduct hearings.The Home Office does however collect and publish data on the number of police complaints, conduct matters, and misconduct proceedings (including cases and allegations) on an annual basis in the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics.The latest information covers cases finalised in year ending 31 March 2024. The data tables accompanying these statistics contain information on individuals referred to proceedings by proceeding type and Police Force Area (table MP1), and the subsequent misconduct finding level (table MP3).Tables CM7a and RC7a contain information on the total time to finalise conduct and recordable conduct matter cases, by Police Force Area. These statistics include all finalised cases, including those not referred to misconduct proceedings or where no action was deemed necessary.These statistics are designated Official Statistics in Development to acknowledge that they should be interpreted with caution, particularly when comparing between years. Please see the user guide for further details https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-police-misconduct-statistics/user-guide-to-police-misconduct-statistics.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to allow almshouses to access housing-related grants.
Almshouse charities can bid for grant funding from the Affordable Homes Programme if they are registered social housing providers, subject to oversight by the Regulator of Social Housing. 264 out of 1,600 almshouses charities have already taken this step.
Pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40830 on Dyslexia: Screening, whether her Department has considered international (a) evidence and (b) best practice in the support of pupils with specific learning difficulties.
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with specific learning difficulties. As part of this, the department is considering both international evidence and best practice in its policymaking on special educational needs, with a focus on strengthening the evidence base on what works to identify and support needs in mainstream settings, including for specific learning difficulties.The department has commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people (age 0 to 25) with different types of needs.
Pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40830 on Dyslexia: Screening, how she plans to use the £1 billion provided for high needs budgets in the 2025-26 financial year.
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.We are providing a £1 billion increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will face this year, as they in turn provide support to schools and colleges, and ultimately to children and young people with SEND. Schools decide how to spend their budgets to meet their legal duties and other responsibilities, including support for their pupils with SEND, including those with dyslexia.High needs funding in England will total over £12 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. Of that total, Warwickshire County Council is being allocated over £104 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £6.9 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula.
Pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40830 on Dyslexia: Screening, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of Key Stage 2 statutory assessments for recognising persistent reading difficulties.
End of key stage 2 tests and assessments enable teachers and parents to identify the areas in which individual pupils might require additional support so that they can succeed in secondary school. The tests also inform parents of their child’s achievements in relation to the expectations outlined in the national curriculum.While the key stage 2 English reading test is not a diagnostic tool for dyslexia, it may highlight a pupil’s difficulty with reading when compared against the age-related expectations in the national curriculum. Secondary schools can use this information to provide any relevant support for the pupil as they transition into year 7.The Curriculum and Assessment Review published its interim report on 18 March 2025. The Review panel have been clear that assessments in key stage 1 and 2 are an important part of assessing children's progress throughout primary school, and that the system of primary assessment is generally working well. The report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of (a) young offenders institutions and (b) education provision in these institutions.
We recognise that current performance in our public sector young offender institutions (YOIs) is not where we need it to be. This puts staff under pressure and affects the quality of regime, including education opportunities, that we can offer children and young people.To drive performance improvements, we have developed roadmaps to effective practice which will focus on outcomes in areas such as safety, behaviour management support and education. Where required, action is being taken under the education contracts to require providers to improve performance, but this is a shared challenge, in which the maintenance of good order and discipline in establishments plays a key part.The Youth Custody Service (YCS) is working closely with education providers in the community, in particular those making provision for children who have experienced school exclusion, children with special educational needs and young people who have previously experienced, or are at risk of, being unemployed without involvement in education or training. These partnerships will be crucial to developing practice in our YOIs, but also in offering some continuity with children’s education on release.Work is under way to apply new learning frameworks to the current provision. This will create a wider range of pathways for children, and a roadmap will be used to promote these improvements.I recently met with education providers and the YCS, including governors, to explore the barriers and plans for improvement. Effective engagement with individual children and young people will make a huge difference in improving safety and achieving more positive outcomes for them on release.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support people affected by fly-tipping required to clear waste on private land at their own expense.
We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. We want to reduce incidents in the first place so that fewer landowners are affected. Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and we want to see these at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. These include issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 and prosecution. Upon conviction, compensation for the landowner’s clearance costs can be secured. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to provide support to people affected by environmental crimes.
We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. We want to reduce incidents in the first place so that fewer landowners are affected. Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and we want to see these at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. These include issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 and prosecution. Upon conviction, compensation for the landowner’s clearance costs can be secured. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support (a) local authorities and (b) enforcement agencies to tackle fly-tipping in rural areas.
We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. We want to reduce incidents in the first place so that fewer landowners are affected. Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and we want to see these at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. These include issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 and prosecution. Upon conviction, compensation for the landowner’s clearance costs can be secured. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.
What steps she is taking to support survivors of domestic abuse and violence against women through the criminal justice system.
The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade. Ministers from a wide range of relevant Government departments regularly meet to ensure we are using all available levers to achieve this, and we will publish our cross-government strategy this summer.We are already taking action to improve the experiences of victims of domestic and sexual abuse by:Launching Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) in selected areas to provide more protection for victims;Introducing specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every police force, and domestic abuse experts in 999 rooms;Introducing free Independent Legal Advisers for victims of adult rape, so that victims better understand their legal rights; andEnsuring every CPS area has at least one dedicated Victim Liaison Officer in its RASSO unit, to improve victim communications.
Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on budgets for the devolved adult skills fund.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary of the Treasury meet regularly with the Secretary of State for Education.At the Spending Review on 30 October, the Department for Education received a settlement providing total DEL funding of £99.7 billion in 2025-26. The Department is responsible for determining their budgets, including for the Adult Skills Fund, through their Business Planning process. Budgets beyond 2025-26 will be determined at phase 2 of the Spending Review on 11 June.Achieving growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity are key priorities for this Government. The Adult Skills Fund is a crucial component of both missions helping to provide a foundation for individuals to improve earnings and employment opportunities, and open doors to further learning. This Government is committed to seeing local government empowered and strengthened including through the devolution of adult skills.
What steps his Department is taking to support the growth of (a) small and (b) medium-sized manufacturing businesses.
This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.Support is available through our Made Smarter Programme where manufacturing SMEs will be able to adopt industrial digital technologies like robotics and autonomous systems to boost their productivity and competitiveness.Later this year the government will publish its Small Business Strategy, including policies on creating thriving high streets, accessing finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.