Written questions by Bishop.

What steps he is taking to ensure that mental health services in rural communities are adequately (a) staffed and (b) supported.

Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high including those in rural communities.People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve and need, which is why we will fix the system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICB) to commission care to meet the needs of their local population.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the needs of children placed with kinship carers are fully assessed and supported especially in cases of (a) trauma and (b) disrupted care.

The government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this.In October 2024, the department published the new Kinship Care statutory guidance for local authorities, setting out the support and services local authorities should provide to kinship families, including reaffirming the requirement to publish their local offer of support in a clear, accessible way.The guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.Regulation 11 of the Special Guardianship statutory guidance states that, in the case of a child who was looked after immediately prior to the making of a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), the child, special guardian or parent has a right to receive an assessment by the local authority for support services, which may include financial support.In the context of kinship foster carers, when considering whether a relative, friend or other connected person should be approved as a foster carer, account must be taken of the needs, wishes and feelings of the child, and the capacity of the carer to meet those particular needs. The child’s placement plan will set out in detail how the placement is intended to contribute to meeting the child’s needs and should make clear any support or services that the kinship foster carer needs in order to meet the needs of the child.The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund helps children who were previously looked after and are now in kinship care under a SGO or a Child Arrangements Order and their families access therapeutic interventions related to trauma and attachment.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle digital exclusion in Forest of Dean constituency.

Digital inclusion is a priority for me and for Government. It means everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. Work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and we hope to announce more on this soon. We look forward to working closely with the third sector, business and local authorities across the UK, including Gloucestershire, to ensure interventions are targeted to and based on individual needs.

If he will take steps to ensure that people in rural communities have access to mental health support within a one-hour radius using public transport.

Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high including those in rural communities.People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve and need, which is why we will fix the system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICB) to commission care to meet the needs of their local population.

What steps she is taking to ensure that planned reforms to the disability benefit system ensure security and support for seriously ill and disabled people.

This government believes there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today. The system must also work to reduce poverty for disabled people and those with health conditions and support disabled people to live independently. We want to engage with disabled people, and others with expertise and experience on these issues, to consider how to address these challenges and build a better system. We are working to develop proposals for reform and will set them out for consultation and engagement in a Green Paper in spring 2025. This government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals with disabled people and representative organisations.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a hub and spoke model to community pharmacy.

The Government is working towards introducing legislation to enable hub and spoke dispensing between different legal entities this year. This change will be enabled via amendments to both primary and secondary legislation and is subject to the usual parliamentary processes.

What steps his Department is taking to support the families of people diagnosed with brain tumours.

I know that treatment for all cancers is a difficult time for patients and their families. This government will shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to support patients and their families with more personalised care in the most a...

What steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of mental health support for winter 2024-25.

We do not underestimate how challenging winter will be again this year for the National Health Service. The national approach on priorities for winter planning was issued on 16 September 2024. As part of this, maintaining patient safety and experience wil...

What steps she is taking to help improve accessibility for disabled passengers on public transport in Forest of Dean constituency.

The government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On 1st October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Inform...

What steps she is taking to help improve access to travel insurance for patients with long-term illnesses.

The government is determined that everyone has access to suitable insurance products at the right price. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including fi...

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to provide (a) grants and (b) funding support to people impacted by Storm Bert.

My thoughts remain with householders and business owners impacted by flooding after Storm Bert, flooding is a devastating experience for those affected.Government support in the aftermath of flooding is only provided in exceptional circumstances. On this ...

What recent discussions he has had with NHS England officials on their role in supporting the development of a roll-out plan for universal Fracture Liaison Services.

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model for secondary fracture prevention. This government is committed to expanding access to these important preventative services.FLS provision is ultimately a matter for Integrated Care Boar...

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support residential properties impacted by recent flooding.

My thoughts remain with householders and business owners impacted by flooding after Storm Bert, flooding is a devastating experience for those affected.Government support in the aftermath of flooding is only provided in exceptional circumstances. On this ...

What steps she is taking to ensure bus travel is accessible for people with disabilities.

The government wants everyone to have access to public transport and is   committed to improving services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On October 1st, the first phase of the Public S...

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to tackle trade barriers to farming exports.

We are supporting businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for UK food and drink products by breaking down barriers to trade and maximising access to export markets. Since Labour took office, the UK now has a network of sixteen agrifood and drink ...

What steps she is taking to improve the (a) quality and (b) safety of social care services for children at home.

Reforming children’s social care is critical to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people the start in life they deserve. In November, through the ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’ policy statement, this government set out i...

What steps she is taking to financially support (a) nurseries and (b) early years providers for increases to (i) the National Minimum Wage and (ii) employer National Insurance contributions.

Since July, this government has had to take some tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, but we are continuing to invest in the early years sector, supporting the delivery of the entitlements and recognising the vital role the sector pla...

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Community Wealth Fund benefits (a) Cinderford West in the Forest of Dean and (b) other deprived communities.

The government has allocated £87.5 million of dormant assets funding to the Community Wealth Fund and is committed to ensuring it delivers meaningful benefits to communities across England. DCMS and MHCLG are working to shortly publish the government resp...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it mandatory for cyclists to have lights on their bikes.

It is already a requirement that cycles have white front and red rear lights lit when being ridden at night. Under The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 cycles must also be fitted with a red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors (if manufactured...

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to provide (a) guidance and (b) training to healthcare providers on welsh health regulations when providing cross-border healthcare se

NHS Wales and NHS England have a Statement of Values and Principles that underpins the arrangements for treatment for patients living on the Wales England border. This supports better patient outcomes and avoids fragmentation of care for those people livi...