Every parliamentary written question tabled by Steve Darling this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 401–420 of 534 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to help ensure that grants for affordable housing schemes do not sit as debt on housing association balance sheets.
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is responsible for setting prescribed accounting standards for the UK and Ireland, including the treatment of government grants. Grants, such as those associated with the Affordable Housing Programme, are not treated as debt on housing association balance sheets.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of recent disruption on the Dawlish rail line on the local economy of Torbay.
The Government has invested £165 million into the South West Rail Resilience Programme to build resilience around Dawlish, which has seen much improved performance. There has, however, been some disruption on the line through Dawlish in recent months with cancellations due to poor weather, a lack of traincrew on Sundays and fleet reliability. The Department is working closely with Great Western Railway and Network Rail to improve the resilience of train services on this rail line.
If she will publish a regional breakdown of the costs of tool theft.
We recognise the negative impact theft has on victims who rely on the tools of their trade to earn a living.We are continuing to work with the police-led National Business Crime Centre and industry via the Combined Industries Theft Solutions forum to explore ways to tackle and prevent the theft of tools.We are also working alongside the police and businesses to tackle these crimes and ensure perpetrators receive just punishment including work to make tradespeople’s vans secure.Following engagement with the Home Office and National Vehicle Crime Working Group, Thatcham Research agreed to add to their New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA), locks and alarms on the back of vans (previously NVSA only covers the cab area of vans) and a motion sensor on the load area of the van.The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales on the proportion of incidents involving tools being stolen in personal theft offences. These estimates are available in Table 3b of Nature of crime: personal and other theft. They also provide estimates of theft of tools against individuals, including those who are self-employed, but do not cover crimes against commercial premises. No regional breakdown is available.
What steps her Department is taking to help tackle tool theft.
We recognise the negative impact theft has on victims who rely on the tools of their trade to earn a living.We are continuing to work with the police-led National Business Crime Centre and industry via the Combined Industries Theft Solutions forum to explore ways to tackle and prevent the theft of tools.We are also working alongside the police and businesses to tackle these crimes and ensure perpetrators receive just punishment including work to make tradespeople’s vans secure.Following engagement with the Home Office and National Vehicle Crime Working Group, Thatcham Research agreed to add to their New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA), locks and alarms on the back of vans (previously NVSA only covers the cab area of vans) and a motion sensor on the load area of the van.The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales on the proportion of incidents involving tools being stolen in personal theft offences. These estimates are available in Table 3b of Nature of crime: personal and other theft. They also provide estimates of theft of tools against individuals, including those who are self-employed, but do not cover crimes against commercial premises. No regional breakdown is available.
How many full-time equivalent civil servants are currently working on phase five of the South West Rail Resilience programme.
There are four full-time equivalent civil servants working on rail projects in the South West, including the South West Rail Resilience Programme.
What steps her Department is taking to monitor the implementation of the right person right care policy by Devon and Cornwall constabulary.
The Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) national programme commenced in May 2023 with a focused team supported by subject matter experts.Whilst appreciating that police forces remain operationally independent, the national implementation team at the National Police Chiefs Council conduct a monthly meeting with all force representatives and partners (including Devon and Cornwall). Alongside this, one to one meetings are arranged between force representatives responsible for the governance and implementation of RCRP and the national team, of which Devon and Cornwall are engaged.To support the partnership working, guidance has been produced for police forces by the NPCC and College of Policing and additional guidance has been produced by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England.
If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of fire regulations on Lithium Ion battery storage in the (a) commercial and (b) domestic sector.
There is a robust framework governing the fire safety of lithium-ion battery storage. The Health and Safety Executive regulates commercial batteries within a framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks. Domestic-scale batteries for consumers are covered under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, making producers responsible for ensuring product safety. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to remove unsafe batteries from sale.
Which health foundation trusts other than Devon are under NHS Oversight Framework Level 4.
The NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) sets out NHS England’s approach to oversight of the National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England allocates all ICBs and NHS trusts, including foundation trusts, to one of four segments. A segmentation decision indicates the scale and nature of support needs, from no specific support needs, or segment one, to a requirement for mandated intensive support, or segment four. NHS England publishes the segmentation decisions. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-oversight-framework-22-23/.Trusts and ICBs in NOF segment four receive mandated intensive support via NHS England’s Recovery Support Programme (RSP). There are currently 20 trusts and three ICBs in the RSP. The trusts in the RSP are shown in the following list:Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust;Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust;King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust;University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust;Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust;Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust;East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust;Medway NHS Foundation Trust;South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust;South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust;Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust;University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust;Isle of Wight NHS Trust;Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust;Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; andTorbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.The list of trusts and ICBs in the RSP is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/system-and-organisational-oversight/national-recovery-support-programme/
How many full-time equivalent civil servants are working on supporting people who wish to buy back missing National Insurance years before the 5 April 2025 deadline.
The majority of customers can check for gaps in their NI record, and make payment online. To support those unable to use online services, we have deployed c.300 frontline Civil servants within the DWP and HMRC. A further c100 frontline Civil Servants will be deployed in February, ahead of the 5 April 2025 deadline.
How much the Government is spending on public awareness campaigns to inform people about the opportunity to buy back missing National Insurance years before the 5 April 2025 deadline.
Since April 2024, approximately 37,000 customers have topped up more than 68,000 years and £35 million has been paid via HMRC’s digital services. From October 2024 we have been running a significant communications campaign to raise awareness of the opportunity for customers to buy back missing National Insurance years, ahead of the 5 April 2025 deadline. Activity has included a wide range of direct communications, messages on our telephony lines, digital platforms, stakeholder engagement, and press/social media to reach our target audience in a fully integrated way. There have been over 20,000 views of HMRC’s YouTube video in 5 months. Stakeholder resource packs have been sent out via FCDO and British Embassies to support customers who may have lived and worked abroad and through Pension providers. HMRC has also provided information bulletins directly to more than 2 million employers and other representative organisations. Ahead of the deadline we will step this up further to remind customers that there are only 2 months left to make any additional contributions. During this period and where appropriate we will supplement this extensive activity with strategic and targeted paid-for activity to speak to elements of the audience who may not have been reached. It is not yet possible to provide a final cost for this activity, but all costs involved in the campaign will be published as part of the regular transparency reports on gov.uk
How much additional funding for maintenance at delayed schemes in the New Hospital Programme has been made available for each hospital in each year.
The safety of National Health Service staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan.Integrated care boards will collectively receive over £4 billion in annual capital allocations in 2025/26. These allocations are managed at a local level, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including estate maintenance works at New Hospital Programme sites. In addition, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer also committed over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance and to tackle dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. Further detail on funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025 to 2026, as part of NHS planning guidance. Capital funding levels for future years will be determined through the current Spending Review, which concludes in June 2025.
What steps the Government is taking to raise awareness of the opportunity for people to buy back missing National Insurance years.
Since April 2024, approximately 37,000 customers have topped up more than 68,000 years and £35 million has been paid via HMRC’s digital services. From October 2024 we have been running a significant communications campaign to raise awareness of the opportunity for customers to buy back missing National Insurance years, ahead of the 5 April 2025 deadline. Activity has included a wide range of direct communications, messages on our telephony lines, digital platforms, stakeholder engagement, and press/social media to reach our target audience in a fully integrated way. There have been over 20,000 views of HMRC’s YouTube video in 5 months. Stakeholder resource packs have been sent out via FCDO and British Embassies to support customers who may have lived and worked abroad and through Pension providers. HMRC has also provided information bulletins directly to more than 2 million employers and other representative organisations. Ahead of the deadline we will step this up further to remind customers that there are only 2 months left to make any additional contributions. During this period and where appropriate we will supplement this extensive activity with strategic and targeted paid-for activity to speak to elements of the audience who may not have been reached. It is not yet possible to provide a final cost for this activity, but all costs involved in the campaign will be published as part of the regular transparency reports on gov.uk
If he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the turnaround times for (a) hospital and (b) HM Coroner's Office post mortems in (i) neonatal and paediatric and (ii) other cases.
Workforce shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathology have led to longer turnaround times for hospital post-mortem reports in some areas of England. NHS England has established a national work programme to address these shortages. A £20,000 recruitment incentive for new trainees has been introduced, with further initiatives underway to review the training pathway, develop advanced practitioner roles, and implement a retention strategy for existing staff. Additional funding has also been provided in 2024/25 to create capacity in the service, whilst simultaneously exploring opportunities to streamline pathways through the use of digital and imaging techniques supported by the latest clinical evidence and practice.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a legal right to Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for disabled (a) tenants and (b) leaseholders in residential blocks who are unable to independently evacuate in the event of fire.
The previous Government consulted on Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, identifying concerns over their practicality, proportionality and safety.Following further consultation, Government has committed to introduce legislation later this year to mandate an alternative package of measures called Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for mobility-impaired residents of high rise residential blocks, and of 11-18 metre high residential blocks with a simultaneous evacuation strategy in place.
What recent estimate she has made of the cost to the economy of economic inactivity due to myalgic encephalomyelitis.
The Department has not made an estimate of the cost to the economy of economic inactivity due to myalgic encephalomyelitis. The Department is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including myalgic encephalomyelitis, with their employment journey. As part of our Get Britain Working plan, more disabled people and people with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work. We will devolve power to local areas to shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer meeting the needs of the people they serve.
With reference to her Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24, HC 62, whether the exercise to correct National Insurance records for recipients of Universal Credit has been completed in line with the expected timetable; and how many records have been amended as a result of that exercise.
The exercise was completed by 31st May 2024 ensuring all National Insurance records were corrected within the expected timetable with the data shared with HMRC. As stated when the issue was originally raised, relatively few cases, with benefits already in payment, were affected (20,604). Arrears of £7,338,393.81 have been paid.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing access to givinostat.
We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is currently evaluating givinostat, and its Appraisal Committee will meet to consider its recommendations in May 2025.
What steps her Department is taking to help low-income families pay for after-school clubs.
Improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare for working parents is a priority for this government. We want all families to benefit from the childcare support they are entitled to, helping them with the cost of childcare, enabling parents to work and giving children the best start in life. This includes ensuring that after school clubs are available and accessible. The government is improving access to before and after school care through the national wraparound childcare programme. The programme has provided local authorities with more than £160 million to deliver the expansion of new before and after school places for primary school-aged children. This government’s ambition is that, by 2026, all parents and carers of primary school-aged children who need it will be able to access term-time childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm. To support with costs, parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare. Parents can check what childcare support they are entitled to via the Childcare Choices website, which can be accessed here: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. On 23 September 2024, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that up to 750 state-funded schools with primary aged pupils will begin delivering free breakfast clubs from April 2025. The funding will allow these schools to run free breakfast clubs for their pupils starting in the summer term as part of a ‘test and learn’ phase to inform delivery of a national rollout. This new offer will also support parents to have more choices on when to work and will support families with the cost of childcare.
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of centrally procuring scaffolding to prop up hospitals awaiting funding via the New Hospital Programme.
The safety of the National Health Service’s staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future, through our 10-Year Health Plan.The Department has not assessed the potential merits of centrally procuring scaffolding, as the safety and mitigation requirements vary on a trust-by-trust basis. Trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs) have an annual allocation for estate maintenance and capital works, which totalled £4.2 billion in 2024/25. Each ICB manages this local capital budget for its area, allocating funds according to local priorities, including investment in safety and mitigation works, like scaffolding. Trusts with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) present at their sites can also access funding from NHS England’s national RAAC programme for propping and scaffolding, due to the serious dangers posed by RAAC.Alongside the annual allocation for estate maintenance and capital works in 2025/26, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer also announced health capital spending is set to increase to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, including over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance, and to tackle dangerous RAAC. Further detail on this funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025 to 2026, as part of NHS planning guidance.
What discussions his Department has had with NICE on ensuring that patient access to treatment for very rare diseases is not delayed in circumstances where there is uncertainty on the incidence and prevalence of the disease by the consultation entitled Highly specialised technologies: NICE prioritisation board routing criteria.
The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including the criteria for routing topics to the Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme.Decisions on whether medicines should be evaluated through the NICE’s HST programme are taken by the NICE against a set of published criteria that have been developed through public and stakeholder engagement. The NICE is currently reviewing the criteria and opened a consultation in December 2024, with a closing date for comments of 30 January 2025. The proposed criteria are intended to make routing decisions more predictable and transparent with the aim of making the process more timely and efficient. We encourage people to respond to the consultation.The NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue draft guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing. The National Health Service in England is legally required to fund drugs recommended by the NICE, usually within three months of final guidance.