Every parliamentary written question tabled by Steve Race this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 107 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of funding remains to be (a) allocated and (b) spent through the Affordable Homes Programme.
As the Deputy Prime Minister made clear in her written ministerial statement of 30 July 2024, the government is aware that, particularly outside London, almost all the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme funding is contractually committed.The programme is ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the long-term conservation of Dartmoor's hill ponies.
Defra supports the long-term conservation of livestock and equines, including the Dartmoor Hill pony, by monitoring populations of pedigree livestock including native breeds which are published in an annual UK National Breed inventory and by protecting el...
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to rule out any reductions in the minimum population of Dartmoor's iconic semi-wild Hill Ponies as part of future land management or environmental strateg
Through the new offer we will be providing payment for grazing with both cattle and ponies and making both cattle and ponies eligible under the native breeds at risk supplement. We are thereby removing the competition between the two as recommended in the...
What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the recommendations of the report by the Defence Safety Authority entitled Service Inquiry into the alleged exposure of UK Defence Personnel to asbesto
Significant progress has been made against the implementation of the recommendations made in the Service Inquiry. The Ministry of Defence's Directorate of Defence Safety has provided further guidance to reinforce managers responsibilities for controlling ...
What steps he is taking to increase solar power generation.
The Government recently announced the re-establishment of the Solar Taskforce and publication of the Solar Roadmap will follow shortly, setting out recommendations on how we and industry will work together to achieve our ambition to radically increase dep...
What steps her Department is taking to help reduce levels of reoffending.
This Government will act to reduce reoffending by giving offenders leaving prison the tools to move away from crime.This will include improving prisoners' access to purposeful activity, such as education; delivering pre-release plans for all those leaving...
What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of SEND services.
The Conservatives have left a trail of devastation across education and that is made clear by current SEND provision. That is what this Labour government inherited. We recognise that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure regulators sponsored by his Department have sufficient resources for enforcement work.
The department recognises the vital role that regulators play in the context of enforcement. The enforcement powers of bodies such as Ofwat and the Environment Agency are key to ensuring companies meet their obligations across the water and waste sectors ...
Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing Herbie’s Law, a practical framework to (a) enable the long-term phase-out of animal experiments in medical research and (b) support scientists with the transition to (i) computer modelling, (ii) organ-on-a-chip technology and (iii) other human-specific methods.
The Government has committed to partnering with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the requirements for phasing out of animal testing. Any policy changes as a result of this work will be assessed appropriately. As yet, no assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing Herbie’s Law.
Innovation and Technology, what steps he plans to take with (a) scientists, (b) industry representatives and (c) civil society representatives to help phase out animal testing.
The Government has committed to partnering with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the requirements for phasing out of animal testing. Any policy changes as a result of this work will be assessed appropriately. As yet, no assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing Herbie’s Law.
What estimate his Department has made of the number of open dentistry practices that accept new adult NHS patients in Exeter constituency on the (a) most recent date for which figures are available and (b) same date in 2010.
While data for 2010 is not available, as of 10 July 2024, there were 16 open dentistry practices in the Exeter constituency, two of which were showing as accepting new adult patients when availability allows, and two of which were showing as accepting new child patients when availability allows. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website, and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
What estimate his Department has made of the number of dentistry practices in the Exeter constituency accepting new (a) adult and (b) child NHS patients.
While data for 2010 is not available, as of 10 July 2024, there were 16 open dentistry practices in the Exeter constituency, two of which were showing as accepting new adult patients when availability allows, and two of which were showing as accepting new child patients when availability allows. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website, and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
What steps he plans to take to support community pharmacies in the Exeter constituency.
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by cutting red tape. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists.On 30 June 2024 there were 13 pharmacies in the Exeter constituency. Nine out of 10 people in Exeter live within a mile or a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy. The Department does not hold data on how many pharmacies there were in the Exeter constituency in 2010.The need for pharmaceutical services is best decided at a local level, which is why Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to publish Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments every three years. In certain rural areas people may also be able to access Dispensing Doctors, and everyone can access Distance Selling Pharmacies, who provide services nationally, and must send medicines to a patient’s home free-of-charge.
What estimate his Department has made of the number of community pharmacies open in the Exeter constituency on the (a) most recent date for which figures are available and (b) same date in 2010.
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by cutting red tape. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists.On 30 June 2024 there were 13 pharmacies in the Exeter constituency. Nine out of 10 people in Exeter live within a mile or a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy. The Department does not hold data on how many pharmacies there were in the Exeter constituency in 2010.The need for pharmaceutical services is best decided at a local level, which is why Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to publish Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments every three years. In certain rural areas people may also be able to access Dispensing Doctors, and everyone can access Distance Selling Pharmacies, who provide services nationally, and must send medicines to a patient’s home free-of-charge.
Whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of pharmacies needed for residents in England.
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by cutting red tape. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists.On 30 June 2024 there were 13 pharmacies in the Exeter constituency. Nine out of 10 people in Exeter live within a mile or a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy. The Department does not hold data on how many pharmacies there were in the Exeter constituency in 2010.The need for pharmaceutical services is best decided at a local level, which is why Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to publish Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments every three years. In certain rural areas people may also be able to access Dispensing Doctors, and everyone can access Distance Selling Pharmacies, who provide services nationally, and must send medicines to a patient’s home free-of-charge.
What steps he plans to take to help improve access to NHS dentistry in Exeter constituency.
The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. The NHS Devon ICB is responsible for having local processes in place to identify areas of need, and determine the priorities for investment across the ICB area.Patients unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance. NHS dentists are now required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have access to up-to-date information on where they can access care.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to NHS mental health services.
Over a million people with mental health issues are not getting the support they need. The Government will fix our broken National Health Service, in part by recruiting 8,500 mental health workers, introducing specialist mental health professionals in every school, and rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community. In addition, as announced in the King’s Speech, we are bringing forward legislation to modernise the Mental Health Act.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support global progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2.
The UK has a mission to create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet. Achieving SDG2 (Zero Hunger) is essential to accomplishing this mission, working in genuine partnership with others.During the G20 Development Ministers Meeting in Rio on 22-24 July, I announced our intention to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty when it launches in November. The Alliance will be an essential platform for sharing solutions, exchanging expertise and unlocking much-needed finance to accelerate progress against hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help promote relations with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The UK supports a secure, stable and thriving Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRI) within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq. The UK regularly engages with leaders of the KRI and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including through their representations in London. We maintain our diplomatic presence in the KRI through the British Consulate General in Erbil. Through this platform, we continue to cooperate closely on our shared bilateral priorities, such as security and migration issues.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of potential impact of Iranian interference in the Kurdistan region on that region.
The UK Government is clear eyed that Iran continues to destabilise the Middle East through its military, financial and political support for its proxies and partners.Long-term peace and security cannot be achieved without addressing such activity. The UK works closely with our international partners to hold Iran to account and encourage de-escalation.