Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when the Government plans to publish draft legislation banning conversion practices.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government remains committed to protecting everyone who is at risk of conversion practices from harm, and will shortly publish a draft Bill and consultation response setting out our approach to banning these abhorrent practices. The draft legislation will go for pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee in this parliamentary session.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the hard shoulder on the M6 motorway between junction 13 and junction 15.
Answered by Richard Holden - Opposition Whip (Commons)
On 16 April 2023, the Government announced that all plans for new smart motorways have been cancelled, recognising the lack of confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures. This means no new smart motorways will be built.
We are focused on investing £900m to add further safety improvements to existing smart motorways, including constructing 150 extra emergency areas – so that people can continue to get around easily and with increased confidence.
Any reduction in capacity on our motorways, the safest roads in the country, could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death or serious injury by forcing them onto roads that are less safe. Restoring the hard shoulder while maintaining capacity would be hugely disruptive and come at enormous cost.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting state schools from the TV licence fee.
Answered by John Whittingdale
In most circumstances, one TV Licence will cover the entire school or college. There are no additional concessions for schools or colleges, and the Government is not considering making changes to the current concessions regime at this time.
The BBC is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee, not the Government, and it is the BBC that administers concession schemes.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of awarding a non-consolidated payment to NHS Bank Staff who assisted in the vaccination efforts.
Answered by Will Quince
Many National Health Service bank staff who are directly employed on the Agenda for Change contract, for example, permanent or fixed term contracts, and who undertake additional shifts through an NHS bank, will already be eligible for the non-consolidated payments agreed with the NHS Staff Council. Some will be employed exclusively on locally managed contracts, for example Bank contracts, and thus it will be for individual employers to determine the pay and conditions for those members of staff.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress she has made on implementing the British Sign Language Act 2022.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The British Sign Language Act includes a duty on the DWP Secretary of State to publish a report on the use of British Sign Language in public communications by ministerial departments.
The first reporting period was completed on the 30th of April this year and the report is due to be published in Summer.
In addition, DWP has established a dual language board of BSL users to inform HMG on BSL matters.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on delivering the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan.
Answered by Will Quince
We are continuing to make progress to deliver the 800 ambulances, 5,000 beds, and 3,000 additional virtual ward beds set out in our Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan.
This plan is backed by £1 billion of additional funding.
NHS England is working with Integrated Care Boards and Ambulance Trusts to review local demand and capacity and ensure plans are put in place to deliver these commitments.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress the National Crime Agency has made on tackling organised immigration crime.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
Mr Speaker, this Government has pledged to tackle Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) as a priority to save lives, deter illegal migration and disrupt the people-smuggling gangs responsible for the dangerous Channel crossings.
Since 2015, the UK’s dedicated OIC taskforce has achieved more than 1,400 arrests (both in the UK and overseas), with suspects sentenced to more than 1,300 years in prison (61)
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much foreign nationals paid for the treatment they have received on the NHS via the visitors charging regime in each of the last five years.
Answered by Will Quince
We have taken foreign national to mean an overseas visitor. The following table shows that over the last five years the National Health Service has received £150 million from overseas visitors.
Year | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Cash payments received | £30 million | £35 million | £39 million | £21 million | £25 million |
Source: Consolidated NHS provider accounts
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many foreign nationals received treatment on the NHS via the visitors charging regime in each of the last five years.
Answered by Will Quince
We have taken foreign national to mean an overseas visitor. The following table shows that over the last five years the National Health Service has received £150 million from overseas visitors.
Year | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Cash payments received | £30 million | £35 million | £39 million | £21 million | £25 million |
Source: Consolidated NHS provider accounts
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the support available for people who have Huntington's Disease in North Staffordshire.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
There are no plans to make a specific assessment. Integrated care boards are responsible for working with local communities to understand the needs of the population and commission services to meet those needs, including support for Huntington’s disease.