Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of supporting the introduction of bottle deposit schemes in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) other rural communities.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has engaged with stakeholders as we developed policy for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drink containers, including two public consultations: the first in 2019 and the second in 2021. 83% of the 2,590 responses to the 2021 consultation supported a DRS. We also published the Final Impact Assessment on DRS for England and Northern Ireland in November 2024.
The Deposit Management Organisation, who will run the scheme, is legally required to ensure there is a comprehensive returns network, so that rural communities, like Yeovil, can easily redeem their deposits and people have convenient access to a return point wherever they live.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the mandatory transfer of pensions from the 1992 Fire Fighters Pensions scheme to the 2015 Fire Fighters Pension Scheme on firefighters.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Discrimination experienced as a result of the transfer of pensions from the 1992 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme to the 2015 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme is being addressed by the McCloud/Sargeant remedy. The Government continues to work with the fire sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud/Sargeant remedy for all affected individuals.
While the government has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA). For Yeovil constituents, the relevant FRA is Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. Their remit includes determining their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, as well as when remedy payments will be distributed.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to compensate fire fighters in Yeovil constituency whose pensions were transferred from the 1992 Fire Fighters Pensions scheme to the 2015 Fire Fighters Pension Scheme in 2022.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Discrimination experienced as a result of the transfer of pensions from the 1992 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme to the 2015 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme is being addressed by the McCloud/Sargeant remedy. The Government continues to work with the fire sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud/Sargeant remedy for all affected individuals.
While the government has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA). For Yeovil constituents, the relevant FRA is Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. Their remit includes determining their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, as well as when remedy payments will be distributed.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of letters on NHS (a) appointments and (b) test results received late by patients in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data is not held centrally in the format requested.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Yeovil dated 7 April 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member's correspondence. I issued a response to the hon. Member on 6 May.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to accelerate the processing of pensions claims made by retired firefighters in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
While the government has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual Fire and Rescue Authority.
As the designated scheme manager, it is for each Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) to determine their administrative timetable, including for the McCloud/Sargeant remedy, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (PSPJOA), including when remedy payments will be distributed.
The Government has been working, and will continue to work, with the fire sector and Local Government Association to support and remind FRAs of their duty under the PSPJOA for all affected individuals.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure patients in Yeovil constituency receive timely correspondence on NHS (a) appointments, (b) cancellations and (c) rescheduling of appointments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is putting patients first, by making sure they are seen as quickly as possible and have the best possible experience, which includes receiving timely communication and information about their health and care.
The Government’s focus on shifting from analogue to digital will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments, and to receive correspondence on National Health Service test results. 87% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Expanded use of the NHS App has prevented over 1.5 million missed hospital appointments since July 2024. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure patients in Yeovil constituency receive timely correspondence on NHS test results.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is putting patients first, by making sure they are seen as quickly as possible and have the best possible experience, which includes receiving timely communication and information about their health and care.
The Government’s focus on shifting from analogue to digital will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments, and to receive correspondence on National Health Service test results. 87% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Expanded use of the NHS App has prevented over 1.5 million missed hospital appointments since July 2024. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding twenty years' service medals for Police Community Support Officers as recognition of their service to their community.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office will consider any proposal for national long service recognition for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). It is only right that we recognise the commitment shown by PCSOs across the country and whose role are undeniably at the sharp end of policing, diffusing community tensions and providing visible policing presence in our communities.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to help tackle the transportation of illegal drugs through county lines in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.
Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this vile trade. Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people.
While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Avon & Somerset Police.
As part of the Programme, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place between 25 November to 1 December 2024, during which Avon and Somerset Police made 17 arrests, seized 5 drug lines and referred 5 vulnerable people to safeguarding services.
As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime.
We are also providing specialist support for children and young people to escape county lines and child criminal exploitation and will deliver on our manifesto commitment to roll out further support through Prevention Partnerships to intervene earlier to ensure young people vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.