Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reduced funding for (a) Now Teach and (b) other charities on the recruitment of teachers.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Now Teach currently deliver a national Career Changers Programme. The previous government confirmed to Now Teach in April 2024 that the programme is not being reprocured and will come to a natural end in August 2026 when the current cohort completes the programme.
The department continues to support all potential teachers, including career changers, through their journey to apply for teacher training and during the critical early years of teaching. This includes the ‘Get Into Teaching’ service, which offers one-to-one support and advice to all candidates, including career changers.
The department has contracts with many organisations, including charities, in support of teacher recruitment and training, and continues to fund and support those organisations in line with the terms of the agreed contracts.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the policy paper entitled The Power of Music to Change Lives: A National Plan for Music Education, published by her Department on 25 June 2022.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
As part of our Opportunity Mission, this government is committed to ensuring that every child has a rich and broad education, including access to arts and music, which sets them up to achieve and thrive throughout life.
The national plan for music education published in 2022 set out expectations on schools to put in place music development plans as well as a restructure of the Music Hub programme. The programme is being evaluated by the National Centre for Social Research to assess the impact of these changes. Any future steps will be informed by this evaluation.
The government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review aims to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, with a firm foundation in reading, writing and mathematics alongside ensuring that every pupil has access to creative opportunities including music. The government has also committed to launch a new National Music Education Network, to help families, children and schools access broader opportunities and support.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what resources she is allocating to Integrated Care Boards to help them achieve an increase in the number of NHS dental appointments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. We have also introduced the Golden Hello scheme which will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in areas that need them most for three years. 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.
NHS England is responsible for issuing guidance to integrated care boards on dental budgets, including ringfences. NHS England will publish planning guidance for 2025/26 in due course.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
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 increase HPV vaccination uptake amongst school-aged boys.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service Commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme based on population need.
The UK Health Security Agency works closely with charities and academics to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of vaccination, including for boys.
NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
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 contracts made between the NHS and private providers aren't acquired by private equity companies.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In accordance with the NHS Provider Selection Regime, contracts for National Health Service-funded healthcare services may be awarded to NHS trusts or foundation trusts and to non-NHS providers from the private and voluntary sectors. It is possible for a private organisation, that holds such a contract to deliver services to the NHS, to be acquired by a private equity company. In such circumstances, the NHS commissioning organisation, either an integrated care board or NHS England, which holds the contract must be notified of the change of control. In all cases, organisations delivering NHS services must deliver the requirements of the contract, and failure to do so may result in sanctions or even contract termination. More information on the selection regime is available at the following link:
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage investment in natural capital projects in Frome and East Somerset constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is developing an initiative called Heart of Wessex that incorporates large parts of the Frome and East Somerset constituency. It is led by the EA and works across Natural England, The Forestry Commission, local eNGOs and community groups. It is designed to leverage natural capital and ecosystem services to draw in largescale sustainable finance across the boundaries of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.
We have also been working with Wessex Water and the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership to develop a partnership project in the Cam & Wellow Catchment under the Water Industry National Environment Programme. This project will help drive large amounts of investment into natural capital, delivering nature-based solutions, habitat creation and water quality improvements across the constituency.
Other partnership projects in this constituency that we have supported, and which have invested in natural capital include:
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase access to and (b) otherwise improve bus routes in rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this session. This will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, ensuring networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including in rural areas.
The Bill will increase powers available to local leaders to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership. The Department is currently working to consider and determine the exact scope of the Buses Bill.
We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding so they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the government’s ambitions.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
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 estimate of the number of unpaid carers in Frome and East Somerset constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2021 Census found that there are approximately 4.7 million people in England who said they provided unpaid care. In the Frome and East Somerset constituency, the Census data showed that there were 7,900 people who said they provided unpaid care.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the length of time between diagnosis and the start of radiotherapy treatment.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.
Lord Darzi’s report has set out the scale of the challenges we face in fixing the NHS and the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival. In particular, he has highlighted the need to improve the number of patients starting their treatment within 62 days of referral and to increase the number of patients diagnosed at an earlier stage.
Improving 62-day performance and early diagnosis are already key priorities for NHS England. Lord Darzi’s report will inform our ten-year plan to reform the NHS, which include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to increase the minimum level of shared amenity space on new housing developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework states that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments. This is supported by guidance in the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code. Local planning authorities are responsible for applying this policy and guidance through their local plans and decisions on planning applications.