Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the average time taken to investigate complaints by professional standards teams in police forces.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes information from all police forces in England and Wales about the type of complaints they are receiving and how long they take to deal with them. The most recent police complaints statistics report can be found here:
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics
The first stage of complaint handling is for the relevant police force or appropriate body, such as a Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, to consider how best to handle the complaint. Certain types of complaints can be resolved informally where it is appropriate to do so and the issue can be resolved quickly to the complainant’s satisfaction.
The IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces finalised 55,524 allegations in complaint cases that were handled informally. On average, these allegations took 16 working days to finalise.
All complaints should be handled in a reasonable and proportionate manner by police forces. For formal complaints, this may mean responding to concerns raised and seeking to resolve them (in some cases via an investigation) and keeping the complainant properly informed throughout the process, and explaining the outcome, including closing the complaint.
The IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces finalised a total of 71,805 allegations in complaint cases handled formally of which 17,098 were investigated accounting for 24%. Of those allegations finalised by local investigation, it took an average of 159 working days.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential risk to the UK financial services industry of the Financial Conduct Authority investigation into the LF Woodford Equity Income Fund.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The FCA has been investigating the events leading to the suspension of the Woodford Equity Income Fund, as the independent regulator responsible for the supervision and regulation of conduct in financial services. While the Treasury continues to follow this case closely, it is the responsibility of the FCA to investigate and decide upon the appropriate course of action.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make a comparative estimate of the cost to the public purse of holding a general election on (a) the same date as the local elections and (b) another date.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The cost of holding the next general election will be published in the relevant Charges Order in advance of the election to give Returning Officers certainty over the funding available to them for the conduct of the election.
In the instance that a Parliamentary election is held alongside another election, the Charges Order will include schedules detailing the funding allocations for both a combined poll and a fully standalone election.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on strengthening national flooding preparedness.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including future flood preparedness, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. Preparing for flooding in England remains a priority for Defra and the Environment Agency to protect communities.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support small businesses in rural areas.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Many businesses benefitted from the £13.6 billion support package provided at Autumn Budget 2022, including those in rural communities. The government has gone further at this year’s Autumn Statement, announcing a business rates support package worth £4.3 billion. This includes protection for businesses who lose eligibility for Small Business or Rural Rate Relief through a generous Supporting Small Business scheme worth over £500 million.
The government provides extensive support to businesses, through Help to Grow Management, Business Support Helpline and a network of Growth Hubs. The Government has also increased the British Business Bank’s regional financing programmes by £1.6 billion.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to help reduce the number of potholes (a) nationally and (b) in West Lancashire constituency.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is providing Lancashire County Council with a total of over £37.5 million of highway maintenance funding this financial year. This includes a £5.1 million uplift from the additional £200 million announced at Budget 2023, and a £3.6 million uplift from the additional £150 million Network North funding announced on 4 October. Through the Network North funding, Lancashire County Council will receive a minimum additional uplift in road maintenance funding between 2023-24 and 2033-34 of £244.5 million. It is up to Lancashire County Council to determine how best to use this funding to fulfil its statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department plans to use when allocating the new £2.5 billion fund for local transport across all areas in the North; and what his planned timetable is for announcing those funding decisions.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since the Government announced Network North on 4 October, the Department has been working closely with delivery partners to establish and progress plans for delivery. Announcements on the progress of business cases and delivery will be made in due course.
The Department will announce further details on the criteria for the allocation of the new £2.5 billion fund for local transport across all areas in the North and the timetable for announcing funding decisions in due course.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate her Department has made of when the (a) Hinkley and (b) Sizewell nuclear power plant will be operational.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
EDF is the lead investor at Hinkley Point C and they have provided a target date for commercial operations for Unit Reactor 1 of June 2027, with Unit Reactor 2 following a year later in June 2028. Both units have a risk of a delay of 15 months. We expect Sizewell C to be generating power from the mid-2030s, subject to ongoing project development and the timing of a Final Investment Decision.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of elective surgeries cancelled in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Official NHS England statistics show that between September 2023 and September 2024 (latest National Health Service published data) the total number of elective surgeries cancelled in England for non-clinical reasons was 76,021. Some common non-clinical reasons for cancellations by the hospital include ward beds being unavailable, surgeon or theatre staff being unavailable, or emergency cases needing the theatre.
Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help prepare the NHS for winter 2023-24.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Winter planning for the National Health Service started earlier this year than in previous years. The urgent and emergency care recovery plan was published in January 2023 which included £1 billion of dedicated funding to support capacity. In July 2023, NHS England wrote to integrated care boards, trusts and primary care networks to set out a national approach to 2023/24 winter planning and the key steps to be taken across all parts of the system to meet the challenges expected from winter pressures.