Caroline Ansell Portrait

Caroline Ansell

Conservative - Eastbourne

First elected: 12th December 2019


Procurement Bill [HL]
25th Jan 2023 - 30th Jan 2023
Online Safety (Re-committed Clauses and Schedules) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 15th Dec 2022
Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill
19th Oct 2022 - 29th Nov 2022
Carer’s Leave Bill
2nd Nov 2022 - 9th Nov 2022
Online Safety Bill
23rd May 2022 - 28th Jun 2022
Dormant Assets Bill [HL]
15th Dec 2021 - 11th Jan 2022
Highgate Cemetery Bill Committee
16th Jun 2021 - 16th Jun 2021
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 11th Jan 2021
Ecclesiastical Committee (Joint Committee)
28th Oct 2015 - 3rd May 2017
Environmental Audit Committee
20th Jul 2015 - 3rd May 2017


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Caroline Ansell has voted in 905 divisions, and 9 times against the majority of their Party.

22 Mar 2021 - Fire Safety Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 33 Conservative No votes vs 320 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 322 Noes - 253
21 Oct 2020 - Free School Meals - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 5 Conservative Aye votes vs 320 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 261 Noes - 322
27 Apr 2021 - Fire Safety Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 31 Conservative No votes vs 320 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 320 Noes - 256
27 Apr 2021 - Delegated Legislation - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 77 Conservative No votes vs 222 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 431 Noes - 89
28 Apr 2021 - Fire Safety Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 32 Conservative No votes vs 321 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 322 Noes - 256
22 Jun 2022 - Health and Personal Social Services - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 61 Conservative No votes vs 106 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 215 Noes - 70
18 Oct 2022 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 103 Conservative No votes vs 113 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 297 Noes - 110
7 Mar 2023 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 107 Conservative Aye votes vs 109 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 116 Noes - 299
11 Jul 2023 - Illegal Migration Bill - View Vote Context
Caroline Ansell voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 15 Conservative No votes vs 279 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 284 Noes - 242
View All Caroline Ansell Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Andrew Selous (Conservative)
Second Church Estates Commissioner
(16 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(12 debate interactions)
Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative)
(11 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Education
(23 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(19 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Online Safety Act 2023
(3,577 words contributed)
Environment Act 2021
(2,270 words contributed)
Criminal Justice Bill 2023-24
(714 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Caroline Ansell's debates

Eastbourne Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

The Government must exercise its power under s.23 of the Gender Recognition Act to modify the operation of the Equality Act 2010 by specifying the terms sex, male, female, man & woman, in the operation of that law, mean biological sex and not "sex as modified by a Gender Recognition Certificate"

It has been reported that the Government may amend the Equality Act to "make it clear that sex means biological sex rather than gender." The Government has previously committed to not remove legal protections for trans people, an already marginalised group, but this change would do so.

As Parliament considers the Bill of Rights, the Government must reconsider including abortion rights in this Bill. Rights to abortion must be specifically protected in this legislation, especially as the Government has refused to rule out leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.


Latest EDMs signed by Caroline Ansell

Caroline Ansell has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Caroline Ansell, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Caroline Ansell has not been granted any Urgent Questions

1 Adjournment Debate led by Caroline Ansell

1 Bill introduced by Caroline Ansell


A Bill to require ministers to carry out an assessment of the impact of government policies on families by giving statutory effect to the family test; to place a duty on the Secretary of State to make a report on the costs and benefits of requiring local authorities to carry out equivalent tests on their policies; to require the Secretary of State to establish, and make an annual report on, indicators of and targets for the government’s performance in promoting family stability; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading: House Of Commons
Friday 4th December 2015

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
19th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made on launching the consultation on barriers to developing community energy projects.

The Government is working with the Community Energy Contact Group on the content of the consultation. The Government hopes to publish the consultation as soon as possible, though until these discussions have concluded I am unable to provide a definitive timeline.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support innovation and growth in the technology sector.

This Government has a mission to make the UK the most innovative economy in the world and the growth of our tech industry is one of the engines to achieve this. We’ve invested in the sector through the Science and Technology Framework, backed by over £370m in our five priority technologies. We are also prioritising digital skills training and are supporting over 22,000 tech businesses to grow via the Digital Growth Grant.

15th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise the use of industrial spaces for the generation of solar power using solar panels; what assessment he has made of the feasibility of increasing the use of industrial spaces for that purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Solar is a versatile low-cost technology which can be deployed on domestic and industrial roof tops and on the ground in a variety of spaces. In the Net Zero Strategy, the Government committed to sustained increase in deploying renewable generation technologies, including all types solar into the 2020s and beyond.

The Government is supporting the deployment of large scale solar through the Contracts for Difference scheme. Those installing rooftop solar on industrial and other buildings can receive payment for any surplus electricity that is exported to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). Government is also providing fiscal incentives through capital allowances for spend on solar panels, and as announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Autumn Budget 2021, solar and storage used on site will be exempt from business rates from 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2035.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the supply of the Pfizer vaccine in the event that the transition period ends without a deal on the future relationship with the EU; and if he will make a statement.

The UK has put in place a number of measures to facilitate trade with the EU beyond the end of the transition period and to avoid any adverse impact to vaccine supply beyond 1 January 2021.

The Government has worked with COVID-19 vaccine suppliers to support them with robust contingency plans.

If necessary, we will use alternative supply routes and Government procured freight capacity, in line with current Government advice.

3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many local authorities have made Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant payments to English language schools; whether his Department has contacted local authorities that have not made those payments; and if he will make a statement.

As of 5 July, £10.65 billion has been paid out to over 867,600 business properties under the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF). The grant schemes replicate the eligibility for the specific rate relief schemes. It is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to the guidance issued by government, and to deliver grants to businesses that are in scope. We do not hold sector-specific data from local authorities on grant payments. We have, however, published a full breakdown of grant funding allocated to and distributed by each local authority here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.

We are working closely with all local authorities to deliver remaining funding to businesses that are in scope of the two schemes as quickly as possible, while safeguarding public funds. As part of this, we have provided detailed guidance and FAQs, regular briefings and one-to-one support from ministers and officials, as well as a communications toolkit to help local authorities reach remaining businesses.

3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether English language schools are eligible for support through the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant; and if he will make a statement.

Businesses in England that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March?with?a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for the following cash grants per property?via the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). The Expanded Retail Discount scheme is targeted at properties that are wholly or mainly being used:

  • as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues;
  • for assembly and leisure; or
  • as hotels, guest & boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.

Guidance on the Expanded Retail Discount was published on 25 March 2020. Local authorities are responsible for implementing the discount in line with the guidance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-retail-discount-guidance

Officials are keeping in close contact with local authorities to monitor the progress of the grant scheme and regarding the operation of the business rates system. Any enquiries on eligibility for, or provision of, the RHLGF?should be directed to the relevant local authority.

On?1 May,?the Government announced that up to £617 million has been made available to local authorities?in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants to support businesses based on local economic priorities and not directly tied to the business rate system. Clearly, this funding is under pressure and local authorities are to individually decide which businesses to support, within the eligibility criteria set by Government: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding

ELT businesses and individuals within this sector continue to have access to a range of additional support measures including, but not limited to:

  • Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief
  • The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
  • The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small and micro enterprises
  • VAT deferral for up to 12 months
  • The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs
  • Protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-payment until June 30, 2020 – with the option for the Government to extend if needed.

The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

29th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether businesses not on the rates register but that pay rates through a landlord can access financial support through (a) the Small Business Grant Scheme or (b) other Government financial support schemes during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

The Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund have?been designed to support smaller?businesses, as well as those sectors which have been hit hardest by the preventative lockdown measures due to Covid-19.

On 1 May, the Business Secretary announced that up to £617 million is being made available to local authorities as a discretionary fund for businesses outside the scope of the Small Business Grants Fund and Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund. This includes where small businesses occupy space and pay rent and rates through a landlord.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have monitored the performance of the business support schemes available, introducing necessary changes, including the recently announced Bounce Back Loans. Businesses can search for available support via the business support finder tool at: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of children’s exposure to commercial pornographic material and explicit user generated content on social networks during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

The Government recognises that the measures required to tackle COVID-19 mean it is likely that more people are spending more time online, including children and young people. Research published by the British Board of Film Classification in May this year found that 47% of children and teens have seen content that they wished they had not seen during lockdown. We will continue to work with technology companies, civil society and academia to understand the risk and the impact to the safety of children online during this period.

Under our world-leading online harms proposals, we expect companies to use age assurance or age verification technologies to prevent children from accessing services which pose the highest risk of harm to children, such as online pornography, including pornography on social media. We would encourage companies to take steps ahead of the legislation to protect children from harmful and age inappropriate content online. We are working closely with stakeholders across industry to establish the right conditions for the market to deliver age assurance and age verification technical solutions ahead of the legislative requirements coming into force.

15th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in Eastbourne constituency have applied for a grant for senior mental health lead training.

The department began offering schools and colleges a grant to train senior mental health leads in October 2021. A list of schools and colleges receiving a senior mental health lead training grant is published and updated throughout the year. This list can be found at the following link, alongside details of other payments to institutions: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-data-on-funding-claims-by-institutions.

​In the 2021/22 financial year, seven schools and colleges within the Eastbourne constituency applied for the senior mental health training grant. In the 2022/23 financial year, a further five schools and colleges applied for the grant, which totals twelve grant applications to date. In the 2023/24 financial year, there were no grant applications in this constituency for Q1 and Q2.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to increase the level of food waste reporting by large businesses.

We are committed to tackling food waste, which is why we are taking action to increase the take up of the voluntary approach to reporting through the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap delivered by WRAP. Last year more than £2 million went to our food waste prevention programme, with action across the supply chain including working with trade associations and businesses to measure and report their food waste. We ask all businesses to sign up to the Roadmap and to ‘Target, Measure and Act’ on their food waste.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
13th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the environmental sustainability of biomass lubricants in wind turbines.

The Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) general objective, as set out by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MCAA), is to manage its activities with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development, taking account of all relevant facts and matters and in a consistent and coordinated manner (section 2(1) MCAA). In our decision making and when making our recommendations to the Secretary of State where applicable, the MMO considers the need to protect the environment, human health, and to prevent interference with legitimate uses of the sea (and such other matters as thought relevant) (section 69 MCAA). As a signatory to the Oslo and Paris convention (specifically OSPAR 1992 Annex lll Article 4) the UK must ensure that chemicals are approved for use in the marine environment. This is a requirement for each signatory country for their exclusive economic zone beyond 12 nautical miles and covers the area up to the recognised international boundaries.

Offshore wind farm (OWF) applications with a generating capacity of more than 100MW are classed as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), as set out in Part 3 of the Planning Act 2008 (as amended), and as such are granted or refused by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. OWF developments

The OSPAR guidance on environmental considerations for OWF development suggests that all chemicals, paints and coverings used in the maintenance and repair of OWFs should be approved for use in the marine environment and their properties should be sufficiently understood. DML conditions are contained within DCOs consented by the Secretary of State, to capture this requirement, alongside others regarding the control of chemicals in the offshore environment.

Under the management of DML conditions, the MMO reviews chemicals used, and any chemicals not already approved under the List of Notified Chemicals require a chemical risk assessment to be submitted before being approved for use.

Generally, lubricants are used in small quantities with low risk to enter the marine environment. They are used to maintain low friction, allow for efficient heat transfer and for the maintenance of hydraulics or moving mechanical parts in activities relating to foundations, cable laying, substation platforms and wind turbine generators where applicable. Regardless, all lubricants are considered for their environmental sustainability alongside all chemicals as part of the process outlined above.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the wider adoption of biomass plastics to reduce plastic waste; and if she will make a statement.

In April 2021, we published our response to our call for evidence on the need for standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics. Concerns were raised that the full environmental impacts of bio-based plastics, including land and water usage for example, were potentially greater overall compared with conventional based plastics.

Further research is required to make sure that bio-based plastics lead to a better environmental outcome overall. During the production of these materials, there are a number of factors we need to better understand – we need to consider water consumption, the impact of crop switching and carbon footprint, so a full lifecycle approach is considered. On the basis of current information, a key area of interest for Government is bio-based plastics derived from materials that would otherwise have been waste.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of running a publicity campaign to raise awareness of biomass plastics as an alternative to regular plastics; and if she will make a statement.

No.

Further research is required to make sure that bio-based plastics lead to a better environmental outcome overall. Our position on this was set out in the response to our call for evidence on the need for standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics in April 2021.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of offering (a) financial incentives and (b) introducing a tax to encourage the use of biomass plastic; and if she will make a statement.

No.

Further research is required to make sure that bio-based plastics lead to a better environmental outcome overall. Our position on this was set out in the response to our call for evidence on the need for standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics in April 2021.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
24th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when the Government plans to open a public consultation on an enhanced bilateral free trade agreement with Israel; and if she will make a statement.

The UK is strongly committed to our trade and investment relationship with Israel, worth an estimated £4.8 billion pounds. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has committed to started talks to enhance and improve the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement this year. Ahead of this, the United Kingdom has published a Call for Input on February 1st, to hear the views of businesses and wider society on how to improve our existing trade agreement with Israel.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
5th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with her (a) Emirati, (b) Bahraini and (c) Israeli counterparts on helping those countries expand their commercial ties following the normalisation agreement between those countries.

The United Kingdom has strong bilateral trading relationships in the Middle East. In the year ending March 2020, bilateral trade stood at £43.7 billion with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and £5.1 billion with Israel.

The United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement was one of the first agreements to be signed by my Department, and we are now exploring opportunities to deepen this further.

In the Gulf, we have launched a Joint Trade and Investment Review with the GCC that will help broaden our trade relationships and realise opportunities in sectors such as education, healthcare, and food and drink.

25th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the viability of the private hire and hackney carriage trade.

The Department has regular engagement with taxi and private hire vehicle stakeholders and understands that there is strong demand for their services. The Government will publish revised best practice guidance for licensing authorities in due course. This will encourage proportionate regulation to enable the sector to deliver safe, accessible, and affordable services that meet the differing needs of passengers.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Channel Nitrogen Oxide Emissions Control Order Area on particulate matter emissions in (a) the Channel, (b) East Sussex and (c) Eastbourne; and if he will make a statement.

The English Channel and North Sea will become a Nitrogen Oxide Emissions Control Area from 1 Jan 2021, applying the highest level of internationally agreed NOx controls for ships built after that date in the region – termed IMO Tier III.

The Department undertook extensive modelling of the likely impacts on UK air quality in support of the designation of the area in 2016, and the impact of the measure will be kept under review through the UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory.

While specific reductions for regions have not been analysed, on a per-ship basis the new standards will represent an 80% reduction in NOx emissions from existing Tier I vessels, with significant reductions in secondary particulate matter formation expected.

Robert Courts
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
15th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to link the South Coast to growth corridors in (a) Kent and (b) the large scale-regeneration at Ebbsfleet via High Speed rail; and if he will make a statement.

Ministers have approved the entry of the Kent and East Sussex Coastal Connectivity Scheme to formally enter the Government’s rail enhancements pipeline. The Department and East Sussex County Council are funding the production of a Strategic Outline Business Case, due early 2021. As well as exploring options to create a new link to High Speed 1, this programme is considering options for a range of upgrades to the Marshlink line between Ashford and Hastings.

Network Rail is currently undertaking a study looking at the potential impact on Ebbsfleet and the wider area of the planned London Resort and other planned regeneration on the rail network and we will consider its recommendations when these are available in the new year.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
15th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for economic regeneration of coastal communities through rail infrastructure investment; and if he will make a statement.

We have a £10.4bn budget for rail enhancements in Control Period 6 (2019-2024). £500m of this is available for Restoring Your Railway schemes, to start reopening lines and stations, reconnecting smaller communities, regenerating local economies and improving access to jobs, homes and education. All rail enhancement schemes are assessed on a case by case basis. In addition, Ministers have approved the entry of the Kent and East Sussex Coastal Connectivity Scheme to formally enter the Government’s rail enhancements pipeline.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
15th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending High Speed rail services from Ashford to Eastbourne; and if he will make a statement.

Ministers have approved the entry of the Kent and East Sussex Coastal Connectivity Scheme to formally enter the Government’s rail enhancements pipeline. The Department and East Sussex County Council are funding the production of a Strategic Outline Business Case, due early 2021. As well as exploring options to create a new link to High Speed 1, this programme is considering options for a range of upgrades to the Marshlink line between Ashford and Hastings.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
23rd May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of how many Universal Credit claimants in Eastbourne constituency have been affected by the changes to the Taper Rate announced in the Autumn 2021 Budget; and if she will make a statement.

Monthly statistics on the number of people who are on Universal Credit and are in employment, by parliamentary constituency, are published and can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

David Rutley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
25th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart Scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) sector as of 22 April 2022; and if she will make a statement.

The most recent data available is for the 24 April 2022. At that point over 162,000 Kickstart jobs had been started by young people. The last Kickstart jobs were started by young people on 31 March 2022, and we expect the number of starts to increase further as employers report commencement of employment.

We have previously published the number of jobs approved and advertised as of 31 January 2022 here. At that point, over 235,000 jobs had been advertised and over 305,000 had been approved. Kickstart has now closed to employer applications and, as of March 2022, all approved jobs proceeding to the advertisement stage, have been advertised. As such, these totals will not increase further.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 24 April 2022 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available (advertised) and job starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Also included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways. This is generally because, over time, some previously approved jobs were removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by nation and region (figures rounded to nearest 1000*)

Total jobs made available

Total jobs started

Region / Nation Split

(DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22)

(DATA EFFECTIVE 24/04/22)

Total, Great Britain

235,000

162,000

England

204,000

141,000

East Midlands

14,000

10,000

East of England

18,000

12,000

London

51,000

33,000

North East

11,000

8,000

North West

30,000

21,000

South East

26,000

17,000

South West

14,000

10,000

West Midlands

21,000

16,000

Yorkshire and The Humber

19,000

14,000

Scotland

19,000

14,000

Wales

12,000

8,000

Table 2: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by Sector (figures rounded to the nearest 10*)

Sector Split

Total jobs made available

Total jobs started

(DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22)

(DATA EFFECTIVE 24/04/22)

Administration

57,350

39,920

Animal Care

1,610

1,330

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,720

1,320

Business & Finance

8,500

5,910

Computing Technology & Digital

15,840

12,340

Construction & Trades

7,230

5,170

Creative & Media

20,990

16,700

Delivery & Storage

6,380

4,430

Emergency & Uniform Services

520

360

Engineering & Maintenance

7,080

4,890

Environment & Land

4,620

3,450

Government Services

1,000

710

Healthcare

6,140

3,460

Home Services

1,560

900

Hospitality & Food

26,380

14,030

Law & Legal

650

520

Managerial

960

660

Manufacturing

6,430

4,390

Retail & Sales

34,970

26,410

Science & Research

990

790

Social Care

4,740

2,640

Sports & Leisure

5,920

4,150

Teaching & Education

11,000

6,790

Transport

900

460

Travel & Tourism

1,110

580

* Due to rounding, sum of figures may not match declared total

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the latest reported vacancy figures are for Eastbourne constituency; and if she will make a statement.

ONS does not produce statistics on vacancies below the national level. However, estimates of ‘online job adverts’ are available at a regional level. These statistics show online job vacancies for South East England are up 24% since the start of the pandemic (February 2020).

Throughout the pandemic the UK Government has provided historic levels of support to the economy – a total of over £400 billion. This includes key DWP programmes such as Restart and Kickstart alongside other measures to boost work searches, skills and apprenticeships. Our support was in addition to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

We have launched 'Way to Work’, a concerted drive across the UK to help half a million people currently out of work into jobs in the next five months. We will be bringing employers into jobcentres and matching them up with claimants. This is good news for employers who need to fill vacancies and for our claimants.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
8th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many kickstart scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation (ii) region and (iii) sector, and if she will make a statement.

As of the 9th November, over 306,000 jobs have been approved for funding and over 100,000 young people have started a Kickstart job. Over 217,000 jobs have been advertised and made available for young people to apply to through the scheme

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 9th November and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from applications being rescinded.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

East Midlands

13,230

6,180

East of England

17,210

7,090

London

47,750

21,550

North East

8,940

4,770

North West

27,110

12,760

Scotland

16,110

8,640

South East

24,380

10,900

South West

15,030

6,370

Wales

11,100

4,850

West Midlands

19,420

9,330

Yorkshire and The Humber

17,270

8,040

Other

80

20

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Administration

53,550

25,060

Animal Care

1,250

790

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,600

800

Business & Finance

7,930

3,700

Computing Technology & Digital

15,130

8,230

Construction & Trades

6,460

3,100

Creative & Media

17,780

10,000

Delivery & Storage

6,150

2,840

Emergency & Uniform Services

520

220

Engineering & Maintenance

6,660

3,070

Environment & Land

4,020

1,980

Government Services

790

300

Healthcare

6,680

2,110

Home Services

1,560

530

Hospitality & Food

25,390

8,380

Law & Legal

490

320

Managerial

1,050

460

Manufacturing

5,890

2,670

Retail & Sales

32,390

16,740

Science & Research

850

500

Social Care

4,610

1,630

Sports & Leisure

5,180

2,460

Teaching & Education

10,280

4,010

Transport

750

210

Travel & Tourism

700

290

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that smaller organisations can bid for contracts to collaborate with her Department’s employment programmes; and if she will make a statement.

The Employment Category has a number of commercial approaches that mean there is a place for all organisations to compete for tendering opportunities and believe that successful employment can only be delivered through a rich tapestry of organisations.

For the smaller scale and localised opportunities, we have a Dynamic Purchasing System please find link Contracts Finder, which has been operating for some time, managed by our Operation staff. Following a survey of some 2000 organisations we are seeking to make improvements in that system and approach to make it easier for organisations to navigate.

For larger procurements, there are supply chain opportunities and under the government transparency requirement many of these opportunities are advertised (please refer to the Procurement Policy Notice 04/19 issued by the Cabinet Office) which we fully embrace.

We understand that the Employment Category uses a range of approaches including Provider Code of Conduct, supply chain payment mystery shopper and other commercial levers to ensure a positive environment for all providers to assist the Department.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the effectiveness of immunotherapy as a treatment for brain cancer; and if he will make a statement.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. All new medicines, including immunotherapies, are appraised by NICE within their licensed indications, and the NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE.

NICE is currently developing guidance on the immunotherapy dabrafenib with trametinib for treating BRAF V600E mutation-positive glioma in children and young people aged 1 to 17. If this is recommended for use on the NHS, it will be eligible for funding through the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point that NICE issues positive draft guidance.

8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support researchers to access Government funding for brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.

Brain tumour research remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community. We are working closely with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) in hosting customised workshops for researchers, and training for clinicians. These actions will grow capacity for brain cancer research, attracting new researchers, developing the community, and supporting researchers to submit high quality research funding proposals.

The TJBCM recently announced two appointments to the inaugural Tessa Jowell Fellowship programme. These 12-month fellowships will support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research, to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.

Additionally, the TJBCM have designated 28 adult Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, which has created a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into brain tumours. As with other Government funders of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage clinical researchers to specialise in brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.

Brain tumour research remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community. We are working closely with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) in hosting customised workshops for researchers, and training for clinicians. These actions will grow capacity for brain cancer research, attracting new researchers, developing the community, and supporting researchers to submit high quality research funding proposals.

The TJBCM recently announced two appointments to the inaugural Tessa Jowell Fellowship programme. These 12-month fellowships will support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research, to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.

Additionally, the TJBCM have designated 28 adult Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, which has created a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into brain tumours. As with other Government funders of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department's processes for allocating funding to the highest quality clinical trials for brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.

The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce and support services across a range of clinical areas. NIHR expenditure on cancer research was £101.2 million in 2021/22.

The Government is committed to funding high-quality brain cancer research. The May 2018 Government announcement of £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission remains available and if we can spend more on the best quality science we will do.

We welcome more high-quality applications for brain tumour research funding. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. The NIHR continues to follow its normal high-quality processes in making funding recommendations to the Department. It is worth noting that all applications that were fundable in open competition have been funded.

12th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of emergency calls from women undergoing home abortions; and if he will make a statement.

No assessment has been made.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
1st Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people diagnosed with dementia have a sub-type specified; and if he will make a statement.

As there are over 200 subtypes of dementia, NHS England and NHS Improvement do not provide pathway guidance by subtype. However, best practice in delivering a dementia diagnosis should ensure that patients and their families are given the information they need, including the cause of the dementia syndrome.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
25th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to work with private covid-19 lateral flow test providers to ensure that tests are affordable; and if he will make a statement.

Manufacturers and retailers of devices have autonomy to determine the pricing of lateral flow device tests and the pack sizes available. However, the Government has engaged with manufacturers and retailers on setting affordable prices to ensure a private market exists and flourishes.

8th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the updated National Dementia Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

We will be setting out plans for dementia in England later this year. Task and finish groups were established in late October 2021 to develop the strategy with stakeholders. We received the output of these groups in December 2021, which have been reviewed and are being refined into proposals and testing with people living with dementia and their carers.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
30th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the backlog on joint replacement surgery resulting from the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

No formal assessment has been made as this data is not collected in the format requested.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 111 clinical assessment service for users; and if he will make a statement.

The clinical assessment services that support NHS 111 ensure that callers are given the appropriate self-care advice, treatment or referral to another service.

Each clinical assessment service is locally commissioned and locally provided, and their clinical and operational effectiveness is subject to constant review by clinical commissioning groups.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the estimated timeline is for the covid-19 vaccination programme to work through each priority level; and if he will make a statement.

To increase transparency and accountability on vaccine targets, comprehensive data is published daily and weekly to track progress with the vaccination roll out. This data is available at the following link:

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/

On 20 February we set new targets for the acceleration of the vaccination programme to offer all adults over 50 years old a first dose by mid-April, covering priority cohorts one to nine and the rest of the adult population by the end of July. We are on track to meet those targets.

There is no specific daily United Kingdom wide daily target for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines. The UK COVID 19 Delivery Plan includes an estimate of the population numbers who need to be vaccinated by mid-April and the end of July and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-covid-19-vaccines-delivery-plan/uk-covid-19-vaccines-delivery-plan

4th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that dementia research is not disrupted by the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

The Government remains strongly committed to supporting research into dementia and the United Kingdom research community is playing a significant role in the global effort to find a cure or a major disease-modifying treatment by 2025.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research published a framework in May to support the restarting of research paused due to COVID-19 which is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/restart-framework/24886

The NIHR is supporting the research community to amend study protocols for COVID-19 security. The NIHR published guidance in October that NIHR-funded research staff should not be deployed to front line duties except in exceptional circumstances.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
4th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the diagnosis rate of Alzheimer’s disease in Eastbourne; and if he will make a statement.

The Challenge on Dementia 2020 sets the ambition for two thirds of people with dementia to receive a formal diagnosis.

NHS Digital collects data on the number of patients with a recorded dementia diagnosis in their clinical record and report this on a monthly basis, so that the National Health Service, general practitioners and commissioners can make informed choices to plan their services. The latest data for October 2020 shows that that the Dementia Diagnosis Rate for Eastbourne was 67.2%. The data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/recorded-dementia-diagnoses

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
4th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has made of the outcomes of the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge 2020; and if he will make a statement.

In 2018 we undertook a review of the progress made in implementing the Challenge on Dementia 2020. This was informed by a call for evidence. Respondents told us that we were largely on track to meet our commitments. In a small number of areas additional or refined actions were identified to help ensure that commitments could be met. The report of the review was published on 22 February 2019 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dementia-2020-challenge-progress-review

We have continued to make significant progress in meeting the commitments made in the Challenge.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the clinically extremely vulnerable (a) are a priority for and (b) have safe access to a covid-19 mass vaccination programme; and if he will make a statement.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI has advised that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems. Therefore, in line with the recommendations of the JCVI, the vaccine will be initially rolled out to the priority groups including care home residents and staff, people over 80 years old and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and individuals aged 16 to 64 years old with certain underlying health conditions. Those conditions are set out in the advice of the JCVI published on 30 December at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups-for-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-advice-from-the-jcvi-30-december-2020/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation-advice-on-priority-groups-for-covid-19-vaccination-30-december-2020

Consideration has been given to vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at this time there is no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Evidence is expected to accrue during the course of the vaccine programme, and until that time the committee is not in a position to advise vaccination solely on the basis of indirect protection.

By 15 February we aim to have offered a first vaccine dose to everyone in the top four priority groups identified by the JCVI:

- all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers;

- all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers;

- all those 75 years of age and over; and

- all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
27th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of community pharmacies assisting with the roll-out of covid-19 vaccinations to ensure (a) timeliness and (b) safe access to vaccinations for the clinically extremely vulnerable; and if he will make a statement.

The National Health Service stands ready to deliver each COVID-19 vaccination programme as soon as the vaccine is authorised for use by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

The?planning?for?effective models of delivery includes?the consideration of settings?such as community pharmacies to support rollout.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Programme is engaging with senior pharmacy sector representatives from the Department, NHS England, and NHS Improvement regarding the community pharmacy sector’s role in the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine.

10th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the number of GPs per head of population in each NHS trust with a GP walk-in centre; and if he will make a statement.

The data requested is not collected or held centrally.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
9th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of NHS GP walk-in centres; and if he will make a statement.

The Department does not hold a recent definitive figure for the number of walk-in-centres (WiCs) nationally. WiCs were developed locally and over time the nomenclature for them and the services they offer have overlapped with other services such as Minor Injury Units and Urgent Care Centres.

Due to this difficulty in specifically identifying WiCs, it is not possible to identify the number of closures. Because WICs are managed locally, information on them, as well on demand for and access to services across local health services, is not held centrally.

As WiCs were developed locally, their effectiveness and cost effectiveness is a local issue. However, a limited study was undertaken by Monitor, the organisation formerly responsible for ensuring healthcare provision in NHS England, and now part of NHS Improvement. This covered the period 2010-13 and consulted patients, walk-in centre providers, general practitioners, commissioners and other stakeholders in the sector.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
9th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of NHS GP walk-in centre closures on (a) demand on (i) hospital accident and emergency departments, (ii) ambulance services and (iii) nearby GP practices and (b) access to healthcare for tourists, temporary students, office workers, rough sleepers and other patients with enhanced needs for walk-in treatment in town centres; and if he will make a statement.

The Department does not hold a recent definitive figure for the number of walk-in-centres (WiCs) nationally. WiCs were developed locally and over time the nomenclature for them and the services they offer have overlapped with other services such as Minor Injury Units and Urgent Care Centres.

Due to this difficulty in specifically identifying WiCs, it is not possible to identify the number of closures. Because WICs are managed locally, information on them, as well on demand for and access to services across local health services, is not held centrally.

As WiCs were developed locally, their effectiveness and cost effectiveness is a local issue. However, a limited study was undertaken by Monitor, the organisation formerly responsible for ensuring healthcare provision in NHS England, and now part of NHS Improvement. This covered the period 2010-13 and consulted patients, walk-in centre providers, general practitioners, commissioners and other stakeholders in the sector.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
9th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS GP walk-in centres have closed in the last two years; what the reason was for each of those closures; how many walk-in centres are being considered for closure within the next two years; and if he will make a statement.

The Department does not hold a recent definitive figure for the number of walk-in-centres (WiCs) nationally. WiCs were developed locally and over time the nomenclature for them and the services they offer have overlapped with other services such as Minor Injury Units and Urgent Care Centres.

Due to this difficulty in specifically identifying WiCs, it is not possible to identify the number of closures. Because WICs are managed locally, information on them, as well on demand for and access to services across local health services, is not held centrally.

As WiCs were developed locally, their effectiveness and cost effectiveness is a local issue. However, a limited study was undertaken by Monitor, the organisation formerly responsible for ensuring healthcare provision in NHS England, and now part of NHS Improvement. This covered the period 2010-13 and consulted patients, walk-in centre providers, general practitioners, commissioners and other stakeholders in the sector.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
9th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS GP walk-in centres there are in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

The Department does not hold a recent definitive figure for the number of walk-in-centres (WiCs) nationally. WiCs were developed locally and over time the nomenclature for them and the services they offer have overlapped with other services such as Minor Injury Units and Urgent Care Centres.

Due to this difficulty in specifically identifying WiCs, it is not possible to identify the number of closures. Because WICs are managed locally, information on them, as well on demand for and access to services across local health services, is not held centrally.

As WiCs were developed locally, their effectiveness and cost effectiveness is a local issue. However, a limited study was undertaken by Monitor, the organisation formerly responsible for ensuring healthcare provision in NHS England, and now part of NHS Improvement. This covered the period 2010-13 and consulted patients, walk-in centre providers, general practitioners, commissioners and other stakeholders in the sector.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)