Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Dinenage and Anna Turley

Tuesday 24th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Anna Turley (Redcar) (Lab/Co-op)]

21. If he will ensure that funding for services commissioned by South Tees clinical commissioning group will not be reduced as a result of that group being placed in special measures.

[The Minister for Care (Caroline Dinenage)]

I reassure the hon. Lady that the level of funding allocated to South Tees CCG will not change as a result of the group being placed in special measures.

[Anna Turley]

I appreciate the Minister’s reply, but does she agree that, instead of dismissing this as a failure of bookkeeping, as her colleague in the Tees Valley has done, she should look carefully again at the rising demand in our area and at the unique challenges we face as a result of high levels of deprivation, ageing demographics and the economic shock we suffered three years ago? Will she look again at a fairer funding allocation to make sure that we can serve everyone’s needs in the Tees Valley?

[Caroline Dinenage]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise this issue. Prevention is a key aspect of the new Secretary of State’s focus as the Department moves forward. NHS England will support all CCGs that are in special measures to return to financial balance. It also provides a bespoke package of support, along with a higher level of monitoring and oversight, to ensure that the money is always spent wisely.

Social Care

Debate between Caroline Dinenage and Anna Turley

Wednesday 25th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Dinenage]

We have not abandoned the cap. The Prime Minister said very clearly that we would continue to consult on the cap, and that will come forward as part of our plans for the Green Paper later in the year. We in this Chamber often hear about Labour’s recession and how it led to some hard decisions about public spending to get the country back on track, but we often forget—

[Anna Turley (Redcar) (Lab/Co-op)]

rose—

[Caroline Dinenage]

Let me make a little progress, then I will happily take the hon. Lady’s intervention.

We often forget that we inherited not only difficult spending choices but a social care system that was on its knees because successive Governments—not just Labour—had failed to act. Labour acknowledged the problem in its 1997 manifesto, promising to find a solution. However, 13 years later, after one royal commission, two Green Papers and the 2007 spending review pledging to address the situation, Labour left office without delivering it. Worse than that, by the time Labour left office, despite the booming economy, council tax had doubled and every year 45,000 older people were forced to sell their home to pay for residential care costs.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Dinenage and Anna Turley

Tuesday 20th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Dinenage]

This is a massive priority for the Government, and we are about to start a public information campaign. Sepsis is a killer—one that deserves to be given the utmost importance, and one that we will be seeking to tackle in every way that we can.

[Anna Turley (Redcar) (Lab/Co-op)]

10. What estimate he has made of the number of young people who have not had access to child and adolescent mental health services after a referral in the last 12 months.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Dinenage and Anna Turley

Tuesday 8th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Anna Turley (Redcar) (Lab/Co-op)]

11. What assessment he has made of the ease of access for children to appropriate legal representation.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities and Family Justice (Caroline Dinenage)]

The Government believe it is important for children and young people to have access to justice. That is why we have made sure that legal aid funding is available for the highest priority cases, including many that are of relevance to children.

[Anna Turley]

The director of the Youth Justice Legal Centre has said that many children are more reliant on the advice and support of their security guard than on their solicitor or legal team. What other steps are the Government taking to ensure that children and young people have access to proper support so that they can participate in a process that could affect the rest of their lives?

[Caroline Dinenage]

We are monitoring closely the impact of any changes—we keep this constantly under review—and we would be very concerned if there was any evidence that vulnerable children were not getting the help they needed.