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 have discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential impact of large estate management companies on (a) role of SMEs, (b) the ability of SMEs to expand in the estate management sector and (c) consumer choice for residents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Managing agents are contracted by landlords to deliver services on their behalf. Details of services provided are usually set out in a management agreement between the agent and landlord.

The government’s response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into housebuilding, which included consideration of management on private estates and homeowner choice over their estate management company, was published on 22 October. It can be found on gov.uk here.

As set out in my Written Ministerial Statement to parliament of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government is clear that it is committed to bring the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private estates and unfair costs to an end and we will consult next year on the best way to achieve this.

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 adequacy of competition in the (a) leasehold and (b) freehold estate management markets; and if she will take legislative steps to help increase competition in those sectors.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Managing agents are contracted by landlords to deliver services on their behalf. Details of services provided are usually set out in a management agreement between the agent and landlord.

The government’s response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into housebuilding, which included consideration of management on private estates and homeowner choice over their estate management company, was published on 22 October. It can be found on gov.uk here.

As set out in my Written Ministerial Statement to parliament of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government is clear that it is committed to bring the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private estates and unfair costs to an end and we will consult next year on the best way to achieve this.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled First Do No Harm: the report of Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, published in July 2020, what progress he has made on setting up an independent Redress Agency.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The previous Government did not previously accept the recommendation to establish a redress agency, as set out in the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review. However, the Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, published in February 2024, which recommended and set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the funding for local authorities to provide drug and alcohol support services.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Drug and alcohol treatment is funded through the Public Health Grant. In addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. Future targeted funding for drug and alcohol treatment services beyond 2025 will be announced very shortly. The Department will write directly to each local authority to set out indicative allocations for 2025/26, which will be subject to departmental and HM Treasury approvals, so final allocations could vary. We understand the importance of funding certainty for informing local system’s operational decision making and future planning, and we are engaging with commissioners and providers on this.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also made it clear that the Government will conclude a multi-year Spending Review in the first half of 2025. In future, we anticipate that Spending Reviews will be set every two years to cover a three-year period, including a one-year overlap with the previous Spending Review, helping build in greater certainty and stability over public finances.

The Department is focused on supporting local areas to deliver high quality drug and alcohol treatment services, including in the Slough constituency and Berkshire. This includes additional investment in 2024/25 in the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems of £950,455 in Slough, and £1,860,131 in the wider Berkshire area, through a range of specific grants. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has also produced a Commissioning Quality Standard which provides guidance in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services, and a range of wider guidance and data that will support the delivery of high-quality treatment and recovery services. Further information on the Commissioning Quality Standard is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support is available to drivers involved in accidents with untraceable drivers (a) in cases where the innocent driver cannot afford to wait the time it takes for the Motor Insurance Bureau to process a claim and (b) generally; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of measures to (i) expedite the claims process and (ii) provide interim financial assistance to such drivers.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is a party to the Uninsured and Untraced Drivers’ Agreements with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). However, the MIB is an independent organisation within the motor insurance industry and is separate from Government.

The MIB is responsible for decisions dealing with the investigation and payment of claims and there is no final appeal to the Secretary of State for Transport. This means that the Secretary of State has no role in the supervision of individual cases, which is the role of the MIB. Disputes that arise under the agreements are settled by way of arbitration. If a claimant is dissatisfied with the way that their claim is handled the MIB has its own formal complaints procedure.

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 help ensure equality of access to NHS services in the context of increases in digital patient-facing systems.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are striving for digital services to improve access, experience, and outcomes for the widest range of people, based on their preferences, as any digital healthcare benefits will be limited if people remain digitally excluded. Mitigating against the risk of digital exclusion is one of five key priorities that NHS England has asked the integrated care systems to address in their drive to reduce healthcare inequalities. Digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

Patients are able to access National Health Services, such as requesting general practice appointments and managing secondary care appointments, through local online tools and the NHS App, which can also be accessed through a web browser. The NHS App is designed to meet international accessibility standards, and the services are routinely tested with a range of people with accessibility issues. User reviews and research show the NHS App and website to be highly usable and simple to use. Local online tools must also meet minimum accessibility standards.

75th anniversary of National Parks

Flood recovery framework

Role of small family farms in Somerset

Review into breast cancer screening

Domestic Abuse Offences

UN Special Rapporteur's report on atrocity crimes in Iran

Fuel Poverty Awareness Day

Emergency response to Storm Bert in the South West

Replacement of Personal Independence Payments with a voucher system

South Devon College wins Green Gown Award for Sustainability Institution of the Year

Found: Conservative; Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) Dr Marie Tidball (Labour; Penistone and Stocksbridge) Caroline Voaden

Found: Mrs Sureena Brackenridge; Darren Paffey; Manuela Perteghella; Mark Sewards; Patrick Spencer; Caroline Voaden

Found: Johnson; Amanda Martin; Darren Paffey; Manuela Perteghella; Mark Sewards; Patrick Spencer; Caroline Voaden

Found: Johnson; Amanda Martin; Darren Paffey; Manuela Perteghella; Patrick Spencer; Dr Marie Tidball; Caroline Voaden

Submit Evidence (by 30 Jan 2025)

A number of recent reports have set out in detail the extent of the crisis in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, which is letting down children and their families, creating intense pressure on local authority funding and on schools.