Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, (a) how many new social houses have been built in the Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency in each of the last three years, and (b) how many the Government intends to build in the constituency in the next three years.

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

The number of new social homes delivered, split by provider, geography and whether they are new build or acquisitions, can be found in the affordable housing supply statistics on gov.uk here.

On 2 July, the government set out its five-point plan for kickstarting a decade of social and affordable housing renewal. Taken together, the grant funding support and regulatory certainty and stability that this government is providing will enable Registered Providers to quickly ramp up investment in existing and new stock. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on that day (HCWS771).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme on the (a) economy and (b) environment.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department recognises the benefits that the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement scheme could bring to the region. The previous government stated their support for the project but did not provide funding for it to progress.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the ports sector on the potential merits of progressing the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are focused on prioritising the schemes that will make the greatest difference for passengers and support economic growth as quickly as possible. The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 89316 on Railways: East of England, whether there are civil servants in her Department working on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme.

EACE will be kept under review. It is a worthy scheme that will be considered for potential progression in the future as funding becomes available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will introduce rolling three-year settlements for the health element of children's palliative care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

We are also supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85520 on General Practitioners, what steps he is taking to improve access to GPs for people who are solely reliant on telephone bookings.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

To support patients who depend on telephone bookings, recent contractual changes require all general practices to offer online booking throughout core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30. This is designed to ease pressure on phone lines by allowing those who prefer online booking to do so at any time, reducing long phone queues for patients who wish to continue using the telephone system. By better managing demand through expanded online access, practices can free up phone lines and improve the experience for those reliant on telephone bookings.

The GP Contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

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 accessibility of GP appointments for the digitally excluded in areas with poor signal (a) coverage and (b) capacity.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In February 2025, the General Practitioners Committee England agreed to make it a contractual obligation for all general practices (GPs) to offer access to online services throughout core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30, bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This change is designed to improve patient access and reduce long phone queues for those who wish to continue using the telephone booking system. By ensuring that online booking is available during all core hours, practices can better manage demand and free up phone lines for patients who rely on telephone access. This is making it easier and more convenient for patients to contact their practice at a time that suits them, offering them greater flexibility in their daily lives, benefiting those who may experience poor signal or coverage.

The GP contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, so those without digital access or in areas with poor signal are not disadvantaged

To further improve access and capacity, we have invested £1.1 billion in GPs, £160 million of which is to expand the GP workforce, with 2,500 more GPs having been recruited since October 2024, and £102 million to create more clinical space which will enable the delivery of 8.3 million extra appointments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November to Question 85518 on General Practitioners: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, if he will commission research to examine the workload of GPs.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

There are currently over 200 projects involving general practice being funded by the NIHR and active as of November 2025. An example of research is NIHR168327, which will assess the impact of different models of integrating new or extended roles into primary care. This comparative analysis between Scotland and England will examine the impact of variations in funding, employment models, and deployment of new/extended roles on staff experiences, patient care and experiences, and general practice workload and satisfaction.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including research about general practice. These 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.

The review of the Carr-Hill formula is being conducted by National Institute for Health and Care Research. The review has commenced and will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts, with key stakeholders including the Royal College of General Practitioners involved in the process. Implementation of any new funding approach will be subject to Ministerial decision, in the context of available funding and our commitment to substantively reform the GMS contract within this Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average wait time for a GP appointment was in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/appointments-in-general-practice

The time between booking and the appointment is not a proxy for “waiting times,” as patients may prefer to book routine appointments, for example regular tests or medicine reviews, further in advance.

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