Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of revising the discount offered through the Right to Acquire scheme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
No such assessment has been made. Discount levels under the Right to Acquire scheme remain unchanged, and eligible tenants of housing association properties are able to apply for a discount of between £9,000 and £16,000 on the price of their property depending on where they live.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will reintroduce the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 gained Royal Assent on 20 July 2023.
We are committed to implementing the Act, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting. I recently met with Ruth Bailey, CEO of Agricultural Engineers Association on the 5th November 2024.
The Act requires secondary legislation before it can come into effect. We will be carefully considering the views of those who may be affected by the legislation and its regulations, to understand the potential implications and determine the scope of the legislation.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the number of people eligible for child maintenance who are not claiming it.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is estimated that at the financial year ending 2023, there are 2.4 million separated families in Great Britain and 3.8 million children in those families. 41% of these did not have either a statutory arrangement with the Child Maintenance Service or a private arrangement.
At the end of June 2024, the Child Maintenance Service was managing 744,000 arrangements for 675,000 Paying Parents, the number of arrangements has increased by 10% since the end of June 2023.
Legislation to remove the £20 application fee was introduced in February 2024, removing a financial barrier to parents wishing to access the CMS.
Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance is an online service that provides free information and support to help parents make decisions about CM and make a CMS application if they choose to.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for the children's mental health to (a) reduce waiting times for and (b) increase access to support.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult and children and young people’s mental health services. We are discussing our future investment in children and young people’s mental health services.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education to consider how to deliver our manifesto commitment of accessing a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.
Alongside this we are working toward rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.
The Mental Health Bill currently before Parliament will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983, so that it is fit for the 21st century. The Bill will amend the Act, which applies to England and Wales, and give patients detained under the Act greater choice, autonomy, rights, and support.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to publish the timetable for the consultation on the proposed infrastructure strategy.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Investment in Infrastructure is crucial for delivering the government’s missions, which is why the government is fundamentally reforming how it delivers infrastructure through a 10-year infrastructure strategy, establishing the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), and delivering ambitious planning reform.
The 10-year infrastructure strategy will be published next spring, alongside the 2025 Spending Review. Government is developing the strategy working closely with the National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure and Projects Authority. The government will engage extensively with businesses, industry bodies and other stakeholders.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 3.19 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, when she plans to publish further information on her plan to increase capacity on the West Coast main line.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The delivery of High Speed Two (HS2) is expected to nearly double seat capacity between London and Birmingham, which is the most congested section of the West Coast Main Line. We are taking into consideration the recent proposal from the Mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands for enhancing rail connectivity between the Midlands and the North West, and will set out a clear plan to address capacity and connectivity issues in due course.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.72 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, whether she plans to publish a consultation on the proposed rolling stock strategy.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Once Great British Railways is established then it will be making integrated decisions on Rolling Stock, bringing together track and train. This will include a Rolling Stock Strategy which will include considerations around the timelines for new build, refurbishments, and provide more visibility to the rolling stock market.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what level of indemnity is required for each NHS job category.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All regulated healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are legally required to hold appropriate clinical negligence cover for the costs of claims and damages awarded to patients. This is set out under Section 44 of the Medical Act 1983.
Most staff at National Health Service trusts and NHS general practices in England and Wales benefit from state indemnity, in respect of NHS clinical negligence. These state indemnity schemes are the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, and the Existing Liabilities Scheme For General Practice, with further information about all three schemes available, respectively, at the following three links:
Clinical negligence claims under these schemes are administered by NHS Resolution on behalf of the Government. Where regulated healthcare professionals undertake work not covered by a state scheme, for instance doctors working in private practice, dentists, and general practitioners in Scotland and Northern Ireland, they must purchase their own cover.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to take steps to increase the amount of freight transported by rail.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and is committed to supporting its growth.
There will be a statutory duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight and there will be an overall rail freight growth target set by the Secretary of State, with clear and meaningful targets for rail freight growth within pre-defined periods.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to enable Integrated Care Boards to draw on surge capacity from auxiliary organisations such as St John Ambulance to help support NHS emergency preparedness.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent investigation into National Health Service performance, published on 12 September, is helping to inform a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and build a health service that is more resilient and fit for the future.
It is for local integrated care boards, in partnership with providers and stakeholders, to take decisions on how NHS services, including those delivered by the voluntary and charitable sectors, can best meet the needs of their local populations, and help improve patient outcomes.