Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Football Governance Code will stipulate requirements for independent directors to be included in a club's governance structure.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
It will be the responsibility of the Independent Football Regulator to determine the key elements of the Football Governance Code, including whether independent directors should be included. This will be done in consultation with the FA and other stakeholders with an interest in safeguarding the long-term future of our national game.
We recognise that independent directors can greatly improve decision-making and independent scrutiny on corporate governance, however, it will be for the Regulator to determine whether independent directors are included in scope of the Football Governance Code.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many council houses were built in the West Midlands between 2010 and 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Data on new affordable housing delivery by provider and region, including West Midlands, broken down by new build and acquisitions is available on gov.uk here.
The number of new affordable housing delivered without provider information (unknown provider) was higher prior to 2014-15 than it is currently. As such, breakdowns by provider, including the delivery by local authorities, should be interpreted with care prior to 2014-15.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many bus routes were closed in Worcestershire between 2010 and 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain only publish data on a Traffic Area wide basis. The West Midlands Traffic Area includes the West Midlands conurbation, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. Between 2009-10 and 2023-24, the Traffic Commissioners recorded that 3,992 existing registrations in the West Midlands traffic area were cancelled. An existing registration being cancelled does not always mean a bus route was closed. For example, a registration could have been cancelled and replaced with another registration that covers much of the same route, or the route continues to be served by different operator.
It should also be noted that prior to 2019-20 the total number of live local bus service registrations included an element of double-counting as services running across multiple local authority areas were recorded multiple times, e.g. a service running between the West Midlands and Staffordshire was presented as two services when it should have been counted as a single service. This has now been rectified.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle stalking.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government is serious about tackling stalking, as part of our ambition to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.
For over seven years there have been yearly increases in the number of stalking offences which received a first hearing in the magistrates' courts. In 2018/19, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recorded 2,208 cases, and in 2023/24 these had more than doubled to 5,859.
In November 2024, the CPS and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan which prioritises improving the recognition and identification of behaviour driven offending including stalking. This applies to domestic and non-domestic forms of this crime.
Since publication, work has already commenced to develop a shared definition of high-harm, high-risk repeat offending and to update the police and CPS joint protocol on the appropriate handling of stalking offences. Informed by operational insights from police and stalking leads in the CPS, this work will ensure police and prosecutors are better equipped to recognise and handle stalking and identify the offenders who pose the greatest threat.
Protective orders are an important tool in safeguarding victims of stalking. On 22 January, the CPS updated its prosecution guidance on stalking or harassment emphasising that prosecutors must consider breaches of orders within the wider context of offending and, where new offences are present, that they are charged in addition to breaches. This Government has also committed to extend the reach of Stalking Protection Orders so they can be applied for on acquittal, as well as on conviction.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the contribution of football clubs to local economies.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Football clubs deliver significant economic benefits to their local economies. Analysis from 2024 showed that the Premier League and its clubs alone support over 90,000 jobs. Football clubs also deliver indirect economic benefits to the local communities they serve, attracting visitors, and bringing increased footfall to the hospitality, retail, and transport sectors.
The influence of clubs also extends beyond football, fostering economic growth, social cohesion, and a strong sense of local identity. Clubs often engage in community initiatives, and contribute to civic identity and pride in place. For example, Club Community Organisations in the English Football League (EFL) contribute £63 million to community and social projects each year, and The Premier League Charitable Fund has a three-year budget of around £100 million to support community organisations.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to extend independent prescribing responsibilities to Occupational Therapists under the Medicines and Medical Devices Act (2021) where it is safe to do so.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Appropriately trained occupational therapists can already supply/administer medicines under a Patient Specific Direction (PSD) or a Patient Group Direction (PGD). A PSD is a written instruction from a prescriber for medicines to be supplied or administered to a specific patient or person. PGDs are a set of instructions which allow healthcare professionals to supply and administer specific medicines to pre-defined groups of patients without the need for them to be referred to a prescriber.
There is a process in place for making changes to prescribing responsibilities to ensure those changes are safe and beneficial for patients.
In late 2020, NHS England launched a series of public consultations seeking views on proposals to amend responsibilities for the prescribing, supply and/or administration of medicines for specific healthcare professionals.
The Department is working with NHS England to consider these consultations and other requests to progress the extension of responsibilities to supply, administer or prescribe medicines under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to regulated healthcare professionals, where a clear need and benefits have been identified.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the safety measures and responsibilities of local authorities on water crossings.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the maintenance and safety of the highway network in their area, which may include bridges, fords and other types of river crossing. The Act does not set out specific standards of safety or maintenance for these assets. It is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances, and the Government has no plans to change this. The Department does, however, plan to update its guidance to local highway authorities on the management of their highway networks. As part of this it will consider whether more guidance is needed on the management of river crossings.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning a review into event booking fees.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
On 10 January, the Government launched a call for evidence on pricing practices in the live events sector, which closes on 4 April 2025.
It is important that consumers experience openness and transparency when buying tickets. We are seeking evidence on the impact of current pricing practices on consumers and businesses and whether the current legal framework provides sufficient protection. We encourage responses, including on issues such as booking fees.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
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 promote the use of Prescription Prepayment Certificates.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) promotes prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) as part of a wider communications plan for all of the Help with Health Costs services that it delivers. The NHS BSA and the National Health Service use social media, online resources, media releases, and healthcare bulletins to promote the PPC to professionals and patients, to ensure both groups are aware of their availability.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
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 impact of the affordability of prescriptions on people with long-term conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England. There are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place, for which those with long-term conditions may be eligible, to support the affordability of prescriptions. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three month and 12-month certificates available, and PPCs can be paid for in 10 direct debit instalments.