Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 9 June 2025 to Question 56880 on Health Professions: Regulation, whether the consultation expected by the end of this year will be open to submissions from Members of Parliament and the public.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aiming to commence consultation on a draft legislative framework for the General Medical Council by the end of this year. This will be a statutory three-month public consultation which anyone will be able to respond to, including Members of Parliament and the public.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to Planning Inspectorate case number APP/M1900/W/24/3346607, what her planned timetable is for determining the appeal by Brett Aggregates Limited to develop a quarry at the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
No timetable has yet been set for the determination of this case.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average time taken was from the date an Access to Work application was submitted to the date a decision was made in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The longest wait time during April 2024 – March 2025, from the date submitted to the date the decision was made was 393 days
The shortest wait time during April 2024 – March 2025, from the date submitted to the date the decision was made was 1 day
The average wait time during April 2024 – March 2025, from the date submitted to the date the decision was made was 56.9 days
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.
The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper was published on 18 March. Alongside the Access to Work reform proposals introduced in the Green Paper, we are considering further options to reduce the waiting time for customers.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Access to Work applications were (a) submitted and (b) rejected in (i) part and (ii) full in the 2024-25 financial year; and how many and what proportion of applications that were rejected were taken to reconsideration.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
(a) 157,023 applications were submitted during 2024-25
(b) 88,607 applications were approved during 2024-25 with a further (i)4,227 applications where advice was provided to the claimant. (ii)34,959 applications were not approved with the following reasons:
1,378 reconsideration requests were received during 2024-25, this equates to 1.1% of decisions made had a reconsideration request
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has considered the potential merits of conducting a review into the Transport for London zoning of (a) Watford Junction, (b) Watford High Street, (c) Bushey railway station and (d) Watford Underground station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London, and it is for them to make decisions regarding the zoning of their services.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date he expects the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to begin inviting relatives of the deceased to submit their claims for compensation.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) as an operationally independent arm's-length body. Going forward, IBCA is aiming to contact an average of 100 people to begin their claim every week. At that rate, they expect to have brought in to claim all those infected people who are registered with a support scheme this calendar year. The Government expects IBCA to begin payments to people who are affected by the end of this year.
As of 17 June, IBCA has contacted 1,707 people to start their compensation claim, and 1,346 have started the claim process. 462 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £395 million, and so far 310 people have accepted their offers with more than £231 million paid in compensation.
In February, IBCA set out their plans to open the compensation service in stages to make sure it is effective and secure for all those claiming. IBCA have provided details of their plans on their website here: https://ibca.org.uk/news/payments-to-be-scaled-up-in-2025
A relative of a deceased infected person may be eligible for compensation on behalf of the estate of the deceased infected person; as an affected person in their own right; or as both.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 ensure that Continuing Health Care services remain uninterrupted for patients when the services are being transitioned from Integrated Care Boards.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is responsible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) policy and legislation. We have provided statutory guidance, setting out clear processes for CHC, which all integrated care boards (ICBs) must follow. CHC is funded by ICBs, and it is for individual ICBs to make assessments and decisions in a consistent manner, in line with their statutory duties and guidance. This guidance has not changed and ICBs are expected to maintain CHC delivery in line with their statutory duties.
While the Model ICB Blueprint highlighted CHC as one of the functions that are subject to “review for transfer” to “test and explore options to streamline and transfer some activities out of ICBs”, a decision has not been made on this function being transferred out of ICBs. If the function were transferred out, it would require legislative change. The sender and receiver organisations would be responsible for safe transfer, enabling continuity of services and managing risk during any transition.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 18 February 2025 to Question 29926 on Health Professions: Regulation, what recent progress he has made on setting a timetable for announcing his priorities in relation to the applicability of the five year rule by professional regulators on fitness to practise in cases which involve allegations of historic sexual abuse.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has set out its intention to reform the legislative frameworks of all healthcare professional regulators, starting with the General Medical Council (GMC).
As part of this work, any legislative restrictions on regulators from being able to consider fitness to practise concerns that are more than five years old will be removed from legislation. Regulators such as the GMC will have the discretion to determine whether a concern should be investigated based on the specific details of a fitness to practise case, which may include reflections on the length of time that has elapsed since the concern was raised or occurred.
The Government is aiming to consult on a draft legislative framework for the GMC by the end of this year, and lay the legislation during this Parliament.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44558 on Luton Airport, whether her Department sought legal advice on the compatibility of its decision to expand Luton Airport with commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The full reasons for the Secretary of State’s decision on 3 April 2025 to grant consent to the London Luton Airport Expansion scheme are set out in her decision letter which is published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website. As an application has been made for judicial review of the decision and the matter is a live litigation case, unfortunately I am unable to provide any further comment.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the measures set out in the Street Works (Penalties for Utility Companies) Bill.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I understand that the second reading of this Bill is scheduled for 11 July. The Government will set out its position as part of that debate.