Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of people choose cycling as a mode of transport for commuting to work in (a) England, (b) the borough of Ealing and (c) Ealing Southall constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department holds information on the proportion of people in employment using a bicycle as their usual mode to commute to work by region of residence.
In 2022, 3.6% of people in employment living in England used a bicycle as their usual mode to commute to work. For those in employment who live in one of the Outer London boroughs 3.1% of people used a bicycle as their usual mode to commute to work.
The department does not hold equivalent estimates for individual boroughs or constituencies.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Opening School Facilities funding programme beyond March 2025.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity to enable every child to achieve and thrive, including through expanding access to sport and physical activity. This will support our cross-government missions and help to raise the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever.
Funding beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn. The outcome of the review will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to integrate active travel with public transport networks.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government agrees on the importance of a properly integrated transport system, and will be saying more on this in due course in a new Integrated Transport Strategy. The Government agrees on the importance of integrating active travel networks with public transport networks, to make it easier for people to walk and cycle to bus, tram and train stations. Active Travel England works with local authorities to help design and deliver high-quality networks that are properly integrated with other local transport services. The Department has also published guidance for local authorities on both the design of cycle infrastructure (LTN 1/20) and on bus user priority (LTN1/24), with the latter including advice on matters such as mobility hubs and other interchanges.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential environmental benefits of increasing active travel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the environmental benefits from increasing active travel including improved air quality and reduced transport carbon emissions. The Department has published a range of reports which outline the environmental benefits from investment in active travel schemes and programmes.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve care for families after (a) pregnancy loss and (b) the death of a baby.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to delivering compassionate care for women, and supporting parents who have experienced any type of baby loss. Many trusts have specialist bereavement midwives, who are trained to care for and support parents and families who have suffered the loss of their baby. All trusts are signed up to The National Bereavement Care Pathway, which acts as a set of standards and guidance that trusts should follow when a patient has suffered a baby loss. Baby Loss Certificates are now available for all historic and future pregnancy losses, should parents wish to record and receive a certificate to recognise their loss.
Paid Parental Bereavement Leave was introduced in 2020. This entitlement is available to parents who lose a child under 18 years old, including where a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Following the death of a baby, there are a number of different investigation and review routes available depending on the age of the baby and the circumstances surrounding the death. These include the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations Programme, the Perinatal Mortality Review tool, and the Child Death Review process. These reviews aim to provide answers for bereaved parents about why their baby died and learning for the healthcare system.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help (a) support British farmers to negotiate contracts with retailers and (b) preserve traditional farming methods.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal that ensures fairness in the supply chain across all sectors. Where farmers sell directly to retailers, their agreements will be covered within the scope of the sectoral regulations that we are introducing through powers in the Agriculture Act 2020. Farmers should always receive a fair price for their products and the Government is committed to tackling contractual unfairness wherever it exists
Farmers are not only an important part of our local economies and communities, they play a crucial role in tackling biodiversity loss; improving water and air quality and improving our resilience to climate change.
To us, food security is national security, and so it is important that we have a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British farmers.
We understand the importance of, and need for, continuity when it comes to traditional farming practices for certain landscapes. This government will work with the sector to optimise schemes, including the methods and actions they fund, making sure that they work for all farmers whilst delivering food security and nature recovery in a just and equitable way.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of maternity pay for people with (a) twins and (b) multiples.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We want new mothers to be able to take time away from work. Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance rates are reviewed annually and were raised again by 6.7% in April 2024 from £172.48 to £184.03.
Maternity pay is primarily a health and safety provisions for pregnant working women. It is not intended to replace a woman's earnings completely, nor is it intended to assist with the costs associated with the birth of a new child or children. Rather it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth.
Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance are not paid in respect of each child but in respect of each pregnancy. The qualifying conditions for both are generally based on a woman's recent employment and earnings.
Maternity pay represents only one element of state-funded support available to new families in the first years of their child’s life. Depending on individual circumstances, additional financial support, for example Child Benefits and Sure Start Maternity Grant, may also be available.
In terms of wider support for parents, the Government committed [ in its manifesto] to review parental leave to ensure that it best supports working families. Further details of the review will be announced in due course.