Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
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 ensure that people suffering a mental health crisis are able to access suitable treatment quickly.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Substantial progress has been made in building more robust crisis care pathways across all ages and in all regions, ensuring that people in a mental health crisis can receive the right care. However, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out our ambitions to go further.
The plan commits to increasing capacity for urgent mental health care by developing dedicated mental health emergency departments (MHEDs), thereby ensuring patients get fast, same-day access to specialist support in an appropriate setting. We will invest up to £120 million to bring the number of MHEDs to approximately 85, meaning there will be one co-located, or very close to, 50% of existing type 1 accident and emergency units. This expansion builds on a number of early implementer sites that have been established in recent years by local health systems to provide a dedicated therapeutic alternative to emergency departments for individuals in a mental health crisis.
This is building on the £26 million in capital investment in 2025/26 to support people in a mental health crisis, including opening new mental health crisis centres across England, which aim to provide accessible and responsive care for individuals in a mental health crisis.
In addition, we are piloting six, 24 hour a day, seven day a week neighbourhood mental health centres which provide support to individuals with severe mental illness, without needing to book an appointment.
People of all ages in England experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained National Health Service professional at any time, 24 hours a day, via the NHS 111 service. This service gives people the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
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 improve the availability of beds at psychiatric inpatient units.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we need to focus treatment away from hospital and inpatient care and improve community and crisis services. Through our 10-Year Health Plan we will make sure more mental health care is delivered in the community, close to people’s homes, through new models of care and support, so that fewer people need to go into hospital.
NHS England has already begun piloting this innovative model of mental health care for people with serious mental health needs through six neighbourhood adult mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and which bring together community, crisis, and inpatient care.
Integrated care boards have published plans to localise inpatient care by 2026/27 under the national commissioning framework for mental health inpatient services, improving both care quality and value for money.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP assessments were conducted (a) face-to-face and (b) by phone in each of the last two years.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments carried out by (a) face-to-face and (b) telephone in the last two calendar years are readily available on tab T2_32_Assessment_by_Channel, in Tables 2.32a and 2.32b of Pathways to Work: Evidence pack: Chapter 2 reforming the structure.
In addition to face-to-face and telephone, PIP assessments have also been conducted via paper-based and video assessments during the time period requested. These assessment channels are also shown in the tables contained in the evidence pack.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) victims of harassment who have been unable to secure a conviction against the perpetrator and (b) other victims of harassment.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In its manifesto, the Government committed to strengthening protective orders, which can be used to protect from harassment in different situations, to make sure victims can get the strongest protection they need, at the earliest opportunity. Last November, we launched a new Domestic Abuse Protection Order that goes further than the current protective orders, including tagging of perpetrators and mandating attendance on behaviour change programmes, to help address root causes of abuse. This order is available across family, civil and criminal courts in selected areas, so that victims can get protection at the best time and place for them.
A civil claim may also be brought for harassment, where it is a connected course of conduct by the same person causing the victim distress or alarm. Civil remedies include injunctions to prohibit the conduct and damages to compensate for distress and loss.
Additionally, the 42 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice victim and witness budget to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims. This includes ‘core’ funding for victims of all crime types and funding that is ring-fenced for sexual violence and domestic abuse services. PCCs allocate funding locally at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need. PCCs are well placed to understand their local communities and providers, and to commission appropriate support services to meet the need of victims in their area including those affected by harassment.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to re-open HMP Dartmoor.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Elevated radon readings were first found at Dartmoor in 2020. HMPPS have been monitoring radon levels to manage exposure to prisoners and staff.
Dartmoor has been temporarily closed since August 2024 after monitoring results were higher than expected. We are working with specialist radon experts to investigate whether we can re-open the prison safely.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department have taken to improve support in the community for mental health.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government is recruiting 8,500 mental health workers to help ease the pressure on busy mental health services. The latest data shows that more than 6,700 extra mental health workers have been recruited since July.
We are working with NHS England on a refreshed workforce plan, which will revolve around the three shifts to deliver our 10-Year Health Plan: moving more care from hospitals to communities; making better use of technology in health and care; and focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.
We are also piloting 24 hour a day, seven day a week neighbourhood mental health centres to support our ambition to shift care from hospitals to communities. People will also get better direct access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the NHS App, without needing a general practice appointment.
Additionally, the Government is providing £7 million of funding to extend support for 24 Early Support Hubs that have a track record of helping thousands of young people in their community. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England and roll out Young Futures Hubs to provide open access mental health support for children and young people.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support pensioners who have (a) become disabled after reaching State Pension age and (b) require (i) adapted vehicles and (ii) mobility assistance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Attendance Allowance (AA) is a weekly benefit for those over State Pension age who require care or supervision as a result of a physical or mental disability. AA is paid at two rates. A higher rate of £110.40 a week for claimants who need help or supervision for both day and night or who are terminally ill. And a lower rate of £73.90 for claimants who need frequent help or supervision during the day or night.
AA provides financial support towards the extra costs faced by disabled people. It is neither means-tested, nor based on National Insurance contributions paid and recipients can choose how they wish to spend it. Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes and to Carer’s Allowance for the person providing care for them.
AA has never included a mobility component and so cannot be used in payment for a leased Motability Scheme vehicle. Government mobility support is focused on people who are disabled earlier in life.
There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids.
There are no plans to review the Scheme’s qualifying benefits.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility criteria for the Motability Scheme to include Attendance Allowance claimants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Attendance Allowance (AA) is a weekly benefit for those over State Pension age who require care or supervision as a result of a physical or mental disability. AA is paid at two rates. A higher rate of £110.40 a week for claimants who need help or supervision for both day and night or who are terminally ill. And a lower rate of £73.90 for claimants who need frequent help or supervision during the day or night.
AA provides financial support towards the extra costs faced by disabled people. It is neither means-tested, nor based on National Insurance contributions paid and recipients can choose how they wish to spend it. Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes and to Carer’s Allowance for the person providing care for them.
AA has never included a mobility component and so cannot be used in payment for a leased Motability Scheme vehicle. Government mobility support is focused on people who are disabled earlier in life.
There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids.
There are no plans to review the Scheme’s qualifying benefits.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water supply outages there were in Plymouth in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD), all water companies must report to Defra any water outages that impact over 5,000 properties or will last over 24 hours.
In 2025, one incident affecting Plymouth was reported to Defra. Between 21 April and 23 April, a burst water main at a Dousland Water Treatment Works caused a water supply outage to approximately 9,800 properties in Plymouth.
There were no water supply outages in Plymouth reported to Defra in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the resilience of the water supply in the long term in Plymouth.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government and the Environment Agency work with water companies and other stakeholders to monitor and manage water resources in England. Water companies are responsible for ensuring a secure water supply for their customers. Plymouth lies in South West Water's Roadford Water Resource Zone, which is supplied from reservoirs, rivers, and some boreholes.
Every 5 years water companies must prepare and maintain a water resources management plan (WRMP). The WRMP sets out how a company intends to achieve a secure supply of water for customers, resilient to droughts, and with environmental protections and enhancements over the next 25 years. WRMP's are closely assessed by Ofwat and the Environment Agency, who advise on the acceptability of plans before companies are given permission to publish by the government.
South West Water's latest draft WRMP, which includes the measures it will take to ensure the resilience of water supply in the Roadford zone, was scrutinised by regulators and given permission for publication in January 2025, subject to some revisions, which the company is currently making.