Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
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 vulnerable and terminally ill residents in rural communities in Devon can rely on the provision of daily phlebotomy services within a reasonable travelling distance.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is important that people have access to the services they need, and, especially for vulnerable and terminally ill patients, for them to be located in the community, where possible.
Community diagnostic centres (CDCs), such as the Devon and Torbay CDC in Torquay, and the Exeter Nightingale CDC, are supporting one of the Government’s top priorities for health, to shift care from the hospital to the community. CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including phlebotomy, closer to home, and greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, whilst also reducing pressure on hospitals.
The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This money is allocated to systems for them to invest as locally determined.
Investment in diagnostic services, including phlebotomy, is delivered through CDCs and local commissioning arrangements. It is up to local systems to determine how investment supports clinic-based services and domiciliary provision.
In Devon, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDUH) operates community phlebotomy services across the county, including in rural areas. The service provides planned weekday blood tests across local community hospitals, such as Holsworthy Community Hospital and Torrington Hospital. RDUH provides a "Community Collect" service, while home visits for housebound patients can be arranged. Some general practices in Devon are also providing blood tests for patients, as required for a hospital purpose. Further information on the RDUH is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/services/acute-trust/royal-devon-university-healthcare-nhs-foundation-trust/RH8
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her timetable is for notifying local authorities of their multi‑year allocations for the Local Authority Bus Grants.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Multi-year allocations of the Local Authority Bus Grant allocations were published on GOV.UK on 5 December 2025.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will (a) hold discussions with stakeholders on Dartmoor and (b) attend the forthcoming annual Dartmoor Forum this spring.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to supporting our Protected Landscapes, including Dartmoor, recognising their vital importance to national priorities.
The Secretary of State will continue to engage with a wide range of partners and stakeholders on Dartmoor as part of this work.
The Dartmoor Land Use Management Group has been established to provide a collaborative and co-ordinated approach to land management on Dartmoor. Its purpose is to bring together farmers, conservation bodies, public agencies, and other stakeholders to help rebuild trust and improve working relationships.
The Secretary of State recently announced a new partnership between Dartmoor, Defra and social entrepreneur Dr Hilary Cottam OBE, working to transform the way uplands land can support food production and create new income opportunities, alongside wider public benefits.
I would be happy to attend the Dartmoor Forum this spring subject to confirmation of the date.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Devon Integrated Care Board on access to non-emergency NHS dental appointments for (a) children and (b) elderly people in Torridge.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a National Health Service dentist across the country, and we are taking steps to address this, including by increasing the availability of urgent dental care and reforming the dental contract.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population is delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. There are a number of forums for engagement, and NHS England regions lead on engagement with ICBs. For Torridge, this is NHS England South West.
We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent, non-emergency, dental appointments to make sure that patients can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra urgent dental appointments available since April 2025. NHS Devon ICB, which includes the Torridge and Tavistock constituency, has been asked to deliver 24,269 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) he and (b) his Ministers have had recent discussions with dental schools in the South West on encouraging newly qualified dentists to work in NHS‑providing dental practices in rural communities, such as Torridge.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 10 December, I met with several Members of Parliament from the South West to discuss their proposal to expand the number of Government-funded places provided to Peninsula Dental School. Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital, and I welcome efforts which strive to help deliver this ambition.
As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period. We intend this minimum period to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments, and better oral health.
Integrated care boards are continuing to recruit dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. The scheme offers a £20,000 recruitment incentive payment to dentists to work in those areas that need them most. The scheme remains a national priority.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that rural hospitality businesses are adequately supported in the context of (a) rising wholesale food prices, (b) energy costs, (c) increased (i) wage and (ii) NIC pressures and (d) insurance premiums.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government fully recognises the importance of hospitality businesses in rural communities, that’s why we’re providing support through a range of measures to ease pressures.
We continue to monitor key agricultural commodities and work with the hospitality sector, supported by the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which tracks prices, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments. The Zero Carbon Services Hospitality trial offers free energy and carbon-reduction advice. We will introduce permanently lower business rates for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. The Employment Allowance has been increased to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions enabling businesses to employ up to four full-time staff on the National Living Wage without incurring employer NIC costs. While insurers make commercial decisions based on risk assessments, the Financial Conduct Authority requires firms to offer fair value and monitors compliance, acting where necessary.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with Sport England on the (a) promotion and (b) development of (i) padel and (ii) pickleball as national sports.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with Sport England, on a range of topics including the promotion and development of the sporting offer across England. Whilst we haven’t discussed these sports specifically, DCMS officials have discussed the promotion and development padel and pickleball with Sport England.
It is positive to see the growth of many emerging sports such as padel and pickleball.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to provide funding to Tavistock College under the school rebuilding programme.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
School buildings are integral to high and rising standards and need to be fit for the future. That is why we remain committed to improving the condition of the school estate, and the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) continues as part of that.
The department wrote to Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust in July 2023, to inform them that Tavistock College has been placed in Group 2 of the SRP. Projects have been prioritised according to the condition of their buildings and other relevant criteria. We anticipate that Tavistock College will commence with planning and feasibility work early in 2026. SRP projects typically take between two and five years to deliver.
Specific start dates will be communicated to the school and responsible body at least a month in advance of project start and, where possible, we will bring projects forward if we are able to do so. The scope of the works will be discussed with the school and responsible body once the project enters delivery.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will exclude (a) Dartmoor, (b) the Tamar Valley and (c) other environmentally protected and low-density settlement areas in West Devon from her Department’s methodology for determining the required number of new affordable homes; and if she will adopt the relevant local authority's baseline figure.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government implemented a new standard method for assessing housing need via the revised National Planning Policy Framework in December 2024. The revised method aligns with our ambition to deliver 1.5 million safe and decent homes this parliament and better directs new homes to where they are most needed and least affordable.
National policy is clear that the standard method should be used by local authorities to inform the preparation of their local plans. Once local housing need has been assessed, authorities should make an assessment of the amount of new homes that can be provided in their area. This should be justified by evidence on land availability and constraints on development, such as National Landscapes, and any other relevant matters.
Planning Practice Guidance makes clear that where strategic policy-making authorities do not align with local authority boundaries, or where the data used in the method is not available, such as in National Parks, an alternative approach may have to be used. In these instances, authorities may continue to identify a housing need figure using a method determined locally.
Local authorities should also make their own assessment of size, type, and tenure of housing needed for different groups in their local communities, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in their planning policies. This can draw on locally held data such as the number of homeless households or those in temporary accommodation.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings (a) she has and (b) Ministers in her Department have had with hon. Members from (i) her party and (ii) other parties on rail infrastructure projects in their constituencies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Ministers meet regularly with MPs of all parties to discuss rail infrastructure projects at surgeries.