Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
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 bring forward legislative proposals to make the industry standard for letterbox height mandatory for all (a) new-build properties and (b) new front door replacements.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19554 on 18 December 2024.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessmentof the potential merits of introducing (a) a formal right of appeal and (b) binding arbitration for police officers in relation to pay and conditions decisions.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) make recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers.
The pay review bodies gather and invite parties to submit evidence to inform their decisions. This includes both written and oral evidence from the Government, police employers and police staff associations. They weigh the evidence, consider independent research, and formulate detailed recommendations.
We are committed to the Pay Review Body process and the Government appreciates and values the independent, expert advice and contribution that the pay review bodies make.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the letter of remit and (b) the requirement for her approval of recommendations on the perceived independence of the Police Remuneration Review Body.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) make recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers.
The pay review bodies gather and invite parties to submit evidence to inform their decisions. This includes both written and oral evidence from the Government, police employers and police staff associations. They weigh the evidence, consider independent research, and formulate detailed recommendations.
We are committed to the Pay Review Body process and the Government appreciates and values the independent, expert advice and contribution that the pay review bodies make.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent comparative assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the (a) Police Negotiating Board and binding arbitration mechanism used in Scotland and (b) the Police Remuneration Review Body model in England and Wales.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) make recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers.
The pay review bodies gather and invite parties to submit evidence to inform their decisions. This includes both written and oral evidence from the Government, police employers and police staff associations. They weigh the evidence, consider independent research, and formulate detailed recommendations.
We are committed to the Pay Review Body process and the Government appreciates and values the independent, expert advice and contribution that the pay review bodies make.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) recording and (b) reporting in the Annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals the number of animals bred for scientific procedures but not subsequently used.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is presently reviewing the collection and publication of additional statistics on animals that were bred for, but not used in, scientific procedures.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
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 reduce waiting times for mental health treatment services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is delivering new and innovative models of care in the community. We have launched six neighbourhood adult mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to bring together community, crisis, and inpatient care.
NHS England’s Planning Guidance for 2025/26 makes clear that for this year, to support reform and improvements, we expect all providers to reduce the variation in children and young people accessing services and improve productivity.
We are also improving data quality so we can support providers in understanding demand across their areas. Since July 2023, NHS England has included waiting times metrics for referrals to urgent and community-based mental health services in its monthly mental health statistics publication, to help services target the longest waits.
Our 10-Year Health Plan will inform the future vision and delivery plan for mental health services in England. Earlier intervention remains a key focus of the plan, with the aim of reducing pressure on mental health services.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists entitled Co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, published on 13 May 2025.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to supporting more cohesive and joined-up care between mental health services and substance use services, to ensure people no longer fall through the gaps of treatment.
We know that, between 2023 and 2024, 72% of people starting drug and alcohol treatment also had a mental health treatment need. Furthermore, approximately 30 to 50% of people with serious mental illness have co-existing drug or alcohol use conditions. However, as the Royal College of Psychiatry’s report highlights, too often, people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs do not receive the joined up, person-centred care they require and deserve.
In response to this, the Department and NHS England are finalising the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Action Plan. In developing this plan, NHS England and the Department have worked with subject matter experts, including people with lived experience, academics, clinicians, and service providers, to set out a path to improving service provision for those with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs.
The action plan will build on current structures and initiatives such the Commissioning Quality Standard published in 2022. This standard provides guidance for drug and alcohol treatment commissioners on improving services for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol or drug conditions and how local services need to work together so that people can access the help they need.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total operating cost was of the British overseas military base in Qatar in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence does not have a British Overseas Base in Qatar but we do have forces hosted on the Qatari owned, US-operated Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha.
Indicative operating costs for being based at Al Udeid airbase in financial year 2024-25 are in the region of £3.7 million. The exact cost will be finalised after the publication of the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much the Oxford Growth Commission project will cost her Department in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28 and (d) 2028-29.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Economic growth is the number one priority for this Government and the Plan for Change. Oxford offers huge economic potential for the UK’s growth prospects which will not only benefit the wider region but also help drive growth in every corner of the country by creating jobs, boosting living standards, and putting more money into working people’s pockets.
The Oxford Growth Commission will support the delivery of infrastructure, housing and employment to unleash Oxford’s and Oxfordshire’s economic power and is a key part of government’s commitment to unlock growth in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and the high potential sectors within it.
The Commission is jointly supported by MHCLG, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council alongside the Universities and local business. Future departmental budgets will be set at the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what emergency plans (a) her Department and (b) Network Rail has made for future extreme weather events.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department requires Train Operating Companies and Network Rail to put in place measures to avoid, where possible, the potential impact of disruption including as a result of weather.
Network Rail owns and is responsible for maintaining railway infrastructure to ensure passenger and freight services operate safely. Officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on punctuality and reliability.
Network Rail Routes liaise closely with Train Operators to ensure comprehensive checklists are in place and to align customer messaging. Extreme Weather Action Telecons (EWATs) are stood up in anticipation of adverse or extreme weather conditions likely to impact upon rail networks, attended by Network Rail, British Transport Police, the Rail Delivery Group, train operators and the Department. EWATs coordinate the response to severe weather, for example by prepositioning people, equipment, assets to at-risk areas and implementing speed restrictions and emergency timetables where appropriate. Where services need to be cancelled, train operators will seek to provide alternative transport where possible, although there may be instances where this is not viable.