Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for the new hospital in Sutton, in the context of rising construction and building costs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have now put the New Hospital Programme on a sustainable footing, with a timeline that can be met, and a budget that is consistent with the fiscal rules under which the Government is operating. We are backing this plan with investment, which will increase to up to £15 billion over each consecutive five-year wave, averaging approximately £3 billion a year from 2030. The exact profile of funding will be confirmed in rolling five-year waves at regular Spending Reviews, as with all Government capital budgets in future. The cost estimates for schemes include the significant cost of inflation in recent years and use a construction specific index to inflate future costs.
The final funding amount for the Specialist and Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton will be subject to the review and approval of a Full Business Case nearer to construction starting between 2032 and 2034, as is standard for large infrastructure projects.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to expand discretionary housing payments to (a) Surrey and (b) other areas with high rental inflation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government announced through the Spending Review that Discretionary Housing Payments will be included in the new Crisis and Resilience Fund from April 2026. This will provide £842 million per year (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform how crisis support is delivered locally.
By combining Discretionary Housing Payments to create a single, streamlined fund, the Crisis and Resilience Fund will make it easier for local authorities to deliver joined-up support, whilst helping people to access the help they need when they need it.
We will work closely with Local Authorities on the detailed design of the fund and will issue further information on our planned approach.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to announce the (a) personnel requirements and (b) organisational design for (i) Op Courage and (ii) Op Restore.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE are established bespoke National Health Service commissioned services for veterans. There are currently no plans for announcements to be made about personnel requirements and organisational design for Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE.
The new joint centre will take forward the Government’s ambitious reform agenda as set out in the Health Mission and Plan for Change, with more details to come when the 10-Year Health Plan is published.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of nationalising Thames Water.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has no plans to nationalise Thames Water or any other water company.
It would cost billions of pounds and take years to unpick the current ownership model, slowing down our reforms and only worsening sewage pollution.
However, this Government stands ready to intervene to ensure the continued provision of vital public services – through the use of a Special Administration Regime (SAR) – should this be required.
A SAR is not a form of renationalisation.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 support chalk stream restoration in (a) Hogsmill River and (b) the rest of the South East.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is working with the Chalk Stream Restoration Group, and other partners, to protect and restore chalk streams across the South East. For example, it is ensuring that water companies have ambitious but affordable programmes that address the threats to chalk streams, including restoring sustainable abstraction in chalk catchments and reducing the impacts of discharges from storm overflows. It also continues to work with partners to lead or support numerous chalk stream restoration projects.
The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) is a programme used to continuously improve the water industry and thus protect our water and waterbodies. There are 8 WINEP water quality actions that Thames Water will undertake in AMP8 (between 2025 and 2030) at Hogsmill. The EA have also been supporting species recovery of water voles on the Hogsmill.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a cross-sector taskforce led by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to (a) assess the barriers people with cancer face when seeking travel insurance and (b) make recommendations on improving (i) transparency and (ii) access in the insurance market.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with a variety of stakeholders, including other departments and representatives of the insurance industry, on a range of issues. The Government recognises the important role of insurance products, including travel insurance, in building the financial resilience of consumers and protecting them when things go wrong.
Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. For example, a history of serious illness such as cancer, may increase the likelihood or severity of a claim, which in turn affects the premium an insurer decides to charge or whether they offer cover at all.
However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive).
In addition, since April 2021, the FCA has required firms offering travel insurance to signpost consumers to a directory of specialist providers if they are declined cover, offered cover with an exclusion, or charged a significantly higher premium based on their pre-existing medical conditions.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a right to be forgotten for people who have been out of cancer treatment for a significant period, in the context of the use of medical histories to determine (a) premiums and (b) acceptances for travel insurance.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with a variety of stakeholders, including other departments and representatives of the insurance industry, on a range of issues. The Government recognises the important role of insurance products, including travel insurance, in building the financial resilience of consumers and protecting them when things go wrong.
Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. For example, a history of serious illness such as cancer, may increase the likelihood or severity of a claim, which in turn affects the premium an insurer decides to charge or whether they offer cover at all.
However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive).
In addition, since April 2021, the FCA has required firms offering travel insurance to signpost consumers to a directory of specialist providers if they are declined cover, offered cover with an exclusion, or charged a significantly higher premium based on their pre-existing medical conditions.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) insurance providers on helping to ensure that cancer patients are able to access affordable travel insurance.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with a variety of stakeholders, including other departments and representatives of the insurance industry, on a range of issues. The Government recognises the important role of insurance products, including travel insurance, in building the financial resilience of consumers and protecting them when things go wrong.
Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. For example, a history of serious illness such as cancer, may increase the likelihood or severity of a claim, which in turn affects the premium an insurer decides to charge or whether they offer cover at all.
However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive).
In addition, since April 2021, the FCA has required firms offering travel insurance to signpost consumers to a directory of specialist providers if they are declined cover, offered cover with an exclusion, or charged a significantly higher premium based on their pre-existing medical conditions.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what level of financial benefit is offered as part of the re-joining Bounty for former armed forces personnel rejoining the military.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence is always seeking ways to incentivise Service, not all of which are financial. In recent years a variety of financial incentives of varying degrees have been made available for the recruitment of both Regular and Reserve personnel, including re-joiner payments to encourage ex-Regulars to rejoin either Regular or Reserve Service. Recent financial incentives have included a Royal Navy Recruit Bounty Scheme worth £500 and Army Reserve enlistment schemes worth between £500 and £1,200.
Golden Hello payments of £100,000 for the recruitment of specialised doctors and £50,000 for specialised nurses are available. There are currently no live schemes for Reserve Service enlistment.
The levels of financial incentive for both Regulars and Reserves vary by Service and by trade, but all were location agnostic; numbers of payments have varied according to need and have been generally successful in filling some important roles and trades.
Information on the numbers of people who have claimed a financial incentive in each year since 2020 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial schemes there are to incentivise former armed forces personnel to enlist in the Reserves.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence is always seeking ways to incentivise Service, not all of which are financial. In recent years a variety of financial incentives of varying degrees have been made available for the recruitment of both Regular and Reserve personnel, including re-joiner payments to encourage ex-Regulars to rejoin either Regular or Reserve Service. Recent financial incentives have included a Royal Navy Recruit Bounty Scheme worth £500 and Army Reserve enlistment schemes worth between £500 and £1,200.
Golden Hello payments of £100,000 for the recruitment of specialised doctors and £50,000 for specialised nurses are available. There are currently no live schemes for Reserve Service enlistment.
The levels of financial incentive for both Regulars and Reserves vary by Service and by trade, but all were location agnostic; numbers of payments have varied according to need and have been generally successful in filling some important roles and trades.
Information on the numbers of people who have claimed a financial incentive in each year since 2020 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.