Helen Morgan Portrait

Helen Morgan

Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire

15,311 (30.9%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 16th December 2021

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

(since July 2024)

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Levelling up, Housing and Communities)
11th Jul 2022 - 30th May 2024
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Local Government)
11th Jul 2022 - 30th May 2024
Renters (Reform) Bill
8th Nov 2023 - 28th Nov 2023
Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill
14th Dec 2022 - 11th Jan 2023
Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill
26th Oct 2022 - 2nd Nov 2022


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Helen Morgan has voted in 4 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Helen Morgan Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Pat McFadden (Labour)
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
(2 debate interactions)
Lilian Greenwood (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
(2 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Transport
(3 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(2 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Helen Morgan has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debate
View all Helen Morgan's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Helen Morgan

11th September 2024
Helen Morgan signed this EDM on Thursday 12th September 2024

Saudi Arabia’s bid to join the UN Human Rights Council

Tabled by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
That this House expresses profound concern over Saudi Arabia's bid to secure a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council; notes with alarm the extensive record of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, including but not limited to restrictions on freedom of expression, the use of capital punishment, and …
18 signatures
(Most recent: 12 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 13
Plaid Cymru: 4
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
2nd September 2024
Helen Morgan signed this EDM on Thursday 12th September 2024

Overseas constituencies

Tabled by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
That this House notes that the Elections Act 2022 increased the number of UK citizens living abroad that are eligible to vote in UK elections to approximately 3.5 million; further notes that UK citizens residing abroad are represented by the hon. Member from their last place of residence in the …
12 signatures
(Most recent: 12 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 11
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
View All Helen Morgan's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Helen Morgan, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Helen Morgan has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Helen Morgan has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

6 Bills introduced by Helen Morgan


A Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish and implement a Care Workers Employment Strategy, with the aim of improving the recruitment and retention of care workers; to establish an independent National Care Workers Council with responsibility for setting professional standards for care workers, for establishing a system of professional qualifications and accreditation for care workers, and for advising the Government on those matters; to require the Secretary of State to commission an independent assessment of the support available to unpaid carers, including financial support and employment rights; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 26th January 2024

A Bill to place a duty on the Government to ensure that every town with a population of more than 10,000 people has a regular bus service operating seven days a week, and that local health services, including hospitals and GP surgeries, are served by those buses; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 11th December 2023

A Bill to require providers of electronic communications networks to grant other such providers access to their apparatus where that is necessary to ensure consistent network coverage; to prevent those providers from charging more than the standard market rate for such access; to require the regulator to impose penalties on providers who unreasonably fail to grant such access; to make provision for the purpose of incentivising providers to allow customers of other providers to use their networks where access cannot be granted to their apparatus; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 26th January 2024
(Read Debate)

A Bill to remove the requirement for voters to show an identity document in order to vote; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 29th March 2023

A Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish and implement a Care Workers Employment Strategy, with the aim of improving the recruitment and retention of care workers; to establish an independent National Care Workers Council with responsibility for setting professional standards for care workers, for establishing a system of professional qualifications and accreditation for care workers, and for advising the Government on those matters; to require the Secretary of State to commission an independent assessment of the support available to unpaid carers, including financial support and employment rights; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 26th April 2023
(Read Debate)

A Bill to place a duty on the Government to ensure that every town with a population of more than 10,000 people has a regular bus service operating seven days a week, and that local health services, including hospitals and GP surgeries, are served by those buses; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 20th July 2022

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many individuals have (a) been offered and (b) accepted compensation under the Group Litigation Order Scheme.

As of 30 August, 253 offers had been made to claimants under the GLO scheme; 207 postmasters had accepted their offer. Data on all Horizon redress schemes are published monthly on gov.uk.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding the Marches Growth Hub received (a) when the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was in place and (b) after the LEP was removed.

DBT Funding for the Marches Growth Hub for each FY since it was established is set out in the table below:

Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) funded to deliver the Growth Hub

Marches Growth Hub delivered by Shropshire LA

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24

2024-25

The Marches annual allocations (£'000)

250

205

205

205

205

462

462

231

261

261

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the overspend of the Shared Rural Network project will be paid from the public purse.

To deliver the Shared Rural Network, the UK’s four mobile network operators are investing £532m to eliminate the majority of ‘partial not-spots’ – areas which receive coverage from at least one, but not all, operators. The programme has already delivered substantial improvements for rural communities across the UK, with Ofcom reporting that 4G coverage from at least one operator now stands at over 93%, up from 91% when the programme started.

The government’s grant funding to upgrade Extended Area Service masts and tackle ‘total not spots’ is capped to prevent overspend. Building Digital UK is working with its delivery partners, including the Home Office, to ensure that maximal benefit can be achieved within the allotted programme funding and that the programme represents good value for money.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the value for money of the Shared Rural Network.

To deliver the Shared Rural Network, the UK’s four mobile network operators are investing £532m to eliminate the majority of ‘partial not-spots’ – areas which receive coverage from at least one, but not all, operators. The programme has already delivered substantial improvements for rural communities across the UK, with Ofcom reporting that 4G coverage from at least one operator now stands at over 93%, up from 91% when the programme started.

The government’s grant funding to upgrade Extended Area Service masts and tackle ‘total not spots’ is capped to prevent overspend. Building Digital UK is working with its delivery partners, including the Home Office, to ensure that maximal benefit can be achieved within the allotted programme funding and that the programme represents good value for money.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile signal for (a) farmers and (b) rural businesses.

The Shared Rural Network will bring 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK landmass. Ofcom assesses the mobile network operators progress against their individual coverage targets. Ofcom reports that 4G coverage from at least one operator currently stands at over 93%, up from 91% when the programme started.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of progress made on the Shared Rural Network.

The Shared Rural Network will bring 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK landmass. Ofcom assesses the mobile network operators progress against their individual coverage targets. Ofcom reports that 4G coverage from at least one operator currently stands at over 93%, up from 91% when the programme started.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the accuracy of Ofcom coverage maps for (a) 4G and (b) 5G signal.

From my own experience, I am aware that Ofcom’s coverage maps do not always match consumers’ experience of mobile networks. My Department is working with Ofcom to identify what more can be done to improve the accuracy of its reporting, noting that all sorts of factors will impact people's experience, including how many other people are on the network at any given point, as well as weather conditions.

We have also asked Ofcom to keep under review its definitions of what constitutes “good” 4G and 5G coverage, so that they continue to reflect consumer expectations as people’s usage and their requirements evolve.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department plans to take to help improve 4G signal (a) partial not spots and (b) total not spots.

The government is working in partnership with mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network, which will reduce both partial and total not spots and bring 4G coverage to 95% of UK landmass. Ofcom reports that 4G coverage currently stands at over 93%.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of mobile signal roaming in rural areas.

Roaming already exists for 999 calls, as the Code of Practice for the Public Emergency Call Service requires that any call from a mobile phone will automatically roam onto another mobile network free-of-charge to make an emergency call if they have no signal from their own provider.

The Government is committed to improving rural coverage. The Shared Rural Network is set to increase 4G geographic coverage throughout the UK to 95% by the end of 2025. This will enable emergency calls in new areas and will reduce the digital divide between rural and urban areas of the UK, helping rural businesses and communities to thrive.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve the standard of grassroots sports facilities in rural areas.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they live, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. Sport England’s Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.

Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme continues to be invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to expand the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to include facilities in Market Drayton.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.

The Government is also acting to support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live through the delivery of £123 million UK-wide through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.

Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme continues to be invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation, who plan their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs) which have been developed in partnership with local authorities and are in the process of being refreshed to reflect the current landscape. The existing LFFP for Shropshire can be found by visiting the Football Foundation’s website, and North Shropshire has benefitted from £152,070 of investment under this programme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund to date.

Should a constituent have an enquiry about prospective investment at a specific facility, they can get in touch with the Football Foundation directly via enquiries@footballfoundation.org.uk.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to sports facilities in Market Drayton.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.

The Government is also acting to support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live through the delivery of £123 million UK-wide through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.

Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme continues to be invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation, who plan their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs) which have been developed in partnership with local authorities and are in the process of being refreshed to reflect the current landscape. The existing LFFP for Shropshire can be found by visiting the Football Foundation’s website, and North Shropshire has benefitted from £152,070 of investment under this programme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund to date.

Should a constituent have an enquiry about prospective investment at a specific facility, they can get in touch with the Football Foundation directly via enquiries@footballfoundation.org.uk.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of applying VAT to private school fees on state-funded special educational needs provision.

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister has been clear that if a child has an education, health and care plan that requires them to attend a private school because their needs cannot be met in the state sector, they will not feel an impact from this policy.

The department will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them, and that appropriate support is provided where pupils with special educational needs require a place at a state-funded school.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of spending by schools on using recruitment agencies to fill teaching vacancies in the 2023-24 financial year.

The department does not hold or collect the data to provide the requested estimate.

For state-funded schools wishing to recruit teachers on a permanent or fixed term basis, Teaching Vacancies is a free national listing service which removes the cost for schools to list vacancies. 87% of schools are signed up to use the service.

Schools have the autonomy to decide whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence and are best placed to make decisions on their approach to recruitment. The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of ineligibility for the frequently flooded fund on communities which are frequently flooded.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding and coastal erosion is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities.

In July 2022, a ring-fenced £100 million Frequently Flooded Allowance (FFA) was created as part of the Government’s £5.6 billion investment programme into flood and coastal erosion schemes.

The eligibility criteria for the FFA were designed, in collaboration with the Environment Agency, to ensure funding is targeted towards communities that have flooded more than once within the past ten years. They were subject to targeted testing with Regional Flood and Coastal Committees and representatives from Risk Management Authorities. The criteria aim to address some of the specific challenges faced by frequently flooded communities, particularly those that are smaller and more rural and can face barriers accessing funding due to the relative complexity and cost of building flood defences compared to the size of the community.

Projects not eligible for the FFA are able to apply for Grant in Aid as part of the Government’s floods investment programme. We will review this programme to ensure flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing compensation for farming businesses impacted by the recent period of prolonged and increased rainfall.

The Farming Recovery Fund is a contribution towards uninsured costs that have likely been incurred in re-establishing productive, farmable land in areas significantly damaged by water, caused by flooding from Storms Babet and Henk or exceptional rainfall during October 2023 to March 2024.

To date all eligible farmers identified in the original Farming Recovery Fund announced in April 2024 have been offered the payment in line with the published criteria. In May, Defra announced a further expansion to the fund and further information on that will be available soon.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of the recent period of prolonged and increased rainfall on the agricultural sector.

The actual impact on yield and quality of several arable crops will not be known until harvest; from mid-August onwards, but the Department expects some impact and is assessing what that might be. Early indications from the June AHDB Planting and Variety Survey suggests that, while the 2024 cropping area has reduced compared with 2023, the magnitude of the reduction is smaller than was projected in March 2024. Yields and productivity is also dependent on individual farmer decisions, region, area and in the case of the arable sector, crop.

The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market with the value of commodities established by those in the supply chain.

Following the recent period of prolonged wet weather the Department’s current assessment is that while there may be implications for certain commodities, price rises are likely to be within a normal range and should not cause significant issues with business viability or overall supply, with any possible shortfalls being met by imports.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of changes to labelling costs on dairy businesses after 1 October 2024.

This government has considered the impact of changes to labelling costs across a range of sectors. The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith, including commitments on the use of 'Not for EU labels', as well as taking all steps necessary to protect the UK internal market.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to provide financial assistance to farmers in debt.

The recent ‘Balance Sheet Analysis’ publication highlights that average liquidity in the sector has been consistently improving over the latest five years of data and reached a 10-year high in the latest year of data (2022/23). This suggests that levels of debt in the farming sector are lower than average.

To confirm, we will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal for farmers that works for farmers, food security and nature.

The only way to do this effectively is to listen to farmers and others with a stake in our food system, countryside and nature. We are doing this and assessing data and information about what is working and what is not before setting out detailed plans. We will confirm plans for further optimisation and rollout of farming grants and schemes shortly.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which projects her Department plans to include in the third Road Investment Strategy.

The Government is considering the content and timing of the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) alongside all transport infrastructure spend. We will provide an update in due course.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she made an assessment of the adequacy of each business case submitted to the Restoring Your Railway Fund before deciding to withdraw that funding.

The Chancellor’s statement of 29 July 2024 confirmed that the Restoring Your Railway (RYR) programme will be brought to a close. Aside from RYR projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects are now being considered as part of preparations for the upcoming Spending Review. This will include reviewing the business cases of these projects. Ministers have been clear that not all proposed transport projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2024 to Question 836 on A483, what progress she has made on the review into improving safety on the A483 in North Shropshire.

National Highways continues to consider the case for safety improvements to the A483 between Pant and Llanymynech through a route optimisation study. The content and timing of the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) will be considered alongside all transport infrastructure spend.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve transport links in Oswestry.

This Government is committed to ensuring that people have access to transport and transport infrastructure that enables them to travel to the destinations they want to reach and meets their needs. As my Right Honourable Friend the Chancellor has set out, decisions must be made based on the assessment of the spending inheritance from the previous Government. The Department has ambitious plans for improving transport connectivity, including through the Buses Bill. The Bill aims to deliver the government’s plan for improving the bus network and ending the postcode lottery. This plan includes providing more control and flexibility over bus funding, giving local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities, and removing the ban on the creation of new municipal bus companies.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Schedule 12 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, if she will make an assessment of the level of consistency of application of those guidelines by police forces.

Application of Schedule 12 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended (C&U), is a policing matter. Any concerns on their application should be raised with the responsible local police force(s) in question. My Department does not have any remit or plans to make an assessment on the impact of the approaches by local police forces to the application of Schedule 12 of C&U.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to encourage the carrying of bicycles on buses to create a more integrated public transport service.

The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth and delivering reliable and affordable public transport services for passengers is one of the government’s top priorities. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will pass the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England.

Every community will have its own unique needs from its public transport network and wants to empower local leaders to work with operators to design networks that meet these needs, including considering how best to integrate services with different ways of travelling, such as active travel, to deliver comprehensive coverage.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing lockable bike storage at rural (a) bus and (b) rail stations.

The Department has no plans to carry out an assessment on the potential merits of lockable cycle storage in rural travel hubs. Funding for cycle storage has been made available from a range of local transport funds, including the Active Travel Fund and the Cycle Rail Fund.

In addition, Active Travel England also provides training on infrastructure design guidance and is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she will take to help make the public transport system more accessible for rural users.

The Government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the Government will introduce the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them, including in rural areas across England.

We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the Government’s ambitions.

The Secretary of State has set out plans for the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation by delivering publicly owned passenger rail within the first term in government. The Government will do this as contracts with existing operators expire or if the relevant contractual conditions for early termination are met. The Passenger Railway Services Bill, announced on 17 July, will allow the Government to deliver on this commitment to bring rail services back into public ownership.

The Government will also establish a new arm's length body, Great British Railways, which will deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services; along with ensuring safety and accessibility.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the DVLA will publish a comprehensive list of reportable medical conditions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) publishes a comprehensive list of notifiable medical conditions on GOV.UK. The ‘Assessing Fitness to Drive’ guidance is intended for healthcare professionals and is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/assessing-fitness-to-drive-a-guide-for-medical-professionals, while guidance for driving licence holders can be found at www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving.

If a licence holder is unsure whether they need to notify the DVLA of their medical condition, or if it may impact safe driving, they should discuss it with their healthcare professional.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with Highways England on the proposed 30mph speed limit on the A483 between Llanymynech and Pant.

The Department recognises the need for a more consistent approach to speed limits on the A483 between Llanymynech and Pant. National Highways is working with Shropshire Council and Transport Wales to consider the case for changing the speed limit of the A483 between Llanymynech and Pant alongside a more substantive review into improving safety on this section of the strategic road network as part of the next Road Investment Strategy.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to improve road surface quality in rural areas that have heavy load traffic.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local road network in both rural and urban areas and has pledged to support local authorities to fix local pothole-ridden roads for the long term.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to provide step-free access at Whitchurch station in Shropshire.

Both myself and the Rail Minister are early in our tenure as transport Ministers. As such, we are yet to speak to Network Rail regarding the status of the Whitchurch station accessibility project. I look forward to discussing these proposals with Network Rail and other stakeholders in the near future.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's planned timetable is for the reopening of the Oswestry to Gobowen railway line.

Following the General Election and the State Opening of Parliament, the Government is now formulating its plans. The Department will announce its policy intentions in due course and aims to provide an update on next steps for the Oswestry to Gobowen line project soon.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to increase access to bus services in (a) North Shropshire constituency and (b) other rural areas.

The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the Government will introduce the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including in North Shropshire and other rural areas across England.

We also plan to empower local transport authorities by reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the government’s ambitions.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her planned timetable is for responding to the recommendations of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report into changes to women's State Pension age, published on 21 March 2024.

As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides.

The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government will be in a position to outline its approach.

I met with representatives of the WASPI Campaign on the 5 of September.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support available receivers of Universal Credit who wish to appeal a decision of her Department at an Upper Tier Tribunal.

Tribunals are administered independently of the Department and therefore appeals to the Upper Tribunal are a matter for the appellant and His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). The appellant should follow guidance from the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) on the process for appealing to the Upper Tribunal. There is also helpful information on gov.uk: www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision/unhappy-tribunals-decision. This includes links to third party organisations who offer free advice on engaging with this process.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve and (b) standardise the quality of annual dementia reviews.

The Dementia: Good Personalised Care and Support Planning guide sets out how primary care providers can ensure personalised care and support planning is undertaken consistently and reliably. This includes annual dementia reviews. The guide offers a quality assurance framework to ensure care planning is responsive to needs and preferences.

To improve care for patients with dementia, NHS England's RightCare team has refreshed the RightCare Dementia Scenario, which works through the Well Pathway for Dementia, detailing optimal and suboptimal approaches. The RightCare team has developed a model dementia pathway based on data for each component of the pathway, to provide a high-level view of what dementia care activity looks like for local areas, and to aid targeted support where appropriate.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure sustainable long-term funding for the Veterans' Orthopaedic Service at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital.

The NHS Long Term Plan committed the National Health Service to a series of financial reforms, designed to return the NHS to financial balance. NHS England’s regional finance team have been working directly with The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on possible solutions to enable funding for the service to continue.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure stability of management at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is in segment four of the NHS Oversight Framework. This means that the trust is in receipt of national mandated support via NHS England’s Recovery Support Programme. The National Recovery Support team is working closely with the trust and region to support the SaTH, and ensure delivery of improvements. A new interim Chief Executive Officer has been appointed, and is joining the trust shortly. We are working closely with NHS England to monitor the situation.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve access to NHS dentist appointments in North Shropshire.

This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) has taken steps to improve access to NHS dental care in North Shropshire, but we know more needs to be done. The ICB is ensuring that undelivered NHS dental activity is redistributed to other practices to help support access to care.

Four practices across the North Shropshire parliamentary constituency recently saw an uplift to their Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) rate to £28. This should help support recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in this area. In addition, a new dental practice in Oswestry has increased their contracted UDAs and will do so again in April 2025.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to reduce ambulance waiting times in North Shropshire.

The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve ambulance response times and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. In doing so we will be honest about the challenges facing the health service, and serious about tackling them.

As a first step, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has appointed the Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of NHS performance, which will report in September 2024.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve waiting times for cancer treatment in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board following an urgent GP referral.

Cancer patients are being failed, waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment. The latest cancer waiting times data from NHS England shows Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board performance is below both the 31-day treatment standard and the 62-day diagnosis and treatment standard. This data is publicly available and can be accessed via NHS England’s website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

The Department is committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment across England, including within the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment. Additionally, Lord Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the National Health Service, the findings of which will feed into the government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that all actions recommended in the Ockenden Report to improve maternal and neonatal services at Shropshire and Telford Hospital are successfully implemented.

NHS England continues to support the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in implementing all local actions outlined in the final Ockenden report, to improve maternity and neonatal services. The trust remains on the Maternity Safety Support Programme, which provides hands-on intensive support to trusts from a dedicated advisor.

The trust continues to provide bi-monthly updates on their progress in implementing local action via their board of directors’ meetings. The trust published an action plan on the progress to address the local actions from the first and final Ockenden report, the most recent version of which is available at the following link:

https://www.sath.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/04-111.24-Appendix-1-Ockenden-Report-Action-Plan.pdf

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential impact of applying VAT to private school fees on local sports clubs.

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has access to high-quality education, which is why we have made the tough decision to end tax breaks for private schools. This will raise revenue for essential public services, including investing in the state education system


This VAT change will not impact pupils with most acute additional needs where these can only be met in private schools, as determined by an Education and Health Care Plan in England, and equivalent processes in other nations.

Where pupils are placed in a private school because their needs cannot be met in the state sector, and they have their places funded by their Local Authority, the Local Authority will be able to reclaim the VAT they incur on these pupils’ fees. In Northern Ireland, it will be the Education Authority who fund placements in private schools and will be able to reclaim the VAT in this way.

The government will publish a Tax Information and Impact Note setting out the impacts of the changes, including the equalities impacts, alongside the Finance Bill.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the (a) average and (b) target time taken for a DBS check to be completed in England.

The Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) target is to issue 85% of Basic checks within 2 days, 85% of Standard checks within 3 days, and 80% of Enhanced checks within 14 days.

DBS publishes its performance data every quarter. The most recent data for April to June 2024 records the following performance for all applications processed within England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man:

Basic check target attained with an average of 88.1%. The 85% target was met on day 2 and the average turnaround time was 0.7 days.

Standard check target attained with an average of 88.2%. The 85% target was met on day 3 and the average turnaround time was 1.4 days.

Enhanced check target not attained with an average of 75.1%. The 80% target was met on day 21 and the average turnaround time was 12.4 days.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken for DBS checks to be carried out for employers in England.

The DBS measures its progress using a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets agreed by its Board. The KPIs are grouped into four themes: quality, timeliness, value for money, and people. There is a strong focus on the quality and timeliness of its products and services as these are the issues that customers tell DBS are important to them and it is these that ensure the DBS supports the safeguarding of vulnerable groups including children, as effectively as possible. The 2024/25 DBS Business Plan can be viewed at: DBS business plan: 2024-25 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The most recent quarterly datasets showing statistics against internal performance standards can be viewed at: DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The data applies to DBS checks, the Update Service, and disputes.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to reform the eligibility criteria for the Flood Recovery Framework to include more (a) households and (b) businesses that have experienced flooding.

A post activation review of the Flood Recovery Framework is underway and I expect this to report in the Autumn.

Alex Norris
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will ensure that the fair funding formula accounts for the increased cost of delivering services in rural areas.

Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement. The department will work with local government leaders to ensure they are better able to fulfil their statutory duties.

Jim McMahon
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)