Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 reduce waiting times for diagnostic scans in North Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In March 2025, the diagnostic waiting list at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust was 14,808, 3,229 of which, or 21.8%, were waiting over six weeks. This compares to a waiting list of 12,771 in March 2024, where 3,165 people, or 24.8%, were waiting over six weeks.
To date, the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) has taken a number of steps to reduce waiting times for diagnostic tests. The Shrewsbury Telford and Wrekin Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Telford is providing additional capacity to see patients away from hospital sites, reducing unnecessary hospital visits. This fully operational, standard CDC is providing cardiorespiratory services, which include echocardiograms, spirometry, and electrocardiograms, as well as radiology, which includes computed tomography, x-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging scans, phlebotomy, and teledermatology services. The CDC is providing capacity for approximately 13,000 diagnostic tests each month.
In addition to the CDC, there are currently two mobile magnetic resonance imaging scanners on site at the Princess Royal Hospital, and an additional room for scanning non-obstetric ultrasound patient referrals has been opened. Through the introduction of this additional capacity, imaging waiting lists have reduced by 41% from the end of January 2025 across the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB. In January, 58% of imaging patients had a scan within six weeks of referral and, in May, 87% of patients had a scan within six weeks of referral.
The Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB recognises that there is further to go in reducing diagnostic waiting times, and the system is now looking to extend opening hours at the Shrewsbury Telford and Wrekin CDC, in order to provide additional diagnostic capacity across all radiology services, alongside current magnetic resonance imaging services that are already open 12 hours a day, seven days a week. This will be supported by continuing work with the independent sector, through the outsourcing of reporting, to ensure scan results are available in a timely manner. Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin are committed to sustaining the improvements they are making to ensure patients are having the tests and scans they need at the right time.
NHS England is also engaging with the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB as part of the process to identify the most appropriate locations for new CDCs, and therefore there is the possibility of a second CDC for the population of Shropshire. This process considers that any new CDC will be positioned in a location that addresses local need and health inequalities. Details of future CDCs will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 with NHS England to ensure (a) patient safety and (b) the maintenance of the NHS’ statutory functions following changes to the level of funding for to integrated care boards.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, with the expectation of achieving a reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts in a letter on 1 April 2025. This letter is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/
These changes will form part of a package of measures, including the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan, that positively impact patient care and safety by driving quality of care, productivity, and innovation in the NHS. ICBs will continue to deliver their statutory responsibilities and will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure this is done effectively and within the running costs allowance, and that the savings will be reinvested in frontline services to deliver better care for patients.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has approved a national redundancy scheme for the 50% integrated care board cost reduction target; and whether he has allocated funds allocated to meet exit costs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are significant workforce implications following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the integration of the Department and NHS England, and the associated reduction in size, as well as the subsequent announcement of integrated care board and National Health Service trusts corporate cost reductions. These reforms will deliver a more efficient, leaner centre, and will also free up capacity and help deliver significant savings of hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services to cut waiting times through the Government’s Plan for Change. Through the 2025 Spending Review, we are working with NHS England and HM Treasury on how the costs of restructuring will be met. Those discussions have not yet concluded. NHS England expects to launch a national scheme shortly.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve (a) access to and (b) the (i) frequency and (ii) affordability of bus services in North Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in North Shropshire.
In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Shropshire Council has been allocated £4.5 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. Future funding for buses will be announced following the conclusion of the multi-year spending review.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that adequate access to (a) banking and (b) postal services is considered during the planning process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Estates Safety Fund: 2025 to 2026, updated on 30 May 2025, whether the site for the funding allocated to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is correct.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The published list for the Estates Safety Fund has been updated to reflect the correct allocations for the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB). Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estates-safety-fund-2025-to-2026
We apologise for the confusion caused and thank you for drawing this error to our attention.
The following table shows the value of the estate infrastructure work, along with the site location and a short description of the work, for the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB:
Region | ICB | Trust | Value | Site | Description of works |
Midlands | Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust | £500,000 | Bridgnorth Community Hospital, Whitchurch Community Hospital | Improvements to electrical systems and ventilation systems. Nurse call system replacement. Lift upgrade or replacement. |
Midlands | Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | £400,000 | The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital | Improvements to ventilation systems. |
Midlands | Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust | £6,797,000 | The Princess Royal Hospital, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital | Improvements to electrical systems and energy systems. Lift upgrade or replacement. Nurse call system replacement. |
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of LINK’s banking hub criteria for market towns.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in market towns and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 160 are already open.
Where a branch closure is announced or a community has submitted a cash access assessment request, LINK, the independent industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments, assesses a community’s access to cash needs. LINK will recommend appropriate solutions where it considers that a community requires additional cash services, such as a banking hub or deposit service.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require LINK to consider a range of factors in their assessments which will account for challenges in cash access faced by market towns. For example, firms are required to consider the actual travel times and costs to reach cash access facilities and identify gaps in provision where these are unreasonable, which may be particularly the case in rural areas.
LINK also takes into account local population demographics and levels of vulnerability within the community. The criteria also assess whether there is likely to be seasonal demand for cash, which may be the case in certain market towns. These considerations help to ensure the specific needs of a community are assessed.
Any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK and the financial services sector.
Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33135 on Agriculture and Business: Inheritance Tax, what the evidential basis is that the alternative clawback mechanism to the proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief would raise much less revenue.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992.
A “clawback” would mean inheritance tax would only be due if the relevant assets are sold within a specified time period after a death. Introducing this mechanism, as some have suggested, could mean some of the wealthiest estates pay less inheritance tax compared to the proposed reforms. The Government disagrees with suggestions that a clawback would raise the same revenue as the reforms being introduced from 6 April 2026; it would raise much less, which would mean raising taxes elsewhere or lowering public spending. It would also add complexity to the tax system and continue to attract the very wealthiest to tax plan since beneficiaries could hold onto the assets over the specified clawback period just to escape the tax.
In accordance with standard practice, the Government does not publish internal modelling of alternative tax proposals that are not Government policy.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support town and parish councils with the costs of developing Neighbourhood Development Plans.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 55389 on 5 June 2025.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 integrated care boards are sufficiently resourced to carry out their statutory child safeguarding duties following changes to their level of funding.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.