Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2024 to Question 15461 on Agriculture: Subsidies, when officials from his Department met with growers in the last 12 months; and what type of growers have they met.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the specific needs of the horticulture sector. Defra ministers and officials meet regularly with a variety of growers (including a number of Producer Organisation members) from across the sector to discuss a wide range of issues. This allows us to understand if, and where, government intervention is needed.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings (a) he and (b) Minsters from his Department have had with (i) growers and (ii) fruit growers in the last 12 months; and when did those meetings take place.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the specific needs of the horticulture sector. Defra ministers and officials meet regularly with a variety of growers (including a number of Producer Organisation members) from across the sector to discuss a wide range of issues. This allows us to understand if, and where, government intervention is needed.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2024 to Question 15504 on Agriculture: Subsidies, what issues were discussed with growers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the specific needs of the horticulture sector. Defra ministers and officials meet regularly with a variety of growers (including a number of Producer Organisation members) from across the sector to discuss a wide range of issues. This allows us to understand if, and where, government intervention is needed.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the (a) capacity and (b) efficiency of the medical examiner system in the new death certification process.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. Early data indicates the median time taken to register a death appears to have risen by one day, from seven days to eight days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The average time taken to register has increased further over the Christmas weeks, but this was expected given increases are observed during this period every year, and the average is expected to decrease again as more data becomes available for January and February 2025. The Department does not hold data on what was the longest period between a death and its registration since September 2024.
The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days, though there can be variation at a local level. It’s important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.
The core purposes of the death certification reforms are to introduce scrutiny of the cause of death, to detect and deter malpractice, to improve reporting, and crucially to put the bereaved at the centre of the process by offering a conversation with the medical examiner about the cause of death. The expectation on doctors and medical examiners is clear, that they should complete certification as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the Government is working with all stakeholders to make sure this is the case.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on the use of articificial intelligence.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP is collaborating with other Government Departments to maximise AI’s potential to drive growth and deliver real benefits to people across the UK, as set out in the recent AI Opportunities Action Plan.
DWP has a clear vision to safely leverage AI to support its staff and improve service delivery to customers. The Department is working with a range of artificial intelligence technologies, such as machine learning, generative AI, and Large Language Models, which will help DWP improve its ability to respond to customers’ needs in a more personalised and seamless way.
Some of the details of these are already in the public domain, as set out in DWP annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK. DWP is also committed to publishing more details about work in this area as part of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standards (ATRS) requirements from the Government Digital Service and has published its first summary through the DWP: Employment and Support Allowance Online Medical Matching ATRS record
The Personal information charter - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK sets out individuals’ rights when we process their data. It is important to note that DWP does not utilise AI to replace human judgement in determining or denying payments to claimants.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to respond to the independent report entitled Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population, published on 26 November 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce.
We are committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy, which will be published later this year.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department plans to provide for road improvements at the capital roads project Blue Bell Hill.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The A229 Blue Bell Hill Improvements scheme is being promoted and managed by Kent County Council. The Council plans to submit an Outline Business Case to the Department in summer 2026. If this is approved, under current arrangements the Department’s maximum funding contribution would be up to a maximum of 85% of the total estimated cost at Outline Business Case stage. This would be conditional on approval by government to a Full Business Case. The Council currently forecasts works starting in spring 2029.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the recommendations of the independent report entitled Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population, published on 26 November 2024.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP works closely with the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government to ensure housing needs of those on low incomes, including pensioners, are considered as part of the Government’s Strategy. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not met with her counterparts in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss the report specifically.
There are cross-government ministerial meetings to shape the strategy which will set out a long-term vision for a housing market that works for communities. The Government aims to build 1.5m high-quality homes, delivering the biggest increase in affordable housing for a generation. The strategy will also include the actions we will take to provide long-term certainty for the market.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 2435 on Roads: Kent, what the outcome was of her Department’s capital roads portfolio review.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In July 2024, the Chancellor announced that the Transport Secretary would be undertaking an internal review of Department for Transport’s capital portfolio, informed by external experts. The review is ongoing and it will help inform the Secretary of State’s decisions as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review. The findings of the review will be internal. The Panel does not have any decision-making powers.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the recommendations of the independent report entitled Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population, published on 26 November 2024.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP works closely with the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government to ensure housing needs of those on low incomes, including pensioners, are considered as part of the Government’s Strategy. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not met with her counterparts in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss the report specifically.
There are cross-government ministerial meetings to shape the strategy which will set out a long-term vision for a housing market that works for communities. The Government aims to build 1.5m high-quality homes, delivering the biggest increase in affordable housing for a generation. The strategy will also include the actions we will take to provide long-term certainty for the market.