Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
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 help ensure that NHS England staff who have taken partial retirement receive fair redundancy payments..
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Voluntary Redundancy (VR) scheme being used by NHS England is the national ‘model Voluntary Redundancy’ scheme approved by HM Treasury for use across the National Health Service. The national ‘model VR scheme’ directs that voluntary redundancy payments should be made in accordance with Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook. These terms and conditions are developed and maintained through the NHS Staff Council for staff covered by Agenda for Change. They include provisions about how redundancy pay should be calculated in instances where an individual has taken some, or all, of the pension. NHS England has completed an Equality Impact Assessment on the implementation of the national model VR scheme.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider extending NHS sight test eligibility criteria by listing learning disability as a risk factor.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst adults with a learning disability do not automatically qualify for free National Health Service sight tests, they may qualify under other categories of exemption, for example being in receipt of income-related benefits or through the NHS low-income scheme.
To support children and young people with learning disabilities, free NHS sight tests are available within special educational settings across England, that choose to host a service.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of people with a learning disability of working age in England in receipt of a means tested benefit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not made such an estimate.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential differential impact of the local government finance system on local authorities.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 20 November the government published the Local Government Finance Policy Statement which sets out our plans for the 2026-27 to 2028-28 multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement. These plans represent a fairer system for all authorities which recognises the variation in demand and the cost of providing services in different places and the vast majority of social care authorities will receive a real terms increase.
The government wants to move decisively to a reformed system, but we have heard clearly that we need to implement funding reform in 2026-27 with transitional arrangements to allow time to adjust. We will therefore phase in allocations over the multi-year Settlement and protect the income of authorities which would see losses from funding reform. We will use a range of funding floor levels appropriate to specific groups of authorities’ circumstances. Further details can be found here: Local government finance policy statement 2026-27 to 2028-29 - GOV.UK .
These changes will not fix the challenges facing local government overnight. Tough decisions are required on all sides, but these proposals are a fundamental step to improving the sustainability of local government in the years to come and will allow councils to focus on service delivery and transformation.
We will publish provisional local authority allocations at the upcoming provisional multi-year Settlement in December. Proposals and allocations will be subject to consultation and the usual Parliamentary process.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Independent Expert Panel on Corporate Re-domiciliation report, published on 14 October 2024, whether he plans to consult on the proposed UK corporate re-domiciliation regime.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In a written statement on 14 October 2024, the Department welcomed the Independent Expert Panel’s report and committed to consulting on the design of a proposed corporate re-domiciliation regime for the UK, in due course, as part of wider company law reform.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
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 merits of providing free prescriptions for inhalers to people with asthma who are moving into adulthood.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.
There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with asthma may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help based on a comparison between a person’s income and their requirements.
People who need to pay and who need many prescription items could save money with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC). PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as needed for a set cost. An annual PPC costs £114.50 and will save money if they need 12 or more items in 12 months. To help spread the cost, people can pay for an annual PPC through 10 monthly direct debits, which works out as just over £2 per week. A three month PPC for £32.05 is also available.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department attaches provisions on paternity and parental leave when allocating grants to organisations.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department does not include clauses within grant offer letters requiring organisations to adopt specific policies related to paternity or other forms of parental leave as such a requirement would likely go beyond the obligations which can be enforced by the terms and conditions of a grant. Grants are an investment in a specific project which is being run by the grant recipient rather than for the wider operation of an organisation.
The Department also does not require organisations to have specific paternity or other forms of parental leave policies in place when bidding for grants.
In the event that it became apparent that a grant recipient was not operating within its legal obligations in regard to paternity or other forms of leave then the Department could consider terminating the relevant grant agreement under clause 54 of the standard grant agreement which includes illegal activity as an event of default and therefore a reason for grant termination.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of animal import standards on (a) animal welfare and (b) British farmers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the trade strategy, we recognise concerns about methods of production, such as sow stalls and battery cages, which are not permitted in the UK. While methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, we will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, we will be prepared to use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors including permanent quotas, exclusions and safeguards.
We will always maintain UK levels of statutory protection in relation to human, animal or plant life or health, animal welfare, and the environment.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department attaches provisions on (a) mentoring and (b) role modelling in its funding of UK sports bodies.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department does not attach provisions on mentoring and role modelling in its funding of UK sports bodies. All DCMS funds to sports bodies go through UK Sport and Sport England.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding she has allocated to paternity leave for each professional tier of each sport.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government does not allocate funding to the staffing of professional sport.
UK Sport does fund the performance programmes of Olympic and Paralympic sport, but does not allocate specific funding for paternity or maternity leave. Funding is delegated to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to manage in line with the needs of their programmes.