Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Department is taking to tackle the NHS backlog for ADHD assessments in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children are on the waiting list for ADHD assessments in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many adults are on the waiting list for ADHD assessments in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for ADHD assessments in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the number of electric charging points in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) the North East, (d) Newcastle and (e) England.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of January 2025, the Government and Industry have supported the installation of 63,389 publicly available charging devices in England.

The Government’s £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, which is expected to deliver over 100,000 public chargepoints, supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of affordable, low-powered EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. The North-East Combined Authority, which includes Hexham constituency, Northumberland County Council and Newcastle City Council, was allocated £17.2m capital and resource funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints across the area. In total, the broader North-East region has received over £22.4m capital and almost £2m resource funding under LEVI to improve regional charging infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what representations his Department has received on the impact of BTs move from copper wire landlines to mobile voice systems for rural communities.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The transition from the old analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which delivers voice calls over an internet connection, is industry led. Importantly, landlines are not being withdrawn, but their underlying technology is changing from PSTN to VoIP.

VoIP is more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events. The PSTN lines are often in the air and fail during storm weather.

The Government has received a number of representations from MPs enquiring about the steps been taken to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas because of concerns over the impact of the PSTN switch-off. As well as maintaining our commitment to our target of 95% of the UK geography being covered by 4G, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

The Government is engaging regularly with the telecoms industry to ensure consumers and sectors, including rural businesses, are protected and prepared for the upgrade process throughout the UK. A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the PSTN switch-off was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landline, including in rural communities.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of BTs move from copper wire landlines to mobile voice systems on weather resilience.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The transition from the old analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which delivers voice calls over an internet connection, is industry led. Importantly, landlines are not being withdrawn, but their underlying technology is changing from PSTN to VoIP.

VoIP is more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events. The PSTN lines are often in the air and fail during storm weather.

The Government has received a number of representations from MPs enquiring about the steps been taken to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas because of concerns over the impact of the PSTN switch-off. As well as maintaining our commitment to our target of 95% of the UK geography being covered by 4G, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

The Government is engaging regularly with the telecoms industry to ensure consumers and sectors, including rural businesses, are protected and prepared for the upgrade process throughout the UK. A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the PSTN switch-off was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landline, including in rural communities.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of BTs move from copper wire landlines to mobile voice systems on rural businesses.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The transition from the old analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which delivers voice calls over an internet connection, is industry led. Importantly, landlines are not being withdrawn, but their underlying technology is changing from PSTN to VoIP.

VoIP is more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events. The PSTN lines are often in the air and fail during storm weather.

The Government has received a number of representations from MPs enquiring about the steps been taken to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas because of concerns over the impact of the PSTN switch-off. As well as maintaining our commitment to our target of 95% of the UK geography being covered by 4G, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

The Government is engaging regularly with the telecoms industry to ensure consumers and sectors, including rural businesses, are protected and prepared for the upgrade process throughout the UK. A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the PSTN switch-off was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landline, including in rural communities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many bus routes were registered in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (d) England in each of the last five years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain only publish data on a Traffic Area wide basis. The North Eastern Traffic Area includes: the counties of Northumberland, County Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire; the metropolitan boroughs within South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear; and the districts of North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire.

Between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 reporting years the Traffic Commissioner annual reports detail the following:

A new bus registration does not always mean a new bus route has been created. For example, a registration could have been cancelled and replaced with another registration that covers much of the same route, or the route continues to be served by different operator.

It should also be noted that prior to 2019-20 the total number of live local bus service registrations included an element of double-counting as services running across multiple local authority areas were recorded multiple times, e.g. a service running between Hexham and Newcastle was presented as two services when it should have been counted as a single service. This was rectified in the report for 2020/21.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland and (c) the North East for filling pot holes since July 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Northumberland County Council, which is a member of the North-East Combined Authority (NECA), is the local highway authority for Hexham. The Government has provided NECA with a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), which includes funding for local highway maintenance for its constituent authorities.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the Government is providing NECA with an extra £21.7 million for local highway maintenance: funding allocations can be found on gov.uk. It is up to NECA to allocate highway maintenance funding to its constituent members, including Northumberland County Council.

The Department advocates a risk-based whole life cycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways and lighting columns – not just the fixing of potholes. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Northumberland County Council to determine how the money is best spent to improve its local highway network, according to local needs and circumstances.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland and (c) the North East for road maintenance since July 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Northumberland County Council, which is a member of the North-East Combined Authority (NECA), is the local highway authority for Hexham. The Government has provided NECA with a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), which includes funding for local highway maintenance for its constituent authorities.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the Government is providing NECA with an extra £21.7 million for local highway maintenance: funding allocations can be found on gov.uk. It is up to NECA to allocate highway maintenance funding to its constituent members, including Northumberland County Council.

The Department advocates a risk-based whole life cycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways and lighting columns – not just the fixing of potholes. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Northumberland County Council to determine how the money is best spent to improve its local highway network, according to local needs and circumstances.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the number of electric charging points in rural areas.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of February 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 74,334 publicly available charging devices, up 35% on this time last year. There was particularly strong growth in rural areas in 2024, with chargepoint numbers increasing by 45%. Funding allocations for the £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, which aims to increase the number of local public chargepoints, factored in the proportion of residents in rural areas, meaning local authorities in rural areas were allocated additional funding compared to urban ones.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which farmers will contribute towards natural flood defence measures.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Environmental Land Management schemes and other Government grant payments create incentives for land managers to adopt sustainable farming practices, which provide benefits for agricultural productivity, biodiversity and resilience to climate events. For example, we are providing funding for farmers to implement natural flood management measures on their land, boosting resilience and supporting flood preparedness. Funding for soil health actions can help reduce the impacts of drought and flooding.

The record £2.65 billion floods investment programme also delivers natural flood management, with the impact of a project on agricultural land included as part of the funding calculator. In addition, the government published a rapid evidence assessment in 2024 of flooding and coastal erosion on agricultural land and businesses, and this discusses the evidence for agriculture as a provider of natural flood management.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of pharmacies in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of pharmacies on 31 December 2024, using the December 2024 NHS Pharmaceutical list:

The following table shows the number of pharmacies that opened and closed between 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023:

We are aware of the reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years and recognise that pharmacy closures can impact on local communities. Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.

Patients can also access approximately 400 Distance Selling Pharmacies who must operate nationally and send medicines to patients’ homes free of charge. In rural areas, Dispensing Doctors can also supply medicines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community pharmacies closed in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) the North East and (d) England in 2022-23.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of pharmacies on 31 December 2024, using the December 2024 NHS Pharmaceutical list:

The following table shows the number of pharmacies that opened and closed between 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023:

We are aware of the reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years and recognise that pharmacy closures can impact on local communities. Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.

Patients can also access approximately 400 Distance Selling Pharmacies who must operate nationally and send medicines to patients’ homes free of charge. In rural areas, Dispensing Doctors can also supply medicines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to pharmacies in the North East.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of pharmacies on 31 December 2024, using the December 2024 NHS Pharmaceutical list:

The following table shows the number of pharmacies that opened and closed between 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023:

We are aware of the reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years and recognise that pharmacy closures can impact on local communities. Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.

Patients can also access approximately 400 Distance Selling Pharmacies who must operate nationally and send medicines to patients’ homes free of charge. In rural areas, Dispensing Doctors can also supply medicines.