Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the extension of the Rough Sleeping Initiative in the North East.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For 2025-26, we are consolidating our main rough sleeping and single homelessness focused grants (Rough Sleeping Initiative, which includes Housing First funding, and Accommodation for Ex Offenders) into a single Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant will provide up to £280.75 million in funding across England in 2025/26.
Allocations for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant 2025/26 can be found here: Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant allocations 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the extension of the Rough Sleeping Initiative.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For 2025-26, we are consolidating our main rough sleeping and single homelessness focused grants (Rough Sleeping Initiative, which includes Housing First funding, and Accommodation for Ex Offenders) into a single Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant will provide up to £280.75 million in funding across England in 2025/26.
Allocations for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant 2025/26 can be found here: Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant allocations 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to reduce discrimination against disabled people in rural communities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is crucial that we ensure everyone is treated fairly when accessing services, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential.
Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses that provide goods and services to the public are required not to discriminate against disabled people regardless of location. The Act also places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises/buildings and services so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers including in rural areas. This duty is anticipatory, meaning that service providers are expected to foresee the requirements of disabled people and the reasonable adjustments that may have to be made for them. However, the Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of service providers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another, depending on the circumstances of the case.
The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 and the protections it provides to people with disabilities across the country.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to improve LGBT+ support in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
It is crucial that LGBT+ people in all areas of Britain are safe, included and protected from discrimination. To achieve this we must end the recent politics of division. Work is already underway to fulfil the commitments set out in the new Government’s manifesto, advancing the rights and protections afforded to LGBT+ people.
These include:
In addition to this, Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary is now taking part in one of our biggest successes, the HIV opt out testing in emergency departments. During the last 27 months over 2 million HIV tests have been conducted through the programme, indicatively finding over 800 new HIV diagnoses and 540 people previously diagnosed with HIV but not in care.
We are also pleased that a number of primary care service providers in the North-East, particularly in South Shields and Jarrow, are part of the Pride in Practice scheme that is run by the LGBT Foundation. This scheme aims to improve the experiences of LGBT+ people when accessing primary care services. We would encourage primary care providers in the North-East to consider joining this scheme.
Finally, we recognise that LGBT+ people in rural communities have not always had access to the services they need. That is why we are working on ensuring that rural LGBT+ communities can access the support, healthcare and sense of community that larger cities enjoy. For example, our Conversion Practices Victim Support Service is a national service that anyone can access wherever they are in the country.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to improve LGBT+ support in rural communities.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
It is crucial that LGBT+ people in all areas of Britain are safe, included and protected from discrimination. To achieve this we must end the recent politics of division. Work is already underway to fulfil the commitments set out in the new Government’s manifesto, advancing the rights and protections afforded to LGBT+ people.
These include:
In addition to this, Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary is now taking part in one of our biggest successes, the HIV opt out testing in emergency departments. During the last 27 months over 2 million HIV tests have been conducted through the programme, indicatively finding over 800 new HIV diagnoses and 540 people previously diagnosed with HIV but not in care.
We are also pleased that a number of primary care service providers in the North-East, particularly in South Shields and Jarrow, are part of the Pride in Practice scheme that is run by the LGBT Foundation. This scheme aims to improve the experiences of LGBT+ people when accessing primary care services. We would encourage primary care providers in the North-East to consider joining this scheme.
Finally, we recognise that LGBT+ people in rural communities have not always had access to the services they need. That is why we are working on ensuring that rural LGBT+ communities can access the support, healthcare and sense of community that larger cities enjoy. For example, our Conversion Practices Victim Support Service is a national service that anyone can access wherever they are in the country.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on removing visa fees for (a) non-UK armed forces veterans who have served for four or more years and (b) their dependents.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This Government is committed to scrapping visa fees for non-UK veterans who have served our country for four or more years, and their dependents.
The Ministry of Defence is actively working with the Home Office to take this forward.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase active travel in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) the North East, (d) Newcastle, and (e) England.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 12 February, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) announced almost £300 million of funding to boost walking, wheeling and cycling with £222.5 million awarded to local authorities across England. This includes over £9.3 million of funding in 2024/25 to 2025/26 for the North- East Combined Authority (NECA). It will be for NECA to decide on priorities for investment across its local transport network.
ATE also funds a range of wider projects to enable more active travel, including Bikeability cycle training, Walk to School Outreach and Bike Bike Revival activities. ATE also provides funding to Sustrans to maintain and upgrade the National Cycle Network, which includes routes in the North-East.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to expand the number of cycle routes in (a) Hexham, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) North East and (e) England.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Pursuant to my response to UIN 35411, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) are working with local authorities to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across England.
It is for local authorities to decide on where to invest in their local transport networks. Funding awarded by ATE can be used by local authorities to improve the safety of existing infrastructure, deliver new active travel projects and for the development of walking and cycling networks. As part of the National Parks project, ATE is working with Northumberland National Park Authority to develop an active travel network plan.
In addition to funding, ATE provides training for local authority staff to enable the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. ATE is working closely with the North East Combined Authority to operate a Design Review Panel to improve the quality and safety of schemes within the region.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to improve the condition of cycle routes in (a) Hexham, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) North East and (e) England.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Pursuant to my response to UIN 35411, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) are working with local authorities to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across England.
It is for local authorities to decide on where to invest in their local transport networks. Funding awarded by ATE can be used by local authorities to improve the safety of existing infrastructure, deliver new active travel projects and for the development of walking and cycling networks. As part of the National Parks project, ATE is working with Northumberland National Park Authority to develop an active travel network plan.
In addition to funding, ATE provides training for local authority staff to enable the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. ATE is working closely with the North East Combined Authority to operate a Design Review Panel to improve the quality and safety of schemes within the region.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the safety of cycle routes in (a) Hexham, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) North East and (e) England.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Pursuant to my response to UIN 35411, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) are working with local authorities to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across England.
It is for local authorities to decide on where to invest in their local transport networks. Funding awarded by ATE can be used by local authorities to improve the safety of existing infrastructure, deliver new active travel projects and for the development of walking and cycling networks. As part of the National Parks project, ATE is working with Northumberland National Park Authority to develop an active travel network plan.
In addition to funding, ATE provides training for local authority staff to enable the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. ATE is working closely with the North East Combined Authority to operate a Design Review Panel to improve the quality and safety of schemes within the region.