Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) support and (b) resources his Department has provided to help support GP surgeries to (i) clear patient backlogs and (ii) reduce workloads in High Peak constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to fixing this crisis in GPs to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service. High Peak sits within the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), where the percentage of appointments delivered within two weeks of booking is 12.7% lower than the national average.
This government has committed to fixing the front door to the NHS by shifting the focus from hospitals and into the community. We know that if patients can’t get a GP appointment, they will end up in A&E, which is worse for them, and more expensive for the taxpayer.
NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we are providing £82m to fund the recruitment over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, to increase capacity and reduce workloads.
We are pleased to announce that newly qualified GPs will be included in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment, with additional funding over 2024/25.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
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 support the recruitment and retention of GPs in High Peak constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to training thousands more GPs across the country as well as taking pressure off those currently working in the system.
Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) reports that it supports recruitment and retention in the High Peak and across Derby and Derbyshire, providing a range of initiatives. These include a new to practice scheme that supports GPs and Practice Nurses for the first two years of their career, and GP mentorship and fellowship schemes.
We have accepted the recommendations of the DDRB, the independent pay review body, in full and subject to consultation with the BMA will uplift the pay element of the GP contract by 6% on a consolidated basis, to provide practices with funding to uplift GP partner, salaried GP and other salaried staff pay by 6%.
Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2024, and it is our expectation this funding is passed on to all salaried general practice staff.
The government recently announced changes to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme which allows primary care networks to recruit newly qualified GPs through the scheme for 24/25. This is an emergency measure whilst the government works with the profession to identify a longer term solution.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of online-only booking at railway stations on elderly travellers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no proposals for online-only booking at railway stations. Ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach. As modern ticketing and payment methods roll out more widely on the railways, we will ensure that all passengers, including those who need to use cash or do not have access to smartphones or the internet, are able to buy a ticket across the different retail options.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of ticket office closures in railway stations on communities; and what steps she plans to take to avoid closures.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Passenger service is at the heart of our plans to improve Britain’s railways and it is clear the role that station staff play in supporting vulnerable passengers. This Government has no plans to close ticket offices and we expect train operating companies to take measures to ensure they are open at published times.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) football clubs remain community assets and (b) fans get a greater say in how they are run.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government wants to make this country the best place in the world to be a football fan. That is why the King’s Speech set out our plans for legislation to establish an independent football regulator.
The new regulator will protect and promote the sustainability of English football. The Bill will provide greater protections to club heritage and give fans more of a voice in how their club is run. It will ensure responsible owners for these community assets, by creating a new owners’ and directors’ test. It will also ensure that clubs can’t be syphoned off from the English football pyramid to set up closed-shop and breakaway leagues.
We will introduce this legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to help ensure the financial suitability of potential buyers of football clubs.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government wants to make this country the best place in the world to be a football fan. That is why the King’s Speech set out our plans for legislation to establish an independent football regulator.
The new regulator will protect and promote the sustainability of English football. The Bill will provide greater protections to club heritage and give fans more of a voice in how their club is run. It will ensure responsible owners for these community assets, by creating a new owners’ and directors’ test. It will also ensure that clubs can’t be syphoned off from the English football pyramid to set up closed-shop and breakaway leagues.
We will introduce this legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the number of unoccupied dwellings in (a) Derbyshire and (b) High Peak constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department publishes data on vacant dwellings in live table 615 which can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants. This data is collated from Council Taxbase data collected from local authorities.
Data for Derbyshire can be aggregated from the district level data. Data are not available at a constituency level.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many Help to Buy homeowners are waiting for a decision on a loan redemption application in High Peak constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Information on Help to Buy redemptions initiated but not completed is not held by constituency. Data is publicly available in the Homes England annual report on the total redemptions for each year and a breakdown of how many loans were taken out in each parliamentary constituency is available on gov.uk.
Help to Buy: Equity loan data to 31 May 2023 (England) by parliamentary constituency
Help to Buy (equity loan scheme):datato31 May 2023
Homes England Annual Report and Financial Statements 2023/24
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an estimate of the median level of student debt held by people in High Peak constituency.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The median debt of full-time undergraduate borrowers funded by student finance England, whose postcode is within the High Peak constituency, and who entered repayment within the last five financial years, is £47,831.69. The median debt includes tuition fee and maintenance loans.
The borrowers’ postcode refers to the current contact or home address supplied by the borrower to the Student Loans Company.
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of trends in levels of school exclusions in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Every pupil deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom and the department will always support teachers to make this happen.
Schools can use sanctions as a measure to improve behaviour and in the most serious cases, suspension and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that pupils are protected from disruption and can benefit from the opportunities provided by education.
The statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance is clear that, in all cases, school leaders should consider early intervention strategies to address the underlying causes or any contributing factors towards pupil’s disruptive behaviour. This can include where a pupil has special educational needs and disabilities or other unmet needs.
The guidance also makes clear that schools, local authorities and local partners should work together to understand what lies behind local trends. Local leaders should use this to understand, to plan and put in place additional and targeted action based on their own local context. If they identify any gaps, they should act to ensure those who work with children have the training, services and support they need to address them.
The rising number of exclusions presented for the 2022/23 school year, including in Derbyshire, puts into sharp focus that too many pupils are being held back by their background and that the education system is failing to meet the needs of children.
The government is determined to get to grips with the causes of exclusions to ensure it can break down the barriers to opportunities. The department has already committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.