Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
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 long-term funding for hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care, including hospices, will have a big role to play in that shift.
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by ICB area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth of a range of palliative and end of life care provision within their ICB footprint.
I recently met with NHS England, and discussions have begun on how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and quality of, palliative and end of life care. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress his Department has made on the implementation of the Civil Service EDI Expenditure Guidance.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The controls outlined in the Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance which was published on 14 May remain in place and apply to all civil servants.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has plans to increase the import tariff on electric vehicles from China.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
New tariffs or quotas on goods from a particular country can be applied via trade remedies. It is for the independent Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) to investigate whether trade remedy measures are needed to protect our industries. The Secretary of State can request the TRA to initiate an investigation. For the TRA to accept any application, an evidence threshold must be met. We encourage any UK producer that believes it has been harmed by unfairly dumped or subsidised goods to contact the TRA in the first instance.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the eligibility criteria for housing support on incentives to seek employment for people in (a) temporary and (b) supported accommodation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department acknowledges the challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those working and living in supported housing as the two systems were never intended to run alongside one another.
The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence, and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.
The Department will continue to work to build our understanding of this topic and to evaluate future policy options.
It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of tapering the reduction of housing support when people living in (a) temporary and (b) supported accommodation move off income-related benefits and into work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.
For those not on Universal Credit, housing support is tapered when their income exceeds the applicable amount. On Universal Credit, for those claimants in Supported Housing or Temporary Accommodation their housing support is not tapered as they are passported to full Housing Benefit. This ensures parity with Universal Credit and avoids them being tapered on both Universal Credit and Housing Benefit which could disincentivise work.
The Department acknowledges the challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those working and living in supported housing and temporary accommodation. This issue is a complex one, officials are working to explore this issue further.
It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to continue with the implementation of the Civil Service EDI Expenditure Guidance.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The controls outlined in the Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance which was published on 14 May remain in place.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press notice entitled Record number of new bathing sites get the go ahead, published on 13 May 2024, whether he plans to publish a consultation on bathing water regulations.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Bathing waters are one of the most visible ways in which the public interacts with the water environment. The Government recognises that there have been increasing changes to how and where people use bathing waters. Ministers are currently working through priorities and options for future reform of the bathing water system.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to include the Chambers of Commerce in the Skills England programme.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has set out its plan and ambitions for Skills England. Work is now underway to develop how it will deliver, and the department has already been clear that working with a wide range of stakeholders will be central to this. This includes the British Chambers of Commerce as well as other key organisations. The department will publish its first report in due course, which will be followed by a series of engagement activities.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
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 reduce the time taken by the Health and Care Professions Council to process accreditations for people with international qualifications.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made by the Government. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) oversees the work of the statutory bodies that regulate health professionals in the United Kingdom, including the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
On 30 August 2024, the PSA published its 2023/24 performance review of the HCPC. The HCPC met 16 out of 18 of the PSA’s Standards of Good Regulation. The HCPC met all four of the PSA’s standards on registration including Standard 11, that the regulator’s process for registration, including appeals, operates proportionately, fairly, and efficiently, with decisions clearly explained.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Health and Care Professions Council in accrediting people with international qualifications.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made by the Government. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) oversees the work of the statutory bodies that regulate health professionals in the United Kingdom, including the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
On 30 August 2024, the PSA published its 2023/24 performance review of the HCPC. The HCPC met 16 out of 18 of the PSA’s Standards of Good Regulation. The HCPC met all four of the PSA’s standards on registration including Standard 11, that the regulator’s process for registration, including appeals, operates proportionately, fairly, and efficiently, with decisions clearly explained.