Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on completing feasibility studies to provide step-free access to platform six at Upminster Station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The feasibility work for Upminster station is underway and we expect all 50 of the feasibility studies announced last year to be complete in the spring. We expect to be able to confirm which stations will move forward over the summer. The Access for All programme continues to be heavily oversubscribed.
We remain committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the valuable social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings by the National Prostate Cancer Audit in their publication entitled the State of the Nation Report published in January 2025, what steps he plans to take to tackle age-related disparities in (a) prostate cancer diagnosis and (b) care for older populations in Havering.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS England Cancer Programme has commissioned clinical cancer audits, including for prostate cancer, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary. These audits will help NHS England understand where to increase the consistency of access to treatments and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. The audits are ongoing and will act on their findings in due course.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including for those living with prostate cancer. The plan will highlight how we aim to improve diagnosis rates for people across England, including in Havering.
The NHS Long Term Plan states that, where appropriate, every person diagnosed with cancer will have access to personalised care, including needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. This includes provision of information, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. We are committed to ensuring that all cancer patients get access to these interventions, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person, including for older people in Havering.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Authority on the regulation of surrogacy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy met with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority senior team, where this issue was discussed as part of a broader introductory discussion.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made any revision to the process of notifying hon. Members before asylum hotels are established within their constituency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
No new hotels have been commissioned to accommodate asylum seekers in the London Borough of Havering since 10 October 2024.
When a hotel has been identified for use as contingency accommodation, Home Office officials will write to the local authority Chief Executive and the constituency MP to inform them of plans to accommodate asylum seekers there.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has commissioned the use of hotel accommodation in the London Borough of Havering for the purpose of housing asylum seekers since 10 October 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
No new hotels have been commissioned to accommodate asylum seekers in the London Borough of Havering since 10 October 2024.
When a hotel has been identified for use as contingency accommodation, Home Office officials will write to the local authority Chief Executive and the constituency MP to inform them of plans to accommodate asylum seekers there.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to reinstate funding for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Bioresource project providing infrastructure for the development of novel non-CFTR treatments for cystic fibrosis.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) BioResource worked with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to establish the Cystic Fibrosis BioResource project, which began recruiting participants in 2021. In October 2024, the NIHR BioResource altered its participant recruitment strategy to focus on two cohorts, and to put greater resources towards its recall strategy.
1,358 participants have been recruited to the Cystic Fibrosis BioResource to date, all of whom will continue to be approached, via recall, to research studies. The NIHR BioResource plans to re-open recruitment to other cohorts, including the cystic fibrosis project, if additional funding can be sourced, for example from industry or charity partners.
The Department does not fund specific disease cohorts within the NIHR BioResource. The Department will be working closely with the NIHR BioResource as they develop their future strategies for participant engagement, recruitment, and retention, to ensure this is appropriate for each cohort and supports the best science.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) fire risk appraisals and (b) EWS1 assessments carried out by an engineer who has been suspended by the Institution of Fire Engineers must be reassessed.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Robust auditing processes are in place to ensure that all Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls (FRAEWs) for buildings in the Government’s remediation funding programmes meet appropriate standards before the associated funding application can progress. Where required, feedback is given to allow assessors to make appropriate changes to the FRAEW to address any deficiencies identified. Reassessments of appraisals are not therefore necessary.
EWS1s are not a legal or regulatory requirement. Their use is a commercial decision by lenders and subject to their individual lending criteria. If residents have concerns about the fire safety of their building they should raise this with the building owner or person responsible for fire safety.
The Institution of Fire Engineers is an independent organisation following bespoke reporting and investigation processes. Following the publication of the Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry Report, the Department is reviewing the findings and recommendations in relation to the fire engineering sector.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a breakdown of approved asylum claims by country of origin since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on initial decisions on asylum claims by nationality is published in table Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to year ending September 2024.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of asylum claims have been approved since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on initial decisions on asylum claims by nationality is published in table Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to year ending September 2024.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many new hotels she has awarded contracts to for housing asylum seekers since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to the Urgent Question tabled by the Right Honourable Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge on 20 November, which can be found at – Asylum Seekers: Hotel Accommodation - Hansard - UK Parliament.