Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many miners were recipients of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (a) in Selby and Ainsty constituency and (b) nationally in August 2023.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As of 30 June 2023, there were 1,110 Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme members in Selby and Ainsty constituency and as of 31 July 2023, 119,162 members nationally. These are the most recent available figures.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to take steps to improve bus services in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The National Bus Strategy, published in March 2021, set out the Government’s vision for delivering better bus services for passengers across England. The Strategy asked that all English Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) outside London publish Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs). Over £1 billion has been allocated to LTAs in BSIP/BSIP+ funding to improve local bus services. In addition North Yorkshire LTA have been allocated an extra £1.463 million BSIP+ funding for 2023/24. Any funding for improving bus services in Selby and Ainsty will be from North Yorkshire’s BSIP+ allocation.
The Government also introduced the £2 bus fare cap on 1 January to help passengers save on their regular travel costs. The scheme is set to run until 31 October, and covers over 5,000 routes in England outside London, including in Selby and Ainsty. The scheme will then be replaced by a longer-term £2.50 fare cap until 30 November 2024, with the Government investing over £300 million across both schemes.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to help secure free access to cash withdrawals and deposit facilities in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services.
The government legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to establish a new legislative framework to protect access to cash. This establishes the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provides it with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities across the UK, including free withdrawal and deposit facilities in relation to personal current accounts.
Decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial issue, and the government does not intervene in these. However, under FCA guidance, firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This seeks to ensure that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.
Alternative options for access to banking can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of bank closures on the financial vulnerability of people in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services.
The government legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to establish a new legislative framework to protect access to cash. This establishes the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provides it with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities across the UK, including free withdrawal and deposit facilities in relation to personal current accounts.
Decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial issue, and the government does not intervene in these. However, under FCA guidance, firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This seeks to ensure that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.
Alternative options for access to banking can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of GP surgeries are rated as Good by the CQC in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
As of 13 September 2023, there are seven general practice surgeries rated ‘good’ (87.5%) by the Care Quality Commission in the Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
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 increase access to NHS dentistry in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
In July 2022 we announced a package of reforms to improve access to National Health Service dentistry. This included changes to the banding of courses of treatments and the introduction of a minimum Units of Dental Activity value.
From 1 April 2023, responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to involve patient groups, and for undertaking oral health needs assessments, to identify areas of need and determine the priorities for investment.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. These include a 40% increase to dentistry undergraduate training places by 2031/32.
However, we know that we need to do more, and that there are some areas where access is particularly problematic. We are working on our Dental Plan, which will address how we continue to improve access, particularly for new patients, and how we make NHS work more attractive to ensure NHS dentists are incentivised to deliver more NHS care.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle street crime against women and girls in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 27 March, the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-action-plan) ensuring the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have the powers and tools they need to tackle the blight of anti-social behaviour facing communities across England and Wales.
The plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we are working with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 we will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales. We are also providing up to £50m to support the provision of Immediate Justice, by issuing out of court disposals with conditions to swiftly repair any damage – the aim being for them to start within 48 hours of referral. This will start in 10 initial trailblazer police force areas and be rolled out across England and Wales from 2024.
The Government is committed to ensuring that women and girls both are and feel safe on our streets. We have supported Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP’s Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Bill, which is currently passing through the House of Lords. This provides that if someone commits an offence under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 (intentional harassment, alarm or distress) and does so because of the victim’s sex, they can receive a longer sentence.
Through Round 4 of the Safer Streets Fund, North Yorkshire PCC has been awarded approximately £809,000. The funding has been invested in a number of interventions aimed at tackling street harassment and stalking.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 27 March, the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-action-plan) ensuring the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have the powers and tools they need to tackle the blight of anti-social behaviour facing communities across England and Wales.
The plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we are working with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 we will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales. We are also providing up to £50m to support the provision of Immediate Justice, by issuing out of court disposals with conditions to swiftly repair any damage – the aim being for them to start within 48 hours of referral. This will start in 10 initial trailblazer police force areas and be rolled out across England and Wales from 2024.
The Government is committed to ensuring that women and girls both are and feel safe on our streets. We have supported Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP’s Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Bill, which is currently passing through the House of Lords. This provides that if someone commits an offence under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 (intentional harassment, alarm or distress) and does so because of the victim’s sex, they can receive a longer sentence.
Through Round 4 of the Safer Streets Fund, North Yorkshire PCC has been awarded approximately £809,000. The funding has been invested in a number of interventions aimed at tackling street harassment and stalking.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the risk of flooding in North Yorkshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Flood risk in North Yorkshire is complex and the Environment Agency works collaboratively with partners, including Local Authorities, Internal Drainage Boards and Yorkshire Water, to manage the risk of flooding and better protect people and properties in the county.
The Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management six-year Capital Investment Programme from 2021 to 2027 will see over £130 million being invested into North Yorkshire (including York), resulting in over 2000 properties benefitting from increased protection. Over 70 projects will be delivered across the county, including a new major £16 million flood alleviation scheme for Tadcaster, as well as further schemes within the Selby and Ainsty constituency in Selby, Cawood and Riccall.
The City of York Council OuseWem project programme looks at long-term catchment-scale nature-based solutions to help to improve flood resilience across North Yorkshire and in York. This forms part of the Government’s £150 million flood and coastal resilience innovation programme. This innovative project will secure a sustainable reduction in flood risk and plays a key role in the delivery of the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England. A mixture of built flood defences alongside working with nature, adaptation, and increased resilience is key given North Yorkshire’s predominantly rural nature.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for a Work Capability Assessment in Selby and Ainsty constituency in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
DWP publishes Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) national processing times for initial claims on GOV.UK. We are currently unable to provide Universal Credit (UC) WCA processing statistics as these could only be provided at disproportionate cost.