Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve dementia care services in Ashfield and Mansfield constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Key priorities for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) are to deliver the national target of a dementia diagnosis rate of 66.7%, reduce waiting to time for memory assessment services and to improve access to post-diagnostic support. A Dementia strategy for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will be updated following the Government’s publication of the 10-Year Health Plan expected in spring 2025.
Ongoing dementia care services include a Dementia Wellbeing Service provided by Alzheimer’s Society, across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, including Mansfield and Ashfield. The service aims to support patients and carers through several interventions including cognitive stimulation therapy, carer training, 1:1 and group support.
The two Ashfield Primary Care Networks (PCN), North & South, piloted an Admiral Nurse within general practices. An Admiral Nurse is a specialist Dementia Nurse supporting patients and carers to live well with Dementia. Following a successful pilot, Ashfield North Primary Care Network have chosen to retain the role to support patients and carers within the network’s practices. Rosewood PCN in Mansfield has recruited a dementia specialist Occupation Therapist to support patients and carers living with dementia within their network of practice.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to increase the frequency of bus services in Ashfield and Mansfield constituency.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving local bus services is a key part of this government’s growth mission. The government will introduce a Buses Bill later this Parliamentary session. This will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in Ashfield and Mansfield, to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership.
Under franchising, the local authority has control of the bus network including setting routes, timetables and fares.
In addition, the government has confirmed £925 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Local authorities can use the £925 million to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
The government will continue working closely with local transport authorities including Nottinghamshire County Council, and others, to deliver better bus services throughout England.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to increase the availability of affordable housing in Ashfield and Mansfield constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing surpluses to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in line with the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has fulfilled its manifesto commitment to transfer to the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme investment reserve to Members. I am open to considering options put forward by the Trustees for changes to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has fulfilled its manifesto commitment to transfer to the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme investment reserve to Members. I am open to considering options put forward by the Trustees for changes to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussion she has had with local government representatives on diversity and inclusion projects.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the needs of their local communities, and to decide what diversity and inclusion work they need to carry out.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with the Office for Budget Responsibility on accounting for public sector funding for research and development in fiscal forecasts.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Engagement with the Office for Budget Responsibility is led by HM Treasury. The Department engages with HM Treasury on a regular basis to discuss a wide number of topics.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the rate of return to public investment in UK R&D.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Public R&D generates significant benefits for the UK, with each pound of public R&D investment estimated to leverage, on average, £2 of private R&D investment in the long run. We know businesses grow faster because of public R&D. In the 6 years after receiving their first R&D grant funding, employment increases in the average business by 21% and turnover grows by 23%.
The measurable returns of R&D projects will vary, depending on the specific area of research. Returns for closer-to-market research are generally less challenging to quantify than those for fundamental, curiosity-driven research. To ensure that public R&D investments continue to have high impact all new significant DSIT investments are assessed for their value for money and the Department evaluates programmes’ impact.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to support farmers who are affected by the changes made to inheritance tax regulations at the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s commitment to our farmers remains steadfast. We are reforming the Agricultural Property Relief on Inheritance Tax in way which protects small family farms. Changes are expected to only affect around 500 claims for agricultural property relief in 2026-27.
The Government has committed to support farmers through a farming budget of £5 billion over two years – more money than ever for sustainable food production. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8bn for environmental land management schemes in 2025/26. This funding will deliver improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience.
Environmental Land Management schemes will remain at the centre of our offer for family-owned farms and other farmers, with the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery all continuing. These offer funding streams for farmers to make their businesses more sustainable and resilient, including those who have been often ignored such as small, grassland, upland and tenant farmers. We will work with the sector to continue to roll out, improve and evolve these schemes, to make them work for farming and nature.
The Government will invest a further £2.4bn over the next two years to protect communities across the country from the devastating impacts of flooding by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences.
This range of support forms part of the government's New Deal for Farmers. The Government is also supporting family-owned farms and other farmers by protecting them from being undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals, by lowering energy bills for farmers by switching on GB Energy, and by using the Government’s own purchasing power to back British produce so that 50% of food brought in hospitals, army bases and prisons is locally produced or certified to high environmental standards.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the rate of employer national insurance contributions on contractors working inside IR35 via an umbrella company.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Raising the revenue required to fix the public finances and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more.
A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside the legislation when it was introduced to Parliament.