Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Stafford constituency have (a) applied for and (b) been awarded Pension Credit since 10 July 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 27^th February we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit Applications - February 2025

We do not hold data at regional or constituency level for applications made. We do hold Pension Credit caseload data by Parliamentary constituency. You can find the latest available data held on Stat-Xplore - Home which shows Pension Credit caseload data by Parliamentary constituency up to August 2024.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people have accessed financial support through the (a) Property Flood Resilience grant and (b) Flood Recovery Framework in Stafford constituency.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra currently has two active Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Grant schemes running, one for Storm Babet from October 2023 and a second for Storm Henk from January 2024. Staffordshire County Council are participating in both.

PFR Grant schemes run for 18 months. Final data on the number of properties receiving Defra PFR grants after Storms Babet and Henk will not be available until both the schemes close later in 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to (a) Stafford Constituency for (i) road maintenance and (ii) pothole filling since July 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

For the 2024/25 financial year, the previous Government allocated Staffordshire County Council £28.935 million for local highway maintenance. For the 2025/26 financial year, this Government is providing Staffordshire County Council with £39.4 million, an increase of around £10.5 million, for local highway maintenance.

The Department advocates a risk-based whole life cycle asset management approach to local authority highway maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways and lighting columns – not just the fixing of potholes. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Staffordshire County Council to determine how the money is best spent to improve its local highway network according to local needs and circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the inclusivity of public parks for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is firmly committed to creating better access to public parks. They are an essential part of local social infrastructure which supports more connected, stronger communities.

Local authorities must consider their obligations under the Equalities Act of 2010 when providing public spaces, this includes ensuring that they are accessible and inclusive. Furthermore, the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places. The government is committed to improving opportunities and outcomes for all disabled people and putting their voices at the heart of what we do.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of open NHS Dentists (a) on the most recent date for which figures are held and (b) in 2010 in Stafford Constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As of 4 February 2025, in the Stafford constituency, there were 13 National Health Service dentist practices, with five showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and two showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. Data is not held on the number of open NHS dentists in the Stafford constituency for 2010.

This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the UK transport network to facilitate the delivery of Special Order category abnormal indivisible loads required to achieve the Government’s Net Zero targets.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

National Highways manage the High and Heavy Loads Grid on behalf of the Department to facilitate the movement of abnormal indivisible loads. Management of assets (such as bridges) is a devolved matter with responsibility falling to the relevant owner, such as National Highways for those on the Strategic Road Network, or a local transport authority for local roads. All special-order proposals require case-by-case consultation with National Highways’ central team and a special-order permit to be issued. That team co-ordinate the route clearance with every road and structure owner and police authority along a suggested route to gain approval, taking into account the dimensions of a proposed vehicle configuration. Only when all affected parties give their approval that the proposed route is safe to traverse can a special-order permit be issued.

Found: Chair); Lee Anderson; Mr Clive Betts; Kirsty Blackman; Samantha Dixon; Zöe Franklin; Dr Rupa Huq; Leigh Ingham

Found: Chair); Lee Anderson; Mr Clive Betts; Kirsty Blackman; Samantha Dixon; Zöe Franklin; Dr Rupa Huq; Leigh Ingham

Found: Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Chris Bloore; Claire Hanna; Simon Hoare; Leigh Ingham