Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the sustainability of local media, including in Beckenham and Penge constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Sustainability of local journalism is an area of particular concern for this Government, across the country, including in the Beckenham and Penge constituency.
We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story.
We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops and will announce further details in due course.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to improve the access to digital services for small businesses in Beckenham and Penge constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage by 2030. According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, 93% of premises, including business premises, in the Beckenham and Penge constituency are already able to access gigabit speeds. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, over 99% of the constituency is covered by a 4G signal from at least one operator.
No-one, anywhere in the UK, should have difficulty using government services. The Government is committed to ensuring that its online and digital services are as accessible as possible for citizens and businesses.
Although there are globally recognised standards for digital accessibility, this is only part of designing an inclusive service. That is why we will be revising the government service standards to incorporate requirements covering wider issues of inclusion and looking at extending their scope into the wider public sector.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
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 adequacy of NHS support for people with (a) cirrhosis, (b) genetic conditions and (c) other liver conditions in (i) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (ii) the rest of England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as rare, genetic liver conditions.
Since June 2022, 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England have been responsible for arranging healthcare services in the National Health Service which meet the needs of their respective populations. The ICB responsible for arranging healthcare services for Beckenham and Penge would be NHS South East London ICB. This ICB is the best placed to understand the policies and arrangements in place for the provision of local NHS healthcare services, including for most liver condition services which are delegated to ICBs.
NHS England commissions a specialist paediatric liver service from three hospitals Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. This service provides assessment, diagnosis and management of children with all forms of liver disease. This includes provision of emergency, elective and planned care.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services in (a) Beckenham and Penge and (b) England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Dental Statistics - England 2023-24, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324
In NHS South East London Integrated Care Board, which includes Beckenham and Penge constituency, 43% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England; and 57% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
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 improve the standard of care available in the NHS for those suffering with liver conditions in (a) England and (b) Beckenham and Penge constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The commissioning of services for liver conditions is the responsibility of integrated care systems. Integrated care systems are responsible for decisions on commissioning health services and reviewing those services to ensure they best meet the needs of their local population.
NHS England has a Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group which provides clinical advice to NHS England in support of the commissioning of specialised services. By working in partnership with key stakeholders, the Clinical Reference Group helps drive improvements in the quality, equity, experience, efficiency, and outcomes of specialised services. The Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing its service specification in relation to liver and pancreatic care, which is scheduled for completion before the end of the current financial year.
Residents with liver conditions across the London Borough of Bromley, including those residing in Beckenham and Penge, are supported by the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust offers a leading Liver Unit which treats a diverse range of liver conditions as well as rare diseases, alongside a tertiary treatment service for liver cancer. The trust also hosts the Institute of Liver Studies, which is a partnership between King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College London.
Liver disease is a broad term for several conditions affecting the liver and pancreas, but the most prevalent cause of liver-related ill health and death is alcohol-related liver disease.
The Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. The London Borough of Bromley was allocated £338,703 of targeted funding in 2024/25 for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support parents who have suffered from baby loss.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that experiencing a baby loss can be an extremely difficult time and we are determined to make sure all women, babies and their families receive safe, personalised and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong.
Many trusts have specialist bereavement midwives, who are trained to care for and support parents and families who have suffered the loss of their baby. All trusts are now signed up to The National Bereavement Care Pathway, which acts as a set of standards and guidance that trusts should follow when a patient has suffered a baby loss.
Paid Parental Bereavement Leave was introduced in 2020. This entitlement is available to parents who lose a child under 18 years old, including where a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
In February 2024, the Department launched the Baby Loss Certificate service. This service is a non-statutory, voluntary scheme to enable those who have experienced any pregnancy loss to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of their loss if they wish to do so.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS 10-year-plan will include measures on (a) midwifery and (b) neo-natal care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While there are outstanding examples of maternity and neonatal care, there are also real issues that need to be addressed. We are determined to ensure that all women and their babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, but improvements will take time to implement.
We have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. As we work to develop and finalise the plan, I would encourage those concerned about maternity care to engage with that process so we can identify what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help NHS Trusts improve neo-natal care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is implementing recommendations from the Neonatal Critical Care Review (2019) by investing £45 million in increasing neonatal cot capacity and assigning care coordinators for all Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks to implement care programmes, improving parent and family experiences.
The Government continues to work with NHS England as it delivers its 3-year maternity and neonatal plan to grow its workforce, develop a culture of safety, and ensure women receive safe, compassionate care. NHS England has made good progress already, with 548 full-time equivalent (FTE) cot-side nurses having been recruited to expand the neonatal workforce, as well as the consultant obstetrician workforce increasing to 1,968 FTE. NHS England has funded a lead midwife focusing on retention for every trust, with the retention programme continuing in 2024/25.
Additionally, neonatal nurses can undertake a Qualification in Specialty (QIS) training for neonatal care. This enables them to provide a higher level of care to critically ill or premature babies and offer crucial support to other nurses in the daily care of these babies.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing criminal sanctions for the irresponsible (a) sale and (b) use of catapults.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are clear that catapults should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.
The law already provides the police with powers relating to the use of any item as an offensive weapon including a catapult, for example if used with anti-social behaviour or for criminal damage.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, there are also offences around injuring and inflicting unnecessary suffering on wildlife. These measures give the police powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.
We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interests of public safety.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing new and specific criminal offences relating to the irresponsible sale and use of catapults used to (a) injure people, (b) maim or kill animals and (c) damage property.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are clear that catapults should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.
The law already provides the police with powers relating to the use of any item as an offensive weapon including a catapult, for example if used with anti-social behaviour or for criminal damage.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, there are also offences around injuring and inflicting unnecessary suffering on wildlife. These measures give the police powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.
We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interests of public safety.