Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
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 for supporting community pharmacy, in the context of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.
The Government is clear that it wants to make full use of the skill sets of both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to help patients, which is why the Government has laid legislation that enables all pharmacies to use hub and spoke dispensing and will shortly lay legislation to enable the better use of people with mixed skills. This builds on the legislation to allow pharmacies to dispense in original packs and for pharmacy technicians to supply medicines. All of these measures support pharmacists to provide more care in the communities they serve and supports the Government’s ambition to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting close to home.
We have also improved and continue to work on the digital transfer of information between settings, allowing pharmacies to have access to patient records and to record the outcomes of the care they provide, supporting another of our ambitions to move from analogue to digital. The 10 year plan will build on these foundations and set out how we will build a health service fit for the future.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether future local government finance settlements will increase grants to fire and rescue services in line with inflation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Spending Review provides £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.
Decisions on how this funding is allocated are a matter for the upcoming multi-year Settlement and further detail will be published at the provisional Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.
The Government has recently published The Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation document setting out detailed proposals to update and reform the local government funding system through the 2026–27 Local Government Finance Settlement. As part of this, the Government is proposing to update the Fire and Rescue Relative Needs Formula using the most up-to-date data in the fire and rescue relative needs formula.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will provide additional funding to restart Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s joint fleet workshop collaboration with Essex Police.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 3 February, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.
These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities including Essex receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.
In 2025/26, Essex Fire Authority will have core spending power of £95.7 million; an increase of 4 per cent on 2024/25. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that reform of rural transport planning is considered alongside reform of housing planning application processes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I recognise the importance of aligning rural transport with housing and wider spatial planning ambitions. I am working closely with my counterparts in the Ministry for Housing, Communities on Local Government on this important issue. As part of our commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes, and under the revised National Planning Policy Framework, local planning authorities must take a vision-led approach and consider transport issues, particularly public and active transport, at the earliest stages of plan-making.
The review of the role of statutory consultee system is a further opportunity to focus on swifter provision of expert advice to inform development, including in rural areas.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to ensure that local councils who operate bus services will be eligible for additional grant funding without having to make continual applications.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has committed to reforming bus funding and moving away from competitive allocations processes. Every Local Transport Authority in England outside of London, will receive an allocation from the Local Authority Bus Grant without having to apply to the Department. Local leaders will decide how to use this funding to improve bus services and ensure services meet the needs of local communities. The allocation system used in 2025/26 marks the first step towards a reformed allocation process.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to ensure annual health checks for all adults with cerebral palsy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on care and support for adults with cerebral palsy, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119
The guidance recommends that people with cerebral palsy should have an annual review of their clinical and functional needs, carried out by a healthcare professional with expertise in neurodisabilities.
Whilst NICE guidelines represent best practice, they are not mandatory, although the Government expects healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for community pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has increased to £3.073 billion for 2025/26. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Decisions on funding for community pharmacies beyond 2025/26 are subject to the current Spending Review. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to the reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors later this year.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she will publish proposals on improving the affordability of ground rents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reporting materials by weight in the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on incentives for producers to use (a) soft plastics and (b) other lighter but less recyclable materials over (i) paper, (ii) glass and (iii) other more sustainable but heavier alternatives.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and PackUK have engaged extensively with waste management experts and the packaging industry across all materials, to ensure that the modelling of local authority costs underpinning the pEPR scheme fairly reflects the on-the-ground reality of waste management operations. As a result, even though packaging weight is generally a key driver of waste management costs in the model, estimated packaging volume, rather than packaging weight, is used to calculate kerbside dry recycling collections costs, to best reflect practical limitations with waste collection systems. This is especially important for heavier materials, which would otherwise incur higher base fees under a modelling of costs solely based on weight. The introduction of base fees from 2025 is designed to incentivise a reduction in the weight of packaging placed on the market in the UK.
Defra and PackUK also engaged extensively across the waste and packaging sectors to agree modulation rates that will be introduce from 2026 to incentivise the use of most recyclable materials by reducing their fees when compared to unrecyclable alternatives.
PackUK will continue monitor the impact of these financial incentives, to ensure they deliver the intended outcomes.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that Essex Police's share of national funding from the police funding formula adequately reflects the level of policing it provides nationally.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
In 2025-26, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement. Essex Police will receive up to £434.1 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £27.9 million when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement, equating to a 6.9% cash increase.
The 2025-26 police settlement ensures that every local policing body in England and Wales will receive the same percentage increase in their Core Grant, offering funding certainty for forces in setting a balanced budget.
Funding for policing in future years beyond 2025-26 will be set out in phase 2 of the Spending Review.