Marie Tidball

The opposition had 14 years to legislate to ban the bonuses of water bosses – and they didn’t. This Labour Government has done it in less than 70 days. Through our Water (Special Measures) Bill, water companies will be put under tough special measures. This Bill will give Ofwat powers to ban the payment of performance-related pay including bonuses to chief executives and senior leadership of water companies, unless they meet high standards when it comes to protecting the environment, their consumers, financial resilience and criminal liability.

Over the fourteen years the previous Government was in office thousands of vital bus services disappeared across the country, and local bus services were left in a shocking state.

Improving local bus services is a key part of this government’s growth mission. We will introduce a transformative Buses Bill to put the power over bus services back in the hands of local leaders, and in the Budget confirmed over £1 billion to support and improve services across England.

Disability benefits provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition or disabilities can face, such as additional heating costs.

Attendance Allowance can be worth up to £5,600 a year. Entitlement to Attendance Allowance is based on the on-going need for frequent personal care and attention, or supervision to ensure personal safety, rather than on the individual’s medical condition. It is paid out of general taxation and is a tax-free, non-contributory, and non-means-tested benefit so is not affected by other income or savings.

Pensioners in receipt of Attendance Allowance and on a low-income may qualify for Pension Credit including an additional amount for disability providing they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.

The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so protecting 12 million pensioners through the triple lock. Based on current forecasts, the full rate of the new state pension is set to increase by around £1,700 over the course of this Parliament.

We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.

The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.   An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reviewed topical steroid withdrawal reactions, and first communicated about these reactions in September 2021 via our Drug Safety Update, which is read by a wide range of health care professionals. This communication is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/topical-corticosteroids-information-on-the-risk-of-topical-steroid-withdrawal-reactions

The MHRA has continued to monitor reports of topical steroid withdrawal, and in 2024 it undertook a further review, which is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/topical-steroids-introduction-of-new-labelling-and-a-reminder-of-the-possibility-of-severe-side-effects-including-topical-steroid-withdrawal-reactions.

During this review, further advice was sought from dermatologists, the National Eczema Society, and the Commission on Human Medicines. Consequently, the MHRA is taking forward a number of actions, including updated warnings in the product information, and the inclusion of information regarding the potency of topical steroids on the packaging. The MHRA is also engaging with the British Association of Dermatologist, who have released an updated statement, which is available at the following link:

https://cdn.bad.org.uk/uploads/2024/02/22095550/Topical-Steroid-Withdrawal-Joint-Statement.pdf

Following this engagement, the British Association of Dermatologists has formed a Topical Steroid Withdrawal Working Party Group (TSW WP), in collaboration with the National Eczema Society, Scratch That, the Primary Care Dermatology Society, and the British Dermatological Nursing Group. The aim of the TSW WPG is to produce an expert consensus and guidance on supporting people with concerns about topical steroid withdrawal, including a Patient Information Leaflet, and any revision to the joint statement, as appropriate. The joint statement is available at the following link:

https://www.bad.org.uk/topical-steroid-withdrawal-joint-statement/

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including of topical steroid withdrawal, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients. All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice.

In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation, which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, gives patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice, and promotes improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance. The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners and must meet the standards set by the GMC.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has reviewed topical steroid withdrawal reactions, and first communicated about these reactions in September 2021 in its Drug Safety Update. It produced a further review this year. The British Association of Dermatologists has formed a Topical Steroid Withdrawal Working Party Group, which aims to produce an expert consensus and guidance on supporting people with concerns about topical steroid withdrawal.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including topic steroid withdrawal. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The NIHR expects patient and public involvement in the research it supports. Applicants for NIHR funding are required to set out plans for involving the patients and the public in funding applications, which are assessed by funding committees.

Town centres and high streets are the heart of our communities but for far too long rampant antisocial behaviour, shoplifting and street crime has been corroding people’s sense of safety in their communities.

That’s why this Government will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers back on the beat in local communities so residents know who to turn to when things go wrong, and we will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets with new Respect Orders so local people can take back their town centres from thugs and thieves.