Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will review the Sovereign Grant annually on audited and published Crown Estate profits.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The rules governing the Sovereign Grant are set out in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. This Act requires a review following every five-year period to ensure the percentage of Crown Estate profits used in the calculation of the Grant remains appropriate.
In addition, any unspent surplus from the Sovereign Grant goes into a reserve fund. If this reserve fund goes above 50 per cent of annual expenditure, the level of the Sovereign Grant can be reduced, requiring the Household to draw down this reserve rather than receive excessive additional funding.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will hold discussions with the (a) Duchy of Lancaster and (b) Duchy of Cornwall on creating a shared costs formula for local authorities within those Duchy areas when a Royal visit takes place.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster are private estates, and neither Duchy manages public money. The government has a limited number of functions in relation to their administration, prescribed by Acts of Parliament.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to bring forward legislative proposals on regulating sports therapists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has no plans to extend statutory regulation to sports therapists at this time.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question
To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church Commissioners are taking to support the work, cultural and spiritual contribution of cathedral choirs.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
The Church Commissioners have indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to provide support to (a) Hereford and (b) Lichfield Cathedral.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Since August 2022, Lichfield Cathedral has received £161,242 through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, and Hereford Cathedral has received £27,639.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has also supported both of these Cathedrals. Lichfield Cathedral has received £1,707,762 since 1996.Hereford Cathedral has received £6,135,300 since 2003.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is managed through cardiovascular services, and is managed by specialised cardiologists, linking with expertise from other specialties according to individual patients’ needs. Specialised Cardiology is one of the services which is being delegated to integrated care boards. Improvements in diagnosis and treatment are for local determination within national frameworks and NICE guidance and standards.
As of the end of October 2024, there were 412,017 patient pathways waiting for Cardiology Service, with 59.6%, or 245,532 patient pathways, waiting within 18 weeks. This is far below the 92% 18-week Referral-to-Treatment NHS Constitutional Standard. It is unacceptable that people cannot access the care they need, when they need it.
We have committed to getting back to the 18-week standard by the end of this Parliament. Funding announced in the Autumn Budget will support delivery of an additional 2 million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step towards achieving this.
As part of this package, £1.5 billion of capital funding in 2025/26 will enable new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners to build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come online.
Dedicated and protected surgical hubs will transform the way the National Health Service provides elective care, improving outcomes for patients and reducing pressures on hospitals. Some hubs offer cardiology treatments and procedures, which could include treatment for PoTS.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to prevent social media companies adjusting network algorithms to promote actions by users (a) favouring political (i) candidates and (ii) outcomes and (b) who are potential national security threats.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act gives platforms duties to tackle illegal content. The regulator, Ofcom, has outlined steps providers can take to fulfil these duties in codes of practice, including recommending steps for stopping illegal foreign interference and terrorism content being promoted via algorithms. These duties should be in effect by spring 2025.
The Act will also require all services to have clear, accessible Terms of Service (ToS) and will require Category 1 services to state what legal content for adults is not accepted. Companies must have effective reporting mechanisms, enabling users to raise concerns about enforcement of ToS, if they feel companies are not fulfilling their duties.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other medical professionals were struck off from practicing in the NHS in 2022-23; and if he will publish the country of origin of their baseline medical qualifications.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the requested information centrally. All groups of healthcare professionals have their own regulatory bodies, for example, the General Medical Council is the regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council is the regulator of all nurses and midwives in the UK, and nursing associates in England. Healthcare professional regulators are independent of the Government, are directly accountable to Parliament, and are responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of their statutory duties. Regulators will hold data on professionals removed from their registers, and may be able to share this information upon request.
Any general practitioner, optometrist, or dentist offering National Health Service primary care services must also be registered on the NHS England Performers Lists. NHS England will hold data on professionals removed from the Performers Lists.
The Department does not intend to publish the country of origin of the baseline medical qualifications held by healthcare professionals removed from regulators’ registers or the Performers Lists.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure NHS Trusts admit early liability and compensate victims of medical negligence whilst under NHS Care.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. NHSR has a responsibility to settle claims fairly and promptly, and defend unmeritorious claims to secure NHS resources. Each case must be considered on its own merits, and it is important that a proper investigation is undertaken.
NHSR is committed to the use of dispute resolution interventions, including increased mediation and resolution meetings. Consequently, the percentage of cases settling before formal court proceedings are required has continued to increase. In 2023/24, 81% of the 13,382 clinical claims settled were resolved without formal court proceedings being commenced.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will install productivity tracking software to monitor work from home employment practices in the Civil Service.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Most office-based civil servants are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office, setting a consistent balance across the Civil Service. Departments, as individual employers, are responsible for any other measures.