Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 104268 on Blue Badge Scheme: EU Countries, if he will hold discussions with his EU counterparts at the next UK–EU summit on EU recognition of the UK-issued Blue Badges for disabled drivers.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The majority of EU Member States already recognise Blue Badges. In 2025, the UK agreed further mutual recognition with France and agreed in the 2025 strategic bilateral framework with Spain to work to sign an arrangement to ensure mutual recognition of parking permits and Blue Badges for Disabled people. The Department for Transport will continue to engage bilaterally with Member States where they don't recognise Blue Badges.
Further information on Blue Badge recognition can be found here: Using a Blue Badge in Europe - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January to Question 103976 on Boris Johnson and Peter Thiel, what searches he conducted to determine whether there is any (a) physical and (b) other form of record of a meeting between the then Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson, and Mr Peter Thiel on 28 August 2019; which repositories and systems he searched (including but not limited to Private Office diaries, visitor logs, security access records, phone logs, ministerial red boxes, briefing packs, email archives, and officials’ notebooks); and which directorates or teams he consulted; what search terms and date ranges he used.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
All of the records of former Prime Ministers are held by the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives unit. The unit searched both physical and digital records. The physical record of the meeting is brief, simply noting the timing of the meeting, and that it was a private meeting. No other details have been found.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 103976 on Boris Johnson and Peter Thiel, if he will publish the physical record.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
All of the records of former Prime Ministers are held by the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives unit. The unit searched both physical and digital records. The physical record of the meeting is brief, simply noting the timing of the meeting, and that it was a private meeting. No other details have been found.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether coastal resilience funding will be made available for the restoration and protection of Teignmouth pier.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Whilst Defra recognises the importance of Teignmouth Pier to the town and visitors alike, the department understands the pier is privately owned and therefore the responsibility to maintain it rests with the owners. The Environment Agency (EA) met with the owners of the pier in 2022 to explain this situation.
Flood Defence Grant in Aid is focused on the repair of flood defences. The EA and Teignbridge District Council are working closely to secure government funding to replace the timber groynes along the beach at Teignmouth and refurbishment of the seawall around the pier to maintain protection to the community.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether pubs that are (a) derelict or (b) under are eligible to access and use the new hospitality support fund.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are currently finalising plans for the new grants scheme ahead of its launch in April. Its primary purpose is to support hospitality businesses to improve their long‑term viability, including through diversification. The fund will also aim to improve productivity through innovation and to help those furthest from the labour market move into hospitality roles.
Eligibility criteria are still being developed. Any organisation that meets those criteria will be able to apply for support once the scheme opens, which will determine whether pubs that are derelict or currently not trading are eligible.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 potential impact of the GP partnership model on delivering continuity of care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that the general practice (GP) partnership model has many strengths, including its role in supporting continuity of care. GP partnerships often have deep local knowledge and long-standing relationships with their registered patient populations, which can strengthen relational continuity. The GP Partnership Review from 2019 found that the stability of the partnership model supports and enables continuity of care.
The Government values continuity of care in GPs, which is associated with better health outcomes and fewer accident and emergency attendances. That is why we have committed to bringing back the family doctor.
We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, the biggest cash increase in over a decade. This investment will help build capacity in GPs, improving both continuity of care and access for patients.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to retain the GP partnership model.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We remain committed to the general practice (GP) partnership model and recognise its many strengths, including efficiency, innovation, and continuity of care. GP partnerships deliver high-quality care to patients all over the country. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, where the GP partnership model is working well, it should continue.
We also recognise that increasingly fewer GPs are going into partnership, and that the partnership model is not the only model currently delivering GPs. GPs can and do choose to organise themselves in different ways, many of which cite evidence of good outcomes in terms of staff engagement and patient experience.
Alongside the partnership model, the 10-Year Health Plan commits to introducing two new contracts enabling GPs to work over larger geographies, with the aim of supporting the neighbourhood health model, providing resilience and allowing economies of scale, thereby securing the sustainability of GPs into the future.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what kinds of heritage and restoration funding can be made available for the repair and protection of Teignbridge pier in Newton Abbot Constituency.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government recognises the importance of local heritage assets such as the Victorian Teignbridge Pier. On the 21st of January, the Secretary of State announced a new £1.2bn Arts Everywhere package. The package includes nearly £200 million for heritage protecting and preserving heritage buildings across the country:
£60 million for at risk heritage which provides grants towards repairs and conservation of historic buildings.
£41 million for the Heritage Revival Fund which helps communities to take control of and look after local heritage and bring buildings back into public use.
Further details regarding the application process and eligibility, for both funds, will be announced in due course.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund offers grants between £10,000 and £10 million to projects that connect people and communities to the UK’s heritage. This could include covering repair work as part of a wider project.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on the Code of Practice consultation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I wish to assure the hon. Member that this government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.
A consultation document outlining proposals to raise standard across the private parking industry was published on 11 July 2025.
All responses are now being analysed and the government will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is being provided to (a) Torbay and (b) Exeter NHS Trusts to recruit and retain specialist cancer nurses and the cancer workforce.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has made good progress in growing and developing the cancer and diagnostics workforce.
In 2024/25, approximately 8,000 people received training to either enter the cancer and diagnostics workforce or develop in their roles. As part of this, over 1,600 people were on apprenticeship courses, with over 270 additional medical specialty training places funded. Over 1,000 clinical nurse specialist (CNS) grants were made available to new and aspiring CNSs across England, including Devon.
We are working to end the postcode lottery for cancer services. NHS England is working with NHS regions and the royal colleges to increase the number of clinical and medical oncology staff overall. In addition, we aim to fill vacancies and expand workforces in trusts that most need more staff, including in rural and coastal areas, to help boost performance.