Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) adult gaming centres and (b) bingo clubs on communities.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Minister for Gambling met with representatives of Bacta, a trade association which represents the adult gaming centre sector, at the Bingo Association Annual General Meeting on 1 May 2025, where she also met with other representatives from the land-based gambling sector. A further meeting between the Minister for Gambling and Bacta is scheduled in May 2025. The Minister has held several other meetings with representatives from the land-based gambling sector.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to communities, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. We will continue to work with the land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings she has held with the land based adult gaming sector.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Minister for Gambling met with representatives of Bacta, a trade association which represents the adult gaming centre sector, at the Bingo Association Annual General Meeting on 1 May 2025, where she also met with other representatives from the land-based gambling sector. A further meeting between the Minister for Gambling and Bacta is scheduled in May 2025. The Minister has held several other meetings with representatives from the land-based gambling sector.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to communities, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. We will continue to work with the land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the affordability of electric vehicles for low-income households.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government offers Plug-in Vehicle Grants for eligible vans, trucks, taxis, motorcycles, and wheelchair accessible vehicles. These grants help to lower upfront vehicle costs and make zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) more accessible to consumers. ZEVs also benefit from favourable tax rates, such as generous company car tax incentives and a 0% Van Benefit Charge. ZEVs also receive preferential first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty at £10 until FY 2029-30, in comparison to the most polluting vehicles.

Most drivers in the UK buy used vehicles, with 80% of all cars bought and sold in 2024 having been through the used vehicle market. Industry intelligence suggests that some EVs on the used market are now similar in price to their petrol and diesel equivalents. The Government will continue to monitor the health of the market and keeps all policies under review.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman on its planned timetable to publish the report on its special investigation into Medomsley Detention Centre.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

I have the deepest sympathy for victims and survivors of abuse suffered at Medomsley Detention Centre. The previous Government, after years of campaigning by victims and survivors, commissioned the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) in October 2023 to undertake a thorough review of the abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987. The investigation commenced in November 2023 and looked into what the authorities knew about the abuse over this period, if there were opportunities for them to take action or intervene, and what action they took.

The PPO has now concluded the evidence-gathering phase of the investigation, and we expect the PPO to publish the final report later this year.

I continue to be grateful to the PPO for their expertise and independence in conducting a rigorous investigation and I hope this will help us to understand how such horrific events were able to take place.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Department's publication entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reforms on the service capacity of (a) voluntary and (b) community sector organisations.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

No estimate has been made.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 April 2025 to question number 47657. The answer can be found here: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to provide funding to the (a) voluntary, (b) community and (c) social enterprise sector in (i) the North East and (ii) Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government has taken a range of steps to provide funding to the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in the North East.

The Government recently committed up to an additional £2.8 million for the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, which is designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness. The Government has also committed up to an additional £1 million for the Social Enterprise Boost Fund, a fund which provides business support and grant funding to social entrepreneurs. These place-based programmes will continue delivering funding to the VCSE sector in the North East, specifically Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, County Durham, South Tyneside and Sunderland, as well as other areas in England until March 2026.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a fund to support (a) voluntary, (b) community and (c) social enterprise sector organisations to offset increases to National Insurance Contributions.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This government recognises the vital role that charitable organisations and community groups play in providing crucial support to families and individuals across the country. These organisations, as well as the wider Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, are integral to the Government’s vision for national renewal and delivery of the five national missions.

DCMS Ministers have met with representatives from the VCSE sector and are aware of their concerns about the National Insurance contributions (NICs) changes. We recognise the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that more than half of businesses (including charities) with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change this year.

We continue to promote availability of funding for smaller charities in several ways, including delivery of a number of grant schemes, such as the ‘Know Your Neighbourhood Fund’. Support for charities is also available through social investment which provides access to grants, repayable finance and a blend of the two. In particular, this government is continuing to look at how dormant assets can be used to support the availability of finance to facilitate VCSEs becoming more entrepreneurial and financially resilient. An estimated £350 million will flow into the Dormant Assets Scheme between 2024-28, with details on how this money will be distributed to be provided in due course.

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 increase the number of NHS dentistry appointments in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency, this is the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The North East and North Cumbria ICB is expected to deliver 57,599 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data centrally on average waiting times for access to NHS dentistry.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made. Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements.

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. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS dental capacity in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the 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

The data for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, which includes the Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency, shows that 46% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2024, compared to 40% in England, and that 59% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up 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. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

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 help increase employment rates for doctors who have recently completed foundation training.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service employers. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest.

To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision.  We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs. Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS was published by NHS England on 7 April, showing that since 1 October 2024, 1,503 GPs were recruited through the scheme.

Former secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League

Imprisonment of Lucy Connolly

Future of the UK baking industry

Negotiating rights for police officers

Blockade of aid to Gaza

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon; Alison Hume; Will

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon; Alison Hume;

Found: Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Gregor Poynton Mary Glindon

Found: Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Gregor Poynton Mary Glindon

Found: Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Gregor Poynton Mary Glindon

Found: Manuela Perteghella John McDonnell Steve Witherden Neil Duncan-Jordan Carla Denyer Siân Berry Mary Glindon

Found: Manuela Perteghella John McDonnell Steve Witherden Neil Duncan-Jordan Carla Denyer Siân Berry Mary Glindon

Found: Sammy Wilson Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Mary Glindon

Found: Manuela Perteghella John McDonnell Steve Witherden Neil Duncan-Jordan Carla Denyer Siân Berry Mary Glindon

Found: Sammy Wilson Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Mary Glindon

Found: _NC5 Valerie Vaz Rachael Maskell Adam Jogee Mary Glindon Dr Allison Gardner .

Found: Sammy Wilson Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Mary Glindon

Found: Sammy Wilson Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Mary Glindon

Found: _NC5 Valerie Vaz Rachael Maskell Adam Jogee Mary Glindon Dr Allison Gardner .

Found: Sammy Wilson Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Mary Glindon

Found: _NC6 Valerie Vaz Rachael Maskell Adam Jogee Mary Glindon Dr Allison Gardner 29 REPORT STAGE Friday

Found: _NC5 Valerie Vaz Rachael Maskell Adam Jogee Mary Glindon Dr Allison Gardner .

Found: Sammy Wilson Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Mary Glindon

Found: _NC5 Valerie Vaz Rachael Maskell Adam Jogee Mary Glindon Dr Allison Gardner .

Found: Sammy Wilson Frank McNally Patricia Ferguson Alex Easton Rosie Duffield Carla Lockhart Mary Glindon

Found: Neil Coyle Daisy Cooper Juliet Campbell Kate Osamor Valerie Vaz Zöe Franklin Liam Conlon Mary Glindon

Found: Mary Kelly Foy Carla Lockhart Paula Barker Sarah Champion Iqbal Mohamed Kirsteen Sullivan Mary Glindon

Found: Burgon Ben Lake Liz Saville Roberts Neil Duncan-Jordan Steve Witherden Chris Hinchliff Mary Glindon

Found: Richard Burgon Ben Lake Liz Saville Roberts Neil Duncan-Jordan Steve Witherden Chris Hinchliff Mary Glindon

This inquiry will look into the health and wellbeing services available to those working in Parliament - exploring how existing services can be better communicated and supported, and identifying where some health and wellbeing needs are still not being met.