Michael Payne

The government is committed to ensuring that every child in care grows up with the love, care and support they need to achieve and thrive. All foster carers receive the National Minimum Allowance to cover the costs of looking after the children in their care. In the 2025/26 financial year this allowance is being uplifted by 3.55%.

This government is supporting children in care by expanding the ‘Mockingbird Family Model’ which is an innovative evidence-based approach. Relationships are central to the design of the programme, which involves six to ten satellite families grouped into a constellation around a hub home carer.

In Gelding this is being delivered as part of the ‘Foster For East Midlands’ Recruitment Hub which launched in March 2024 and comprises of four neighbouring local authorities, Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, and Derby City Council.

Across England ten regional fostering programmes are live, working with 64% of all local authorities collaboratively to recruit and retain foster carers who will provide loving homes, local to the children who need them. An additional £15 million was announced to support this programme in the Autumn Budget 2024, and we intend to move towards full national roll out in the next financial year. We welcome discussions with other local authorities about our national expansion plans.

The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Nottinghamshire was in February 2023. Following the inspection, the department is closely monitoring the areas for priority action and improvement that were identified by inspectors and the progress made by children and young people with SEND, and has appointed a SEND adviser to support the local area SEND partnership. Nottinghamshire County Council is committed to working closely with the department to improve services and has established an independently chaired improvement board and published a SEND priority action plan to address the issues identified in the inspection report. An Ofsted and CQC monitoring inspection will be carried out approximately 18 months after the initial inspection and the next full area SEND inspection will take place within approximately three years.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and to ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The table below provides per-pupil funding units from 2018/19 to 2023/24, which represents the funding provided for schools in Nottinghamshire each year in the schools block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG).

The department cannot provide comparable funding for Nottinghamshire back to 2010, due to the changes in the funding system since that time. The scope of the per-pupil funding before and after 2018/19 are not directly comparable. In particular, the central services provided by local authorities were split out from the schools block funding in 2018/19, and instead funded separately through the central school services block from that year onwards.

The figures in the table below are provided on a cash basis. The department also publishes real-terms statistics on schools funding at the national level, which does not distinguish by phase. The department uses the GDP deflator to calculate real-terms funding levels. These can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-funding-statistics and https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/school-funding-statistics-methodology.

These figures do not include funding for growth, premises or additional funding received through supplementary grants.

Environment Agency inspection of flood risk management assets defending the southern edge of Gedling did not identify any significant damage following winter storms. Maintenance of these assets can include blockage removal, vegetation management, and further interventions where needed, such as recent embankment repairs in Gedling. The Environment Agency estimate that c.£121,000 was spent on maintenance in Gedling in 2023/24, with approximately £300,000 planned for 2024/25.

There are no capital schemes planned in the constituency for this 6-year programme as the River Trent is well defended, benefitting from the £45M 2012 Nottingham Trent Left Bank scheme.

The Environment Agency has several strategic programmes in the constituency which may be added to our future capital pipeline.

99% of buses providing local services comply with accessibility regulations that cover the design of vehicles and incorporate a designated space to accommodate at least one wheelchair user. We recognise that in some circumstances such provision may be inadequate, and we welcome efforts by individual operators to provide a second wheelchair space. We also continue to consider the efficacy of existing bus and coach accessibility regulation, and will announce our next steps in due course.

Trains are required to have at least two wheelchair spaces, to meet legal requirements, and each train operator must ensure they are kept clear for wheelchair users. Light rail vehicles (including trams, metros and London Underground) also have wheelchair spaces in compliance with similar legal requirements. The current refurbishment of London Underground’s oldest Tube trains includes the creation of wheelchair spaces where these do not already exist.

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. Each local highway authority is responsible for the condition of its local network. Highway maintenance funding allocations for all local highway authorities for the current financial year are available on gov.uk. The Government will confirm funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year shortly, and will publish them on gov.uk.

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. Each local highway authority is responsible for the condition of its local network. Highway maintenance funding allocations for all local highway authorities for the current financial year are available on gov.uk. The Government will confirm funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year shortly, and will publish them on gov.uk.

This Government takes the condition of local roads seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing our road network as a priority, on which Ministers will say more in future.

Maintenance of the local highway network within Nottinghamshire, including the constituency of Gedling, is the responsibility of Nottinghamshire County Council. For 2024/25, Nottinghamshire County Council has been allocated over £20 million to help it maintain its local highway network. Future funding beyond 2024/25 is matter for the next Spending Review.

42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England are responsible for meeting the healthcare needs and demands of their respective populations. There is evidence that public health and adult social care interventions of different kinds can be effective, and cost-effective, in preventing or delaying the onset of ill health, which in turn supports better use of health and care resources. A shift from treatment to prevention and from acute hospital services to community are part of the three strategic shifts underpinning our 10-Year Health Plan.

We also recognise the need to alleviate pressures through increasing supply and reducing demand. We will make sure the future of general practice is sustainable by training more general practitioners, guaranteeing a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one and delivering a modern booking system. For example, in the NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB, 539,000 general practice appointments were delivered in December 2024, up from 510,000 in December 2023. Additionally, in early 2025, the Government will publish a plan setting out how urgent and emergency care services across England will be supported to deliver improvements.

Furthermore, for 2025/26, approximately £9 billion will be committed to the Better Care Fund (BCF), a framework for ICBs and local authorities to make joint plans and pool budgets for the purposes of delivering better joined-up care. This includes around £3.3 billion provided to local authorities and £5.6 billion to ICBs.

Its main objectives are to support:

- the shift from sickness to prevention;

- people living independently; and

- the shift from hospital to home.

These objectives should reduce demand on services, and the recently revised BCF framework, published on 30 January 2025, sets out the actions that local authorities and ICBs should take to achieve these objectives, including improving discharge, preventing avoidable admissions, reducing the pressure on social care, intermediate care, unpaid carers and housing.

The Department has been working with suppliers, NHS England, and national clinical specialists to address the current supply issues with Creon, which is a brand of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. Comprehensive guidance has been issued to the National Health Service and is being regularly reviewed and updated as the supply situation changes. This guidance includes information clinicians can share with patients, and refers to advice from patient groups aimed at supporting patients in managing the supply issues and addressing their questions.

The Department has not issued any local guidance on this supply issue, but has issued a National Patient Safety Alert in December 2024, with an action for integrated care boards to put in place a local mitigation plan for instances when patients are unable to obtain stock from their community pharmacy or dispensing general practice. In all cases of medicines supply issues, healthcare professionals should endeavour to communicate any supply issues and relevant information about resupply dates and the proposed management plan clearly with patients. They should also undertake counselling to support affected patients where possible.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments and support services for autistic people, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism based on the available evidence.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Addison’s disease. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which include increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs.  We remain committed to delivering under the framework and will publish an annual England action plan in 2025.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) provide primary care practitioners with a readily accessible summary of the current evidence base and practical advice on best practice. Currently, the NICE has a CKS on Addison’s disease. This includes when to suspect Addison’s disease, a management section, and a self-care advice section to support both patients and family members or carers. Further information on the NICE’s CKS on Addison’s disease is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/addisons-disease/management/

NHS England has previously published a National Patient Safety Alert on Steroid Emergency Card to support the early recognition and treatment of an adrenal crisis in adults. These alerts require action to be taken by healthcare providers, to reduce the risk of death or disability. Further information on the alert is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-patient-safety-alert-steroid-emergency-card-to-support-early-recognition-and-treatment-of-adrenal-crisis-in-adults/

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by cutting red tape. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. We are currently consulting with Community Pharmacy England on the national funding and contractual framework arrangements, including in Gedling, for 2024/25.

The Government recognises the importance of banking to communities and high streets and has committed to work closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs over the next five years.

So far, 147 banking hubs have been recommended and Cash Access UK, the industry body responsible for banking hub deployment, expects 100 banking hubs to be open before the end of the year. These will provide individuals and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services.

While not the same as a bank branch, alternative options to access everyday banking services can also include telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via one of the UK’s 11,500 Post Office branches.

This government recognises the vital role youth services play in reducing a young person’s likelihood of becoming involved in crime. This will be a vital element of our Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to intervene earlier to ensure this cohort is identified and offered support in a more systematic way, as well as creating more opportunities for young people in their communities, through the provision of open access to mental health and careers support.

In addition, in 2025/26 DCMS will launch the Local Youth Transformation pilot, which will support local authorities to build youth service capacity. They will also allocate over £85m of capital funding in 2025/26 to create fit-for-purpose, welcoming spaces for young people, including launching the new Better Youth Spaces fund, which will allocate at least £26m for youth clubs to buy new equipment and undertake renovations. This will also include completing the Youth Investment Fund projects.

The Home Office does not measure the outcomes for council run youth centres.

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, across the whole of the UK. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans, including those in Gedling, get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need, and looking at the best way to deliver this support.

The government appreciates that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.

At the Budget, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. A proportion of this funding will be used to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners and developing the skills needed to implement reforms and unlock housing delivery.

This will be further underpinned by increases in planning fees that will help improve the resourcing of planning application services, so that local planning authorities can fund the skills they need.

More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that local planning authorities have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 19575 on 20 December 2024.

At the Budget on 30 October 2024, the Chancellor confirmed that local authorities can now retain 100% of their receipts from Right to Buy sales.

Approximately 65% of these receipts are conditionally retained by councils on the basis that they will be used for replacement social housing and approximately 35% may be used for any capital purpose, including for replacement housing.

In our recent Reforming the Right to Buy consultation, we sought views from local authorities and other stakeholders on simplifying the rules governing the use of Right to Buy receipts. We are analysing responses to that consultation and will set out next steps in due course.

As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July, the Government will bring forward a Renters’ Rights Bill as a priority. The Bill will level decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant and end Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.