Michael Payne
Labour - Gedling
11,881 (24.4%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 4th July 2024
4 APPG Officer Positions (as of 12 Oct 2026)
Dementia in Sport, Haiti, HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health, Motor Neurone Disease3 APPG Memberships
Ireland and the Irish in Britain, Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC) and the Pacific Islands, Fair Elections1 Former APPG Officer Position
MaternityDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
(6 debate interactions)
(6 debate interactions)
(3 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(14 debate contributions)
(6 debate contributions)
(5 debate contributions)
(3 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(1,138 words contributed)
Gedling Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 38,341 signatures (0.38%)
of 36,828 signatures (0.33%)
of 137,619 signatures (0.26%)
of 55,833 signatures (0.22%)
of 115,029 signatures (0.19%)
of 137,619 signatures (0.26%)
of 115,029 signatures (0.19%)
of 136,692 signatures (0.14%)
of 175,524 signatures (0.10%)
of 88,448 signatures (0.18%)
Petition Closed
Act to ensure Bills backed by MPs & public can complete all stages in Parliament
Gov Responded - 26 Feb 2026 Debated on - 8 Jun 2026 View Michael Payne's petition debate contributionsclosed 3 months, 1 week ago
We want the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that when bills are supported by MPs & the public, they have the time to complete all their stages in Parliament. We believe this is important to uphold democracy.
Latest EDMs signed by Michael Payne
100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Tabled by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)That this House notes, with affection and respect, the 100th anniversary, on 21 April 2026 of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; reflects on the sense of loss that people throughout the United Kingdom, the realms, territories and Commonwealth still feel following Her late Majesty’s death on …
(Most recent: 13 May 2026)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 57
Conservative: 16
Liberal Democrat: 16
Independent: 4
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Reform UK: 2
Traditional Unionist Voice: 1
Ulster Unionist Party: 1
Alliance: 1
Restore Britain: 1
Injury on Duty Award Scheme
Tabled by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)That this House acknowledges the inherent risks undertaken by police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other members of the emergency services in the line of duty; notes that severe injuries sustained in the line of duty can prematurely end their careers; further notes with concern that current recognition for such sacrifices …
(Most recent: 13 Apr 2026)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 48
Labour: 36
Conservative: 7
Reform UK: 5
Democratic Unionist Party: 4
Plaid Cymru: 4
Independent: 3
Scottish National Party: 2
Green Party: 1
Alliance: 1
Ulster Unionist Party: 1
Traditional Unionist Voice: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
Your Party: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Michael Payne, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Michael Payne has not been granted any Urgent Questions
1 Adjournment Debate led by Michael Payne
Michael Payne has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Michael Payne has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)1 Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Questions
(View all Michael Payne's BIST questions)This government is putting high streets at the heart of economic renewal through our Small and Medium Sized Business Plan and MHCLG's £5 billion Pride in Place programme which will support areas in both of my Honourable Friends' constituencies.
At Budget, we confirmed permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure and a £4.3 billion package to protect ratepayer bill increases because of property revaluation.
We also announced £15 million per year to support stronger enforcement on illegal high street activity, alongside other measures covering, retail crime and pro-growth regulatory changes for the retail and hospitality sectors.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is determined to ensure that young people in Nottinghamshire can access high-quality technical education and apprenticeships leading to skilled employment.
The department is strengthening technical pathways for those aged 14 and older, introducing new V Levels and expanding T Levels at 16-19, and working with employers, schools, colleges and local leaders to ensure provision reflects skills needs.
To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are now fully funding apprenticeships for eligible young people under 25 and have introduced a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy paying employers, typically small to medium enterprises (SMEs), that recruit apprentices under 25. We have also introduced foundation apprenticeships to provide entry level opportunities in key sectors.
Local Skills Improvement Plans, published in July 2026, provide an employer-led assessment of local skills needs to 2029 and set out priority actions for employers, providers and partners to help address skills gaps. Nottinghamshire is covered by the East Midlands Local Skills Improvement Plan. Our approach to devolution ensures that strategic authorities will play a stronger role in shaping skills provision around future skills needs.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department continues to work with local authorities to strengthen their sufficiency planning for children, including reviewing whether statutory requirements are clear enough and exploring how to improve data on the availability of suitable places, such as for those needing specialist support.
In 2026/27, the government is also expecting to spend over £9.5 billion on early years entitlements, supporting more parents, especially mothers, to balance family life and work. This funding reflects a full year of eligible working parents being able to access 30 hours of childcare from nine months until their children start school, and an expected increase in funding rates.
Recent statistics show that 1.7 million eligible children were registered for government funded entitlements.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to widening opportunity and tackling child poverty. Expanding free school meals to all children in households receiving Universal Credit is expected to lift around 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament and put around £500 a year back into families' pockets.
The department anticipates that over half a million additional pupils nationally will become eligible as a result of this expansion. Published departmental analysis estimates that there are around 45,000 children in households receiving Universal Credit in Nottinghamshire. These children are within the group that may benefit from the expansion of free school meals eligibility, subject to meeting the relevant eligibility requirements and being registered for free school meals.
Providing a free, nutritious meal supports children's wellbeing, attendance, readiness to learn and educational attainment, and helps ensure that children flourish and succeed regardless of their background.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Under the Care Standards Act 2000, organisations that undertake work to support adopted children, or children who are being prepared for adoption, need to register with Ofsted as an adoption support agency. This is to ensure that providers are suitable and properly qualified. Successive regulations have, however, increased flexibilities, enabling all those working under contract with an adoption agency or adoption support agency to provide services without registration. This ensures that provision is widened while keeping quality secure. It is not open to the department itself to introduce transitional or exceptional arrangements.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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 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.
Year | DSG Schools Block Unit of Funding | |
Primary | Secondary | |
2018/19 | £3,927 | £4,985 |
2019/20 | £3,946 | £5,013 |
2020/21 | £4,125 | £5,218 |
2021/22 | £4,467 | £5,650 |
2022/23 | £4,592 | £5,817 |
2023/24 | £4,814 | £6,145 |
2024/25 | £5,071 | £6,470 |
These figures do not include funding for growth, premises or additional funding received through supplementary grants.
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
6 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Michael Payne's Defra questions)This Government recognises the impact of fly-tipping.
This Government is determined to tackle the scourge of fly-tipping and ensure persistent offenders face the consequences. We have increased maximum fixed penalties to £5,000, published guidance supporting councils in seizing vehicles, secured powers for statutory enforcement guidance, and consulted on requiring offenders to put right the harm they cause.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to greater use of nature-based solutions, recognising their wide range of benefits. This includes investing at least £300 million in natural flood management by 2036. New regional water councils will help shape and develop opportunities for local partnership working and investment at scale, including in Nottinghamshire.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to greater use of nature-based solutions, recognising their wide range of benefits. This includes investing at least £300 million in natural flood management by 2036. New regional water councils will help shape and develop opportunities for local partnership working and investment at scale, including in Nottinghamshire.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through the Sewage Overflow Programme the Environment Agency has required the water company to implement 38 projects to address overflow issues on the Trent.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is making progress with proposals to include Battery Energy Storage Systems within the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPRs). Officials have met with a range of key stakeholders to define potential thresholds and regulatory requirements. Applications for permits under EPRs are subject to a consultation process.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The £480 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry to leverage private investment and transform the availability of electric vehicle charging for drivers without off-street parking. LEVI is expected to support the installation of at least 100,000 local charge points across the country, including in suburban and rural residential areas.
Additionally, £25 million was made available to all local authorities in England to support residents without access to off-street parking to charge their electric vehicles on the street outside their homes and benefit from cheaper, domestic tariffs.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role of buses in connecting people with jobs, education, healthcare, family and friends.
Earlier this year, the Government confirmed funding through the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) for the remainder of the Spending Review period. The formula takes account of the needs of each local transport authority and specifically includes rurality. East Midlands Combined Authority will receive £67 million under the LABG. To support affordability, on 22 July, we also announced that single bus tickets will be capped at £2 from 1 January 2027. This is particularly important in rural areas where uncapped single fares can be higher.
Alongside this funding, the Government recognises that there are different ways of improving bus services and the needs of urban and rural areas differ. The East Midlands Combined Authority uses the Enhanced Partnership (EP) model to deliver their local bus services. This allows Local Transport Authorities to work with their bus operators to deliver improvements to bus services in their area.
Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can play an important role in ensuring communities can access transport services in areas where more traditional, regular stopping services may not be viable. This includes funding and supporting local transport authorities to deliver DRT services, such as Nottsbus On Demand. We published DRT best practice guidance in December 2025 which provides local authorities with a guide to setting up and deploying DRT schemes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is taking action to support disabled people and people with health conditions into work. Pathways to Work will provide tailored support that meets their needs, helping them to move into, stay in and progress to work.
Backed by £3.5 billion of investment by the end of the decade, Pathways to Work is creating a clear and joined-up offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions or out of work benefits. Some Pathways to Work support is available irrespective of benefit entitlement.
Pathways to Work is improving the way we help disabled people and people with health conditions in our Jobcentres. We have introduced around 1,000 (full time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisers in Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales so disabled people and people with health conditions can access personalised one-to-one support through regular tailored appointments. We are also testing a new Support Conversation in 32 Jobcentres to help individuals identify their needs and connect them to the right support.
Alongside these changes, we are expanding access to specialist and intensive support, through programmes such as Confident Futures (which opened for referrals at the end of October), Connect to Work and Economic Inactivity Trailblazers. These provide tailored employment support to disabled people, those with health conditions and people facing complex barriers to help them move closer to and into work.
Other programmes such as WorkWell and Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies are integrating health and work support around the individual, enabling people to access support for health-related barriers to employment at the same time.
DWP research suggests there is a lack of awareness of rules intended to encourage working-age people who are in receipt of health and disability benefits (Personal Independence Payment, Universal Credit and New Style Employment and Support Allowance) to try work. The Government has taken an important first step to address these barriers through Right to Try secondary legislation. This Right to Try legislation guarantees that starting work and volunteering in itself will not trigger a reassessment for PIP, UC, and NS ESA customers. However, the Right to Try regulations are the first step, and we have broadly accepted the Social Security Advisory Committee’s (SSAC) recommendations and begun development of a No Reassessment Guarantee.
This is a significant and complex change, so we’re taking the time to work through the detail carefully, making sure that the approach is robust and deliverable. We’re taking into account stakeholder feedback, alongside that of the Collaboration Committees and SSAC as we look to give disabled people greater confidence to try work.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year ending 2025 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up - GOV.UK. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.
However, the Department's Households potentially eligible for Pension Credit, 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK ad hoc statistical publication, provides analysis of households potentially eligible for, but not claiming, Pension Credit at sub-national and local authority level. It estimates that around 11,000 pensioner households in Nottinghamshire, excluding Nottingham City, were potentially eligible for Pension Credit but were not claiming. Including Nottingham City, the estimate was 13,900 households. Household numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 and these figures are not directly comparable with the current published estimates of take-up in the official statistics.
For information on the steps the Government is taking to increase Pension Credit take-up among eligible pensioners, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 3 November 2026 to Question UIN 38612.
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 3 November in response to Question 38689.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Management of staff at a local level is a matter for individual National Health Service employers. The Department will address wider issues around staff recruitment, retention, and welfare as part of our upcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that for children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties, timely access to high-quality support is essential.
Nearly six million children and young people now have access to Mental Health Support Teams in their own schools and colleges, and we aim to achieve full national coverage by the end of 2029. We have also provided more than £20 million in top-up funding to Early Support Hubs in 24 locations since 2024, including £7 million in 2026/27, to support at least 30,000 additional interventions by April 2027.
Reducing the longest waits for children and young people’s community mental health services is also a priority in our Medium Term Planning Framework. We are asking integrated care boards to take action on these waits, and progress is already being made, with a 14% decrease in the longest waits since April 2026.
The Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, published on 9 October, provides analysis and recommendations on a wide range of issues concerning current services, including mental health support for children and young people. We will respond fully to the review through our new cross-Government Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The strategy will aim to transform mental health care so that the system responds earlier, reduces waiting times, and provides timely, practical support tailored to people’s needs and circumstances.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further to the answer provided on 12 October in response to Question 30063, I can confirm that – as of August 2026 – there were 86,339 pathways on the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s waiting list, with 62.1% of patients waiting less than 18 weeks for treatment, compared to 61.8% in August 2025. The Hon. Member can find a suite of further adult and children’s elective performance metrics at the following link:
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are expanding capacity in general practices which will help deliver more appointments to patients across England, including in Nottinghamshire.
Since October 2024, we have funded primary care networks with an additional £160 million to recruit general practitioners (GPs) through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. Additionally, the new Practice Level GP Reimbursement Scheme, backed by £292 million of ringfenced funding, will help practices hire additional GPs or fund additional sessions with existing GPs to strengthen capacity, access, and improve patient satisfaction, whilst also addressing GP unemployment and underemployment.
We now have the highest number of GPs since 2015. As of July 2024, there were 27,735 fully qualified full-time equivalent GPs, and now there are 30,552, which is an extra 2,800 GPs. We delivered 15.8 million more appointments over the past year than in the previous year and we have asked practices to ensure that they see those who need a clinically urgent appointment on the same day.
As a result, patient experience is also improving, with nearly 77% of patients reporting ease of contact, up 16% since July 2024, and overall satisfaction is improving as well. Specific, integrated care board information on GP appointments is available at the following link:
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government takes the findings from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), including those where substance dependence was a feature in deaths very seriously, and expects them to inform practice, guidance, and commissioning at both a local and national level.
The processes for this is through the SAR escalation protocol and the national SAR analysis. All Safeguarding Adults Board members and relevant organisations are required to cooperate with SARs and implement findings locally, including through local commissioning and workforce training. The national SAR analysis then allows us to review at a national level.
The recently published Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment were informed by national SAR analysis and therefore include specific recommendations on adult safeguarding, summarise relevant legislation and guidance, and signpost to this national SAR analysis and associated good practice briefings, including on homelessness. The Department and NHS England are working with the drug and alcohol treatment sector to ensure that their workforce is sustainable, multidisciplinary, and equipped with the capabilities and capacity to help people to reduce risk and initiate and sustain recovery. The Department and NHS England published a 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce (2024–2034) in May 2024, which is available at the following link:
Secretary of State for Wales
The Mental Health Act 1983, specifically Section 1, subsection 3, states that “Dependence on alcohol or drugs is not considered to be a disorder or disability of the mind” for the purposes of the act, and we did not amend this in the Mental Health Act 2025 that passed in December. We have no plans to change the definition of mental disorder.
We know that people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs do not receive the integrated, person-centred care they require and deserve. The Department and NHS England have recently published Co-occurring mental health and substance use delivery framework, which is available at the following link:
This framework commits the Department and NHS England to delivering several national actions to improve delivery of integrated, person-centred care across drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services. The framework also includes recommended actions on how the health system can also work together to improve outcomes for those with co-occurring needs.
The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for National Health Service staff, including both contractor and salaried general practitioners (GPs). They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS, and trade unions to reach their recommendations.
The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration recommended an uplift of 6% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2024/25. This recommendation was accepted and a 6% uplift was applied to the pay element of the GP Contract.
Secretary of State for Wales
It is the responsibility of the integrated care board (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 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. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.
In respect of ADHD, NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce, which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected in the summer of 2025.
Secretary of State for Wales
It is for the marketing authorisation holder to propose a complex patient access scheme for a medicine being evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which would then be considered by the NICE and NHS England through the established process. The marketing authorisation holder has proposed a commercial agreement for ruxolitinib but the NICE was unable to recommend it as a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources at the price proposed in its final draft guidance, published in July 2024. A number of organisations appealed against the draft guidance. The NICE has not yet published final guidance, and its Appraisal Committee will consider the upheld appeal points at a future meeting, scheduled for 14 May 2025. The NICE is open to working with NHS England to ensure that commercial arrangements that are operationally manageable for the NHS can be taken into account.
Where the NICE does not recommend a treatment as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources, it will not usually be routinely funded by the NHS. NHS commissioners are, however, required to consider exceptional funding requests for individual patients.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which include better coordination of care and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the framework and published the fourth annual England action plan on 28 February 2025, which reports on progress.
NHS England commissions some specialist services for patients with EDS, which are currently delivered by two centres in England, namely the London North West University Healthcare Trust and the Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The complex EDS service provides diagnosis and advice to referrers on the treatment and management of complex cases.
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.
Secretary of State for Wales
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:
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.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Secretary of State for Wales
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.
Secretary of State for Wales
The Government’s responsibility for delivering motor neurone disease (MND) research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Significant recent investments include, but are not limited to, £12.5 million to support the best science in the UK Dementia Research Institute, £8 million for early phase clinical research and the Experimental medicine Route To Success in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis platform trial, and £6 million for the MND Translational Accelerator. In 2022, Government funders also published a joint NIHR and Medical Research Council Highlight Notice, inviting researchers across the academic and life sciences sector to submit applications via open call. The MND Highlight Notice invites proposals for research to address important health and social care questions, and seeks to increase the amount of MND research funded.
NHS England commissions the specialised care and treatment that patients with MND may receive from the 24 specialised neurology centres across England. NHS England has published a service specification setting out national standards for organisations that provide specialised neurological care. This sets out that the service should improve the quality of life and the experience of the services for patients and their carers. The support provided includes the provision of multi-disciplinary care from specialist clinicians, including neurologists, specialist nurses, speech and language therapists, dietetics and nutrition, and physiotherapy, depending on individual clinical need. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d04-neurosci-spec-neuro.pdf
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MND, including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology. NHS England has also established a Neurology Service Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services, including MND.
In addition, NHS England commissions a specialised communication aids service known as Augmentative and Alternative Communication, as set out in the published service specification. This service supports individuals with rapidly degenerative conditions, including MND, who are prioritised for this service. Further information is available at the following link:
While the data requested is not available for 2010, as of 10 July 2024, there were 13 open dentistry practices in the Gedling constituency, two of which were showing as accepting new adult patients. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website, and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:
Secretary of State for Wales
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.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The last government had 14 years to fix Defence family housing and failed, delivering instead record low levels of satisfaction.
We reversed the disastrous privatisation of military housing.
And our landmark £9 billion housing strategy will renew or repair 9 in 10 homes and we are legislating to create a new Defence Housing Service which will put the interests of service personnel first.
We have already rapidly improved military homes transforming 1,000 of the worst homes – ahead of schedule.
Labour has delivered more in eighteen months than the party opposite managed in fourteen years.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
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.
5 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Questions
(View all Michael Payne's MHCLG questions)The government recognizes the importance of ensuring that new housing is accessible and adaptable to meet the diverse needs of individuals throughout their lives. Accessibility standards for homes are governed by Part M of the Building Regulations 2010, which set out requirements for reasonable access and use of buildings. The Building Regulations are not retrospective; they apply only to new homes or those undergoing a material change of use.
There are three standards of accessibility prescribed in the Building Regulations: M4(1), M4(2), and M4(3). M4(1) is the current standard, ensuring reasonable provision for people to access and use the dwelling and its facilities. Optional standards M4(2) and M4(3) provide enhanced accessibility, with M4(2) requiring features such as a living area and step-free access at entrance level, wider doorways and corridors, and clear access routes to windows. Homes built to M4(2) standards also offer greater potential for future adaptability. M4(3), the highest optional standard, ensures that homes can be easily adapted to meet the needs of wheelchair users.
Everyone should be able to access a home that is suitable for them and meets their needs. That is why providing a range of safe and suitable accessible housing is part of the Government's ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. Offering those with mobility challenges a better choice of accommodation supports independent living, fosters community connections, and reduces health and care costs.
Planning rules already require councils to consider the needs of disabled people when planning new homes. The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), issued in December 2024, promotes mixed-use and mixed-tenure developments, which can include housing designed for specific groups. Local authorities are expected to assess the size, type, and tenure of housing needed for different groups in their communities, including older people and those with disabilities, and to reflect this in their Local Plans. Such an approach supports the creation of diverse communities and the timely delivery of housing. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The park homes sector is an important part of the housing market.
The government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.
We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
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.
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
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.
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 19575 on 20 December 2024.
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)