Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to improve the operations of the Certification Officer.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Certification Officer (CO) is independent of Government and day-to-day operations are the remit of the Officer. The CO is required by statute to report their activities to the Department for Business and Trade, and ACAS, on an annual basis. This report is made available to Parliament and is deposited by the relevant minister in the House libraries.
The next report is due Summer 2025.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role neighbourhood mental health centre pilot schemes will play in improving (a) care and (b) support for people living with bipolar disorder; and whether these centres will provide specialist support to help reduce delays to diagnosis and treatment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Adults with mild to severe mental health needs, including bipolar disorder, can receive open access and as you arrive support, signposting and treatment at Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres, which will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These centres will be in the heart of the community and are firmly connected to both primary and specialist services.
Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres promote continuity of care with one team managing the mental health pathway and transitions between hospital and community. These centres will support the improvement of patient safety and clinical outcomes and reduce waiting times and hospitalisation.
NHS England has launched six pilot Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres in Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Sheffield, York, Birmingham and Whitehaven with a further 16 associate sites planned. The six pilot sites will be independently evaluated with findings expected in summer 2026. Evaluation will inform future roll out of the centres.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the use of police vehicles as places of safety for people with mental heath conditions, in the context of police and prison cells no longer being used to place people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Mental Health Act’s Code of Practice states that local organisations are expected to have clear arrangements in place to support individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. This includes the development of a policy which identifies specific places of safety.
These places of safety should be hospitals or health-based facilities where appropriate mental health services are provided.
Other options might, however, be appropriate, such as the home of a relative or of a friend of the person who is willing to accept them, or a residential care home. These settings might provide a more immediate and more suitable setting for the individual.
A police vehicle would not be an appropriate place to hold a person who is in need of specialist mental health support.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with (a) international counterparts and (b) the government of Sierra Leone to help ensure the 2028 General Election will be free and fair.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to promoting good governance and democracy in Sierra Leone, including transparent and inclusive elections. On 15 May, the Minister for Africa met with the Sierra Leonean Chief Minister, David Sengeh, and discussed the importance of full implementation of the Agreement for National Unity (ANU). Our High Commission in Freetown regularly engages with the Government of Sierra Leone, the EU and UN, like-minded diplomatic missions, and civil society organisations, to promote democratic norms, electoral integrity and ANU implementation. We will continue to engage with these international partners and the Government of Sierra Leone ahead of the 2028 elections to highlight the importance of good governance, the rule of law and the importance of free, fair and peaceful elections.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions against people in Sierra Leone who pose a threat to democracy in the country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not comment on potential future sanctions designations. We will continue to monitor the situation in Sierra Leone in the lead up to the 2028 elections including any actions that may undermine democratic processes.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the value is of the subsidy offered by the (a) Government and (b) Post Office to franchise operators of Post Office branches; and how long that subsidy is available for.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
While I regularly engage with the Post Office CEO about the direction of the company, Post Office has the freedom to operate the branch network within the parameters set by Government. Therefore, the level of support to people working in franchised branches is an operational matter for Post Office.
Government subsidy funding goes to Post Office, not franchise operators of branches directly. Government has confirmed up to £83 million of network subsidy this financial year to support Post Office with the costs of delivering Government policy requirements, and provided £10.9 million of funding in FY 24/25 to help initiate the Transformation Plan, which aims to put postmasters’ interests at the heart of Post Office. Further multi-year funding for the Transformation Plan and network subsidy is being considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to monitor the level of support provided to people working in franchised Post Offices.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
While I regularly engage with the Post Office CEO about the direction of the company, Post Office has the freedom to operate the branch network within the parameters set by Government. Therefore, the level of support to people working in franchised branches is an operational matter for Post Office.
Government subsidy funding goes to Post Office, not franchise operators of branches directly. Government has confirmed up to £83 million of network subsidy this financial year to support Post Office with the costs of delivering Government policy requirements, and provided £10.9 million of funding in FY 24/25 to help initiate the Transformation Plan, which aims to put postmasters’ interests at the heart of Post Office. Further multi-year funding for the Transformation Plan and network subsidy is being considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to help prevent leaseholders facing high fees for leasehold renewals.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44852 on 22 April 2025.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of the Terms of Trade regime under the Communications Act 2003 on the (a) independent television production sector and (b) creative economy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The terms of trade regime as set out in the Communications Act 2003 has been central to the growth of the independent television production sector and the wider creative economy since it was introduced in 2004. A recent report from Pact, the trade body representing independent film and television producers, highlighted how the regime had played an important role in enabling independent producers to retain more of the intellectual property they create.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the proposed network subsidy to the Post Office could be used to support Post Offices with rental costs as they become franchises.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government provides a network subsidy so that Post Office can cover the costs of delivering Government policy requirements, which include geographical access criteria. In order to fulfil the access criteria, Post Office has to keep uncommercial branches open. The network subsidy is to help the company to afford to do this. The network subsidy does not fund costs relating to the implementation of Post Office's transformation plan, which includes transitioning to a fully franchised network. Government provided POL with £10.9m of funding in FY 24/25 to help initiate the transformation plan. Further multi-year funding for the transformation plan is currently being considered.
Government has confirmed up to £83 million network subsidy for Financial Year 25/26. Funding beyond this will be confirmed as part of the upcoming Spending Review.