Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of additional jobs created by Heathrow expansion.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Heathrow expansion could result in billions invested into the economy to create over 100,000 jobs, and support many more jobs by boosting UK economic growth.
Our pledge to use more sustainable aviation fuel, part of our Plan for Change, will also support thousands of jobs, bring down our transport emissions, and make the UK a clean energy superpower.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of medicine for people with (a) epilepsy and (b) Parkinson’s disease.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, most issues, including with carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.
We are currently aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets from one manufacturer. This supply issue is expected to resolve by the end of May 2025. We are also aware of a shortage of phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets from one manufacturer, with the resupply date to be confirmed. In both cases, alternative suppliers are in stock with sufficient supply to support patients, and these issues have been communicated to the National Health Service.
The Department is aware of supply constraints with one supplier of amantadine 100 milligram capsules used in the management of Parkinson’s Disease, however stocks remain available from alternative suppliers to cover demand. The Department has also been notified of a discontinuation of apomorphine (APO-go PFS) 50 milligram/10millilitre pre-filled syringes from April 2025. Alternative formulations of apomorphine remain available for patients, and management guidance has been issued to the NHS.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the equitability of film tax relief schemes.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is committed to supporting the creative industries, and film and TV companies benefit from a number of generous and equitable tax reliefs, ranging from a rate of 34% for the standard Audio Visual Expenditure Credit to 53% for the Independent Film Tax Credit.
The credits are available to all companies that meet the eligibility criteria, which are outlined in the BFI’s Creative Sector Expenditure Credits and Tax Relief guidance. The criteria ensure that the credits meet their objectives of incentivising investment in culturally British film and TV productions and support the domestic industry. As with all taxes, the government keeps the film and TV reliefs under review.
The government also provides significant funding for the film and TV sector and has included the creative industries in its Industrial Strategy. A £60 million package of support for the creative industries announced in January included including £7 million for the Global Screen Fund and funding to 6 Mayoral Authorities to help develop creative clusters. The British Film Institute (BFI) administers the Global Screen Fund on behalf of government and follows the BFI Diversity Standards for all BFI funding.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) estimate her Department has made of the number of local authorities not meeting targets on guidance set for housing delivery and (b) assessment she has made of the potential impact of planning restrictions on housing delivery.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Housing Delivery Test, published annually, measures how well authorities have delivered against their housing requirements over a three-year period.
In the latest publication, published on 12 December 2024, 110 of 302 authorities delivered below 95% of their requirements.
The consequences that result from this under-delivery are set out in the National Planning Policy Framework which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the Business Growth Service will (a) work with local authorities in design and implementation and (b) progress wider government aims for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Business Growth Service will provide a national service and brand with locally led delivery and local business support services at its core. Local authorities are therefore key partners in the design and implementation of the Business Growth Service as well as the development of the broader Small Business Strategy aimed at helping SMEs to thrive.
DBT is currently consulting on these areas with the Mayoral Strategic Authorities, including the Greater London Authority, and other local government representatives via roundtables and other engagement routes, and this will continue as the Department prepares to the launch the Business Growth Service later this year.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the current Personal Independence Payments system for (a) supporting people with long-term illness and disability (b) adequate assessment of eligibility and (c) adapting to changing needs of recipients.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
a). Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides extensive support to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to help them live independent lives, contributing up to £9,583 a year, tax free, to help cover extra costs.
b) DWP has set standards for the quality of assessments and closely monitors all aspects of the process including the performance of the assessment suppliers. Our audit process considers the initial review, evidence collection, further evidence provided, and the advice within the assessment report completed by a health professional (HP).
c) PIP award rates, and their durations, are set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing. Award durations can vary from nine months to an on-going award, with a light touch review at the ten-year point. Award reviews remain an important feature of PIP to ensure customers receive the correct level of benefit.
This government is committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits. We are working to develop proposals for reform and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the spring statement later this year.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timeframe GPs have to authorise repeat prescriptions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no set timeframe for which general practitioners (GPs) must authorise repeat prescriptions. However, GPs should ensure that their patients know when to request the next batch of their repeat prescriptions, to allow sufficient time for it to be authorised and dispensed.
Under the GP Contract, practices in England are able to transfer any clinically appropriate patients onto Electronic Repeat Dispensing if they are already receiving, or have agreed to receive electronic prescriptions. This means, for patients who regularly receive the same medicine, GPs can issue up to 12 months’ worth of regular prescriptions without the patient needing to visit their GP. Instead, the prescription can be sent straight to their pharmacist for dispensing.
GPs are also required to offer patients the ability to order repeat prescriptions for drugs, medicines, and appliances online.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of regulating micro-mobility modes of transport.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the depth of public concern about the question of regulation for micromobility.
As you will appreciate, the new Government is still in its early stages, and I am carefully considering next steps and potential policy solutions for micromobility.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the uptake of breast cancer screening in (a) London and (b) the North East London Health and Care Partnership.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Uptake of breast screening declined during the pandemic but is now increasing although London uptake levels remains below England levels. The national acceptable level for coverage in the NHS Breast Screening Programme is 70%.
The following table shows the 2022/23 coverage by local authority in the North East London Health and Care Partnership, with an average coverage of 50.8%:
Local authority | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Barking and Dagenham | 59.9 | 61.0 |
Hackney and City of London | 54.9 | 47.5 |
Havering | 73.4 | 73.7 |
Newham | 53.0 | 47.9 |
Redbridge | 58.8 | 58.9 |
Tower Hamlets | 52.2 | 46.1 |
Waltham Forest | 60.3 | 58.2 |
London | 55.5 | 55.9 |
England | 65.3 | 66.4 |
Source: Breast screening annual statistics, NHS England
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October to Question 8348 on Driving Tests: Greater London, what the average waiting time was at a driving test centre in the wider London area in (a) 2019 and (b) 2015.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the average waiting time for driving test centres in the wider London area, located within the M25, in the financial years (a) 2019/20 and (b) 2015/16.
Driving test centre (DTC) | 2015/16 Average car practical driving test waiting time (weeks) | 2019/20 Average car practical driving test waiting time (weeks) |
Barking (Tanner Street) | 7.7 | 6.9 |
Barnet | 6.7 | 6.1 |
Belvedere | 6.3 | 7.6 |
Borehamwood | 11.0 | 5.8 |
Bromley | 1No data | 24.9 |
Chingford | 6.6 | 6.9 |
Enfield (Innova Business Park) | 9.7 | 5.9 |
Erith | 6.1 | 7.0 |
Goodmayes | 8.3 | 9.9 |
Greenford (Horsenden Lane) | 9.6 | 8.6 |
Hither Green | 8.7 | 9.1 |
Hornchurch | 7.4 | 8.1 |
Isleworth (Fleming Way) | 10.4 | 8.9 |
Loughton | 6.4 | 6.9 |
Mill Hill | 7.4 | 6.6 |
Mitcham | 8.0 | 7.4 |
Morden | 7.7 | 7.1 |
Pinner | 8.9 | 7.1 |
Sidcup | 6.1 | 7.7 |
Southall | 9.7 | 7.0 |
Tolworth | 6.1 | 6.8 |
Tottenham | 3No data | 9.3 |
Uxbridge | 7.6 | 7.0 |
Wanstead | 7.4 | 7.2 |
Watford | 7.5 | 6.0 |
West Wickham | 12.5 | 9.6 |
Wood Green | 11.1 | 8.7 |
Yeading | 4No data | 7.7 |
London Area Average (DTCs within the M25) | 8.2 | 7.5 |