Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much additional funding his Department will allocate to the expansion of the cancer and diagnostic workforce in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.
Answered by Will Quince
In 2022/23 Health Education England is investing £50 million on the priorities identified in the cancer workforce plan phase 1. Spending plans for 2023/24 to 2024/25 inclusive are subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and will be finalised in due course.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
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 potential merits of the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to introduce a targeted lung cancer screening programme.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are considering this recommendation with NHS England.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the financial viability of (a) swimming pools and (b) other public leisure facilities.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, including swimming pools, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.
The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at Local Authority level, and the government continues to encourage Local Authorities to invest in leisure facilities.
Sport England has invested £9,564,322 in swimming and diving projects since April 2019, which includes £6,260,502 to Swim England. This is in addition to the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund which supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools throughout the country after the pandemic.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing to small and medium sized businesses facing increased electricity costs in winter 2021-22.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises this is a worrying time for businesses facing pressures due to the significant increases in prices. Extensive engagement continues across government at both a ministerial and official level on this situation to understand, and to help mitigate the impacts of, high global energy prices. The Government’s priority is to ensure costs are managed and energy supplies maintained.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the impact of reduced visitor numbers to the parliamentary estate due to covid-19 restrictions on the House of Commons' finances.
Answered by Charles Walker
In 2020/21 the closure of the estate to visitors, along with the much-reduced number of people working onsite, significantly affected income. In 2020/21 income from tours reduced by £2.4 million. Many tours staff were reassigned to other roles so there was no clear offsetting saving. The impact on catering and retail was a net increase in costs of £4.6 million (catering) and £0.85 million (retail). With no education visits spending on the transport subsidy for schools was reduced by £0.6m.
Financial year | HoC income from paid-for tours (£m) |
2018–19 (a) | 1.9 |
2019–20 (a) | 2.1 |
2020–21 (b) | *0.0 |
(a) Taken from House of Commons Administration Annual Report and Accounts for 2019–20.
(b) Taken from House of Commons Administration Annual Report and Accounts for 2020–21. See below for explanation of the figure.
*The House of Commons had budgeted to receive £2.4 million in income from tours in 2020–21 but, in the event, there was no income because tours were cancelled. It is important to note that this is income foregone, which is not the same as a net loss. (We noted on page 27 of the accounts that the loss in income is a gross figure; many tours staff were reassigned to other roles so there was no clear offsetting saving.)
In 2021 commercial tours, along with public access to retail and catering outlets, restarted over the summer. Income and expenditure in these areas continue to be closely monitored, as with all House of Commons 2021/22 budgets.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the mental health implications of requiring MPs' and House staff to work from home.
Answered by Charles Walker
The House of Commons Commission has implemented relevant Government guidance which at times required individuals to work from home. Since legal restrictions were lifted no member of House staff has been required to work from home where this would have an impact on their health.
Arrangements for their staff are a matter for the Member as the employer, who likewise have been able to allow their staff to work on the estate once legal restrictions were lifted where there was a health need.
The health and wellbeing of all on the estate remains the highest priority for the Commission. A range of services are offered by the House to support the wellbeing of Members and staff, including:
Through the use of these tools suitable arrangements for an individual can be put in place based on their specific circumstances.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many members of House of Commons staff have been made redundant because of Parliament's reduced income during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Charles Walker
No staff have been made redundant. Staff have been redeployed to alternative roles as required.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate the House Service has made of the number of potential redundancies among parliamentary staff which are consequential to (a) the closure of catering and hospitality venues and (b) restrictions placed on the number of visitors to the parliamentary estate.
Answered by Charles Walker
No redundancies have been made, or are expected, consequential to (a) the closure of catering and hospitality venues and (b) restrictions placed on the number of visitors to the parliamentary estate.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for regional security of alleged remarks by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that God has decreed that we must attack Tel Aviv.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Hamas' ongoing decision to embrace violence lies at the heart of the Gazan tragedy. We continue to call upon Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their incitement and indiscriminate rocket fire against Israel. Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001 and the UK maintains a no contact policy with Hamas in its entirety.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current legislation at tackling illegal racing of motor vehicles on streets; and if she will undertake a review into how legislation can be strengthened to tackle that illegal practice.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We believe there are sufficient powers to address the racing of motor vehicles on streets.
It is for local authorities, forces and agencies to decide how best to use these powers depending on the specific circumstances as they are best placed to understand what is causing the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.