Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce workplace pressures on NHS dentists.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recently held a public consultation on a package of changes to improve access to, and the quality of NHS dentistry, which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The consultation closed on 19 August. The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response in due course.
If implemented, these reforms will cement our commitment to delivering 700,000 more urgent dental care appointments every year, better supporting patients with complex treatment needs and incentivising the delivery of more preventative care. The interim reform changes will seek to make NHS dentistry a more attractive workplace.
We will also publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan and will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS dental contract holders will be eligible for treatment at the Staff Treatment Hubs announced in the 10 Year Health Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the Staff Treatments Hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes and capacity.
The commitment to Staff Treatment hubs set out in the 10-Year Health Plan draws on various evidence sources including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review. This demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our NHS staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on establishing a national social tariff for water consumers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Independent Water Commission made a recommendation to consult on a National Social Tariff, which Government is taking into consideration and will provide a response to later this year in a White Paper.
Water companies have more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through existing social tariffs – from 4% to 9% - and the Government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a national social tariff.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Independent Water Commission made a recommendation to consult on a National Social Tariff which the Government is taking into consideration and will provide a response to later this year in a White Paper.
The Government is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported and expects water companies to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. Companies have therefore more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through existing social tariffs – from 4% to 9%.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce concerns amongst NHS dental professionals about the cost of clinical negligence claims.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix. In the 10 Year Health Plan we announced David Lock KC will be providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence claims, ahead of a review by the Department in the autumn. This review is focussed on clinical negligence claims in the NHS generally, not specifically on dentistry.
In terms of NHS dentistry reform, we recently held a public consultation on a package of changes, not only to improve access and quality, but also to make NHS dentistry a more professionally fulfilling and rewarding place in which to work. The consultation closed on 19 August, and the Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
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 potential implications for his policies of the concerns raised by the Dental Defence Union in their British Dental Journal article, published on 16 May 2025 in relation to the delays in fitness to practise proceedings.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.
In the first instance, we plan to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s regulatory framework in late 2025, and to deliver reformed legislation for the Health and Care Professions Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council within the current Parliamentary period.
The Department will continue to work with all regulators, the devolved administrations, and other key partners as we develop more consistent, efficient, and effective regulatory frameworks.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
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 potential merits of issuing a Section 60 Order to update fitness to practise proceedings for dental professionals.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.
In the first instance, we plan to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s regulatory framework in late 2025, and to deliver reformed legislation for the Health and Care Professions Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council within the current Parliamentary period.
The Department will continue to work with all regulators, the devolved administrations, and other key partners as we develop more consistent, efficient, and effective regulatory frameworks.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment she has made of the amount of Vehicle Excise Duty on (a) electric motorcycles and (b) electric quadricycles.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Different Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates apply to cars, vans, motorcycles, and other vehicles; the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as the type of vehicle, its date of first registration, weight, or CO2 emissions.
VED for motorcycles is currently based on engine size. There are four engine size ranges, with the lowest rate applying the smallest engines sized 150cc or less (currently £26) and to zero emission motorcycles. In contrast, the highest rate applies to engines sized 600cc and above (currently £121).
Quadricycles fall outside of the definition of an electric car or motorcycle in the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994. Electric quadricycles therefore remain exempt from VED.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what criteria will he base the review of the Carr-Hill formula.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the importance of ensuring that funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country.
The review of the Carr-Hill formula will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts, with a focus on how health need is reflected in funding. Further detail on the review will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help make the HM Revenue and Customs helpline more accessible to customers.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HMRC publish monthly performance data, including information on their telephony service, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports.
Improving day-to-day performance is one of the Government’s key priorities for HMRC.
A key part of this plan is expanding HMRC’s digital services. This will reduce pressure on phone lines, freeing up HMRC advisors to help those who are digitally excluded, have complex tax affairs, or find themselves in vulnerable circumstances.
As of 2024-25, there were more than 5.9 million users of the HMRC app, which allows people to manage their tax affairs quickly and easily.
HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap sets out further steps to improve the customer experience for taxpayers, agents, and businesses. The Transformation Roadmap can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-transformation-roadmap