Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring tenancy agreements to allow domestic appliances to be used at times that allow people living in (a) flats and (b) houses in multiple occupation to take advantage of off-peak energy tariffs.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Renters’ Rights Bill will require private rented sector landlords in England to provide new tenants with a written statement of terms, which in practice will usually be provided via a written tenancy agreement.
Regulations will be made before the reforms are commenced, setting out what this written information must include. The Department is currently engaging with interested parties to seek their views on this information and will consider utilities as part of that process.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
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 support local initiatives in (a) Cheshire and (b) Merseyside to improve early cancer diagnosis rates in (a) deprived communities and (b) general.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that there are challenges for several different populations, particularly for people living in the most deprived areas of the country, and that this impacts early diagnosis rates.
Improving diagnosis rates and access to treatment are key priorities for the Government for all cancer types. To achieve this, we are improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres. In addition, we have delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, during our first year in Government as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.
The latest rapid registration data shows the 12-month early diagnosis rate reached 58.7% as of October 2024; this is 2.8% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This means approximately 7,500 more people are being diagnosed at stage 1 and 2. For Cheshire and Merseyside ICB the latest rapid registration data shows the 12-month early diagnosis rate reached 59.2% as of October 2024; this is 4.6% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
The roll out of the lung cancer screening programme has driven two thirds of the national improvement and when fully rolled out the programme is expected to detect around 9,000 cancers earlier each year.
People living in deprived areas are four times more likely to smoke, and smoking causes 72% of lung cancers. Through the programme early diagnosis rates have increased for all deprivation quintiles, with biggest gains among those living in most deprived areas. We will build on recent successes, including further roll out of the lung cancer screening programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost survival rates.
Additionally, the recently announced National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan and support delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure equitable treatment of parents with shared custody arrangements by the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in.
Reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty per cent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case.
If evidence shows that both parties are providing equal day-to-day care of a qualifying child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions his Department has had with the utility companies on the ability of people living in (a) flats and (b) houses in multiple occupation to take advantage of reduced tariffs for off-peak electricity due to (i) the conditions of their tenancy agreement (ii) the potential impact on their neighbours.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The only way to accurately reflect the individual usage of each tenant in a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) would be if they each had a submeter. This would mean that their energy usage would be reflected in how much they pay the landlord for their energy. If an individual wishes to have this implemented, they should speak to their landlord to see if this is an option for them.
In order to protect consumers in HMOs, there is legislation which sets a maximum price that can be charged for electricity and gas which has already been bought from a licensed supplier. The maximum resale price guidance is available on Ofgem’s website and if a tenant upon reviewing this guidance believes their landlord to be in contravention of it, they should raise it with them.
Ofgem is exploring options for easier routes to access support where non-compliance with the guidance has taken place. Ofgem continues to work to have vulnerable consumers added to the Priority Services Register in order that they can more easily access support where needed.
We will continue to engage with stakeholders and consider whether any further actions are required.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
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 improve (a) one year and (b) five year survival rates for cancers of the (i) liver, (ii) lung, (iii) pancreas, (iv) oesophagus and (v) stomach in Cheshire and Merseyside.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving early diagnosis of cancer, which is integral for improving survival rates, is a priority for this government. Rapid diagnostic centres (RDCs), which are designed to speed up the diagnosis of cancer, have now been successfully rolled out across England. RDCs provide a non-specific symptom (NSS) pathway for patients who display symptoms that could indicate cancer but do not align to specific cancers. NSS pathways are very important for diagnosing cancers such as liver, pancreas, oesophagus and stomach cancers whose symptoms may not be obvious and mimic other conditions. NSS pathways complement other cancer diagnostic pathways, as well as providing elements that can be applied to existing pathways.
We set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. We have asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer. Cheshire and Merseyside has been at the forefront of developing the new centres, with 10 across the region.
Furthermore, the Department has also committed support to the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, which targets cancers with poor survival rates. This partnership focuses on liver, pancreas, lung, brain, oesophagus, and stomach cancers, raising awareness of these less survivable cancers so more people understand their symptoms and go to see their general practitioner if they have concerns. We will build on recent successes, including roll out of the targeted lung screening programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost one and five year survival rates. This has already been rolled out to at least five areas of Cheshire and Merseyside and is making a real impact on early detection of lung cancer.
Finally, the recently announced Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan and support delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis and transform survival rates, saving thousands of lives and putting us on a stronger footing with our international peers.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report by the Civil Aviation Authority entitled CAP3010: Annual Report & Accounts 2023/2024, published on 12 September 2024, if she will take steps to ensure (a) the accuracy of (i) drone operator (A) numbers and (B) projections and (ii) other information in that report and (b) that accurate data is used in future regulatory decisions affecting the drone industry.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Late last year the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) became aware of an error in its Annual Report and Accounts for 2023/24 and immediately notified the Department for Transport. The Department for Transport officially put this error right by means of a correction slip. This was laid in both Houses of Parliament on 16 December 2024, alongside the original report which had been laid on 12 September 2024. This corrected error has had no implications for regulatory decisions, charging models or future projections made or to be made by the CAA. The CAA has since taken steps to further strengthen its Annual Report and Accounts auditing process to confirm the accuracy of all the statistics in future Annual Reports and Accounts before they are laid in Parliament.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he plans to take to use the Postcode Address File to support (a) innovation, (b) small businesses and (c) the economy.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Postcode Address File is owned by Royal Mail, not the Government. Royal Mail’s terms of access to the Postcode Address File are regulated by Ofcom, the independent regulator for postal services.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
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 address regional disparities in (a) funding and (b) staffing levels for the (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of congenital heart disease for (A) all patients and (B) paediatric services in the North West..
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ North West Regional Team provides system leadership for population health and reducing health inequalities across the North West. This includes working with local authorities and integrated care systems to develop and deliver population health programmes at a local level, supporting regional NHS England priorities and long-term planning on prevention and health inequalities.
NHS England undertook a national review of congenital heart disease from 2014 to 2016 which created a new service specification for the provision of congenital heart disease services. This new service specification identifies minimum activity levels for each centre to achieve optimum outcomes, and the review identified planning footprints for clinical networks to achieve this level of activity.
Specialised commissioners, namely NHS England and the integrated care boards, have been working with North West providers and the North West Congenital Heart Disease Clinical Network to ensure adherence to these standards within local provision. Proposals are in development to support the creation of a single networked pathway of care for patients, delivered across designated specialised healthcare services, which includes plans for staffing and workforce development to consistently deliver national standards for all patients in the North West.
NHS England works closely with the Congenital Heart Networks to support work to maintain and monitor elective congenital heart disease surgery activity, waiting lists, and waiting times across England, noting that there are interdependencies with critical care capacity. Clinical heart disease constitutes the bulk of paediatric cardiac cases.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take legislative steps to make it a statutory requirement for Local Authorities to provide wraparound childcare provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all children and young people, ensuring they have access to the brilliant education and care they need to achieve and thrive. This includes ensuring that wraparound care is available and accessible. The government is improving access to before and after school care through the National Wraparound Childcare Programme.
The programme is being delivered through local authorities, given their existing sufficiency duty. The Childcare Act 2006 places a legal duty on local authorities to make sure that there are enough childcare places within its locality for working parents or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0 to 14, or up to 18 for disabled children. All local authorities should be able to demonstrate how they have discharged this duty and should include specific reference to how they are ensuring there is sufficient childcare to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as per the statutory guidance. This should be available from the local authority.
The department has also taken decisive action by announcing in the King’s Speech that, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, every state-funded school in England with primary aged pupils will offer a breakfast club. Departmental officials are working closely with schools and sector experts to develop a breakfast club programme that meets the needs of all children, including those with SEND.
On 23 September 2024, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that up to 750 state-funded schools with primary aged pupils will begin delivering free breakfast clubs from April 2025. The funding will allow these schools to run free breakfast clubs for their pupils starting in the summer term as part of a ‘test and learn’ phase to inform delivery of a national rollout, this will include testing approaches to supporting children with SEND.
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to give courts powers to order offenders' attendance at sentencing hearings.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Offenders who refuse to attend their sentencing hearings deny victims and their families the opportunity to explain how their crimes have impacted their lives. This Government wants victims to have faith that justice will be delivered and to see criminals face the consequences of their actions.
The Government is committed to legislating to enhance court powers to require offenders to attend their sentencing hearings. This measure will be included in the Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill which is due to be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.