Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that victims of rural crime in areas with poor (a) phone and (b) internet coverage are able to report those crimes promptly.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to address the blight of rural crime, with the introduction of stronger powers for the police to tackle antisocial behaviour, and action to tackle farm theft and fly-tipping.
We are recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and police community support officers, including in rural areas, to ensure communities have somewhere to turn to report crimes and to report concerns.
Improving telecoms is a Department of Science Innovation and Technology lead.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish the report of the Older People's Housing Taskforce.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government will provide an update in relation to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report in due course.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her timetable is for bringing forward the secondary legislation under the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 to define the minimum standards for (a) immobilisers and (b) forensic markings required at point of sale.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting.
The necessary secondary legislation to implement the Act will set out the detail, which will include minimum required standards.
I met with Ruth Bailey, CEO of Agriculture Association on the 5th November 2024 . I am currently considering the views of those who may be affected by the legislation and its regulations, to understand the potential implications and determine the scope of the legislation. I will be in contact with the industry during the process and hope to make a decision shortly.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Child Maintenance Service on the mental health of paying parents.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation.
The CMS is well prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that the safety of any of its customers are at risk, and caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients.
The CMS also has a toolkit for its caseworkers, which includes clear steps to follow in order to support customers and signpost to support organisations, where appropriate. This Toolkit is regularly reviewed and strengthened on the basis of customer insight.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will freeze fuel duty for heavy goods vehicles and coaches.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Revenue from motoring taxes and associated VAT ensures that the Government can continue to fund the vital public services and infrastructure that people and families across the UK expect.
Following the spending audit, the Chancellor has been clear that difficult decisions lie ahead on spending, welfare and tax to fix the foundations of our economy and address the £22 billion hole the government has inherited. Decisions on how to do that will be taken at the Budget in the round; the Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to ensure that BDUK provide maps at a parish level for their local plans.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Building Digital UK (BDUK) is currently considering the most appropriate options for publishing more detailed information about the delivery of Project Gigabit at a local level, noting that this is subject to change throughout the lifetime of the programme.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
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 help increase referrals from GP surgeries to community pharmacies under the Pharmacy First service.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In August 2024, approximately 71% of general practices (GPs) in England made at least one referral into the Pharmacy First Service. To help increase uptake, NHS England is working closely with the integrated care boards (ICBs), GP stakeholders, and the community pharmacy sector to improve referral pathways. Funding has been provided to ICBs to recruit Primary Care Network engagement leads who will be well placed to support GP teams to refer into the service.
Digital systems are being improved to integrate the referral process, and most pharmacies can now receive Pharmacy First referrals from GPs straight into their NHS England assured pharmacy IT systems. NHS England is continuing to promote the Pharmacy First service to increase public awareness and knowledge around accessing community pharmacy services. This will include a targeted public communications campaign with associated media materials.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the activity thresholds for the Pharmacy First Service monthly fixed payment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Minimum Activity Requirements for the Pharmacy First Service have been amended for the remainder of 2024/25, to 20 for October, November, and December, 25 for January and February 2025, and 30 for March 2025.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
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 impact of community pharmacy closures on health outcomes (a) in South West Devon constituency and (b) nationally.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years and recognise that pharmacy closures can impact on local communities. Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending prescribing rights to (a) dieticians, (b) occupational therapists, (c) prosthetists and orthotists, (d) diagnostic radiographers, (e) speech and language therapists and (f) other healthcare professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works with NHS England to ensure that the prescribing responsibilities for all Allied Health Professionals are regularly reviewed and updated. Where it is deemed clinically appropriate and necessary to extend prescribing responsibilities to Allied Health Professionals, the Department follows an established process for making changes that ensures proposals are safe and beneficial for patients.
Regarding wider work related to non-medical prescribing, in late 2020 NHS England launched a series of public consultations seeking views on proposals to amend responsibilities for the prescribing, supply, and administration of medicines for the following professionals:
This work was undertaken as part of the Chief Professions Officers’ medicines mechanisms (CPOMM) programme. The Department is working with NHS England to consider the CPOMM consultations and progress the extension of responsibilities to supply, administer, or prescribe medicines under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs 2012) to regulated healthcare professionals, where a clear need and benefits have been identified.
For example, in June 2024 the Department completed work to amend the HMRs 2012 to allow dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply and administer specified medicines via exemptions, and pharmacy technicians to use Patient Group Directions. This legislation came into force in late June 2024. At present, the Department is reviewing priorities for progressing work in the CPOMM programme.