Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of ambulance response times in Great Yarmouth constituency exceeded national targets for category 1 and category 2 calls in the last 12 months.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the information in the format requested.
NHS England publishes official statistics for average ambulance response times by category of incident at a national level and at ambulance trust level. In addition, information on Category 2 ambulance response times has also been published since April 2024 by integrated care board area. This information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers and government departments should note and follow the ruling.
It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.
The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect Hemsby from coastal erosion.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The shoreline management approach for Hemsby’s coastline is managed realignment, as outlined in the Shoreline Management Plan which has been developed locally. The flood and coastal erosion risk management investment programme includes risk management structures for the coast where it is sustainable and affordable to build them. In areas where it is not, other approaches such as managed realignment will be needed.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of GP-to-patient ratios in the Great Yarmouth constituency as of April 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) have delivered an estimated 32.3 million appointments in March 2025, an increase of 6% since March 2024. In March 2025, in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board there were 643,000 GP appointments delivered.
In addition, through an £82 million funding boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), we have recruited 1,503 more GPs since 1 October 2024.
As of 31 March 2025, the median number of full-time equivalent doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients was 7.0 in Great Yarmouth constituency. GPs employed through the ARRS are not included as they are employed by primary care networks, rather than directly by practices.
There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients.
The demands each patient places on their general practice are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole; not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of GP service availability in Great Yarmouth constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) have delivered an estimated 32.3 million appointments in March 2025, an increase of 6% since March 2024. In March 2025, in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board there were 643,000 GP appointments delivered.
In addition, through an £82 million funding boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), we have recruited 1,503 more GPs since 1 October 2024.
As of 31 March 2025, the median number of full-time equivalent doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients was 7.0 in Great Yarmouth constituency. GPs employed through the ARRS are not included as they are employed by primary care networks, rather than directly by practices.
There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients.
The demands each patient places on their general practice are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole; not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will prioritise (a) Great Yarmouth constituency and (b) other coastal areas for economic regeneration funding.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government is fully committed to supporting the regeneration of our town centres and coastal communities.
Our new £1.5bn Plan for Neighbourhoods programme will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, including Great Yarmouth and 24 other coastal towns; laying the foundations to kickstart local growth and drive-up living standards.
The programme will help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation at root cause. Funding from the Plan for Neighbourhoods will help people across all 75 towns create bespoke regeneration plans that best fits the needs of their community, delivering change that people can see and identify with.
Alongside this, Great Yarmouth will benefit from an additional £597k for 2025-26 to support new or existing UK Shared Prosperity Fund investments.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding she has made available for town centre regeneration in Great Yarmouth constituency.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government is fully committed to supporting the regeneration of our town centres and coastal communities.
Our new £1.5bn Plan for Neighbourhoods programme will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, including Great Yarmouth and 24 other coastal towns; laying the foundations to kickstart local growth and drive-up living standards.
The programme will help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation at root cause. Funding from the Plan for Neighbourhoods will help people across all 75 towns create bespoke regeneration plans that best fits the needs of their community, delivering change that people can see and identify with.
Alongside this, Great Yarmouth will benefit from an additional £597k for 2025-26 to support new or existing UK Shared Prosperity Fund investments.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase (a) employment and (b) apprenticeships for young people in Great Yarmouth constituency
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances.
That is why as part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training.
DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.
For example, In Great Yarmouth, Jobcentre Work Coaches refer 16- to 24-year-olds to the Mason Trust's 'Step Forward' programme for employability support, including CV drafting, confidence building, and interview preparation. They also refer 16- to 19-year-olds in Nelson Ward to the Matthew Project's 'On Track' programme, offering 1:1 coaching and community engagement for those NEET or at risk. Jobcentres host regular Job Fairs and Provider Events, showcasing employment and training opportunities, including local apprenticeships, with around 30 employers participating.
Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda and a route to employment, open to everyone aged 16+, from career starters to those looking to upskill or retrain them. Work coaches nationwide, including Great Yarmouth, promote apprenticeships as a career path, and DWP employer-facing teams encourage businesses to develop suitable apprenticeship opportunities for customers.
The Government is reforming the apprenticeships to be more flexible and aligned to the industrial strategy. The Department for Education is working to introduce new foundation and shorter apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors. These will help more people gain high-quality skills, fuel innovation in businesses across the country, and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation orders have been issued to illegal migrants in Great Yarmouth constituency in the last year.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The requested information is not held on a constituency level, and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of halal food served in hospitals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data on the amount of halal food served in the National Health Service is not collected centrally. No estimate has been made of the proportion of halal food served in hospitals.