Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board is in alignment with NICE guideline 28, updated in 2022, related to the fair and equitable adoption of continuous glucose monitoring for eligible people with type 2 diabetes.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended that all people living with type 1 diabetes and people living with type 2 diabetes who required insulin therapy should be eligible for real time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The guidance recommends that all adults and children with type 1 diabetes are eligible for CGM, and that only certain adult and child populations with type 2 diabetes are eligible for CGM.

NHS England is developing new reporting systems which are designed to support ICBs to monitor the delivery of CGM. Data on CGM for diabetics is now collected as part of the National Diabetes Audit (NDA). NHS England plans to routinely publish this data in the NDA Core Quarterly dashboard in 2025/26, which will provide the data insights ICBs require, including data on CGM uptake, variation, and health inequalities.

This information will help in providing ICBs with data about inequalities and diabetes, and will allow them and NHS England to target strategies to ensure uptake of those patients who are clinically eligible for CGM, but where there are wider factors limiting access to support.

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 ensure alignment of Integrated Care Boards with NICE guideline 28, updated in 2022, related to the fair and equitable adoption of continuous glucose monitoring for eligible people with type 2 diabetes.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended that all people living with type 1 diabetes and people living with type 2 diabetes who required insulin therapy should be eligible for real time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The guidance recommends that all adults and children with type 1 diabetes are eligible for CGM, and that only certain adult and child populations with type 2 diabetes are eligible for CGM.

NHS England is developing new reporting systems which are designed to support ICBs to monitor the delivery of CGM. Data on CGM for diabetics is now collected as part of the National Diabetes Audit (NDA). NHS England plans to routinely publish this data in the NDA Core Quarterly dashboard in 2025/26, which will provide the data insights ICBs require, including data on CGM uptake, variation, and health inequalities.

This information will help in providing ICBs with data about inequalities and diabetes, and will allow them and NHS England to target strategies to ensure uptake of those patients who are clinically eligible for CGM, but where there are wider factors limiting access to support.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of the bus fare cap on bus usage in Meriden and Solihull East constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the Budget on 30 October, the government confirmed it will invest over £150 million to introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025. Under the plans of the previous administration, the current £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain the cap beyond this point.

The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may be playing a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.

Considering all its impacts, the fare cap is not financially sustainable for taxpayers and bus operators at £2. Capping fares at £3 will keep bus travel affordable while ensuring the cap is fair to taxpayers, helping millions of people access better opportunities, travel for less and protect vital bus routes, in Meriden and Solihull East, North Solihull and right across England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the change in the bus fare cap on bus usage in North Solihull.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the Budget on 30 October, the government confirmed it will invest over £150 million to introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025. Under the plans of the previous administration, the current £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain the cap beyond this point.

The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may be playing a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.

Considering all its impacts, the fare cap is not financially sustainable for taxpayers and bus operators at £2. Capping fares at £3 will keep bus travel affordable while ensuring the cap is fair to taxpayers, helping millions of people access better opportunities, travel for less and protect vital bus routes, in Meriden and Solihull East, North Solihull and right across England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her oral statement on Bus Funding of 18 November 2024, Official Report, column 50, whether the £50 million funding settlement for the West Midlands is in addition to previously announced funding.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

At the Budget on 30 October, we confirmed over £1 billion in funding in 25/26 to improve services, protect vital routes and keep fares down. On 17 November, we confirmed how we are distributing £955 million of that funding, with £712 million for local councils to deliver bus service improvement plans (BSIPs) and better meet local needs, and a further £243 million for bus operators, including funding a long-standing grant to drive down fares and drive up services. West Midlands Combined Authority will receive just under £50 million of this funding.

We are continuing the level of additional funding that was provided in the current financial year as part of Network North but have changed how this funding is allocated between councils to ensure we are treating the whole country fairly.

Prior to the Budget, there was no funding committed for bus services beyond the end of the current financial year. None of the funding we confirmed at the Budget had been given to councils or was in the Department for Transport’s budget before then. Future spending decisions will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to continue the previous Government's commitment to provide a £230 million funding package for bus services in the Midlands.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

At the Budget on 30 October, we confirmed over £1 billion in funding in 25/26 to improve services, protect vital routes and keep fares down. On 17 November, we confirmed how we are distributing £955 million of that funding, with £712 million for local councils to deliver bus service improvement plans (BSIPs) and better meet local needs, and a further £243 million for bus operators, including funding a long-standing grant to drive down fares and drive up services. West Midlands Combined Authority will receive just under £50 million of this funding.

We are continuing the level of additional funding that was provided in the current financial year as part of Network North but have changed how this funding is allocated between councils to ensure we are treating the whole country fairly.

Prior to the Budget, there was no funding committed for bus services beyond the end of the current financial year. None of the funding we confirmed at the Budget had been given to councils or was in the Department for Transport’s budget before then. Future spending decisions will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the level of the bus fare cap on bus usage.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the Budget on 30 October, the government confirmed it will invest over £150 million to introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025. Under the plans of the previous administration, the current £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain the cap beyond this point.

The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may be playing a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.

Considering all its impacts, the fare cap is not financially sustainable for taxpayers and bus operators at £2. Capping fares at £3 will keep bus travel affordable while ensuring the cap is fair to taxpayers, helping millions of people access better opportunities, travel for less and protect vital bus routes, in Meriden and Solihull East, North Solihull and right across England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the £50 million in settlement funding for bus travel is in addition to funding announced as part of the Network North package.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

At the Budget on 30 October, we confirmed over £1 billion in funding in 25/26 to improve services, protect vital routes and keep fares down. On 17 November, we confirmed how we are distributing £955 million of that funding, with £712 million for local councils to deliver bus service improvement plans (BSIPs) and better meet local needs, and a further £243 million for bus operators, including funding a long-standing grant to drive down fares and drive up services. West Midlands Combined Authority will receive just under £50 million of this funding.

We are continuing the level of additional funding that was provided in the current financial year as part of Network North but have changed how this funding is allocated between councils to ensure we are treating the whole country fairly.

Prior to the Budget, there was no funding committed for bus services beyond the end of the current financial year. None of the funding we confirmed at the Budget had been given to councils or was in the Department for Transport’s budget before then. Future spending decisions will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled New ambition for 50 million annual visits to UK announced by Tourism Minister, published on 27 November 2024, what steps she plans to take to meet this target.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The new Visitor Economy Advisory Council will work closely with industry and government to develop a national strategy for growth in the sector to achieve this target. We believe it is important to set this ambitious target, because although the UK attracted 41 million visitors in 2019, it only managed 38 million last year under the previous government. We are clear that growth in the tourism industry beyond London will be at the heart of this strategy, and that will require VisitBritain/VisitEngland to champion visits to the British countryside and rural areas to a worldwide audience and expanding the number of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships —including in rural and coastal areas. This is part of our commitment to spreading tourism’s benefits and creating an inclusive, regional growth model.

Housing

Found: Christopher Chope , Sir Julian Lewis , Lincoln Jopp, Martin Vickers , Dame Meg Hillier , Saqib Bhatti

Found: Saqib Bhatti 2024-04-15 NSPCC To discuss online safety implementation.

Found: Tickets Yes Accompanied by Spouse Michelle Donelan Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Saqib Bhatti