Sarah Coombes Portrait

Sarah Coombes

Labour - West Bromwich

9,554 (26.2%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


Sarah Coombes is not a member of any APPGs
Sarah Coombes has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Sarah Coombes has voted in 27 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Sarah Coombes Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op))
President of the Board of Trade
(3 debate interactions)
Alex Davies-Jones (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
(2 debate interactions)
Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour)
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(5 debate contributions)
Department for Business and Trade
(2 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(2 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Sarah Coombes has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debate
View all Sarah Coombes's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Sarah Coombes

Sarah Coombes has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Sarah Coombes, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Sarah Coombes has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Sarah Coombes has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Sarah Coombes has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Sarah Coombes has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 10 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps she to prevent the closure of private after-school childcare providers.

The department does not hold this information.

This government recognises the vital work that private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers, including childminders, undertake to deliver before-school, after-school and holiday childcare. The government knows that they are an important part of the system, bringing expertise, resources and capacity to the provision of school aged childcare. Local authorities are currently working in close collaboration with PVIs as part of the wraparound childcare programme to deliver new and expanded wraparound childcare places, so that parents can work and receive education and training, making everyone better off, not just the few.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many after-school childcare providers have closed since 2020.

The department does not hold this information.

This government recognises the vital work that private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers, including childminders, undertake to deliver before-school, after-school and holiday childcare. The government knows that they are an important part of the system, bringing expertise, resources and capacity to the provision of school aged childcare. Local authorities are currently working in close collaboration with PVIs as part of the wraparound childcare programme to deliver new and expanded wraparound childcare places, so that parents can work and receive education and training, making everyone better off, not just the few.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support unemployed teachers into teaching jobs.

High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education.

This government is focused on supporting qualified teachers, be they newly qualified or returning to the profession, and helping them find teaching jobs that help both them and their pupils achieve the best possible outcome. The department has established its own vacancy listing service for state-funded schools in England, Teaching Vacancies, to provide an effective and simple process for teachers to find the right jobs. Schools can list all their vacancies on the service, including support staff roles, for free. Over 85% of state-funded schools now use this service to advertise teaching roles. Support is also provided to jobseekers on searching, applying and interviewing for a school that feels like the right fit.

For qualified teachers returning to the profession, the department offers additional support, including the Return to Teaching Advisory (RTTA) service, specialised events, and the Return to Teaching webpage. The RTTA provides tailored support from a one-to-one adviser who can help with the application and interview process, increasing classroom readiness and finding suitable vacancies. This year, we have seen an increase in the number of teachers returning to teach in state-funded schools in England; 17,388 (FTE) teachers returned this year, which is 669 more than last year (16,719).

The department does not hold data on the number of qualified teachers who are unemployed. The School Workforce Census measures the number of qualified teachers employed in the state sector and does not cover those employed by the independent sector. Further data on the teacher workforce is available through the publication of the School Workforce Census data, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2023.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
8th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of qualified teachers who were unemployed on 8 October 2024.

High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education.

This government is focused on supporting qualified teachers, be they newly qualified or returning to the profession, and helping them find teaching jobs that help both them and their pupils achieve the best possible outcome. The department has established its own vacancy listing service for state-funded schools in England, Teaching Vacancies, to provide an effective and simple process for teachers to find the right jobs. Schools can list all their vacancies on the service, including support staff roles, for free. Over 85% of state-funded schools now use this service to advertise teaching roles. Support is also provided to jobseekers on searching, applying and interviewing for a school that feels like the right fit.

For qualified teachers returning to the profession, the department offers additional support, including the Return to Teaching Advisory (RTTA) service, specialised events, and the Return to Teaching webpage. The RTTA provides tailored support from a one-to-one adviser who can help with the application and interview process, increasing classroom readiness and finding suitable vacancies. This year, we have seen an increase in the number of teachers returning to teach in state-funded schools in England; 17,388 (FTE) teachers returned this year, which is 669 more than last year (16,719).

The department does not hold data on the number of qualified teachers who are unemployed. The School Workforce Census measures the number of qualified teachers employed in the state sector and does not cover those employed by the independent sector. Further data on the teacher workforce is available through the publication of the School Workforce Census data, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2023.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
17th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether improving respiratory health will be central to the new NHS 10-year plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will consider the change needed to meet the three health mission goals: a fairer system where everyone lives well for longer; a National Health Service that is there when people need it; and fewer lives lost to the biggest killers. We will carefully be considering policies with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of the current NHS resource allocation formula on more deprived areas.

The National Health Service resource allocation formula is intended to support equal opportunity of access for equal need, taking account of NHS England’s duty to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities. The formula takes account of factors such as demography, morbidity, deprivation, and the unavoidable cost of providing services in different areas. In addition, a further adjustment to address health inequalities and unmet needs increases the resources directed to deprived areas. The formula is based on independent academic research which is overseen by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, which in turn provides advice to the Chief Executive of NHS England on whether changes to the formula should be considered.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve patient satisfaction with GP services in West Bromwich constituency.

We recognise that despite the hard work of general practice (GP) teams, patients are still struggling to access care from GPs nationally and in local areas such as Bromwich. We also know that while GPs are delivering record numbers of appointments, patient satisfaction has dropped nationally.

We have a plan to fix this, which will require both investment and reform. Firstly, we will increase the proportion of funding for GPs, starting with a commitment to recruit over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs, secure the future pipeline of GPs, as well as take pressure off those currently working in the system.

Additionally, we will deliver a modern booking system and end the 8:00am scramble for GP appointments, which we know impacts patient satisfaction. We will also bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient to improve care for those with long-term conditions.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in West Bromwich constituency.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government, as we get the National Health Service back on its feet. Equality of both access to care and outcomes will be at the heart of building an NHS that is fit for the future.

We have committed to achieving the NHS Constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by the end of this Parliament. As a first step to achieving this, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week across the country, and will increase the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests, that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waits.

NHS providers, including those serving the West Bromwich constituency, are focused on reducing waiting lists for planned treatment, and specifically focusing on patients waiting over 65 weeks by the end of September.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to primary care services.

Too many patients are finding it impossible to access care. In May, a staggering 1.4 million patients waited for over a month for an appointment.

That is why we are committed to: fix the front door to the NHS; bring back the family doctor; and shift the focus of care away from hospitals and into the community.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an estimate of the cost of increasing the number of crown court sitting days beyond the original allocation.

Every year, the Government and the Judiciary agree a number of sitting days and an overall budget in what is known as the Concordat process.

In June, the Judiciary reached an agreement with the former Lord Chancellor to sit 106,000 days in the Crown Court within a total budget of £275 million.

The Lord Chancellor has since agreed to fund an additional 500 days, but it has become clear that there has been significant over-listing against this budget – with more trials scheduled than the funding allows.

As a result of that, approximately 1,600 sitting days have had to be withdrawn. The level of impact will vary across regions and is being managed closely to ensure there is minimal disruption to all involved.

Heidi Alexander
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)