Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to help reduce the cost of IVF for female same-sex couples.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has signed secondary legislation into law on 31 October 2024 to update the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, which removes additional screening costs for female same sex couples undergoing reciprocal in-vitro fertilisation.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently reviewing the fertility guideline and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate. We expect this review to be published in 2025. NHS England will be providing advice on this issue, and the Government will be considering future policy options soon.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help support people who work in the night time economy.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We recognise the important role that the night-time economy plays in supporting local communities. Healthy night-time economy businesses not only support our creative industries, including musicians, DJs and performance artists, but also support tourism and bolster day economy businesses.
In her Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced an increase to the National Living Wage in line with the Low Pay Commission recommendation to £12.21 per hour, alongside a minimum wage for 18-20 year olds of £10.00 per hour, with a view to eventually creating a single adult wage rate. This will benefit over 3.3 million workers around the UK, including those employed in the night-time economy.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support the health of night shift workers in West Bromwich constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Reducing ill health at work is an important area of focus for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE published its 10 year strategy ‘Protecting people and places’ in 2022 and this includes a strategic objective to reduce work-related ill health. HSE works closely with other government departments to ensure that they cooperate and collaborate on matters concerning their respective health responsibilities.
The Department for Business and Trade has overall policy responsibility for the Working Time Regulations 1998. However, both HSE and Local Authorities (LAs) enforce certain aspects of the Regulations and night work is one of the requirements that HSE enforces.
The Working Time Regulations require employers to ensure workers do not exceed night work limits, and to provide night workers with the opportunity to have a free health assessment at regular intervals.
When organising and planning night work, employers must also comply with their general duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR).
HSWA places a duty on all employers, so far as is reasonably practicable, to protect the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees. MHSWR places a duty on all employers to make an assessment of the risks to their employees from work activities and introduce measures that are ‘reasonably practicable’ to remove or control these risks.
This includes any health and safety risks associated with the number of hours worked, how these hours are scheduled and hazards such as fatigue, and its likelihood of occurring because of night shift working.
HSE has published guidance for employers to support them in managing the health and safety of shift workers (Managing shift work [HSG 256]) and Hints and tips for shift-workers (hse.gov.uk) to improve sleep quality, increase alertness and reduce health risk.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
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 impact of the current NHS resource allocation formula on more deprived areas.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
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.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
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.
Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
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.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps she to prevent the closure of private after-school childcare providers.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many after-school childcare providers have closed since 2020.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
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.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
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.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support unemployed teachers into teaching jobs.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
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.