Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which housing and community development projects have received Government funding in Gloucestershire in financial year 2024-25.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
These projects received funding from HMG through 2024/25 to develop housing and communities in Gloucestershire:
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS 111 service is accessible to elderly patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS 111 is designed to be widely accessible and used by as many people as possible, including elderly patients. Patients can get help from NHS 111 by calling 111 for free from a landline or mobile phone, as well as in the NHS App and by using 111 online. More information about these is available at the following links:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/about-the-nhs-app/
Further information on alternative access to NHS 111 is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/urgent-emergency-care/nhs-111/accessing-nhs-111/
The NHS 111 online accessibility statement is available at the following link:
https://111.nhs.uk/Help/Accessibility
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration his Department has given to including a separate faster diagnosis target for children and young people with cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timeline is for the proposed extension of the maximum period that an eligible prisoner may spend on Home Detention Curfew.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The maximum period that an eligible prisoner may spend on Home Detention Curfew will be extended from 180 days to 365 days from 03 June 2025.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure early diagnosis of cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Earlier diagnosis of cancer, at stages 1 or 2, is key to delivering improved cancer outcomes and boosting chances of survival. The earlier that cancer is diagnosed, the more options there are for effective treatment.
The Government is committed to improving rates of early diagnosis. We are increasing public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms through the NHS Help Us, Help You campaigns, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point. Additionally, we are streamlining referral routes by introducing the non-specific symptom pathway, for patients who present with vague and non-site-specific symptoms which do not clearly align to a tumour type. We are also increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres.
Furthermore, the latest rapid registration data shows our 12-month early diagnosis rate reached 58.7% as of July 2024; this is 2.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This means approximately 7,000 more people are being diagnosed at stage 1 and 2. The roll out of the lung screening programme has driven two thirds of this improvement and latest data shows early diagnosis for lung cancer is eight percentage points higher than pre-pandemic. We will build on recent successes, including further roll out of the lung screening programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost survival rates.
Additionally, the recently announced National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan and support delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Good character: caseworker guidance, updated on 13 February 2025, whether her Department plans to review the £1,630 citizenship application fee.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025 laid on 21 January, sets out increases to the fee maxima that applies to applications made from within the UK to naturalise as a British citizen or a British Overseas Territories citizen from £1,500 to £1,605.
As stated in the Explanatory Memorandum for that instrument, this maxima change has been made in order to support a subsequent increase to the application fee for naturalisation as a British citizen at £1,605, with the total cost coming to £1,735 when including the ceremony fee. The intention is that this change will be made following Parliamentary clearance of the Fees Order amendment, through a subsequent amendment to the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of (a) rape and (b) sexual offence cases in the Crown Court.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We know that victims of rape and other sexual offences can wait longer than victims of other offence types for their cases to complete at the Crown Court. Judges, where possible, look to prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, which will include rape and sexual offence cases.
This Government has already taken decisive action to increase the capacity of the Crown Court to deliver swifter justice for victims – including victims of rape and sexual offences. This includes increasing magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months to free up time in the Crown Court and funding 108,500 sitting days this financial year, the highest level in almost ten years. Next financial year, this Government is funding a record allocation of 110,000 sitting days in the Crown Court, which will mean that even more cases can be heard.
However, we recognise we must go further. That is why the Lord Chancellor has commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, which will consider options for longer-term reform, as well as reviewing how the criminal courts could operate as efficiently as possible. The Review will report on recommendations for reform by late Spring, followed by recommendations on court efficiency by Autumn.
We remain committed to delivering on our manifesto commitment to fast-track rape cases, with specialist courts. We are carefully considering the best way to do this, considering impacts on other offence types and wider Crown Court recovery. We plan to work with the judiciary to do this and will be able to say more in due course.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the average response time for the NHS 111 service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to continuing to improve NHS 111 to ensure that patients can access the right care the first time, only visiting accident and emergency services when necessary. This includes through growing the clinical workforce, making urgent mental health support universally available, and expanding and promoting NHS 111 online.
The latest National Health Service published data showed that in December 2024, 77.4% of NHS 111 calls were answered within 60 seconds, which compares to 60% in December 2023. However, we know there is more to do. We will shortly set out further actions to support improvements to urgent and emergency care services during 2025/26.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he will visit the decommissioning power stations at (a) Oldbury and (b) Berkeley (Severn Edge); and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (i) deploying Small Modular Reactors at Oldbury and (ii) developing a Science & Technology Park at Berkeley.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Nuclear is driving forward its Small Modular Reactor competition and has separately acquired the site at Oldbury-on-Severn. No decisions have yet been taken on deployment of technologies at specific sites but the merits of any projects would be considered. We will also consider where the UK's science and innovation infrastructure is best placed to deliver new nuclear’s needs.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the long-term strategic investment required to support flood mitigation along the Severn Estuary.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future. We will work to improve resilience and preparation across central government and local authorities to better protect communities across the UK.
As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in building, maintaining and repairing flood defences, better protecting communities across the country, including from coastal erosion, as we adapt to climate change
Regional Flood and Coastal Committees play a key role in bringing these schemes together, making local choices and agreeing the final programmes in their areas.
The Environment Agency is undertaking computer based hydraulic modelling of the Severn Estuary to understand current and future flood risk. Using this information, improvements to existing flood schemes and construction of new flood schemes can then be planned in accordance with Government policy.