Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24, HC 62, whether the exercise to correct National Insurance records for recipients of Universal Credit has been completed in line with the expected timetable; and how many records have been amended as a result of that exercise.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The exercise was completed by 31st May 2024 ensuring all National Insurance records were corrected within the expected timetable with the data shared with HMRC. As stated when the issue was originally raised, relatively few cases, with benefits already in payment, were affected (20,604). Arrears of £7,338,393.81 have been paid.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help low-income families pay for after-school clubs.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare for working parents is a priority for this government. We want all families to benefit from the childcare support they are entitled to, helping them with the cost of childcare, enabling parents to work and giving children the best start in life. This includes ensuring that after school clubs are available and accessible. The government is improving access to before and after school care through the national wraparound childcare programme.
The programme has provided local authorities with more than £160 million to deliver the expansion of new before and after school places for primary school-aged children. This government’s ambition is that, by 2026, all parents and carers of primary school-aged children who need it will be able to access term-time childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm.
To support with costs, parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare. Parents can check what childcare support they are entitled to via the Childcare Choices website, which can be accessed here: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
On 23 September 2024, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that up to 750 state-funded schools with primary aged pupils will begin delivering free breakfast clubs from April 2025. The funding will allow these schools to run free breakfast clubs for their pupils starting in the summer term as part of a ‘test and learn’ phase to inform delivery of a national rollout. This new offer will also support parents to have more choices on when to work and will support families with the cost of childcare.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of centrally procuring scaffolding to prop up hospitals awaiting funding via the New Hospital Programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The safety of the National Health Service’s staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future, through our 10-Year Health Plan.
The Department has not assessed the potential merits of centrally procuring scaffolding, as the safety and mitigation requirements vary on a trust-by-trust basis. Trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs) have an annual allocation for estate maintenance and capital works, which totalled £4.2 billion in 2024/25. Each ICB manages this local capital budget for its area, allocating funds according to local priorities, including investment in safety and mitigation works, like scaffolding. Trusts with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) present at their sites can also access funding from NHS England’s national RAAC programme for propping and scaffolding, due to the serious dangers posed by RAAC.
Alongside the annual allocation for estate maintenance and capital works in 2025/26, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer also announced health capital spending is set to increase to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, including over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance, and to tackle dangerous RAAC. Further detail on this funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025 to 2026, as part of NHS planning guidance.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 potential merits of increasing access to givinostat.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is currently evaluating givinostat, and its Appraisal Committee will meet to consider its recommendations in May 2025.