Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen cooperation with other nations to help tackle online fraud.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises the serious threat posed by fraudsters targeting UK citizens from abroad. In October 2024, the UK played a pivotal role in helping pass the first ever UN Resolution on Fraud at the 12th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).
The resolution outlines a set of key recommendations that all signatories to the UNTOC (186 Member States) should implement to mitigate the threat of fraud to their citizens. These recommendations include codifying fraud as a serious crime, pursuing fraudsters, protecting victims, and collaborating closely with the private sector to design out fraud. By establishing these guidelines, the resolution sets a baseline of global standards for all member states to follow. This is a significant advancement in the global fight against fraud and underscores our shared commitment with international partners in combating this pernicious crime.
As part of the Government’s on-going work to tackle fraud internationally, we continue to work closely with our strategic partners including Five Eyes countries, Singapore, EU nations and INTERPOL, to target fraud and scams at source. Through these forums we are working with source countries (where transnational organised fraud and cybercrime groups operate) to build capacity in their law enforcement agencies, in order to tackle and disrupt overseas fraud before it reaches the UK.
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, how many children live in households in which at least one person is subject to a Limited Capability to Work Assessment in (a) the UK and (b) Torbay constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges to prevent their use in financial crime.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Cryptoassets, specifically cryptoasset exchange providers and custodian wallet providers have been regulated under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations 2017 (MLRs) since January 2020.
The MLRs require UK cryptoasset firms to register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) who act as a supervisory body to ensure firms have appropriate systems in place to prevent money laundering. The FCA also oversees financial promotions for cryptoassets, ensuring these adhere to regulations and are not misleading.
The Government has confirmed that it will proceed with creating a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK. Under this regime cryptoasset exchanges will be brought under broader FCA supervision, and subject to market abuse requirements.
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 the expected timeline is for Baroness Casey's Commission into Adult Social Care, including the dates for evidence submission.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Baroness Casey’s commission into adult social care will begin in April 2025. The Commission is independent and the timetable, beyond the reporting stages (Phase 1, reporting in 2026, Phase 2 in 2028) will be developed by the commission itself and set out in due course.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to help ensure that grants for affordable housing schemes do not sit as debt on housing association balance sheets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is responsible for setting prescribed accounting standards for the UK and Ireland, including the treatment of government grants. Grants, such as those associated with the Affordable Housing Programme, are not treated as debt on housing association balance sheets.
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, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's proposed changes to the Work Capability Assessment on the Child Poverty Strategy.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Work Capability Assessment is not working and needs to be reformed or replaced. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also work to support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term.
We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change.
The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with ticket vendors on the potential impact of the use of apps for purchasing tickets for events on (a) all digitally-excluded people, (b) people with disabilities and (c) people without access to smartphones.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Provided consumers are not misled and are able to make informed decisions, firms should be free to offer their products and services under conditions of their choosing. To support digital inclusion the Government encourages businesses to provide alternatives to digital purchases, where possible, for consumers who do not have access to a mobile phone.
It is important that consumers experience openness and transparency when buying tickets. The Government has launched a call for evidence on pricing practices in the live events sector, which closes on 4 April 2025. We are seeking evidence on the impact of current pricing practices on consumers and businesses and whether the current legal framework provides sufficient protection. The Government wants to ensure access and fairness for fans purchasing tickets for events, and we welcome responses to the call for evidence on these issues. We are engaging with ticketing platforms on issues covered in the call for evidence.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which local authorities are part of the review into safety valve schemes.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The areas taking part in this research are: Barnsley, Croydon, Darlington, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kent, Kirklees, Torbay, Salford, Surrey and York.
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 steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS dentists in Torbay constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are determined to rebuild dentistry in the National Health Service. It will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
Integrated Care Boards have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.
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, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the turnaround times for (a) hospital and (b) HM Coroner's Office post mortems in (i) neonatal and paediatric and (ii) other cases.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Workforce shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathology have led to longer turnaround times for hospital post-mortem reports in some areas of England. NHS England has established a national work programme to address these shortages.
A £20,000 recruitment incentive for new trainees has been introduced, with further initiatives underway to review the training pathway, develop advanced practitioner roles, and implement a retention strategy for existing staff.
Additional funding has also been provided in 2024/25 to create capacity in the service, whilst simultaneously exploring opportunities to streamline pathways through the use of digital and imaging techniques supported by the latest clinical evidence and practice.