Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients who no longer meeting the criteria to reside in hospital in (a) the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, (b) Westmorland General Hospital and (c) Furness General Hospital.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold hospital level data. However, as per the trust level data for the University Hospital Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which includes the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Westmorland General Hospital, and Furness General Hospital, in the month of September 2025, the latest month for which data is available, there were on average 145 adult patients, occupying 20.9% of the adult acute beds, each day who had no criteria to reside but who were not discharged by the end of the day. This was 6.1% higher than the average for England, of 14.8%, for September 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to deliver 50 new neighbourhood health centres by the end of this Parliament; and whether any will be built in Cumbria.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and we recognise that delivering high quality NHS healthcare requires the right infrastructure in the right places.

That is why over the course of our 10-Year Health Plan, we aim to establish a Neighbourhood Health Centre in every community, transforming healthcare access by bringing historically hospital-based services into communities and addressing wider determinants of health through services like debt advice, employment support, and obesity management programmes.

Nationwide coverage will take time, but we are starting in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels, using public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings.

We recently announced the places that will form wave 1 of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP), after a rigorous assessment of applications against the core criteria. The first wave of the NNHIP covers 43 sites across England, from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in the south-west to Sunderland in the north-east, ensuring that communities nationwide benefit from this new model of care.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how she communicates to migrants in France about the route to the UK under the Migration Treaty with France.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Information about applying to the scheme is available online at the following link: UK/European Applicant Transfer Scheme - GOV.UK and applications continue to be received from migrants in France seeking to come to the UK. We continue to monitor engagement with the scheme to ensure it is being accessed by those wishing to consider making an application.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether asylum applicants are informed of a timeframe within which they would receive a decision in relation to their application to come to the UK under the UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Individuals who make an expression of interest application to the UK/European Applicant Transfer Scheme will be contacted when a decision is made on their application. Timeframes for considering applications may vary depending on the application. Applications are considered in accordance with the published Immigration Rules and guidance for the scheme.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish data on the (a) number of applications received and (b) outcomes of applications of people who have applied to come to the UK under UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes statistics on entry clearance visa applications and outcomes as part of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. Data for all visa types, including for those arriving via the UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys, will be included within the entry clearance visas data tables.

The Home Office is committed to publishing further data at the end of the pilot period in 2026.

As of close of play on 20 October, 23 people have been transferred from France to the UK via the new safe, legal route. However, it is not appropriate to provide a continual update on each phase of the operation, not least as it involves sensitive information that could prove valuable to the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been transferred from France to the UK under the Migration Treaty with France.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes statistics on entry clearance visa applications and outcomes as part of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. Data for all visa types, including for those arriving via the UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys, will be included within the entry clearance visas data tables.

The Home Office is committed to publishing further data at the end of the pilot period in 2026.

As of close of play on 20 October, 23 people have been transferred from France to the UK via the new safe, legal route. However, it is not appropriate to provide a continual update on each phase of the operation, not least as it involves sensitive information that could prove valuable to the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to train more GPs in Cumbria.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) and has increased the number of available GP training places by an additional 250 from September 2025. This brings the total number of GP training places to 4,250 per year.

As of 31 August 2025, there were 89.8 full-time equivalent GPs in training grades working in practices in Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness.

We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, to treat patients on time again.

The 2018 to 2020 medical school expansion created new medical schools in regions where doctors were hard to recruit and where inequalities were high, and focussed on where there were medical specialty shortages, which includes GPs and psychiatry.

Current and future expansions to post-graduate training, including foundation training and GP specialty training, have been planned on the basis of relative need, balanced with the ability of locations to support trainees.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to improve accessibility at Staveley railway station.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since 2006, the Access for All (AfA) programme has delivered step free access at more than 270 stations across Britain.

In 2022, the previous government sought nominations from train operators and transport authorities for potential upgrades through the AfA programme. Staveley station was not nominated.

The hon member may wish to engage with Northern Trains and the local transport authority to make that case that Staveley station is a priority in any future rounds of funding.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce train delays on the West Coast Mainline.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Improving rail performance is one of this Government’s strategic priorities for transport. We are determined to deliver more punctual and reliable services as well as better value for money for the taxpayer.

In response to our challenge to improve performance, the rail industry has set out a Performance Restoration Framework, with five clear areas of focus to recover performance to acceptable levels, including timetable resilience, staffing and how to keep trains moving during disruptive events.

Avanti West Coast (AWC) is beginning to see consistent and steady performance improvements on the network. However, there is still more to do with punctuality behind the industry average and Network Rail infrastructure reliability continuing to be a leading cause of passenger disruption on the West Coast Mainline.

The Rail Minister is in regular contact with the AWC Managing Director and Network Rail, to challenge poor performance and demand immediate action to deliver urgent improvements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps with her Scottish counterpart to help prevent issues on the railways in Scotland that cause northbound trains on the West Coast Mainline to terminate at Preston rather than continuing up to Carlisle.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State is aware of difficulties passengers face during disruption in the North-West of England with limited options to keep services moving on the West Coast Mainline north of Preston.

The Rail Minister has strongly pressed Network Rail and Avanti West Coast, requesting that they urgently work together to come up with solutions for passengers during disruption.

Network Rail is undertaking an upgrade programme on the West Coast Main Line north of Crewe to improve the performance and reliability of the railway. This section of the route was last upgraded in the 1970s and suffers from performance issues today.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to include the Lakes Line Passing Loop in the next Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline announcement.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 8 July, the Secretary of State announced the road and rail schemes which have been prioritised over the next four years following the Spending Review. The Lakes Line scheme has not been progressed at this time. We remain committed to working with Westmorland & Furness Council, should the business case be further developed locally.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has taken recent steps to implement a passing loop on the Lakes Line.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 8 July, the Secretary of State announced the road and rail schemes which have been prioritised over the next four years following the Spending Review. The Lakes Line scheme has not been progressed at this time. We remain committed to working with Westmorland & Furness Council, should the business case be further developed locally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are on NHS waiting lists for radiotherapy in South Cumbria.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We do not routinely publish data on current waiting list levels broken down to the level of specific treatment types, and so we cannot provide an estimate of the number of people who are on National Health Service waiting lists for radiotherapy in South Cumbria.

However, the Government is aware that patients in all parts of the country, including South Cumbria, can be waiting too long for their treatment. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to get the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster.

We have invested £70 million in replacing outdated radiotherapy machines across the NHS with cutting-edge technology that will speed up treatment for thousands of patients. These new machines are being rolled out across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77309 on Cancer, when the Cancer Operational Taskforce was established; what its remit is; who the members of the Taskforce are; and who it reports to.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information requested as the Cancer Operational Taskforce is a local initiative.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve care for cancer patients in all parts of England. Having consulted with key stakeholders and patient groups, the plan will be published early in the new year.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps help tackle retrofit older homes in Cumbria.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government understands there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to tackle the UK’s diverse building stock, and as part of this we recognise the need to ensure older homes have the right measures for them. The government’s home retrofit tool, Find ways to save energy in your home - GOV.UK, provides tailored guidance to consumers. There is also a phoneline service on 0800 098 7950.

There are a number of government schemes offering support for home retrofits and details can be found at the GOV.UK Clean Energy Homepage.

The Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon, will be a universal offer of support to upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country, including in Cumbria.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will allocate funding to Future Proof Cumbria to develop targeted solutions for insulation in rural homes.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings.

Therefore, research was commissioned by the Department to develop a definition for housing stock for which the presence, and combination, of attributes and contextual factors can add complexity to improving energy efficiency and utilising low carbon heating solutions.

The government is currently carefully considering the findings of the research, which can be found at: (www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-and-identifying-complex-to-decarbonise-homes.) These will inform any future funding decisions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to change the eligibility criteria so that people living in older homes with non-cavity walls can access home insulation grants.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government has several energy efficiency schemes offering a variety of insulation measures, including those suitable for older homes with non-cavity walls. Eligibility for these is based on factors such as the household income, vulnerability and the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of the property. Consumers can visit the government’s home retrofit tool on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency to get tailored recommendations for home improvements to make their property cheaper to heat. There is also a phoneline service available on 0900 098 7950.

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 help reduce travel times for cancer patients in rural areas requiring radiotherapy treatment.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that for those in rural communities, the particular treatment they need may not be available at their local hospital, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre or specialist centres would be required, in order to receive the best care possible. The Government aims to ensure that each radiotherapy treatment centre is accessible to the highest number of patients possible, as well as being easily reached by the staff who work there.

The National Health Service runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.

This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allocating funding to Westmorland and Furness Council for buses in rural areas for funding periods of more than 12 months.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government knows how important, reliable bus services are enabling people to access education, work and vital services, and we are committed to delivering better bus services, including in Cumbria and rural areas right across the country.

The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in rural areas. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 and keep fares affordable. This includes £712 million for local authorities that can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Westmoreland and Furness Council has been allocated £4.2 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability.

The Government recognises the importance of providing local authorities with the certainty they need to plan and provide effective bus services, which is why we have committed to delivering longer-term funding settlements. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review, confirming additional funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027. We are currently reviewing the formula used to allocate the Local Authority Bus Grant for 2025/26 to ensure bus funding is allocated as fairly as possible in future years. Individual multi-year allocations for local authorities will be announced later this year.

Cumbria has been allocated additional funding as one of the areas taking part in the bus franchising pilots. The pilots will test approximately 5 different franchising models to investigate how they can be implemented and deliver improved bus services for passengers, including in more rural locations. The pilots will provide funding, guidance, and practical resources to local transport authorities to identify the most suitable approach to bus franchising and wider bus reform measures.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase bus provision for rural communities in Cumbria.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government knows how important, reliable bus services are enabling people to access education, work and vital services, and we are committed to delivering better bus services, including in Cumbria and rural areas right across the country.

The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in rural areas. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 and keep fares affordable. This includes £712 million for local authorities that can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Westmoreland and Furness Council has been allocated £4.2 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability.

The Government recognises the importance of providing local authorities with the certainty they need to plan and provide effective bus services, which is why we have committed to delivering longer-term funding settlements. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review, confirming additional funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027. We are currently reviewing the formula used to allocate the Local Authority Bus Grant for 2025/26 to ensure bus funding is allocated as fairly as possible in future years. Individual multi-year allocations for local authorities will be announced later this year.

Cumbria has been allocated additional funding as one of the areas taking part in the bus franchising pilots. The pilots will test approximately 5 different franchising models to investigate how they can be implemented and deliver improved bus services for passengers, including in more rural locations. The pilots will provide funding, guidance, and practical resources to local transport authorities to identify the most suitable approach to bus franchising and wider bus reform measures.

The Lakes School

Water bills

Local Housing Allowance

Chalk stream river protection

Protections for animals and people

Fossil fuel company profits

Right to object to data being used in online direct marketing

Contribution of legal immigrants