Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) provisions and (b) safeguards her Department has put in place to help ensure that victims of modern slavery detained in recent enforcement activity for illegal working are (i) identified and (ii) protected.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All staff within the Home Office involved in immigration enforcement activity are provided with appropriate training and guidance for their roles. This includes, but is not limited to, training around Modern Slavery, the National Referrals Mechanism process and the Adults at Risk in detention policy.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increased Teachers' Pension Scheme employer contributions on higher education institutions; and whether her Department plans to offer subsidies to those institutions.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government acknowledges the significant impact of our world-leading higher education (HE) sector. As both educational and research institutions, these universities make a vital contribution to our economy, society, and to industry and innovation.
The department appreciates the impact of the increased Teachers‘ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate on some HE providers and is working with departmental officials and stakeholders across the sector to better understand the impact of this issue.
We are also reviewing options to deliver a more robust HE sector and will set out a long-term plan for reform by summer 2025.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing higher education institutions to develop alternative pension options.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government acknowledges the significant impact of our world-leading higher education (HE) sector. As both educational and research institutions, these universities make a vital contribution to our economy, society, and to industry and innovation.
The department appreciates the impact of the increased Teachers‘ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate on some HE providers and is working with departmental officials and stakeholders across the sector to better understand the impact of this issue.
We are also reviewing options to deliver a more robust HE sector and will set out a long-term plan for reform by summer 2025.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will increase funding for public services to help ensure the affordability of pay awards.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
I refer the hon Member to my answer during HMT topical questions today (21 January 2025).
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the radiotherapy tariff was last updated; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential need for further updates.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The NHS Payment Scheme (NHSPS) replaced the national tariff from 1 April 2023. Following consultation, some amendments have been made for 2024/25, which came into effect on 1 April 2024. The amendments in the 2024/25 NHSPS included specialist radiotherapy services. In September 2024, a revised set of 2024/25 prices was published, which includes radiotherapy services and workforce tariffs. These prices have been updated to reflect a revised cost uplift factor for 2024/25.
NHS England held a series of workshops in October 2024 to set out, and seek feedback on, potential proposals for the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, and other aspects of the NHS finance system expected to come into effect from 1 April 2025.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many radiotherapy machines are (a) over the 10-year recommended age and (b) at risk of being out of date by the end of 2025; and how many of such machines he plans to replaced with funding announced in paragraph 2.71 of the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Government will continue to support the provision of radiotherapy machines, however, since April 2022 the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines has been with local systems. NHS England will allocate funding to trusts to purchase new radiotherapy machines, and trusts may purchase different types of machines. Therefore, it is not yet known how many machines will be purchased.
The number of radiotherapy machines in use which are over the 10-year recommended age is not published by NHS England.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 funding for radiotherapy cancer treatments addresses regional inequalities in access to (a) advanced radiotherapy techniques and (b) radiotherapy satellite centres; and if he will include an assessment the potential implications for his policies of such inequalities in the NHS 10 year plan.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include considering adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including in remote and rural areas. This includes radiotherapy treatment. The Government will work to ensure that the best standard of healthcare is available no matter where people live.
Addressing healthcare inequity is a core focus of the 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the National Health Service is there for anyone who needs it whenever they need it. We have established 11 working groups to take forward policy development that will feed into the plan. This includes working groups focused on how care should be designed and delivered to improve healthcare equity, alongside ensuring that access to healthcare services is effective and responsive.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department (a) has consulted and (b) plans consult with (i) clinical experts, (ii) the radiotherapy industry, (iii) patients and (iv) charities on how best to allocate the funds announced in the Budget for new radiotherapy machines.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The funding for new radiotherapy machines will be used to replace outdated machines, and allocated to trusts using criteria that NHS England has developed, so that the new machines can best meet the needs of patients across the country. The Department has no plans to consult on this matter.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of cancer patients have access to radiotherapy as their primary treatment; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of barriers to increasing that percentage.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Radiotherapy is available to all patients. Clinicians will help patients to determine the best treatment option for their cancer. No assessment has been made of the potential implications, as all patients have access to radiotherapy treatment on the National Health Service.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of radiotherapy infrastructure.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
There are currently no plans to make an assessment of radiotherapy infrastructure.