Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 GP appointments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to fixing the crisis in GPs. Our plan will require both investment and reform. Firstly, we will increase the proportion of funding for GPs, starting with a commitment to recruit over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in general practice, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and take pressure off those currently working in the system. Additionally, we will deliver a modern booking system to end the 8:00am scramble for GP appointments and bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.
We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan. More information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 reduce ambulance waiting times.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including for ambulance response times.
As a first step, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.
Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any of the increased funding for the NHS, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2024, is ring-fenced for ambulance services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service’s funding increases have not been ring-fenced in that way. Ring-fencing funding restricts the freedom of integrated care boards to take decisions based on the specific circumstances of their local populations.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) car rental car parking spaces and (b) car rental car parking spaces with electric charging points at each airport.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Information requested is not held by the department.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) hybrid and (d) electric (i) cars, (ii) vans and (iii) other vehicles his Department hired in each of the last five years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) hybrid and (d) electric (i) cars, (ii) vans and (iii) other vehicles her Department hired in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transports vehicle hire contract provides hire services for the core department, agencies and some arms-length bodies for cars, vans and other vehicles. Over a period of 5 years (Jan 2020 – Oct 24) on average 28,087 are hired a year, however, we don’t centrally record information on fuel or engine type.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric vehicle charging points there are in each local authority area on (a) local authority land and (b) privately owned land.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The information requested is not available. The Department for Transport does not hold information on whether the land on which a public charging device is located is (a) local authority land or (b) privately owned land.
The latest statistics on the number of public charging devices broken down by local authority can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) minimise disruption resulting from the transition to e-Visas and (b) ensure that older applicants are not disadvantaged by the move to an online system.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
An extensive communications campaign is being delivered in support of the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas, to raise awareness of eVisas, build understanding of how it applies to visa holders and checkers, and encourage them to take action. This includes activity and messaging specifically targeting biometric residence permit (BRP) holding customers to register for a UKVI account by the end of 2024, when most BRPs expire, if they were not automatically provided with a UKVI account and eVisa when their most recent immigration application was approved.
We continue to take steps to reduce the number of circumstances where individuals need to provide evidence of their immigration status, by making relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with public authorities and government departments. Organisations with access currently include the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), DVLA, Social Security Scotland, NHS England and Wales, Border Force, and some local authorities.
In addition to these organisations, we have also developed technology to enable airline carriers to check immigration status automatically via systems checks. If for any reason the carrier does not receive confirmation of the passenger’s immigration status, they will be able to check this using the ‘view and prove’ service, or the carrier can contact the 24/7 Carrier Support Hub for advice.
Our communications explain that customers with older forms of evidence of immigration status, such as ink stamps in passports, will still be able to use their legacy document where permitted to prove their rights and when travelling, as they do today. However, we encourage those individuals to transition to an eVisa, which offers a range of benefits to customers and status checkers.
All communications activity has directed visa holders to www.gov.uk/eVisa, and, where appropriate, has highlighted the range of available support.
The Home Office is committed to ensuring everyone, including the elderly and the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system. We have a range of support in place. This includes our Assisted Digital service (https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-applications) which is available in the UK to provide support by phone and email to those who need help with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account.
Customers can also contact the UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk) for support via email and webchat, and telephone. They also support people through the online journey by:
The UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre can also help people with any technical issues with their online immigration status, and, where necessary, verify the person’s status through alternative means.
On 18 September 2024, we announced that the Government is providing up to £4m in dedicated grant funding to a UK wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver valuable support to those who need it, during the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas.
To date, grant funding agreements are in place with four organisations that will provide national coverage.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of funding provided through the NHS to charitable hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials meet regularly with Hospice UK and alongside our key partners at NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with the sector, including Hospice UK, to understand the issues they are facing.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by integrated care board (ICB) area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth and range of palliative and end of life care provision within their ICB footprint.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people, and their loved ones, at end of life.
Palliative and end of life care is provided through a range of professionals and providers, both generalists and specialists, across the NHS, social care, and voluntary sector organisations. Therefore, the cost of provision is difficult to measure as relevant consultations and tasks are not always coded as palliative or end of life care. This makes it difficult to estimate how much is spent on palliative and end of life care provision as a whole, and how much might be saved by hospices delivering palliative care.
The Government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care, including hospices, in this shift. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 saving to the the NHS and social care services by hospices delivering palliative care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials meet regularly with Hospice UK and alongside our key partners at NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with the sector, including Hospice UK, to understand the issues they are facing.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by integrated care board (ICB) area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth and range of palliative and end of life care provision within their ICB footprint.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people, and their loved ones, at end of life.
Palliative and end of life care is provided through a range of professionals and providers, both generalists and specialists, across the NHS, social care, and voluntary sector organisations. Therefore, the cost of provision is difficult to measure as relevant consultations and tasks are not always coded as palliative or end of life care. This makes it difficult to estimate how much is spent on palliative and end of life care provision as a whole, and how much might be saved by hospices delivering palliative care.
The Government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care, including hospices, in this shift. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.