Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered increasing funding for the Environment Agency for (a) capital and (b) appraisal work for (i) upstream water storage at Bramhall Green in Cheadle and (ii) other local schemes in preventing flooding.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The proposed capital project in Bramhall Green, Cheadle was not successful in receiving a Grant-in-Aid or Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Local Levy funding allocation in 2025/26. A robust prioritisation exercise was undertaken to determine which projects should receive funding and, unfortunately did not qualify. The bidding process for projects in 2026/27 has now opened and Bramhall Green, as well as Chorlton Brook Cheadle will bid to be able to progress next Financial Year. The Environment Agency continues to work with Mersey Rivers Trust in the Cheadle area to explore additional opportunities that can be pursued in the meantime.
Nearby Poise Brook in Hazel Grove received £340k funding this year, including Grant in Aid allocation of £42,000. This was awarded to support the continuation of appraisal work and to further assess the shortlisted options. Should a viable scheme be identified through this work, it has the potential to bring significant benefits to the communities of Hazel Grove, Torkington, and Offerton Green, enhancing their resilience and providing greater peace of mind for the future.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact on waiting for an NHS dental appointment for (a) people in wheelchairs and (b) able- bodied people.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made on the impact of waiting for a National Health Service dental appointment for people in wheelchairs or able-bodied people. The Government is committed to NHS dental services being available for all who need them. We recognise that certain groups of patients may be vulnerable to oral health problems, and may find it more difficult to access dental care.
We are tackling the challenges for all patients trying to access NHS dental appointments with a rescue plan providing 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and by recruiting new dentists to the areas that need them most.
Many high street dental practices are wheelchair-accessible and patients can contact local practices directly to inquire about their facilities. If patients in wheelchairs have difficultly locating a high street dentist that caters to their specific accessibility requirements, community dental services provide specialised dental services to people with additional needs. Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on how to provide long term, sustainable funding for transforming palliative and end of life care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.
I also recently met Rachael Maskell MP and Baroness Finlay to discuss the progress of their independent commission into palliative and end of life care.
As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.
We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.