Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
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 support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Stratford and Bow constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working to increase the general practice (GP) workforce in England, including in the Stratford and Bow constituency. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession, and encourage them to return to practice.
NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we will provide £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, so patients can get the care they need.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on reducing deaths from stroke and heart disease by a quarter within ten years.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing avoidable disability and death from heart disease and stroke is a priority for the Government. This is why the Government has set a goal for fewer lives being lost to the biggest killers, including from cardiovascular disease (CVD), and why the NHS England's Long Term Plan (2019) sets out a number of actions that aim to help prevent up to 150,000 heart attacks, strokes, and dementia cases by 2029.
The Government continues to support the delivery of the NHS Health Check programme, England’s CVD prevention programme, to people aged 40 to 74 years old. This programme identifies people at risk of CVD, supports people in reducing their risk, and prevents approximately 400 heart attacks or strokes each year. To improve access and engagement with the life-saving programme, we are developing a digital NHS Health Check which will be ready for testing in early 2025 and will enable people to undertake a check at home. We are also trialling the delivery of heart health checks to over 130,000 people in workplaces across the country.
Community pharmacies also provide a free blood pressure check service for anyone over 40 years old. In cases where this results in a high reading, pharmacists can make sure people receive the right National Health Service support to reduce their blood pressure and risk of death or serious disability.
We know there is more to do. The Department and NHS England are working together to achieve the Government’s ambition for fewer lives lost to the biggest killers, including CVD, and we will share more in due course.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of neighbourhood policing levels in East London.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which includes the addition of thousands more neighbourhood officers and other police personnel, as part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission. Funding for 2025/26 will be subject to the Spending Review.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to help (a) end discrimination against LGBT+ people and (b) ensure that LGBT+ hate crime is investigated.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government believes it is crucial that all LGBT+ people are safe and protected from discrimination in all its forms.
Work is underway on the various Manifesto commitments that will enhance legislative protections for LGBT+ individuals. This Government has already committed to bring forward parity in the law to make all existing strands of hate crime constitute an aggravated offence to greater protect LGBT+ victims and to deliver a trans-inclusive ban on abusive conversion practices.
The police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s standards. The Government of course expect the police to fully investigate all offences and to work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to tackle climate change.
Answered by Ed Miliband - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
This Government believes that we can only ensure climate security for further generations in the Uk if we lead globally.
And that was the message of the Prime Minister at the United Nations General assembly with our:
And next month I will be attending the cop29 talks in Azerbaijan to stand up for Britain's interests.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions against people in Sri Lanka accused of war crimes.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sri Lanka is a human rights priority country for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and we regularly engage with the Government of Sri Lanka on the need for truth, justice and accountability. The Global Human Rights sanctions regime is one tool in our foreign policy toolkit. The UK uses sanctions when we judge that they will be effective to achieve our foreign policy goals. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a decision regarding the most vulnerable Tamil refugees and migrants in the British Indian Territory of Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working closely with relevant departments and BIOT Administration to respond to the health and welfare needs of all the migrants present in Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the then Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to the Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group of November 2022, regarding maladministration notices and the treatment of its tenants, what steps the then Secretary of State took in response to a petition from tenants of Clarion Housing Group requesting that he ask the Regulator for Social Housing investigate the organisation’s poor performance in relation to (a) repairs, (b) services, (c) housing management and (d) value for money.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing must meet the outcomes of the standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing and ensure they provide their tenants with safe and decent homes.
In February 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded its review of the issues raised in the complaint submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents and from a subsequent meeting with a group of residents. Following consideration of the issues, the Regulator concluded that Clarion had not breached the consumer standards. The Regulator has subsequently carried out routine engagement with Clarion, and no similar issues relating to Stratford and Bow have been raised during this time. Following the introduction of the proactive regulatory regime on 1 April 2024, Clarion is subject to a regulatory inspection at least every four years. The Regulator can also respond to any further issues brought to its attention.
Following the publication of the Housing Ombudsman’s findings relating to Clarion’s performance, the previous administration wrote to Clarion to seek assurances that they were taking appropriate action. The Housing Ombudsman Service engaged with Clarion following the findings to ensure that the issues identified were resolved.
The Government intends to monitor closely Clarion’s performance.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the then Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to the Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group of November 2022, regarding maladministration notices and the treatment of its tenants, what steps her Department took to ensure that the Clarion Housing Group improved the standards of its (a) housing management, (b) repairs services and (c) value for money for (i) its residents and (ii) the Exchequer.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing must meet the outcomes of the standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing and ensure they provide their tenants with safe and decent homes.
In February 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded its review of the issues raised in the complaint submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents and from a subsequent meeting with a group of residents. Following consideration of the issues, the Regulator concluded that Clarion had not breached the consumer standards. The Regulator has subsequently carried out routine engagement with Clarion, and no similar issues relating to Stratford and Bow have been raised during this time. Following the introduction of the proactive regulatory regime on 1 April 2024, Clarion is subject to a regulatory inspection at least every four years. The Regulator can also respond to any further issues brought to its attention.
Following the publication of the Housing Ombudsman’s findings relating to Clarion’s performance, the previous administration wrote to Clarion to seek assurances that they were taking appropriate action. The Housing Ombudsman Service engaged with Clarion following the findings to ensure that the issues identified were resolved.
The Government intends to monitor closely Clarion’s performance.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
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 request an update from the Regulator for Social Housing on progress it has made on (a) its investigation into the collective complaint against Clarion House Group submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents in September 2023 and (b) steps taken following the meeting with a group of residents in December 2023.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing must meet the outcomes of the standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing and ensure they provide their tenants with safe and decent homes.
In February 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded its review of the issues raised in the complaint submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents and from a subsequent meeting with a group of residents. Following consideration of the issues, the Regulator concluded that Clarion had not breached the consumer standards. The Regulator has subsequently carried out routine engagement with Clarion, and no similar issues relating to Stratford and Bow have been raised during this time. Following the introduction of the proactive regulatory regime on 1 April 2024, Clarion is subject to a regulatory inspection at least every four years. The Regulator can also respond to any further issues brought to its attention.
Following the publication of the Housing Ombudsman’s findings relating to Clarion’s performance, the previous administration wrote to Clarion to seek assurances that they were taking appropriate action. The Housing Ombudsman Service engaged with Clarion following the findings to ensure that the issues identified were resolved.
The Government intends to monitor closely Clarion’s performance.