Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce measures to improve patient safety in non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to taking action to address concerns about the safety of the non-surgical cosmetics sector, and will set out the details of its approach at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to protect the green belt in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (b) Tring and (c) Dacorum, in the context of the consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated on 24 September 2024.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to preserving Green Belts which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades, not least in terms of checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another.

The government’s new approach to the Green Belt, including prioritising the release of lower quality grey belt land and introducing ‘golden rules’ to ensure development benefits communities and nature, is set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December.

As set out in the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, we recognise the need for further guidance to ensure a more consistent approach to assessing Green Belt land and will provide it in January 2025.

In addition, to ensure that local authorities are supported to implement the changes in the NPPF, we will also provide a funding contribution to local authorities that will need to undertake Green Belt reviews as a result of our policy changes. Local authorities that meet our eligibility criteria will be able to submit an Expression of Interest to receive a share of this funding.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps to ensure that communities receive required infrastructure upgrades before new houses are occupied in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Dacorum Borough Council area.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.

The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.

The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help tackle poverty experienced by older people, in the context of changes to the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension; and we are also increasing the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1%. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.

The Government also offers an array of support to ensure pensioners remain comfortable and safe in the winter months. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount (in England & Wales).

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support and urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payments in future, alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. Our take-up campaign has been successful in boosting applications by 145% since July.

The Warm Home Discount scheme provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their winter energy bill. This winter, we expect over 3 million households, including over 1 million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.

The Government and industry have worked together to deliver a £500 million Winter Support Commitment for customers, which will help customers most in need by providing credit on bills, enhanced debt write-off schemes, and increased funding for charity partners to target hard to reach customers.

Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what support may be available to them, as they may be able to receive support from the Household Support Fund, Council Tax Reduction, or through energy support programmes such as the Homes Upgrade Grant and Energy Company Obligation.

We are also supporting consumers, including pensioners, through the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan – which will transform homes across the country, making them cleaner and cheaper to run. We've committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. This includes £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes, helping over 225,000 households reduce their energy bills by over £200.

Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS.

The difficult decisions we have made, such as targeting the Winter Fuel Payment, mean the Government is able to provide additional investment in the NHS, which benefits everyone including all pensioners who rely on these services. We have committed to returning NHS waiting times – including those for A&E and ambulances - to the standards set out in the NHS constitution that patients rightly expect.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enlisting approved driving instructors to carry out practical driving tests on a temporary basis; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on (a) surge capacity and (b) the backlog in driving tests.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

It is not possible to allow approved driving instructors (ADI’s) to temporarily work as driving examiners. The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) 1999 regulations require driving test examiners to meet certain criteria and pass an initial qualification and examination and prohibits a person from being an active ADI and an examiner simultaneously.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase the availability of practical driving tests in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times right across the country.

I announced to Parliament via a Written Ministerial Statement on 18 December DVSA’s 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times. Details of that plan can be found on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/car-practical-driving-test-waiting-times)

Housing

Afghan women and girls

Protecting children from sexual abuse

The EU and the arms trade, human rights, and the Israel-Gaza conflict

Conflict in the Middle East

Israeli Knesset decision to ban UNRWA

Peace in the Middle East