Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has had recent discussions with representatives of people who have experience of autism on the formulation of his Department's policies.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
On 2 April 2023, World Autism Acceptance Day, we announced the launch of a new review into autism and employment. The review is being led by the Rt Hon Member for South Swindon and is exploring ways to increase the number of autistic people in employment and to improve retention rates.
The review is focused on supporting employers to recruit and retain autistic people, identifying barriers to this happening and developing ways to overcome those barriers.
During the evidence gathering stage of this review, we have engaged with representatives of people who experienced autism from a wide range of industries that include, but are not limited to: the employment sector, the education sector, local authorities, devolved administrations, autistic charities, technology experts and most importantly autistic people.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to collect feedback from people with arthritis who use surgical hubs.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department values the importance of patient feedback on all National Health Service services, including from patients with arthritis who use NHS surgical hubs. It is up to individual integrated care systems and NHS trusts to decide how they collect patient feedback.
The NHS Friends and Family Test was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It is a quick and anonymous way for patients to give their views after receiving NHS care or treatment. Patients are also encouraged to give feedback by speaking to a member of staff or by leaving a review on the relevant services on nhs.uk.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that autistic people are able to access the financial support to which they are entitled.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
We are committed to supporting people with autism to access the right benefits and the right support. This is why all healthcare professionals (HCPs) conducting WCAs receive training on assessing people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders during new entrant training and as part of their continuing professional development.
The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising health and disability benefit services. It will create a more efficient service and a vastly improved claimant experience, reducing journey times and improving trust in our services and decisions.
In Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, we also set out the actions we will take to ensure people have a better experience when applying for, and receiving, health and disability benefits, which includes people with autism.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Faroe Islands on the hunting of whales and dolphins; and whether she plans to take steps through the UK's trade relationship with the Faroe Islands to discourage that practice.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston
The Government is strongly opposed to the hunting of whales and dolphins. UK Officials have raised concerns about this through many engagement channels including at the International Whaling Commission and through the Faroese Embassy in London. My Department continues to utilise the opportunities provided by our Trade Agreement to engage the Faroese government on this important matter, including through specifically raising our serious concerns with the practice at the Joint Committee of the agreement that took place in February 2023.
We continue to use our diplomatic relationship to lobby the Faroes to stop this practice altogether.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many musculoskeletal first contact practitioners were working in general practice as of 11 July 2023.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There were 1,894 full-time equivalent first contact physiotherapists in March 2023 working in general practices and primary care networks.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department planned timeline is for providers to deliver Perioperative Care Co-ordination teams.
Answered by Will Quince
From April 2023, providers have been asked to establish Perioperative Care Co-ordination teams. These are multidisciplinary teams who will assess health needs to proactively inform pre- and post-operative care and identify surgical risk factors, in order to reduce the chance of cancellations and to improve patient outcomes.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department have made of the impact of 20 mph zones have on traffic speed.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Department’s comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed only limits was published in 2018. It found there has been a small reduction in median speed (less than 1mph).
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
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 to help (a) reduce the ratio of the cost of electricity to gas and (b) people to move to a heat pump.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has committed to outlining an approach to gas and electricity price rebalancing by the end of 2023/24.
The Government aims to make heat pumps as cheap to buy and run as a gas boiler by 2030 at the latest. The Government will do this by growing the heat pump market to support 600,000 installations per year by 2028 and expanding UK manufacturing with the aim of reducing costs by at least 25-50% by 2025.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance he issues to new nuclear developers of Small and Advanced Modular Reactors on the price they will receive for their energy production; and if he will put in place a permission-free price hurdle for the development of new nuclear facilities which could set a Contract for Difference strike price.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Shadow Minister (Veterans)
Funding models, including the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) and Contract for Difference (CfD) are being considered for SMRs. The appropriate funding model for each new nuclear project will be determined in due course.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support applications for development sites from new nuclear developers of (a) small and (b) advanced modular reactors before the Great British Nuclear funding competition opens.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Shadow Minister (Veterans)
GBN will work across Government to support access to potential sites for new nuclear projects to achieve its long-term ambition. There is growing local and regional interest in a number of sites for further nuclear development. GBN would welcome any conversations with stakeholders who are considering whether their land might be suitable for the deployment of nuclear facilities in future.