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Written Question
Convictions: Young People
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions of young people there were in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Preston in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the trend in the number of such convictions.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice holds information on convictions by age group and Police Force Area, covering the period requested. The latest data available, until year ending June 2023, can be obtained in the following published tool: Outcomes by Offence tool: June 2023.

The tool linked above will allow you to select particular age groups of interest through the age group filter, and areas of the country through the police force area filter.

It is not possible to separately identify all convictions in Preston courts specifically, as those at magistrates’ courts in Preston are counted within the wider geographical area of Lancashire outlined in the first part of the question. Figures for the rest of 2023 will be available in the next update of the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly publication, expected in May 2024.

The Ministry of Justice has not carried out any recent location-specific assessment of on how our policies have influenced the trend in the number of children convicted since 2019 in Preston, Lancashire and the North West. However, there has been analysis of the broader national trend, which is a fall in the overall number of children entering the criminal justice system more generally in recent years. Since 2012, the number of first-time entrants to the youth justice system has declined by 72%. This can be attributed to a number of drivers. These include changes to policing and criminal justice practices intended to increase police discretion to divert children who had committed low-level offences from the formal justice system, prevention programmes to support vulnerable families and Youth Offending Teams undertaking prevention work with children perceived to be at risk of offending.


Written Question
NHS: Vacancies
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the shortage of NHS staff in rural and understaffed areas.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the importance of expanding the National Health Service workforce, particularly in parts of the country which are understaffed, including rural areas. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) commits to doubling the number of medical school places, with new medical schools and additional places in geographical areas with the greatest staff shortfalls. Further medical expansion will build on the impact of five new medical schools that have already opened in historically hard-to-recruit rural and coastal locations in Tyne and Wear, West Lancashire, Essex, Lincolnshire, and Kent.

The LTWP also sets out an aim to further adjust the distribution of postgraduate specialty training places, so that more medical students carry out their postgraduate training in parts of the country with the greatest shortages. Doctors are more likely to settle and practice in the areas they train. Therefore, expansion of places will help to address the need for more staff in these areas.


Written Question
Broadband: Lancashire
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help connect rural communities in Lancashire to broadband.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is committed to improving broadband coverage in rural areas, with gigabit broadband coverage delivered through the £5 billion Project Gigabit. Alternative connectivity solutions are being investigated for very hard to reach premises.

According to the independent website thinkbroadband.com, 98% of premises in Lancashire have access to a superfast broadband connection, while 88% of premises can access a gigabit-capable connection. To further extend gigabit-capable coverage, Lancashire is included in Project Gigabit’s cross regional framework tender, launched in July 2023. We expect to announce this contract in the summer.

Less than 1% of premises are unable to access a decent broadband connection of 10Mbps download and 1Mbps upload and may be able to get an improved connection through the Broadband USO, which gives consumers the right to request a decent broadband connection if their current connection falls below these speeds.


Written Question
Railway Stations: Galgate
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of building a railway station in Galgate.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Local Transport Fund granted £494 million to Lancashire to take forward local transport projects. The Government believes that local authorities are best placed to promote and take forward transport schemes that will most benefit their local areas. I would therefore encourage local stakeholders to work together to develop proposals and a business case for schemes such as a railway station in Galgate.


Written Question
Accident and Emergency Departments: North West
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average (a) daily cost per adult held in the emergency department and (b) length of stay was in that department in the latest period for which data is available in each acute trust within the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care system boundary.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England published the general and acute length of bed stay data for 2022/23, with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2022-23

The length of stay in an adult intensive care unit hospital bed and an elderly care hospital bed is not collected centrally by the Department, or published by NHS England. NHS England publishes the median total time spent in accident and emergency, from arrival to admission, transfer, or discharge, and again with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/provisional-accident-and-emergency-quality-indicators-for-england/january-2024-by-provider

The information requested on average daily costs by acute trust and integrated care system is not collected centrally by the Department.


Written Question
Hospital Beds: North West
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average (a) daily cost is per adult elderly care hospital bed and (b) length of stay was in those beds in the latest period for which data is available in each acute trust within the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care system boundary.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England published the general and acute length of bed stay data for 2022/23, with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2022-23

The length of stay in an adult intensive care unit hospital bed and an elderly care hospital bed is not collected centrally by the Department, or published by NHS England. NHS England publishes the median total time spent in accident and emergency, from arrival to admission, transfer, or discharge, and again with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/provisional-accident-and-emergency-quality-indicators-for-england/january-2024-by-provider

The information requested on average daily costs by acute trust and integrated care system is not collected centrally by the Department.


Written Question
Hospital Beds: North West
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average (a) daily cost is for an adult intensive care unit hospital bed and (b) length of stay was in those beds in the latest period for which data is available in each acute trust within the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care system boundary.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England published the general and acute length of bed stay data for 2022/23, with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2022-23

The length of stay in an adult intensive care unit hospital bed and an elderly care hospital bed is not collected centrally by the Department, or published by NHS England. NHS England publishes the median total time spent in accident and emergency, from arrival to admission, transfer, or discharge, and again with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/provisional-accident-and-emergency-quality-indicators-for-england/january-2024-by-provider

The information requested on average daily costs by acute trust and integrated care system is not collected centrally by the Department.


Written Question
Acute Beds: North West
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average (a) cost per adult and (b) length of stay was for an acute hospital bed day in each acute trust within the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care system in the 2022-2023 financial year.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England published the general and acute length of bed stay data for 2022/23, with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2022-23

The length of stay in an adult intensive care unit hospital bed and an elderly care hospital bed is not collected centrally by the Department, or published by NHS England. NHS England publishes the median total time spent in accident and emergency, from arrival to admission, transfer, or discharge, and again with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/provisional-accident-and-emergency-quality-indicators-for-england/january-2024-by-provider

The information requested on average daily costs by acute trust and integrated care system is not collected centrally by the Department.


Written Question
Acute Beds: North West
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average (a) cost per adult and (b) length of stay was for an acute hospital bed day in the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care system in the 2022-2023 financial year.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England published the general and acute length of bed stay data for 2022/23, with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2022-23

The length of stay in an adult intensive care unit hospital bed and an elderly care hospital bed is not collected centrally by the Department, or published by NHS England. NHS England publishes the median total time spent in accident and emergency, from arrival to admission, transfer, or discharge, and again with data available at trust level but not an integrated care system level, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/provisional-accident-and-emergency-quality-indicators-for-england/january-2024-by-provider

The information requested on average daily costs by acute trust and integrated care system is not collected centrally by the Department.


Written Question
Integrated Care Boards
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Integrated Care Boards delivered value-based activity of at least 104% of the 2019/20 baseline in 2022/23; and which Integrated Care Boards did not.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Nine integrated care boards (ICBs) delivered value-weighted activity (VWA) of at least 104% of the 2019/20 baseline in 2022/23, they are:

- NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB;

- NHS South East London ICB;

- NHS North East London ICB;

- NHS North Central London ICB;

- NHS North West London ICB;

- NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB;

- NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB;

- NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB; and

- NHS Kent and Medway ICB.

The following 10 ICBs delivered VWA of at least 100% of the 2019/20 baseline in 2022/23:

- NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB;

- NHS South West London ICB;

- NHS Lincolnshire ICB;

- NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB;

- NHS Northamptonshire ICB;

- NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB;

- NHS West Yorkshire ICB;

- NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB;

- NHS Devon ICB; and

- NHS Somerset ICB.

The remaining 23 ICBs did not deliver a VWA over 100% of the 2019/20 baseline in 2022/23.

Lower levels of elective activity were due to ongoing COVID-19 pressures and longer lengths of stay, as well as extended industrial action which started in December 2022. Providers were therefore allowed to retain elective funding to cover these costs. The department has put in place additional measures to monitor Elective Recovery Funding and related spending.