Written questions by Cooper.

What the average length of time was for a First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) appeal for (a) personal independence payment and (b) universal credit in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England in each of the last five years.

Information about appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) is published at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics. The average waiting times data requested can be found under “Tribunal Statistics CSV files”.The information requested about the number of appellants waiting for appeals to be listed is not held centrally.HMCTS cannot isolate the number of appellants waiting for their appeal to be listed, as opposed to the number of appeals waiting to be listed. An appellant may have more than one appeal waiting to be listed:  appeals can be made against (amongst other things) initial decisions on entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), overpayments, or period of time for which PIP has been awarded, for which separate appeals can be lodged.

What proportion of appeals to the tribunals service in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England which related to (i) personal independence payments and (ii) universal credit were successful in

Information about appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) is published at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.The data requested can be found under “Tribunal Statistics CSV files”.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle health inequalities in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with life expectancy varying widely across and within communities. The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the structural inequalities that contribute to poor health, p...

What steps her Department is taking to tackle inequalities in education outcomes in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

Every child and young person should have every opportunity to achieve and thrive. The Opportunity Mission will promote equal opportunities for all by setting every child up for the best start in life, helping them achieve and thrive, and build skills for ...

What assessment she has made of trends in the levels of reoffending rates in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England in each of the last five years; and what steps her Department is taking to

The overall proven reoffending rate for England has decreased from 29.1% in 2017/18 to 25.0% in 2021/22 (the latest year for which reoffending data is available – see Table 1).The overall proven reoffending rate for Cheshire has decreased from 29.6% in 20...

What (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to increase access to NHS dentistry in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild den...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made recent progress on implementing section 42 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

This Government inherited a broken water system. These systemic issues require a proper reset with a reformed water sector in a new partnership with the Government to bring in the investment that is needed. The Government is committed to using legislation...

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support councils in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England to reduce homelessness.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This government recognises the devastating impact this can have on those affected.We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross ...

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase the supply of affordable housing in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

I refer my hon Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on ending rough sleeping in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) the rest of England.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected.We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing next ...

What steps she plans to take to help improve living standards in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

The Government knows UK living standards, as measured by Real Household Disposable Income (RHDI) per capita, have not grown at the pace many would have hoped for in recent years. If it had grown at the same rate between 2010 and 2023 as it did between 199...

What steps he is taking to support the development of carbon capture and storage technology.

Carbon Capture has a fundamental role to play in our clean energy future. That’s why we’ve committed £21.7bn to kickstart the industry. And last week, we saw an historic deal signed to get the UK’s first project, the East Coast Cluster, off the ground. Th...

What steps his Department is taking to support high streets in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

Revitalising our high streets is a priority for this government. We are taking active steps towards creating better conditions for high street businesses to thrive, including addressing anti-social behaviour and crime, reforming business returns, working ...

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase the supply of social housing in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

I refer my Hon Friend to my answer to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of primary school libraries on social disadvantage.

Reading for pleasure is hugely important and is associated with a range of academic, social and emotional benefits. The 2021 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study data for England showed that the pupils who said they liked reading the most ...

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the National Literacy Trust's report entitled Children and Young People's Reading in 2024, published in November 2

​​High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.​We know that reading for pl...

What estimate she has made of the number of young people out of work, education and training in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

The department publishes statistics on those not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the labour force survey (LFS) for young people aged 16 to 24. This can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-s...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of school libraries on pupils' (a) attainment and (b) wellbeing.

Reading for pleasure is hugely important and is associated with a range of academic, social and emotional benefits. The 2021 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study data for England showed that the pupils who said they liked reading the most ...

What the barriers are to delivering a half hourly service on the Mid Cheshire line between Northwich and Manchester.

I am aware of the aspiration for increased services on the Mid-Cheshire Line, and we will continue to discuss how additional services might be provided, with stakeholders including Transport for Greater Manchester and local MPs. Any increase in services w...

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the condition of the canal towpath network and (b) potential merits of enabling higher levels of use of the canal towpath network for

Use of towpaths by walkers and cyclists is an operational matter for individual navigation authorities, and Government does not have a role in that. However, Defra provides an annual grant of £52.6 million to the Canal and River Trust, which is the larges...