Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Cooper this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 121–140 of 159 · this parliament
What (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to support the work of Air Ambulance charities.
The Department and the National Health Service continue to support the work of air ambulance charities, including through NHS ambulance trusts’ provision of key clinical staff and medical equipment, which supports the operation of air ambulances.
What recent estimate he has made of the average waiting time for mental health treatment in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England in each of the last five years.
The following table shows both the mean and median average waiting times, measured in days, for mental health treatment for adults in the Cheshire East local authority, for the last five years:Waiting time between referral and second contact for adults in the Cheshire East local authorityYear in which contact occurredNumber of adult referrals with a second contact in the yearMean average waiting timeMedian average waiting time2019/205,262148.8512020/215,986122.2342021/224,285156.343.52022/233,005234.3692023/245,165206.451 Similarly, the following table shows both the mean and median average waiting times, measured in days, for mental health treatment for children and young people aged under 18 years old in the Cheshire East local authority, for the last five years:Waiting time between referral and first contact for children and young people aged under 18 years old in the Cheshire East local authorityYear in which contact occurredNumber of child referrals with a first contact in the yearMean average waiting timeMedian average waiting time2019/203,244133.5282020/212,85471.1172021/222,810139.6272022/233,615197.1462023/244,145104.330 The following table shows both the mean and median average waiting times, measured in days, for mental health treatment for adults in the Cheshire East and Cheshire West, and Chester local authorities combined, for the last five years:Waiting time between referral and second contact for adults for the Cheshire East and Cheshire West, and Chester local authorities combinedYear in which contact occurredNumber of adult referrals with a second contact in the yearMean average waiting timeMedian average waiting time2019/2010,328132.9472020/2110,474115.6272021/227,645164.8482022/236,210218.1562023/2410,005157.934 In addition, the following table shows both the mean and median average waiting times, measured in days, for mental health treatment for children and young people aged under 18 years old in the Cheshire East and Cheshire West, and Chester local authorities combined, for the last five years:Waiting time between referral and first contact for children and young people aged under 18 years old for Cheshire East, and Cheshire West and Chester local authorities combinedYear in which contact occurredNumber of child referrals with a first contact in the yearMean average waiting timeMedian average waiting time2019/205,300106.0272020/214,73263.114.52021/224,510133.2262022/235,715172.9442023/247,31083.330 The following table shows both the mean and median average waiting times, measured in days, for mental health treatment for adults in England, for the last five years:Waiting time between referral and second contact for adults in EnglandYear in which contact occurredNumber of adult referrals with a second contact in the yearMean average waiting timeMedian average waiting time2019/201,137,74682.1202020/211,139,42369.7132021/221,188,52963.6152022/231,176,74868.2192023/241,289,41772.320 Finally, the following table shows both the mean and median average waiting times, measured in days, for mental health treatment for children and young people aged under 18 years old in England, for the last five years:Waiting time between referral and first contact for children and young people aged under 18 years old in EnglandYear in which contact occurredNumber of child referrals with a first contact in the yearMean average waiting timeMedian average waiting time2019/20567,23681.6132020/21568,70375.372021/22652,86965.0112022/23674,70269.7132023/24744,50675.414Source: Mental Health Services Dataset (MHSDS), NHS EnglandNotes:waiting time is measured in days;this data differs from published waiting times because rather than looking at just community mental health it looks at the full scope of data in the MHSDS, so will include neurodevelopmental referrals across all ages, and neurocognitive referrals, including a large number of dementia diagnostic referrals for adults, as well as other smaller areas of provision, such as services for gender identity and for addictions; andthe statistics including waiting times for adult services for Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression are reported via a separate dataset and have not been included here.
What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of fraud in each of the last five years.
No. of estimated fraud incidents against individualsYear Ending June202020212022202320244,332,0005,035,0003,819,0003,335,0003,560,000The ONS’ Crime Survey for England & Wales (CSEW) has been used to assess trends in the level of estimated fraud against individuals in England and Wales in each of the last 5 years (Year ending June 2020 to Year ending June 2024)1. Estimated incidents of fraud peaked sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching a peak of over 5 million incidents in 2021. Fraud incidents then declined gradually, falling to 3.335 million incidents in YE June 2023.The latest CSEW data shows that, in the year ending June 2024, there were an estimated 3.560 million incidents of fraud against individuals in England and Wales.This Government takes the treat of fraud extremely seriously, and is committed to bring forward a new, expanded fraud strategy covering all elements of pernicious and damaging crime. 1 The CSEW only represents estimated incidents of fraud against individuals in England and Wales and does not capture fraud against businesses or HMG. Therefore, the true scale of fraud is likely to be larger than the figures presented above.
Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department’s policy is on approving permit applications for new waste incinerators.
The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for assessing environmental permit applications for new waste incinerators to operate in England and has a duty to assess any application it receives against the requirements of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) 2016. If it meets those requirements, the EA must issue a permit.Under EPR 2016, operators of incinerators must use the best available techniques to minimise emissions and meet strict emission limits. The EA will only grant a permit if it is satisfied that these requirements will be met, and that the proposal would not give rise to any significant pollution of the environment or harm to human health. When the EA receives a permit application for a new incinerator, it carries out a comprehensive impact assessment of emissions from the plant, and it also consults the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for their views on the application.
Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of families living in temporary accommodation in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. Local authorities report their statutory homelessness statistics on a quarterly basis and these can be accessed: here.The Government is taking action by setting up a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) will chair, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including:Delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament.Abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.
What recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the regional spread of household debt in each of the last three years.
The Government fully recognises the profound challenges that debt and financial difficulties have on families and individuals across the country. We are deeply committed to addressing these concerns and improving living standards across the country. That is why economic growth remains a top priority. If Real Household Disposable Income per capita had grown at the same rate between 2010 and 2023 as it did from 1997 to 2010, it would be over £4,000 higher today. According to recent data from the Money and Pensions Service, the highest levels of need for debt advice are in constituencies within large cities including London, Bradford and Birmingham. However, there are pockets of high debt advice need in local authority areas in smaller towns and cities.
Communities and Local Government, how many families with children were housed in temporary accommodation in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England in each of the last five years.
Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. Local authorities report their statutory homelessness statistics on a quarterly basis and these can be accessed: here.The Government is taking action by setting up a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) will chair, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including:Delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament.Abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.
What estimate he has made of the prevalence of zero-hours contracts in the labour market in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
The latest figures (for April to June 2024) from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that around 1,030,000 people (3.1% of total employment) were employed on a zero-hours contract in the UK. ONS do not publish constituency level data on zero-hours contracts, however Cheshire is part of the North West (England) region in the ONS regional breakdowns. Over the same period, there were approximately 100,000 people (2.7% of total employment) employed on a zero-hours contract in the North West, and approximately 890,000 people employed on a zero-hours contract in England as a whole (3.2% of total employment).
What steps he is taking to improve waiting times for cancer treatment in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
The Government is committed to improving cancer survival rates and hitting all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets within five years, so that no patient waits longer than they should.NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including for cancer patients. The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve outcomes for those with cancer across England, including in Cheshire.The NHS will maximise the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and ensuring timely implementation of new CDC locations and upgrades to existing CDCs, with capacity prioritised for cancer diagnostics.
What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board is responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of the people of Mid Cheshire constituency and Cheshire, taking into account local considerations.Nationally, we recognise that many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure that mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. We will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment which will also help ease pressure on hospitals. By cutting mental health waiting lists and intervening earlier with more timely mental health support, we can get this country back to good health.We will also ensure every young person has access to a mental health professional at school, and set up Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the rules on beaver (a) reintroduction and (b) management.
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Yes, Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. Beaver management should follow the 5-step management approach published on Gov.uk. Licenced projects are responsible for managing animals they have released and are also expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations in England. Landowners and managers who may be affected by beaver activity can find further guidance on beaver management, including when a licence might be needed, on Gov.uk.
What recent estimate his Department has made of the number of insolvencies of road haulage businesses in each of the last five years.
Estimated numbers of companies with the SIC code 49410 that entered insolvency in the UK in each of the last five calendar years (including 2024 to date) are presented in the table below.Calendar YearCompanies Entering Insolvency (SIC Code 49410 – Freight Transport by Road)201928520201952021265202241120235032024 (to 31st August)334
If he will make an estimate of what the average time was to diagnose pancreatic cancer in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England in each of the last five years.
The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer across England, including Cheshire and mid-Cheshire.Early diagnosis is imperative to improving outcomes for all types of cancer, especially pancreatic due to the non-specific nature of its symptoms. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.For pancreatic cancer specifically, NHS England is providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at inherited high-risk to identify lesions before they develop into cancer. NHS England is additionally creating pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms and is increasing direct access for general practitioners to diagnostic tests.NHS England is also funding a new audit into pancreatic cancer, aiming to provide regular and timely evidence to cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, to increase the consistency of access to treatments and to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients.Information on the average time to diagnose pancreatic cancer in Chester, Cheshire and England is not available in the format requested.
What steps his Department is taking to help improve outcomes for patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer across England, including Cheshire and mid-Cheshire.Early diagnosis is imperative to improving outcomes for all types of cancer, especially pancreatic due to the non-specific nature of its symptoms. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.For pancreatic cancer specifically, NHS England is providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at inherited high-risk to identify lesions before they develop into cancer. NHS England is additionally creating pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms and is increasing direct access for general practitioners to diagnostic tests.NHS England is also funding a new audit into pancreatic cancer, aiming to provide regular and timely evidence to cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, to increase the consistency of access to treatments and to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients.Information on the average time to diagnose pancreatic cancer in Chester, Cheshire and England is not available in the format requested.
What steps his Department is taking to improve the early (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of pancreatic cancer in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer across England, including Cheshire and mid-Cheshire.Early diagnosis is imperative to improving outcomes for all types of cancer, especially pancreatic due to the non-specific nature of its symptoms. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.For pancreatic cancer specifically, NHS England is providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at inherited high-risk to identify lesions before they develop into cancer. NHS England is additionally creating pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms and is increasing direct access for general practitioners to diagnostic tests.NHS England is also funding a new audit into pancreatic cancer, aiming to provide regular and timely evidence to cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, to increase the consistency of access to treatments and to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients.Information on the average time to diagnose pancreatic cancer in Chester, Cheshire and England is not available in the format requested.
What steps his Department is taking to help improve research into treatments for pancreatic cancer; and how much funding his Department has allocated to pancreatic cancer research in each of the last 14 years.
Research is crucial in tackling cancer. The Department spends £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer the largest area of spend at more than £121.8 million in 2022/23. NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group, reflecting its high priority.NIHR have committed more than £7.6 million to pancreatic directly funded cancer research, across 15 research projects, since 2010/11. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into all cancer types. Funding applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition.The following table shows the amount of funding allocated to pancreatic cancer research in each year since 2010/11 committed by NIHR: YearTotal (£,000)2010/113,1002011/122012/132013/142014/1566.52015/162912016/1766.52017/182,0002018/192019/20149.52020/21440.72021/22544.32022/231502023/24839.5 Additionally, NIHR infrastructure funding supports the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research that is funded by the NIHR’s research programmes, other public funders of research, charities and the life sciences industry. In doing so, our investment plays a crucial role in underpinning the research funded by our partners.As part of our commitment to driving more and better research into less survivable cancers, the Government awarded £2 million to new interdisciplinary research teams tackling hard to treat cancers, via the Medical Research Council’s two-day cancer ‘sandpit’ strategic funding opportunity in 2023 focused on technological innovation for understanding cancers, including pancreatic, with the poorest survival rates.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for children requiring an autism assessment in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to autism assessments. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people and adults referred to an autism assessment service. In 2024/25 £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to help reduce health inequalities through housing in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.
The Government is taking steps to reduce health inequalities through housing reforms including extending ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the private rented sector and introducing a new Decent Homes Standard to drive up the quality of rented housing. In addition, as part of the recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we sought views on changes aimed at increasing the provision of public service infrastructure across England, including hospitals, and addressing issues like childhood obesity. The consultation closed on 24 September and responses are being analysed with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.
What estimate she has made of the proportion of crime committed online in each of the last three years; and what proportion of reported online crime over that period resulted in someone being charged in each police force area.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish statistics on the proportion of police recorded crime in England and Wales each quarter in their official statistics.This can be found in Table F11 of ONS’ Crime in England and Wales: Other Related Tables (available at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesotherrelatedtables).Data on the proportion of such crimes that result in a charge is not currently available.
What (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to encourage the creation of businesses in Mid Cheshire constituency.
The creation of new businesses is essential to our economic success. The Government will boost small business growth and productivity by delivering upon the commitments within Labour’s pre-election nine-point pledge - Plan for Small Business. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £31million for Cheshire & Warrington, including support to Mid Cheshire businesses. The Department also provides core funding to the local Growth Hub operating across Cheshire & Warrington. Additionally, all businesses can access support through the Business Support Service, the GOV.UK website, Help to Grow and the Government-backed British Business Bank.