Written questions by Morgan.

What estimate he has made of the annual amount of discretionary funding received by GP services in North Shropshire.

The following table shows funding broken down by funding stream for general practices located in North Shropshire for the 2022/2023 financial year:Funding StreamValue (£)Global Sum11,191,640Direct Enhanced Services557,897Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)1,654,070Pneumococcal Vaccine, Childhood Immunisation Main Programme30,381Reimbursement of Drugs Dispenses4,627,145Dispensing Fee1,516,157Prescribing Fee188,5671PMS Expenditure0Information Management36,7671PCO Administered183,794General Practice Transformation Fund192,868Local Incentive Schemes1,139,579Premises Payments1,323,447Primary Care Network Related Payments1,288,714Winter access fund55,024Covid Related Payments128,487Other424,893Total24,088,762Source: NHS EnglandNotes:This data is based off published payments data. Note from the payments data on negative payment values reads as follows: Adjustments can be made whilst payments are processing to raise credits/debits against payments. These adjustments can result in what appear to be negative payments or positive deductions.Health geographies do not align with parliamentary constituencies. When calculating payments to the North Shropshire Parliamentary Constituency we have included practices with postcodes within the North Shropshire parliamentary constituency. There will be patients registered at practices in this constituency who reside outside the constituency and vice-versa.This includes primary care network (PCN) payments, where they are recorded against practices in North Shropshire in the Payments to General Practice data set. PCNs do not align with constituency boundaries and payments recorded in one constituency might benefit practices in the same PCN in other constituencies.

How many urban areas in the West Midlands with populations of over 17,000 do not have a railway station.

It is estimated that there are approximately 12 ‘built up areas’ with a population of 20,000 or more that do not contain operational railway stations within the West Midlands region. Some large cities and towns consist of several built up areas, and whilst a specific built up area may not contain a station, there may be one or more stations within close proximity in a neighbouring built up area.

How many urban areas in England with populations of over 17,000 do not have a railway station.

It is estimated that there are approximately 80 ‘built up areas’ with a population of 20,000 or more that do not contain operational railway stations within England. Some large cities and towns consist of several built up areas, and whilst a specific built up area may not contain a station, there may be one or more stations within close proximity in a neighbouring built up area.

If she will make an estimate of the change to real terms spending on services for disabled children by Shropshire Council since 2016.

From the 2015/16 financial year to 2022/23, the most recent year for which information is available, the increase in net spending by Shropshire Council on provision and services for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including on those children’s home-to-school transport, has been 37% in real terms (67% in cash terms) and the increase in gross spending has been 32% in real terms (61% in cash terms). The basis for this calculation uses high needs and home-to-school transport spending data provided to the department by Shropshire Council, which is broadly comparable from year-to-year, as follows: Financial yearGross spend2022/23 termsNet spend2022/23 terms2015/16£21.2 million£25.9 million£19.6 million£23.9 million2016/17£18.9 million£22.5 million£17.9 million£21.3 million2017/18£24.0 million£28.2 million£23.2 million£27.3 million2018/19£25.0 million£28.7 million£24.6 million£28.3 million2019/20£25.0 million£28.1 million£24.8 million£27.8 million2020/21£27.5 million£29.3 million£26.1 million£27.8 million2021/22£28.9 million£31.0 million£28.0 million£30.0 million2022/23£34.2 million£34.2 million£32.8 million£32.8 million To note:Expenditure has been calculated in 2022/23 terms using the latest GDP deflator series (published 1 October 2024).The following actual expenditure items from Shropshire Council’s section 251 returns have been used:High needs budget expenditure:1.2.1 Top-up funding – maintained schools1.2.2 Top-up funding – academies, free schools and colleges1.2.3 Top-up and other funding – non-maintained and independent providers1.2.4 Additional high needs targeted funding for mainstream schools and academies1.2.5 Special educational needs (SEN) support service1.2.6 Hospital education services1.2.8 Support for inclusion1.2.9 Special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs) in financial difficulty1.2.10 Private finance initiative/ Building Schools for the Future costs at special schools, AP/ PRUs and Post 16 institutions only1.2.11 Direct payments (SEN and disability)1.2.12 Carbon reduction commitment allowances (PRUs)1.2.13 Therapies and other health related services1.4.11 SEN transportAdditional home-to-school transport expenditure:2.1.4 Home-to-school transport (pre-16): SEN transport expenditure2.1.6 Home-to-post-16 provision: SEN transport expenditure (aged 16-18)

What steps he is taking to support residents of off-grid homes with the cost of heating.

The Government believes the only way to protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us harness clean energy, reduce our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets, and enable us to meet our target to be a clean energy superpower by 2030. In the short-term, we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. I am also having regular discussions with energy suppliers to ensure that consumers are supported this winter.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle mental health challenges in children from low-income families during school holidays.

The department has invested over £200 million every year since 2022 in free holiday club places for children from low-income families through the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme with all 153 local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.The HAF programme supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, provides them with healthy food, helps them to learn new things, improves socialisation and benefits their health and wellbeing during school holidays.The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why the department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

Whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential safeguarding dangers to children from low-income families resulting from the end of the holiday activities and food programme.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the end of the holiday activities and food programme on lower-income families.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a price cap for heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas.

The Government’s assessment is that the introduction of a price cap for heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas would not be in the long-term interests of consumers.The structures of the heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas markets are different from those of gas and electricity supply. Imposing a price cap, which might fall below wholesale costs faced by heating fuel distributors, risks companies exiting the market or not accepting orders when they would make a loss on their fulfilment.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing Councils to borrow from the Public Works Loan Board at discounted rates in order to build homes for social rent.

Local authorities already have access to a preferential rate from the Public Works Loans Board to support housebuilding in the Housing Revenue Account. The preferential rate of gilts +0.4% is available until June 2025. The Government is committed to supporting councils to build their capacity and invest in new social rented homes.