Every parliamentary written question tabled by Joe Robertson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 741–760 of 913 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) he, (b) his officials and (c) his special advisors have had meetings with the animal rights group Animal Rising.
No, neither the Secretary of State, his officials, nor Special Advisors have met with this organisation. Details of Ministers’ and Special Advisor meetings with external organisations and individuals are publicly and freely available on GOV.UK. This has been the case for decades.
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with supermarkets on the inheritance tax changes to agricultural land and property.
Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers on a range of issues pertinent to the food supply chain including food supply, environmental policies and food security. However, IHT policy is primarily under the jurisdiction of HMT as it is a tax policy. Defra does not routinely engage supermarkets on matters concerning tax policy.
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities on the inheritance tax changes to agricultural land and property.
As is standard practise, the Department has not held discussions with local authorities on this issue.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26628 on USA: World Health Organisation, whether he plans to increase the monetary value of the UK contribution to the World Health Organisation as a consequence of the departure of the United States.
I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26628, which can be found on the Q&A web pages: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-01-27/26628. Further information on the UK's support to the World Health Organization can be found in my recent Written Ministerial Statement: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-11-21/hcws243. The UK will continue to work with all international partners and the World Health Organization to create a healthier and safer world.
What steps his Department is taking to end the use of corridor care in the NHS.
The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and is determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.On 30 January, we published Road to recovery: the government's 2025 mandate to NHS England, which set out the priorities and actions to be taken to reform and improve urgent and emergency care services.We continue to keep the data available and published to support improvements to urgent and emergency care services under review. Subject to data quality, NHS England would intend to publish data collected on the use of temporary escalation spaces in the spring.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing year-round data on the number of patients being treated in temporary care environments.
The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and is determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.On 30 January, we published Road to recovery: the government's 2025 mandate to NHS England, which set out the priorities and actions to be taken to reform and improve urgent and emergency care services.We continue to keep the data available and published to support improvements to urgent and emergency care services under review. Subject to data quality, NHS England would intend to publish data collected on the use of temporary escalation spaces in the spring.
What steps his Department is taking to end exploitative employment practices by social care employers.
We have seen unacceptable increases in unethical practices and exploitation in the adult social care sector. The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence about unethical practices in adult social care. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority investigates reports of worker exploitation and illegal activity, such as human trafficking, modern slavery, forced labour, and other labour market offences. The Government is also delivering the legislation for a new flagship Fair Work Agency, ensuring fair and strong employment rights for all.In relation to the exploitation of international recruits, £16 million has been provided to regional partnerships this financial year to support them to prevent and respond to unethical practices. The Home Office has also recently announced measures to ban rogue employers from sponsoring overseas workers.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of exploitative employment practices by social care employers.
We have seen unacceptable increases in unethical practices and exploitation in the adult social care sector. The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence about unethical practices in adult social care. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority investigates reports of worker exploitation and illegal activity, such as human trafficking, modern slavery, forced labour, and other labour market offences. The Government is also delivering the legislation for a new flagship Fair Work Agency, ensuring fair and strong employment rights for all.In relation to the exploitation of international recruits, £16 million has been provided to regional partnerships this financial year to support them to prevent and respond to unethical practices. The Home Office has also recently announced measures to ban rogue employers from sponsoring overseas workers.
Whether the Minister for Social Security and Disability travelled to the Muslim Council of Britain's leadership dinner on 25 January 2025 by Ministerial car; whether the invitation was (a) received and (b) accepted through his Ministerial office; whether he has made a declaration of hospitality; and whether Government business was discussed at the event by the Minister.
I travelled by public transport to and from the Muslim Council of Britain leadership dinner on the evening of 20 January 2025. My ministerial office was not involved in the invitation arrangements. I was at the event for approximately an hour, and consumed only a glass of water. No ministerial business was discussed.
What steps he is taking to improve digital (a) literacy and (b) confidence in NHS clinical staff.
We are striving for digital services to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for the widest range of people, based on their preferences, as any digital healthcare benefits will be limited if people remain digitally excluded.Mitigating against the risk of digital exclusion is one of five key priorities that NHS England has asked the integrated care systems to address in their drive to reduce healthcare inequalities. NHS England successfully ran a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital literacy. These include: the NHS App Spoken Word Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting National Health Service digital health products and services in languages other than English;the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online; andthe Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online. NHS England has also published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions and to build clinical confidence in using digital tools. All digital programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.
What steps he is taking with NHS England to tackle diagnostic overshadowing of dementia symptoms for patients with learning disabilities.
The annual health check for people with learning disabilities should include a review of mental health, including signs of dementia, especially in adults with Down’s syndrome. People requiring an assessment for dementia should be referred to a clinician with specialist expertise in the mental health of people with learning disabilities. Assessment for dementia should be supplemented with tools devised for use with people with learning disabilities. Under the Health and Care Act 2022, from 1 July 2022 Care Quality Commission registered providers are required to ensure that their staff receives specific training on learning disability and autism, appropriate to their role. This will help to ensure that staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care.To support providers to meet the statutory training requirement, we have been rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism to the health and adult social care workforce. This training includes content on avoiding diagnostic overshadowing and frequently co-occurring conditions. Over two million people have completed the e-learning package, which is the first part of this training, and over 1,700 trainers are delivering the interactive second part of this training across the country.The Department funds dementia research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which includes research with people with learning disabilities. For example, the NIHR is funding a study testing the neuroimaging method of functional near infrared spectroscopy to detect cognitive decline in people with Down’s syndrome.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with dementia living in (a) rural and (b) socio economically-deprived areas are diagnosed as quickly as those in other areas.
Given the level of inequalities known within dementia diagnosis, NHS England commissioned the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) to develop a resource to support investigation of the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates.The OHID’s Dementia Intelligence Network developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates.The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.
What steps he is taking to integrate digital tools into NHS services to help (a) tailor those services to the diverse needs of patients and (b) improve those services.
Patients are able to access National Health Services, such as requesting general practice appointments and managing secondary care appointments, through local online tools and the NHS App, which can also be accessed through a web browser. The NHS App is designed to meet international accessibility standards, and the services are routinely tested with a range of people with accessibility issues. However, digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. NHS England has also published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion, and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All digital programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.
If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of community pharmacies in maintaining public health.
Pharmacies are commissioned to deliver a range of evidence-based services that contribute to public health, including providing advice on maintaining health, treatment for common conditions, identifying people with high blood pressure, initiating and managing oral contraception, and providing vaccination services.National Health Service pharmaceutical services delivered in community pharmacy are also subject to evaluations to assess outcomes such as clinical appropriateness, and impacts on patients and other parts of the NHS. This includes the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s evaluation of Pharmacy First to assess how the service has been implemented across England, including impacts on prescribing in the general practice setting, use of hospitals, and how the service has impacted access to care and costs for different patient groups.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) timely and (b) equitable dementia diagnosis.
The Government and NHS England remain committed to increasing the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, NHS England has developed a dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers of memory services with appropriate data and enable targeted support where needed.NHS England has also funded an evidence-based improvement project to fund two trusts in each region, 14 sites in total, to pilot the Diagnosing Advanced Dementia Mandate tool to improve the diagnosis of dementia and the provision of support in care homes. All pilots completed at the end of May 2024, and it is anticipated that learning will be shared in early 2025.The Department delivers dementia research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research into dementia, for example an £11 million programme to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia. The NIHR is also partnering with the Economic and Social Research Council and Alzheimer’s Society to support a £5.5 million investment in four Dementia Network Plus research grants. One of the networks, EQUADEM, seeks to address inequalities in dementia diagnosis and care.The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme is investing in biomarker innovations, ranging from an artificial intelligence tool designed to improve the accuracy of blood tests for dementia, to using retinal scans to detect early-onset dementia decades before symptoms. Some of these innovations could support improved diagnosis in the future, if validated for clinical use.To reduce variation in diagnosis rates, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has developed a tool for local systems, which includes an assessment of population characteristics, such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. This enables systems to investigate local variation in diagnosis and take informed action to enhance their diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure the resilience of maritime supply chains.
While the sector is fully privatised, my Department engages closely with industry to understand maritime operational issues that may affect wider supply chains. Assessment of those wider supply chain impacts sits with other government departments, depending on the supply chain affected.
What steps she is taking to support skills (a) development and (b) training in the maritime sector.
DfT remains committed to delivering a maritime workforce, with the skills and people it needs, both now and for the future.The Maritime Skills Commission, which DfT is part of, assesses the sector’s current and future skills needs. DfT and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are working with industry to future-proof seafarer training through the Cadet Training and Modernisation Programme and the Ratings Review. This will ensure UK seafarers remain highly skilled, and equipped with the training to handle new vessels, fuels and future technologies.The £18 million DfT Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund supports 50% of the cost of cadet training. DfT is also updating the 2017 SMarT Review and Seafarer Projections report which provides the evidence base and analysis for SMarT and the UK’s need for seafarers over the next decade.
What steps she is taking with her international counterparts to help improve (a) pay and (b) conditions for seafarers operating in UK waters.
Improving the pay and working conditions of seafarers is a priority for this government. We are committed to working with our international partners to improve standards. We have worked closely with the French government to create a minimum wage corridor across the Channel, by bringing the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 into force alongside equivalent French legislation. Through the Employment Rights Bill, we are amending the Seafarers’ Wages Act to allow us to impose further requirements relating to safety and pay, including tours of duty, and we will be working with our international partners to agree such standards. We are also taking steps, through the Employment Rights Bill, to ensure that post EU Exit, we have the powers to implement future amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended and the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007.The UK has signed Memoranda of Understanding with Spain, Greece and Cyprus agreeing to coordinate on matters relating to the conditions of seafarers. We continue to engage with our international partners on matters relating to seafarer employment on international routes.
What steps his Department is taking to help stabilise primary care.
The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients, and staff.We have announced a proposed £889 million uplift for general practice (GP) in 2025/26 and set out the proposed areas of reform which will help us to deliver on our commitments. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since the beginning of the five-year framework and means we are reversing the recent trend with a rising share of total National Health Service resources going to GPs.By fixing the front door of our health service we will ensure everyone can access GP services. We will make sure the future of GPs is sustainable by training thousands more GPs, guaranteeing a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one, and delivering a modern booking system. We have already started hiring an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS and uplifted a monthly payment to practices by 7.4%.We want to take pressure off GPs, by improving access to community pharmacies and creating a Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service. We are currently in consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for 2024/25 and 2025/26 and are unable to say more until this consultation is completed.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS 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 dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
If his Department will take steps to increase the (a) number of specialists in and (b) level of training on young onset dementia in memory assessment services.
We recognise that those with young onset dementia who draw on care and support have different ambitions and face different challenges to older age adults.The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services, including the detection and diagnosis of dementia, and will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services.Under Care Quality Commission Regulation 18: Staffing, persons employed by the service provider in the provision of a regulated activity must receive such appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform. This would include receiving appropriate support to carry out duties linked to young onset dementia.The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector, which is available at the following link:https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/