Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mary Kelly Foy this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 181–200 of 207 · this parliament
What steps she is taking to improve safety for (a) cyclists and (b) pedestrians in County Durham.
Between 2020/21 to 2023/24, almost £4,000,000 of capital funding has been invested in County Durham for new and improved schemes to improve safety and boost walking, wheeling and cycling, including on the National Cycle Network. In addition, the North Eas...
What plans has he to support pensioners with the cost of energy in (a) City of Durham and (b) County Durham.
The Government is committed to supporting all consumers, including pensioners in the City of Durham and County Durham. We believe that the only way to protect billpayers permanently and to guarantee our energy security is to speed up our transition away f...
If she will have discussions with local authorities on ensuring that older people living in poverty in County Durham receive financial support for which they are eligible.
The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement. Immediate support for pensioners includes our commitment to the Triple Lock, with over 12 million pensioners set to benefit through the course of this parliament, with the full yearly rate of th...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to support Palestinian Christians.
The UK will continue to champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, globally. We are clear that incitement of violence or hatred against individuals based on their religion or belief is unacceptable. Respect for FoRB, and the promotion of inter...
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Ofwat in regulating Northumbrian Water.
Ofwat will not hesitate to hold water companies to account where they fall short of our expectations. For example, Ofwat recently issued a proposed enforcement order against Northumbrian Water for the management of wastewater treatment works which propose...
Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to change existing policies to prevent the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
This Government is committed to preventing the use of those neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten our vital pollinators. At this stage, officials are currently determining the most effective way to implement this commitment.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a wealth tax.
There are several long-standing taxes on assets and wealth that generate substantial revenue for the government. The government is committed to making sure everyone pays their fair share of tax, helping us to fund public services whilst staying within the...
What steps his Department is taking to (a) support people with and (b) raise awareness of endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a common gynaecological condition, estimated to affect one in 10 women of reproductive age. Endometriosis can significantly impact women and girls’ physical and mental health, and anyone with symptoms of endometriosis should contact their...
With reference to the Answer of 21 February 2024 to Question 14064 on Universal Credit: Disqualification, if she will direct her Department to begin collecting statistics on the number of children livin
In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, the Chief Statistician determines the need for new official statistics, and the development of existing statistics. User engagement is at the heart of our considerations for future statistics. These develo...
What steps her Department is taking to allow the sharing of relevant information with police forces to help identify potentially fraudulent benefit claims.
DWP has a close working relationship with the police and other law enforcement agencies to enable the Department to investigate fraud. This joint working allows full exchange of information from the police to DWP and the DWP to police, under data sharing legislation.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of differences in inheritance tax thresholds for people (a) with and (b) without children; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such thresholds on saving for adult care costs.
The estates of all individuals benefit from a £325,000 nil-rate band for inheritance tax. The residence nil-rate band is a further £175,000 for those passing on a qualifying residence on death to their direct descendants, such as children or grandchildren. Other countries recognise the relationships between parents and children with different thresholds in equivalent systems. The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of preparedness for future pandemics.
The Department is embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic within its approach to pandemic preparedness. This includes amending the approach to cover all five routes of communicable disease transmission, rather than focusing on planning for specific threats. We are working with partners in the health and social care system, including the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, to maintain a flexible and scalable set of response capabilities that can be adapted to any future novel disease. The approach to pandemic preparedness also recognises that the underlying resilience of the health and social care system is crucial to the ability to respond to a novel disease threat.The UK COVID-19 Inquiry published its first report on 18 July 2024, which focuses on resilience and preparedness for a pandemic, and the Department will consider the inquiry’s recommendations in full.
What steps his Department is taking to support adults affected by backlogs for ADHD 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 support for those waiting for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has launched to explore challenges in ADHD service provision and to help provide a joined-up approach for the growing numbers of people coming forward for support.
What steps he is taking to help tackle health inequalities in the North East of England.
As part of our health mission, the Government is committed to ensuring people live well for longer. This includes tackling the determinants that underpin stark health inequalities to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.Local authorities in the North East received a total of £238 million in Public Health Grant funding for 2024/25, with Durham County Council having received £53.9 million for 2024/25. This provides services such as stop smoking, drug and alcohol treatment, school health visits and nursing, and sexual health, among others, all of which contribute to addressing health inequalities. Additionally, Directors of Public Health from each local authority are working in partnership with the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to support action to address inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes associated with health care.Durham County Council is one of 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation, receiving funding to improve outcomes for families with babies as part of the £300 million Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. This programme is creating a network of family hubs with services to support families from conception to the age of two years old.The North East Mayoral Combined Authority was formed on 7 May 2024, and has also committed to creating a fairer North East, reducing inequalities, and improving health. Its priorities include work to address the causes of health inequalities, such as bringing investment into the region to boost economic growth, and improving available housing, education, inclusion, and skills. The Tees Valley Combined Authority also works to secure investment, create jobs, and grow the economy, helping to create the conditions in which health inequalities can be reduced.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle drought in southern Africa.
Severe drought has tipped Southern Africa into a food security crisis, where acute humanitarian needs are already emerging. The UK is a major contributor to humanitarian funds which have made allocations totalling £36 million to tackle drought and disease risks. We are a founding member and donor of Africa Risk Capacity, which has provided timely disaster risk financing pay outs to member states. The UK is adapting existing programmes to support national responses and deploying a regional adviser to improve humanitarian risk analysis and coordination. We are also raising the humanitarian needs with our international partners, maintaining focus on long-term, anticipatory solutions to climate-related crises in the region.
What assessment she has made of the potential health impact of the two-child benefit cap on children's (a) mental and (b) physical health.
No formal assessment has been made. We recognise the wide-ranging causes of child poverty, and we will explore how we can use all the available levers we have across government and wider society to drive forward the change our children need.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of not including military compensation as an income on means-tested benefit applications.
There are already special rules in place for how War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with State Pensions and benefits. These payments are already fully ignored in the State Pension and in Universal Credit.The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored.By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them.In relation to Pension Credit, the first £10 of any War Pension payments or AFCS award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded. Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her/his partner. War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
Whether she plans to (a) reform or (b) replace the Work Capability Assessment.
The government is committed to reforming or replacing the Work Capability Assessment, alongside putting in place a proper plan to support disabled people into work. We will also give disabled people the confidence to start working without fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out. More disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve. These plans are central to our missions of kickstarting economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity. This government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to the principle of working with them, so that their views and voices will be at the heart of all that we do.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is providing emergency humanitarian assistance to help prevent a polio outbreak in Gaza.
The UK is supporting humanitarian agencies including UNRWA, UNICEF and UK Med to provide essential healthcare to civilians in Gaza. This includes activities to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) - which is important to help prevent the spread of diseases such as polio.The UK is also supporting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) which, since 1988, has led global efforts to reduce Polio Virus cases by more than 99 percent. In Gaza, GPEI is working with partners including WHO, UNICEF, UNWRA and local NGOs, to plan a response campaign that will integrate polio vaccination alongside other essential health and nutrition services. This will be dependent on securing safe access and a safe environment in which to conduct the campaign, through either a ceasefire or a temporary cessation of hostilities.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential mental health impact of benefit sanctions.
Under the previous administration, no assessment was made of the mental health impacts of benefits sanctions. The new government will reform labour market policy and operations with the aim of increasing employment and integrating work and health support. Sanctions are not applied to those with a severe medical health condition or disability where they have been found to have Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity following their Work Capability Assessment (WCA), or where they have a specified condition or are undergoing certain treatments ahead of their WCA. Those subject to work-related requirements will only be sanctioned if they fail to meet the labour market requirements that they’ve agreed to with their work coach without demonstrating good reason for doing so. To ensure these requirements are realistic and achievable, they are discussed and agreed with the claimant and based on their individual capabilities and household circumstances, including any health issues, caring responsibilities, earnings, and ongoing work or volunteering. We acknowledge that there will be times when a claimant’s circumstances are such that there their ability to carry out their labour market requirements is disrupted due to their personal circumstances. In these cases, an easement can be applied to lift these requirements completely for an agreed period of time. To support those who demonstrates that they cannot meet their most immediate and essential needs as a result of receiving a sanction, we have a system of recoverable hardship payments. These needs can include heating, food, and hygiene.