7 Jul 2025·Scotland Office·Answered
AskedWhat proportion of (a) UK-flagged and (b) EU member state-flagged fishing vessels were subject to port inspections in in Scotland in the last 12 months.
ReplyThe regulation and oversight of port inspections in Scotland predominantly fall within the remit of the Scottish Government. As such, the Scotland Office does not hold the specific information requested. I recommend contacting the Scottish Government for further details on this matter.
3 Jul 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current tariff for the Minor Surgery Directed Enhanced Service in the context of rising operational costs.
ReplyGeneral practices (GPs) are paid for minor surgery directed enhanced services through global sum payments, although they have the option to opt out of these services, and if so, the relevant deductions will be made from their global sum payments.Every year we consult with the profession about what services GPs provide, including Directed Enhanced Services, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contracts.We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade and means we are reversing the recent trend with a rising share of total NHS resources going to GPs. We are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.
3 Jul 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to extend the requirement for mandatory anti-lock braking systems to include all new 125cc motorcycles.
ReplyThe UK's technical requirements for the type approval of motorcycles currently remain aligned with the EU's as the Department seeks to reduce burdens on businesses by limiting UK-EU regulatory divergence. Motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cc or less must be equipped with an advanced braking system: either an anti-lock braking system or a combined braking system or both. The Department has not undertaken a study into the effectiveness of mandating anti-lock braking systems for motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cc or less and there are no plans to introduce legislation on this issue.
3 Jul 2025·Department for Culture, Media and Sport·Answered
AskedMedia and Sport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the closure of the FA Futsal Committee on futsal governance in England; and if she will publish a long-term development strategy for the sport.
ReplyI recognise the passion within the futsal community in England and the importance of effective governance for the sport's development. Last year, the Football Association (FA), as the sport's National Governing Body, evolved its structure for futsal, integrating its oversight within the Football Development Committee and collaborating with "England Futsal" for delivery.Ultimately, the governance and strategic direction of futsal in England, including its long-term development, are matters for the recognised National Governing Body to lead. The Government continues to observe their progress and engagement with the futsal community as they implement their plans for the sport.
26 Jun 2025·Department for Business and Trade·Answered
AskedWhat steps his Department is taking to support the biodiesel industry.
ReplyMy department supports Clean Energy industries to invest and grow, including biofuels such as biodiesel, and the sectors that use these fuels. Our approach to these sectors is set out in the industrial strategy.My officials also work alongside colleagues at the Department for Transport who carried out a call for evidence on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme in November last year. This considered future targets for the supply of renewable fuels, such as biodiesel. The product of that review will be published soon.
19 Jun 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of safety levels at Castle Hill Hospital.
ReplyThe Department recently sought information from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regarding their regulatory oversight of Castle Hill Hospital. The CQC last inspected Castle Hill Hospital in November 2022, where it was rated as Requires Improvement overall. The full inspection report and detail are available at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/RWA16Castle Hill Hospital is part of the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust is subject to enhanced surveillance and attends a monthly Quality Improvement Board chaired by NHS England, which the CQC also attends. The trust’s action plan is monitored by the Board.The trust was told by the CQC to take several actions to ensure that clinical care and treatment across the trust was delivered safely and in accordance with national guidance. The CQC continues to monitor the trust to ensure required improvements are made.In light of the police investigation and the completion of three external reviews into the trust, the CQC is considering new information to determine any further regulatory action. Any inspection activity will be reported on and published on the CQC’s website.
19 Jun 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat discussions his Department is having with the Care Quality Commission on carrying out further inspections at Castle Hill Hospital.
ReplyThe Department recently sought information from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regarding their regulatory oversight of Castle Hill Hospital. The CQC last inspected Castle Hill Hospital in November 2022, where it was rated as Requires Improvement overall. The full inspection report and detail are available at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/RWA16Castle Hill Hospital is part of the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust is subject to enhanced surveillance and attends a monthly Quality Improvement Board chaired by NHS England, which the CQC also attends. The trust’s action plan is monitored by the Board.The trust was told by the CQC to take several actions to ensure that clinical care and treatment across the trust was delivered safely and in accordance with national guidance. The CQC continues to monitor the trust to ensure required improvements are made.In light of the police investigation and the completion of three external reviews into the trust, the CQC is considering new information to determine any further regulatory action. Any inspection activity will be reported on and published on the CQC’s website.
13 Jun 2025·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
AskedFood and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) UK-flagged and (b) EU member state-flagged fishing vessels were subject to port inspections in the last 12 months.
ReplyAs of 1 June, there are 4,656 licensed UK fishing vessels. Any of these vessels could be subject to inspection by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) or by an Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority if they come into a port within our administration. MMO is the administrator for all English ports. During the last 12 months the MMO undertook 1,836 in-port inspections. It is not possible to readily identify how many individual vessels were inspected. The majority of these would have been English- registered vessels. 1,545 EU vessels are licensed to fish in UK waters, although the majority do not land their catch to an English port. In the last 12 months, there were 44 landings by EU vessels at English ports of which five were subject to inspection. The inspections were of three individual vessels.
2 Jun 2025·Department for Education·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 47692 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, if she will to publish the data on therapy service costs by region.
ReplyThe data requested is in the table below.Number of applications* approved in the 2024/25 financial year with therapy service costs totalled by region*: RegionTotal application value less than £3,000 Total application value between £3,000 and £5,000East Midlands1,217934East of England1,265731Inner London421404North East621603North West1,0731,092Outer London651563South East1,8471,300South West1,8341,438West Midlands876875Yorkshire and the Humber7981,075*The data presented is the number of approved applications with therapy service costs. Please note that an individual application could have multiple recipients with multiple placement types and access the Fair Access Limit from multiple years.
20 May 2025·Department for Energy Security and Net Zero·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Humber's Viking carbon capture project on levels of investment in the area.
ReplyA strong UK CCUS sector will support well paid, highly-skilled jobs across the UK, with DESNZ analysis showing CCUS has the potential to generate £4-5 billion GVA per year and support up to 50,000 jobs in the 2030s across the CCUS industry as the sector matures. We recognise the potential of the Track-2 clusters, including Viking, to build on this momentum, and officials have continued to engage with Viking CCS to understand their plans and continue to review the potential impact of the project on local investments.
8 May 2025·Department for Energy Security and Net Zero·Answered
AskedWhether any funding his Department has provided for Greater Lincolnshire devolution is ringfenced for net zero initiatives.
ReplyThe Government recognises the important role of local places, including Greater Lincolnshire, in driving action to help realise our national net zero targets. The English Devolution Whitepaper sets out the Departments approach to English Devolution.
8 May 2025·Department for Energy Security and Net Zero·Answered
AskedWhat guidance he has issued to local authorities on reporting requirements for net zero targets.
ReplyThe Government recognises the important role of local places in driving action to support net zero targets. Whilst we do not require Local Government to report on their net zero work, we run a Local Net Zero Delivery Group to discuss key net zero policy and delivery issues - this helps to inform our understanding of net zero action and share best practice at the local level.
24 Apr 2025·Department for Education·Answered
AskedHow many applications to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund were awarded for therapy support costing (a) less than £3,000 per year per child and (b) between £3,000 and £5,000 per year per child to (i) adopted children, (ii) children waiting to be adopted, (iii) children subject to a special guardianship and (iv) children subject to other arrangement orders in the financial year 2024–25.
ReplyThe available information is detailed in the tables below.Number of applications* approved in the 2024/25 financial year with therapy service costs totalled by placement type:Placement typeLess than £3,000Between £3,000 and £5,000i. Adoption (Domestic and Inter Country)8,3697,091iii. Special Guardianship Order2,1791,895iv. Child Arrangements Order/ Residency Order3427 *The data presented is the number of approved applications with therapy service costs. Please note that an individual application could have multiple recipients with multiple placement types and access the Fair Access Limit from multiple years.** No data for ‘(ii) children waiting to be adopted’ as adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) doesn’t include this as a placement type.There were 3069 approved applications and 3319 funded recipients for Specialist Assessments in the 2024/25 financial year.
24 Apr 2025·Department for Education·Answered
AskedHow many applications to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund were awarded where (a) local authorities and (b) regional adoption agencies were required to match-fund the application due to an exceptional case involving urgent need for higher-cost support exceeding the fair access limit in the financial year 2024–25 by (i) whether the child has been adopted, (ii) whether the child is subject to a (A) special guardianship and (B) child arrangements order and (iii) region.
ReplyThe available information is detailed in the tables below.Number of applications* approved in the 2024/25 financial year with therapy service costs totalled by placement type:Placement typeLess than £3,000Between £3,000 and £5,000i. Adoption (Domestic and Inter Country)8,3697,091iii. Special Guardianship Order2,1791,895iv. Child Arrangements Order/ Residency Order3427 *The data presented is the number of approved applications with therapy service costs. Please note that an individual application could have multiple recipients with multiple placement types and access the Fair Access Limit from multiple years.** No data for ‘(ii) children waiting to be adopted’ as adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) doesn’t include this as a placement type.There were 3069 approved applications and 3319 funded recipients for Specialist Assessments in the 2024/25 financial year.
24 Apr 2025·Department for Education·Answered
AskedHow many applications to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund were awarded for specialist assessments of children in the financial year 2024–25.
ReplyThe available information is detailed in the tables below.Number of applications* approved in the 2024/25 financial year with therapy service costs totalled by placement type:Placement typeLess than £3,000Between £3,000 and £5,000i. Adoption (Domestic and Inter Country)8,3697,091iii. Special Guardianship Order2,1791,895iv. Child Arrangements Order/ Residency Order3427 *The data presented is the number of approved applications with therapy service costs. Please note that an individual application could have multiple recipients with multiple placement types and access the Fair Access Limit from multiple years.** No data for ‘(ii) children waiting to be adopted’ as adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) doesn’t include this as a placement type.There were 3069 approved applications and 3319 funded recipients for Specialist Assessments in the 2024/25 financial year.
22 Apr 2025·Ministry of Justice·Answered
AskedWhat recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure that individuals carrying out jury duty do not experience financial hardship.
ReplyJury service is a vital civic duty, and the Government is committed to ensuring jurors feel supported throughout their service. Jurors can claim subsistence and travel expenses, as well as a loss of earnings allowance from the court. The jury summoning process provides for applications for deferral or excusal from service based upon financial hardship.
17 Apr 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat guidance his Department has issued on when the absence of senior leadership may necessitate intervention by a commissioner in an integrated care board.
ReplyIntegrated care board (ICB) chairs are appointed by NHS England subject to the approval of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in line with NHS England’s guidance, where the ICB chair position has become vacant before a successor can be approved by the Secretary of State, the ICB board may be chaired by an acting chair, which is normally, but not always, the deputy chair. The ICB governance guidance, updated in July 2024, made it a requirement for all ICBs to have a deputy chair. Information on further related requirements is available in the guidance at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guidance-on-integrated-care-board-constitutions-and-governance/ICB chief executives are appointed by the ICB chair subject to the approval of NHS England. All ICBs are required to have an Accountable Officer; an Acting CEO can cover temporary periods of absence.
17 Apr 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat information his Department holds on whether the (a) Chair and (b) Chief Executive of Humber and North Yorkshire integrated care board remain in post.
ReplyThe Chair of the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) resigned from the post on 12 March 2025. The ICB is currently identifying a Non-Executive Member to act as Chair for a short period. The Chief Executive is currently taking a leave of absence, and acting CEO arrangements are currently in place.
17 Apr 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of the potential need for Commissioner intervention in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, in the context of the absence of senior leadership.
ReplyThere are currently temporary senior leadership arrangements in place at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust. Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and NHS England’s North East and Yorkshire Regional Team continue to provide ongoing support to the trust, ensuring that the temporary acting arrangements are successfully in place and offering any additional support that is required.NHS England will continue to provide ongoing support to the trust and its senior leadership team to ensure that our patients and public continue to receive the highest quality of care possible across the Humber region.
27 Mar 2025·Department for Culture, Media and Sport·Answered
AskedMedia and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to involve young people in Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes constituency in the development of the National Youth Strategy.
ReplyThe Secretary of State was pleased to announce the new National Youth Strategy, stating the Department’s commitment to delivering a strategy by and for young people through the most ambitious listening exercise in a generation. We have launched our nation-wide survey, with over 10,000 responses to date, and are holding events across all regions with young people and the youth sector. Our Youth and Expert Advisory Groups are now established and guiding us in our development. We will publish the strategy in the summer, with an interim report in the coming months.