Every parliamentary written question tabled by Michael Payne this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 23 · this parliament
Whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of introducing transitional or exceptional arrangements to allow adoptive families to continue working with appropriately qualified, non-Ofsted registered therapists in areas where no Ofsted registered provision exists.
Awaiting answer.
What steps he is taking to improve military housing.
The last government had 14 years to fix Defence family housing and failed, delivering instead record low levels of satisfaction. We reversed the disastrous privatisation of military housing. And our landmark £9 billion housing strategy will renew or repair 9 in 10 homes and we are legislating to create a new Defence Housing Service which will put the interests of service personnel first. We have already rapidly improved military homes transforming 1,000 of the worst homes – ahead of schedule. Labour has delivered more in eighteen months than the party opposite managed in fourteen years.
What processes are in place to ensure that findings from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) involving addiction related deaths are embedded consistently in national guidance, NHS workforce training, and commissioning standards.
The Government takes the findings from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), including those where substance dependence was a feature in deaths very seriously, and expects them to inform practice, guidance, and commissioning at both a local and national level.The processes for this is through the SAR escalation protocol and the national SAR analysis. All Safeguarding Adults Board members and relevant organisations are required to cooperate with SARs and implement findings locally, including through local commissioning and workforce training. The national SAR analysis then allows us to review at a national level.The recently published Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment were informed by national SAR analysis and therefore include specific recommendations on adult safeguarding, summarise relevant legislation and guidance, and signpost to this national SAR analysis and associated good practice briefings, including on homelessness. The Department and NHS England are working with the drug and alcohol treatment sector to ensure that their workforce is sustainable, multidisciplinary, and equipped with the capabilities and capacity to help people to reduce risk and initiate and sustain recovery. The Department and NHS England published a 10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce (2024–2034) in May 2024, which is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/10-year-strategic-plan-for-the-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-and-recovery-workforce-2024-2034/
Whether the Government plans to include addiction or substance use disorder within the statutory definition of a mental disorder for the purposes of the Mental Health Act.
The Mental Health Act 1983, specifically Section 1, subsection 3, states that “Dependence on alcohol or drugs is not considered to be a disorder or disability of the mind” for the purposes of the act, and we did not amend this in the Mental Health Act 2025 that passed in December. We have no plans to change the definition of mental disorder.We know that people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs do not receive the integrated, person-centred care they require and deserve. The Department and NHS England have recently published Co-occurring mental health and substance use delivery framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co-occurring-mental-health-and-substance-use-delivery-frameworkThis framework commits the Department and NHS England to delivering several national actions to improve delivery of integrated, person-centred care across drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services. The framework also includes recommended actions on how the health system can also work together to improve outcomes for those with co-occurring needs.
What steps he has taken to support local high streets.
This government is putting high streets at the heart of economic renewal through our Small and Medium Sized Business Plan and MHCLG's £5 billion Pride in Place programme which will support areas in both of my Honourable Friends' constituencies.At Budget, we confirmed permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure and a £4.3 billion package to protect ratepayer bill increases because of property revaluation.We also announced £15 million per year to support stronger enforcement on illegal high street activity, alongside other measures covering, retail crime and pro-growth regulatory changes for the retail and hospitality sectors.
What assessment he has made of whether the 7.4 per cent global sum uplift for 2024-25 will sufficiently cover the accepted recommendation of a 6 per cent pay rise for GP partners and salaried staff.
The Government looks to the independent pay review bodies for a pay recommendation for National Health Service staff, including both contractor and salaried general practitioners (GPs). They consider a range of evidence from organisations including the Government, the NHS, and trade unions to reach their recommendations.The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration recommended an uplift of 6% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay for 2024/25. This recommendation was accepted and a 6% uplift was applied to the pay element of the GP Contract.
What steps he is taking to help reduce the waiting times for diagnosis of (a) autism and (b) ADHD for children and young people.
It is the responsibility of the integrated care board (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 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. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.In respect of ADHD, NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce, which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected in the summer of 2025.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending building regulations to require future accessible and adaptable dwelling to include (a) step-free entrances and (b) wet rooms.
The government recognizes the importance of ensuring that new housing is accessible and adaptable to meet the diverse needs of individuals throughout their lives. Accessibility standards for homes are governed by Part M of the Building Regulations 2010, which set out requirements for reasonable access and use of buildings. The Building Regulations are not retrospective; they apply only to new homes or those undergoing a material change of use.There are three standards of accessibility prescribed in the Building Regulations: M4(1), M4(2), and M4(3). M4(1) is the current standard, ensuring reasonable provision for people to access and use the dwelling and its facilities. Optional standards M4(2) and M4(3) provide enhanced accessibility, with M4(2) requiring features such as a living area and step-free access at entrance level, wider doorways and corridors, and clear access routes to windows. Homes built to M4(2) standards also offer greater potential for future adaptability. M4(3), the highest optional standard, ensures that homes can be easily adapted to meet the needs of wheelchair users.Everyone should be able to access a home that is suitable for them and meets their needs. That is why providing a range of safe and suitable accessible housing is part of the Government's ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. Offering those with mobility challenges a better choice of accommodation supports independent living, fosters community connections, and reduces health and care costs.Planning rules already require councils to consider the needs of disabled people when planning new homes. The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), issued in December 2024, promotes mixed-use and mixed-tenure developments, which can include housing designed for specific groups. Local authorities are expected to assess the size, type, and tenure of housing needed for different groups in their communities, including older people and those with disabilities, and to reflect this in their Local Plans. Such an approach supports the creation of diverse communities and the timely delivery of housing. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1176 on Park Homes: Sales, what her policy is on the longstanding concerns about the regulation of park home sites and the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.
The park homes sector is an important part of the housing market.The government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
Whether he plans to (a) utilise the complex patient access scheme to make Ruxolitinib available on the NHS and (b) consider other options for vitiligo patients to receive that medication.
It is for the marketing authorisation holder to propose a complex patient access scheme for a medicine being evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which would then be considered by the NICE and NHS England through the established process. The marketing authorisation holder has proposed a commercial agreement for ruxolitinib but the NICE was unable to recommend it as a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources at the price proposed in its final draft guidance, published in July 2024. A number of organisations appealed against the draft guidance. The NICE has not yet published final guidance, and its Appraisal Committee will consider the upheld appeal points at a future meeting, scheduled for 14 May 2025. The NICE is open to working with NHS England to ensure that commercial arrangements that are operationally manageable for the NHS can be taken into account.Where the NICE does not recommend a treatment as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources, it will not usually be routinely funded by the NHS. NHS commissioners are, however, required to consider exceptional funding requests for individual patients.
What steps he is taking to ensure that people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome receive adequate medical support.
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which include better coordination of care and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the framework and published the fourth annual England action plan on 28 February 2025, which reports on progress.NHS England commissions some specialist services for patients with EDS, which are currently delivered by two centres in England, namely the London North West University Healthcare Trust and the Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The complex EDS service provides diagnosis and advice to referrers on the treatment and management of complex cases.
What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of council run youth centres in (a) tackling youth crime and (b) supporting young people.
This government recognises the vital role youth services play in reducing a young person’s likelihood of becoming involved in crime. This will be a vital element of our Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to intervene earlier to ensure this cohort is identified and offered support in a more systematic way, as well as creating more opportunities for young people in their communities, through the provision of open access to mental health and careers support.In addition, in 2025/26 DCMS will launch the Local Youth Transformation pilot, which will support local authorities to build youth service capacity. They will also allocate over £85m of capital funding in 2025/26 to create fit-for-purpose, welcoming spaces for young people, including launching the new Better Youth Spaces fund, which will allocate at least £26m for youth clubs to buy new equipment and undertake renovations. This will also include completing the Youth Investment Fund projects.The Home Office does not measure the outcomes for council run youth centres.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of numbers of local authority planning officers to support planning reform.
The government appreciates that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.At the Budget, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. A proportion of this funding will be used to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners and developing the skills needed to implement reforms and unlock housing delivery.This will be further underpinned by increases in planning fees that will help improve the resourcing of planning application services, so that local planning authorities can fund the skills they need.More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that local planning authorities have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) public health services and (b) adult social care on demand for (i) primary and (ii) acute NHS services.
42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England are responsible for meeting the healthcare needs and demands of their respective populations. There is evidence that public health and adult social care interventions of different kinds can be effective, and cost-effective, in preventing or delaying the onset of ill health, which in turn supports better use of health and care resources. A shift from treatment to prevention and from acute hospital services to community are part of the three strategic shifts underpinning our 10-Year Health Plan.We also recognise the need to alleviate pressures through increasing supply and reducing demand. We will make sure the future of general practice is sustainable by training more general practitioners, guaranteeing a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one and delivering a modern booking system. For example, in the NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB, 539,000 general practice appointments were delivered in December 2024, up from 510,000 in December 2023. Additionally, in early 2025, the Government will publish a plan setting out how urgent and emergency care services across England will be supported to deliver improvements.Furthermore, for 2025/26, approximately £9 billion will be committed to the Better Care Fund (BCF), a framework for ICBs and local authorities to make joint plans and pool budgets for the purposes of delivering better joined-up care. This includes around £3.3 billion provided to local authorities and £5.6 billion to ICBs.Its main objectives are to support:- the shift from sickness to prevention;- people living independently; and- the shift from hospital to home.These objectives should reduce demand on services, and the recently revised BCF framework, published on 30 January 2025, sets out the actions that local authorities and ICBs should take to achieve these objectives, including improving discharge, preventing avoidable admissions, reducing the pressure on social care, intermediate care, unpaid carers and housing.
What steps her Department is taking to help ensure the adequacy of the number of wheelchair spaces on (a) buses and (b) other public transport.
99% of buses providing local services comply with accessibility regulations that cover the design of vehicles and incorporate a designated space to accommodate at least one wheelchair user. We recognise that in some circumstances such provision may be inadequate, and we welcome efforts by individual operators to provide a second wheelchair space. We also continue to consider the efficacy of existing bus and coach accessibility regulation, and will announce our next steps in due course. Trains are required to have at least two wheelchair spaces, to meet legal requirements, and each train operator must ensure they are kept clear for wheelchair users. Light rail vehicles (including trams, metros and London Underground) also have wheelchair spaces in compliance with similar legal requirements. The current refurbishment of London Underground’s oldest Tube trains includes the creation of wheelchair spaces where these do not already exist.
What steps he is taking to improve the care of people with Addison's disease including (a) providing clearer information and (b) ensuring timely access to (i) treatment and (ii) support.
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Addison’s disease. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which include increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the framework and will publish an annual England action plan in 2025.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) provide primary care practitioners with a readily accessible summary of the current evidence base and practical advice on best practice. Currently, the NICE has a CKS on Addison’s disease. This includes when to suspect Addison’s disease, a management section, and a self-care advice section to support both patients and family members or carers. Further information on the NICE’s CKS on Addison’s disease is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/addisons-disease/management/NHS England has previously published a National Patient Safety Alert on Steroid Emergency Card to support the early recognition and treatment of an adrenal crisis in adults. These alerts require action to be taken by healthcare providers, to reduce the risk of death or disability. Further information on the alert is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-patient-safety-alert-steroid-emergency-card-to-support-early-recognition-and-treatment-of-adrenal-crisis-in-adults/
What steps his Department is taking to help (a) provide timely (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment and (b) improve other support for adults with autism.
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 and support services for autistic people, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 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. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism based on the available evidence.
If he will take steps to ensure that (a) patients requiring Creon are updated on the availability of that medication and (b) local guidance issued by (i) his Department and (ii) NHS England is shared with patients.
The Department has been working with suppliers, NHS England, and national clinical specialists to address the current supply issues with Creon, which is a brand of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. Comprehensive guidance has been issued to the National Health Service and is being regularly reviewed and updated as the supply situation changes. This guidance includes information clinicians can share with patients, and refers to advice from patient groups aimed at supporting patients in managing the supply issues and addressing their questions.The Department has not issued any local guidance on this supply issue, but has issued a National Patient Safety Alert in December 2024, with an action for integrated care boards to put in place a local mitigation plan for instances when patients are unable to obtain stock from their community pharmacy or dispensing general practice. In all cases of medicines supply issues, healthcare professionals should endeavour to communicate any supply issues and relevant information about resupply dates and the proposed management plan clearly with patients. They should also undertake counselling to support affected patients where possible.
What steps her Department is taking to (a) support children in foster care and (b) the work of foster carers (i) in Gedling constituency and (ii) nationally.
The government is committed to ensuring that every child in care grows up with the love, care and support they need to achieve and thrive. All foster carers receive the National Minimum Allowance to cover the costs of looking after the children in their care. In the 2025/26 financial year this allowance is being uplifted by 3.55%.This government is supporting children in care by expanding the ‘Mockingbird Family Model’ which is an innovative evidence-based approach. Relationships are central to the design of the programme, which involves six to ten satellite families grouped into a constellation around a hub home carer.In Gelding this is being delivered as part of the ‘Foster For East Midlands’ Recruitment Hub which launched in March 2024 and comprises of four neighbouring local authorities, Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, and Derby City Council.Across England ten regional fostering programmes are live, working with 64% of all local authorities collaboratively to recruit and retain foster carers who will provide loving homes, local to the children who need them. An additional £15 million was announced to support this programme in the Autumn Budget 2024, and we intend to move towards full national roll out in the next financial year. We welcome discussions with other local authorities about our national expansion plans.
Communities and Local Government, if she will issue guidance to local authorities on priority need for housing for people living with HIV.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 19575 on 20 December 2024.