Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to allow people who are aged 18 and 19 and not in (a) education and (b) training to resit maths GSCE for free.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
This government recognises the importance of numeracy skills for adults, both in work and everyday life. That is why the department is continuing to support participation in mathematics provision, including retaking GCSEs, for all 16 to 19 year olds and adults who need it.
The department introduced the mathematics and English Condition of Funding in 2014 which ensures all 16 to 19 year olds continue to study English and mathematics to level 2 (GCSE grade 4+ or equivalent) as part of their study programme.
The Adult Education Budget also supports all adults (19+) in England who do not yet hold a relevant qualification or have Level 2 skills the right to study for a qualification in mathematics for free.
Under the Education Skills and Funding Agency funding rules, a learner will not be fully-funded to just resit an examination where no extra learning takes place.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending funding for the National Tutoring Programme on the attainment gap in 2024.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department has invested over £1 billion in the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), which runs from the 2020/21 academic year to the 2023/24 academic year. The NTP is a time limited, four-year programme to support pupils to catch up following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The department remains committed to the objective that tutoring should be embedded across schools in England, following the end of the NTP.
Schools are best placed to decide how to spend their funding, depending on their unique circumstances and priorities, which may include spend on tutoring.
Tutoring is included in the menu of approaches in the pupil premium guidance for school leaders.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the rate of diagnosis for people who develop symptoms of dementia before the age of 65.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the spending review settlement in 2021/22, £17 million was allocated to the National Health Service to address dementia waiting lists, and to increase the number of diagnoses, which had been adversely impacted by the pandemic. NHS England will share learning on the impact of this funding and examples of good practice with dementia clinical networks, by the end of Summer 2024.
However, the dementia diagnosis rate is not calculated for patients aged under 65 years old. This is because the numbers of patients known to have dementia in the sample population age groups comprising the zero to 64 years old age range, is not large enough for reliable estimates to be made.
The Primary Care Dementia Data publication does include a monthly count of the number of patients aged 65 years old and under who do have a dementia diagnosis on their patient record, which is expressed as a raw count, and as a percentage of registered patients aged zero to 64 years old.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce diagnostic waiting times for people with suspected young onset dementia.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the spending review settlement in 2021/22, £17 million was allocated to the National Health Service to address dementia waiting lists, and to increase the number of diagnoses, which had been adversely impacted by the pandemic. NHS England will share learning on the impact of this funding and examples of good practice with dementia clinical networks, by the end of Summer 2024.
However, the dementia diagnosis rate is not calculated for patients aged under 65 years old. This is because the numbers of patients known to have dementia in the sample population age groups comprising the zero to 64 years old age range, is not large enough for reliable estimates to be made.
The Primary Care Dementia Data publication does include a monthly count of the number of patients aged 65 years old and under who do have a dementia diagnosis on their patient record, which is expressed as a raw count, and as a percentage of registered patients aged zero to 64 years old.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of levels of age-appropriate support offered by Integrated Care Boards for people with young onset dementia.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia at every age, and central to this is the provision of personalised care.
The Dementia Well Pathway includes diagnosing well, living well, supporting well, and dying well, and highlights that services need to be integrated, commissioned, monitored, and aligned with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s standards for each component of the pathway. It makes it clear that the needs, wishes, and preferences of each individual, including those with young onset dementia, should be taken into account when planning and providing their care.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to provide (a) guidance and (b) resources to support Integrated Care Systems in developing a designated care pathway for people with young onset dementia.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia at every age, and central to this is the provision of personalised care. The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines.
The Dementia Well Pathway includes diagnosing well, living well, supporting well, and dying well, and highlights that services need to be integrated, commissioned, monitored, and aligned with the NICE’s standards for each component of the pathway. It makes it clear that the needs, wishes, and preferences of each individual should be taken into account in planning and providing their care.
Guidance on dementia care in hospital is referenced in The Dementia Care Pathway, and signals that commissioners should continue to actively engage in local system leadership. An improvement agenda should be developed jointly with key partners, including healthcare providers, social care, local government, and the voluntary and independent sectors. Additionally, on 24 January 2024, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy covering six conditions, including dementia.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the level of competition in the fuel distribution services industry.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
There are multiple companies involved in the distribution of both transport and heating fuels to petrol forecourts and end-user premises.
For road fuels, there are at least 11 significant haulage companies distributing fuels to petrol forecourts. The Competition and Markets Authority 2023 market study ‘Supply of road fuel in the United Kingdom’ did not identify issues with competition in the distribution of fuels.
For heating oils, there are commercial price comparison sites allowing households to find the best value for money. The industry estimates that most households in mainland Britain will have at least four different distribution companies with depots within 25 miles.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with housing associations on the potential impact of the 53 rent week year on residents.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 18812 on the 19th March.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to (a) improve published national primary care data on young onset dementia and (b) ensure that young onset dementia is included in the national dementia diagnosis target rate.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Young onset dementia (YOD), defined as dementia diagnosed under the age of 65.
The dementia diagnosis rate is not calculated for patients aged under 65 years old. This is because the numbers of patients known to have dementia in the sample population age groups comprising those aged between zero and 64 years old are not large enough for reliable estimates to be made.
The dementia diagnosis rate for patients aged 65 years old and over is calculated and published monthly via the Primary Care Dementia Data publication, which is available at the following link:
This publication does include a monthly count of the number of patients aged 65 years old and under who do have a dementia diagnosis on their patient record; this is expressed as a raw count and as a percentage of registered patients aged between zero and 64 years old.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the reduction in numbers of credit unions.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is a strong supporter of credit unions, recognising the vital role they play in local communities throughout the country.
Through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Government allowed credit unions in Great Britain to offer a wider range of products and services, diversifying their income streams and enhancing their role in financial inclusion.
According to the latest data from the PRA, credit union membership in Great Britain has increased for the fifth consecutive quarter, reaching a record level of over 1.5 million. Their total assets have also increased to over £2.67 billion.
The Government continues to engage with the credit union sector to assess how they can best be supported moving forward.