Ministerial Corrections

Tuesday 7th November 2023 Ministerial Corrections

Tuesday 7 November 2023

Transport

Tuesday 7th November 2023 Ministerial Corrections

Topical Questions

The following is an extract from Transport questions on 26 October 2023.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

The huge importance of local bus services to communities such as mine in Blaydon has been emphasised by a dispute between Go North East and its employees. I very much hope that a negotiated settlement can be reached quickly. Is not the reality that we need better, more streamlined franchising models to give communities a greater say on their transport offer?

[Mr Holden]

I am sure the hon. Lady, my neighbour, welcomed the news yesterday evening that Go North East and Unite the union have managed to reach a settlement in the north-east. That is quite good news. I am sure she will also welcome the £163.5 million that we have put into bus service improvement plans, which include the option to do bus franchising. This Government have been happy to make that available to all local authorities.

[Official Report, 26 October 2023, Vol. 738, c. 968.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for North West Durham (Mr Holden):

An error has been identified in my response to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Liz Twist) in Transport questions. The correct response should have been:

[Mr Holden]

I am sure the hon. Lady, my neighbour, will, like me, welcome the details of the new offer from Go North East to Unite. It is good news and I hope that it will lead to a settlement. I am sure she will also welcome the £163.5 million that we have put into bus service improvement plans, which include the option to do bus franchising. This Government have been happy to make that available to all local authorities.

Health and Social Care

Tuesday 7th November 2023 Ministerial Corrections

Baby Loss Awareness Week

The following is an extract from the Backbench Business debate on Baby Loss Awareness Week on 19 October 2023.

[Maria Caulfield]

We announced in July that we would be rolling out baby loss certificates. They will be retrospective. There is no time limit on applying for them.

[Official Report, 19 October 2023, Vol. 738, c. 472.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon. Member for Lewes (Maria Caulfield):

An error has been identified in my response to the debate on Baby Loss Awareness Week. The correct information is as follows:

[Maria Caulfield]

We announced in July that we would be rolling out baby loss certificates. They will be retrospective. Initially, only those who have experienced a loss since 1 September 2018 and are currently living in England will be eligible to apply for them.

Training of NHS Staff

The following is an extract from Health and Social Care questions on 17 October 2023.

[Theo Clarke]

What steps are the Government taking to increase the recruitment of midwives, given the closure of Stafford County Hospital’s freestanding midwifery birthing unit due to shortages, and how is the Secretary of State going to ensure that all midwives are trained to deal with birth injuries to reduce risk?

[Steve Barclay]

My hon. Friend raises an important point, and I know she has secured a debate in the House this week to further explore these issues. She will be aware that there has been a 13% increase in the number of midwifery programme place starters since two years ago. That is alongside the £165 million added to the maternity budget since 2021 and the key increase in midwifery places in the long-term workforce plan.

[Official Report, 17 October 2023, Vol. 738, c. 145.]

Letter of correction from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the right hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Steve Barclay):

An error has been identified in my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Theo Clarke). The correct response should have been:

[Steve Barclay]

My hon. Friend raises an important point, and I know she has secured a debate in the House this week to further explore these issues. She will be aware that the long-term workforce plan anticipates a 13% increase in the number of midwifery programme place starters since two years ago. That is alongside the £165 million added to the maternity budget since 2021 and the key increase in midwifery places in the long-term workforce plan.

Cabinet Office

Tuesday 7th November 2023 Ministerial Corrections

Environmentally Sustainable Transport

The following is an extract from Cabinet Office questions on 7 September 2023.

[Mr Sheerman]

Will this team wake up? They have huge potential in the Cabinet Office to influence every Department of State. From my perspective, as a passionate supporter of sustainable transport and particularly the revolution that is coming in hydrogen power, I see an inert Department not pushing other Departments to do better. Could they wake up and do something about this?

[Alex Burghart]

I can think of nothing nicer than being woken up by the hon. Gentleman. I can reassure him that we do encourage our colleagues in other Departments to go further on this. We have a range of carbon offsetting programmes in place and, as I say, our location strategy means that we try to locate people near public transport hubs. This is the very essence of a green transport strategy.

[Official Report, 7 September 2023, Vol. 737, c. 532.]

Letter of correction from the Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Alex Burghart):

An error has been identified in my response to the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman) during Cabinet Office questions. The correct response should have been:

[Alex Burghart]

I can think of nothing nicer than being woken up by the hon. Gentleman. I can reassure him that we do encourage our colleagues in other Departments to go further on this. We have one carbon offsetting programme in place and, as I say, our location strategy means that we try to locate people near public transport hubs. This is the very essence of a green transport strategy.

Women and Equalities

Tuesday 7th November 2023 Ministerial Corrections

LGBT People

The following is an extract from Women and Equalities questions on 25 October 2023.

[Anneliese Dodds]

I would therefore counsel the Minister to advise his colleagues to stop briefing the press on these issues and get on with delivering, because there are failures when it comes to delivery for LGBT+ people. Yesterday I met Michael Smith, who was viciously attacked at a bus stop simply for being with his partner. Police-recorded sexual orientation hate crime has increased by more than 70% in the last five years, and more than a third of all hate crimes are now “violence against the person” offences. I know that the Minister cares deeply about this subject, so can he please explain why his Government do not agree with Labour or with the Law Commission that every violent act of hatred should be punished in the same way—as an aggravated offence?

[Stuart Andrew]

Let me say to the hon. Lady that as someone who was hospitalised after being attacked because of my sexuality, I know how difficult that is. It is not just the attack that is painful but what is left afterwards.

I will continue to raise each of these issues, but I want to make this point. I keep hearing that we do not care about LGBT issues. It was this Government who introduced same-sex marriage, and it was this Government who introduced it in Northern Ireland. It was this Government who introduced Turing’s law in 2017. We have modernised gender recognition certificates and made them affordable. We have removed self-funding for fertility treatment for same sex-couples, lifted the ban on blood donation, and tackled LGBT-related bullying in schools. We have apologised for the way in which LGBT people were treated in the armed forces, and we have provided funding to ensure that LGBT rights across the Commonwealth are protected.

[Official Report, 25 October 2023, Vol. 738, c. 818.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Equalities, the right hon. Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew):

An error has been identified in my response to the hon. Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds) in Women and Equalities questions. The response should have been:

[Stuart Andrew]

Let me say to the hon. Lady that as someone who was hospitalised after being attacked because of my sexuality, I know how difficult that is. It is not just the attack that is painful but what is left afterwards.

I will continue to raise each of these issues, but I want to make this point. I keep hearing that we do not care about LGBT issues. It was this Government who introduced same-sex marriage, and it was this Government who introduced it in Northern Ireland. It was this Government who introduced Turing’s law in 2017. We have modernised gender recognition certificates and made them affordable. We have removed self-funding for fertility treatment for same sex-couples, approved a change in blood donation criteria that allowed more men who have sex with men to donate, and tackled LGBT-related bullying in schools. We have apologised for the way in which LGBT people were treated in the armed forces, and we have provided funding to ensure that LGBT rights across the Commonwealth are protected.