Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of bereavement support provided to fathers following a baby loss.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government recognises that partners can also be impacted when their loved ones are suffering from the consequences of the loss of a baby. We previously funded the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity to produce and support the roll-out of a National Bereavement Care Pathway, to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the National Health Service, for parents and their families. On 22 February 2024, we launched Baby Loss Certificates, so either parent can obtain a certificate to recognise the loss of a baby before 24 weeks.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has plans to increase support for bereaved parents who experience a (a) miscarriage or (b) baby loss.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government funded the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity in order to produce and support the roll-out of a National Bereavement Care Pathway, to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the National Health Service. As of 30 January 2024, 126 NHS England trusts, or 98%, have signed up to the pathway.
The Government is also continuing to implement recommendations from the Pregnancy Loss Review published in July 2023. These focus on improving the care and support that women and families receive when experiencing a pre-24-week gestation baby loss.
On 22 February 2024, we launched Baby Loss Certificates so that parents can obtain a certificate to recognise the loss of a baby before 24 weeks. As of 4 March 2024, over 37,000 certificates have been issued. This delivers on priorities set out in the Women’s Health Strategy for England, and on recommendations from the Pregnancy Loss Review.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
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 the availability of NHS physiotherapy appointments.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to make an assessment.
NHS England published its intermediate care framework for rehabilitation, reablement and recovery following hospital discharge in September 2023, to help ensure high quality care after hospital discharge. This framework is available at the following link:
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people have access to specialised homes in (a) the private sector and (b) social housing.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including people with disabilities and reflect this in their local plan. Alongside this, my Department, DHSC and the NHS provide capital grant funding to help subsidise the delivery of new supply of supported housing including for disabled people.
Local housing authorities have a statutory duty to provide home adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test. They also have powers to provide adaptations for those that do not qualify under the duty. Government funding helps adapt around 50,000 homes annually, with the majority (90%) of adaptations being level access showers, stair lifts, or ramps. Government funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant has more than doubled, rising from £220 million in 2015-16 to £625 million for 2024-25.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 12419 on Social Rented Housing: EU Nationals, what guidance the Government has issued to people with (a) pre-settled status and (b) settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to determine whether they have equal treatment protection in matters of housing under the (i) Withdrawal Agreement, (ii) EEA-EFTA Separation Agreement and (iii) Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The consultation by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on reforms to social housing allocations continues to be open.
Guidance will be issued in due course, including with respect to eligibility under the proposed UK connection test.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will issue guidance to courts on ensuring adequate food and drink facilities for jurors.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The jury trial is a critical safeguard to the fairness of criminal proceedings in the Crown Court, and as such jurors are of integral importance to the system.
Jurors are advised in information sent to them before they come to court about the court to which they are being summoned, including the available facilities at the court and in the local area, and also that they are welcome to bring a packed lunch.
During a trial or before selection, jurors are free to leave the court to get refreshments during the lunch break.
Arrangements for deliberation vary due to differences in local arrangements and are subject to judicial direction in any particular trial, but usually jurors are advised to bring a packed lunch (either in person the day before or by email/text message) if the trial is approaching its end and they are likely to go into deliberation the following day.
Jurors can claim a daily amount from the court towards food and drink costs. There does not appear to be the need for any further, central, guidance – which in any event would be difficult to prescribe at a national level, given that the available facilities and local arrangements will legitimately vary across different court centres.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government (a) is taking steps to ensure the security of genetic data of UK citizens and (b) has raised potential concerns relating to Chinese genomics companies as part of the US-UK Strategic Dialogue on Biological Security.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Organisations which hold sensitive biological data are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, organisations such as Genomics England, UK Biobank and NIHR BioResource consider national security in decision making about partnerships with other companies.
The Office for Life Sciences is undertaking a programme of work to assess how we can minimise the risks from biological data to protect our burgeoning bioeconomy, without stifling innovation, and build confidence in sharing personal data to improve health outcomes in the UK and across the world. This is being conducted in consultation with relevant Departments and Agencies across Government, and key partners such as Genomics England and UK Biobank.
Underpinned by the UK Biological Security Strategy and the U.S. Biodefense Strategy, the U.S.-UK Strategic Dialogue on Biological Security reflects a shared ambition to protect against a growing and diverse spectrum of biological threats. These risks include future pandemics as well as those that might arise from misuse of biotechnology and genomic data by state actors.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) amend the maximum fair rent inflationary index set in the Rent Act 1977.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government has no plans to amend the Rent Act 1977 or Maximum Fair Rent Order 1999.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
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 the availability of rehabilitation physiotherapy appointments for patients in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has no current plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of rehabilitation physiotherapy appointments for patients in the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 January 2024 on Wine Quantities and Units of Measurement Update HCWS168, when retailers will be able to sell still and sparkling wine in the 200ml size.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is planning to introduce legislation in spring 2024 on the proposals for new prepacked wine quantities announced on 27 December. All new legislative changes are subject to parliamentary scrutiny and due process, including in this case the need to notify the World Trade Organisation. Once this legislative process is complete, the legislation is expected to come into force around Autumn 2024, permitting the sale of still wine in pre-packed 200ml formats. The sale of pre-packed sparkling wine in the 200ml size is already permitted.