Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will launch a consumer review of the car insurance market for the purposes of understanding the (a) adequacy of levels of competition and (b) comparative pricing structures between companies.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The motor insurance market has many providers offering a variety of insurance products to suit the needs of customers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator for financial services, has a statutory objective to promote competition in the interests of consumers, and, working closely with the Competition and Markets Authority, can enforce against breaches of competition law. The FCA have also introduced several reforms, including the Consumer Duty rules, to ensure consumers are treated fairly in regard to pricing.
Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms, conditions or price that they set when offering insurance, including motor insurance. The Government does not intervene in these commercial decisions by insurers as this could damage competition in the market.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) reliability of electric vehicle charging points on (i) public roads and (ii) the (A) central and (B) local government estate in (1) Shropshire, (2) Telford and (3) Wrekin.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is supporting local authorities in England through its £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund.
Shropshire Council has been allocated £2,006,000 of capital funding and £362,000 of capability funding through the LEVI Fund, to transform the availability of charging infrastructure across the area, including in Telford and the Wrekin.
Since 2017, local authorities across the UK have also been able to apply to the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS). Over 190 local authorities have been awarded grants through ORCS, which will help to support the installation of more than 18,000 chargepoints. Telford and Wrekin Council have been awarded £682,370 for the installation of 70 chargepoints, and Shropshire Council have been awarded a total of £992,330 for the installation of 150 chargepoints across two projects.
The Government has also laid regulations to improve the consumer experience across the public charging network and has published accompanying guidance. The regulations mandate open data to ensure that consumers can locate the right chargepoints for their needs, mandate 99 per cent reliability across each rapid charging network, and will ensure that a 24/7-hour helpline is available across the entire public charging network.
Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) and infrastructure grants are also available for local government estates. Eligible applicants can get up to 75% off the total costs of purchase and installation, capped at £350 per socket.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislation to ban (a) new dogs and (b) cross-breeds in addition to those dogs already banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government is taking urgent action to bring forward a ban on XL Bully dog types following a concerning rise in attacks and fatalities, which appear to be driven by this type of dog. We intend to have the legislation in place to deliver this by the end of the year.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will hold discussions with housing developers on the potential impact of the inclusion of balconies in new apartment blocks on residents' mental health.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government recognises through our national planning policy the importance that new development provides well-designed, healthy and inclusive new homes for all residents.
In support of this, our National Design Guide, which informs the preparation of local planning policies and guidance, emphasises the benefits that access to external private space, including balconies on new apartments, can bring in supporting the health and wellbeing of residents.
In addition, the National Model Design Code highlights how local councils can use design codes to consider the provision and size of balconies on new apartments in urban areas, where appropriate in the local context. Design codes can give developers greater certainty on design expectations at an early stage in the planning process.
Our national design guidance has been developed in consultation with built environment professionals, including housing developers, with the feedback collated and reviewed prior to publication.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps with housing developers to deliver an increase in the proportion of new apartments in urban areas which are built with balconies.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government recognises through our national planning policy the importance that new development provides well-designed, healthy and inclusive new homes for all residents.
In support of this, our National Design Guide, which informs the preparation of local planning policies and guidance, emphasises the benefits that access to external private space, including balconies on new apartments, can bring in supporting the health and wellbeing of residents.
In addition, the National Model Design Code highlights how local councils can use design codes to consider the provision and size of balconies on new apartments in urban areas, where appropriate in the local context. Design codes can give developers greater certainty on design expectations at an early stage in the planning process.
Our national design guidance has been developed in consultation with built environment professionals, including housing developers, with the feedback collated and reviewed prior to publication.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on implementing phase 2 of the roll-out of veterans' identity cards.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr Doogan) to Question 193995 on 18 July 2023.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of commissioning a national memorial to honour Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by public subscription.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government and Royal Household announced on 3 September the creation of The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee. The Committee will develop proposals for both a permanent memorial, and a national legacy programme that will allow everyone in the UK to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s life of service. The UK Government will support the proposals, and will consider funding options as proposals develop.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the academic achievements of schools teaching (a) Singapore maths and (b) other forms of maths teaching.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department draws on a range of published data about the effectiveness of teaching approaches, including from Ofsted, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Mastery based pedagogy in mathematics promoted by the Department is informed by approaches in Singapore and Shanghai, jurisdictions that perform highly in international tests.
A randomised controlled trial funded by the Department’s Centres for Excellence in Maths Programme, which provided mastery teaching support for GCSE resits, found that students on the full intervention made one month of additional progress in attainment compared with students in other business as usual colleges. Students from a disadvantaged background benefitted the most, the research showed they made two months of additional progress.
Combined analysis of an EEF study of ARK Multi Academy Trust’s Mathematics Mastery programme at primary and secondary also showed an average improvement equivalent to one month’s additional progress over a year of teaching.
The latest Key Stage 2 results from 2023 showed that 73% of pupils met the expected standard in mathematics, which is up from 71% in 2022. The results from the latest Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Assessment (PISA) international comparison studies showed that England performs above the international average for mathematics. Before the pandemic, England achieved its highest ever mathematics scores in the 2019 TIMSS international test for year 5 pupils and the 2018 PISA study for 15 year olds.
Ofsted’s latest mathematics subject report highlights how Maths Hubs, which are increasing the numbers of schools that are focusing on mastery pedagogy to 65% of secondary and 75% of primary schools by 2025, have contributed to notable improvements in the quality of mathematics education since 2012. Ofsted’s latest mathematics subject report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/subject-report-series-maths/coordinating-mathematical-success-the-mathematics-subject-report.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has undertaken research on the impact on patient illness of antibiotic courses prescribed by GPs for (a) five and (b) seven days.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has funded several studies on the impact of duration of antibiotic courses on patient illness, as well as antimicrobial resistance.
For example, in 2022 we funded the Cellulitis Optimal Antibiotic Treatment (COAT) study investigating whether a short course (five days) of flucloxacillin was non-inferior to a standard course (seven days) in terms of pain over days six to 14, in patients with leg cellulitis in primary care.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish an action plan on steps to help local education authorities expand the provision of sign language courses for families of deaf children.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in, or focusing on, British Sign Language (BSL) up to and including level 2. Approximately 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, who determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas.
ESFA funded AEB qualifications include, for example, the level 1 Award in BSL which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or expected to meet part of the cost through co-funding. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission. Some local authorities receive a funding allocation as part of the AEB, depending on the circumstances in each area.
For some BSL courses, Advanced Learner Loans (ALLs) are available. Parents can find more information about which qualifications are eligible at: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.
For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.