Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has provided funding to 50:50 Parliament in the last five years.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office finance system does not show any transactions to 50:50 Parliament in the last five years, including grants issued by the department. The Cabinet Office does not hold financial data for other departments.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what clinical definition of anxiety his Department uses.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not use a specific clinical definition of anxiety as Work Capability Assessments and Personal Independence Payment assessments are functional assessments that focus on the impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life, rather than the diagnosis itself.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what proportion of the budget for social and affordable housing is spent on (a) Ukrainian and Afghan refugee and guests schemes, (b) asylum seekers, (c) migrant workers on the shortage occupation list, (d) dependents of such migrant workers, (e) workers on the health and social care visa scheme and (f) non-UK citizens.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department does not hold the information requested, but I have asked officials to consider how we may be able to offer this information in the future.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board has taken to (a) commission and (b) deliver services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning services for the local area. The services at Alexandra Hospital are delivered by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
A wide range of services are delivered at Alexandra Hospital. The trust publishes information on services available at the Alexandra Hospital on its website. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB plans to increase the amount of planned elective activity carried out at the Alexandra Hospital, especially in orthopaedics.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
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 ensure that Alexandra Hospital in Redditch publish updated information on the scope of its services.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning services for the local area. The services at Alexandra Hospital are delivered by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
A wide range of services are delivered at Alexandra Hospital. The trust publishes information on services available at the Alexandra Hospital on its website. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB plans to increase the amount of planned elective activity carried out at the Alexandra Hospital, especially in orthopaedics.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of funding provided through the Local Authority Housing Fund was spent on housing allocated to (a) UK citizens, (b) people with a local connection and (c) veterans in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Based on homes delivered through rounds 1 and 2 of the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF), as of December 2023, around 40% were delivered through new housing supply (through a mix of new developments, new off-the-shelf supply, conversions and refurbishments) and 60% through acquiring existing stock. We do not currently hold data on the proportion of funding this equates to given local authorities are still delivering through LAHF. Following the conclusion of the first two rounds of the LAHF in 2024, an evaluation will be conducted and published. As part of this evaluation, we will seek information on the proportion of funding spent on new supply.
Housing acquired through the fund is allocated according to local allocations, lettings and homelessness policies. DLUHC does not collect demographic data on who the housing is allocated to.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of funding provided through the Local Authority Housing Fund was spent on (a) new housing supply and (b) acquiring existing stock in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Based on homes delivered through rounds 1 and 2 of the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF), as of December 2023, around 40% were delivered through new housing supply (through a mix of new developments, new off-the-shelf supply, conversions and refurbishments) and 60% through acquiring existing stock. We do not currently hold data on the proportion of funding this equates to given local authorities are still delivering through LAHF. Following the conclusion of the first two rounds of the LAHF in 2024, an evaluation will be conducted and published. As part of this evaluation, we will seek information on the proportion of funding spent on new supply.
Housing acquired through the fund is allocated according to local allocations, lettings and homelessness policies. DLUHC does not collect demographic data on who the housing is allocated to.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
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 help ensure the return of maternity and children’s services to the Alexandra hospital in Redditch.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
I know that my honourable friend has campaigned tirelessly on this issue on behalf of her constituents.
As a result, she will understand that the decisions about the reconfiguration of services are made locally, following appropriate engagement with people and communities.
However I am pleased to say that by working with the local NHS, we have invested £18 million in the hospital’s operating theatre and secured a long-term workforce pipeline through the Three Counties Medical School.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the recommendations of the APPG on SME House Builders in its report on Access to Finance in the SME Housebuilding Sector, published in July 2023, if he will (a) encourage local authorities to grant permission in principle, (b) relax requirements for affordable housing, (c) target the Atlas planning squad at small sites and (d) take other steps to bring forward more small sites for housebuilding.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The National Planning Policy Framework includes policies to promote greater use of small sites. In our update to the Framework, published in December 2023, we strengthened our existing small sites policies to encourage local authorities to seek opportunities to support small sites to come forward for community-led housing and self-build and custom build housing. Our policy changes also encourage permission in principle alongside other routes to permission, to remove barriers for smaller and medium-sized builders in the planning system. We intend to undertake a further consultation on specific proposals to strengthen our small sites planning policy in due course.
The Framework is clear that local plans should set out the affordable housing contributions expected from development. Such policies should be informed by evidence of affordable housing need, and a proportionate assessment of viability. The Framework states that provision of affordable housing should not be sought for residential developments that are not major developments, other than in designated rural areas.
We have announced £13.5 million for a Planning Super Squad that will deploy teams of specialists into local planning authorities to accelerate the delivery of homes and development. Further details on the Planning Super Squad will follow in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of new homes that were completed by small and medium-sized housebuilders in each year since 1997.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN on 9065 on 17 January 2024.