Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of support for people with diabetes in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) North Staffordshire.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impacts of cryptoasset schemes promoted by the sporting industry on consumers.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has noted a growing market of partnerships between sports bodies and crypto asset businesses.
The variety of crypto asset products is wide and evolving. We have always encouraged innovation in sports markets but this must be done with the interests of fans in mind and must be transparent on risks.
My officials have discussed cryptoassets in conversations with the Premier League, the English Football League and the Treasury.
As I stated in the recent Westminster Hall Debate on this issue, the government will continue to monitor the use and promotion of cryptoassets in sport and will factor this into considerations around the wider cryptoasset market and its regulation.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 make an estimate of the trend in the population level of bees in North Staffordshire over the last 10 years.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
While the Department does not hold comprehensive historic data on the population level of honey bees, the National Bee Unit does hold some county data, including for Staffordshire as a whole, on its BeeBase website. This data relates to honey bees managed by beekeepers and indicates a rise in the honey bee population in Staffordshire, from around 2,300 colonies in 2012 to around 3,200 colonies in 2022.
It is important to note that the overall number of beekeepers registering on BeeBase has risen dramatically over the last 10 years, and this may account for the apparent rise in the honey bee population suggested by the colony numbers.
We do not hold information specific to the population level of wild bees in North Staffordshire over the last 10 years. More generally, Defra’s indicator recording the distribution of pollinating insects in England between 1980 and 2017 shows long term decline for the majority of the 377 species of hoverflies and bees. In the short term, however, around 40% of these species have become less well distributed, and around 40% have become more well distributed. In the short term, more recorded bee species are becoming more widespread in England than are becoming less widespread. We cannot provide information on which species are declining and which are increasing. We are keeping these trends under review.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 findings of the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) review into the building insurance market for multiple-occupancy residential buildings, what recent discussions the Government has had with the FCA on potential changes to that authority’s powers to intervene on broker remuneration on business insurance rates.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer to Question UIN 74972, answered on the 8th November 2022.
Further to the answer given to PQ 74972, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help support the police to tackle anti-social behaviour in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office published statutory guidance to support local policing to make effective use of the powers in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The guidance sets out the importance of focusing on the needs of the victim and the local community, as well as ensuring that the relevant legal tests are met. This guidance was updated in June 2022 to ensure a victim-centered approach to tackling ASB as well as stronger use of the powers and tools in the 2014 Act.
It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives respectively, to decide how best to respond to local priorities and to help ensure the police have the resources they need; we have given them the biggest funding increase in a decade and are enabling policing to recruit 20,000 additional officers over the next three years.
As at 30 September 2022, Staffordshire Police has recruited 265 additional uplift officers against a total three year allocation of 300 officers.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional nurses have been recruited in North Staffordshire in the past 12 months.
Answered by Will Quince
This information is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a specific plastic reduction target for local authorities under the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have not assessed the merits of introducing a specific plastic reduction target for local authorities under the Environment Act 2021. We consulted earlier this year on a target for reducing all residual waste excluding major mineral waste. Our consultation set out the rationale for the Government’s proposed choice.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of support available to people affected by strokes in north Staffordshire.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 1 April 2021, 20 integrated stroke delivery networks (ISDNs) have been operational in England.
In North Staffordshire, the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have a dedicated stroke team which co-ordinates the transfer of care of stroke survivors from hospital providing early, effective and community specialist stroke rehabilitation and disability management. In addition, the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System has a dedicated early supportive discharge and integrated community stroke service, which ensures that stroke survivors from north Staffordshire have on average a shorter length of stay in hospital than elsewhere in the county.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress has been made on developing integrated stroke delivery networks.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 1 April 2021, 20 integrated stroke delivery networks (ISDNs) have been operational in England.
In North Staffordshire, the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have a dedicated stroke team which co-ordinates the transfer of care of stroke survivors from hospital providing early, effective and community specialist stroke rehabilitation and disability management. In addition, the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System has a dedicated early supportive discharge and integrated community stroke service, which ensures that stroke survivors from north Staffordshire have on average a shorter length of stay in hospital than elsewhere in the county.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of the broker remuneration system for large residential building owners who are seeking affordable rates of business insurance.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government has concerns about year-on-year increases in buildings insurance premiums and the restricted cover on offer to leaseholders. In January 2022, the Secretary of State wrote to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requesting that they investigate the causes of high buildings insurance premiums for leaseholders.
The FCA has published its review into the buildings insurance market for multi-occupancy residential buildings 11 metres and above. The report can be found here.
The Government is also considering how best to implement the FCA's recommendation to give leaseholders greater rights to review and challenge their insurance costs. This is crucial to holding all parties accountable to the costs being borne by leaseholders.