Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make an updated impact assessment on the postponement of proposed upgrades to North Devon District Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the Plan for Implementation, the New Hospital Programme (NHP) review used a range of data to assess and scope schemes, including the North Devon District Hospital scheme. This included assessing each scheme under criteria for mitigated risk, including health deprivation, deliverability, and transformation opportunity. As a result, North Devon is now in Wave 3 of the NHP and is expected to begin construction between 2035 and 2038. Further information on the Plan for Implementation is available at the following link:
Additionally, an equality impact assessment was carried out for the review into the NHP, which included assessing the extent to which service users might be impacted by these delivery proposals, with specific reference to the impact that these might have on relevant protected characteristics. This was laid in the House Library and published on 20 January, and is available at the following link:
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming social housing eligibility criteria to include families local to the area being considered who cannot (a) afford to rent a property privately and (b) obtain a mortgage in (i) rural areas and (ii) Cornwall.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are responsible for designing and managing their own social housing allocations policies to meet local need, including setting qualification criteria appropriate to their local area. These schemes are governed by a legal framework set by central government.
Local authorities may (but are not obliged to) take an applicant’s financial resources into account when considering their application for social housing, including whether they can secure alternative accommodation at market rent.
Local authorities can also adopt a residency or local connection test for social housing which require a well-established local association or the individual(s) having lived in their area for a certain period before they can access the social housing waiting list.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing higher penalties for the failure of water companies to adequately (a) monitor and (b) report on sewage spills.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
Since 1 January 2025, water companies have been required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. The Secretary of State has authorised Ofwat to carry out enforcement action for this duty, in accordance with the powers conferred under sections 18 and 141DA (4) of the Water Industry Act 1991. Ofwat’s enforcement powers provide for a wide range of enforcement activity, including substantial penalties.
Ofwat is monitoring compliance with the duty to report relevant data in real time. Where it detects non-compliance, it will take appropriate enforcement action. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has introduced an equivalent duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. Once commenced, this duty will be enforced in the same way.
The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. A public Call for Evidence closed on 23 April, with all interested parties invited to share their views. The review's final recommendations will be published and shared with the UK and Welsh Governments this summer.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to criminalise the failure to prevent dumping of sewage into public waterways by water companies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
Storm Overflows are strictly regulated by the Environment Agency (EA). Where breaches are found, EA will not hesitate to hold companies to account.
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, signed into law on 24 February, marks the most significant increase in the water industry regulators’ enforcement powers in a decade. The Act increases criminal liability for water executives who break the law. It also delivers new powers for Ofwat to make rules to ban the payment of bonuses for water bosses where water companies fail to meet specified standards, including standards in relation to the environment, and requires water and sewerage companies to develop statutory Pollution Incident Reduction Plans, driving increased transparency and a stronger preventative approach.
Beyond this new legislation, we are also carrying out a full review of the water sector. The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. A public Call for Evidence closed on 23 April, with all interested parties invited to share their views. The review's final recommendations will be published and shared with the UK and Welsh Governments this summer.
The government is also committed to taking a systematic approach to improving drainage and wastewater systems. This means looking at the bigger picture – how these systems affect the environment, local communities, and other key priorities like flood prevention, economic growth, and urban development. By doing this, we can make sure policies and services work better together to deliver real benefits for people and nature.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the accessibility of health services for (a) blind and (b) partially sighted people in North Cornwall constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local population, including blind and partially sighted people.
Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. To make it easier for disabled people to use health services, there is work underway in NHS England to ensure that staff in health settings know if they need to make reasonable adjustments. This includes rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag, which enables the recording of key information about a patient, and their reasonable adjustment needs, in health records to ensure support can be tailored appropriately.
Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including blind and partially sighted people. NHS England has been undertaking a review of the AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. A revised AIS will be published in due course. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force and therefore there should not be a gap in provision for people using services.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of patients' (a) blindness and (b) partial sightedness on levels of attendance at (i) GP and (ii) hospital appointments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has made no formal assessment of the impact of visual impairment on levels of attendance. However, we are aware of the challenges that visual impairments can present when accessing healthcare services.
Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people, including blind and partially sighted people, are not disadvantaged. To make it easier for disabled people to use health services, there is work underway in NHS England to ensure that staff in health settings know if they need to make reasonable adjustments. This includes the development of a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag, which enables the recording of key information about a patient, and their reasonable adjustment needs, in health records to ensure support can be tailored appropriately.
Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers have been expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The standard details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including blind and partially sighted people. NHS England has been undertaking a review of the AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. A revised AIS will be published in due course. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force and therefore there should not be a gap in provision for people using services.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding research into the (a) causes of and (b) potential cures for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As indicated in the interim delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), the Government is keen to increase and improve research in this area. ME/CFS can have a devastating effect on the lives of those who suffer from it, and those close to them, and research can hold the key to improving the quality of life for people with ME/CFS.
The Government funds ME/CFS research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). Funding is available and we welcome funding applications for research into ME/CFS. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
In areas, like ME/CFS, which are underserved by research, we work with other relevant funders to develop strategic solutions. For example, the MRC and NIHR co-funded the DecodeME project. The NIHR, Scottish Chief Scientist’s Office, and the MRC also funded the James Lind Alliance PSP for ME/CFS, facilitated by the charity Action for ME. We will outline further research actions as part of the Final Delivery Plan.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will meet with the hon. Member for North Cornwall to discuss the potential availability of funding to extend the Camel Trail cycle path.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I commend the honourable gentleman for his continued advocacy for the Camel Trail cycle path in his constituency. As he will be aware, officials from the Department for Transport attended our meeting on 1 April, and prior input was sought from Active Travel England.
Decisions on future funding for active travel will be a matter for the Spending Review, and it is for Cornwall Council to make its own decisions about where to prioritise investment in local transport networks, including walking and cycling infrastructure.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to paragraph 2.44 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC295, what discussions his Department (a) has had and (b) plans to have with representatives of (i) breweries and (ii) consumers on the consultation on encouraging small brewers to retain and expand their access to pubs.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that the government would consult on ways to encourage small brewers to retain and expand their access to UK pubs.
We are undertaking commercially confidential discussions with a wide range of market participants to gain a better understanding of the supply, sale and dispense of cask and keg beers, together with the nature of competition between brewers, including local/small suppliers.
We will then discuss the findings with competition and markets experts before considering further steps.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the average (a) distance travelled and (b) cost incurred by children and young people when attending cancer appointments in North Cornwall constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.
The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.
Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.
The Department of Health and Social Care has not made an estimate of the average distance travelled and cost incurred by children and young people when attending cancer appointments in the North Cornwall constituency.
On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.