Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of wheelchair accessible taxis in (a) rural areas and (b) Gloucestershire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Disabled people should be able to travel easily, confidently, and with dignity and the Government understands the importance of accessible taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) in supporting them to live independent lives.
The Department collects and publishes statistics about the number of wheelchair accessible taxis and PHVs in England. As of 1 April 2024, 18.5% of taxis and 6.2% of PHVs licensed in Gloucestershire were wheelchair accessible. During the same period, in areas that are largely rural, 13.5% of taxis and 6.9% of PHVs met the same standard.
The proportion of licensed vehicles that are wheelchair accessible varies considerably across England and in some areas, it can be difficult for wheelchair users to obtain a suitable wheelchair accessible taxi or PHV when they need one. Ultimately, however, the licensing of taxis and PHVs is a matter for licensing authorities, and the Government expects them to anticipate the needs of people in their area proactively, and to ensure that services meet a wide range of passenger needs.
Government best practice guidance to licensing authorities in England, updated in November 2023, recommends that authorities assess the demand for wheelchair accessible vehicles and take steps to ensure that there are sufficient available, as part of a “mixed fleet” of vehicles suitable for a range of passenger needs.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) accessibility of banking hubs in Gloucestershire.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in Gloucestershire and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 160 are already open.
The location of these hubs is determined independently by LINK, the industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments. When a cash service such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, LINK assesses a community’s access to cash needs. This assessment may lead to a recommendation for the establishment of a banking hub in that community. When assessing, LINK takes account of how accessible remaining cash services (e.g. bank branches) are by public transport, including journey times and cost.
A banking hub has been recommended for Thornbury in South Gloucestershire and a property search is currently underway.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to help recognise (a) the skills of phlebotomists and (b) their contribution to the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government greatly values the expertise and contribution of all health professionals, including phlebotomists.
A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the National Health Service needs to care for patients across our communities.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to support unpaid carers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support they need. On the 7 April 2025 the Government increased the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This represents the largest increase in the earnings limit since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.
Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service highlighted the need for a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers, to improve outcomes across the board for carers, for those they care for, and for the NHS itself. These findings will be carefully considered as part of our 10-year plan to reform and modernise the NHS, and as we continue to shape our plans to reform adult social care, including through the National Care Service.
We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) improve training on dementia care and (b) financially support family carers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In September 2024, we launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, which allows employers to claim funding for training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible staff. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million for the financial year 2025/26, and funding is available for a range of dementia-related qualifications.
We know that many people wish to play a role in caring for their family and friends and we are committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. This is why, on 7 April 2025, the Government increased the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This represents the largest increase in the earnings limit since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions his Department has had with Mobile UK on the official coverage data published by Ofcom; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the Shared Rural Network includes (a) north Gloucestershire and (b) Gotherington.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
My officials recently met Mobile UK to discuss a range of issues affecting the mobile industry currently, in their role as the trade association for the UK’s mobile network operators. This included Ofcom’s coverage reporting, and what we can do to work together to address areas of limited or no coverage.
Across Tewkesbury, outdoor 4G coverage from all four operators has increased to 95% up from 87%, since the Shared Rural Network programme begun in March 2020. These improvements were delivered via the industry-led element of the SRN which has now completed. There will not be any further coverage improvements in Tewkesbury from the programme.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile phone coverage in North Gloucestershire.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom reports that 4G is available across 95% of the Tewkesbury constituency from all four mobile operators, while 5G (standalone and non-standalone) is available outside 99% of premises in his constituency from at least one operator.
I have raised my concerns about the accuracy of their coverage reporting with Ofcom and I welcome the improvements to their online mobile coverage checker which will go live in the second half of June.
Our ambition is for all populated areas, including North Gloucestershire, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We continue to work closely with the mobile operators and are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment into mobile networks and competition in the market.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to deliver effective community policing in rural areas.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, wherever they live. On 10 April, the Prime Minister outlined further details about our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, including that by July, every community, including rural communities, will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing their issues.
This financial year we will be providing the first Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). The funding boost of over £800,000 in total will help the units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.
This will allow these specialist units to continue their work in tackling rural and wildlife crime which can pose unique challenges for policing given the scale and isolation of rural areas.
The National Police Chiefs' Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities NPCC-Wildlife-Rural-Crime-Strategy-2022-2025.pdf (nwcu.police.uk) We are working closely with the NPCC to deliver the next iteration of their strategy, to ensure the government's Safer Streets Mission benefits every community no matter where they live, including rural communities.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a national screening programme for prostate cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is guided on screening policy by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The committee has commissioned a university to carry out a high quality review and to create a cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes targeted approaches to high risk groups and an offer to all men defined by age.
However, their previous review advised against screening because the current best test, the prostate specific antigen test, is not accurate. As a result, it can lead to some men receiving false reassurance when they do actually have prostate cancer, and others receiving unnecessary further tests when they did not have prostate cancer.
Black men are twice as likely as white men to get prostate cancer. But using an inaccurate test on this group of men might not reduce health inequalities. Instead, it risks leading to greater levels of misdiagnosis in this group. We need a better test, which is why the Government has invested £16 million in the TRANSFORM trial, to look for a better test. This trial will ensure that one in ten participants are black men.
Many prostate cancers are very slow growing and many men can live and die with prostate cancer, without ever showing any symptoms. Early diagnosis of prostate cancer can lead to unnecessary interventions and treatment that can have nasty and life altering side effects, for a cancer that would never have caused harm. That is why the UK NSC, when reviewing the evidence for a screening programme, must balance the benefits, including a reduction in mortality, against the harms. Only when the committee is confident that high quality evidence suggests a programme will do more good than harm will it be recommended.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with the local authority on the number of secondary school placements in Gloucestershire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them. The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.
The department engages with councils on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, we support them to find solutions as quickly as possible.
The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools and can work with any school in their local area, including academies and free schools.
In March, the department announced that Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated just under £9.2 million to support it to create the mainstream school places needed by September 2028.This funding, £5.6 million of which will be paid in the 2026/27 financial year and with a further £3.6 million paid in 2027/28, is on top of just over £23.1 million we have previously allocated to Gloucestershire County Council to support it in providing new school places needed over the current and next two academic years, up to and including the academic year starting in September 2026.