Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of tram track have opened in (a) Manchester, (b) Birmingham, (c) Nottingham and (d) Sheffield in the last ten years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Annual figures for light rail and tram system kilometres are published on the Gov.uk website and can be found in table LRT0203 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/light-rail-and-tram-statistics-lrt
This data shows the annual length of light rail, tram and underground system routes open for passenger traffic in Great Britain from 1996 onwards.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local plans include the build to rent sector.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold this data.
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community and reflect in planning policies.
National policy is also clear that local planning authorities should support the development of mixed tenure sites, which can include a mixture of ownership and rental tenures, including Social Rent, other rented affordable housing and build to rent.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the role of the (a) planning inspector and (b) local planning authority in determining priority be given to brown field development when a local plan includes (a) brownfield and (b) greenfield sites.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs.
It is for the decision maker, the local planning authority and/or an Inspector acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, to make planning decisions in accordance with the relevant local development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
The NPPF is a material consideration, and it is for the relevant decision maker to decide the weight to give to relevant policies in light of the specific facts and circumstances of any given case.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve (a) rail connections to Sheffield and (b) the tram network in that city in the next five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improvements being considered are:
Subject to the industry approval process, in 2026, as part of the East Coast Mainline timetable, Northern will look to implement an hourly Leeds to Sheffield semi-fast service. Similarly, CrossCountry is working to add services on their Newcastle to Reading route in future timetables.
Responsibility for Sheffield Supertram sits with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA). SYMCA were allocated £570 million from 2022/23 to 2026/27 of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements funding for investment in local transport improvements. SYMCA have prioritised part of this funding towards Sheffield Supertram renewals.
The recent Spending Review confirmed a Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement of £1.5 billion for South Yorkshire from 2027/28 to 2031/32. SYMCA have indicated that they would allocate a significant amount of this funding to continue renewals to the tram network, providing a fleet of new, replacement vehicles, modernising tram stops, and maintenance to improve reliability.
Decisions on how both CRSTS and TCR funding is spent are made locally, reflecting the principle that Mayors are best placed to understand the needs of their areas.
My officials will continue to support SYMCA on any plans that they bring forward, including those involving light rail.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the required infrastructure has to be provided before or in parallel with the development when releasing greenbelt land for development.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that ‘Golden Rules’ should apply to major development including the provision of housing on land released from the Green Belt through plan preparation or review, or on sites in the Green Belt subject to a planning application. These ‘Golden Rules’ include necessary improvements to local or national infrastructure.
The point at which infrastructure is delivered is a matter for local planning authorities and will depend on the nature of the site. Requirements can be set out as planning conditions or agreed through section 106 planning obligations.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62530 on Borders: Personal Records, whether she has made an assessment of the potential difference between the figure (a) provided by transport companies and (b) of people actually exiting the country.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under review, including the role of the e-visa system in improving checks on when individuals leave the country.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria her Department used to determine which lines would be covered by the programme to lay trackside cabling to improve mobile phone connectivity; and what assessment her Department made of potential merits of including the midland mainline in this programme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The first lines selected were those routes that have high numbers of rail passengers and were commercially attractive for the concession partner. It is in the partner and Network Rail's interest for the concession to be cash generative as soon as possible given the agreed commercial structure where excess returns in the early years are recycled into investing in new routes. While Network Rail's partner identified the Midland Mainline to be of some commercial interest, it was not sufficiently attractive to be included in the first tranche of investment.
The new fibre is part of a wider asset renewal of existing NR telecoms infrastructure that is required for rail operational use, that will also support connectivity improvements.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
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 merits of support for cancer Multidisciplinary Team Coordinators in improving the (a) accuracy and (b) completeness of blood cancer data collection.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancer, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes for all patients across England.
NHS England understands that data collection helps to improve the experiences of people with cancer, including blood cancer, and has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support.
My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced that a National Cancer Plan for England will be published this year, supporting the Prime Minister’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future and to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. As part of the National Cancer Plan, we are committed to working closely with partners and patient groups to shape the long-term vision for cancer, including for blood cancer. The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, including the design of services and the experiences and outcomes for people with cancer.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the forthcoming National Cancer Plan and NHS Workforce Plan will together improve blood cancer patients' (a) outcomes and (b) experiences.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan will ensure that all cancer patients across England have access to the best cancer care and treatments. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, including the design of services and the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including those with blood cancer.
Recruitment to National Health Service roles is managed locally by NHS trusts and partner employers. However, NHS England is taking a range of actions to support the recruitment and retention of staff in the NHS cancer workforce. As of February 2025, there are over 1,800 full time equivalent doctors working in the speciality of clinical oncology in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. This is almost 150, or 8.9%, more than last year.
The NHS Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places to deliver the care all patients need, including blood cancer patients, improving outcomes and experiences. This will include expanding specialty training places in key cancer professions, such as histopathology, clinical radiology, and gastroenterology. Targeted national campaigns and outreach activities, for example in clinical oncology, also promote cancer career pathways, with a focus on increasing applications.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
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 levels of of geographic variation in access to NHS approved treatments for people with blood cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to providing patients with timely access to diagnosis and treatment, regardless of their location in the country.
The National Health Service has delivered an extra four million operations, scans, and appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment for patients.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients in England, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will ensure patients, including those with blood cancer, have timely access to the latest treatments and technology.