Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
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 potential merits of exempting people with sickle-cell anaemia from prescription charges.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to amend the list of medical conditions that provide eligibility for free prescriptions to include sickle-cell anaemia.
Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with sickle-cell anaemia may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments, allowing the holder of a 12-month certificate to get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on considering the proposal for Charitable Community Benefit Societies to cease being exempt charities and to allow them to (a) register with the Charities Commission and (b) access new funding opportunities in the current challenging financial context.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The government is keen to ensure that the law governing co-operatives and community benefit societies is clear and supports their growth. That is why we are funding the Law Commission’s independent review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
The Law Commission review is considering ways to update and modernise the legislation for co-operatives and community benefit societies - including charitable community benefit societies - ensuring that it fits the nature and needs of these societies as well as ensuring that regulation is proportionate and effective.
During consultation, the Law Commission asked a question exploring whether charitable community benefit societies should continue to be exempt charities. It is currently considering feedback from stakeholders on this and other proposals.
The Law Commission expects to publish its final recommendations towards the end of 2025. The government will then carefully consider its recommendations to understand whether reform of the legislation is needed to ensure these businesses are supported to grow and succeed into the future.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Law Commission's review of legal frameworks governing (a) co-operatives and (b) community benefit societies will be published.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The government is keen to ensure that the law governing co-operatives and community benefit societies is clear and supports their growth. That is why we are funding the Law Commission’s independent review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
The Law Commission review is considering ways to update and modernise the legislation for co-operatives and community benefit societies - including charitable community benefit societies - ensuring that it fits the nature and needs of these societies as well as ensuring that regulation is proportionate and effective.
During consultation, the Law Commission asked a question exploring whether charitable community benefit societies should continue to be exempt charities. It is currently considering feedback from stakeholders on this and other proposals.
The Law Commission expects to publish its final recommendations towards the end of 2025. The government will then carefully consider its recommendations to understand whether reform of the legislation is needed to ensure these businesses are supported to grow and succeed into the future.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of trends in the level of inappropriate use of parent and child parking bays; and whether she plans to legislate in this area.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is aware of concerns regarding the abuse of valuable parking resources and is determined to raise standards.
For private land, the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the government to prepare a Code of Practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. On 11 July, the government published a consultation document setting out its proposals for raising standards across the private parking industry.
On public land, Local Authorities are empowered to determine their parking arrangements through the Traffic Management Act 2004, which requires them to ensure that parking policies meet the requirements of their local area.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a national service specification for adult cerebral palsy to be used to commission specialist services within integrated care system areas.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to ensuring that people with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate support and services at all stages of their lives, so that they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive lives. Later this year, NHS England’s service specification for neurology services is being updated. The specification defines standards and manages care pathways for neurological conditions like cerebral palsy.Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered the potential merits of increasing draft duty relief for (a) consumers (b pubs and (c breweries in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor’s draught rate cut at Autumn Budget 2024 applied to approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs.
Draught beer and cider now pay 13.9% less in duty than their packaged equivalents – a 50% increase on the previous draught discount of 9.2%. This took a penny of duty off a typical strength pint.
Draught beer and cider now pay 13.9% less in duty than their packaged equivalents – a 50% increase on the previous draught discount of 9.2%.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events. The Government welcomes representations from the beer and pub sectors in advance of the Budget.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of online misinformation in the use of chlorine dioxide in treatments for autism on people with autism; and what steps he plans to take to help tackle this.
Answered by Feryal Clark
This government recognises the damaging impact online misinformation can have. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure". The NHS website highlights that products falsely claiming to be cures or treatments for autism are harmful, including chlorine dioxide.
The Online Safety Act requires platforms to tackle illegal health mis- and disinformation content on their services for all users – these requirements have been in place since March. Additionally from 25 July, services in-scope of the Act that children can easily access, will be required to protect them from legal but nonetheless harmful content, including that which encourages the ingestion, inhalation or exposure to harmful substances.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making (a) court transcription services (i) cheaper and (ii) more accessible for the families of victims and (b) court recordings directly available to those families.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Bereaved families of victims of murder, manslaughter, and fatal road offences can request a free transcript of the judge’s sentencing remarks. Following the conclusion of a one-year pilot, on 22 May the Lord Chancellor announced that we are continuing the provision of free transcripts of sentencing remarks for victims of rape and other sexual offences on an ongoing basis.
More widely, we are actively considering how to make court transcripts more accessible, and we continue to explore the potential for using AI to produce transcripts more quickly and at a lower cost.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does does not currently have the technical capability to share audio files. Addressing this or expanding the provision of free transcripts would have operational and resource implications for HMCTS and the judiciary at a time when the system is under considerable pressure.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether recordings of court proceedings from October 2023 onwards are available for transcription for a period of one year.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Crown Court transcripts are available for a minimum of one year dependent upon the nature of the disposal.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
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 take steps to help tackle the use of catapults to maim (a) animals and (b) wildlife in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While the Act does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that a person must not use to kill wildlife, it is still illegal under this Act to deliberately attempt to kill, injure, or harm protected species. There are a range of other offences found in further legislation to protect animals from cruelty such as the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Significant sanctions are available to judges to hand down to those convicted of crimes under these Acts. Aside from legislation, a national police-led group named Operation Lakeshot is working in partnership with organisations including the RSPCA and Nature Watch to address the catapulting of wildlife, focusing on education, prevention, detection and justice.
The Government takes crimes against animals seriously but there is already sufficient legislation in place which protects them from targeted use of catapults. Defra therefore has no current plans to take further steps to tackle the use of catapults and nor does the Home Office have any plans to change the law to make a catapult a specified prohibited weapon.