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 steps his Department is taking to improve access to miscarriage care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No central assessment has been made of Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) staffing and resources. We are working closely with NHS England to improve the availability of EPAUs, alongside other steps to improve access to miscarriage care, including improved mental health support through Maternal Mental Health Services and standardised bereavement care through the National Bereavement Care Pathway. As part of the renewed Women’s Health Strategy, we have committed to closely reviewing the findings presented in the Tommy’s graded model of care study, including the suggestions of improved access to care.
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, what steps she is taking to reduce the breeding of brachycephalic animals.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Licensed dog breeders in England cannot breed a dog if it can be reasonably expected that this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or puppies.
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra committed to consult on reform to improve the welfare of breeding dogs and their offspring. It also committed to improve understanding of practices in cat breeding and consider any further steps which may improve welfare.
Defra supports organisations raising public awareness of health risks associated with brachycephalic animals, including Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support is available to independent gyms and other leisure businesses.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to supporting UK SMEs, including those in the leisure sector, through the Small Business Plan - the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation.
This includes legislative reforms to tackle late payments; unlocking billions of pounds in finance; removing unnecessary red tape; revitalising High Streets and boosting digital and AI adoption among small businesses.
For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for businesses in a single, accessible place – the Business Growth Service – to help firms start, scale and succeed. UK businesses can access our wide range of support via business.gov.uk.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to restore pre-Brexit entitlement to cross-border civil legal claims; and what assessment he has made of the level of cost and time of pursuing such claims following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The UK has ratified the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention, which entered into force for the UK on 1 July 2025. The EU is also party to this Convention, and UK participation has therefore significantly strengthened the UK-EU framework for the recognition and enforcement of cross-border civil claims. Being a Party to the Convention provides greater certainty for UK citizens and businesses and reduces costs and delays in relevant cross‑border disputes.
The Government remains committed to working with the EU and other international partners, including through the Hague Conference on Private International Law, as well as with the UK legal sector to deliver practical benefits for our citizens and businesses. We continue to promote the mutual benefits of closer cooperation in civil and commercial matters, as noted in the UK-EU Summit Common Understanding of May 2025.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots football clubs in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In the last financial year we invested over £130,000 into grassroots sport in my Hon Friend’s constituency, including new floodlights at Danson Sports FC through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities programme.
Our delivery partner in England, the Football Foundation, have developed Local Football Facility Plans alongside Local Authorities, including Bexley, to assess supply and demand across the country. Clubs can view their local plan by visiting the Football Foundation’s website and applications are welcome year-round.
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, what steps she is taking to help reduce water bills in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This month, the Government announced the biggest reform of WaterSure in nearly 30 years, reducing bills for around 300,000 low‑income households. Eligibility will expand to those on disability benefits, with fairer bill caps and simpler applications. Most existing users will save more, with extra support for single‑person households.
We will continue to take action to ensure the most vulnerable are protected from rising bills, and are working with water companies to ensure social tariffs are more consistent and taken up by those most in need.
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 steps he is taking to improve the provision of NHS audiology services in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is supporting provider organisations and integrated care boards, who are the commissioners of audiology services, to improve performance and reduce waiting lists for appointments and assessments for hearing services. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in National Health Service trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via community diagnostic centres, and direct support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.
Data is also published on community health services waiting lists, which includes waiting times for community audiology services. This is published at the following link:
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure adequate levels of aid are reaching Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Despite some progress on humanitarian supplies entering Gaza since the ceasefire, aid flows remain insufficient and the majority of the population - including tens of thousands of children - are still experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, with severe implications for their vulnerability and long-term health.
The temporary closure of all crossings into Gaza following the start of hostilities in the wider region has exacerbated these concerns. We welcome the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing, but we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to lift all restrictions on humanitarian relief agencies, and enable the resumption of aid at scale and through all crossings, so that supplies of aid can reach all those who desperately need them.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of aid reaching Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Despite some progress on humanitarian supplies entering Gaza since the ceasefire, aid flows remain insufficient and the majority of the population - including tens of thousands of children - are still experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, with severe implications for their vulnerability and long-term health.
The temporary closure of all crossings into Gaza following the start of hostilities in the wider region has exacerbated these concerns. We welcome the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing, but we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to lift all restrictions on humanitarian relief agencies, and enable the resumption of aid at scale and through all crossings, so that supplies of aid can reach all those who desperately need them.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles that are purchased through the Motability Scheme are produced in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State regularly meets with colleagues across government to discuss a range of issues.
Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Motability Scheme, will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.
Motability Operations has announced plans to support the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The number of British-made vehicles purchased by the Scheme will reach 25% by 2030, with an ambition of 50% of vehicles registered on the Scheme being made in the UK by 2035.