Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 38911 on Clothing: Public Places, whether she plans to take steps to help support residents who are scared to leave their homes due to people wearing balaclavas in town centres in Hertfordshire.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government wants town centres to be vibrant, welcoming places where businesses thrive and people feel safe and come to shop, socialise and live. What the Hon Member describes about town centres in Hertfordshire is absolutely unacceptable.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, and to support making the country’s streets safer, £66.3 million of Hotspot Action funding has been awarded to all 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales for 2025/26. Hertfordshire will receive £1 million of that funding.

In addition, under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, section 60AA permits officers on patrol to require the removal of face coverings over a 24 hour period, if an authorisation is in place, where there are grounds to believe criminal activity may take place in a particular area, and will last for 24 hours.

Furthermore, stop and search powers permit individuals to be stopped by officers if there are grounds to suspect they are going to commit offences, such as robbery and theft.

The implementation of a new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is also key to people feeling safe in their communities. The guarantee includes restoring patrols to town centres and delivering an additional 13,000 neighbourhood policing officers, PCSOs and special constables by the end of this parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish his Department's final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We aim to publish our myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), final delivery plan by the end of June 2025.

The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of the people with this debilitating disease. The responses to the interim delivery plan consultation, along with continued close engagement with other parts of the Government, the National Health Service, and external stakeholders, will inform the development of the final ME/CFS delivery plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the level of regularity of bus services in Hemel Hempstead constituency on the ability of residents to commute to work.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to keeping communities connected, and ensuring people can commute to work. The government believes that local transport authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to bus services to best meet the needs of passengers in their local area, including increasing the frequency of bus services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the difference between travel concessions for (a) Metropolitan Police Officers and (b) NHS staff working in Central London; and whether she plans to introduce similar subsidised travel schemes for essential medical staff using National Rail services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy will require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

There are no current plans to review concessions in advance of the transition to Great British Railways, but it will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of concessionary schemes.

Found: Rushcliffe) David Reed (Conservative; Exmouth and Exeter East)Sam Rushworth (Labour; Bishop Auckland) David Taylor

Found: Rushcliffe) David Reed (Conservative; Exmouth and Exeter East) Sam Rushworth (Labour; Bishop Auckland) David Taylor

Found: Q4 David Taylor: Thanks for your answer, Mike.

Found: Q4 David Taylor: Thanks for your answer, Mike.

Found: Studies; Mike Brewer, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Economist, Resolution Foundation; Professor David Taylor-Robinson

Found: Studies; Mike Brewer, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Economist, Resolution Foundation; Professor David Taylor-Robinson

Found: Noah Law; Alice Macdonald; Brian Mathew; David Mundell; James Naish; David Reed; Sam Rushworth; David Taylor

Found: Noah Law; Alice Macdonald; Brian Mathew; David Mundell; James Naish; David Reed; Sam Rushworth; David Taylor

Found: Negatived on division_1 Chris Hinchliff Terry Jermy Clive Lewis David Taylor Ellie Chowns Adrian

Found: Negatived on division_1 Chris Hinchliff Terry Jermy Clive Lewis David Taylor Ellie Chowns Adrian

Found: Negatived on division_1 Chris Hinchliff Terry Jermy Clive Lewis David Taylor Ellie Chowns Adrian

Found: Negatived on division_1 Chris Hinchliff Terry Jermy Clive Lewis David Taylor Ellie Chowns Adrian

Found: Negatived on division_1 Chris Hinchliff Terry Jermy Clive Lewis David Taylor Ellie Chowns Adrian