Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure the provision of a) surgical hubs and b) community diagnostics centres are aligned with areas with the highest levels of health deprivation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to ensuring that the provision of elective surgical hubs and community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is aligned with areas of greatest deprivation and population health need. As a core requirement of the capital business case approval process within NHS England, all proposals have been and continue to be reviewed and assured against the following core principles:
This approach ensures equitable access to services, supports the reduction of health inequalities, and promotes improved outcomes for patients across all regions.
NHS England is also working with local National Health Service systems to identify the most appropriate locations for additional investment, including new CDCs. New CDCs should be positioned in a location which addresses local need and health inequalities. Details of future sites will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting the period of the Warm Homes Plan for at least 10 years to enable housing providers more certainty to (a) invest and (b) plan to reduce their residents’ energy bills.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households to cut energy bills for good. We are investing over £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan up to 2030. The Plan will include targeted support for the most vulnerable to help reduce fuel poverty.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the consultations on (a) improving the Energy Efficiency of Socially Rented Homes and (b) reforms to the EPC regime; and whether she had discussions with representatives of social landlords on the potential impact of her timetable for responding to those consultations on decisions about investing in their homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department is currently reviewing responses to both consultations and will publish government responses to both shortly.
We have engaged extensively with social landlords in respect of both consultations and are committed to providing them with clarity on the new SRS Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and EPC reforms as soon as possible.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme on Natural England's caseload for investigations of potential breaches to the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2006.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No formal assessment was deemed necessary in relation to the potential impact of the closure of the 2024 Sustainable Farming Incentive offer to new applications on the incidence of EIA (Agriculture) Regulations breaches.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases Natural England is investigating for potential breaches of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2006 on semi-natural grassland for (a) 2025, (b) 2024 and (c) 2023.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Figures by financial year can be found in Natural England’s published enforcement reports here. The 2023/24 report is due to be published soon, and work is underway on the 2024/25 report.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to question 25666 answered on 30 January 2025, what her planned timetable is for amending the rules on Gift Aid.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is pleased to confirm that charities will continue to be eligible for Gift Aid following implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
While new tax legislation may be necessary in due course, HMRC will shortly publish interim guidance setting out that where subscriptions are currently eligible under existing Gift Aid rules, they will remain so.