Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the cumulative increase in average household water bills since 2020 compared with increases in average domestic energy bills and council tax; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those increases on household affordability.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to keeping essential living costs affordable.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that prisoners are delivered on time to Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) closely monitors Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) contractors through formal contract management arrangements and assured performance reporting. Where contractor failures are identified, contractual remedies are available. These include service credits, fixed-cost remedies and improvement actions. In addition, the ministerially-chaired Prisoner Delivery Oversight Board is coordinating activity across criminal justice system partners to address the causes of delays in prisoner movements and court appearances.
Delays to court proceedings are recorded by H M Courts & Tribunals Service by means of court exception reports (CERs). CERs record delays arising from a range of factors and agencies across the criminal justice system, including prisons and courts, as well as prisoner-related issues and PECS. In the year to 31 July 2026, 22 CERs were submitted relating to cases where the late arrival of a prisoner had contributed to a delay at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. Of these, two were attributable to the PECS contractor.
HMPPS routinely monitors PECS contractor performance through a range of measures, including contract delivery indicators (CDIs). Information on contractor performance against three key CDIs is published through the Cabinet Office transparency reporting process. The Department keeps its reporting arrangements under review and continues to consider how best to ensure transparency while supporting effective contract management.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of releasing statistics on the adequacy of Prisoner Escort and Custody Services contractors’ performance.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) closely monitors Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) contractors through formal contract management arrangements and assured performance reporting. Where contractor failures are identified, contractual remedies are available. These include service credits, fixed-cost remedies and improvement actions. In addition, the ministerially-chaired Prisoner Delivery Oversight Board is coordinating activity across criminal justice system partners to address the causes of delays in prisoner movements and court appearances.
Delays to court proceedings are recorded by H M Courts & Tribunals Service by means of court exception reports (CERs). CERs record delays arising from a range of factors and agencies across the criminal justice system, including prisons and courts, as well as prisoner-related issues and PECS. In the year to 31 July 2026, 22 CERs were submitted relating to cases where the late arrival of a prisoner had contributed to a delay at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. Of these, two were attributable to the PECS contractor.
HMPPS routinely monitors PECS contractor performance through a range of measures, including contract delivery indicators (CDIs). Information on contractor performance against three key CDIs is published through the Cabinet Office transparency reporting process. The Department keeps its reporting arrangements under review and continues to consider how best to ensure transparency while supporting effective contract management.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many trials at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court are delayed due to the late arrival of prisoners.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) closely monitors Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) contractors through formal contract management arrangements and assured performance reporting. Where contractor failures are identified, contractual remedies are available. These include service credits, fixed-cost remedies and improvement actions. In addition, the ministerially-chaired Prisoner Delivery Oversight Board is coordinating activity across criminal justice system partners to address the causes of delays in prisoner movements and court appearances.
Delays to court proceedings are recorded by H M Courts & Tribunals Service by means of court exception reports (CERs). CERs record delays arising from a range of factors and agencies across the criminal justice system, including prisons and courts, as well as prisoner-related issues and PECS. In the year to 31 July 2026, 22 CERs were submitted relating to cases where the late arrival of a prisoner had contributed to a delay at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. Of these, two were attributable to the PECS contractor.
HMPPS routinely monitors PECS contractor performance through a range of measures, including contract delivery indicators (CDIs). Information on contractor performance against three key CDIs is published through the Cabinet Office transparency reporting process. The Department keeps its reporting arrangements under review and continues to consider how best to ensure transparency while supporting effective contract management.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to meet with (a) carers and (b) charities representing carers for those with severe mental illness to discuss the development of the Modern Service Framework for severe mental illness.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will work with carers and families on the Modern Service Framework for Severe Mental Illness. The Department has been working closely with charities representing people with lived experience and directly with individuals with lived experience throughout the development of the Modern Service Framework. This has been guided and supported by Jo Lomani, who is a co-chair on the Modern Service Framework and is a national mental health co-production lead and expert by lived and living experience.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who experience a miscarriage have access to appropriate investigation, treatment and support following their first and subsequent losses.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Miscarriage can have a devastating impact on women and their families, and we are determined that they receive the support they need. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is chairing the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan that will reform maternity and neonatal services to deliver lasting change for women, families, and their babies.
The Taskforce will consider all aspects of those current services, including miscarriage care. Within this, we will carefully assess the findings from the Tommy’s Graded Model of Miscarriage Care pilot study as committed to in the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of provision of Carers' Assessments for unpaid carers of people with severe mental illness; and whether she plans to introduce dedicated or ring-fenced funding to enable local authorities to provide timely Carers' Assessments and support identified through those assessments.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to assess the needs of an unpaid carer where it appears that the carer may have needs for support. Where eligible needs are identified, local authorities must consider how those needs can be met and must prepare a support plan where appropriate.
Local authorities are responsible for determining how best to use the funding available to them to meet their statutory duties, including duties relating to carers.
The Government has made over £4.6 billion additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that NHS mental health providers comply with statutory duties relating to (a) section 117 aftercare, (b) Nearest Relative rights under the Mental Health Act 1983 and (c) informing eligible patients of their right to access an Independent Mental Health Advocate.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Mental Health Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in December 2025, strengthens the rights of patients subject to the act as well as their representatives. In particular it provides clarity around responsibilities for section 117 aftercare, introduces the new role of Nominated Person in place of the Nearest Relative in order to improve patient choice, and introduces an opt out system for Independent Mental Health Advocacy services so that every patient will be made aware of their right to an advocate.
The change from Nearest Relative to Nominated Person allows the patient to choose who will support them when they are detained, rather than this being an automatic assignment from a hierarchical list. Patients can choose family and carers or anyone else whom they trust. If they choose a person who is not their carer, the carer will still be involved in the patient's care, for example, the responsible clinician must consult with the carer on the patient's care and treatment plan.
The provisions of the new act will commence under a phased approach to ensure system readiness. To support such readiness, the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice will provide statutory guidance to National Health Service mental health providers on all policies covered in the new act, including on how to ensure that families and carers are involved in the patient's care and treatment.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Mental Health Act 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to nearest relative rights on carers.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Mental Health Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in December 2025, strengthens the rights of patients subject to the act as well as their representatives. In particular it provides clarity around responsibilities for section 117 aftercare, introduces the new role of Nominated Person in place of the Nearest Relative in order to improve patient choice, and introduces an opt out system for Independent Mental Health Advocacy services so that every patient will be made aware of their right to an advocate.
The change from Nearest Relative to Nominated Person allows the patient to choose who will support them when they are detained, rather than this being an automatic assignment from a hierarchical list. Patients can choose family and carers or anyone else whom they trust. If they choose a person who is not their carer, the carer will still be involved in the patient's care, for example, the responsible clinician must consult with the carer on the patient's care and treatment plan.
The provisions of the new act will commence under a phased approach to ensure system readiness. To support such readiness, the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice will provide statutory guidance to National Health Service mental health providers on all policies covered in the new act, including on how to ensure that families and carers are involved in the patient's care and treatment.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the average time between the reporting of disrepair to completion of remedial works at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Management information provided by HMCTS's facilities management provider shows that, between August 2025 and August 2026, emergency and critical repairs at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court were all completed within contractual timescales of 24 hours or the next working day. Over the same period, more than 300 urgent and routine repairs were recorded, with 86% completed within contractual service level targets of five to ten working days, depending on the category of work.
Capital improvement projects are managed separately from routine repairs and maintenance. These larger and more complex projects require additional planning, design and investment, and therefore typically take longer to deliver. As Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court is a listed building, works must be planned in a way that protects its historic character. This can require specialist surveys, bespoke solutions, heritage approvals, specialist materials and specialist contractors, which can extend delivery timescales.
HMCTS is currently progressing a number of estate improvement projects at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, including lift upgrades, courtroom improvement works, roof works, replacement skylights and ventilation improvements.
Historic underinvestment has created significant challenges across the HMCTS estate. That is why we announced a significant increase in funding, with £287 million of capital funding being invested in the HMCTS estate in 2026/27. This investment will support estate improvements, digital upgrades and major capital projects across courts and tribunals, helping to modernise the justice system and improve the experience of court and tribunal users.