Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he will estimate how many local Council offer their employees the opportunity to join a credit union by offering a payroll deduction service.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces, including setting their own terms and conditions and employment packages.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she will hold discussions with the Secretaries of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Business and Trade on the conclusions of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods on how to achieve private sector growth in mission critical neighbourhoods.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We acknowledge the work of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods and its recommendations for how to invest in deprived communities.
The Pride in Place Programme, announced in September, demonstrates this Government’s firm commitment to backing neighbourhoods that have for too long been left behind and overlooked. This flagship programme will deliver up to £5bn funding and support to 244 of the most deprived places across Britain over the next decade, and the accompanying Pride in Place Strategy set out a broader plan for giving communities across the country the tools and powers they need to drive change in their neighbourhood.
We will carefully consider the Commission’s findings, engaging with relevant departments and stakeholders as appropriate to understand how we can further deliver for neighbourhoods across the country.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2026 to Question 107667 on Neighbourhood Health Centres and Urgent Treatment Centres: Greater London, which (a) health authorities and (b) related public bodies in North West London will be consulted; and who will have to agree before any neighbourhood health centres are commissioned in North West London by the relevant ICB.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There will be a Neighbourhood Health Centre in every community. The Government has announced its commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. Integrated care boards (ICBs) and local health systems will be responsible for determining the most appropriate locations for Neighbourhood Health Centres.
As noted in the answer on 28 January 2026 to Question 107776, ICBs are responsible for commissioning general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. As they are best placed to make such decisions, ICBs also consider how best to provide urgent care, including Urgent Treatment Centres, to ensure patient demand is effectively met.
The process for commissioning Neighbourhood Health Centres is currently being determined, and we anticipate that planning will be carried out collaboratively with local partners.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of neighbourhood health centres that will be in North West London ICB by (a) 2030 and (b) 2035.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There will be a Neighbourhood Health Centre in every community. The Government has announced its commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. Integrated care boards (ICBs) and local health systems will be responsible for determining the most appropriate locations for Neighbourhood Health Centres.
As noted in the answer on 28 January 2026 to Question 107776, ICBs are responsible for commissioning general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. As they are best placed to make such decisions, ICBs also consider how best to provide urgent care, including Urgent Treatment Centres, to ensure patient demand is effectively met.
The process for commissioning Neighbourhood Health Centres is currently being determined, and we anticipate that planning will be carried out collaboratively with local partners.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with exam boards on introducing a GCSE in Romanian.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Somali and/or Romanian GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign languages set by the department. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with exam boards on introducing a GCSE in Somali.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Somali and/or Romanian GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign languages set by the department. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will estimate how many NHS employers offer their employees the opportunity to join a credit union by offering a payroll deduction service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold this information. Local employers across the National Health Service are best placed to understand their staff’s needs and circumstances. NHS staff have access to a range of support for financial wellbeing, including credit union membership.
NHS Employers have published information to support NHS trusts on salary sacrifice arrangements and tax-free childcare, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/salary-sacrifice-schemes