Helen Morgan

The recent ‘Balance Sheet Analysis’ publication highlights that average liquidity in the sector has been consistently improving over the latest five years of data and reached a 10-year high in the latest year of data (2022/23). This suggests that levels of debt in the farming sector are lower than average.

To confirm, we will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal for farmers that works for farmers, food security and nature.

The only way to do this effectively is to listen to farmers and others with a stake in our food system, countryside and nature. We are doing this and assessing data and information about what is working and what is not before setting out detailed plans. We will confirm plans for further optimisation and rollout of farming grants and schemes shortly.

This government has considered the impact of changes to labelling costs across a range of sectors. The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith, including commitments on the use of 'Not for EU labels', as well as taking all steps necessary to protect the UK internal market.

The actual impact on yield and quality of several arable crops will not be known until harvest; from mid-August onwards, but the Department expects some impact and is assessing what that might be. Early indications from the June AHDB Planting and Variety Survey suggests that, while the 2024 cropping area has reduced compared with 2023, the magnitude of the reduction is smaller than was projected in March 2024. Yields and productivity is also dependent on individual farmer decisions, region, area and in the case of the arable sector, crop.

The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market with the value of commodities established by those in the supply chain.

Following the recent period of prolonged wet weather the Department’s current assessment is that while there may be implications for certain commodities, price rises are likely to be within a normal range and should not cause significant issues with business viability or overall supply, with any possible shortfalls being met by imports.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local road network in both rural and urban areas and has pledged to support local authorities to fix local pothole-ridden roads for the long term.

Both myself and the Rail Minister are early in our tenure as transport Ministers. As such, we are yet to speak to Network Rail regarding the status of the Whitchurch station accessibility project. I look forward to discussing these proposals with Network Rail and other stakeholders in the near future.

Following the General Election and the State Opening of Parliament, the Government is now formulating its plans. The Department will announce its policy intentions in due course and aims to provide an update on next steps for the Oswestry to Gobowen line project soon.

The Department recognises the need for a more consistent approach to speed limits on the A483 between Llanymynech and Pant. National Highways is working with Shropshire Council and Transport Wales to consider the case for changing the speed limit of the A483 between Llanymynech and Pant alongside a more substantive review into improving safety on this section of the strategic road network as part of the next Road Investment Strategy.

The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the Government will introduce the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including in North Shropshire and other rural areas across England.

We also plan to empower local transport authorities by reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the government’s ambitions.

The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve ambulance response times and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. In doing so we will be honest about the challenges facing the health service, and serious about tackling them.

As a first step, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has appointed the Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of NHS performance, which will report in September 2024.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer patients are being failed, waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment. The latest cancer waiting times data from NHS England shows Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board performance is below both the 31-day treatment standard and the 62-day diagnosis and treatment standard. This data is publicly available and can be accessed via NHS England’s website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

The Department is committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment across England, including within the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment. Additionally, Lord Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the National Health Service, the findings of which will feed into the government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future.

The Government knows that patients are finding it harder than ever to access general practice (GP) appointments, and is committed to fixing the crisis to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service. North Shropshire sits within the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB), where the percentage of appointments delivered within two weeks of booking is 4.1% lower than the national average.

Our plan to restore GPs and improve waiting times to see a practitioner will require both investment and reform. We have committed to training thousands more GPs, ending the 8:00am scramble for appointments by introducing a modern booking system, and trialing new neighborhood health centers to bring community health services together under one roof. Furthermore, the Government will also bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.

This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) has taken steps to improve access to NHS dental care in North Shropshire, but we know more needs to be done. The ICB is ensuring that undelivered NHS dental activity is redistributed to other practices to help support access to care.

Four practices across the North Shropshire parliamentary constituency recently saw an uplift to their Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) rate to £28. This should help support recruitment and retention of NHS dentists in this area. In addition, a new dental practice in Oswestry has increased their contracted UDAs and will do so again in April 2025.