Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support high street businesses whose shipping imports from Asia have to be re-routed around Africa.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
For businesses to invest and thrive they need confidence in their supply chains. This government is committed to assessing where supply chains critical to the United Kingdom's economic security and growth could be vulnerable to disruption, including those in the growth driving sectors outlined in the industrial strategy.
The Business Secretary has announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the United Kingdom, including those on the high street, to receive advice and support to help them grow and thrive. The Business Growth Service will bring together under one single, trusted banner a range of existing core services as well as new and improved elements of the business support offer that will be delivered both centrally and locally.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58289 on Planning: Bank Services and Postal Services, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local planning authorities consistently apply National Planning Policy Framework guidance relating to access to (a) banking and (b) postal services.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Policies set out in the National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing local development plans and are a material consideration in planning decisions.
Local planning authorities are responsible for implementing these policies, so my Department does not hold detailed information on how they have been considered in respect of specific decisions made at a local level.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58289 on Planning: Bank Services and Postal Services, what data her Department holds on the accessibility to banking and postal services in planning applications approved in each of the last five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Policies set out in the National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing local development plans and are a material consideration in planning decisions.
Local planning authorities are responsible for implementing these policies, so my Department does not hold detailed information on how they have been considered in respect of specific decisions made at a local level.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58289 on Planning: Bank Services and Postal Services, how her Department monitors whether planning decisions have adequately protected access to (a) banking and (b) post offices in rural communities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Policies set out in the National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing local development plans and are a material consideration in planning decisions.
Local planning authorities are responsible for implementing these policies, so my Department does not hold detailed information on how they have been considered in respect of specific decisions made at a local level.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many homes occupied by families from (a) RAF Shawbury, (b) RAF Cosford and (c) Clive Barracks do not have up to date electrical safety certificates.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The number of occupied Service Family Accommodation (SFA) homes at RAF Shawbury, RAF Cosford and Clive Barracks (Ternhill) that do not have up to date gas safety certificates or electrical safety certificates as at 18 June 2025, is shown in the following table:
| Number of occupied SFA with Expired Gas Safety Certificates | Number of occupied SFA with Expired Electrical Safety Certificates |
Shawbury | 0 | 0 |
Cosford | 4 | 0 |
Ternhill (Clive Barracks) | 0 | 1 |
The safety of Service personnel and their families is the Departments highest priority, and it is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.
It remains a top priority to gain access to these homes to carry out this work. Access has been attempted to all of these properties at least three times, and the Chain of Command has been asked to assist.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many homes occupied by families from (a) RAF Shawbury, (b) RAF Cosford and (c) Clive Barracks do not have up to date gas safety certificates.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The number of occupied Service Family Accommodation (SFA) homes at RAF Shawbury, RAF Cosford and Clive Barracks (Ternhill) that do not have up to date gas safety certificates or electrical safety certificates as at 18 June 2025, is shown in the following table:
| Number of occupied SFA with Expired Gas Safety Certificates | Number of occupied SFA with Expired Electrical Safety Certificates |
Shawbury | 0 | 0 |
Cosford | 4 | 0 |
Ternhill (Clive Barracks) | 0 | 1 |
The safety of Service personnel and their families is the Departments highest priority, and it is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.
It remains a top priority to gain access to these homes to carry out this work. Access has been attempted to all of these properties at least three times, and the Chain of Command has been asked to assist.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she received representations from medical professionals before reducing the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The changes made to the criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund ensure that each child can still access a significant package of support. The department always considers the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department undertook a risk assessment before reducing the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The changes made to the criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund ensure that each child can still access a significant package of support. The department always considers the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 58291 on Tomography: Waiting Lists, whether his Department has set a target date by which all patients referred for diagnostic scans in North Shropshire will be seen within six weeks.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will publish a breakdown of the sources of the funding increase for social care in 2028-29.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to transforming social care and making tangible improvements in the short term. The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26.
This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement.
We will set out further details at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years