Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support hydrogen use in public transport ecosystems.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In March 2022, the Government announced £30 million for the West Midlands Combined Authority to deploy 124 hydrogen fuel cell buses and accompanying refuelling infrastructure through its Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme. The Government has also provided £750,000 towards the UK’s first hydrogen train, Hydroflex through the First of a Kind scheme.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any guidance has been given to police forces on how they should advise victims of crime to report (a) making off without payment, (b) shoplifting and (c) any other particular types of crime.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear that all crimes, when they take place, should be reported to the police so they can be investigated appropriately.
This Government is giving the police the powers they need to stop crimes from happening in the first place, including through supporting them to roll out a range of interventions, such as practical crime prevention advice, improved CCTV and street lighting through our Safer Streets Fund.
Partnership working between businesses and the police is vital to ensuring an effective response to crimes like shoplifting and making off without payment. The Home Office works closely with the police and other crime prevention partners like Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) and the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), to ensure we are consistently getting the basics right and to encourage the sharing of best practice, including reiterating the value of taking Victim and Business Impact Statements.
It is for individual Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) as operational leaders and locally elected representatives to decide how best to deploy resources, manage and respond to individual crimes and local crime priorities.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s policy is on UK military aircraft entering the airspace of the Republic of Ireland for operational purposes.
Answered by James Heappey
UK Military aircraft do not enter the sovereign airspace of Ireland for operational purposes, without the express prior agreement of the Irish Government. The RAF polices the UK Flight Information Region (FIR) on behalf of NATO and the international community and would only enter foreign national airspace when authorised to do so. Questions on sovereign airspace access and associated regulations are for individual nations to answer, therefore any questions on Irish airspace should be directed to the Irish Government.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he intends to announce changes to the rates of (a) Income Tax, (b) National Insurance, (c) VAT and (d) excise duties in the (i) Spring Budget 2023 or (ii) Medium-Term Fiscal Plan on 31 October 2022.
Answered by Richard Fuller
The Chancellor has announced that the measures in the Growth Plan 2022 to freeze Alcohol Duty and introduce a VAT-free shopping scheme for international tourists will not be taken forward. In addition, the basic rate of Income Tax will remain at 20% indefinitely.
The government will set out further reforms to improve fiscal sustainability at the Medium-Term Fiscal Plan on 31 October.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to bring forward a workforce strategy for the dental sector which includes (a) NHS, (b) mixed and (c) private dentist practices.
Answered by Will Quince
In July 2022, we announced measures to reform National Health Service dental services to increase access for patients and remunerate dentists fairly for caring for patients with complex needs. We are also working with NHS England and the sector on longer-term improvements. Health Education England has undertaken a three-year review of education and training which is being implemented through the Dental Education Reform Programme to improve recruitment and retention.
The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term plan for workforce groups and professions in the NHS for the next 15 years, which will include dental care professionals. The conclusions of this work will be available in due course.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
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 for the implications of her policies of the level of recruitment and retention of dentists in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure integrated pre-operative, operative and post-operative care for people with arthritis.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
NHS England's Best MSK Health Collaborative is working with local systems, those with direct lived experience, patient groups and organisations representing clinicians to deliver integrated musculoskeletal services, including for those with arthritis.
Through the Health and Care Act 2022 integrated care boards have a duty to promote integration where it would improve the quality of services and reduce inequalities of access or outcome.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for joint replacement surgery for arthritis; and what steps his Department is taking to support people awaiting that surgery.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Joint replacement surgery is being prioritised through the High Volume Low Complexity programme, which focuses on improving clinical pathways and quality of care. The programme adopts best clinical and operational practice and aims to establish fast-track surgical hubs for high volume elective procedures, such as hip and knee joint replacements, to reduce waiting times. An additional £1.5 billion is being invested in elective services, including for new surgical hubs and increased bed capacity, including for joint replacement surgery.
In the ‘Delivery Plan for tackling the Covid-19 backlog of elective care’, sets out how care pathways will be simplified for patients and their carers. The pathway improvement programme will focus on the most common types of care, including musculoskeletal (MSK) services. NHS England is currently working with Versus Arthritis on the development of new MSK pathways and a MSK strategy. This includes long-term conditions, pain management, personalised care and supporting patients waiting and preparing for surgery.
Through collaboration with the British Orthopaedic Association, the British Society for Rheumatology, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance and Versus Arthritis, NHS England has also developed self-management resources for patients awaiting surgery to manage the physical and mental aspects of their condition at home.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for joint replacement surgery; and what steps his Department is taking to support people awaiting that surgery.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Joint replacement surgery is being prioritised through the High Volume Low Complexity programme, which focuses on improving clinical pathways and quality of care. The programme adopts best clinical and operational practice and aims to establish fast-track surgical hubs for high volume elective procedures, such as hip and knee joint replacements, to reduce waiting times. An additional £1.5 billion is being invested in elective services, including for new surgical hubs and increased bed capacity, including for joint replacement surgery.
In the ‘Delivery Plan for tackling the Covid-19 backlog of elective care’, sets out how care pathways will be simplified for patients and their carers. The pathway improvement programme will focus on the most common types of care, including musculoskeletal (MSK) services. NHS England is currently working with Versus Arthritis on the development of new MSK pathways and a MSK strategy. This includes long-term conditions, pain management, personalised care and supporting patients waiting and preparing for surgery.
Through collaboration with the British Orthopaedic Association, the British Society for Rheumatology, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance and Versus Arthritis, NHS England has also developed self-management resources for patients awaiting surgery to manage the physical and mental aspects of their condition at home.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status of the Muslim brotherhood is in the UK as of 23 June 2022.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Government keeps under review the views promoted and activities undertaken by the Muslim Brother-hood’s associates in the UK in accordance with the five commitments included in the former Prime Minister’s statement to Parliament.
The Government will consider any new evidence on the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities against the UK’s legal thresholds, including whether they meet the test for proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000.