Jon Pearce Portrait

Jon Pearce

Labour - High Peak

7,908 (16.1%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


Jon Pearce is not a member of any APPGs
Jon Pearce has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Jon Pearce has voted in 15 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
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Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Wes Streeting (Labour)
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
(3 debate interactions)
David Lammy (Labour)
Foreign Secretary
(2 debate interactions)
Lewis Atkinson (Labour)
(1 debate interactions)
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Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(2 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(1 debate contributions)
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Latest EDMs signed by Jon Pearce

Jon Pearce has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Jon Pearce, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Jon Pearce has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Jon Pearce has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Jon Pearce has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Jon Pearce has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people on minimum wage in High Peak constituency.

The Department previously estimated that around 1,000 employee jobs were covered by the National Minimum and Living Wage in the High Peak constituency in 2020.

More recent estimates based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings are subject to a high level of uncertainty due to lower-than-usual achieved sample size.

Therefore, the Department is unable to provide a more recent estimate, as per the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate his Department has made of the increase of availability of super-fast broadband in High Peak constituency in the last five years.

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, in 2019, 86% of premises in the High Peak constituency could access a superfast (>=30mbps) broadband connection. By 2024, that figure had risen to 95%.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) football clubs remain community assets and (b) fans get a greater say in how they are run.

This Government wants to make this country the best place in the world to be a football fan. That is why the King’s Speech set out our plans for legislation to establish an independent football regulator.

The new regulator will protect and promote the sustainability of English football. The Bill will provide greater protections to club heritage and give fans more of a voice in how their club is run. It will ensure responsible owners for these community assets, by creating a new owners’ and directors’ test. It will also ensure that clubs can’t be syphoned off from the English football pyramid to set up closed-shop and breakaway leagues.

We will introduce this legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to help ensure the financial suitability of potential buyers of football clubs.

This Government wants to make this country the best place in the world to be a football fan. That is why the King’s Speech set out our plans for legislation to establish an independent football regulator.

The new regulator will protect and promote the sustainability of English football. The Bill will provide greater protections to club heritage and give fans more of a voice in how their club is run. It will ensure responsible owners for these community assets, by creating a new owners’ and directors’ test. It will also ensure that clubs can’t be syphoned off from the English football pyramid to set up closed-shop and breakaway leagues.

We will introduce this legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities (a) adequately capture the needs of SEND children and (b) provide a local offer that adequately meets levels of demand for those needs.

This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

A new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission area SEND inspection framework was launched in January 2023. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection within five years, supporting local areas to achieve better outcomes and standards in line with our programme of reform.

Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average staff-to-student ratio was in secondary schools in (a) England and (b) High Peak constituency in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (iv) 2022.

Information on the school workforce, including the pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios at national, regional, local authority and individual school level, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

As at November 2023, which is the latest data available, there were 468,700 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England. This is an increase of 27,300, equivalent to 6%, since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.

The table below provides the pupil to adult ratio and the pupil to teacher ratio for state-funded secondary schools in High Peak constituency and England for the 2019/20 to 2022/23 academic years.


Pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios for state-funded secondary schools in High Peak constituency and England, by year 2019/20 to 2022/231

High Peak Constituency2

England

Pupil to adult ratio3, 5

Pupil to teacher ratio4, 5

Pupil to adult ratio3, 5

Pupil to teacher ratio4, 5

2019/20

9.8

17.0

11.9

16.6

2020/21

10.2

17.6

11.9

16.6

2021/22

10.3

17.5

11.9

16.7

2022/23

10.1

17.5

12.0

16.8

Source: School Workforce Census.

1. Workforce data as at November and pupil data as at the following January. For instance, 2019/20 relates to November 2019 workforce and January 2020 pupils.

2. There are 7 secondary schools in High Peak constituency.

3. Pupil to adult ratio includes teachers and support staff (excluding auxiliary staff).

4. Pupil to teacher ratio includes all teachers.

5. The ratios are calculated using pupil numbers taken from the publication, Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an estimate of the median level of student debt held by people in High Peak constituency.

The median debt of full-time undergraduate borrowers funded by student finance England, whose postcode is within the High Peak constituency, and who entered repayment within the last five financial years, is £47,831.69. The median debt includes tuition fee and maintenance loans.

The borrowers’ postcode refers to the current contact or home address supplied by the borrower to the Student Loans Company.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the availability of childcare in High Peak constituency.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high-quality childcare is a priority for this government. As an initial step, the department is progressing work to deliver 3,000 new nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.

Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed, supports the local authority with any specific requirements through the department’s childcare sufficiency support contract.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of trends in levels of school exclusions in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England.

Every pupil deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom and the department will always support teachers to make this happen.

Schools can use sanctions as a measure to improve behaviour and in the most serious cases, suspension and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that pupils are protected from disruption and can benefit from the opportunities provided by education.

The statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance is clear that, in all cases, school leaders should consider early intervention strategies to address the underlying causes or any contributing factors towards pupil’s disruptive behaviour. This can include where a pupil has special educational needs and disabilities or other unmet needs.

The guidance also makes clear that schools, local authorities and local partners should work together to understand what lies behind local trends. Local leaders should use this to understand, to plan and put in place additional and targeted action based on their own local context. If they identify any gaps, they should act to ensure those who work with children have the training, services and support they need to address them.

The rising number of exclusions presented for the 2022/23 school year, including in Derbyshire, puts into sharp focus that too many pupils are being held back by their background and that the education system is failing to meet the needs of children.

The government is determined to get to grips with the causes of exclusions to ensure it can break down the barriers to opportunities. The department has already committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to improve children's oracy skills in High Peak constituency.

The department recognises the importance of oracy. Communication skills are essential throughout life, and the foundations of these skills are developed during the early years and the first part of primary school. Delayed development of communication skills can have serious consequences for children’s learning, and there is good evidence that spoken language skills are strongly associated with children’s literacy, numeracy and educational attainment.

This government will fund evidence-based early-language interventions in primary schools, so that every child can find their voice. In July 2024, the department announced that funded support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme would continue for the 2024/25 academic year.

Spoken language is already part of the national curriculum for English for 5 to 16 year olds and is delivered in a number of different ways.

The government has established an independent review of curriculum, assessment and qualification pathways, covering Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5. This will be chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy, including in curriculum and social inequality. The Review will seek to deliver, amongst other things, a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning.

English Hubs support early language through the delivery of Medium Level Support, which is a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) offer that includes targeted support, CPD programmes and workshops. English Hubs deliver the universal early language CPD programme to schools over six sessions. So far, over £90 million has been invested in the English Hubs programme overall, with a further £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year. High Peak’s local English Hub is St Wilfrid’s. More information about the Hub is available here: https://stwenglishhub.co.uk/.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children in schools in High Peak constituency are learning a musical instrument at school.

The department does not collect information from schools about the number or proportion of their pupils learning a musical instrument at school.

Schools can seek the support of their local Music Hub in providing music education, including support for instrumental teaching. Arts Council England is the fundholder for the Music Hubs programme and collects and publishes information about the activity of each of the Music Hubs. This information is about the music education activity or support the Hubs provide and does not include information on what schools provide without the support of the Hub.

The High Peak constituency is served by Derbyshire Music Education Hub, which provides opportunities to learn an instrument, including through whole class ensemble teaching across the local authority areas of Derby and Derbyshire.

In 2022/23, 47.4% of state-funded schools across Derby and Derbyshire were supported with whole class ensemble teaching. The Hub also delivered or supported lessons to 2,244 pupils in small group tuition, 5,447 pupils in individual lessons, and 6,149 pupils as part of large group lessons. In addition, 1,577 pupils participated in Hub-led or Hub-supported ensembles and group activity, and instruments were loaned to 302 schools during 2022/23.

The 2022/23 data was published on 20 May 2024 and can be accessed on the Arts Council’s website, which is available here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours of (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) sciences and (d) modern foreign languages were taught in secondary schools in High Peak constituency by teachers without a relevant (i) A-level and (ii) higher level qualification in the last full year for which data are available.

Information on the school workforce, including subjects taught in state-funded secondary schools, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

National estimates of the total number of hours taught for each subject are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b9970602-8643-43bd-ba9c-08dcafcfd634.

The proportion of those hours that were taught by teachers without a relevant post A-level or higher level qualification are available nationally at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5bbdd9e0-77ad-49e2-ba9d-08dcafcfd634.

Timetabled teaching is reported for a typical week in November, as determined by the school. It does not cover an entire year of teaching. If there are variations in timetabling across the year, this is not covered in the data available to the department.

Subject taught is only collected from secondary schools that use electronic timetabling software that can produce data in the format required. Data is then weighted to provide national estimates. Breakdowns by local authority and parliamentary constituency are, therefore, not available.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of teachers in High Peak constituency.

High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the department must do more to ensure it has the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child. This is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession, and teachers receive the pay they deserve. This is why the department has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September.

The department is providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools with overall costs. This matches what the department has calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer in the 2024/25 financial year, over and above the overall available headroom in schools’ existing budgets.

Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and the department is continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. To help with retention, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing also receive retention payments if working in disadvantaged schools in the first five years of their careers. In the 2023/34 academic year, five schools in the High Peak constituency were eligible for these retention payments.

To further help teachers stay and thrive in the profession, the department is addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. The Flexible Working Ambassador Multi-Academy Trusts and Schools Programme offers support to schools across every region in England to help implement flexible working. Schools in High Peak that are interested in receiving tailored peer support can either approach the dedicated Ambassador for the East Midlands region or contact the national delivery provider to be matched with specialist support.

The department has also established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which provide high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers. Potentia Teaching School Hub and Spencer Teaching School Hub are centres of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North East Derbyshire, Derby, Erewash and South Derbyshire.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in High Peak constituency have taken part in foreign school trips since September 2023.

The department does not hold information on overseas school trips unless the school is successful in applying for funding from the Turing Scheme, which is the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad.

The department can confirm that for the 2023/24 academic year, no schools in the High Peak constituency applied to the Turing Scheme.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average funding per pupil in mainstream schools was in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England in each of the last three years.

The average funding per pupil in mainstream schools in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England for the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years can be found in the tables below.

The department is only able to provide the schools national funding formula (NFF) allocations for the High Peak constituency. The schools NFF determines school revenue funding for all mainstream schools in England, although schools’ actual allocations are based on local authorities’ local funding formulae. Constituency figures are based on an aggregate of schools’ NFF allocations. The aim of the NFF is to distribute funding in a fair way and the government therefore keeps it under review.

Average Per Pupil Funding through the Schools NFF:

Financial Year

High Peak Constituency

2022/23

£5,300

2023/24

£5,605

2024/25

£5,956

Per-pupil school funding is the aggregated school-level NFF allocation divided by the number of pupils in mainstream schools in the constituency.

Funding figures for Derbyshire and England are provided based on the actual allocations of the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), the core allocations received by local authorities for funding mainstream schools.

Average Per Pupil Funding in Mainstream Schools through the DSG:

Financial Year

Derbyshire

England

2022/23

£5,456

£5,534

2023/24

£5,788

£5,838

2024/25

£5,935

£5,957

To note:

  • In 2022/23, on top of funding through the NFF/DSG, all schools received additional funding through the Schools Supplementary Grant.
  • In 2023/24, on top of funding through the NFF/DSG, all schools received additional funding through the Mainstream Schools Additional Grant (MSAG) and the Teachers' Pay Additional Grant (TPAG). The DSG figures provided here include the MSAG (but not TPAG) allocations.
  • In 2024/25, on top of funding through the NFF/DSG, all schools will receive additional funding through the through the TPAG, Teachers' Pension Employer Contribution Grant 2024 and Core Schools Budget Grant.

In addition to this core revenue funding and additional grants noted, schools received funding through a number of separate streams, including Pupil Premium, Universal Infant Free School Meals funding; PE and sport premium funding and the recovery premium and National Tutoring Programme to support education recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many degree apprenticeships were (a) advertised and (b) completed in (i) High Peak constituency, (ii) Derbyshire and (iii) Greater Manchester in each of the last five years.

The table below provides details of degree level apprenticeship (Level 6 and 7) vacancies in High Peak constituency, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester that were advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) service on GOV.UK in each of the last five years.

The department encourages employers to advertise on FAA to maximise engagement with their vacancies and to ensure that they are accessible to all potential apprentices, but not all choose to use the service. Employers may choose to recruit apprentices through their own channels, for example via their own websites, which the department does not monitor. The figures below therefore do not represent the total number of degree level apprenticeship vacancies advertised.

Academic Year

High Peak

Derbyshire

Greater Manchester

2018/19

Low

50

170

2019/20

0

80

130

2020/21

Low

90

220

2021/22

Low

370

400

2022/23

Low

270

430

To note:

  • Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
  • ‘Low’ indicates a value of fewer than 5.
  • Vacancies are total number of positions within an advert. Each advert on FAA can have more than one position advertised.

The table below provides details of degree level (Level 6 and 7) apprenticeships that have been achieved in High Peak constituency, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester in each of the last five years, as published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication.

Academic Year

High Peak

Derbyshire

Greater Manchester

2018/19

Low

10

20

2019/20

10

20

190

2020/21

20

60

420

2021/22

20

190

670

2022/23

30

310

980

To note:

  • Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
  • ‘Low’ indicates a value of fewer than 5.
  • Source is the Individualised Learner Record.
  • Geography is based on the learner home postcode.
Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides for SEND children in schools in rural constituencies.

For too long, the education and care system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents and carers struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.


This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision, including children in rural areas, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department will be focusing on a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I will work with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of our children.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of how many children in High Peak constituency have been identified as having Special Education Needs.

The special educational needs (SEN) publication publishes data on pupils with SEN support or education, health and care (EHC) plans. This publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.

The figures requested are derivable from the underlying school data and have been summarised in the table below:

Pupils with SEN in High Peak constituency, January 2024

Pupils by SEN type

Total number

Total Proportion

Total pupils

12,304

100%

SEN support

1,787

14.5%

EHC plan

526

4.3%

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department are taking to sanction companies that pollute waterways with sewage.

In the first week of Government, the Secretary of State met with water company bosses, to make it clear that water firms will be held accountable for their performance for customers and the environment. During the meeting, water bosses signed up to the Government’s initial package of reforms to reduce sewage pollution and attract investment to upgrade infrastructure.

The Government also announced a new Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will turn around the performance of water companies, in the King’s Speech. The Bill will strengthen regulation, give the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met and increase accountability for water executives. These are the first critical steps in enabling a long-term and transformative reset of the entire water sector.

I would also refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by the Secretary of State on 18 July, HCWS3.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent recreational off-road vehicles from causing damage to (a) farmland and (b) countryside in High Peak constituency.

While many users make use of these rights in a responsible way, the Government is aware of damage and disturbance caused by excessive use of off-road motor vehicles on highways where such activities are legal, such as byways open to all traffic and on other unsealed roads which carry motor vehicle rights, often referred to as ‘green lanes’. Motor vehicle use on green lanes can damage the surface and reduce enjoyment of the route by other users. Defra consulted on banning vehicles from green lanes as part of the 2019 Landscapes Review, but a legislative ban to remove vehicular rights was not supported. Defra believes that the current Traffic Regulation Order process is legally robust enough to protect green lanes with carefully targeted local action to protect sensitive areas, while allowing vehicle users to responsibly enjoy the countryside.

It is local authorities’ responsibility to monitor and repair public rights of way, which includes green lanes.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farms are part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in High Peak constituency.

As of 29 July 2024, there are 58 farmers with a live Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) agreement (SFI Pilot and SFI 23) in the High Peak constituency.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage (a) farmers and (b) food producers to use sustainable farming methods in High Peak constituency.

The new Government are fully committed to the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes.

Government will restore stability and confidence amongst farmers and will not overturn the applecart by overhauling the schemes.  Instead, we will optimise schemes and grants in an orderly way, ensuring they produce the right outcomes for all farmers, food security and nature’s recovery in a just and equitable way.

The best way to do all of this effectively is to listen to farmers and others with a stake in our food system, countryside and nature. The Government is doing this as well as assessing data and information about what’s working and what isn’t before setting out detailed plans.

We plan to increase the transparency of schemes and will continue to design our policies in partnership with farmers to make sure there is something for everyone- including small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of online-only booking at railway stations on elderly travellers.

There are no proposals for online-only booking at railway stations. Ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach. As modern ticketing and payment methods roll out more widely on the railways, we will ensure that all passengers, including those who need to use cash or do not have access to smartphones or the internet, are able to buy a ticket across the different retail options.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of ticket office closures in railway stations on communities; and what steps she plans to take to avoid closures.

Passenger service is at the heart of our plans to improve Britain’s railways and it is clear the role that station staff play in supporting vulnerable passengers. This Government has no plans to close ticket offices and we expect train operating companies to take measures to ensure they are open at published times.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people claiming in-work benefits in High Peak constituency.

Official statistics for the number of people on Universal Credit are published each month on Stat-Xplore, with breakdowns available by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency. The latest statistics are to June 2024, with a breakdown by employment indicator available to May 2024.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access general guidance on how to extract the information required, with more detailed guidance available in the Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

Statistics on the number of people on Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance, who are in employment, are not readily available and to provide them would incur disproportionate cost.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people eligible for but not claiming pension credit in High Peak constituency.

The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, these statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people in High Peak constituency who have not moved to Universal Credit.

The requested information is published in the Move to Universal Credit statistics:

Move to Universal Credit statistics, July 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Worksheet 20 shows Households sent Migration Notices by Parliamentary Constituency and worksheet 22 shows households that have made a claim to Universal Credit by Parliamentary Constituency.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for a Work Capability Assessment in High Peak constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

The information requested is not available.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment and retention of GPs in High Peak constituency.

We have committed to training thousands more GPs across the country as well as taking pressure off those currently working in the system.

Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) reports that it supports recruitment and retention in the High Peak and across Derby and Derbyshire, providing a range of initiatives. These include a new to practice scheme that supports GPs and Practice Nurses for the first two years of their career, and GP mentorship and fellowship schemes.

We have accepted the recommendations of the DDRB, the independent pay review body, in full and subject to consultation with the BMA will uplift the pay element of the GP contract by 6% on a consolidated basis, to provide practices with funding to uplift GP partner, salaried GP and other salaried staff pay by 6%.

Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2024, and it is our expectation this funding is passed on to all salaried general practice staff.

The government recently announced changes to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme which allows primary care networks to recruit newly qualified GPs through the scheme for 24/25. This is an emergency measure whilst the government works with the profession to identify a longer term solution.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) support and (b) resources his Department has provided to help support GP surgeries to (i) clear patient backlogs and (ii) reduce workloads in High Peak constituency.

We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to fixing this crisis in GPs to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service. High Peak sits within the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), where the percentage of appointments delivered within two weeks of booking is 12.7% lower than the national average.

This government has committed to fixing the front door to the NHS by shifting the focus from hospitals and into the community. We know that if patients can’t get a GP appointment, they will end up in A&E, which is worse for them, and more expensive for the taxpayer.

NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we are providing £82m to fund the recruitment over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, to increase capacity and reduce workloads.

We are pleased to announce that newly qualified GPs will be included in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment, with additional funding over 2024/25.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for elective surgeries for people in High Peak constituency.

Reducing waiting times for elective surgery is a key part of our Health Mission, including for people in the High Peak constituency. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week across the country, as the first step in our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks. We are also addressing the challenges in diagnostic waiting times and will ensure we have the number of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans, and other tests, that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waits.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to mental health services in High Peak constituency.

People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. As set out in the NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance for 2024/25, NHS England is continuing to expand access to mental health services, to increase the number of people accessing mental health support. We plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England, including in the High Peak constituency, to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries are rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in High Peak constituency.

As of 2 August 2024, there are 10 general practices (GPs) in the High Peak constituency rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is 77% as a proportion of all GPs in the constituency. There are currently 13 GPs overall registered with the CQC in the High Peak constituency.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in High Peak constituency.

People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. As set out in the NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance for 2024/25, NHS England is continuing to expand access to mental health services, to increase the number of people accessing mental health support. We plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England, including in the High Peak constituency, to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide additional funding for the provision of out-of-hours GP appointments in (a) High Peak constituency and (b) Derbyshire.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) must ensure that out-of-hours appointments are available to patients to help them access care at convenient times, for example on weekends, evenings, or bank holidays.

The Derby and Derbyshire ICB commissions Derbyshire Health United to provide out of hours general practice (GP) appointments. The ICB also commissions GPs to provide extended access appointments during the period from 8:00am to 8:00pm on Monday to Friday, and 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday, as part of the national Primary Care Network Directed Enhanced Service.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mental health support teams there were in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) London in each year since 2010.

A table showing the number of operational and mobilising Mental Health Support Teams in London and Derbyshire, each year from 2018/19 to May 2023, is attached. Precise numbers may be subject to slight variation due to local mergers, as well as recruitment in the case of later years. The information is only available at an integrated care system level.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS dental provision in High Peak constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when 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 the 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.

From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards across England.

NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS website profiles up to date, so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients. In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice, they should contact NHS 111.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of (a) adults and (b) children going 24 months or more without a dental check-up.

In the 24 months to June 2023, 18.1 million adults saw a National Health Service dentist in England, the equivalent to 41% of the adult population. In the 12 months to June 2023, 6.4 million children saw an NHS dentist in England, the equivalent to 53% of the child population. Further information is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people waiting for (a) four, (b) eight and (c) 12 or more weeks for a non-urgent appointment.

Data on waiting times from consultant-led referral to treatment is published on a monthly basis, and is available at the following link:

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

The latest published data from May 2024 showed there were:

- 6,284,066 incomplete pathways over four weeks;

- 5,118,954 incomplete pathways over eight weeks; and

- 4,259,438 incomplete pathways over 12 weeks.


Waiting times for consultant-led treatments are measured in pathways, rather than people or patients. Patients may be on more than one incomplete pathway.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step in our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of dentists taking new NHS patients in High Peak constituency.

As of 10 July 2024, there were eight open dentistry practices in the High Peak constituency, three of which were showing as accepting new adult patients when availability allows. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website, and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in High Peak constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when 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 the 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.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practises are rated as good by the CQC in High Peak constituency.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all health and social care services in England. The commission ensures quality and safety across the range of sectors that deliver health and care to people in England.

The CQC carries out assessments of primary dental services to determine if they are compliant with regulations, however they do not rate dental services in the same way they do for the other services they regulate. 11 out of the 18 active dental locations in the High Peak constituency have been assessed and are compliant with the regulations. The remaining seven locations have not yet been assessed.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data her Department holds on the number of people in High Peak constituency who (a) paid national insurance contributions and (b) earned below £25,000 per year in financial year 2022-23.

The information for the tax year 2022 to 2023 is not yet available.

Table 3.15 of HMRC’s Personal Incomes Statistics contains the latest constituency-level income estimates for the tax year 2021 to 2022.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help support people on lower incomes in High Peak constituency.

The government is focused on improving living standards across the country, which is why economic growth remains a top priority. If Real Household Disposable Income per capita had grown at the same rate between 2010 and 2023 as it did from 1997 to 2010, it would be over £4,000 higher today.

We are committed to ensuring economic stability, by keeping inflation and energy bills as low as possible. To do this, we need to fix the foundations and rebuild Britain, so we can make every part of our country better off. That is why we will soon outline plans to improve energy efficiency across the UK’s housing stock, helping to reduce energy consumption, emissions, and household bills. Further details will be outlined in the upcoming Spending Review.

A new Ministerial Taskforce has been established to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce child poverty. We have updated the remit of the Low Pay Commission to take to account of the cost of living when making recommendations on the National Living Wage.

We will collaborate with Claire Ward, the East Midlands Mayor, and the Combined County Authority, to develop an ambitious, long-term Local Growth Plan for the area, including High Peak and Derbyshire. This plan will address local strengths and barriers to growth in the East Midlands, aiming to drive economic growth, narrow inequalities, and support delivery of the national industrial strategy.

Tulip Siddiq
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many high street businesses in (a) Wellingborough constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England have closed in each of the last five years; and whether she plans to make changes to the level of business rates in the next five years.

Data is not collected by the government on high street closures.

The government is committed to a fairer business rates system. The retail sector accounts for approximately 21% of Rateable Value but only contributes 5% to Gross Value Added (GVA). In our manifesto, we pledged to level the playing field between the high street and online giants, as well as to take steps to incentivise investment, tackle empty properties and support entrepreneurship.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of bank branches that have closed in (a) High Peak constituency and (b) Derbyshire in each year since 2010.

The Government does not hold bank branch closure data from 2010.

Guidance from the FCA sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and put in place alternatives, where this is reasonable.

Alternative options to access everyday banking services can include telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via one of the UK’s 11,500 Post Office branches.

The Government recognises the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets. The Government has therefore committed to work closely with banks to roll out at least 350 banking hubs, which provide individuals and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services.

Tulip Siddiq
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of bank closures on access to (a) cash and (b) in-person services in High Peak constituency.

The Government does not hold bank branch closure data from 2010.

Guidance from the FCA sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and put in place alternatives, where this is reasonable.

Alternative options to access everyday banking services can include telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via one of the UK’s 11,500 Post Office branches.

The Government recognises the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets. The Government has therefore committed to work closely with banks to roll out at least 350 banking hubs, which provide individuals and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services.

Tulip Siddiq
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the average increase in rent for private properties in High Peak constituency in the last 12 months; and what assessment she has made of the affordability of rent increases for people on average earnings in High Peak constituency.

The Government has made clear that we intend to use the Renters’ Rights Bill to provide tenants with greater protections against unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on the average increase in rent. Private rents across the UK increased by 8.6% in the 12 months to June 2024 (provisional estimate), down from 8.7% in the 12 months to May 2024. The average monthly private rent in High Peak was £850 in June 2024. This was an increase from £780 in June 2023, a 8.9% rise.

The Government appreciates that housing costs are likely a households highest monthly expense. In 2022-23, housing costs took an average of 37% of private tenants’ income, in comparison to 32% for social renters and 18% for owner occupiers.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)