Kate Kniveton Portrait

Kate Kniveton

Conservative - Former Member for Burton

First elected: 12th December 2019

Left House: 30th May 2024 (Dissolution)


Prison Media Bill
15th May 2024 - 22nd May 2024
Online Safety Bill
18th May 2022 - 22nd May 2022


Division Voting information

Kate Kniveton has voted in 869 divisions, and 5 times against the majority of their Party.

1 Dec 2020 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Kate Kniveton voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 53 Conservative No votes vs 290 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 291 Noes - 78
24 Jun 2020 - Demonstrations (Abortion Clinics) - View Vote Context
Kate Kniveton voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 43 Conservative No votes vs 56 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 213 Noes - 47
23 Jun 2020 - Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme - View Vote Context
Kate Kniveton voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 45 Conservative Aye votes vs 235 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 243 Noes - 238
3 Nov 2021 - Committee on Standards - View Vote Context
Kate Kniveton voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 13 Conservative No votes vs 247 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 250 Noes - 232
18 Oct 2022 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Kate Kniveton voted No - against a party majority - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 300 Conservative No votes vs 1 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 188 Noes - 313
View All Kate Kniveton Division Votes

All Debates

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
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(12 debate interactions)
Rishi Sunak (Conservative)
Leader of HM Official Opposition
(10 debate interactions)
Matt Hancock (Conservative)
(6 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(15 debate contributions)
Home Office
(9 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(6 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Victims and Prisoners Act 2024
(731 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Kate Kniveton's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Kate Kniveton

9th November 2022
Kate Kniveton signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 9th November 2022

Domestic Abuse and workplaces

Tabled by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
This House note that domestic abuse involves a pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner; recognises that domestic abuse can have profound long-term effects on survivors and is concerned that is very difficult …
27 signatures
(Most recent: 12 Jan 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 12
Independent: 7
Plaid Cymru: 3
Scottish National Party: 2
Green Party: 1
Conservative: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
9th November 2022
Kate Kniveton signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 9th November 2022

Domestic Abuse and public life

Tabled by: Apsana Begum (Independent - Poplar and Limehouse)
This House notes that domestic abuse involves a pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner; understands that not all domestic abuse takes place in the home or during a current relationship and that …
31 signatures
(Most recent: 12 Jan 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 15
Independent: 7
Plaid Cymru: 3
Scottish National Party: 2
Liberal Democrat: 2
Conservative: 1
Green Party: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
View All Kate Kniveton's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Kate Kniveton, 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.


Kate Kniveton has not been granted any Urgent Questions

1 Adjournment Debate led by Kate Kniveton

Kate Kniveton has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Kate Kniveton 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
13th Dec 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of knife crime in Burton in each of the last five years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

12th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including a Violence Against Women and Girls Code of Practice in the Online Safety Bill.

The Online Safety Bill will provide vital protections for women and girls to ensure they can express themselves freely online without fear of harassment or abuse.

My department has considered the merits of a Violence Against Women & Girls Code of Practice, along with the other priorities for the regulatory framework. The current approach ensures that Ofcom is able to draft codes in a way that prevents a delay to implementation, gives clarity to companies and allows platforms to address a range of interrelated risks affecting different groups of users, such as those with more than one protected characteristic. I am satisfied that this ensures a holistic, comprehensive and effective approach to tackling VAWG within the Bill.

31st Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made in implementing a scheme to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for (a) park home residents and (b) other households in the one per cent who will not be reached through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

As announced on 29 July, the EBSS Alternative Funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the households who will not be reached through the EBSS. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier.

The Government is working to make the support available to applicants as soon as possible and is working with a range of organisations, such as local authorities, Devolved Administrations and across the UK Government, to finalise the details of the Alternative Funding and have the process up and running for applications this winter.

28th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of competition in the UK energy market.

The Government continues to believe that competition is the best driver of value and innovation in the energy market. However, there has been less scope for competition in the supply market during this period of high and volatile wholesale gas and electricity prices.

The Government wants a retail energy market that is both resilient and competitive, with companies able to invest in innovation and offer products and services that support decarbonisation. The Government is considering what reforms are needed to retail market regulation and will set out its plans ahead of the next price cap period

28th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help ensure that energy companies are able to offer competitive prices for (a) commercial and (b) residential premises.

Contractual terms offered to businesses are a commercial matter for energy suppliers. The Government encourages businesses to shop around to find the best deal. For domestic customers, the energy price cap will continue to ensure energy prices are limited.

28th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help ensure a competitive market for domestic energy users.

The Government continues to believe that competition is the best driver of value and innovation in the energy market. However, there has been less scope for competition in the supply market during this period of high and volatile wholesale gas and electricity prices.

The Government wants a retail energy market that is both resilient and competitive, with companies able to invest in innovation and offer products and services that support decarbonisation. The Government is considering what reforms are needed to retail market regulation and will set out its plans ahead of the next price cap period.

22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to publish the outcome of the Measures to reform post-termination non-compete clauses in contracts of employment consultation, which closed on 26 February 2021.

The Government is in the process of analysing responses to the consultation and the available data, which will help inform decisions on detailed policy questions. Any decisions to progress with reforms to non-compete clauses require consideration of the benefits and risks before implementation and we are not able to provide further comment on future plans at this stage. A response to the consultation will be published on the GOV.UK website in due course.

12th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support (a) the Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services and (b) other voluntary organisations with providing (i) training and (ii) other development opportunities for young people.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to allocate funding to youth services in line with local need. This is funded from the Local Government settlement, which was over £12 billion last year. DCMS officials are currently reviewing the statutory duty and its associated guidance to assess its effectiveness after a call for responses from key youth stakeholders. We will publish the outcomes of the review in due course.

The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities, including of the type supported by the Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services, play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. The Government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025 every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and volunteering opportunities. This is supported by a three year £560 million investment in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in regional youth spending, with a firm focus on levelling up, including the £368 million Youth Investment Fund, for which over 20 wards in Staffordshire are eligible to apply.

To support the youth sector workforce, DCMS funds the National Youth Agency to set professional standards, qualifications and a curriculum for youth work, including a new youth work apprenticeship and free-to-access training, all of which are available to young people. DCMS has delivered a Youth Worker Bursary Fund with the NYA since 2019, distributing approximately £1.9 million facilitating over 1,700 individuals who would otherwise be unable to afford it to undertake training in Level 2 and 3 Youth Work qualifications. A further £1 million has been committed for FY 22/23.

Additionally, through the £7.4 million Volunteering Futures Fund, DCMS has created thousands more volunteering opportunities to improve accessibility of volunteering in the arts, culture, sports, civil society, youth and heritage sectors. The fund is helping a diverse range of people to access the benefits volunteering can bring. There is a strong focus on young people, those experiencing loneliness, those with disabilities and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.

From 2023 onwards, the reformed NCS programme will offer a year-round choice of opportunities to young people, with a focus on skill development and volunteering. NCS will work with and fund a range of partners, including grassroots volunteering organisations, to deliver the programme across the country.

Stuart Andrew
Opposition Chief Whip (Commons)
21st Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure the rollout of gigabit broadband to (a) Croxden, (b) Marchington, (c) Denstone and (d) other rural areas of Burton constituency.

We are investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit so people in hard-to-reach areas can get gigabit broadband. As part of Project Gigabit, we will be launching a regional supplier procurement in Staffordshire, covering Croxden, Marchington, Denstone, and other rural areas in Burton. The procurement will target premises that would not otherwise get gigabit broadband through suppliers’ commercial plans.

In preparation, we have conducted an Open Market Review and a Public Review across Staffordshire to survey suppliers’ delivery plans and shape the areas that require intervention. The procurement is scheduled to begin between September and November 2022, with a contract expected to be awarded between July and September 2023.

Eligible premises that are not included in the chosen supplier’s plans will be able to apply for subsidy via the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides a micro-grant of up to £1,500 for residents and up to £3,500 for businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband.

Constituents in Burton have made good use of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme; to date, approximately 80 premises in the constituency have claimed and received payment for a voucher through the scheme, with approximately 200 further premises awaiting completion, for a combined value of over £550,000.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
12th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on ensuring developers provide new homes with gigabit broadband.

Ensuring that every new home is built with fast, reliable and resilient broadband is a priority for my Department. The Government announced in March 2020 that we will amend Building Regulations 2010 to require housing developers to:

  • Provide a gigabit-capable connection unless the cost exceeds £2,000, or the network operator declines to provide a connection;

  • Install the next fastest broadband connection which can be installed below a cost of £2,000, where a gigabit-capable connection cannot be installed below a cost of £2,000; and

  • Install the physical infrastructure necessary for gigabit-capable connections even where a gigabit-capable connection exceeds the cost cap.

We are working closely with stakeholders to develop the regulations and statutory guidance and will publish a technical consultation this winter, laying the amendments to regulations in spring 2021.

The Government has also secured commitments from the CEOs of Openreach, Virgin and Gigaclear to work with housing developers to provide gigabit-capable connectivity to all new build developments across the UK, including contributing to the costs of connection.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has held discussions with representatives from the (a) Football Association (FA) and (b) Premier League on using the FA's facilities at St Georges Park in Burton constituency to complete the Premier League season.

The Government has been liaising closely with the football authorities as their plans to restart the season have developed, however, there have been no discussions with them about confirmed plans for using the facilities at St George’s Park.

Football and local authorities will continue discussions on the most appropriate venue for each remaining fixture.

Nigel Huddleston
Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on online harms in respect of (a) people working from home and (b) children being educated at home during the covid-19 outbreak.

The government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. The next step for our online harms proposals is to publish the full government response, which we will do later this year. We will follow that with legislation, once Parliamentary time allows.

We recognise that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted everyone’s daily lives and it is likely that more people will be spending more time online. The government has published new guidance which outlines steps that people can take to stay connected and safe online during this time. The guidance also provides more detailed information for parents and carers to manage children’s safety online.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the roll-out of superfast broadband in areas where it is unavailable.

Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) is currently working across the UK with local authorities to ensure delivery of superfast broadband is delivered effectively, where it is currently unavailable. As of September 2019, over 5 million premises have been connected due to the superfast rollout alone.

RGC, launched in May 2019, has been allocated £200 million to trial a model to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to premises in rural and remote locations, combining demand-side and supply-side interventions. The Rural Voucher Scheme is a component of RGC. Rural premises can use vouchers worth up to £3,500 for each Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SMEs), and up to £1,500 per residential premises to support the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections.

In addition to this, the government has pledged £5 billion to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to the most difficult to reach areas of the UK.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of properties in Burton constituency have access to superfast broadband.

According to Thinkbroadband. currently, 97% of premises have access to superfast broadband, up from 57% in 2012.

Around 21.8% of premises have full-fibre connections which is above 12% the national average.

Burton, constituency falls under our Superfast Staffordshire project, which has received £9.6m of funding from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) towards the rollout of Superfast broadband.

27th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the average class size in primary schools in Burton in (a) January 2019 and (b) January 2022.

The average class size in Burton in January 2019 and January 2022 are as follows:

School

Year

Average Size (by pupil)

Primary

January 2019

26.7

Primary

January 2022

26.9

Secondary

January 2019

22.2

Secondary

January 2022

22.5

Data on class size is available at school level within the schools, pupils and their characteristics national statistics publication available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

This data contains the parliamentary constituency of each school which can then be aggregated to parliamentary constituency level.

27th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the average class size in secondary schools in Burton in (a) January 2019 and (b) January 2022.

The average class size in Burton in January 2019 and January 2022 are as follows:

School

Year

Average Size (by pupil)

Primary

January 2019

26.7

Primary

January 2022

26.9

Secondary

January 2019

22.2

Secondary

January 2022

22.5

Data on class size is available at school level within the schools, pupils and their characteristics national statistics publication available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

This data contains the parliamentary constituency of each school which can then be aggregated to parliamentary constituency level.

23rd May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that schools are a safe environment for pupils.

Education is a powerful protective factor for young people. It plays a vital role in early intervention and prevention of the worst possible outcomes for young people, including involvement in county lines and serious violence.

The department’s statutory safeguarding guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) contains extensive safeguarding advice, which all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It contains advice about all forms of abuse and neglect including the indicators of these harms. KCSIE is clear that all staff should have an awareness of safeguarding issues that can put children at risk of harm.

The new statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum was introduced in September 2020 with a focus on building respectful, healthy relationships, including ways of resolving conflict. Schools have the freedom to ensure the curriculum meets the need of their pupils which allows them to respond to local issues such as violence and exploitation, with high quality materials available to support teaching.

In addition to this wider work, we are investing £45 million in two new programmes, which are funding specialist support in both mainstream and alternative provision (AP) schools in the areas where serious violence is most damaging to local communities. The first of these are the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces, launched in November 2021, which involves specialists being drawn from across health, education, social care, youth services and youth justice to work directly with young people in AP settings.

The second programme is the SAFE (‘Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed’) Taskforces programme, launched earlier this year. SAFE Taskforces are being led by partnerships of local secondary schools in 10 serious violence hotspots with the aim of re-engaging young people in their education through intensive support, informed by the research on what works to prevent serious violence.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with Cabinet colleagues on allowing pupils from reception to year 13 to repeat an academic year in September 2020.

We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.

Once a child has been admitted to a school it is for the headteacher to decide how best to educate them. This may, on occasion, include deciding that a child should be educated in a year group other than the one indicated by their age. Such decisions should be based on sound educational reasons and in consultation with parents. We do not currently anticipate that children and young people will need to repeat a school year as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to look at all options to make sure children and young people get the support they need to continue their education during the COVID-19 outbreak and make up for time spent out of school.

However, it remains possible for headteachers to agree this in individual cases, if they think it is appropriate.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on allowing pupils from reception to year 13 to repeat an academic year from September 2020.

We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.

Once a child has been admitted to a school it is for the headteacher to decide how best to educate them. This may, on occasion, include deciding that a child should be educated in a year group other than the one indicated by their age. Such decisions should be based on sound educational reasons and in consultation with parents. We do not currently anticipate that children and young people will need to repeat a school year as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to look at all options to make sure children and young people get the support they need to continue their education during the COVID-19 outbreak and make up for time spent out of school.

However, it remains possible for headteachers to agree this in individual cases, if they think it is appropriate.

7th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to publish its response to the Consistency in Household and business recycling in England consultation.

In 2021 we published a second consultation on consistency in household and business recycling in England, including on implementation dates, materials in scope and exemptions. We will publish the response to this consultation shortly.

16th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department will take to ensure that the planned Deposit Return Scheme will be interoperable with schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Defra officials continue to work closely with colleagues in devolved administrations to promote joint working wherever possible. However, as this is a devolved area of policy, the devolved administrations are in no way required to take the same approach we do.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the recent increase in fertiliser prices on farming over the next five years.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle potential concerns about short-term food shortages resulting from decreasing global stocks and the war in Ukraine.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that food production (a) is maintained at and (b) exceeds its current 60 per cent self-sufficiency level.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built upon supply from diverse sources and strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. This provides us with the resilience we need in the face of risks such as adverse weather, animal or crop disease, or transport and border disruption.

Our production to supply ratio remains high in comparison with historical levels. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. The UK's year-round production includes cereals, meats, milk and some fresh produce. We have very high production to supply ratios in poultry, turnips, carrots, swedes, eggs and beef.

Additionally, Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. We are also working closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and the Secretaries of State have regular discussions about a range of issues including land use, planning and food production.

Recognising the importance of food production and security of supply, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report, published in December 2021, considers the UK's food supply sources overall, noting that domestic production and diversity of supply are both important to our food security. The Report does not contain policy recommendations but will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.

Looking forward, the Food Strategy White Paper will set out Government's ambition for the food system.

18th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what testing facilities are available for Mycoplasma Bovis within the UK.

There are various testing facilities in the UK and more than one testing method. Post-mortem examination and sampling is the most effective way of testing for this pathogen, but blood samples and nasal or tracheal samples can be used in the live animal.

The testing facilities include:

  1. Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Veterinary Investigation Centres in England and Wales
  2. APHA Mycoplasma department
  3. Scotland's Rural College Veterinary Investigation Centres and laboratories in Scotland
  4. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Veterinary Investigation Centres and laboratories in Northern Ireland
  5. APHA Partner Post-mortem Providers in England and Wales
  6. Various private laboratories in UK for samples collected by private veterinarians on-farm

The GB network of testing facilities can be found here: http://apha.defra.gov.uk/vet-gateway/surveillance/diagnostic/national-network.htm.

18th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Mycoplasma bovis on the farming industry.

There is an ongoing assessment for the detection of, and disease due to, Mycoplasma bovis and other respiratory pathogens. This is conducted both by the network of veterinary investigation centres throughout the UK, and via samples sent by private veterinarians to Government laboratories and private laboratories.

Mycoplasma bovis is still considered to be a significant pathogen in bovine respiratory disease.

A survey is due to be published by the UK Ruminant Health and Welfare Group. This comprehensive survey of cattle farmers and cattle professionals (veterinarians and farm advisors) asked 530 cattle farmers to rank their disease concerns. Mycoplasma bovis was ranked 7th most important by professionals, 12th by dairy farmers and 9th by beef farmers.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has a dedicated and specialist Mycoplasma group at its Weybridge Laboratory. This group advises veterinarians in other countries about Mycoplasma bovis and other Mycoplasmas. Respiratory samples from across England and Wales are sent to this group and the testing monitors for other Mycoplasmas, including exotic Mycoplasmas. This includes Mycoplasmas that cause Contagious Bovine Pleuro-pneumonia, which is a notifiable disease.

The results from testing across the network of veterinary investigation centres and partner post-mortem providers in England, Wales and Scotland are collated by a Veterinary Investigation Diagnosis Analysis (VIDA) database. The VIDA results indicate an increase in GB incidents (as a percentage of diagnosable submissions) from 3.5% in 2016 to 5.5% in 2020. Disease trends are summarised in the APHA Quarterly Reports which can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cattle-gb-disease-surveillance-and-emerging-threats-reports.

28th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to continue (a) maintenance and (b) funding for trees planted under the Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

The Government recognises the value of our urban trees and is committed to planting and protecting them. This is reflected in the significant increase in investment on trees announced in the budget. Urban trees play a crucial role in providing health and wellbeing benefits for communities, flood risk alleviation and carbon sequestration.

The Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) was launched in May 2019 and aims to plant 130,000 trees across England’s towns and cities by 2021. The first round of the UTCF closed in August 2019 and is funding the planting of over 22,000 large trees and 28,000 small trees in urban areas. The second round of the UTCF opened in March, for successful applicants to plant this winter. As well as providing funding for the planting of large and small trees in urban and peri-urban areas, the UTCF provides three years of establishment payments following planting.

We will shortly be consulting the public on an English Tree Strategy. This will set out the Government’s vision for the sector for the years to come and will be a crucial mechanism for delivering the planting of trees in both rural and urban areas.

9th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much of the funding allocated for Tradeshow Access Programmes remained unspent in 2019-20.

There was an underspend of £1.2m against Tradeshow Access Programme budgets in 2019-20.

The underspend arose predominantly within the last two months of the financial year, the busiest period of the tradeshow calendar, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of many shows from February 2020 onwards.

We continue to work hard with business and trade bodies to support TAP stakeholders, and successful applicants, to attend those agreed tradeshows that are internationally accessible, under HMG travel guidelines, at the point they commence.

14th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much highways maintenance funding was allocated from the public purse to Staffordshire County Council in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020.

The funding provided by the Department for Transport for highways maintenance funding to Staffordshire County Council in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020 is shown in the table below.

Year

£m

2017/18

28.321

2018/19

29.574

2019/20

22.993

2020/21

33.802

Total

114.690

2020/21 also includes an allocation of the £2.5 billion Pothole Fund announced at Budget 2020, to be allocated over 5 years between 2020/21 – 2024/25.

24th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities are adequately supported with decarbonising public transport networks.

The Government has allocated £25m in 2021/22 to support local authorities with the skills and people needed to implement the National Bus Strategy. We have already given an initial £100k to each Local Transport Authority, with more capacity funding to be allocated soon. We are also developing a Bus Centre of Excellence to serve as a repository of information and guidance for local authorities and bus operators, helping to build capabilities into the future.

Our Transport Decarbonisation Plan, due to be published shortly, will include further commitments to drive the decarbonisation agenda at the local level.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the river cruise sector on resumption of their operations as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

My officials and I have been engaging regularly with the cruise industry on restart plans through Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). FCO currently advise against travelling on sea-going cruises only. River cruises are not included within the travel advice for cruise, however, CLIA continues to engage across industry on the safe resumption of operations. River cruise operators should ensure the relevant risk assessments have been undertaken and that their operations comply with relevant Covid-19 requirements. We are keen to support the safe resumption of cruise operations, and will continue to work with CLIA, Public Health England, and the FCO to ensure plans are in place to support this.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the £2 billion in funding announced on 9 May 2020 for walking and cycling will be allocated to Staffordshire local authority.

The first part of the £2 billion to be released will be a £225 million Emergency Active Travel Fund in the current financial year. The first tranche of this will be released as soon as possible provided local authorities submit suitably ambitious plans to the Department, and the second tranche will be released later in the summer. Indicative allocations to local authorities have been published on gov.uk. Staffordshire has been indicatively allocated £366,000 for tranche one and £1,466,000 for tranche two: its final allocations will depend on the quality of the plans it submits to the Department. Decisions on the remainder of the £2 billion will be a matter for the next Spending Review.

20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money will be allocated from the £2.5 billion pothole fund to each local authority in (a) England and (b) Staffordshire.

Funding for 2020/21 for individual authorities in England and Staffordshire from the £2.5 billion Pothole Fund will be announced shortly.

31st Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help support people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction into work.

DWP offers a range of tailored support to help individuals recovering from a dependency move into work.

The Individual Placement and Support for Drug and Alcohol Dependency programme blends intensive job-search and in-work support with clinical treatment to enable individuals with a dependency to overcome barriers to employment. IPS teams are currently operating in 46 Local Authority areas and the programme will rolled out to Local Authorities in England by 2025.

Individuals with a history of drug or alcohol dependence can also receive tailored support from our dedicated work coaches, such as the adjustment of Universal Credit work-search requirements and access to the Access to Work grant for any adaptations required in the workplace. They are also able to gain priority access to the Work and Health Programme, which supports people to enter and stay in work.

Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
22nd Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the capacity of NHS dentists in Burton and Uttoxeter.

Our plan for dentistry, to be published shortly, will build upon the first package of reforms agreed in July 2022, which included changes to banding and the introduction of a minimum units of dental activity value. Our plan will include addressing how we continue to improve access, particularly for new patients; and how we make National Health Service work more attractive to ensure NHS dentists are incentivised to deliver more NHS care.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. These include a 40% increase to dentistry undergraduate training places by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will expand places by 24% by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places.

From 1 April 2023, responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to identify areas of need and determine the priorities for investment.

22nd Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dentists have been recruited in Burton and Uttoxeter since the launch of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

The Long-Term Workforce plan was published in June 2023 and the data on the number of Dentists in each integrated care board for 2023/24 is expected to be available from August.

The NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. The focus is not short-term recruitment but putting workforce on a sustainable footing for the long term.

We will expand dentistry training places by 40% so that there are over 1,100 places by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will expand places by 24% by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places.

30th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled Emerging Together: the Tackling Loneliness Network Action Plan, published on 8 May 2021, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support adults with autism who experience loneliness.

In November 2021, the Government established a Loneliness Engagement Fund to engage with those most affected by loneliness in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Autistic Society received £30,000 to develop resources to address loneliness for autistic people and undertake a social media campaign.

In May 2022, approximately £5 million was awarded to 12 organisations in England to inform understanding of how transport can assist those experiencing loneliness. The National Autistic Society received over £250,000 to offer training to transport providers, ensuring that staff have an increased understanding of autism and removing barriers for autistic people on public transport and enable social connections.

16th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of enlisting help from Staffordshire Fire Service to reduce delays in ambulance response times in East Staffordshire.

NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) advises that University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) have a range of measures in place to improve handover delays at Royal Stoke Hospital. These include the safe cohorting of patients which releases other crews to respond to new calls, direct referral of patients to Same Day Emergency Care, and the placement of Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers to improve the flow of patients and reduce handover delays.

Work by the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) to improve response times in East Staffordshire includes the introduction of a Clinical Validation Team comprising advanced paramedics working in control rooms, work to increase the proportion of calls closed over the phone or on scene, and maximising the use of alternative pathways to emergency departments. These interventions help to free up ambulance resource to respond to incoming calls more quickly, improving response times. There are also a range of national measures are in place, including continuous central monitoring and support from the National Ambulance Coordination Centre, and NHSEI has allocated £150 million of additional system funding for ambulance service pressures in 2022/23, supporting improvements to response times through additional call handler recruitment, retention, and other funding pressures.

No such assessment will be made. Emergency service co-responding is a matter for local emergency services.

Edward Argar
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
16th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce ambulance response times in East Staffordshire.

NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) advises that University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) have a range of measures in place to improve handover delays at Royal Stoke Hospital. These include the safe cohorting of patients which releases other crews to respond to new calls, direct referral of patients to Same Day Emergency Care, and the placement of Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers to improve the flow of patients and reduce handover delays.

Work by the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) to improve response times in East Staffordshire includes the introduction of a Clinical Validation Team comprising advanced paramedics working in control rooms, work to increase the proportion of calls closed over the phone or on scene, and maximising the use of alternative pathways to emergency departments. These interventions help to free up ambulance resource to respond to incoming calls more quickly, improving response times. There are also a range of national measures are in place, including continuous central monitoring and support from the National Ambulance Coordination Centre, and NHSEI has allocated £150 million of additional system funding for ambulance service pressures in 2022/23, supporting improvements to response times through additional call handler recruitment, retention, and other funding pressures.

No such assessment will be made. Emergency service co-responding is a matter for local emergency services.

Edward Argar
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
18th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the proposals by Rights for Residents to introduce Gloria's Law on guaranteeing a legal right to a care supporter across health and care settings.

The Department is considering options to legislate for visiting in adult social care settings. The guidance states that visiting in care homes should not normally be restricted and during outbreaks all care home residents should be permitted one visitor inside the care home. Where residents and relatives have concerns that this guidance is not being followed, this should be raised with the care home in the first instance. The Care Quality Commission can also investigate such complaints. Any such legislation would have the same effect as these arrangements.

The Department does not currently intend to legislate on hospital visiting. Unlike in the care sector, NHS England’s national guidance sets expectations for hospital visiting. Where any issues relating to visiting arise, the Department can resolve with National Health Service colleagues to safely facilitate visiting.

20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government is making on rolling out evening and weekend GP appointments.

General practice appointments in the evenings and weekends are available across the country. Patients can see a doctor, nurse or other member of a practice team at a time that is convenient to them, 365 days per year including on bank holidays.

16th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to hospital specialists in community settings.

As part of its work to expand access to diagnostic services in the community, the National Health Service is establishing community diagnostic hubs. The hubs will provide acute diagnostic services normally provided in hospitals, including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, X-rays, echocardiograms and endoscopy. The NHS is planning to open 44 hubs this year which will deliver an additional one million scans.

16th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP surgeries in Burton constituency offer appointments in the evening and at weekends.

The information is not held in the format requested. However, evening and weekend face to face and virtual appointments are offered by East Staffordshire Primary Care Network, with practices providing appointments on a rota system. Weekend appointments are also available from a hub location within the East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that work is underway across providers, CCGs and the local authority to optimise care provision in the area. The Staffordshire Integrated Care System continues the launch of general practitioner (GP) referrals into the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) and there are plans for East Staffordshire Primary Care Network, to begin implementing the GP CPCS later in the year.

16th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to enable the provision of additional services in GP surgeries in Burton constituency.

The information is not held in the format requested. However, evening and weekend face to face and virtual appointments are offered by East Staffordshire Primary Care Network, with practices providing appointments on a rota system. Weekend appointments are also available from a hub location within the East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that work is underway across providers, CCGs and the local authority to optimise care provision in the area. The Staffordshire Integrated Care System continues the launch of general practitioner (GP) referrals into the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) and there are plans for East Staffordshire Primary Care Network, to begin implementing the GP CPCS later in the year.

16th Sep 2021
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 community settings.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have consulted on introducing five new waiting time standards that have been developed with pilot and early implementer sites. These include waiting time standards for access to community mental health services for adults and children and young people. The consultation closed on 1 September 2021 and NHS England and NHS Improvement expect to publish the response to the consultation on the proposals by the end of this year.

In addition, we have published our Mental Health Recovery Action Plan for 2021/22, which includes an additional £110 million to expand adult community mental health services including psychological therapies, implementing the community mental health framework, investment in crisis services, as well as additional investment in suicide prevention programmes.