Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) continuity of care in cancer treatment pathways, (b) assigning named points of contact and (c) back-up contacts for all patients.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and NHS England are committed to improving continuity of care and provision of support contacts for cancer patients. All patients, including those with secondary cancers, should have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker to aid their navigation through the cancer pathway. Accessing this support is in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care.
In the most recent National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, 91.2% of respondents said they had a main contact person within the team looking after them who would support them through treatment. After cancer treatment, the National Health Service provides end of treatment summaries for patients, to support people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. End of treatment summaries provide people with a route back into the system if they notice any worrying changes or need to seek help.
The Government’s National Cancer Plan, due to be published later in 2025, will aim to improve the efficiency of patient pathways as an essential part of improving cancer outcomes and experiences.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he had discussions with transgender individuals on the Sullivan Review.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not met with transgender individuals to discuss the Sullivan Review. We have acted on the findings of Professor Sullivan’s report by suspending applications for National Health Service number changes for children under the age of 18 years old, to safeguard them. Taking such action does not prevent the NHS from recording, recognising, and respecting trans people’s gender identity.
The Government is steadfast in its dedication to listening to LGBT+ people. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has hosted constructive, open, and honest roundtable discussions with the LGBT+ community and has set out his intention to maintain an open dialogue and to continue to listen to all views.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has assessed the potential impact of making pensions subject to (a) inheritance tax and (b) probate on bereaved families.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Most unused pension funds and death benefits will be included within the value of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the last decade, which have led to pensions being openly used and marketed as a tax planning vehicle to transfer wealth, rather than as a way to fund retirement. These reforms also remove inconsistencies in the inheritance tax treatment of different types of pensions.
Estates will benefit from the normal nil-rate bands, reliefs, and exemptions available. For example, the nil-rate bands mean an estate can pass on up to £1 million with no inheritance tax liability, and the general rules mean any transfers to a spouse or civil partner are fully exempt from inheritance tax.
The reforms are forecast to raise £1,460 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024.
Most estates will continue to have no inheritance tax liability following these changes. The Government estimates that, out of around 213,000 estates with inheritable pension wealth in 2027-28, 10,500 estates – or around 1.5 per cent of total UK deaths - will become liable to pay inheritance tax where this would not previously have been the case. Around 38,500 estates will pay more inheritance tax than would previously have been the case. Unlike the revenue forecast, these figures do not take into account potential behavioural changes following the announcement of these measures and are illustrative.
An assessment of impacts was included in the recent technical consultation on the processes required to implement these changes. This can be found at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/inheritance-tax-on-pensions-liability-reporting-and-payment/technical-consultation-inheritance-tax-on-pensions-liability-reporting-and-payment#part-4-assessment-of-impacts.
In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Care Quality Commission plans to inspect medical care services at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is not usual practice for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to announce when inspections will take place.
Unannounced inspections of healthcare services allow the CQC to obtain a realistic view of how the service is operating. It also allows the CQC to observe normal practice and assess more accurately the quality of care being provided. While most inspections are unannounced, some services may receive notice to minimize disruption to care.
The CQC can also inspect at any time in response to risk.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure NHS trusts consistently meet the 62 day target for starting cancer treatment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the new plan for reforming elective care, the Government is committed to improving performance on cancer waiting times. The National Health Service’s annual operational planning guidance set out a national commitment to improve waiting times, including improving performance against the 62-day cancer standard to 75% by March 2026.
The Department is committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment across England by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment; we have exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over three million more appointments. £70 million will also be spent on replacing out-of-date radiotherapy equipment so that cancer patients benefit from faster and safer cancer treatment using the most up-to-date technology. Replacing these older machines will save as many as 13,000 appointments from being lost to equipment breakdown.
Additionally, providers have also been asked to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the faster diagnosis standard, to reduce the number of patients waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer and start treatment.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report entitled Evaluation of Action Access, an Alternative to Detention Pilot by UNHCR, published in January 2022, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of community-based alternatives to detention for women.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what oversight mechanisms her Department has established to ensure that Serco fulfils its contractual obligations as the operator of Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Onsite Home Office Compliance Teams are responsible for ensuring that Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) contracted centre providers are fulfilling their contractual requirements.
Performance is monitored through a robust and comprehensive system of contract management, to ensure that the Home Office is receiving effective service and value for money.
As part of this contract monitoring process, contractual failures have been identified at Derwentside IRC and appropriate action taken.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any penalties have been applied to Serco for non-compliance with contractual obligations at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre in the past 12 months.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Onsite Home Office Compliance Teams are responsible for ensuring that Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) contracted centre providers are fulfilling their contractual requirements.
Performance is monitored through a robust and comprehensive system of contract management, to ensure that the Home Office is receiving effective service and value for money.
As part of this contract monitoring process, contractual failures have been identified at Derwentside IRC and appropriate action taken.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that women have access to high-quality (a) interpretation and (b) translation services at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
There is detailed guidance for staff working at all Immigration Removal Centres (IRC), including Derwentside. Detention Services Order ‘Interpretation Services and use of Translation Devices’ provides instruction and guidance on the use of interpretation services and electronic translation devices. It sets out the provisions, including interpretation services and translation devices available for individuals held in immigration detention, and the circumstances in which these should be used.
During the arrivals and induction process, a primary and secondary language assessment is conducted. The outcome of those assessments is recorded on the individual’s profile.
For those requiring interpreters, staff at Derwentside have access to dedicated telephone interpretation services 24 hours a day. In addition, electronic translation devices are available to support informal engagement. Together, these enable support for women throughout their time in the centre.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring local authorities to consider the curtilage of properties when assessing local speed limits.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Traffic authorities have the power to make speed limits on the public roads which they manage. English authorities are asked to consider the best practice guidance ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances. This lists important factors that may be taken into account which include, among other things, the composition of road users including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users, and the road environment such as the level of roadside development and the possible impacts (for example, severance, noise or air quality) on residents. This could include effects on the curtilage of neighbouring properties.
The final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.
The Department’s guidance to English traffic authorities can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits.