First elected: 4th July 2024
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Melanie Ward, 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.
Melanie Ward has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Melanie Ward has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Melanie Ward has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Melanie Ward has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
DESNZ has responsibility for the measurement of fuel poverty in England. The latest
estimates of fuel poverty in England are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics
Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and different metrics of fuel poverty are used in the Devolved Administrations.
This Government is committed to resetting the relationship and seeking to deepen ties with our European friends, neighbours and allies. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) allows for potential cooperation on aviation safety in a number of areas, including on personnel licencing. The UK will continue to seek expansions in the aviation safety chapter of the TCA where appropriate.
DWP learning reflects the services provided by Social Security Scotland with references and signposting to operational instructions.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is paid entirely by employers and so the rate is not subject to departmental spending decisions that will be made at the Spring 2025 Spending Review.
The rate of SSP is reviewed as part of the annual uprating process. Subject to Parliamentary approval the rate of SSP will increase in line with the September 2024 CPI rate of 1.7% to £118.75 per week from April 2025.
Through the Employment Rights Bill, introduced on 10th October 2024, the Government has removed the SSP waiting period and extended eligibility to those earning below the Lower Earnings Limit. The changes introduced within the Bill will mean that for some lower earners, including those earning below the Lower Earnings Limit, their rate of SSP will be calculated as a percentage of their earnings instead of the flat weekly rate.
The Government is currently consulting on what this percentage should be, so that it provides a fair earnings replacement when these employees need to take time off work. This consultation will close on 4th December 2024.
Statutory Maternity Pay is delivered through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), rather than the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Figures provided by HMRC on the number of new claims for Statutory Maternity Pay in Scotland in each financial year from 2019/20 to 2023/24 are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. The number of Statutory Maternity Pay spells starting in Scotland in financial year
Year | Number of Statutory Maternity Pay spells in Scotland starting in each financial year |
April 2019 - March 2020 | 27,600 |
April 2020 - March 2021 | 25,700 |
April 2021 - March 2022 | 27,500 |
April 2022 - March 2023 | 24,900 |
April 2023 - March 2024 | 24,900 |
Statistics on the number of Maternity Allowance spells starting in each quarter in Scotland from February 2010 to November 2023 are published and can be found at Maternity Allowance: quarterly statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The latest release covers September – November 2023 and data from March 2019 – November 2023 are shown in Table 2. These figures are based on a 5% sample of Maternity Allowance Claims and should be treated with caution. This is because a recent review determined that the available sample used to estimate the Maternity Allowance statistics at a regional level was too small to provide a sufficient level of confidence.
Table 2. The number of Maternity Allowance spells starting in Scotland in each quarter
Quarter | Number of Maternity Allowance spells in Scotland starting in each quarter |
September - November 2023 | 840 |
June - August 2023 | 880 |
March - May 2023 | 920 |
December 2022- February 2023 | 1,020 |
September - November 2022 | 880 |
June - August 2022 | 740 |
March - May 2022 | NA |
December 2021- February 2022 | 700 |
September - November 2021 | 1,000 |
June - August 2021 | 600 |
March - May 2021 | 760 |
December 2020- February 2021 | 780 |
September - November 2020 | 660 |
June - August 2020 | 840 |
March - May 2020 | 1,000 |
December 2019- February 2020 | 1,140 |
September - November 2019 | 920 |
June - August 2019 | 880 |
March - May 2019 | 900 |
Notes
Outturn for Maternity Pay consists of both Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance, and is published by country in the Expenditure by country and region tables, last updated following Autumn Statement 2023.
Outturn for Scotland in the last five years available is as below
(Expenditure £ million, nominal terms)
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Statutory Maternity Pay Scotland | 191.0 | 175.0 | 187.9 | 206.9 | 206.3 |
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Maternity Allowance Scotland | 29.8 | 27.8 | 25.9 | 21.6 | 19.1 |
Maternity Allowance expenditure figures for Scotland are estimates using national and regional breakdowns from Official Statistics on Maternity Allowance benefit caseload and average amounts of benefit paid, applied to GB outturn expenditure totals.
Statutory Maternity Pay Expenditure figures for Scotland are estimates using national and regional breakdown of amounts of SMP paid to employees, applied to GB outturn expenditure totals.
Please note, these figures may change with the next publication of data, following Autumn Budget 2024.
We are not expecting to publish breakdowns of MA in Autumn 2024 as a new operational system to record MA cases is currently being developed. As such, Maternity Allowance statistics will be suspended from the quarterly statistics release on 13 August 2024 until data can be extracted from the new system. (Maternity Allowance: quarterly statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).
A consultation on proposed reforms to the CMS was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. The consultation includes exploration of removing Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster. The consultation also explores how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported.
The Government extended the consultation to the 30 September 2024 to ensure full stakeholder engagement can take place, we will then consider the next steps for CMS.
Statistics for the total number of people living in relative and absolute poverty are not available at a constituency level.
Statistics on the total number of people in living in relative and absolute poverty both before and after housing costs at regional level are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics Households below average income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Statistics on the number of Children living in absolute and relative poverty per constituency are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication and can be found in tabs “5_Relative_ParlC” and “6_Absolute_ParlC”. These are only produced on a before housing cost basis.
A link to these statistics can be found here: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Cancer research is a critical priority for the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, and their operational delivery partners, like the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). Department of Health and Social Care and Department of Science, Innovation and Technology officials meet regularly to discuss a range of research investments, including lobular and other breast cancers, to drive the maximum collective research impact on policy, practice, and individual lives.
The Department invests £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the NIHR. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group, at over £121.8 million in 2022/23, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR awarded funding to 53 new research projects on breast cancer in the period 2018/19 to 2022/23, to a total value of £31 million.
Cancer is also one of the largest areas of investment for the MRC with an annual spend of approximately £125 million, including investment in the Francis Crick Institute. In addition, other parts of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) spend approximately £75 million annually. Over five years, between 2018 and 2022, the average funding awarded by UKRI, including the MRC, to breast cancer research was approximately £10 million per year.
The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level.
The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.
We are continuing to work to resolve supply issues where they remain, for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. We anticipate intermittent regional supply disruptions to continue, and we expect supply to improve in the UK from October 2024.
In parallel, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the National Health Service, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets or available alternative ADHD medicines. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinion for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.
To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications, and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients.
The Department recognises the significant physical and psychological consequences of birth trauma and the devastating impact this has on women. The Government remains fully committed to improving the quality and consistency of care for women throughout pregnancy, birth, and the critical months that follow. National Health Service trusts in England submit data through the Maternity Services Data Set from the booking appointment through to discharge from maternity services, which is usually approximately 10 days after birth. This includes data on instrumental delivery complications including post-partum haemorrhage and severe perineal tears but, due to the time period covered by the data, does not capture lasting health problems arising from birth.
The Foreign Secretary spoke to his Israeli counterpart most recently on 27 October, and reiterated that Israel must do much more to bring about an end to hostilities and get aid into Gaza. A political resolution has been a priority of this Government since day one. We have continued to use all diplomatic avenues to push for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international humanitarian law, protection of civilians including a rapid increase of aid into Gaza, respect for the UN mandate in Gaza, greater stability across the West Bank and a pathway to a two-state solution. We welcome news of the resumption of hostage talks in Doha, and we support the efforts of the US, Egyptian and Qatari negotiators.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have expressed serious concern at the UNRWA bills that Israel's Knesset has now passed. This legislation risks making UNRWA's essential work for Palestinians impossible, jeopardising the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank. The UK and six allies issued a joint statement on 27 October expressing our grave concern and urging Israel to ensure UNRWA can continue its lifesaving work. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this to Israel's Foreign Minister Katz on 27 October. We will continue working with our international partners and through the UN to press Israel to ensure that UNRWA can continue its vital operations.
The UK's robust export licensing criteria state that the Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. Following the Government's decision on 2 September to suspend certain arms export licences to Israel for use in Gaza, there are currently no extant licences that we assess are for use in Lebanon or the West Bank, apart from the licences for the F-35 components which were exempted. We are clear that International Humanitarian Law must be upheld, and civilians protected.
The FCDO supports a comprehensive approach to mass atrocity prevention. However, we have no plans to develop a new national strategy at this time. Since 2022, the FCDO's conflict directorate has been strengthening monitoring capabilities to identify and escalate atrocity risks before they occur. We will continue to develop our capacity to respond to atrocity risks, drawing on expertise across HMG and beyond, including from civil society, academia and cooperation with bilateral partners and multilateral organisations.
The UK Government does not hold this data directly. However, we are extremely concerned about the number of casualties amongst the humanitarian sector community, including our own UK nationals. International Humanitarian Law provides for the protection of non-combatants. Whilst in Israel, the Foreign Secretary pressed Prime Minister Netanyahu to implement improved deconfliction processes to protect aid workers. I will continue to raise with my Israeli counterparts the incidents that affect the delivery of vital humanitarian work.
Israel must take concrete steps to protect civilians and aid workers in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. This includes deconfliction between military and humanitarian operations, and supporting the minimum operating requirements of the UN agencies. The World Central Kitchen (WCK) deaths on 2 April, including the death of three British Nationals, were an appalling example of Israel's failure to provide an effective deconfliction mechanism to keep humanitarian operations safe from military operations.
I know that the loan charge is an extremely important issue for many members and their constituents.
I have met with campaigners to discuss the loan charge, and the Chancellor and I are considering this matter further. We will provide an update in due course.
The Home Office publishes data on Family visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on the outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset. Further information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of June 2024.
Notes
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Current processing times for Adult Dependent Relative applications applying for entry clearance to the UK are 12 weeks. Processing times for Adult Dependent Relative applications applying from within the UK are 8 weeks.
Further information on family visa processing times for applications made outside of the UK can be found here: Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information on family visa processing times for applications made from within the UK can be found here: Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
NB: these links list Adult Dependant Relative applications as ‘Adult coming to be cared for by relative’.
The Home Office publishes data on Family visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on the outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset. Further information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of June 2024.
Notes
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Data on performance against service standards is published through migration transparency data and can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The Home Office also publishes information on visa processing times for applications inside and outside the UK at: Visa processing times - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The Home Office makes every attempt to meet the service level agreement standard, but in certain cases additional checks are required which can mean visa requests take longer to process.
F-35 Components are owned by the US Department of Defence and managed in a Global Spares Pool. The F-35 components within the Global Spares Pool are not subject to NATO Codification.
The F-35 inventory is owned by the US Department of Defence and is managed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Pratt and Whitney. The details on the proportion of F35 components produced by UK companies are not known.
The F35 Programme does not classify components as wear-sensitive. Components are either "repairable" or "consumable".
No such assessment has been made at this time. We are focused at present on delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen our democracy and encourage participation – including by giving 16- and 17- year olds the right to vote in all elections.
The Electoral Commission is the independent electoral regulator and will be reporting on the administration of the May elections and the recent General Election. This will include the proportion of individuals turned away for lack of accepted identification. We anticipate publication of their initial findings on voter ID later this month and their full election report later in the year.
In line with our manifesto commitments, we will carefully review the voter ID rules and evaluate how they impacted citizens during the General Election before bringing forward firm proposals for reform in due course. This will of course include full consideration of the Electoral Commission’s findings.
With regard to postal voting at the 2024 General Election, I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 199 on 26 July 2024.
The Government is committed to delivering economic growth across the country and is considering how to best fund long-term local funding in line with wider fiscal and economic priorities.
Post-March 2025 funding is a decision for the Budget.
I regularly talk to the Chancellor and her team to discuss many aspects of funding, across all the departments’ business and my officials work closely with those in the Treasury. The future of any departmental programme will be agreed as part of the budget and next fiscal event in light of those discussions.
The Government is committed to delivering economic growth across the country, and is considering how to best fund long-term local funding in line with wider fiscal and economic priorities.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is responsible for implementing the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. CICA recognises that timely compensation can help victims in their recovery both practically and emotionally and is committed to deciding 40% of new applications within 6 months of receiving the application, and 70% within 12 months. CICA performance information is available in the CICA Annual Report and Accounts; the latest version can be found at CICA Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24.
The following table shows the average number of days from an application being received until a decision is made. This information is taken from the latest period for which data is available which can be found here: Statistics at CICA - Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Financial Year | Average days to decision |
2023-24 | 361 |
2022-23 | 391 |
2021-22 | 386 |
2020-21 | 337 |
2019-20 | 363 |