Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people received treatment for (a) knee and (b) hip replacements in surgical hubs in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has introduced specific hub-level data site codes for all operational hubs in 2023, with 89% of the 101 operational hubs now reporting data against these codes. However, as many of the hubs have only recently introduced the data codes, NHS England have limited data available for the last 12 months, and much of this new data submission is still being validated. Therefore, NHS England currently do not have reliable, validated hub-specific data about specific procedures undertaken in hubs.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to use the Government's tree planting programme to tackle (a) flooding and (b) upper catchment management of rivers.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Tree planting can help us meet a wide range of strategic objectives, including the 25 Year Environment Plan’s commitment to limit damage to rivers and the pledge to reduce flooding through natural flood management solutions.
The England Woodland Creation Offer recognises the benefits of planting riparian buffers through specific Additional Contributions. These contributions support riparian tree planting, flood management and improved water quality.
The Government is also supporting woodland creation along rivers through the ‘Woodlands for Water’ project. This pilot project works with the Riverscapes Partnership to facilitate the creation of riparian woodland corridors in six river catchment areas.
This year we are introducing an action into the Sustainable Farming Incentive for the management of habitat strips next to watercourses. This will support the planting of trees and scrub for biodiversity, flooding and water quality benefits.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure the safety valve programme supports SEND services in York.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Safety Valve programme is designed to improve special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services by making the very best use of resources to deliver the support that children and young people need.
The agreements, based on proposals put forward by each local authority, hold local authorities to account for doing so in the most effective and sustainable way for the benefit of children and young people.
The last few years have shown that increased spend does not automatically equate to better outcomes for children and young people; running systems more effectively does. Safety Valve plans generally place emphasis on improving the availability of support in and to mainstream schools, including increasing early access to support, building parental confidence in the system and increasing the availability of local provision. It is only through taking these steps and through the genuine collaboration of all partners locally that high needs systems can be delivered effectively and sustainably for the future.
City of York Council made a Safety Valve agreement in 2021, with the department contributing £17.1 million. The authority agreed to reform their high needs system such that they would subsequently reach a positive in-year balance on its Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and eliminate its cumulative deficit by the end of the agreement in 2025/26, while continuing to deliver for children and young people with SEND. City of York Council is on track to meet the deficit reduction targets set out in the agreement both for the current reporting year and the lifetime of the plan.
The department continues to provide City of York Council with support through the Safety Valve programme via regular contact with department officials, SEND advisors and financial advisors.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he is having discussions with Gazans living in the UK on Government support for their relatives living in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Palestinians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis. The UK is playing a leadership role in alleviating that suffering. We more than trebled our aid commitment this past year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.
The Government has met several times with the Palestinian Ambassador and Head of Palestine Mission, Dr Husam Zomlot, to discuss the UK's humanitarian response. The Deputy Foreign Secretary last met him on 08 April and Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon met him on 27 February.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent progress he has made on helping to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The fastest way to end the conflict is to secure a deal which gets the hostages out and allows for a pause in the fighting in Gaza. The Prime Minister discussed the current hostage negotiations with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 30 April and expressed his hope that negotiations are concluded to allow hostages to return home as soon as possible.
We are clear that the vital elements for a lasting peace include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution and ensures Israelis and Palestinians can live in security and dignity.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled Faster, simpler and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry, published on 7 February 2024, whether funding for that plan will come from integrated care boards' underspend of their dentistry budget; and whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to help meet the objectives of that plan.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Dentistry Recovery Plan, published on 7 February 2024, is backed by £200 million. This is from the £3.8bn primary, community and secondary dentistry budget allocated to Integrated Care Boards for 2024/25. We know that the dental sector has a history of under-performance against commissioned activity and the plan will help to drive new activity that otherwise wouldn’t happen. We are committed to protecting NHS dentistry funding for dentistry, and will strengthen this ringfence for 2024/25, as set out in Our Dentistry Recovery Plan. NHS England has issued planning guidance to integrated care boards, which confirms that a ringfence will apply to NHS dentistry budgets in 2024 to 2025, and that NHS England reserves the right to direct that any unused resources are used to improve dental access through the implementation of the dental recovery plan. In addition, any unspent allocation may be returned to NHS England.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that perpetrators of violent crimes who live close to their victims are not bailed to their home address.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The decision to remand an individual in custody or to grant bail is solely a matter for the independent judiciary acting in accordance with the law. The Ministry of Justice therefore cannot intervene in any decision made by the court. The procedures for considering bail and custodial remand are set out in the Bail Act 1976. The Bail Act 1976 sets out the statutory rules which govern the making of judicial decisions on whether to grant bail or remand in custody. The Act creates the presumption in favour of bail for all defendants involved in criminal proceedings.
The courts have the power to impose a broad range of robust bail conditions as part of a bail package. This includes electronically monitored exclusion zones and curfews. Courts will ensure that they have all information concerning the possible imposition of conditions such as suitable accommodation and proximity to victims, before they make a decision on final bail conditions. The rollout of the Bail Information Service, which has received £53 million of funding until 2028, means that dedicated Bail Information Officers will provide courts with bail information reports which contain relevant and factual information to enable the court to reach an informed yet independent decision on whether bail should be granted to a defendant. This will include any recommendations on the suitability of their accommodation or whether alternatives need to be considered.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) drug use and (b) synthetic drug use in prisons.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The latest information on random mandatory drug testing in prisons can be found in the HMPPS Annual Digest here: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2022 to March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
All prisons have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs, and we are highly aware of the threat synthetic substances present. In response, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continue to develop capabilities to drug test prisoners who are suspected to have used, or are at risk of using, these dangerous substances. In addition, all prisons have been provided with access to forensic testing of items seized or found within the estate.
Our £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs, was completed in March 2022. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. Under this programme, all public sector sites have also been provided with next-generation drug trace detection machines. This technology enables prisons to detect attempts to convey drugs into prisons. The equipment is effective in identifying drugs that have been soaked onto letters, clothing and other items.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has piloted a harm reduction approach to drug use in prisons.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice works closely with NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that all prisoners who need it have access to high-quality substance misuse treatment.
This includes:
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance is available to courts on the impact of bailing people to live at their home address.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Adult Court Bench Book provides guidance for magistrates who sit in the adult court dealing mainly with defendants aged 18 or over. The Bench Book covers bail and remand and indicates the considerations that must be taken on whether to bail or remand a defendant. If a bail application is made, the magistrates must satisfy themselves that they have been provided with all the relevant information to decide whether to bail or not, including that of accommodation.
The rollout of the Bail Information Service, which has received £53 million of funding until 2028, means that dedicated Bail Information Officers will provide courts with bail information reports which contain relevant and factual information to enable the court to reach an informed yet independent decision on whether bail should be granted to a defendant. This will include any recommendations on the suitability of their accommodation or whether alternatives need to be considered.