Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has had discussions with Cash Access UK on the opening hours of banking hubs.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services, and I would like to assure you that I am monitoring the issue of branch closures closely. Whilst decisions to open or close a branch are commercial decisions for banks, it is imperative that banks and building societies recognise the needs of all their customers, including those who still need to use in-person services.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s guidance is clear that firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and put in place alternatives, where this is reasonable. This seeks to ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly. Where firms fall short of expectations, the FCA may ask for closures to be paused or other options to be put in place.
Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office or Banking Hubs. The Post Office allows personal and business customers to carry out everyday banking services at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Banking Hubs are a voluntary industry initiative, which enable customers of participating banks to access cash and banking services in shared facilities. As such, decisions regarding their operation, including opening hours, are taken by participating banks. Over 100 Banking Hubs have been announced so far, including in Sidmouth. 33 Banking Hubs are already open across the UK, and the Government hopes to see the others open as soon as possible.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to consult on making water companies statutory consultees on certain planning applications.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government committed during the passage of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 to consult on whether water companies should become statutory consultees on certain planning applications, and if so, how best to do this. The Secretary of State has since commissioned Sam Richards, to undertake an independent review of statutory consultees within the planning system, with the recommendations from this to be published in March 2024.
We remain committed to this consultation; which will be published later this year. Water companies must continue to engage local planning authorities on their applications at the right time so they can input effectively and not slow down the application process.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the costs of social care are funded by the adult social care precept charged by local authorities.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The total value of the precept each year includes all the annual increases set by councils since 2016/17, and the Government does not publish this total. We cannot therefore calculate the proportion of adult social care spend each year funded from the precept. However, the Government publishes the amount raised by the increase in the adult social care precept each year. In 2023/24, councils could increase the precept by up to 2%, raising an estimated maximum of £561 million.
The evidence review for Adult Social Care Reform, published in December 2021, estimated that up to 70% of total adult social care spend is from public sources.
The impact of the social care precept varies across the country, depending upon the decisions that local authorities make about how much precept to levy and how much it needs to spend on adult social care.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of setting national pay and conditions terms for social care workers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has no current plans to make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of setting national pay and conditions terms for social care workers. Most care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their pay and terms and conditions, independent of central government.
In the ‘Next steps to put People at the Heart of Care’ we announced our intention to launch a new Care Workforce Pathway for Adult Social Care, which will support development and provide a career structure to the workforce.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of ensuring that patients are always able to see the same GP for each visit.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the importance of the relationship between patients and their general practitioner (GP). However, in some cases patients may prefer to see another professional from the wider general practice workforce instead of a specific GP.
While the Government has not made an estimate of the cost of ensuring that patients are able to see the same GP for each visit, all patients must be assigned a named GP. Practices must endeavour to comply with all reasonable requests for a patient to see a particular GP or other healthcare professional for an appointment.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of establishing a college of clinical leadership to train NHS managers in leadership skills.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has been no such estimate made. The NHS Leadership Academy, which is part of NHS England, provides a wide range of tools, programmes and expertise to help National Health Service organisations develop their leaders and embed best practice.
The Messenger review, Leadership for a collaborative and inclusive future, was published in June 2022. It focussed on ways to strengthen leadership and management across health and adult social care. The review set out seven recommendations which were accepted by the government. The recommendations are aimed at fostering and replicating the best examples of leadership through improved training, career development and talent management.
NHS England is leading on implementation of all seven recommendations and is working in partnership with Skills for Care where they apply to the social care workforce.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to double (a) MRI and (b) CT scanning capacity; and if she will make an estimate of the (i) revenue and (ii) capital cost of doing so over each of the next five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
£2.3 billion was awarded at SR21 to transform diagnostic services over three years. Most of this will help deliver our ambition to increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services. Funding will also provide additional diagnostic equipment to increase imaging capacity in acute settings, as well as increasing capacity for endoscopy and mammography screening, and improving digital diagnostics.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of shared waiting lists on patient choice.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have made no such assessment.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of establishing an independent statutory committee to assess the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The cost of any such committee would depend on the task it was set through its terms of reference.
NHS England has existing responsibilities to maintain and improve health care services in a way that is financially and operationally sustainable within the resource limits set by the government, and to oversee and support integrated care boards (ICBs), National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts, including by conducting annual assessments of ICBs. NHS England regularly publishes information on NHS performance.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the (a) revenue and (b) capital costs of (i) guaranteeing mental health treatment within a month, (ii) establishing walk-in mental health hubs for children and young people and (iii) providing specialist mental health support in all schools over the next five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As part of its clinically led review of NHS Access Standards, the National Health Service is working towards implementing five new waiting time standards, one of which is that children, young people, and their families/carers presenting to community-based mental health services, should start to receive care within four weeks from referral. NHS England has recently published new data on mental health waiting times this year, to increase transparency and improve the quality of the data collected. Improvements are needed in the quality of data to make an accurate assessment of the cost implications of introducing the standards.
There are currently approximately 65 locally funded early support hubs in England, which are open to those aged between 11 and 25 years old who may not meet the threshold to receive NHS support. These are commissioned locally by integrated care boards and local authorities, working with local partners to understand local needs. In addition, on 25 October 2023, we announced £4.92 million of new funding to deliver and evaluate innovative community-based mental health and wellbeing support for young people at 10 sites across England until the end of 2024/25. Bids are currently being considered and the ten successful hubs will be announced in due course.
NHS England continues to roll out mental health support teams to schools and colleges across England. There are now approximately 400 mental health support teams in place, covering over three million children or around 35% of pupils in schools and colleges. We estimate this will increase to 44% by April 2024 and we are working to increase this coverage to 50% of pupils by March 2025.