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Written Question
Dental Services
Tuesday 19th July 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in (a) dental and (b) orthodontic healthcare provision.

Answered by James Morris

We allocated an additional £50 million for National Health Service dentistry was provided for the final quarter of 2021/22 to provide urgent care to patients. NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked practices to deliver 100% of contracted units of dental activity and 100% of units of orthodontic activity to safely improve access for patients.

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association, on improvements to the NHS dental system. Negotiations are currently underway on initial measures, which aim to improve access to NHS dentistry.


Written Question
Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes
Tuesday 12th July 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to (a) provide support for groups for victims of domestic abuse and (b) increase the availability of those groups.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Tackling domestic abuse and ensuring victims receive the support they need is a priority for this Government. Our landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021 will strengthen our protection to victims and ensure perpetrators feel the full force of the law. It includes the first legal definition of domestic abuse, improved support for victims in the courts, new offences, including on non-fatal strangulation, and strengthened legislation around cruel acts of controlling or coercive behaviour.

The Act also places a duty on local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation, backed by £125 million of Government funding to ensure that these vital services are available to anyone who needs them, wherever they live. This will be supported by a new £6 million Domestic Abuse Capacity Building Fund to help Local Authorities prepare for the upcoming duty.

In March 2022, we published the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan which will seek to transform the whole of society’s response in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems processes in place needed to deliver these goals.

The Plan invests over £230 million into tackling domestic abuse. This includes over £140 million to support victims, much of which is multi-year funding, part over £47 million of which is ringfenced for community-based support services.

As committed to in the cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy published on 21 July last year, the Home Office has also provided an additional £1.5 million funding this year for ‘by and for’ service provision and to further increase funding for valuable specialist services for victims of violence against women and girls.

The Home Office is also planning to double funding for survivors of sexual violence and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline by 2024-25, and further increase funding for all the national helplines it supports.

The VAWG National Statement of Expectations, and Commissioning Toolkit, which we have published alongside the Plan, will also provide support to commissioners to help them increase provision of ‘by and for’ and specialist services.


Written Question
Antisocial Behaviour
Thursday 7th July 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2014 at tackling anti-social behaviour.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

It is important that local authorities have the powers they need to tackle all local issues quickly and effectively. That is why we introduced a range of flexible tools and powers to tackle anti-social behaviour through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately local in nature and it is for local authorities to determine how best to respond to each individual case. The powers support appropriate action to resolve anti-social behaviour, including through setting restrictions or positive requirements on individuals.

The Home Office published statutory guidance to support local areas to make effective use of these powers to emphasise the importance of focusing on the impact of anti-social behaviour on victims and further to support local authorities to make effective use of these powers. This guidance was updated in June 2022 to ensure a victim-centered approach to tackling ASB.

Last year the Beating Crime Plan laid out the Government’s plan for tackling crime and ASB and committed to working with local agencies and partners to drive down ASB using the full range of powers and tools in the 2014 Act.


Written Question
UK Visas and Immigration: Standards
Wednesday 6th July 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to ensure all enquiries to UK Visa and Immigration are actioned and dealt with in a timely manner.

Answered by Kevin Foster

For all visa application queries the public should call the Home Office customer helpline. The Home Office service standard is to answer 80% of calls within 30seconds.

Last week we answered 77% within 30 seconds with an average wait time of 1 minutes 9 seconds.

We continue to work with our service provider to regularly review their performance to ensure service standards are maintained. We are working with our service provider to increase the number of staff operating the customer helpline. It is envisaged this will enable the service standard to be met in the coming weeks.


Written Question
Veterans
Monday 4th July 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to support veterans with welfare needs including (a) housing, (b) health and (c) education.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Veterans' Strategy Action Plan sets out over 60 UK Government commitments with a combined value of over £70m to help support veterans and their families between 2022-2024. We are already making good progress with 24% of commitments already completed at the 6 month point.

We have changed the law to improve access to social housing, removing the local connection test, and awarding priority access to social housing for vulnerable veterans. We are improving the Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme, making sure veterans have access to the right training opportunities; and in reletting the Career Transition Partnership contract, we are taking the opportunity to improve and enhance the service. Over the next three years NHS England will be providing £18m more to improve access to Op COURAGE and the Veterans Trauma Network. Additionally, this year, we will administer the new £5m Veterans' Health Innovation Fund - supporting projects developing innovative treatments and initiatives to support veterans' health.


Written Question
Veterans
Monday 4th July 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help support the (a) education, (b) housing and (c) health needs of veterans.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Veterans' Strategy Action Plan sets out over 60 UK Government commitments with a combined value of over £70m to help support veterans and their families between 2022-2024. We are already making good progress with 24% of commitments already completed at the 6 month point.

We have changed the law to improve access to social housing, removing the local connection test, and awarding priority access to social housing for vulnerable veterans. We are improving the Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme, making sure veterans have access to the right training opportunities; and in reletting the Career Transition Partnership contract, we are taking the opportunity to improve and enhance the service. Over the next three years NHS England will be providing £18m more to improve access to Op COURAGE and the Veterans Trauma Network. Additionally, this year, we will administer the new £5m Veterans' Health Innovation Fund - supporting projects developing innovative treatments and initiatives to support veterans' health.


Written Question
Emergency Services and Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
Friday 1st July 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking with the CPS to improve prosecution rates for offences against retail and emergency workers.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The CPS treats assaults against retail and emergency workers extremely seriously. In accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, charges are selected to reflect the seriousness and extent of the offending and give the court adequate powers to sentence.

The CPS is a signatory to a Joint Agreement on Offences against Emergency Workers which provides a framework to ensure the more effective investigation and prosecution of cases where emergency workers are the victim of a crime. It also sets the standards victims of these crimes can expect.

The CPS has issued legal guidance to prosecutors on the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. This guidance highlights that the Act requires courts to consider an offence against an emergency worker as an aggravating factor in sentencing. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 has extended the statutory aggravating factor cover to assaults on those providing a public service including those who provide goods or facilities to the public.


Written Question
Community Diagnostic Centres: Staff
Thursday 30th June 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of community diagnostic hubs; and ensure that those hubs are adequately staffed.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We have committed £2.3 billion to launch up to 160 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) by March 2025, with more than 90 CDCs currently in operation in England. National Health Service regions are working with ICSs, diagnostic networks and primary care services to determine the location and configuration of services, based on the needs of the local population.

NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are ensuring that there is sufficient workforce capacity for CDCs in the appropriate roles and locations. NHS England and HEE are increasing capacity through sharing good practice across the professions, ensuring CDCs are staffed with the appropriate skills and promoting the retention of staff and health and wellbeing.


Written Question
Sports: West Midlands
Wednesday 29th June 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to help support grassroot sports initiatives in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Sport and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health and this government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The significant core public investment of £778 million for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has accelerated investment and regeneration in Birmingham and the West Midlands. This includes infrastructure developments like the Alexander Stadium renovations and the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre that will be a legacy for the community to use long after the Games is over. Sport England is also investing £35 million for physical activity legacy, which will cover both targeted interventions in the West Midlands region as well as national investments to open up sporting opportunities to all.

Since 2018, the department has also invested £333,674 into a wide range of grassroots sport projects across Wolverhampton through Sport England, such as to the Finchfield Hockey Club and Ormiston New Academy. This is part of the £23.2 million invested in the West Midlands during the same period.

The Government also invests £18 million each year in community sport facilities via the Football Foundation. In partnership with the Football Association and Premier League, this results in £70 million being invested into community sport facilities every year. The Football Foundation has granted over £4.7 million to the West Midlands to develop football and multi-use grassroots sports facilities in 2021/22.


Written Question
Economic Growth: West Midlands
Monday 27th June 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to drive economic growth in the Black Country.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government published its Levelling Up White Paper in February, which sets out our missions as part of a decade long masterplan to see the potential of every corner of the United Kingdom fulfilled.

Through the Levelling Up Fund, designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, Wolverhampton will receive £20m to develop its City Learning Quarter, delivering 10,000 qualifications over ten years. Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall will receive a combined total of over £35m directly from the recently launched £2.6bn UK Shared Prosperity Fund, building pride in place, investing in businesses and improving life chances across the UK. Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley will also receive a combined total of £71m through the Towns Fund, which ensures that local areas can grow their economies, create and sustain local jobs whilst also carving out new opportunities to reshape the look and feel of their area.