Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
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 increase ease of access to GP appointments in Macclesfield constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are increasing access to general practice appointments nationally and in the Macclesfield constituency.
We have invested an additional £1.1 billion into general practitioners (GPs), the biggest cash increase in over a decade. In October 2024, we invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of over 2,600 individual GPs into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients.
The new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 practices across England. This investment will deliver more appointments and improve patient care
We are also committed to making it easier for patients to contact their general practices. That’s why, Since 1 October, GP practices have been required to offer access to online services throughout core hours (8:00am–18:30pm), bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This change aims to improve patient access, reduce long phone queues, and help GPs manage demand more effectively.
After a decade of declining satisfaction, patient experiences with contacting their GP has improved significantly. As of December 2025, 75.2% of patients report that they find it is easy to contact their GP practice, a 14.3 percentage point increase since July 2024 (60.9%).
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking with social housing providers in the Macclesfield Constituency to help reduce energy costs for tenants.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will deliver £15bn of public investment and help lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030. This includes support for those on low-incomes and the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards for the social rented sector, which will slash the cost of heating for families, making homes warmer and more comfortable. Macclesfield-based Peaks and Plains Housing Trust has secured £6.58m as part of the just under £1.15bn Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. The funding will support energy efficiency and low‑carbon heating upgrades, helping raise properties below EPC Band C up to that standard.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to help Cheshire East Council reduce its SEND assessment waiting times.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support to local areas through a structured approach that balances support, challenge, and assurance. Through our SEND improvement support, a dedicated SEND Adviser is providing targeted advice and challenge to help Cheshire East Council streamline assessment pathways, ensure consistent decision‑making, and improve multi‑agency contributions so that assessments can be completed within statutory timeframes. The department, in collaboration with colleagues from NHS England in the North West, regularly engages with Cheshire East Local Area SEND Partnership to understand any further needs and provides support and challenge as appropriate, as well as monitoring progress.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what work is being done in conjunction with other departments to explore new financing methods for defence equipment procurement.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We have established a Defence Investors Advisory Group to support the development of the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS). As part of this work, we are exploring potential new financing options and how these could apply to specific opportunities identified through the Defence Investment Plan. No decisions on new financing methods have yet been taken.
We are working closely with other Government Departments and assessing the fiscal, regulatory and industrial implications of new financing methods to support defence equipment procurement.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his department has set a benchmark for the proportion of the UK’s electricity supply that should be imported from abroad in the medium to long term; and how electricity imports are factored into energy security planning.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Capacity Market is our main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply. Each year the National Energy System Operator assesses the capacity required to meet expected peak demand four years ahead. All participating technologies are de-rated to reflect their expected contribution under periods of system stress, with interconnectors de-rated based on expected flows and technical availability. In the longer term, the Government is supportive of additional interconnection where future projects provide system benefits.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at Macclesfield Test Centre in the most recent month for which data is available.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Macclesfield driving test centre in December 2025, was 16 weeks.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of financial barriers on people who wish to train as commercial airline pilots.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government works closely with industry to address financial barriers to pilot training and to support the growth of a diverse aviation workforce, including through the Aviation Industry Skills Board. This area is a priority, not only for my department, but also the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle the backlog of court cases in Cheshire.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Chester Crown Court has been allocated an additional 232 sitting days in-region to increase hearing capacity and improve throughput of cases. Additional Legal Advisor recruitment is underway to facilitate an increase in court hearing capacity in Cheshire Magistrates’ Courts.
The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record and rising open caseload of nearly 80,000 criminal cases waiting to be heard and too many victims waiting years for justice. Investment alone is not enough - that is why this Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to undertake his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. On 2 December, the Deputy Prime Minister responded to the first part of that review and set out why reform is necessary, alongside investment and modernisation.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the recommendations set out in her Department’s 2023 policy document entitled ‘Options for addressing the cost of pilot training’, including (a) enabling trainee pilots to access a Government-backed loan scheme and (b) addressing any outstanding issues relating to the First Officer Apprenticeship.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The ‘Options for addressing the cost of pilot training’ policy document was published during the time of the previous government.
This government is working closely with industry to address the cost of pilot training, including through the Aviation Industry Skills Board. Government also supports the aviation industry through the Generation Aviation programme. The Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund, a part of Generation Aviation and administered by the CAA on behalf of the Department, funds outreach programmes with the aim of improving the accessibility and inclusivity of the sector and attracting the next generation of people into aviation careers, including pilot careers.
The First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) was designed by an industry group as a way of reducing the high cost of pilot training and improving access to the profession. An approved training provider (ATO) is now in place, and regulatory changes made this year have increased training flexibility for employers.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of an Accident and Emergency Appreciation Week.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government highly values hardworking National Health Service staff who go above and beyond to provide rapid and critical care. Local NHS trusts have in place their own approaches to recognising and rewarding staff, supported by advice and guidance set out in the Staff Recognition Framework, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/staff-recognition-framework/
Members of Parliament can also acknowledge the work of NHS staff in their constituency through the NHS Parliamentary Awards, with further information available at the following link:
https://nhsparliamentaryawards.co.uk/