Luke Akehurst MP: written questions 2024
38 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Operating Theatres: Fire PreventionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce (a) mandatory training and (b) policies on surgical fires within all NHS hospital settings.
Answer: In 2023, the Centre for Perioperative Care published revised National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs2). The standards were designed to reduce misunderstandings or errors, and to improve team cohesion. The NatSSIPs2 include a requiremen...
Answered 3 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: North DurhamDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 901816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of young people out of work, education and training in North Durham constituency.
Answer: We published new analysis alongside the Get Britain Working White Paper which shows that there are 45,000 young people out of work, education and training across the North East.Those young people are being failed.The data is not robust enough to be broken...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRadiotherapyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18733More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients requiring radiotherapy start their treatment with 31 days of a doctor deciding on their treatment plan.
Answer: We understand that cancer patients are waiting longer than they should for the care they need, and we are taking action to address this. The Government is committed to improving cancer care and reducing waiting times for treatment, including for radiother...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRadiologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18732More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS long-term health plan complements the National Cancer Strategy in the context of the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of (i) radiographer
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts in the focus of healthcare, from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.The Department will also refresh the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to fit the transformed health s...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid Scheme: Social Security BenefitsMinistry of JusticeTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14768More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal aid provision in cases relating to disputes in the benefits system.
Answer: This Government inherited a legal aid system facing significant challenges. The Ministry of Justice has recently undertaken a lengthy, evidence-based, and wholesale review of the operation of civil legal aid across all eleven categories of civil legal aid...
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Children and Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12536More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with local partners to ensure the availability of (a) parenting and (b) other programmes to improve the mental health of (i) infants, (ii) children and (iii) young people ment
Answer: The Government has a bold new ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. Launched in August 2022, the three-year Family Hubs and Start for Life programme provides approximately £300 million to 75 local authorities in England with high l...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGuided WeaponsMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Surface to Air Missile Centre command and control systems, (b) Giraffe Agile Multibeam radars and (c) Land Ceptor launcher and missile systems comprising the Sky Sabre system are deployed in (i) the
Answer: We do not routinely disclose the locations or numbers of these platforms in the interests of security and operational effectiveness.
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGuided Weapons: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on integrated air and missile defence in each financial year since 2010.
Answer: Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) is cross-government, multi-layered approach, utilising a wide range of advanced capabilities alongside our Allies as an international effort. There has been wide-ranging investment across the full range of IAMD ca...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEstonia: Challenger TanksMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10556More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects Challenger 3 to be deployed to Estonia.
Answer: As announced by the Secretary of State for Defence, the British Army will deploy Challenger 3 tanks to NATO’s eastern border along with armoured vehicles in future years. However, details relating to the fielding plan for Challenger 3 are yet to be confir...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordGuided Weapons: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10555More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding has been allocated to the European Long-range Strike Approach programme.
Answer: The European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA) is a multinational framework. Participating nations will consider capability cooperation programmes under the ELSA framework, to be funded on a case-by-case basis. The outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordNATO: Guided WeaponsMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10554More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his (a) planned timetable and (b) key milestones for success are for the DIAMOND initiative.
Answer: In October the UK signed a letter of intent on DIAMOND (Delivering Integrated Air and Missile Operational Networked Defences) alongside six Allies: France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Poland and Sweden. We are working with these countries to agree the timeta...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordGuided Weapons: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10553More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on establishing an integrated air and missile defence system for the UK.
Answer: Air and missile defence is a 24/7, cross-Government and international effort. We take a layered approach to air and missile defence deploying a wide range of advanced capabilities alongside our Allies. Without pre-determining the outcome of the Strategic ...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aircraft: LasersMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has (a) allocated to and (b) spent on the air protection laser self-protection system.
Answer: Defence is working with several industry partners to generate a UK Defensive Aids Suite in order to provide Air Platform Protection for all three services. Under the banner of Team Pellonia, working with Thales, Leonardo, and Chemring Countermeasures, Air...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordIslamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsHome OfficeTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9836More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to disrupt the activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the UK.
Answer: We do not routinely comment on the detail of operational matters or specific threats. But national security is the first duty of any government, and we take any malicious activity that might pose a significant threat to our security and public safety extr...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMyanmar: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9645More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help increase levels of humanitarian aid into Myanmar.
Answer: Since the coup in February 2021, the UK has provided more than £150 million for life-saving humanitarian assistance, healthcare, education and support for civil society and local communities in Myanmar. Most recently, the UK Government provided £1.3 milli...
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: FraudDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6891More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of allegations of fraudulent claims submitted through the Pharmacy First programme.
Answer: The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set ou...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) impact and (b) effectiveness of the Pharmacy First programme.
Answer: The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set ou...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: Community Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6889More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the contract for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2024.
Answer: The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set ou...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: Community Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6888More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024 on the number of community pharmacies in England.
Answer: The number of community pharmacies has reduced from 11,517 to 10,458 from 2019 to 2024. Pharmacies are private business and decisions to close are made for a range of reasons, as with any other provider market.The detail of the pharmacy contract is set ou...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordF-35 Aircraft: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many F-35B aircraft he expects his Department to have taken delivery of by the end of 2024.
Answer: Against the current schedule, it is projected that by end of calendar year 2024, the UK will have taken ownership of 37 F-35B aircraft.
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aircraft: HelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5789More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many aircraft will be procured through the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme.
Answer: The second stage of the New Medium Helicopter competition commenced on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate to Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK. Only Leonardo Helicopters UK elected to submi...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMissile Technology Control RegimeMinistry of DefenceTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5787More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
Answer: The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) remains a key component of international export control efforts. The Ministry of Defence continually assesses its effectiveness to ensure it continues to adapt to emerging technological developments in order to...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordChinook HelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5786More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many flying hours the Chinook fleet carried out in each of the last five years.
Answer: The below table shows the recorded flying hours for the Chinook Fleet.Year Chinook Flying Hours2019-2095812020-219734.72021-229283.82022-239055.22023-248027.1Source: Joint Aviation Command
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aircraft: HelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5785More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 444, what recent progress his Department has made on the New Medium Helicopter programme.
Answer: The second stage of the New Medium Helicopter competition commenced on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate to Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK. Only Leonardo Helicopters UK elected to submi...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordRailways: County DurhamDepartment for TransportTabled 22 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1155More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the frequency of rail services (a) at Chester-le-Street station and (b) in County Durham.
Answer: My Department works with stakeholders including Transport for the North, elected mayors, transport authorities and passenger groups, as well as train operators, to assess the demand for services. Rail North Partnership, through which the Department jointl...
Answered 30 Jul 2024
Original Parliament record
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