Matt Bishop MP: written questions
91 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Pupils: ReadingDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage reading for pleasure by (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils.
Answer: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Forest of Dean to the answer of 16 December 2024 to Question 19139.
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Workplace PensionsHome OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Police Federation's press release entitled Pensions update from the Police Federation of England and Wales, published on 3 December 2024, what steps her Department is taking to t
Answer: There are many differences between the 2015 CARE police pension scheme and the legacy police pension schemes, including the age at which benefits can normally be drawn. The main public service pension schemes – including the police pension schemes – were ...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAutomatic Number Plate Recognition: Rural AreasHome OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25570More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to roll out automatic number plate recognition cameras in (a) Forest of Dean and (b) other rural constituencies.
Answer: The National ANPR infrastructure is governed by national standards which are available here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-anpr-standards. Prior to the deployment of ANPR cameras an assessment must identify a need, which could include...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordShops: MusicDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25569More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the impact of music in shops on people with sensory sensitivities.
Answer: The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. This is so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantia...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPostal Services: StandardsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure more (a) reliable and (b) timely delivery of first-class mail in rural areas.
Answer: The government is committed to a sustainable universal service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPostal Services: StandardsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) cases where first-class mail sent from (i) the Forest of Dean and (ii) other rural constituencies fails to arrive in a timely manner and (b) other dela
Answer: The government is committed to a sustainable universal service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFractures: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on acute hospital bed usage of universal access to Fracture Liaison Services.
Answer: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out Fra...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFractures: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on health outcomes of universal access to Fracture Liaison Services.
Answer: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. According to the Fracture Liaison Service Database 2022, at least 60 trusts in England had access to...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordKinship Care: Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of SEND funding allocations on children in kinship care.
Answer: The department recognises the importance of children in kinship care getting the support they need to thrive in school. Where children have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the department would expect them to receive appropriate support ...
Answered 30 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24382More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to (a) renew the and (b) extend eligibility for kinship families to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Answer: We will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how we will allocate the department’s budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the adoption and special guardianship support fund are being made as part of these discussions.A...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPupil PremiumDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24381More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for Pupil Premium Plus to (a) children who have not been looked after and (b) other children in kinship care.
Answer: The department is providing over £2.9 billion of pupil premium funding in 2024/25 to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in England.The criteria for pupil premium eligibility are:Pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school mea...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: GloucestershireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) staffing shortages and (b) infrastructure problems in hospitals in Gloucestershire.
Answer: Information on local plans to tackle staff shortages is not collected centrally by the Department. National Health Service organisations are responsible for their own recruitment, and develop their own workforce plans based on service needs.At a national ...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Houses: Rural AreasDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect pubs in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) other rural communities.
Answer: Pubs and hospitality businesses, including those in rural areas and Forest of Dean, are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth. That is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system by introducing permanently lowe...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordArthritis: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to (a) treatment and (b) support services for people with arthritis; and what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the condition.
Answer: Services for those with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including arthritis, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). The Department expects MSK services to be fully incorporated into integrated care system planning and decision-making...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Chronic Illnesses and DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22513More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that planned reforms to the disability benefit system ensure security and support for seriously ill and disabled people.
Answer: This government believes there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health co...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordKinship CareDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22512More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the needs of children placed with kinship carers are fully assessed and supported especially in cases of (a) trauma and (b) disrupted care.
Answer: The government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this.In October 2024, the department published the new Kinship Care statutory guidance for local authorities, setting out...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22511More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that mental health services in rural communities are adequately (a) staffed and (b) supported.
Answer: Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high including those in rural communities.People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve and need, which is why we will fix the system to ensure we give mental health ...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22510More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that people in rural communities have access to mental health support within a one-hour radius using public transport.
Answer: Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high including those in rural communities.People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve and need, which is why we will fix the system to ensure we give mental health ...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDigital Technology: Forest of DeanDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22509More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle digital exclusion in Forest of Dean constituency.
Answer: Digital inclusion is a priority for me and for Government. It means everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. Work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digit...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22508More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to fund research into potential treatments for brain tumours to help (a) extend life expectancy and (b) alleviate suffering.
Answer: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department of Health and care invests over £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was ...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21916More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a hub and spoke model to community pharmacy.
Answer: The Government is working towards introducing legislation to enable hub and spoke dispensing between different legal entities this year. This change will be enabled via amendments to both primary and secondary legislation and is subject to the usual parli...
Answered 10 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 902071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the families of people diagnosed with brain tumours.
Answer: I know that treatment for all cancers is a difficult time for patients and their families. This government will shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to support patients and their families with more personalised care in the most a...
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordChronic Illnesses: Travel InsuranceTreasuryTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21192More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help improve access to travel insurance for patients with long-term illnesses.
Answer: The government is determined that everyone has access to suitable insurance products at the right price. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including fi...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Transport: DisabilityDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help improve accessibility for disabled passengers on public transport in Forest of Dean constituency.
Answer: The government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On 1st October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Inform...
Answered 6 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of mental health support for winter 2024-25.
Answer: We do not underestimate how challenging winter will be again this year for the National Health Service. The national approach on priorities for winter planning was issued on 16 September 2024. As part of this, maintaining patient safety and experience wil...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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