Campaign reply - collective worship in schools

Thank you for contacting me about collective worship in schools.  

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or any part of collective worship, and sixth-form pupils have the right to withdraw themselves if they do not want to participate. 

 

As I understand it, the Government does not plan to change the requirements for a daily act of collective worship. Schools can tailor their provision to suit the needs of their pupils and parents can choose to withdraw their children from it if they do not feel it meets their needs. 

 

Ultimately, I believe collective worship plays an important role in schools. It encourages children to reflect on belief and helps shape fundamental British values of tolerance, respect and understanding for others. Many schools find that it develops a community spirit, promotes a common ethos and shared values, and reinforces positive attitudes.

 

That is why all state-funded schools must provide a daily act of worship for all registered pupils up to the age of 18. For local authority schools this requirement is enshrined in legislation and for academy schools it forms part of their funding agreement. 

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Conservative Leadership Contest - RespectMySex

Thank you for contacting me about the leadership election and this important issue. 

While I cannot speak for either candidate or their policies at this stage, I have always been clear that protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims is of the utmost importance. I was proud to stand on a manifesto that pledged to continue the fight against the perpetrators of violence against women.

 

I welcome the publication of the tackling violence against women and girls strategy to ensure women and girls are safe everywhere. The strategy will increase support for victims and survivors, increase the number of perpetrators brought to justice, and reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the long-term.

A number of measures in the strategy are focused on practical action to increase physical safety in public places. This includes a £5 Million ‘Safety of Women at Night’ Fund, in addition to the Safer Streets Fund, that focuses on the prevention of violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, including in the night-time economy. It is also worth noting that Round Three of the Safer Streets Fund had a particular focus on helping to combat violence against women and girls. £25 million was allocated to 57 projects across England and Wales through this round.

I am aware of the calls for further regulation of sexual entertainment venues such as strip and lap dancing clubs. It is already the case that the Police and Crime Act 2009 provides local authorities the power to regulate sexual entertainment venues (SEVs) as sex establishments under Schedule 3 to the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.

Once a local authority has decided to grant an SEV licence, it can impose terms, conditions and restrictions on the licence, either in the form of conditions specific to the individual licence or standard conditions applicable to all sex establishments. 

Protecting those involved in prostitution and sex work from harm is a strand of the Government's work to eradicate violence against women and girls. In 2019 the police updated the National Policing Sex Work and Prostitution Guidance – this makes clear that the safety of people engaged in sex work must be paramount to the police service. Since 2016, the Government has provided over £2 million to specialist organisations supporting those involved in sex work and prostitution.

The Government has also introduced a new national policing lead on violence against women and girls. The lead will be the point of contact for every police force and will ensure best practice is shared and that progress on improving the response to violence against women and girls is being carefully monitored.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Home Education important action

Thank you for contacting my office. I appreciate you writing to me about the issue of the Schools Bill and how it pertains to the practice of home education. 

I hear your concern about the Government’s overreach into the private lives of families. However, the Government does not seek to interfere with the home education of children. The vast majority of home educating parents do an excellent job. That said, it is important that home education does not result in children dropping off the radar and becoming vulnerable to poor standards of education or risks to their safety and wellbeing. The creation of local authority administered registers for children not in school will allow us to support local authorities to make sure they know where every child is being educated, that it is of the right quality, and that support is offered to home educating families.
 
The Schools Bill is not a crackdown on home education, but an effort to achieve a long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy. An important kind of schooling in our country is home education, and the Schools Bill is merely making sure that our children are all receiving excellent educations that meet the standards of our country. 
 
I will express your concern about the potential overreach of this Bill to the relevant Minister. Please be assured that it is not the intention of the Government to discriminate against alternate forms of schooling. 
 
Thank you once again for getting in touch, and if I can be of further assistance with any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 

Campaign reply - Strike vote 11th July 25/07/22

Thank you for contacting me about rights for agency workers. 

Agency workers in the UK play a vital role in supporting delivery in a number of sectors and many people choose this highly flexible approach to work. 

 

It was identified following the Taylor Review that the ‘Swedish derogation’ loophole allowed agency workers to be employed on cheaper rates than permanent counterparts. To repeal this the Government introduced the Agency Workers (Amendment) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 6 April 2020. This has increased protections for agency workers on pay between assignment contracts and improved transparency for agency workers over how and what they will be paid when taking up assignments.

 

Agency workers already receive other protections through the Agency Workers Regulations and the Employment Agencies Act 1973, which includes protections enforced by the state through the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. 

 

I agree that it is essential that all those in work know what rights and protections they have. This should be simple to understand and easily accessible. Many employers already go beyond the existing legal requirements to ensure that their workforces have the guidance and support to claim their entitlements.

 

I welcome that the Government has made progress in respect to giving all workers the right to receive a statement of their rights from day one and quadrupling the maximum fine for employers who treat their employees poorly.

 

Previously, agency staff were not allowed to be hired to provide temporary work cover during strikes. However, the law has now been changed to allow businesses most impacted by industrial action to fill vital roles with temporary, skilled workers.

 

By allowing trained, temporary workers to carry out crucial role, businesses impacted by strike action the freedom can tap into the services of employment businesses to temporarily cover essential roles during strikes. This will keep crucial sectors moving and minimise the negative and unfair impact of strikes on the British public by ensuring that businesses and services can continue operating.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - Do not forget children in poverty in Truro and Falmouth 25/07/22

Thank you for contacting me about child poverty in Truro and Falmouth.

I firmly believe that children should grow up in an environment with no limits to their potential and that we must continue efforts to reduce poverty, including child poverty. 

 

I welcome the Government’s commitment to reducing child poverty and supporting low-income families, and believes work is the best route out of poverty.  With a record 1.3 million vacancies and unemployment at 3.8 per cent across the UK, focus is firmly on supporting people to move into and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time – in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children.

The multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs has protected, supported and created jobs across the country. This includes our Way to Work campaign, which between January 31 and June 21, we estimate has seen at least 485,000 unemployed Universal Credit claimants have moved into work.

The Government is providing a £37 billion package of support to help people with the cost of living. More than eight million households on means tested benefits will receive a payment of £650 this year, made in two instalments. Eligible benefits include Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit. This is in addition to the £400 Energy Bill Rebate, £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment and £350 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, and the £150 Council Tax rebate. Further support is available through the £1.5 billion Household Support Fund, which will be distributed by local authorities.

To support low income families further, the Government has increased the value of Healthy Start Food Vouchers to £4.25, helping eligible low income households buy basic foods like milk, fruit and vitamins. There is also investment of over £200m a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food programme which is already providing enriching activities and healthy meals to children in all English Local Authorities. The Holiday Activity and Food programme benefitted over 600,000 children last summer.

It is right that the UC uplift was one of a range of measures which have been put in place to support jobs and livelihoods as part of a £280 billion package.  Longer term, I welcome the decision announced at the 2021 Autumn Budget to reduce the UC taper rate from 63 per cent to 55 per cent, as well as increasing work allowances in UC by £500 a year. These changes to UC represent an effective tax cut for low income working households in receipt of UC worth £2.2 billion in 2022-23. I am glad that the Government has announced further support for UC recipients, with cost of living payments worth £650 each to be paid to eight million households later this year.

 

Regarding the benefit cap, this allows for a yearly income of £20,000 outside of London, and £23,000 within London, and I am not aware of plans to change this. However, I would emphasise that claimants with a sustained employment record may benefit from a nine-month grace period before the cap applies. Exemptions also apply for the most vulnerable claimants who are entitled to disability benefits and carer benefits. 

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Stop press intrusion into grief 25/07/22

Thank you for contacting me about privacy laws in the UK.

I believe that a vibrant, open, and free press is vital to our democracy. Balanced against this, it is not unreasonable to expect the press to act with understanding in relation to sensitive personal stories. Press freedom comes with a responsibility to ensure it is not abused.

I am pleased that following the publication of the Leveson Inquiry in 2012, we have seen great improvements in press regulation with the formation of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and Impress, which have the power to hold publications to account, including ordering prominent corrections. Both regulators are independent of Government and enforce Codes of Practice, which include provisions on privacy and intrusion. They both operate free complaints handling systems and low-cost arbitration schemes.

Around 95 per cent of national newspapers are now overseen by IPSO. Members of IPSO are required to follow the Editors’ Code, which requires journalists to respect people’s right to privacy, to stop approaches when asked to do so and to ensure reports are accurate.

The IPSO Editors' Code of Practice makes clear in cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion and publication handled sensitively. However, these provisions should not restrict the right to report legal proceedings.

 

I know that some feel the Government should intervene to limit the press in the interests of personal privacy, but I am satisfied that there has been sufficient progress made since 2012 that this is not necessary. I am assured that in cases relating to privacy, the individuals affected are able to complain to IPSO who will investigate vigorously and sanction the publication in question if appropriate.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Please support EDM 278 and its vital call for a public scientific hearing 25/07/22

Thank you for contacting me about animal research.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries do not, by convention, sign any Early Day Motions, as doing so is likely to breach the Ministerial Code’s rules on collective responsibility.  

However, animal research plays a vital role in providing safety information for potential new medicines. It is worth remembering that, as a result of findings from animal studies, a large number of potential new drugs never get as far as being tested in humans. Some aspects of the toxicological assessment of new medicines cannot be adequately assessed in humans, and animal data will be the only kind available.  

I would like to reassure you that the UK's rigorous regulatory system ensures that no animal testing or research takes place if there is a non-animal alternative that would achieve the scientific outcomes sought. The National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) is the UK’s leading scientific based organisation dedicated to replacing, refining and reducing the use of animals in scientific research and testing. The NC3Rs supports the research community to use the latest science and technology to replace animal studies, providing new approaches for biomedical research and avoiding the time and cost associated with animal models.

Since the NC3Rs was launched in 2004, the Government has invested £77 million in research towards developing new approaches to Replace, Reduce and Refine the use of animals in scientific procedures, and an additional £32 million through its CRACK IT programme for SMEs and universities to work with the pharmaceutical and chemical industries on collaborative 3Rs projects that aim to generate commercial opportunities in this area.

Without animal testing it is highly likely that a large number of potentially dangerous new medicines would be tested in healthy volunteers and patients in clinical trials. This would be completely unacceptable. 

That said, I welcome the Government's commitment to the development of non-animal technologies. Such technologies have the potential to reduce the reliance on the use of animals, improve the efficiency of drug research and development and to deliver safer, cheaper, and more effective medicines to patients. Ministers have also stressed that they continue to actively support and fund the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research.

Regarding EDM 278, establishments, such as MBR Acres, that either breed dogs for use in science elsewhere or conduct regulated procedures on dogs are required to provide care and accommodation to those dogs in line with the published code of practice for that purpose. Adherence to that code of practice, and to all other standard conditions applied to any establishment licence, is assessed by the regulator as part of its compliance assurance programme.

Establishments breeding, supplying or using dogs in science are contributing to critical activities to protect human health and advance scientific progress. They are operating legally within a regulatory framework that requires licensure and assessment of their compliance. 

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Act now: Being trans is not an issue 19/07/22

Thank you for contacting me about LGBT rights and support.

I am determined that everyone in the UK should be free to live their lives and fulfil their potential regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. The LGBT community must be free to proposer in modern Britain.

I know for many in the LGBT community the issue of conversion therapy is a significant concern. I am absolutely clear that the practice of conversion therapy has no place in civilised society. Being lesbian, gay or bisexual is not an illness to be treated or cured.

 

I understand that the Government launched a consultation on how ministers are planning to ban practices of so called 'conversion therapy'. The consultation was extended earlier this year to allow for ample opportunity for all those to contribute their views including faith groups, LGBT organisations, counselling bodies and charities. 

 

I am aware that the Government is proceeding with its legislative proposals to ban conversion therapy for lesbian, gay, and bi-sexual individuals. Alongside this, I have been assured that the Government is carrying out separate work on the issue of transgender conversion therapy, this is to ensure that any legislative measures brought forward will not have any unintended consequences. 

I understand that this is a legally complex area, and as such the Government have a responsibility that any of these unintended consequences are not written into legislation, particularly in the case of under eighteens. 

Internationally, the promotion and defence of human rights is an integral part of the UK’s foreign policy, including speaking up for gender equality and LGBT rights, and seeking an end to discrimination where it exists. The UK is clear that every country must fulfil its international human rights obligations. 

 

As co-chair of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC), the UK has launched the ERC's first Strategy and Five Year Implementation Plan that will increase international action to defend the rights of LGBT people around the world. Further information on the plan for 2021 to 2026 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equal-rights-coalition-strategic-plan-2021-to-2026. 

 

I am encouraged by the action of the Government to support the LGBT community in the UK and overseas. However, there is of course more that needs to be done and I will continue to press ministers to fulfil commitments made and provide further support. 

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Invitation to a parliamentary event for Group B Strep Awareness Month 18/07/22

Thank you for contacting me about Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Unfortunately, due to urgent parliamentary business, I was unable to attend this event. 

However, as Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss, I care deeply about these issues, and I know that this infection can have a devastating effect for some mothers and their babies.

There are roughly 400 to 500 cases of early onset GBS each year, and the vast majority of babies affected will fully recover with prompt treatment. The UK NSC also stresses the importance of not prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has published guidelines outlining the steps required to effectively prevent and treat GBS infections.

In March 2017, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers in all four UK countries on all aspects of screening, concluded that it would not recommend a national screening programme for GBS in pregnancy. This is because, unfortunately, the current test cannot accurately distinguish between those mothers whose babies are at risk, and those who are not. 

However, I welcome that a National Institute for Health Research funded clinical trial is comparing universal screening for GBS with two other approaches for identifying GBS: through an antenatal Enriched Culture Medium test at 35 - 37 weeks, or a rapid point of care Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test during labour.

Maternity care is a priority for Government, and it has announced an ambition to reduce stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and neonatal brain injuries by 50 per cent by 2025. This includes harm and death caused by GBS. 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Is it time to reform SATs? Please join the More Than A Score event on Tuesday 5 July 04/07/22

Thank you for contacting me about year 6 SATs. I want to assure you that I appreciate your concerns.  

Unfortunately, due to urgent parliamentary business, I was unable to attend this event. However, these statutory assessments play an important role in making sure that children are secure in basic reading, writing and mathematics. This is key to ensuring they succeed at secondary school and in later life.

 

Schools’ overall results are also important for accountability, as they allow for the calculation of a value-added measure, and thereby identification of schools that are coasting or falling below the expected levels of progress. The assessments also help teachers by offering insight into their pupils’ performance in relation to national expectations, and allow them to identify where extra support may be required.

 

Teachers are trusted to administer statutory assessments in a way that does not cause undue pressure for children or compromise their wellbeing. However, steps are being taken to enhance the support available in schools for children’s mental health and wellbeing. To build upon the work of school nurses and counsellors, new mental health support teams are being established in and near schools and colleges.

 

I also welcome that a £79 million funding boost will see the number of these support teams grow from 59 to 400 by April 2023. Funding for training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges will also be provided so that schools can adopt a ‘whole school’ approach to mental health and wellbeing. 

 

We must also do more to give teachers the support they need. As such, I welcomed the introduction of the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which, amongst other things, is an impetus for discussion between government and head teachers about further ways in which teachers’ workload can be reduced, and professional development supported.

Newspaper column 16th August - Cost of Living

Last week, energy consultancy Cornwall Insights released their latest predictions which showed that a typical household will pay the equivalent of £3,582 p/a from October and £4,266 p/a from January. Energy costs have contributed to a cost-of-living crisis sparked by surging demand after the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

 

This news has made people across the country anxious and worried about the winter ahead. In Cornwall, we have 17 council wards in the 20% most deprived in England, and we must not allow the cost-of-living crisis to widen regional inequalities in our region. Getting people in Cornwall through this winter must be the priority, and the Government must provide people with the reassurance they need about what will be done. 

 

I want to reassure local people that the Government have already taken steps to help the lowest-income households through these extraordinary times. This includes reducing the Universal Credit taper rate, increasing the National Living Wage, freezing fuel duty for the twelfth consecutive year, and launching a £500 million Household Support Fund. In addition, the Government is offering a £150 cash rebate for homes in Council Tax bands A-D, equivalent to 80 per cent of all households, and £144 million of discretionary funding for local authorities to support those not eligible for the council tax rebate. This means that hard-working Cornish families will receive £550, with lower-income families receiving even more help. 

 

Since Ofgem’s confirmation of the price cap rise in April, the Government has put forward an ambitious support package to help both lower and middle-income earners with the immediate adjustment. This includes a £400 grant for energy bills that will automatically be taken off energy bills from October, £150 for three million low-income households through the Warm Homes Discount to be taken off electricity bills, and between £100 and £300 for pensioners through the Winter Fuel Payments Scheme. 

 

Following the latest energy price predictions, the Government is working on a package of cost-of-living support for the next prime minister. It is right that Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has said options to provide additional help to people to ease cost of living pressures will be ready to go on 5th September, when Parliament returns, so that either candidate can hit the ground running when elected. While I cannot speak for either candidate on their policies, it is reassuring that both have expressed they are fully committed to putting this issue at the top of their agenda. As the local MP, I will do all I can to press the Government to do all it can to support the people of Truro and Falmouth during this difficult time.

 

Longer term, we must look for solutions and we must look to producing energy domestically. Renewable energy is cheaper than gas and therefore is a better solution. The UK renewable capacity is up 500 per cent since 2010, with offshore wind having increased tenfold. The Government must build on these successes and remain committed to safeguarding and boosting domestically produced energy. I am pleased the Government has recently published its Energy Security Strategy, outlining how Britain will accelerate the deployment of wind, nuclear, solar and hydrogen power, while supporting the production of domestic oil and gas. It is brilliant that the Government sees Cornwall’s importance in the future of renewable energy, recognising the geothermal energy and lithium beneath our feet and floating offshore wind out in the Celtic Sea. I will continue to work hard along with my five Cornish MP colleagues to ensure we drive forward Cornwall's renewable energy ambitions.

 

For anyone concerned about affording their energy bills, I recommend contacting your supplier as soon as possible. They have to work with you to agree on a payment plan you can afford under Ofgem rules. This includes reviewing a plan you have agreed before. You can ask for a review of your payments and debt repayments, access to hardship funds and Priority Service registration – a free support service if you are in a vulnerable situation.

 

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held in a covid-safe environment at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.

Campaign reply - Irish protocol

Thank you for contacting me about the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Government will always work in the best interests of Northern Ireland, making the changes necessary to fix parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, to restore stability and ensure the delicate balance of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement is protected.

To this end, the Government has introduced the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill which will address the practical problems the Protocol has created in Northern Ireland in four key areas: burdensome customs processes; inflexible regulation; tax and spend discrepancies; and democratic governance issues. These problems include disruption and diversion of trade and significant costs and bureaucracy for business. They are undermining all three strands of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and have led to the collapse of the power-sharing arrangements at Stormont.  The UK Government is committed to seeing these institutions back up and running so that they can deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.

This Bill is a reasonable and practical solution to these problems which is designed to protect all three strands of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, including North-South cooperation, and support stability and power-sharing in Northern Ireland. It will end the untenable situation where people in Northern Ireland are treated differently to the rest of the United Kingdom, and protect the supremacy of our courts and our territorial integrity. It will also safeguard the EU Single Market and protect the free flow of North-South trade, ensuring there continues to be no hard border on the island of Ireland. 

I am pleased that the Bill has now passed Third Reading in the Commons and will progress to the Lords.

 

The UK has engaged in 18 months of negotiations with the EU on these issues and the Government’s preference remains for a negotiated solution to fix these problems. However, the EU continues to insist that they will not change their position, even though their proposals do not solve the problems and in many cases would actually make them worse.  Ministers believe that the serious situation in Northern Ireland means they cannot afford to delay. It is the duty of the Government of the United Kingdom to take the necessary steps to preserve stability and prosperity in Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will support that.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Cumbria Coal Mine

Thank you for contacting me about the Whitehaven Coal Mine and EDM 1. 

Parliamentary Private Secretaries do not, by convention, sign any Early Day Motions, as doing so is likely to breach the Ministerial Code’s rules on collective responsibility. However, I appreciate your concern for this issue.

 

While the Government places a strong emphasis on localism and decentralisation when it comes to planning applications, I am aware that Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary at the time, made the decision to ‘call in’ the planning application for the Whitehaven Coal Mine.

 

This decision was taken because of the further developments since his original decision. This included the publication of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations for the Sixth Carbon Budget. It is also the case that local authorities are expected to make planning decisions promptly. The planning application for this development was first submitted to Cumbria County Council in May 2017 and was considered by their planning committee on three occasions, without a final outcome being reached.

 

I agree that this application raises planning issues of more than just local importance. A public inquiry was held and the outcome will be considered before any decision is made. I understand that the Planning Inspectorate’s report has been submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. A final decision is expected this summer. 

 

It is worth mentioning that the extracted coal would be used exclusively for steel production rather than energy production. The Government has confirmed its commitment to end unabated coal-power generation from October 2024, having brought this deadline forward from 2025.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - British Citizen Alaa Abdelfattah

Thank you for contacting me about Alaa Abdel Fattah, a British national imprisoned in Egypt. I appreciate your concerns and thank you for bringing them to my attention.

Through their global network, consular staff at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) endeavour to give appropriate and tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

What the FCDO can and cannot provide to British nationals abroad, including in the event of imprisonment, is clearly set out in 'Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide', available on gov.uk.

 

The FCDO has confirmed that they are in regular contact with Mr Fattah's family to provide them with support and are urgently seeking ​​​​​consular access to ensure Mr Fattah's welfare. The UK Government also continues to raise his case with the highest levels of the Egyptian Government. 

 

I have every confidence that officials from the British Embassy in Cairo are doing all they can to support Mr Fattah but I will press the FCDO on this matter on behalf of you and other constituents who have contacted me.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - Energy plans

Thank you for contacting me about the UK’s energy strategy.

In light of high global energy prices, provoked by surging demand and Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine, the Government has been clear that it’s right we move away from dependence on Russian gas and increase our self-reliance for energy security.

I welcome that the Government’s Energy Security Strategy sets out plans to accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen, while supporting the production of domestic oil and gas in the nearer term – which could see 95 per cent of electricity being low carbon by 2030.

To this end, the Energy Security Bill was announced as part of the Queen's Speech 2022, which includes concrete measures to deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy. In particular, I am glad that the Bill will enable the extension of the price cap beyond 2023, which would see the Government protect 22 million households who are on default tariffs.

The Government has already announced that the import of Russian oil and oil products will be phased out by the end of this year, which makes up roughly eight per cent of UK demand. Further, while the proportion of gas we import from Russia is less than four per cent, I know that the Government is keen to end this altogether. Recognising the importance of these fuels to our energy transition and energy security, and that producing gas domestically has a lower carbon footprint than importing, a licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects is planned to launch in autumn. 

I also warmly welcome the new ambition to produce up to 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 – more than enough to power every home in the UK – of which up to 5GW will come from floating offshore wind sites in deeper seas. This will be underpinned by new planning reforms to speed up approvals for new offshore wind farms, in addition to introducing competition into the country's onshore electricity networks, as detailed in the Energy Security Bill. I know the Government is also looking to increase the UK’s current solar capacity, which could grow up to 5 times by 2035, and aims to double our ambition for low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.

 

The strategy will also see the acceleration of nuclear power, aiming to produce up to 24GW by 2050, which could mean delivering up to eight reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade. My ministerial colleagues assure me that nuclear presents a safe, clean, and reliable source of power and I am encouraged that a new government body, Great British Nuclear, will be set up immediately to bring forward new projects, backed by substantial funding, including a £120 million Future Nuclear Enabling Fund. Furthermore, facilitating the safe and cost-effective clean-up of the UK's legacy nuclear sites is a key commitment of the Energy Security Bill and will ensure the UK is a responsible nuclear state.

The Energy Security Strategy builds on the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and, together with the Net Zero Strategy, is driving an unprecedented £100 billion of private sector investment into new British industries and will support 480,000 new clean jobs by the end of the decade.

Cleaner, more affordable, domestically produced energy will be key to boosting our long-term energy independence and prosperity, and I look forward to witnessing the Strategy's long-term benefits.

It’s also clear that the Government sees Cornwall’s importance when it comes to the future of renewable energy – creating the domestic reliability we need to be truly sustainable. There is potential everywhere we look in Cornwall when it comes to clean, green energy.

 

We’ve got geothermal energy beneath our feet, along with lithium which can be used in Electric cars . We’ve got floating off shore wind out in the Celtic Sea. We’ve also got satellites being sent up to space from Cornish soil, which is also the world’s most environmentally responsible launch location - leading the way in attracting investment in cleaner technologies, driving positive change and pioneering practices which become the new industry standard.

 

Earlier this month we saw the Governments support for Twinhub– based out in the Celtic Sea off the Cornish Coast. 

 

Once up and running, it could generate around 32 megawatts of energy, which is enough electricity to power about 45,000 Cornish homes. The offshore wind industry is also estimated to support 3,200 jobs across the South West and Wales.

 

This is just the start - when operational, the project would also plug into local supply chains such as Falmouth Port, where I am today, which could play an important role in its development, operation and maintenance. 

 

Through investment in old and new industries, like mining, space and renewables, we can ensure there is a skills pathway for Cornish school children wanting the quality careers of the future. We need to retain our talent in Cornwall and have high skilled, well-paid careers.

 

This is the first step in what could be a really exciting new industry for the people of Cornwall and I will continue to work hard along with my five Cornish MP colleagues to ensure we drive forward Cornwall's floating offshore wind ambitions. 

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - Please would you consider supporting Ella's Law

Thank you for contacting me about air quality and Ella’s law.

 

Following the tragic death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, I know that Ministers have set out key actions to improve air quality in the short and long term, protect vulnerable groups and effectively communicate information to the public. I would like to assure you that the Government takes its air quality obligations extremely seriously and Ministers are taking significant action to deliver the commitments set out in its response to the Prevention of Future Deaths report.

 

In addition to the measures provided in the Environment Act 2021 and the Clean Air Strategy, I am aware that Defra has published Phase 1 of the National Bundle of Care for Children and Young People with Asthma. This sets out interventions to help children, young people, families and carers to control and reduce the risk of asthma attacks and to prevent avoidable harm. Defra has also established a steering group with the Department for Health and Social Care and UKHSA to undertake a comprehensive review of how air quality information is communicated to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups in particular, have what they need protect themselves and understand their impact on air quality. 

 

Air pollution is the biggest single environmental threat to public health and Ministers are continuing to take robust action to improve air quality and minimise public health impacts. Air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010: emissions of nitrogen dioxide have fallen by 44 per cent, sulphur emissions have fallen by 70 per cent and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions have fallen by 18 per cent.

 

The Environment Act 2021 includes long-term environmental targets, including a maximum annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of 10 µg/m3 and achieving a 35 per cent reduction in population exposure to PM2.5 by 2040, compared to a base year of 2018. The Government has taken action to reduce emissions from domestic burning and introduced legislation in 2021 to phase out the sale of the most polluting solid fuels (wet wood, bituminous (house) coal and high sulphur manufactured solid fuels) used in domestic burning.

 

Further, the Government’s Clean Air Strategy aims to halve the harm to human health caused by air pollution by 2030, which will reduce the incidence of serious illness and improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of people. Ministers have provided £880 million to clean up transport and tackle NO2 pollution. New legislation will be introduced to give local authorities new powers to take action in areas with air pollution problems.  

 

Finally, I am assured that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and advisory bodies such as the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and the Air Quality Expert Group to keep abreast of research on the impact of air pollution on public health.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - NHS Restrictions

Thank you for contacting me about the impacts of Covid-19 on the NHS

The Covid-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for us all, particularly the NHS, and the way in which people accessed general practice services during Covid-19 changed. The NHS has set out that GP surgeries should now be providing face-to-face appointments as well as remote consultations. In March 2022, 62 per cent of appointments were face-to-face.

NHS guidance also states that health and care staff should continue to wear face masks when working in Covid-19 and respiratory pathways and in settings where patients are at high risk due to immunosuppression. Inpatients with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 and outpatients with respiratory symptoms attending emergency care should also be provided with a face covering. Masks, gloves and aprons should still be worn by staff when carrying out personal care or other tasks involving contact with blood or body fluids for someone not suspected or confirmed to have Covid-19.

 

I also recognise the importance of being able to visit loved ones in hospitals and the contribution this can make to an individual’s wellbeing. Inpatients in hospitals can be more vulnerable to Covid-19 but the Government and NHS England have been clear that visits should be facilitated.

NHS England has published guidance explaining that visiting should be accommodated for at least one hour per day and that patients should not be required to attend hospital on their own in outpatient and emergency settings unless this is a personal choice. Policies for visiting patients in hospital are ultimately at the discretion of the local NHS Trusts and other NHS bodies.

I recognise the impact the pandemic has had on the NHS and waiting lists and an additional £12 billion per year of funding will be invested in health and social care services on average over the next three years. The Government will also spend £2 billion this year, double the previous commitment, to tackle the elective backlog caused by the pandemic. Up to £340 million will also be provided to offer patients earlier access to cutting-edge treatments through the Innovative Medicines Fund.

Finally, the Government’s manifesto committed to 50,000 more nurses and 6,000 more doctors in general practice by 2023/24. As of February 2022, there were already 30,000 more nurses compared to September 2019 and 1,672 more full time equivalent doctors in December 2021 compared to the start of the Parliament in December 2019.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - Please attend the Rebuild General Practice event in Parliament

Thank you for contacting me about the recruitment and retention of GPs.

Unfortunately, due to urgent parliamentary business, I was unable to attend this debate. 

 

However, I know that the Government remains committed to increasing the number of doctors in general practice and is determined to deliver this as soon as possible. The number of GP training places has increased, with 4,000 trainees accepting a place in 2021-22, compared to 2,671 in 2014.

Work is ongoing with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and the profession to increase recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice. We need to draw on talent around the world to increase the numbers of GPs and improve capacity in primary care. The General Practice Forward View (published in 2016) sought to recruit an additional 500 suitably qualified and trained overseas doctors to the NHS.

There are already a number of requirements in place for GPs from overseas to be able to work in general practice in the UK.

Applicants need to be registered and licensed to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC), demonstrate proficiency in English and obtain a Skilled (Health) Workers Visa or have an “indefinite leave to remain” to be able to work in the UK.  Their length of service will partly depend on the applicant’s Visa status and employment status after training.

Through the Covid-19 pandemic, GPs have been able to access additional funding to support expanding capacity through the General Practice Covid Capacity Expansion Fund. 

The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new retention schemes alongside continued support for existing schemes for the general practice workforce. In areas where there are GP vacancies, the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme provides a £20,000 salary supplement to attract GP trainees.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Will you help raise the ambition for breast cancer diagnosis?

Thank you for contacting me about breast cancer.

Please be assured that every effort is being made to continue raising awareness of breast cancer and to improve the treatment of all those diagnosed with this disease.

I want to provide reassurance that reducing waiting times for cancer treatment, including for breast cancer, is an urgent priority for the Government. As part of the 2021 Spending Review, £2.3 billion was allocated to improve diagnostic capacity over the next three years. This will be furthered by the Government’s 10-year cancer plan, a new vision outlining how the UK will lead the world in cancer care.

The Government is committed to rolling out at least 100 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), which will be new one-stop-shops for checks, scans and tests, helping those with suspected breast cancer to access earlier diagnostic tests closer to home.

In addition, NHS England and Improvement is asking local health services to focus on reducing the number of people waiting over 62 days on cancer pathways. 

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many people as possible are diagnosed to breast cancer within 28 days from GP referral. A new Ten Year Cancer Plan is being developed, with a key priority being to drive earlier diagnosis, including through meeting the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) and joint awareness campaigns with patient groups like Breast Cancer Now. I appreciate your wish to see the FDS increased but I can assure you that while the FDS threshold has been set initially at 75 per cent, it is kept under review by NHS England and NHS Improvement. The NHS Breast Screening Programme is also, more broadly, increasing uptake to improve the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.