Written answers

Wednesday, 26 February 2025

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement on British Indian Ocean Territory: Negotiations of 7 October 2024, Official...

    • British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on the return of Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago...

      Diego Garcia: Radio Frequencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list all (a) discussions and (b) advice received by his Department from the International...

      Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief on the role of...

      Republika Srpska and Serbia: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2025 to Question 24486 on Republika Srpska and Serbia: Politics and...

      United Nations: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the UK’s financial contributions to the...

      Ukraine: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential deployment of a European peacekeeping...

      Ukraine: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the French ambassador on a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

      Africa: Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the role of Russia's Africa Corps...

      Mauritius: Foreign Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) meetings and (b) discussions (i) the Prime Minister and (ii) his officials have had with their...

      United Nations: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the United Nations on the creation of a United Nations Convention on the...

      Radicalism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to retain the taskforce that identifies prominent extremists overseas.

      Benjamin Netanyahu

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the formal mechanisms set out in section 2 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 have been...

      Ukraine: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will commit to increasing security guarantees for Ukraine.

      Ukraine: Military Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that Ukraine continues to receive adequate military support.

      Diego Garcia: Radio Frequencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US and (b) legal advice he has received on the...

      Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: British Indian Ocean Territory

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many officials in his Department are working on issues related to the Chagos Islands.

      Iran: Baha'i Faith

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the joint letter of 31 July 2024...

      Pakistan: Muslims

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation for the Shia Muslim community in Parachinar.

      Israel: Hostage Taking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will meet with family members of Palestinian (a) abductees and (b) hostages held without (i)...

      Afghanistan: Crimes against Humanity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ask the International Criminal Court to investigate the Taliban’s actions towards women in...

      USA: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will establish a mechanism to monitor the impact of USAID cuts on programmes to (a)...

      Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the suspension of USAID on the UK's contribution to aid...

      Minerals: Democratic Republic of Congo

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the risk of conflict minerals from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo...

      Israel: Hamas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27261 on Israel: Hamas, if he will make an assessment of the...

      British International Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New partnerships with financial sector to unlock growth...

      World Bank: Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with refence to the Answer of 1 May 2024 to Question 23837 on World Bank: Climate Change, whether he expects all...

      Ahmad Muna and Mahmoud Muna

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Israel on the arrest and detention of (a) Mahmoud Muna and (b)...

      Crimes against Humanity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of designating gender apartheid as a crime against...

      Nigeria: Hostage Taking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to help secure the release of hostages held by the Fulani...

  • Treasury

    • Crown Estate: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what outcomes relating to building inclusive communities and economic growth The Crown Estate has delivered in Northern Ireland.

    • Crown Estate: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much is the total value of (a) retail and (b) commercial assets owned by the Crown Estate in Northern Ireland.

      Crown Estate: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue the Crown Estate has generated from rents paid by (a) public authorities and (b) councils in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

      Domicil: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the non-domiciled tax regime on (a) philanthropic giving and (b) the...

      Airports: Business Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2024 to Question 19711 on Airports: Business Rates, whether any changes have been made to (a) using profitability...

      National Insurance Contributions: Voluntary Contributions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of promoting the National Insurance Credits buy-back scheme for each year since 2015.

      Financial Ombudsman Service: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Financial Ombudsman Service’s decision to introduce a £250 charge for claims management...

      Financial Services: Regulation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the recommendations within the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee's report entitled...

      Cash Dispensing: Urban Areas

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that there is adequate access to free-to-use cash machines in towns.

      Bank Services: Urban Areas

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to prevent the loss of in-person banking services in towns.

      State Retirement Pensions and Income Tax: Tax Allowances

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of future trends in the level of the (a) State Pension and (b) Income tax personal allowance threshold; and whether her...

      Electric Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to support the purchase of zero-emission and low-emission vehicles.

      Business: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has plans to create a business tax roadmap including taxes such as secondary Class 1 National Insurance Contributions.

      Orchestras: Tax Allowances

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to orchestral tax relief on orchestras that rely on touring.

      Pensions: Age

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the increase to the normal minimum pension age for accessing private pensions from April 2028.

      Financial Conduct Authority

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Financial Conduct Authority’s decision to automatically delete emails after 12 months.

      Financial Ombudsman Service

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of the Financial Ombudsman Service.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Department for Work and Pensions: Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of vacancies in her Department.

    • Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will meet with representatives of trade unions to discuss the potential impact of workplace visa rules on staff in her Department.

      Social Security Benefits: Criminal Investigation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27894 on Social Security Benefits: Criminal Investigation, whether her Department...

      Social Security Benefits: Criminal Investigation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27894, whether her Department will pursue cases where they have no evidence.

      Social Security Benefits: Health and Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to publish all recorded responses to its consultation on reforms to health and disability benefits.

      Carer's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Carer’s Allowance rates.

      Universal Credit: Reviews

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 8343 on Universal Credit, what progress his Department has made on reviewing Universal...

      Personal Independence Payment: Motability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review Personal Independence Payment Mandatory Reconsideration decision timelines to align with the eight week period...

  • Home Office

    • British Nationality: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February to Question 30234, on British Nationality: Applications, how much of the revenue cited covered...

    • Electronic Travel Authorisations: British National (Overseas)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will make an assessment on the potential merits of exempting British National (Overseas) passport holders from Electronic Travel...

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the judgement in case UI-2024-005295 issued in the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber on 13 January 2025,...

      Ali Kololo

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a review has been undertaken of the Metropolitan Police’s involvement in the case of Ali Kololo.

      Cambridgeshire Constabulary: Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Cambridgeshire Constabulary will be awarded the South East Allowance, in the context of that arrangement for Bedfordshire and...

      West Mercia Police: Grants

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding was requested by West Mercia Police for the special grant for financial year 2025-26; and how much of the special grant was...

      Refugees: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a legal pathway for Palestinian children in Gaza to travel to the UK...

      Technical Advisory Board (Investigatory Powers)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Technical Advisory Board (a) last met and (b) last provided advice to the Government.

      Intelligence Services: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for the security service in the context of existing and emerging...

      Counter-terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve the effectiveness of counter-terrorism measures.

      Religious Buildings: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been allocated to the (a) Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, (b) Jewish Community Protective Security Grant and...

      British Nationality: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish an impact assessment of the updates to her Department's guidance entitled Good character: caseworker guidance, updated...

      Overseas Visitors: EU Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce charges for EU visitors to the UK, in the context of the EU’s planned introduction of the EUR 7 visa...

      Public Order Act 2023

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) arrests and (b) cost of enforcement of the Public Order Act 2023 since...

      Asylum: Bromsgrove

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to not build new asylum accommodation in Bromsgrove constituency.

      Prisoners' Release: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of foreign national offenders were released from prison in each quarter since 2012; and of these how many were...

      Offenders: Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many FNO appeals against Deportation were (a) lodged, (b) Allowed and (c) Allowed, Human Rights grounds only in each Financial Year...

      Asylum: Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing asylum applications from people from Syria.

      Asylum: Hotels

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has commissioned the use of hotel accommodation for the purpose of housing asylum seekers within the Arun District...

      Migrants: Deportation and Repatriation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a breakdown of migrants removed since 5 July 2024 by (a) voluntary and (b) enforced removals; and by nationality.

      Visas: Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants on (a) work, (b) student and (c) family visas have claimed asylum since 2010.

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the level of the backlog in Home Office asylum cases in (a) England, (b) North West region and (c)...

      Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of irregular migrants that will enter the UK via the English Channel in each of the next...

      Mohamed Hoblos

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to bar Mohamed Hoblos from entry into the UK.

  • Department for Business and Trade

    • Groceries Code Adjudicator: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff worked for the Grocery Code Adjudicator in (a) 2015, (b) 2020, (c) 2022 and (d) 2024.

    • United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility to people who are digitally excluded of the consultation on the UK...

      Overseas Trade: Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what goods and services are still traded between the UK and Russia.

      Consultants: UK Trade with EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle potential barriers to trade for UK consultancy businesses operating in the EU; what...

      Batteries and Minerals: Production

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the production of cathode active materials for use in the (a) critical minerals and (b)...

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Property Development: Infrastructure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of encouraging Community Infrastructure Levy contributions in...

    • Change of Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take legislative steps to instruct councils to overturn decisions on use class properties.

      Planning: Reform

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 20653 on Planning: Reform, whether her Department has a policy...

      Apprentices: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of removing levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships...

      Travellers: Caravan Sites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what responsibilities Strategic Authorities will have for setting (a) locations and (b) targets for new traveller...

      Affordable Housing: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria her Department plans to use to determine how additional funding for the Affordable Homes Programme will...

      Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to (a) increase standards and (b) improve the regulation of social housing.

      Freedom of Expression

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 20827 on Religious Freedom, what steps the Government is taking...

      Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2025 to Question 24189 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, how many...

      Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2025 to Question 24189 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, whether...

      Rented Housing: Mould

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to address the failures in remedial work to combat mould in rented properties, in...

      Holiday Accommodation: Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether renting out a dwelling on Airbnb for ongoing short-term lets constitutes a material change of use.

      Environmental Impact Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 December 2024 to Question 20226 on Environmental Impact Assessment, what her planned...

      Housing: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27855, when the consultation for a reformed decent homes...

      Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question HL4075 on Royal Mint: Buildings, what steps the Planning...

  • Department for Education

    • Schools: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 28587 on Schools: Standards, how many and what proportion of the schools expected to experience...

    • Multi-academy Trusts: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff employed by multi academy trusts were paid (a) between £150,000 and £199,999, (b) between £200,000 and £249,999...

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support intermediate and advanced apprenticeships.

      Student Wastage: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of potential implications for her policies of the proportion of university students who leave their university courses...

      Security: Postgraduate Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the report by Freedom from Torture entitled No...

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on increasing the availability of apprenticeships to young people.

      Mature Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the factors contributing to the decline in mature student applications.

      Cultural Heritage: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations in the report entitled Addressing the...

      Apprentices: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure young people from disadvantaged backgrounds can access Level 7 apprenticeships.

      Schools: Girls

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with teachers on recent trends in the level of (a) misogynistic and (b) violent attitudes towards women and...

  • Department for Transport

    • Roads: Staffordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire for (i) road maintenance and (ii) pothole filling since July 2024.

    • National Highways: Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26375, if she will ask National Highways to make an estimate of the amount spent on maintaining...

      National Highways: Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26375 on National Highways: Flood Control, if she...

      National Highways: Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26374, if she will make a specific assessment on the effectiveness of the standards for...

      Flood Control: Internal Drainage Boards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26373, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of transferring balancing ponds...

      Cars: Lighting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing measures to limit the brightness of LED car headlights.

      National Highways: Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26375 on National Highways: Flood Control, whether she plans to ask National Highways to...

      Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information does her Department hold on the (a) shortest, (b) average and (c) longest period of time between (i) Electric Vehicle charging hub...

      Cycling: Women

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the safety of female cyclists travelling after dark.

      Roads: Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve road infrastructure to respond to flooding risks in (a) Somerset and (b) the South West.

      Public Transport: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of public transport for (a) young people and (b) students.

      Heavy Goods Vehicles: Global Navigation Satellite Systems

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to require HGV drivers to use HGV-specific satellite navigation systems.

      Heavy Goods Vehicles: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to reduce the number of HGV using small rural roads.

      Transport: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to (a) promote and (b) develop green transport infrastructure such as (i) cycle paths, (ii) electric vehicle...

      Active Travel: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating 10% of the transport budget to active travel.

      Hammersmith Bridge: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is her Department taking to help reopen Hammersmith Bridge to vehicular traffic; and what responsibilities (a) central government, (b)...

      Bus Services: Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the national bus fare cap on the number of journeys made by bus.

      Active Travel: Recreation Spaces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to create active travel routes (a) to and (b) through green spaces.

      Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions and Noise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle trends in the levels of (a) noise pollution and (b) emissions from motorcycles and cars.

      Elizabeth Line: Overcrowding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Transport for London on overcrowding on the Elizabeth line’s eastern branch.

      Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate coverage of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) rural areas and (b) the Forest of Dean.

      Active Travel: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out the amounts of dedicated funding she has allocated for active travel in England for (a) 2024/5 and (b) 2025/6, each broken down...

      Railways: Wiltshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the reliability of train services (a) in Wiltshire and (b) from Melksham station.

      East West Rail Line: Electrification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed discontinuous electrification of East West Rail on (a) capital costs and (b)...

      Public Transport: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport links in towns where bus services have been reduced.

      Taxis: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that disabled travellers are not discriminated against when using taxi services.

      Cycling and Walking: Bolton West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage active travel in Bolton West constituency.

      Train Operating Companies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure private train operating companies are held to account for their performance during the transition to rail...

      Railways: Norwich and Cambridge

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the frequency of rail services for commuters between Norwich and Cambridge.

      Fares: Non-payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to prevent fare evasion on the cross-city line between North Worcestershire and Birmingham.

      Cycling and Walking: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Greater Manchester Active Travel Commissioner on encouraging (a) walking and (b) cycling across the Greater...

      Cycling and Walking: Recreation Spaces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to create (a) cycling and (b) walking routes (i) to and (ii) through green spaces.

      Cycling and Walking: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on long-term funding for active travel.

      Alexander Irvine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to respond to the recommendations of the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of Alexander Irvine, published on 18 October 2024.

      Railways: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the cost of rail services in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

      Railway Stations: Devon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to open additional railway stations in Devon.

      Railways: Devon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that rail fares are affordable in Devon.

      Railway Stations: Access

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to re-open the Access for All fund.

      Railways: Oxford-cambridge Arc

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of trains operating on the proposed Oxford to Cambridge rail line continuing their...

      Taxis: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to harmonise the licensing requirements for private hire vehicles for every local authority in England.

      Blue Badge Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the suggested guideline for issuing authorities of 12 weeks for the renewal of Blue Badges on...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Crown Court: Administrative Delays

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate her Department has the backlog in Crown Court cases in (a) 2024-25 and (b) each of the next three financial years.

    • Safeline

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to provide funding for the Safeline counselling service for male survivors of sexual abuse after March 2025.

      Fire Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 28899 on Grenfell Tower Inquiry, what (a) criteria and (b) evidence her Department plans to use...

      Presumption of Parental Involvement Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress her Department has made toward publishing the results of the urgent review into the presumption of parental involvement.

      Coroners: Lincolnshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the number of coroners working in Lincolnshire.

      Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average processing time was for applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme by people resident in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in...

  • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

    • Small Businesses: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he plans to take to improve his Department’s support for UK SMEs.

    • Innovate UK: Grants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has held with Innovate UK on their decision to close the Smart Grants Scheme.

      Innovate UK: Grants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of Innovate UK funding for UK SMEs.

  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

    • Nuclear Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of small-scale nuclear production relative to larger plants.

    • Small Modular Reactors: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of storage capabilities of small modular reactors to power AI datacentres.

      Small Modular Reactors: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of small modular reactors needed to power AI data centres across Britain.

      Small Modular Reactors: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government plans to subsidise the building of small modular reactors.

      Coal: Mining

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 30533 on Coal: Mining, what his planned timetable is to introduce...

      Coal: Mining

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 30533 on Coal: Mining, whether his Department has plans to ban licences on...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Gender Based Violence: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with the Northern Ireland Executive to help tackle violence against women and girls.

    • Storms: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he has taken to help support recovery efforts following Storm Éowyn in Northern Ireland.

      Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has received representations on the feasibility of proposals for the Dáil to sit in Northern Ireland; and whether he has made...

      Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of pages 142 and 143 of the Irish government's publication entitled...

      Firearms: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on firearms licenses.

  • Scotland Office

    • Civil Partnerships: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Answer of 17 May 2024 to Question 26173 on Civil Partnerships: Scotland, whether he will permit the Scottish Government to...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Table Office: Finance

      To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the oral contribution by the Leader of the House in Business Questions on 6...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Emergencies: Planning

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on strengthening national resilience.

    • Emergencies: Planning

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking with (a) local authorities and (b) community organisations to strengthen national resilience.

      Freedom of Information and Parliamentary Questions: Impact Assessments

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the criteria which define when impact assessments can be released are the same for Freedom of Information...

      English Language

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of how many people in the UK do not speak English as a first language.

      Foreign Investment in UK: Wales

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of Foreign Direct Investment in Wales by country.

      Community Development: English Language

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of households in England have resident adults with no English language proficiency.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Liver Diseases: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS support for people with (a) cirrhosis, (b) genetic conditions and (c) other liver...

    • Torbay Hospital: Heart Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to intervene on the planned closure of the cardiac catherisation laboratory at Torbay Hospital.

      Vitiligo: Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure patients with vitiligo have access to effective treatments in the context of NICE's decision not...

      Prescription Drugs: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the supply of prescription medicines in (a) rural and (b) other areas.

      Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) supply chains issues and (b) shortages of ADHD medication in the West Midlands.

      Trastuzumab Deruxtecan: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of Enhertu in (a) Scotland and (b) Europe compared to (c)...

      Health Services: Birmingham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of NHS (a) operations, (b) appointments and (c) tests that took place in Birmingham between...

      IVF: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to require integrated care boards to remove requirements for (a) same sex couples and (b) single women to have...

      Leukaemia: Clinical Trials and Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to clinical trials and innovative treatments for leukaemia patients.

      Maternity Services: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on maternity negligence compensation in (a) 2024, (b) 2023, (c) 2022, (d) 2021 and (e) 2020.

      Brain: Tumours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve equitable access to clinical trials for brain tumour patients; and what plans his...

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the cross-government delivery plan for ME/CFS establishes a common UK-wide approach.

      Brain: Tumours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department uses to determine the inclusion of tumour centres in the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission; and what steps...

      Infant Foods: Sugar

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of infant and baby products with high sugar content.

      Miscarriage: Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Research on research into the feasibility of...

      Post-mortems: Pathology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the average time taken to carry out postmortems by pathologists ordered by a coroner in (a) the...

      Counselling and Psychiatry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) psychotherapy and (b) counselling professionals operating without a...

      NHS Blood and Transplant: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what purposes NHS Blood and Transplant has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

      Breast Cancer: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total amount of research funding spent on lobular breast cancer research was in 2022- 2023.

      Surgical Mesh Implants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations in respect of pelvic mesh made by the...

  • Treasury

    • Sovereign Grant

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reset the level of the Sovereign Grant once the reservicing works in Buckingham Palace have been completed.

    • Foreign Influence Registration Scheme

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Exchequer Secretary on 30 January (HC26469), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the...

      Borrowing and Taxation

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s speech to the Confederation of British Industry Conference on 25 November 2024, whether it remains their policy...

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Genocide

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Prime Minister's speech on Holocaust Memorial Day, what criteria were used when listing acts of genocide; why the alleged genocides against Uyghurs...

    • USA: Foreign Aid

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the freeze in foreign aid from the United States of America to (1) programmes jointly funded with the United...

      Stonewall: Arms Length Bodies and Government Departments

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 16 September 2024 (HL694), what funding the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has...

      Syria: Fenethlline

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the halting of the manufacture of Captagon in Syria.

  • Home Office

    • Madeleine McCann

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 4 February (HL4235), whether they will set out the specific details of any proposals received...

    • British Nationality

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have had their British citizenship revoked in each of the past five years.

      Visas: Skilled Workers

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current immigration rules for skilled workers, and whether they intend to reduce restrictions on access to the UK for...

      Visas: Animal Grooming

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that work visas will be issued to those with dog grooming skills.

  • Department for Education

    • Pupils: Dyscalculia

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of dyscalculia; and how many school-age children receive a formal diagnosis of dyscalculia each year.

    • Special Educational Needs

      To ask His Majesty's Government when the terms of reference for the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group will be announced on the Department for Education webpages; and whether there will...

      Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts: Industrial Action

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to bring about a resolution to the industrial action undertaken by teaching staff at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Environment Protection: Standards

      To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made towards international climate and nature targets.

    • Tree Planting: Finance

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to re-open the Local Authority Treescapes Fund or to replace it with another similar fund.

      Tree Planting

      To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made towards meeting the statutory environmental target of 16.5 per cent tree cover in England by 2050.

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Hate Crime: Religion

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to establish a taskforce aimed at tackling discrimination against Christians and other religious groups in the UK, similar...

    • Leasehold: Reform

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still intend to abolish marriage value in lease extension calculations.

  • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

    • Artificial Intelligence

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the international declaration agreed at the AI Action Summit in Paris, and whether they intend to suggest any amendments to that...

    • National Security: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that DeepSeek poses to UK national security.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Tickets: Sales

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of lowering the proposed cap on ticket resales.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Species Dysphoria

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 4 November 2024 (HL1875), what the policy is of (1) the Department for Health and Social Care and (2)...

    • Social Services: Employers' Contributions

      To ask His Majesty's Government what contingency plans they are putting in place to continue to provide social care services in April where independent care providers withdraw their services due...

      Cataracts: Surgery

      To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average NHS waiting time for cataract surgery; and how many patients are currently waiting.

What is this?

The parliamentary question is a great way for MPs and Peers to discover information which the government may not wish to reveal. Ministers reply via written answers, a list of which gets published daily.

We let you vote on whether or not the answer given is adequate.

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