Written answers

Wednesday, 8 October 2025

  • Department for Education

    • Education: Energy Drinks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the consumption of high caffeine energy drinks on (a) schools and (b)...

    • Kimberley Sixth Form College: Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 54102 on Schools: Flood Control, whether her Department has had discussions with Kimberley College...

      Family Hubs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what learnings she has made from existing best practice in the design of the new programme of Best Start Family Hubs.

      Pupils: Attendance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department allocated the extra money returned to the Government by local authorities from fines for taking children out of school in each of...

      City of Sanctuary UK

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) ministers, (b) advisors, and (c) officials in her Department have held conversations with City of Sanctuary UK since 4 July 2024.

      Childcare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) nurseries in Mid Leicestershire and (b) other early years providers receive adequate...

      Pastoral Care: School Leaving

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how long pastoral support is available to young people after leaving state schools.

      Highway Code: Curriculum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to ensure the Highway Code is taught in schools.

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of requests for an Education Health and Care Plan assessment are decided within the 6 week deadline in (a) each of the...

      Armed Forces: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the challenges faced by military families when applying for school places (a) during school holiday periods and (b)...

      Teachers: Labour Turnover

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of teacher recruitment and retention incentives on teacher recruitment and retention in areas of...

      Special Educational Needs: Teachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve recruitment and retention of SEND teachers.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • NHS England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed abolition of NHS England on the provision of central estates.

    • Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Patient Safety Commissioner's report entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate...

      NHS: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to p.81 of the 10 Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of triage...

      Ophthalmic Services and Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to change the age at which people become eligible for free (a) prescriptions and (b) optical care.

      Sodium Valproate: Prescriptions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) women of child bearing age, (b) girls, (c) boys and (d) men are receiving prescriptions for sodium valproate as of 11...

      Drugs: Smuggling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the proportion of illegally traded medicines intercepted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory...

      Haemochromatosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) early diagnosis and (b) treatment of genetic haemochromatosis.

      Prescriptions: ICT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has made of the potential merits of electronic prescribing in secondary care settings.

      Epilepsy: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the supply of epilepsy medications.

      Neurodiversity: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy performance of Surrey and Borders NHS FT assessment pathway for neurodevelopment disorders in...

      Mental Health Services: Tees Valley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding has been allocated to support mental health crisis response services in the Tees Valley since 2021.

      Gender Based Violence: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Imkaan’s report entitled Why Should Our Rage be Tidy, published in November 2024, what steps his Department has...

      Vamorolone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 64336 on Vamorolone, what the consequences are for (a) Integrated Care Boards and (b)...

      Substances of Human Origin

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to (a) bring forward modernised UK-specific legislative proposals for Substances of Human Origin (SoHO) and...

      Psychiatric Patients: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recent incidents involving known risk items being...

      Blood: Donors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to support the domestic (a) collection and (b) processing of (i) blood, (ii) plasma, (iii) cells and (iv)...

      Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the recommendations of the Hughes report on Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic...

      Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he plans to make interim payments to people affected by sodium valproate as recommended in the Hughes report on Options for redress...

      Health Services: Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Landmark plan to rebuild NHS in working-class communities of 25 June 2025, what definition...

      Health Services: Sexual Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding the NHS plans to provide to help support patients who are victims of sexual violence in the 2025-26 financial year,...

  • Women and Equalities

    • Equality Act 2010

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Equality Act to add socio-economic status as a protected characteristic.

    • Maternity Leave

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has had discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on monitoring employer compliance with maternity-related workplace rights.

      Equality: Business

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has had discussions with regulators on ensuring compliance with equality legislation within regulated firms.

      Equality and Human Rights Commission: Codes of Practice

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what Parliamentary process will be followed prior to the implementation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Code of Practice for Services,...

      Disability: Public Lavatories

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of introducing legislation that would ensure that all accessible toilets in...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Sick Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per...

    • Horses: Dartmoor

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to protect Dartmoor ponies.

      Chewing Gum: Labelling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will require chewing gum manufacturers to disclose the full composition of gum base on product labels.

      Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year.

      Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing vaccination as part of the national bovine TB...

      Beekeeping: Farmers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to provide subsidies for farmers who diversify into beekeeping.

      Pigs: Animal Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered introducing method of production labelling for pork products to help consumers that...

      Monuments: Agriculture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Foot and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of compliance with conservation obligations on scheduled...

      Cider

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the minimum juice content for cider to 50%.

      Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the roll-out of badger TB vaccination programmes.

      Agriculture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of the level of harvest...

      Meat: Smuggling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect the (a) animal and (b) plant export sector from risks posed by illegal...

      African Swine Fever

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic impact of an outbreak of African swine fever on the (a)...

      Cats and Dogs: Smuggling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the illegal importation of puppies and kittens.

      Countryside Stewardship Scheme: Rutland and Stamford

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many countryside stewardship agreements are due to conclude without replacement in Rutland and Stamford constituency in...

      Meat: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that imported meat products are slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent...

      Pigs: Animal Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she is having with (a) farming bodies and (b) animal welfare organisations on the potential for phasing out...

      Meat: Smuggling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that meat imported illegally into the UK is seized at the border.

      Food: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to issue guidance to local authorities on the procurement of food that is locally produced or certified to...

      National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 75506 on the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs: Finance,...

      Dogs: Smuggling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of puppy smuggling.

      Animal Welfare: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of animal welfare abuse have been recorded on intensive livestock farms in (a) England and (b) Norfolk in...

      Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) overseas and (b) domestic Ministerial official flights by his Department are (i) carbon offset and...

      Aquariums and Zoos: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of holding a summit to support the zoos and aquarium industry.

      Agriculture: Cooperatives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she made of the potential impact of agricultural cooperatives on the rural economy.

  • Home Office

    • Palestine Action

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department had discussions with the (a) Department of Justice in Northern Ireland and (b) Police Service of Northern Ireland...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Lord Mandelson

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the National Security Advisor met with Lord Mandelson between 4 July 2024 and 11 September 2025.

    • Strategic Defence Review

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 73377 on Strategic Defence Review, by when does he expect the infrastructure pillar to have been...

      National Security: Infrastructure

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 72570 on National Security: Infrastructure, when he plans to have completed delivery of CNI...

      National Security: Infrastructure

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 72570 on National Security: Infrastructure, what progress he has made on developing a new Cyber...

      National Security: Infrastructure

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 72570 on National Security: Infrastructure, if he will publish the list of businesses that he...

      Emergencies: Mobile Phones

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of emergency alerts being displayed in the language that the recipient's phone is set to.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • DNACPR Decisions

      To ask His Majesty's Government what are the rules that apply to hospitals on Do Not Resuscitate decisions; whether in all relevant cases patients are explicitly asked to agree on their use; and...

    • Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme: Staff

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether staff working on the Learning Disability Mortality Review programme are included in the planned 50 per cent reduction in staffing costs for integrated care...

      Transplant Surgery

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that, following the abolition of NHS England, responsibility for the commissioning of transplant services in the NHS will become the...

      Sodium Valproate: Compensation

      To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to The Hughes Report published on 7 February 2024, when they will provide interim compensation to people impacted by sodium valproate.

      Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme: Staff

      To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the proposed abolition of NHS England, where the Learning Disability Mortality Review programme will be based; and whether the number of staff...

      Drugs: Standards

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the reclassification of medicines with long histories of safe prescribing to be sold over the counter.

      Health Services: Unmanned Air Systems

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to increase the adoption of drone technology across the health service.

      Dementia: Incontinence

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of value-based procurement of absorbent incontinence products on maintaining dignity and quality of life for people...

      Mental Health

      To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the provision in the Mental Health Bill that removes learning disabilities from the definition of a mental health condition, why the...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Import Controls: UK Trade with EU

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 11 September (HL10233), whether they aim to have legislation as a result of a sanitary and...

    • Hemp

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities for the promotion of industrial hemp.

      Biofuels: Power Stations

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage farmers and growers to produce fast-growing willow coppice and miscanthus to be used as an energy source for power stations such...

  • Home Office

    • Mosques: Security

      To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to mosques and Islamic centres to strengthen security following recent vandalism, desecration, and threats of violence.

    • Mosques: Religious Freedom

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent series of attacks on mosques across the UK in August and September.

      Islamophobia

      To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with counter-terrorism policing units about online reports of threats to kill directed at mosques and Muslim communities.

      Deportation: Republic of Ireland

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of women identified as "pregnant from Ireland" who were forcibly returned from Britain to Ireland in the 20th century...

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.

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