Written answers

Friday, 19 December 2025

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Elections: Subversion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to a) the Intelligence and Security Committee report on Russia, HC 632, published on 21 July 2020, and...

    • Political Parties: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics will consider donations to...

      Electoral Registration Officers and Returning Officers: Freedom of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to bring Electoral Registration Officers and Returning Officers within the scope of the Freedom of...

      Political Parties: Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his Department's timetable is for consulting political parties on measures to be included in the Elections Bill.

      Elections: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data his Department collates on instances of electoral fraud.

      Buildings: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Building Safety Regulator will clear the Gateway Two backlog by January 2026.

      Electoral Register: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the absence of nationality-grouped oversight forms part of the Government’s election integrity risk...

      Homelessness: North East Somerset and Hanham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the causes of homelessness in North East Somerset and Hanham...

      Homelessness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of levels of homelessness relative to (a) levels of affordability of rented accommodation...

      Sutton Park

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with Birmingham City Council on the devolution of the management of Sutton Park to...

      Buildings: Fire Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will consider implementing a rule of one approach to building safety remediation, whereby each...

      Building Safety Fund: Lincolnshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential buildings have registered with the Building Safety Fund in (a) South Holland and the Deepings...

      Local Government: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 97317 on Local Government: Reorganisation, whether he expects...

      Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure Limits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to his reply to parliamentary answer 97104 if he will set out his CDEL allocation in a table, programme by...

      Business Rates: Essex

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the total estimated yield in non-national domestic rates from commercial properties in...

      Local Government: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of local government reorganisation in Surrey on savings to local...

      Refugees: Homelessness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the upcoming Homelessness Strategy addresses homelessness among newly...

      Flats: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirement for new safety documentation where existing...

      Planning Permission: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the performance and efficiency of the planning appeals process under forthcoming reforms.

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many new homes his Department estimates will be delivered in each year until 2028-29.

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the feasibility of meeting the target of delivering 1.5 million homes in England...

      Buildings: Fire Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure clear and accessible fire safety regulations for leaseholders and...

      Homelessness: Poole

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homeless people there are in Poole constituency.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement of 4 December 2025, HCWS1128, on Devolution Priority Programme, how much...

      Local Government: Cornwall and Devon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for introducing a Mayoral Combined Authority or Authorities for Devon, for Cornwall, or...

      Travellers: Caravan Sites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance on charging travellers for using transit sites for caravans.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Jobcentres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of claimants who move into work via Jobcentre support who remain in work for more than six months.

    • Poverty: South Basildon and East Thurrock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of children in deep material poverty that will be lifted out of that level of poverty...

      Universal Credit: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of young people on universal credit in Poole constituency who have been looking for work for 18 months...

      Employment: Poole

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many training and workplace opportunities will be offered to young people in Poole constituency.

      Unemployment: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce youth economic inactivity in rural communities.

      Carers: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help ensure that local carer services are able to provide Income Maximisation services and crisis support to unpaid...

      Children: Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing statutory targets for reducing child poverty and deep poverty through the...

      Poverty: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to publish a further equalities impact assessment of the Child Poverty Strategy, which will include the potential impact of...

  • Women and Equalities

    • Conversion Therapy

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the expected timetable is for the publication, parliamentary introduction, and enactment of a fully trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy in...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • HMS Lancaster: Decommissioning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on naval capability in the Persian Gulf of decommissioning HMS Lancaster.

    • Diego Garcia: Military Bases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the United States on maintaining United Kingdom visibility and oversight of United States operations...

      Diego Garcia: Military Bases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia...

      Helicopter Carriers: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is to procure a Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform for the AH-64E Apache.

      Ajax Vehicles: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he next expects to provide either an Oral or Written statement to Parliament on the progress of the Ajax programme.

      Guided Weapons: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project Nightfall.

      Armoured Fighting Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many a) FV432 and b) FV433 vehicles are currently in service with the British Army, broken down by variant.

      Guided Weapons: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of procuring the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System.

      LE TacCIS Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is the current SRO for the Le TACSIS programme.

      Boxer Vehicles: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is the current SRO for the Boxer programme.

      Rosyth Dockyard

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timescale is for the provision of the Contingent Docking Facility at Rosyth.

      Diego Garcia: Military Bases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has received assurances from the Government of Mauritius on ensuring uninterrupted access for UK and allied forces to the facilities on Diego...

      HMS Lancaster: Decommissioning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason HMS Lancaster will be decommissioned in Bahrain.

      Navy: North Atlantic Ocean

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8...

      Unmanned Marine Systems: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Underwater robot could improve pipeline and cable security, published on 9 June 2025, how many...

      Unmanned Air Systems: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Advanced attack drones for Ukraine in new deal struck by UK government and Anduril UK,...

      Unmanned Air Systems: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Advanced attack drones for Ukraine in new deal struck by UK government and Anduril UK,...

      Unmanned Air Systems: Electronic Warfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many BriteStorm Electronic Warfare jamming systems has he procured since 5 July 2024.

      Bomb Disposal: Robots

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New robots lead the way in bomb disposal innovation, published on 5 February 2025, how many...

      Ministry of Defence: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in...

      Defence: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September to Question 69422, whether it remains his plan to publish the Defence Investment Plan before the rise of the House...

      Navy: North Atlantic Ocean

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8...

      Defence: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's oral Answer to the Urgent Question on 8 November 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, if he will list...

      Veterans: Radiation Exposure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will widen his internal review of material relating to nuclear test veterans to include information from the Defence and Science Technology Laboratory.

  • Home Office

    • Biometrics

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to assess how live facial recognition systems are used in other countries and how those approaches may...

    • Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 8th December 2025 to Question 95558, how many of the 153 individuals returned to France under the agreement have...

  • Department for Transport

    • Railways: Devon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the expansion of Rail Freight in Devon.

    • Railways: Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the lower age limit for adult peak-time rail fares on the families of students who...

      Railways: Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to increase the number of Direct Rail Services' freight operations.

      Railways: Devon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the economy.

      Railways: Devon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the environment.

      Airports: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed airport expansions at (a) Farnborough, (b) Heathrow and (c) Gatwick on...

      Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, HC 1492, from which financial year she plans to meet her target to fix an additional...

      Driving under Influence: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made about the current levels of [i] drink driving and [ii] drug driving related accidents and fatalities on roads in the [i]...

      Automatic Number Plate Recognition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of vehicle registration data captured by Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems.

      Cycling and Walking: Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to prioritise the (a) voices and (b) needs of disabled people in the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

      Electric Bicycles: Hire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating that electric bike rental firms ensure that all riders of rented electric bikes...

      Vehicle Number Plates: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with police forces on illegal plates or cloned license plates and serious organised crime; and what steps she is taking...

      Vehicle Number Plates: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the British Standards Institute on its review of BS AU 145e; and whether she plans to ban raised 3D and...

      Speed Limits: Surrey Heath

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with Surrey County Council on the review of speed limits on arterial roads in Surrey Heath constituency.

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds information on the number of road traffic accidents caused by people driving legally under non-GB issued driving licences.

      Department for Transport: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in...

      Hammersmith Bridge

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department held discussions with Hammersmith and Fulham Council regarding Hammersmith Bridge in the lead-up to the Budget 2025.

      Bus Services: Visual Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82988 on Bicycles: Infrastructure, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of...

      Driving under Influence: Surrey Heath

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of public awareness of road safety issues relating to (a) drug and (b) drink driving in...

      Driving under Influence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing police officers with additional roadside powers in cases where a driver...

      Driving under Influence: Surrey Heath

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on (a) public awareness and (b) education on (i) drug and (ii) drink driving in Surrey...

      Automatic Number Plate Recognition: Reviews

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to review the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to ensure it can effectively detect vehicles...

      Driving Tests: Sales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the extent to which Approved Driving Instructors are involved in reselling driving tests.

  • Department for Education

    • Outdoor Education: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of compliance of Multi Academy Trusts with statutory guidance on charging for school-time activities,...

    • Assessments: Digital Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures will be put in place to prevent any widening of attainment gaps between students with differing levels of access to digital technology...

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the average waiting time for SEND assessments in each local authority in England.

      Special Educational Needs: Bolsover

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with Derbyshire County Council on the adequacy of support for children with special educational needs and...

      Teachers: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided for programmes that support the mental health of teachers and school staff in the last 12 months.

      Schools: South Holland and the Deepings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the (a) age and (b) quality of school buildings in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

      Schools: Sports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging the use of school grounds by communities to increase access to sports; and...

      Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to reduce the therapy limit for the Adoption and Special Guardianship...

      Kinship Care: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to financially support kinship carers.

      Adoption: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specialist support is available to adoptive parents of children with experience of trauma.

      Foster Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support she is providing to local authorities to help ensure they have a sufficient number of foster carers to meet local demand.

      Primary Education: Sanitation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of primary schools without indoor toilets.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: VAT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December to Question 95479, on Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: VAT, how many applications to the...

  • Department for Business and Trade

    • Delivery Services: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the comparative (a) employment practices and (b) delivery of delivery companies excluding Royal...

    • Royal Mail: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on improving service levels in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

      Hospitality Industry: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to reduce youth unemployment in the context of employment levels in the hospitality sector.

      Software: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with small and medium-sized enterprises on the potential impact of restrictive software licensing practices on...

      Agency Workers and Self-employed

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he expects any shift from direct waged or salaried employment towards (a) self employment and (b) use of temp and staffing agencies...

      Events Industry and Leisure: Zero Hours Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of measures on zero hours contracts in the Employment Rights Bill on the (a) music...

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Minister for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan plans to respond to correspondence...

    • Money Laundering

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which a) governments, b) multilateral organisations, c) private sector companies and d) other key stakeholders,...

      Tunisia: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners to ensure the protection of Christians and other...

      Germany: Treaties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department plans to lay the Kensington Treaty before Parliament for ratification.

      Chagos Islands: Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos...

      Algeria: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on whether the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia plans to...

      Ding Yuande

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Chinese counterparts concerning the detention of Falun Gong...

      Mandarin Language: Civil Servants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress her Department has made towards the introduction of a new China Fast Stream.

      Cambodia: Cybercrime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to take further steps beyond recent sanctions to address human rights abuses linked...

      Cambodia: Cybercrime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of reports of torture and other serious human rights abuses in scam...

      Trade Fairs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of business events in improving and building...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Powers of Attorney

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the powers of the Office of the Public Guardian to investigate abuse of lasting power of attorney.

    • CAFCASS: Accountability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has recently considered measures to improve the accountability of CAFCASS.

      Family Conciliation Services: Voucher Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 87077 on Children: Custody, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential...

      Child Arrangements Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 87080 on Child Arrangement Orders, if he will make such an assessment.

      Child Trust Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to question 94597, what information his Department holds on the proportion of the 80,000 families affected by...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Hereditary Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to WPQ 87435 answered on 26 November, if he will publish copies of the modules about close relative marriage and genetic risk...

    • Patients: Advocacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of independent advocacy services for patients in Wiltshire.

      Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to establish a centralised dataset on localised ADHD assessment waiting times.

      Breast Cancer: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Welsh Government counterparts about sharing best practice around increasing screening uptake for breast...

      Speech and Language Disorders: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential merits of providing training to mental health teams on support to children with lifelong...

      Mental Health Services: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of possible generational links to suicide; and what support is available to children of people who have taken...

      Mental Health Services: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand (a) early intervention and (b) targeted mental health support for men at risk of suicide in (i) Surrey...

      Screening: Babies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 93696, what recent steps he has taken to implement the UK Rare Diseases Framework...

      Suicide: Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to launch a public awareness campaign to help tackle suicide.

      Health Services: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to modernise whole system appointments to (a) improve patient access and (b) avoid missed appointments.

      Mental Illness: Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the dereliction of former asylum cemeteries on stigma surrounding mental ill health.

      Mental Health and Neurodiversity: Diagnosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of changes in the diagnosis rates of mental health...

      Speech and Language Therapy: Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to ensure Mental Health Support Teams in schools are trained in Speech and Language therapy.

      Influenza: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce transmission of influenza in Lancashire.

      Healthy Start Scheme: Migrants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the extension to the Healthy Start scheme to families with no recourse to public funds.

      Parkinson's Disease: Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many neurologists have specialist training in Parkinson’s disease; and if he will estimate the espected number of neurologists...

      Department of Health and Social Care: Drinkaware Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase collaboration between his Department and Drinkaware.

      Heart Diseases: Death

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prevent sudden cardiac deaths in people aged 35 and under.

      Health Services: Dementia and Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which (a) individuals and (b) organisations have been appointed to governance structures responsible for developing the Modern Service...

      Gynaecology: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce gynaecology waiting lists.

      Gynaecology: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce gynaecology waiting lists in Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.

      Basildon University Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of patients waited more than four hours in Basildon Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department in the past year.

      Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were admitted to A&E in England and seen within a) four hours and b) 12 hours after 5pm in the (a) 2021-22, (b)...

      NHS: Postal Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS providers are making use of the Royal Mail barcode for NHS mail.

      Health Professions: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made on the potential merits of statutory regulation of therapy titles.

      Weather: Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero on the potential impact of changes to...

      Puberty Suppressing Hormones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of puberty suppression on levels of likelihood of progression to cross...

      Health Professions: Migrant Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of alterations to indefinite leave to remain rules on NHS staffing levels.

      Hospitals: Great Yarmouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide funding to help increase staffing levels at (a) James Paget University Hospital and (b) Northgate Hospital.

      Women's Health Hubs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed reductions in Integrated Care Board funding on their ability...

      NHS: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the workforce modelling used as the basis for the 10 Year Workforce Plan will be independent; and whether the results of that...

      Workplace Pensions: National Insurance Contributions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Budget 2025, what assessment he has of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the salary sacrifice policy for...

      NHS Trusts: Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has recently proposed measures to ensure that fines against NHS trusts are ringfenced for spending on health matters.

      Midwives and Nurses: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many domestically trained applicants were (a) accepted and (b) rejected for (i) nursing and (ii) midwife positions with NHS providers...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Fluorinated Gases: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the hydrofluorocarbons phasedown proposed in the F Gas Regulation in Great...

    • Fluorinated Gases: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet with the heating, refrigeration and air conditioning industries to discuss the F Gas Regulation in Great...

      Fluorinated Gases: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) training and (b) certification of technicians in the use of...

  • Treasury

    • Business Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the marginal increase in business rates liability for a retail, hospitality and leisure hereditament moving from...

    • Fuels: Excise Duties

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to analysis cited in the Road Haulage Association’s 2025 Autumn Budget Submission, what assessment she has made of the potential...

      Fuels: Excise Duties

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a fuel duty rebate linked to emissions reductions to encourage the use of low carbon...

      Local Government: Cambridgeshire

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Ministers in her Department will have a role in the decision on the chosen option for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire.

      Retail Trade: Business Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the proportion of premises that will be subject to higher-multiple business rates which are (a) owned and (b) operated by an...

      Public Houses: Business Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) tenanted or leased pubs (b) pubs owned and managed by a pub company and (c) standalone pubs are expected to see their business rates bill (i)...

      VAT: Repayments

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many VAT refunds to businesses in the last six months a) have not been refunded and b) have been delayed.

      Visitor Levy: Business Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the introduction of the overnight visitors levy will be a (i) material consideration and (ii) national change in circumstances in the valuation of...

      Small Businesses: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with small business owners on the closure of the online filing service to support small, unrepresented businesses with simple...

      Independent Review of the Loan Charge

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what role Ministers and officials had in setting the scope and terms of reference for the review of Loan Charge settlement arrangements conducted by Ray McCann.

      Small Businesses: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse of the closure of the online filing service to support small businesses with simple...

      Cider: Excise Duties

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what percentage of registered cider makers are eligible for small producer relief.

      Treasury: Disciplinary Proceedings

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary...

      Bank Services: Digital Technology

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to publish guidance or minimum service standards to help tackle financial exclusion arising from digital-only banking models.

      Business Rates: Tax Allowances

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether 2026-27 business rate transitional reliefs should be calculated using base liabilities which include the application of Retail, Hospitality and...

      Treasury: Career Development

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year by (i) performance marking in the previous year...

      Treasury: Performance Appraisal

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.

  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

    • Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what advice his Department has received on whether changes to the inflation indexation methodology of the Feed-in Tariff scheme...

    • Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is his policy to reduce average household energy bills by £150 from April 2026 for people who use domestic heating oil.

      Energy: Business

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the potential number of firms in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency that may request support...

      Warm Homes Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what measures will be included in the Warm Homes Plan to ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations.

      Warm Homes Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has plans to align the commencement of measures in the Warm Homes Plan with the cessation of ECO4 funding.

      Energy: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether transitional support will be provided to energy efficiency installation and associated businesses.

      Warm Homes Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Warm Homes Plan will provide energy efficiency measures to vulnerable households previously provided under the ECO4 scheme.

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his timeline is for launching the proposed framework to scrutinise additional costs and levies on consumer energy bills.

      Warm Homes Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure continuity between ECO4 funding and Warm Homes Plan measures in the case of ongoing works over...

      Warm Homes Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that households impacted by measures in the ECO4 scheme will be impacted by the Warm...

      Warm Homes Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish the Warm Homes Plan in full.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Standard of Living

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the Carnegie UK report entitled Life in the UK 2025.

    • Cabinet Office: Investment Income

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 132 of the Cabinet Office Annual report and accounts 2024-2025, published on 23 October 2025, for what reason his Department...

      Cabinet Office: Information Commissioner's Office

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Information Commissioner decision notice of 29 October 2025, ref IC-362303-N0J6, if he will publish his Department's submission...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Shingles: Vaccination

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the article published in Cell on 2 December, The effect of shingles vaccination at different stages of the dementia disease...

    • Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Bullying

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the British Medical Association's allegations of bullying and harassment of Dr Tim Noble by Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching...

      Heart Diseases: Screening

      To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving, as part of the 10 Year Health Plan for England, to whether wider use of longer-duration, non-invasive ambulatory...

      Blood Cancer: Immunotherapy

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many clinical trials offering CAR-T therapy for low-grade lymphoma have closed in the last three years, and what the reasons were in each case.

      Medical Records: Digital Technology

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 4 December (HL12450), what timetable has been set for the completion of the review by NHS England of the...

      Medical Equipment: Regulation

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to update medical device regulations to bring UK-based online contact lens retailers under a clear regulatory framework; and whether they plan to...

      Contact Lenses: Children and Vulnerable adults

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the public health risks posed by illegal online sales of optical appliances, particularly for children and other vulnerable groups.

      Contact Lenses: Sales

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) extend regulatory powers, (2) improve reporting mechanisms, and (3) work with (a) online platforms, (b) manufacturers, (c) professional...

      Contact Lenses: Sales

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure a level playing field for UK-based optometry practices and regulated optical business that provide compliant contact lens...

      Aphantasia: Drugs

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many yellow card reports of aphantasia (Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities code 10090610) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory...

      Ophthalmic Services: Sales

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen enforcement against the illegal online sale of optical appliances, including by overseas suppliers operating in the UK market.

      Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the withdrawal of the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) report 2023 due to data quality issues; what were the...

      Mental Health Services: Prisoners

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners are (1) eligible for support, and (2) receiving support, under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Local Government: Costs

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to local authorities of complying with section 9KC, section 9MA and section 9MF of the Local Government Act 2000 in (1)...

    • Local Press: Sustainable Development

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of paragraph 6 of Schedule 27 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on the long-term sustainability...

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Iran: Detainees

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many UK citizens are being held in detention without justification by the Government of Iran; and what representations they have made to the Government of Iran...

    • Saudi Arabia: Nuclear Weapons

      To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they plan to have at the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and with the government...

      Morocco: Foreign Relations

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK has a strong relationship with Morocco.

      Israeli Settlements

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the construction of the Shdema settlement near Bethlehem on Palestinian livelihoods and the prospects for a...

      Palestine: Curriculum

      To ask His Majesty's Government what benchmarks they have established for monitoring progress on Palestinian Authority curriculum reform in light of President Abbas’ letter to President...

      Pakistani National Commission for Minorities: Ahmadiyya

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the exclusion of Ahmadi Muslims from the National Commission for Minorities in Pakistan; and what recent engagement they...

      Palestine: Curriculum

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the IMPACT-se review published in November which reports instances of incitement and antisemitism in the new Palestinian...

      Pakistan: Education

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington (HL12023), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, what verification...

      Hamas: Foreign Nationals

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Prime Minister's statement on 21 September that he had "directed work to sanction other Hamas figures in the coming weeks", what plans they have to...

      Palestine: Reconstruction

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether officials submitted to Ministers a written assessment of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report Developments in the Economy of the...

      Israel and Palestine: Armed Conflict

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the Palestinian Authority through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative about reports of sexual violence...

      Israel: Prisons

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 18 November (HL11601), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, what...

      Palestinian Authority: Development Aid

      To ask His Majesty's Government how much aid the UK has provided to the Palestinian Authority in each of the last 20 years.

      Palestine: War Crimes

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports alleging torture and unlawful killing of civilians by Hamas in Palestine following the October ceasefire; and what...

      Guinea-Bissau: Military Coups

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent military intervention following elections in Guinea-Bissau; and what (1) actions they intend to take, or (2)...

      Security Action for Europe

      To ask His Majesty's Government for what reasons they were unable to conclude negotiations with regard to the United Kingdom’s accession under Articles 16.10 and 16.11 to the Security...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Prison Sentences

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence have been held for 15 years or more beyond their original tariff.

    • Espionage: Prosecutions

      To ask His Majesty's Government what operational and legal actions the Government and Crown Prosecution Service will take to ensure that high-profile national security prosecutions do not fail...

      Prisoners

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) males and (2) females, aged (a) 15 to 17, (b) 18 to 20, (c) 21 to 24, (d) 25 to 29, (e) 30 to 39, (f) 40 to 49, (g) 50 to 59, (h) 60 to 69, (i) 70 to...

      Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) men, and (2) women, were detained in prisons as a place of safety in the last 12 months.

  • Department for Transport

    • Rescue Services: English Channel

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of search and rescue capacity in the English Channel; and what steps they are taking to strengthen life-saving provision.

  • Home Office

    • Technology: Advertising

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the annual revenue earned in the UK by global technology platforms from fraudulent advertising.

    • Police: Stun Guns

      To ask His Majesty's Government how long they anticipate it will take for every police force in England and Wales to replace existing taser devices with the new Taser 10 models

      Police and Crime Commissioners

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants they expect will be made redundant as a result of their decision to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners.

      Demonstrations: Whitehall

      To ask His Majesty's Government what direction they gave to police, if any, about the decision to ban tractors from entering Whitehall on 26 November.

  • Treasury

    • Treasury: Migrant Workers

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are employed by non-departmental public bodies of the Treasury through Skilled Worker visas.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Aircraft Carriers

      To ask His Majesty's Government when carrier-based F35 aircraft will be equipped with the latest air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.

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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