Written answers

Friday, 9 January 2026

  • Home Office

    • Counter-terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current counter-extremism programmes; and whether she plans to introduce further measures to...

    • Universities: Espionage

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of espionage have been identified in British universities since 2015, broken down by (a) year, and (b) nationality of...

      Events Industry: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is enforced proportionally across...

      Radicalism: Islam

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the current level of threat from Islamist extremists.

      Road Traffic Offences: Speed Limits

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide updated guidance to police forces on the enforcement of speed limits, in the context of the number of deaths caused by...

      Knives: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to expand the use of stop-and-search powers in areas with persistently high levels of knife crime.

      Refugees: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to obtain national passports on the access by refugees to...

      Visas: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications submitted under the Super-Priority Visa Service have exceeded the 24-hour decision standard in the last 12 months; and...

      Sexual Offences: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals convicted of sexual offences have been removed under the Early Removal Scheme in each year since 2020.

      Sexual Offences: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the principal barriers have been to the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of sexual offences since 2024; and what steps her...

      Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent police recruitment and deployment changes on neighbourhood crime levels.

      Public Order

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contribution of the Minister for Policing and Crime during the Third Delegated Legislation Committee on 17 December...

      Firearms: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed shotgun licensing reforms on rural employment.

      Violence Reduction Units

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Violence Reduction Units in reducing youth violence.

      Public Order: Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 covers online...

      Public Order Act 2023

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department carried out an impact assessment on the introduction of an affirmative statutory instrument to amend the Public Order...

      Knives: Amnesties

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent data obtained by StopWatch via Freedom of Information of this year’s Operation Sceptre results, what...

      Police: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the difference in police response times to time-sensitive incidents such as (a) vehicle theft and (b)...

      Home Office: Electric Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many electric vehicles owned or leased by their Department or its arm’s-length bodies are allocated to (a) asylum accommodation...

      Offences against Children: Inquiries

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to enable victims and survivors of grooming gangs to provide evidence to the national inquiry without (a) fear of...

      Serious Violence Reduction Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 70321 on Stop and Search: West Midlands, when she will publish the evaluation of the...

      Offences against Children: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of AI by child sexual abuse offenders on levels of offending.

      Football: Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv...

      Offences against Children: Criminal Investigation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many allegations of group-based child sexual exploitation were (a) not pursued or (b) discontinued by (i) police or (ii) prosecutors...

      Home Office: Civil Servants

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

      Home Office: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the net zero targets for the Home Office and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero...

      Trading Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made on whether current enforcement powers available to county council Trading Standards services are sufficient to...

      Intimate Image Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of non-consensual sexual deepfake images have been recorded by police forces in England and Wales in each of the last three...

  • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

    • Government Departments: ICT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will publish an annual assessment of all government IT contracts, detailing what proportion is delivered offshore...

    • Epilepsy: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what proportion of research funding is allocated to epilepsy research; and if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of...

      Pornography Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to set out a timetable for the implementation of the recommendations of Baroness Bertin's Independent...

      Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on...

      Internet: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to (a) ensure that online platforms are held accountable under the Online Safety Act 2023 for...

      Internet: Harassment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to tackle online harassment; and what steps she plans to take...

      Internet: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential role of app store age verification in improving online safety.

      Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of...

      Genomics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to support the use of combinatorial genomic analysis techniques, such as those used by...

      Medicine: Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support the development and use of alternative methods to animal testing in medical research.

      ICT: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department plans to provide to help improve IT skills in the next 12 months.

      Artificial Intelligence and Data Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government categorises large-scale AI and data-centre infrastructure to be of strategic national importance; and...

      Artificial Intelligence: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support a coordinated regulatory framework for artificial intelligence across...

      Artificial Intelligence: Copyright

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of copyright law on the ability of companies to train AI models in the UK.

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Gibraltar

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of the proposed UK-Spain treaty on Gibraltar on British...

    • United Nations: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the establishment of the UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.

      Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action the Government is taking following Israel's announcement that it will bar 37 humanitarian...

      Tanzania: General Elections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the conduct and outcome of the 29 October 2025 general election...

      Gaza: Non-governmental Organisations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support UK NGOs that have been prevented from continuing their work in Gaza.

      Civil-Military Coordination Center

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has met with representatives of the Civil Military Coordination Center in Israel.

      British Nationals Abroad: Diplomatic Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has taken recent steps to review the level of consular support received abroad by British...

      Egypt: Information Sharing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to improve information sharing and communications with her Egyptian counterparts.

      Nigeria: Christianity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to raise at the United Nations the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

      Palestine: Non-governmental Organisations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to her Israeli counterpart on its decision to remove registration from 31...

      Afghanistan: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department has any plans to provide financial support to the operations of UNHCR in Afghanistan.

      Russia: Ukraine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help Ukraine win the war against the Russian Federation.

      Palestine: Embassies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to open an Embassy in Palestine.

      Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Performance Appraisal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in...

      Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Sick Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in...

      Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Career Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year broken...

      Venezuela: Military Intervention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of statements by the...

      Commonwealth Secretariat: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial contributions made by a) Australia, b) New Zealand,...

      Nicaragua: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps she has taken with the Government of Nicaragua on restrictions on the importation and...

      Cuba: Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department's policy is on the sovereignty of the Republic of Cuba.

  • Department for Transport

    • South Western Railway: Nationalisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains have been cancelled on the South Western Railway network since it was nationalised.

    • Mersey Gateway Bridge: Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities regarding on the accumulation of Penalty Charge Notice related personal debts arising from...

      Vehicle Number Plates: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what engagement her Department has had with the British Standards Institute’s review of BS AU 145e; and what assessment she has made of...

      Driving Tests: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for each month since July 2024, how many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car test; and if she will...

      Department for Transport: Social Media

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent staff in her Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the last three years.

      Department for Transport: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net...

      Driving Licences: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the 12-month period during which holders of non-designated foreign driving...

      Rapid Transit Systems: West Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the recent government review of the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme on planned...

      Great British Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many business units will Great British Railways comprise of.

      Great British Railways: Marketing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2025 to Question 94913 on Great British Railways, whether (a) growing revenue or (b) delivering value for money...

      Great British Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 96704 on Great British Railways, if she will publish any internal implementation plans,...

      Electric Vehicles: Secondhand Goods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many used electric vehicles were sold in (a) November 2025 and (b) each month since July 2024.

      Railways: Tickets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 96256 on Railways: Tickets, how the proportion of rail journeys using fully digital tickets...

      Fishing Vessels: Wrecks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has had with the fishing industry in the South West on the sinking of a vessel off the coast of...

      Rescue Services: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, given the forthcoming report of the Cranston Public Inquiry into the tragic loss of 27 lives in the English Channel in November 2021, has she...

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to review the effectiveness of her Department's policies on reducing road accidents.

      Car Sharing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of car sharing clubs on her (a) decongestion and (b) decarbonisation targets.

      Large Goods Vehicles: Coastal Areas and Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of rising and unpredictable police escort costs on the abnormal load haulage sector and the wider tourism...

      Logistics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the logistics industry to the achievement of the Modern Industrial Strategy.

      Transport: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria her Department uses when deciding whether a major transport project should be added to the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio.

      Heathrow Airport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department meet with representatives from Heathrow Airport prior to the Chancellor's announcement of the Government's support for a third...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Waste Disposal: Monitoring

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 26922 on Waste Disposal: Monitoring, what progress she has made on the...

    • Waste Disposal: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Environment Agency's implementation timeline for the waste registration...

      Packaging: Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of extended producer responsibility on small businesses in local...

      Nature Restoration Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how communities will be consulted on the design and delivery of conservation measures funded through the Nature Restoration Fund.

      Environmental Delivery Plans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in what circumstances Natural England may propose that an Environmental Delivery Plan be made mandatory.

      Environmental Delivery Plans: Small Businesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of small and medium-seized developers assisting with the delivery of...

      Nature Conservation: Economic Situation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of large‑scale habitat restoration funded through the Nature...

      Planning: Soil

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote soil education among planning officers, developers, landowners and the public.

      Agriculture: Land Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect Best and Most Versatile agricultural land from development.

      Soil: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing planning protections for high-functioning soils by...

      Forests: Oxford-Cambridge Arc

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what governance structures are in place to coordinate delivery of the Oxford-Cambridge Forest across local authority...

      Recreation Spaces: Basildon and Thurrock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Environmental Delivery Plans on public access to green space in...

      Forests and Tree Planting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement mechanisms for the development of tree planting...

      Environmental Delivery Plans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support will be provided to local authorities to engage with the development and implementation of Environmental...

      Tree Planting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Tree Planting Taskforce's progress; and what involvement that Taskforce...

      Nature Restoration Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will publish annual progress reports on environmental improvements delivered through the Nature...

      Housing: Eutrophication

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps Natural England will take through the Nature Restoration Fund to help tackle nutrient pollution impacting housing...

      Tree Planting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where saplings planted to meet EIP25 interim targets will be sourced from.

      Environmental Delivery Plans: Eutrophication

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the first tranche of Environmental Delivery Plans on nutrient...

      Nature Restoration Fund: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Nature Restoration Fund on the cost and viability of new housing...

      Tree Planting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her proposed timeline is for publishing the Tree Action Plan.

      Nature Restoration Fund: Environmental Delivery Plans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether developer contributions to the Nature Restoration Fund will be ring‑fenced for use within the geographic area...

      Timber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that domestic timber production does not adversely impact biodiversity and...

      Nature Restoration Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of developer contributions to be paid into the Nature Restoration Fund in each of...

      Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to monitor and evaluate whether conservation measures delivered through the Nature Restoration Fund...

      Forests: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Tree Action Plan intends to support the restoration of ancient woodland, particularly on smaller plantations on...

      Environmental Delivery Plans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria will be used to assess whether Environmental Delivery Plans meets the Overall Improvement Test.

      Waste: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to tackle waste crime in rural communities.

      Forests: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of EIP25 targets for improving plantations on ancient woodland soils with...

      Recreation Spaces: Staffordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of access to green open spaces for the health and wellbeing of...

      Wildlife: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence her Department considered in deciding to reject the proposed amendments to the Wildlife and Countryside Act...

      Seals: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impacts of the decision to reject JNCC's recommendations on...

      Forests: Oxford-Cambridge Arc

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timeline is for woodland creation for the Oxford–Cambridge National Forest; what interim milestones...

      Forests: Oxford-Cambridge Arc

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether indicators of progress for tree planting, canopy cover, ancient woodland condition, tree survival and biodiversity...

      Tree Planting: Oxford-Cambridge Arc

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in relation to the Oxford–Cambridge Forest, what assessment has been made of the impact of afforestation on hydrology...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Old Royal Naval College

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the long-term financial sustainability of and continued public access to the Old Royal Naval College.

    • Uncrewed Systems: Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Rapid £140 million boost for drone and counter-drone tech from newly-formed UK Defence...

      Armed Forces: Ministers of Religion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an assessment on the role of Chaplains in the Armed Forces.

      Ajax Vehicles: Noise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what specific changes have been made by General Dynamics in the last five years to resolve issues related directly to noise and vibration identified...

      Offshore Industry: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department last conducted an exercise to explore the threat against UK offshore energy assets from Russian military activities.

      Offshore Industry: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the threat to UK offshore energy assets from Russian military activities.

      Offshore Industry: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of naval protection for offshore energy installations in the UK Economic Zone.

      Offshore Industry: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what advice is given to operators of offshore oil rigs and installations in the North Sea on steps to take in the event of threat or intimidation from...

      Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer to question 37814 on 20 March 2025, when the outcome, recommendations and a departmental response arising from the review into...

  • Department for Education

    • Special Educational Needs: Dyslexia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Department is taking to ensure that families who cannot afford private dyslexia assessments have access to timely diagnosis and support.

    • V-levels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support schools and colleges in the transition to V Levels.

      Erasmus+ Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rejoining the Erasmus student exchange scheme on (a) society and (b) culture.

      Children: Charities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that child welfare and education charities receive timely and clear information on Government grants and...

      Postgraduate Education: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is considering changes to postgraduate research funding eligibility for older learners as part of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

      Vocational Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend funding for BTEC Extended Diplomas until the full rollout of V Levels to prevent a gap in post-16 qualification options.

  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

    • Heat Pumps: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the estimated total cost to households is of replacing gas boilers with heat pumps.

    • Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the electricity price assumptions in SAP and RdSAP will be updated to reflect the announced reduction in electricity bills.

      Clean Power: National Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Clean Power 2030 on national security.

      Wind Power: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many onshore wind turbines have been constructed in the UK in each of the last five years; and how much funding his Department...

      Energy Company Obligation: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the Energy Company Obligation scheme on employment in the North West.

      Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting...

      Fuels: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of recent trends in levels of (a) petrol and (b) diesel prices in (i) Surrey and...

      Energy: Hexham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential number of businesses in the Hexham constituency that may request...

      Carbon Emissions: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans he has to support low-income households with decarbonisation of homes in the context of the end of the Energy Company...

      Heating: Fossil Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting a phase-out date for fossil fuel heating systems.

      Hydrogen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) growth and (b) employment in the hydrogen sector.

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofgem's powers to regulate energy companies and protect customers from overpayment...

      Energy Company Obligation: Heat Pumps and Solar Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the ECO scheme on the number of MCS-registered heat pump and solar...

      Energy Company Obligation: Heat Pumps and Solar Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Budget 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed scrapping of the...

      Carbon Emissions: Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the projected cost is of achieving net zero by 2050, including costs to government, business and households.

      National Grid: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to accelerate grid upgrades to support energy security and industrial investment.

      Electricity: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of isolating the cost of electricity from natural gas.

      Solar Power: Forced Labour

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many solar arrays in GB Energy inventory were made in part or in whole using forced labour.

      Renewable Energy: China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of importing renewable technologies from China on energy security.

      HyNet: Runcorn and Helsby

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to compensate local communities in Runcorn and Helsby constituency for potential impacts...

      Solar Power: China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of importing solar panels from China on security.

      Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Civil Servants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

      UK Emissions Trading Scheme: Shipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the compliance cost to the maritime sector of expanding the UK Emissions Trading...

      Energy: Small Businesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what measures are being introduced to protect and support small and medium-sized enterprises in the retrofit supply chain under the...

      Solar Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of the target for additional renewable energy will be met by the erection of 1800 hectares of solar panels on...

      Energy Company Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will set out the detailed allocation plan for the additional £1.5 billion funding for the Energy Company Obligation,...

      Carbon Emissions: Data Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of electricity demand from AI-related data centres on his net zero targets.

      Energy: Houseboats

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, following the Expanding the Warm Home Discount Scheme, 2025 to 2026, consultation and the decision not to expand the Park Homes...

      Community Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of community energy networking.

      Fuel Poverty: Hexham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment the Department has made of the level of energy-related cost pressures on low- income households in Hexham...

      Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will set out the evidential basis for his statement at Column 258 of Hansard on 25 November 2025 that "Thirty years of COPs...

      Warm Homes Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the proposed timeline is for the implementation of the Warm Homes Plan, and what steps are being taken to ensure collaboration...

  • Treasury

    • Economic Growth and Productivity

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans she has to bring forward supply-side reforms aimed at improving productivity in key growth sectors of the economy.

    • Erasmus+ Programme: Finance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which budget line is funding the contributions agreed to rejoin Erasmus Plus in the Spending Review period.

      Council of the Nations and Regions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Council of Nations and Regions’ programme of work will consider fiscal devolution.

      Sovereign Grant

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how often HM Treasury reviews (a) the level of the Sovereign Grant, and (b) what criteria are used in that review.

      Rolling Stock Companies: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a windfall tax on current Rolling Stock companies (ROSCOs).

      Emigration

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 96307 on Emigration, if her Department will make an assessment of of the potential impact of the...

      Public Sector: Cost Effectiveness

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of potential efficiency savings in public services that could reduce pressure on public spending while maintaining service quality.

      Hybrid Vehicles: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a tax of 1.5p per mile on drivers of hybrid vehicles.

      Insurance: Sickle Cell Diseases

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability, affordability and terms of insurance for people (a) diagnosed with sickle cell disease...

  • Department for Business and Trade

    • Department for Business and Trade: Civil Servants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

    • Seasonal Workers and Temporary Employment: Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what data the Fair Work Agency will collect and publish on breaches of employment law involving temporary and seasonal workers.

      Department for Business and Trade: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the net zero targets for their Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued to those bodies on...

      Fireworks: Noise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the decibel level of fireworks.

      Employment: Inspections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2025 to Question 96733, how many of the EASI inspections carried out in Scotland in 2024/25 took place...

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Sports: Facilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the £400 million announced for grassroots sports facilities on 19 June 2025 will include Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Identity Cards: Digital Technology

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help prevent data breaches associated with the proposed digital ID cards.

    • Identity Cards: Digital Technology

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the implementation of Digital ID in Northern Ireland.

      Identity Cards: Digital Technology

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether children and young people will be required to hold an ID card if they work.

      Identity Cards: Digital Technology

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help support people who are digitally excluded to work, in the context of the implementation of the proposed digital ID card.

      Identity Cards: Digital Technology

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy not to introduce ID cards.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Child Maintenance Service: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Child Maintenance Service's stated response time is for MPs' queries.

    • Pension Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the press release entitled Fresh drive to boost Pension Credit take-up as new figures reveal large regional gaps in those...

      Child Maintenance Service: Surrey Heath

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service in ensuring timely case handling and communication...

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Floods: Fire and Rescue Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is ensuring that Fire and Rescue services have a statutory duty to support flood events.

    • Business: Fire Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to ensure businesses are routinely up to date with fire safety guidance.

      Fires

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle wildfires in 2026.

      Elections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take legislative steps to prevent non-UK citizens from (a) voting and (b) standing in all UK elections.

      Countering Foreign Financial Influence and Interference in UK Politics Independent Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the contact email and postal address for representations to the Rycroft review into foreign financial...

      Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners: Elections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the average cost per elector of elections for a) Police and Crime Commissioners and b)...

      Public Buildings: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that private developers of buildings used by the public meet the same accessibility...

      Energy Performance Certificates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to introduce reforms to Energy Performance Certificates, in the context of the development and...

      Absent Voting: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has conducted any assessment of risks posed by foreign-state or foreign-network mobilisation...

  • Attorney General

    • Immigration: Prosecutions

      To ask the Solicitor General, how many referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service for immigration offences in the last three years were not prosecuted on evidential grounds.

    • Attorney General's Office: Civil Servants

      To ask the Solicitor General, how many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are (a) on temporary contracts and are (b) consultants.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Social Services: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve capacity within the social care system and (b) reduce delayed discharges.

    • Dentistry: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many posts have been (a) allocated and (b) filled in the dental recruitment incentive scheme, broken down by (i) region, (ii)...

      General Practitioners: Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Online GP appointment requests available everywhere from today, published on 1 October 2025,...

      Dementia: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of joined up working between local authority social services and the NHS in dementia cases...

      Welltower: Mergers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Welltower on ensuring that its acquisition of HC-One, Barchester and Care UK does not have adverse...

      Welltower: Mergers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Welltower's acquisition of HC-One, Barchester and Care UK on the quality and...

      Dental Services: Great Yarmouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will provide emergency funding to areas with the most severe dental shortages, including Great Yarmouth.

      Dental Services: Great Yarmouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of children in Great Yarmouth constituency that were unable to access an NHS dental...

      Dental Services: Great Yarmouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the number of NHS dentists currently working in Great Yarmouth constituency on...

      Dental Services: Woking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been supported (a) nationally and (b) in Woking constituency by the urgent care dental pilot project.

      Dental Services: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the 10,910 additional urgent dental appointments allocated to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board have...

      Integrated Care Boards: Accountability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms will ensure accountability for primary care outcomes within merged ICBs, particularly where decision-making may be...

      Primary Care: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of levels of funding for primary care on levels of demand for secondary and urgent care.

      Dental Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to regularly monitor and report on dental access for cleft and other priority groups.

      Continuing Care: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of cuts to Continuing Healthcare funding on patient care.

      Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions taking to capture the views of medical professionals working with...

      Cirencester Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support Cirencester Hospital.

      Surgical Mesh Implants: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has held recent discussions with the Scottish Government on the inclusion of data from NHS Scotland in the UK...

      Health Services: Women

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide an update on the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy and confirm if there will be an opportunity for...

      Health Services: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to grow the children’s health workforce.

      Department of Health and Social Care: Social Media

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the...

      Department of Health and Social Care: Visas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visas a) his Department, b) the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, c) the UK Health Security Agency, d) the Care...

      Joint Replacements: Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ban the blanket use of body mass index thresholds as a means of determining eligibility for joint replacement...

      Anaesthetics: East of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the size of the anaesthetist workforce in (a) the East of England and (b) St Neots and Mid...

      Anaesthetics: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog for core anaesthetic training.

      NHS: Agency Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the NHS has spent on agency staff by employment type in each of the last five years.

      Anaesthetics: Rrecruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of anaesthetists across the UK.

      Ambulance Services: Health and Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) operational risk and (b) physical demands of Hazardous Area Response Team (HART)...

      Joint Replacements: Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to end the blanket use of body mass index thresholds to determine eligibility for joint replacement surgery.

      Human Tissue: Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of geographic variation in access to tissue-freezing services; and what steps his...

      Human Tissue: Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the funding required to ensure equitable access to tissue-freezing services for cancer patients across...

      Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress he has made in developing a strategy for delivering Adult Social Care.

      Great Western Hospital: Pneumonia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients died from hospital acquired pneumonia at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon in each of the first six months of 2025.

      Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is having with (a) local authorities and (b) independent sector agencies on the delivery of adult social care.

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Iran: Demonstrations

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of violence by Iran's security forces against pro-democracy protestors, and what action they are taking in response.

    • Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask His Majesty's Government how much they contributed in humanitarian assistance to Sudan in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025; and how much they plan to contribute to Sudan in 2026.

  • Home Office

    • Police: Databases

      To ask His Majesty's Government following the publication of the report of the Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March, what progress they have made on...

    • Israeli Embassy: Police

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support police officers guarding the Israeli Embassy in London with their (1) working conditions, and (2) safety.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • NHS: Strikes

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of resident doctors’ industrial action on NHS capacity and patient safety during the winter period.

    • Abortion: Telemedicine

      To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of those who use telemedicine abortion services have an abortion after the 10 week threshold.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Apprentices: Disability

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that apprenticeship opportunities are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities, learning difficulties, or additional...

    • Apprentices

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve apprenticeship retention and completion rates, particularly in sectors with high drop-out levels.

      Employment Schemes: Young People

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage young people to take up the apprenticeships and workplace opportunities available as part of their new skills reforms; and...

      Unemployment

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the UK unemployment figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 16 December; and what assessment they have...

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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