Every parliamentary written question tabled by Alex Easton this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 236 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has held recent discussions with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums on alternative feed sources for captive birds of prey and reptiles.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment her Department has made of trends in the value of trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in each year since 2020; and if she will provide a breakdown of that trade by imports, exp
Awaiting answer.
How much public funding has been provided to InterTradeIreland in each financial year since 2020; from which departmental budget that funding has been allocated; and what the stated purpose of that funding is.
Awaiting answer.
How many supplementary declarations have been submitted to HMRC since 1 January 2021.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment her Department has made of the monetary value of trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom in each year since 2020; and if she will provide a breakdown of that trade by moveme
Awaiting answer.
How much funding has been allocated to Intertrade UK since its establishment; from which departmental budget that funding has been provided; and what that funding is intended to support.
The UK Government provided Intertrade UK with £2.25m funding as part of the wider £16.6m Internal Market Package at Autumn Budget 2025. The funding allocation is split evenly over three financial years, commencing in 2026/2027. Intertrade UK was establish...
If HM Treasury will review Northern Ireland’s funding settlement following the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council’s assessment that Northern Ireland is funded at or slightly below its level of assessed need.
This is the largest Spending Review settlement received by the Northern Ireland Executive, in real terms, since devolution in 1998. Under the latest Spending Review, the Northern Ireland Executive is funded above 124% of comparable UK Government spending ...
Whether the Government has plans to review Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006.
Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 places a legal duty on directors to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of employees, and to the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment. It also requires directors to...
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent changes to steel import quotas and tariffs on UK manufacturing businesses; and whether he plans to undertake a review of those changes.
The Government held extensive consultations with producers and downstream users of steel to inform development of the new steel trade measure, including a Call for Evidence in July 2025, and will continue to engage regularly with companies across the supp...
What assessment he has made with the devolved Administrations of the level of public confidence in the consistency and fairness of sentencing decisions across the UK, including in cases involving social media-rel
Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts. In England and Wales, courts sentence offenders within the framework set by Parliament and in accordance with guidelines issued by the independent Sentencing Council. Those guidelines ...
What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice on public confidence in sentencing decisions in Northern Ireland; and whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of
It is important that there is confidence in the justice system. I regularly meet with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice to discuss areas of mutual interest and concern.Policing and justice, with the exception of national security, are devolved matt...
What estimate she has made of the volume of retail goods purchased in Northern Ireland and subsequently transported by consumers into the Republic of Ireland.
HM Revenue and Customs does not hold an estimate of the volume of retail goods purchased in Northern Ireland and subsequently transported by consumers into the Republic of Ireland. There is no routine data collection on the movement of retail goods carrie...
What discussions he has had with the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Defence and Cabinet colleagues on the potential role of the Royal Navy in ensuring the safe passage of British-registered vessels thro
I have regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on the conflict in Iran, and its impact.. The Government is committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict and ensuring the safety of British vessels, and the UK is playing a leading role jointly...
How many consignments moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are declared as at risk of onward movement to the EU; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of those consignments that subsequently move
The government remains committed to the smooth flow of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. On 5 November, the Independent Monitoring Panel reported that the Internal Market Guarantee was exceeded for its first monitoring period. This means that ...
What assessment she has made of the impact of the (a) administrative burden and (b) associated costs of the “at risk” criteria on small and medium-sized enterprises moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Irelan
The Government remains committed to the smooth flow of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The Government has set out the Internal Market Guarantee that 80% of the value of freight will move under the UK internal market system. On 5 November, th...
What assessment he has made with the devolved Administrations of the resilience of the UK’s insulin supply chain; and whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of supporting increase
The Department is aware of supply issues with some insulin presentations. However, a variety of alternative insulin products remain available, some of which are also suitable alternatives to those affected by shortages or discontinuations. We continue to ...
What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regarding the potential impact of an increase in fuel costs on the agricultural sector in Northern Ireland; and whether she is considering targeted support measures for farmers.
The Government is actively monitoring the increase in fuel costs across the whole of the UK, including in Northern Ireland, and any impacts on our food and farming sectors. The Government has already announced that the 5p fuel duty cut will be extended until September.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of a reduced rate of VAT for businesses in Northern Ireland on economic growth and competitiveness; and whether her Department has considered piloting such a measure in Northern Ireland.
VAT operates on a UK-wide basis and is a broad-based tax on consumption with the 20 per cent standard rate applying to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer.
What steps her Department is taking to investigate reports of individuals submitting fraudulent claims in support of visa or asylum applications; and whether she plans to review visas granted in cases where claims relating to sexual orientation have been made from countries assessed as presenting a higher risk of fraudulent applications.
The Home Office does not tolerate abuse of the immigration and asylum system and where we encounter such abuse, we take action. Protection status can and will be revoked where evidence emerges that it was obtained by deception.If someone has concerns that a specific asylum claim may have been made fraudulently, these can be reported here: Report an immigration or border crime - GOV.UK. Any such reports will be fully investigated.Furthermore, claiming asylum on the grounds of sexual orientation does not automatically result in a grant of asylum or other form of leave. All asylum and human rights claims, including those raised on grounds of sexual orientation are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Our guidance for considering asylum claims is available on GOV.UK at: Assessing credibility and refugee status: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.A decision maker will not accept a person’s claimed sexual orientation at face value, such declarations constitute the starting point in the consideration process and are subject to probing at interview and a proper assessment of the facts and circumstances.Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. Our assessment of the situation of a given group in a given country is set out in the relevant country policy and information note, which is available on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/country-policy-and-information-notes.
What recent assessment he has made of the impact of rising domestic heating oil prices on households in Northern Ireland, where approximately 68% of homes rely on heating oil; and whether he plans to introduce targeted financial support for those households.
The Prime Minister has been clear his number one domestic priority is helping families with the cost-of-living. To that end, the Government has announced £53 million for low-income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. In Northern Ireland, £17 million has been allocated, acknowledging the high levels of usage of heating oil there. The Northern Ireland Executive will have responsibility for the dispersal of these funds. The Government is also working with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that consumer protections are fit for purpose for Northern Irish households, who are particularly reliant on heating oil.