Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew George this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 141–160 of 173 · this parliament
What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Health and Social Care on funding requirements for avian influenza preparedness and response in 2025–26.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer holds regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on a range of issues.
What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to disability payments on the proportion of Universal Credit claimants who will enter employment.
The DWP is working with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to assess the employment impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper. The OBR will publish their estimate of the impacts alongside the Autumn Budget.
What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the Universal Credit Bill on disabled people.
We want disabled people, where they can, to be able to thrive in work. The current system traps people out of work, so the UK, uniquely in the G7, still has a lower employment rate than before the pandemic. The Bill removes work disincentives, increasing the Universal Credit Standard Allowance above inflation for the first time ever.
What steps she is taking through the criminal justice system to help tackle violence against women and children.
The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. We are aiming to publish our new, cross-government strategy later this year. We will use a wide variety of tools to target perpetrators and tackle the root causes of abuse and violence. The Ministry of Justice has already taken action by:Launching a pilot of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected areas, to strengthen protections for victims by consolidating the strongest elements of existing protective measures into a single, flexible order.Preparing for the introduction of free Independent Legal Advisors for victims of adult rape this year, to help victims understand and uphold their legal rights through the criminal justice process.Introducing new criminal offences which capture creating sexually explicit deepfakes, and spiking.Announcing family court reforms, such as expanding our Pathfinder programme in the family court, improving the experience of domestic abuse victims and their children at court.Commissioning the Independent Review of Criminal Courts to improve court timeliness - including for victims of VAWG.
How many UK universities that are registered with the Office for Students publish the (a) quantity and (b) type of contact hours for courses advertised to prospective students.
The Office for Students (OfS) does not routinely collect or publish data on the number of registered higher education providers that disclose the quantity and type of contact hours for courses advertised to prospective students.However, all registered providers are expected to comply with consumer protection law, including providing clear and accurate information to students about their courses. The Competition and Markets Authority has issued guidance to support providers in meeting these obligations, which includes transparency around contact hours and modes of delivery. The OfS expects providers to have due regard to this guidance as part of their registration conditions.Where students believe that information provided has been misleading or insufficient, they are encouraged to raise concerns through their provider’s complaints process and can escalate complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education if necessary. Additionally, any students, staff or members of the public who feel a university is not meeting the OfS’ registration requirements may submit a notification to the OfS.
Which countries armed forces have been trained by British armed forces in each of the last five years.
The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. In 2024-25 alone, that spanned 140 different partner nations, with similar levels of engagement across each of the past five years. In the interests of national security and upholding trust and confidentiality in our international partnerships, it is not appropriate for the Government to provide a full breakdown of countries that received military training from the UK over this period. All training is carried out in adherence to International Humanitarian Law.
What criteria his Department uses to decide whether to grant a request from a foreign government for training for their armed forces by the British armed forces.
The provision of training to a foreign military is assessed on a case-by-case basis and kept under review. This is underpinned by a robust process that considers strategic alignment, risks, opportunities, and compliance with International Humanitarian Law.
What plans his Department has for training foreign armed forces by British armed forces.
As the Strategic Defence Review sets out, training forms a critical part of the UK’s support to Allies and partners, both globally and in the Euro-Atlantic. Our training offer consists of our globally renowned training institutions, including the Royal College of Defence Studies and the military academies, which continue to attract global leaders in their field, as well as bespoke activity to support Allies and partners.
What steps she plans to take with the Office for Students to ensure that universities provide prospective students with transparent data (a) in general and (b) on what proportion of courses are delivered online.
Higher education providers must be transparent in how they advertise and deliver their courses. The Competition and Market Authority has published advice for providers on complying with consumer law, including informing students about the quantity and type of contact hours. All registered providers must pay due regard to this guidance as part of their registration conditions with the Office for Students (OfS).Online learning offers significant benefits to students, but it must support the quality of a student's learning experience. The OfS’s Blended Learning Review urges providers to clearly communicate course expectations and assess students’ blended learning experiences. Students dissatisfied with their university’s service should use their provider’s complaints process. If a provider is not meeting the OfS’s registration requirements, this can be raised to the OfS by submitting a notification.
What estimate he has made of the (a) annual capacity of the Overseas Registration Examination system and (b) number of fully trained overseas dentists already in the UK who are on the waiting list for this examination.
The Overseas Registration exam (ORE) is operated by the General Dental Council (GDC), which is independent of the Government. The Department does not hold data on exactly how many candidates are waiting to sit the GDC’s ORE, or their residency status.We understand from the GDC that, in April 2025, there were approximately 5,000 candidates on the combined waiting lists for both Part 1 and Part 2 of the ORE exam.In April 2025, there was one sitting of the ORE Part 1, with 600 places available, and three sittings of the ORE Part 2 between January and April 2025, with 144 places on each. Between August 2025 and April 2026, there will be three sittings of ORE Part 1, with 600 places available on each sitting, and four sittings of ORE Part 2, with 144 places available on each sitting. In total, this provides 2,400 places for ORE Part 1, and 1,008 places for ORE Part 2 between April 2025 and April 2026.The GDC’s procurement of new ORE provider contracts is ongoing, and the GDC expects to be able to announce the new providers this autumn. Officials will continue to discuss the new arrangements with the GDC, with a focus on understanding how they will further increase the availability of the ORE exam.Whilst the GDC holds contact details for candidates on the waiting list for the ORE, they do not hold data on residency. It is the role of the GDC to approve eligibility criteria for the ORE. There are no restrictions on accessing the exam based on the residency status of the candidate.
What (a) trading rules and (b) tariffs on trade apply between the UK and settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK's current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel.The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, provides information for UK operators on how goods from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories should be labelled.
What recent estimate he has made of the occupancy levels of premises (a) owned and (b) leased by (i) the Government and (ii) its agencies in (A) Cornwall and (B) the Isles of Scilly.
Central data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data) for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office.As was the case under the previous administration, no other information on workforce attendance is gathered centrally. Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.
If he will increase the powers of the Grocery Code Adjudicator.
We had a Westminster Hall Debate last week, where a number of issues were raised, he will know that we are undertaking our fourth review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). I would encourage him and other members to contribute to that. We are considering the other points that have been made in that debate, and we welcome comments in the review as well.
What funding his Department (a) has provided and (b) intends to provide, including through energy company obligations, to help reduce domestic energy bills between the 2020-21 and 2030-31 financial years, broken down by (i) cash handouts, (ii) installation of (A) new gas boilers, (B) heat pumps, (C) other heating systems, (D) solar panels, (E) domestic and heat batteries (including heat batteries), (iii) replacement (1) windows, (2) doors and (3) insulation and (iv) other support.
As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1 billion of this allocated to 2025/2026. The current iteration of the scheme, ECO4, runs from 2022 - 2026 with an increased value of £4 billion to accelerate our efforts to improve homes to meet fuel poverty targets. Government does not specify which types of measures should be installed in any particular property, only that the installations should be carried out by TrustMark registered installers in accordance with the relevant standards and consumer protection requirements. Deployment of measures under Government schemes are published monthly on Gov.uk: www.gov.uk/government/collections/green-home-grant-statistics, www.gov.uk/government/collections/household-energy-efficiency-national-statistics.
Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans for badger culling in England to end.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Leicestershire, Alberto Costa, on 28 March 2025, PQ 40170.
Whether she plans to (a) amend, (b) repeal and (c) replace the Public Order Act 2023.
There are currently no plans to amend, repeal or replace the Public Order Act 2023. Post legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 will be carried out this year, beginning in May.A memorandum will be submitted to the relevant departmental select committees in accordance with normal parliamentary practice.
What proportion of funding to tackle fuel poverty has been allocated to home insulation.
Fuel poverty policy is devolved with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero having responsibility for England. The Government has kickstarted delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, including an initial £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes over the next 3 years. There are multiple targeted schemes in place to deliver energy efficiency measures, low carbon heating and insulation measures to low income and fuel poor households in England. Schemes include the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Great British Insulation Scheme, the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (formerly the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund), and the new Warm Homes: Local Grant. The Government's review of the 2021 fuel poverty strategy confirms that a new plan is needed to accelerate progress to alleviate fuel poverty. We have therefore consulted on a revised fuel poverty strategy focusing on improving the energy performance of homes, supporting low-income households with energy affordability and protecting them from high prices. The consultation closed on 4 April and we are considering the responses received.
With reference to the guidance entitled NHS Financial Support for Health Students (Fourth Edition): NHS Learning Support Fund, published on 29 June 2020, how many regional incentive payments were made to eligible students in areas where there is a workforce shortage in each of the last four years; and whether these payments are still available.
The regional incentive payments that were referenced in the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) fourth edition rules published on 29 June 2020 were not introduced, and therefore no payments have been made. The LSF scheme rules are reviewed annually ahead of each academic year.To reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. The Government will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will set targets in the updated Environmental Improvement Plan for the biodiversity recovery of (a) wetlands, (b) peat bogs (c) coastal strips, (d) grasslands, (e) woodlands and forests and (f) other significant habitats.
The Government concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025. Later in 2025 we will publish a revised EIP, to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information to help meet the ambitious Environment Act targets. It will be a clearer, prioritised plan for achieving environmental outcomes such as reducing waste across the economy, planting more trees, improving air quality and halting the decline in species. We have legally binding targets have been carefully designed to enable biodiversity recovery. These are: Halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, and then increase abundance by at least 10% to exceed 2022 levels by 2042.Restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042, - alongside our international commitment to protect 30% of our land and ocean by 2030.Increase tree canopy and woodland cover from 14.5% to 16.5% of total land area in England by 2050, andFor 70% of designated features in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to be in favourable condition by 2042 with the remainder in recovering condition.
Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to conclude the Environmental Improvement Plan rapid review.
The Government concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23), publishing a statement of its key findings on 30 January 2025. The revised EIP will be published later this year.