3 Dec 2025·Home Office·Answered
AskedIf she has considered the merits of making it mandatory for DBS checks to be (a) single use and (b) job specific.
ReplyThe Home Office does not place requirements on how DBS checks are used. It is for individual sectors to decide what, if anything, they want to mandate for their sectors
3 Dec 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the potential merits of giving local authorities the power to introduce a temporary Blue Badge scheme.
ReplyCurrently, local authorities, in their capacity as the traffic authority for their area, are already free to consider setting up locally determined temporary parking concessions that could assist the recovery of residents who have recently undergone major surgery or suffered serious illness. LAs already have powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to mark out bays for specific purposes, issue local parking permits, and use Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to reserve spaces for specific purposes. This can be a voluntary local scheme, and the cost and nature of the concession would be for the local authority to decide. Whilst the primary focus of the Blue Badge on-street parking scheme is to help people who have an enduring and substantial disability that affects their mobility park closer to their destinations, goods, and services, the Department routinely monitors the scheme to see how it may be improved, to ensure that it continues to serve those who need it most.
3 Dec 2025·Home Office·Answered
AskedHow many people have been deported from the USA to the UK in each year since 2016.
ReplyThe UK and US have a bilateral arrangement to proactively share information about criminals being deported from the UK to US and the US to UK. This came into effect on 29 July 2020. International partners are not obliged to notify each other about the deportation or removal of individuals to another country. Notifications from the US to UK are received and processed by the ACRO Criminal Records Office (ACRO).ACRO has recorded receipt of the following number of notifications from the US since 29 July 2020:2020 (after 29 July)3020215120226420239920241162025211 The Home Office does not produce official statistics on this topic.
1 Dec 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterparts concerning the detention of Asif Pervaiz; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to support his release.
ReplyI refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 12 June to question 58220.
1 Dec 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the potential merits of registering people involved in the distribution and sale of excise goods in a national scheme administered by HMRC.
ReplyThe existing excise regime is already well regulated, with HMRC operating several registration and approval schemes for those who deal in excise goods, for example the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS), the Tobacco Trace and Trace system and the Registered Dealers in Controlled Oils (RDCO) scheme.
1 Dec 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedFor what reason tobacco duty increased above the rate of inflation in the Autumn Budget 2025.
ReplyAt Autumn Budget 2024, the Government renewed the commitment to a tobacco duty escalator, which increases duty by 2 percent above RPI inflation at each Budget, until the end of the current Parliament. At Autumn Budget 2025, the duty on all tobacco products was increased in line with this commitment. The government also confirmed further increases of 2% above RPI plus an additional £2.20 per 100 cigarettes and per 50g of other tobacco products to take effect from 1 October 2026, alongside the introduction of Vaping Duty. This is part of the Government’s focus on health prevention and to continue our drive to reduce smoking prevalence.
1 Dec 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the potential impact of planned double duty increases on tobacco products on inflation.
ReplyForecasting the economy, including the effect of Government policy decisions on inflation, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR set out the impact of policy measures on inflation in its Autumn Budget 2025 forecast, including the rise in tobacco duty. The OBR have not adjusted their inflation forecast for the rise in tobacco duty. The Chancellor asked departments to prioritise reducing inflation when developing policies for the Autumn Budget, ensuring decisions support stability and long-term growth. Considering all policies, the OBR expect budget measures to reduce CPI inflation by 0.4pp in 2026/27.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Business and Trade·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement on the UK; and if he will publish a report on that agreement since its implementation.
ReplyThe Department’s impact assessment of the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement was published under the previous government on 28th February 2022. This impact assessment set out the potential long-run incremental economic impact of the FTA and is available on gov.uk. On a recent visit to New Zealand I saw how the FTA – and the trade advantages consequent upon our membership of the CPTPP – are being used. The Department is currently considering our approach to FTA Monitoring, and we will provide an update on this in due course.
24 Nov 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart concerning the imprisonment of Christian converts Hossein Mohammadi and Zahra Gholami; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure their release.
ReplyFurther to the answer I gave on 29 October to Question 83265, we are concerned by the reported cases of Hossein Mohammadi and Zahra Gholami, and we continue to monitor the situation for Christians in Iran.
24 Nov 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps he has taken to help reduce cases of hypoglycaemia in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.
ReplyThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published advice on the management of type 1 diabetes, including advice on managing hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, which is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/diabetes-type-1/management/ NICE’s guidance includes the use of hybrid close loops (HCL) for type 1 diabetes which provide real time monitoring of glucose levels and administer insulin when needed to prevent hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Following NICE’s guidance, NHS England developed a five-year national strategy with guidance to National Health Service providers on the phased uptake approach of HCL systems. The guidance applies nationally, including to Romford. Rollout started last year. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943NHS England also commissions diabetes digital structured education services, which support users to self-manage their condition.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat information her Department holds on the proportion of parking fines administered by local authorities that have been overturned in every year since 2010.
ReplyThe Department for Transport does not hold this data. Local authorities publish some financial information relating to parking fines on their websites. All local authorities have a statutory responsibility to provide appropriate traffic management schemes for their roads; therefore they are free to make their own decisions about the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation. They are accountable to local people for their decisions and their performance.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat steps she has taken to reduce instances of pavement parking.
ReplyThe Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.
24 Nov 2025·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to support good (a) mental and (b) physical health amongst retired veterans.
ReplyThis Government remains dedicated in recognising our veterans for their service and is fully committed to ensuring that veterans are able to access the care and support they need. In England, NHS England provides Op COURAGE, which delivers a broad range of specialist mental health wellbeing care and support for service leavers, reservists, and veterans. Op RESTORE provides specialist care and support to veterans who have physical health problems as a result of their service. Separate provision is available for veterans living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Earlier this year we launched VALOUR, a new national programme designed to make it easier for veterans across the UK to access support when it is needed. The £27 million VALOUR development funding programme will deliver VALOUR Recognised Centres across the country, which will help cohere service provision and ensure that veterans can meet and discuss their issues with others who understand their unique experiences, within their communities, to further enhance their wellbeing.
24 Nov 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps he has taken to help reduce cases of hyperglycaemia in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.
ReplyThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published advice on the management of type 1 diabetes, including advice on managing hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, which is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/diabetes-type-1/management/ NICE’s guidance includes the use of hybrid close loops (HCL) for type 1 diabetes which provide real time monitoring of glucose levels and administer insulin when needed to prevent hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Following NICE’s guidance, NHS England developed a five-year national strategy with guidance to National Health Service providers on the phased uptake approach of HCL systems. The guidance applies nationally, including to Romford. Rollout started last year. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943NHS England also commissions diabetes digital structured education services, which support users to self-manage their condition.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Business and Trade·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement on the UK; and if he will publish a report on that agreement since its implementation.
ReplyThe Department’s impact assessment of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreements was published under the previous government on 16th December 2021. This impact assessment set out the potential long-run incremental economic impact of the FTA and is available on gov.uk. On a recent visit to Australia for the CPTPP Commission I saw how the FTA – and the trade advantages consequent upon our membership of the CPTPP – are being used. The Department is currently considering our approach to FTA Monitoring, not least because we want to see how effectively FTAs are being used by UK businesses and we will provide an update on this in due course.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat steps he has taken to reduce the number of parking fines administered by local authorities.
ReplyThe Department for Transport does not hold this data. Local authorities publish some financial information relating to parking fines on their websites. All local authorities have a statutory responsibility to provide appropriate traffic management schemes for their roads; therefore they are free to make their own decisions about the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation. They are accountable to local people for their decisions and their performance.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to improve road safety in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.
ReplyThe Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies which will have national reach. We intend to publish the Strategy this year. We aid local authorities by providing guidance and initiatives such as our flagship road safety campaign, THINK! which works closely with local authority partners and the police to align on road safety campaign activity. The Department for Transport makes highways and local transport funding available to Local Transport Authorities, who decide how to use the funding to support local priorities. How available resources are deployed within Romford, and London boroughs, is the responsibility of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor of London, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat information her Department holds on the amount of money that has been collected by local authorities through the administration of parking fines in every year since 2010.
ReplyThe Department for Transport does not hold this data. Local authorities publish some financial information relating to parking fines on their websites. All local authorities have a statutory responsibility to provide appropriate traffic management schemes for their roads; therefore they are free to make their own decisions about the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation. They are accountable to local people for their decisions and their performance.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat information her Department holds on the number of parking fines that have been administered by the London Borough of Havering in every year since 2010.
ReplyThe Department for Transport does not hold this data. Local authorities publish some financial information relating to parking fines on their websites. All local authorities have a statutory responsibility to provide appropriate traffic management schemes for their roads; therefore they are free to make their own decisions about the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation. They are accountable to local people for their decisions and their performance.
24 Nov 2025·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedHow many casualties there have been on railways in every year since 2010 in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.
ReplyThe Department does not hold the data for this period in the format requested. However, there have been 4,851 fatalities on the railways in Great Britain since 2010, including suicides and suspected suicides, of which 24 occurred in the constituency of Romford.