Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gideon Amos this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 212 · this parliament
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the statutory bereavement award under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976; whether he plans to review the level of that award; and whether an assessment has bee
Bereavement damages are a fixed payment in acknowledgment of grief and are in no way intended to reflect the value of the life lost in monetary terms. They are only one element of the damages that may be awarded in a particular case, which for example can...
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of school attendance penalty notice regulations on families of emergency service workers, including ambulance service staff, with limited ability to choose a
All children are entitled to a full-time education.The national framework for penalty notices is designed to ensure fairness and consistency by applying expectations equally to all. While schools must apply the attendance framework fairly and consistently...
If he will have discussions with NHS England and the Somerset Integrated Care Board on the removal of the NHS pharmaceutical service provided by Boots pharmacy at Wellington Medical Centre from the
Under Part 9, regulation 67 of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, pharmacy owners must give notice before permanently closing premises. Contractors providing at least 40 core opening hours a week must give a minim...
For what reason the NHS pharmaceutical service at Wellington Medical Centre was removed from the pharmaceutical list; and whether that removal was processed under Regulation (a) 25 and (b) 26A of t
Under Part 9, regulation 67 of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, pharmacy owners must give notice before permanently closing premises. Contractors providing at least 40 core opening hours a week must give a minim...
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of commissioning a national review of governance arrangements for changes to NHS pharmaceutical lists.
Under Part 9, regulation 67 of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, pharmacy owners must give notice before permanently closing premises. Contractors providing at least 40 core opening hours a week must give a minim...
Whether the 2026 Somerset Armed Forces Day's application for funding has been logged on his Department's systems.
Following successful engagement with the chairman of the Somerset Armed Forces Day (AFD) event, the MOD can confirm an AFD grant award of £5,000 for 2026 event.
What steps she is taking to ensure that the online driving license renewal process and other GOV.UK websites provide accessible digital services for members of the public to complete administrative processes ef
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services currently adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and work is underway to bring all services to WCAG 2.2 level AA status to attain full compliance with the most recent acce...
Whether he has reviewed the Competition and Markets Authority’s decision of 30 October 2025 to accept legally binding commitments from major housebuilders to tackle anticompetitive behaviour and ensure
The Government notes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) decision of 30 October 2025. The CMA is the UK’s independent competition authority responsible for enforcing competition law, and the Government does not review its individual enforcement ...
What targeted guidance is available to medically vulnerable people who cannot safely reduce their heating use.
The Government’s fuel poverty strategy seeks to ensure households are supported to achieve warm homes at an affordable cost. The UK Health Security Agency has produced guidance for the public on how to keep warm and well at home, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-warm-keep-well-leaflet-gives-advice-on-staying-healthy-in-cold-weatherThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance to reduce the health risks associated with cold homes, which is available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng6The audiences for this include people who may have health problems related to living in a cold home, as well as their families and carers.Financial support schemes are also available to help some vulnerable groups with their energy bills, including the Warm Home Discount and the Cold Weather Payment. People may also be able to access support to pay energy bills from their local council through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.Vulnerable individuals can also join their energy supplier’s Priority Services Register, through which they can receive extra advice and support.
What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s processes for drivers with medical conditions; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing an online system for submitting medical information or tracking applications.
In the interests of road safety, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) must be satisfied that the required medical standards for driving are met before a licence is issued. The DVLA’s processes are designed to ensure that licensing decisions are informed by appropriate medical evidence, while enabling individuals to continue driving where it is safe to do so. The DVLA aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. However, some medical cases take longer because the DVLA often needs information from third parties, including doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a licensing decision can be made. The DVLA has seen sustained growth in the volume and complexity of medical licence applications, increasing waiting times for some customers. To improve its services, the DVLA has introduced a new casework system and launched a new medical services portal, so the majority of customers can now apply online through the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account. In time, this will also allow customers to track their applications in a way they have not been able to previously. Details on how to sign up for an account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with these applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.
What assessment he has made of levels in the availability of (a) anti-aircraft artillery, (b) electronic warfare, (c) low-cost interceptors and (d) other off-the-shelf mobile air defence systems.
The availability of air and missile defence capabilities is kept under continual review as part of Defence’s assessment of threats and the readiness of the Armed Forces. Readiness is directed through the Armed Forces Plan, in which the Chief of the Defence Staff directs Military Command Chiefs to hold a range of force elements at varying levels of readiness, aligned with the NATO Force Model, sovereign defence requirements, and our ability to respond to crisis. This readiness is assessed against the sum of Availability, Capability, and Sustainment. The Strategic Defence Review announced up to £1 billion of investment during this Parliament in Integrated Air and Missile Defence, with an early focus on improving command and control and sensor capabilities to ensure more effective integration and use of available effectors. The Defence Investment Plan will further shape the sequencing and prioritisation of future investment, informed by the evolving threat picture. As is longstanding policy, the Department does not comment in detail on the availability or readiness levels of specific capabilities where doing so could prejudice operational security.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that GOV.UK websites provide accessible digital services.
GOV.UK is run by the Government Digital Service (GDS) which is part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The Department for Transport follows the GDS GOV.UK design system accessibility guidelines when drafting and building its GOV.UK content and digital services.
Whether the Department has assessed the potential merits of extending Healthy Start eligibility to include working parents in receipt of Statutory Paternity Pay.
The Healthy Start Scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of extending Healthy Start eligibility to include working parents in receipt of Statutory Paternity Pay. This is because Statutory Paternity Pay is not a means tested benefit and is available to individuals in work, including those on higher incomes.
When his Department last reviewed the income thresholds for the Healthy Start scheme, and whether it will conduct an updated review given concerns that thresholds have not been revised for nearly a decade and may no longer reflect current economic conditions faced by low income working families.
The Government has taken action to strengthen support through Healthy Start. From April 2026, an increase to the weekly payments has been implemented, which means pregnant women and children aged under four years old and over one years old each receive £4.65 every week, and children under one years old each receive £9.30.The income-related eligibility criteria for the Healthy Start scheme are not set as standalone cash thresholds. Eligibility is linked to receipt of certain income-related benefits, including Universal Credit, which act as passporting mechanisms to ensure support is targeted at families on the lowest incomes. Eligibility criteria for the scheme are kept under continuous review.
Whether she has had recent discussions with the Religious Education Council’s Task and Finish Group on the development of the proposed Programmes of Study for a potential National Curriculum for Religious Education; and what the (a) criteria and (b) process was for selecting members of the (i) Task and Finish Group and (ii) any expert advisory groups.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has met Vanessa Ogden, chair of the independent sector led group, along with some members of the group. She welcomes the independent work being undertaken to develop a draft religious education curriculum.The department was not responsible for selecting its members or for determining the criteria or processes used to select members of the group or any associated expert advisory groups. As such, decisions on membership were a matter for the sector-led group and were intended to ensure a breadth of expertise and representation from across the religious education sector.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that network operators do not bear the cost of the necessary wayleave process when landowners serve notices to remove electricity infrastructure.
Government recognises that Network Operators play an important public service role in developing and maintaining an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity distribution and transmission – this includes securing the necessary permissions to install and maintain electric lines. These costs, including any costs associated with applying for a Necessary Wayleave, are not borne directly by Network Operators, but rather passed onto consumer energy bills through Ofgem regulated network charges.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to energy infrastructure planning application fees on (a) network operator costs and (b) consumer bills.
The Government has proposed a fully cost-reflective charging regime for its energy infrastructure planning application fees, in order to place this function on a sustainable footing for the future as application volumes increase. The Government is currently assessing the responses to the public consultation that ran from 16 December 2025 to 1 February 2026, which included specific questions on cost impacts. This assessment will pay particular regard to the evidence provided by respondents on network operator costs and impacts on bills.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Minister for Housing’s statement during the final Commons debate on the Renters’ Rights Bill that the Government intends to establish an alternative body or mechanism to make initial rent determinations as soon as possible, what specific milestones, deadlines and resourcing plans his Department has set for (a) completing the viability assessment and (b) establishing that body or mechanism.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 116835 on 9 March 2026.
Whether his Department has assessed the financial and social impact of PSVAR compliance on local authorities.
The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set minimum accessibility requirements for buses and coaches and so support millions of disabled people, including young people and children, to make the journeys important in their lives.In response to widespread non-compliance in the home-to-school and the rail replacement sector, the government issued exemptions to enable these essential services to continue operating whilst operators procured compliant coaches. The current Medium-Term Exemptions expire on 31st July.In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably.
Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of roadside litter due to littering from vehicles; and what consideration her Department has given to (a) the level of fines for littering offences committed from vehicles, (b) the adequacy of funding available to councils and National Highways for addressing roadside litter, and (c) the adequacy of public awareness initiatives relating to the environmental and social impacts of littering.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 18 March 2026 to PQ UIN 119681.