Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gregory Stafford this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 521–540 of 565 · this parliament
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of involving Adlar Ltd in the rollout of the Government's Warm Homes Plan.
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. Heat pumps will play a vital role in delivering the Government's Warm Homes Plan, and further details on the Plan will be set out in due course.
What discussions her Department has had with transport companies providing services for children with SEND on changes to employer National Insurance contributions.
Home-to-school travel is an integral part of the school system and provides a valuable service on which many families rely. Officials across departments engage regularly with local authorities to understand the challenges they face and will continue to monitor this situation. The Department for Education do not expect there to be a significant impact on home-to-school travel for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel and deliver this through a range of in-house services and external providers.The £515m of additional funding made available to help local government manage the impact of changes to employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff across the public sector. However, this funding is unringfenced and it is for LAs to determine how to use this funding across relevant services and responsibilities.
For what reason grant funding for Adlar Limited was paused.
The Government is responsible for setting the policy which underpins the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Ofgem as the scheme administrator make decisions on scheme eligibility in line with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme 2022 Regulations.
If he will make an estimate of the potential impact of GB Energy on the cost of energy bills.
Great British Energy is a key part of the government's mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower by achieving clean power by 2030. This is part of a sustainable, long-term plan to protect all UK billpayers from volatile international gas markets. In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a Tiered Energy Proposal for consumer energy bills.
A tiered energy pricing system is known as a block tariff. Traditionally, block tariffs are either a rising block tariff where the cost of energy increases in increments the more energy used or, a falling block tariff which acts in reverse. Low energy users benefit more from a rising block tariff and high energy users benefit from a falling block tariff. Since the introduction of the energy price cap in 2018, suppliers can choose to offer block tariffs as a competitive incentive for their business model. Ofgem, in their recent call for input on standing charges, asked about block tariffs, and feedback from consumer representatives and charities was mixed. As part of Ofgem’s continued work on standing charges, they are seeking views on options including increasing tariff diversity in the market, which could include block tariffs.
What steps his Department is taking with OFGEM to coordinate grant funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a demand led scheme, which provides grants up to £7,500, to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems. Installers apply for and redeem the voucher on behalf of a property owner, to streamline the customer journey. Ofgem, as scheme administrator, issue and process vouchers providing all eligibility criteria is met, in accordance with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme 2022 regulations.
Whether the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport will be privately funded.
The Government is clear that Heathrow expansion will be financed by the private sector.Heathrow costs are regulated by the independent CAA, who are set up to ensure costs balance between airlines and the consumer. The specifics would need to be considered at the point proposals came forward.
Whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the inclusion of bed bugs within the remit of Environmental Health England.
There have been no discussions between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the inclusion of bedbugs within the remit of Environmental Health England.The Department of Health and Social Care does not have responsibility for reducing the spread of bedbugs. Further information on bedbugs is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bedbugs/
Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the findings of the consultation entitled Reform of the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, published on 12 November 2024.
The consultation on Reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 closed on 23 December 2024. We are currently analysing responses and evaluating how any proposed changes may impact the application and designation process. We will issue a formal government response to the consultation in due course.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of giving landlords the power to offer students fixed term house in multiple occupation tenancies for the academic year.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 26549 on 6 February 2025.
If he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of net zero policies since 2000.
The Net Zero transition is critical to sustainable UK growth because of the economic costs of unmitigated climate change. The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its analysis of the cost of reaching net zero by 2050 in chapter 3 of the July 2021 edition of its UK Fiscal Risk Report. As the OBR has noted, “the costs of failing to get climate change under control would be much larger than those of bringing emissions down to net zero.”
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help stop the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan; and if he will have discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on steps to protect Ahmadi Muslims and their mosques and graves, in the context of the recent demolition of an Ahmadi mosque in Daska, Punjab, by local authorities on 16 January 2025.
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. We are aware of reports of the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska and continue to monitor the situation. In response to this incident, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights in a message to the Punjab Minorities Minister on 23 January. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.
What steps she is taking to (a) support British companies bidding for electric bus contracts and (b) ensure that (i) BYD, (ii) Yutong and (iii) other foreign companies do not have a disproportionate share of Government electric bus (A) contracts and (B) grants.
The transition to zero emission buses represents a great opportunity for UK bus manufacturers, both to supply the zero emission buses needed here in the UK and to win export orders abroad as other countries upgrade their bus fleets. On 8 October, the Department announced plans to create a new UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. This panel will bring together industry experts and local leaders to explore ways to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. More details on this will be set out in due course.
If she will publish perpetrator ethnicity data for (a) grooming and (b) sexual violence collected by the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme.
The Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX) continues to work to develop a whole system approach to improving intelligence, analysis, and tasking to enhance the law enforcement response to the exploitation of vulnerable people, including sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes supporting the work of the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce to give practical, expert, and on the ground support for local forces investigating child sexual abuse, with a focus on complex and organised child sexual exploitation.In November 2024, the Taskforce published its latest 2023 data on group-based offending, including any offence with two or more perpetrators. That data is available publicly online via https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/publications/hydrant-publications#LatestNews) which includes available data on ethnicity. The Government will be working with the Taskforce to improve data collection, including seeking to improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of data on ethnicity.
What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989.
All manufacturers must demonstrate that their vehicles and equipment comply with international vehicle approval requirements before they are permitted to offer their products for sale, and these include detailed provisions for vehicle lighting. The approval requirements are complemented by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 to ensure that vehicles operating on the roads of Great Britain continue to have effective and safe lighting systems whilst in service. All vehicle lighting requirements, including the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, are kept under review and amended as necessary to account for advances in vehicle lighting technologies and emerging evidence to ensure regulatory effectiveness is maintained.
What discussions he has had with Sri Lankan authorities on strengthening business relations for British citizens who have set up companies in Sri Lanka.
DBT has a team dedicated to supporting the UK-Sri Lanka trade and investment relationship. Officials have regular contact with Sri Lankan authorities through the annual UK-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue to promote areas of mutual interest, including bilateral discussions on trade and investment.My officials use programmes and levers to strengthen business relations for UK companies, including working closely with the Council for Business with Britain to support the removal of barriers to trade, and the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which cuts tariffs and simplifies trading rules for Sri Lankan exports to the UK.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of repurposing vacant (a) shops, (b) offices and (c) houses; and whether this would reduce local new-build housing targets.
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements, including bringing back into residential use empty homes and the development of under-utilised land and buildings, to meet the need for homes and other uses.Changes we made to the National Planning Policy Framework in December 2024 broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas.On 22 September 2024, we published a ‘brownfield passport’ policy paper inviting views on how we might further prioritise and fast-track building on previously used urban land.
Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board on the scheduled Champion's Trophy match with Afghanistan.
The UK Government condemns the appalling erosion of women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan.Participation in the ICC Champion’s Trophy match is a matter for the England and Wales Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council. My officials are in contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on the wider issue of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team. We welcome the ECB’s strong representations to the ICC on this matter and will continue to work with them on what more can be done.
What steps her Department is taking to improve bus services in rural areas.
The government is committed to delivering better, more frequent and more reliable bus services for passengers. We have already made significant progress, introducing the Bus Services Bill to help give local leaders the powers they need to take control of their local services if they choose to do so, and announcing investment of over £1 billion to support and improve bus services.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) banning the use of Bovaer and (b) allowing the use of Kelp in milk products.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised milk from cows given Bovaer is safe to drink. Bovaer has undergone a rigorous safety assessment and is approved for use in Great Britain. Regulation of feed additives and materials, such as kelp, is the responsibility of the FSA. Both synthetic and natural feed products must be demonstrated as safe for use to be added to the GB Register of Feed Materials.