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 41–60 of 562 · this parliament
If he will set out who assesses the value for money of Arm's Length Bodies.
Value for money in Arm's Length Bodies (ALBs) is primarily assessed by their sponsoring department. The Accounting Officer (typically the Chief Executive Officer) is directly accountable for the use of public funds. ALBs are also scrutinised by Parliament and subject to independent audit, including value for money examinations, by the National Audit Office (NAO).
What is the cost of Arm's Length Bodies to the public purse for the latest year for which data is available.
The UK government budgeted £369.78 billion for arms length bodies in the financial year 2023-24. 67% of this went to NHS England and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which will both be repatriated to their parent departments.
Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help improve research and innovation in the defence sector.
The Strategic Defence Review and Industrial Strategy were clear. Innovation is central to deterrence and decisive factors in war. DSIT is working closely with the Ministry of Defence to implement the Defence Industrial Strategy. UKRI are delivering £550m into the Defence and National Security sector. We are partnering with MOD as they commit at least 10% of their equipment budget on novel technologies. Ensuring cutting-edge UK research and innovation delivers for defence.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the experiences of children and young people with dyslexia are captured when measuring attainment at the end of secondary school.
The department is committed to ensuring the exam system is equitable for all students and that students with disabilities, including dyslexia, can access exams and assessments without disadvantage.Ofqual, the independent regulator of exams and assessments in England, has a statutory duty to ensure that assessments are a fair representation of a student’s knowledge and requires awarding organisations to put processes in place to ensure that all students can access assessments appropriately.The Equality Act 2010 also requires awarding organisations to make reasonable adjustments where assessment arrangements could place a student who is disabled within the meaning of the Act at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to someone who is not disabled.These adjustments can include, but are not limited to, extra time to complete assessments or assistance via a reader or a scribe, depending on the individual needs of the student.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when will she provide a response to questions 118113, 118114 and 118115 tabled on 4th March 2026.
I apologise for the delay in responding to the Hon Member's questions. The answers were published on 16 March.
What data her Department requires local authorities to collect in relation to the numbers of children with dyslexia in education in their area.
Information on the numbers of children with dyslexia is not collected separately by the department. Dyslexia is included within the wider special educational need type of ‘Specific learning difficulties’ (SpLD).All the information held by the department relating to children with SpLD is provided by schools via the school census. This data is also available for local authorities, enabling them to take informed decisions when supporting the needs of children in their communities.
What data her Department collects on children with dyslexia to improve understanding of the number of children with dyslexia in schools, their support needs in the classroom and their educational outcomes.
Information on the numbers of children with dyslexia is not collected separately by the department. Dyslexia is included within the wider special educational need type of ‘Specific learning difficulties’ (SpLD).All the information held by the department relating to children with SpLD is provided by schools via the school census. This data is also available for local authorities, enabling them to take informed decisions when supporting the needs of children in their communities.
Whether the Government plans to make the Civil Service Recruitment Framework (2022) publicly available.
I refer to my predecessor’s answer for 100338, published 23 December 2025. There are no plans to publish this internal-facing framework to the public domain, as it constitutes HR-to-HR guidance designed for departments to integrate into their respective policies and processes.
Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered the potential merits of strengthening penalties for people who vote on behalf of family members without proper authorisation.
It is essential that every elector is able to cast their vote in secret and free from any form of coercion. While the vast majority of people vote lawfully, any instance of personation or coercion at the polling station is unacceptable and undermines confidence in our democratic process. Personation, undue influence and offences under the Ballot Secrecy Act are all serious offences which can carry sentences of up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine, or both – reflecting the severity of these crimes.
Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has considered the potential merits of introducing legislation to prohibit individuals convicted of terrorism offences from standing for elected public office.
The Government currently has no plans to change the disqualification criteria for those standing for election for these offences but keeps the counter‑terrorism framework under constant review to ensure it is fit for purpose.
What discussions her Department has had with LINK to ensure that banking hubs continue to accept cheques.
The Government recognises that cheques remain an important payment method for some people. Decisions on whether cheque deposits are accepted and processed through Post Office counters in banking hubs are commercial matters for individual banks, based on their arrangements with the Post Office and Cash Access UK, which operates banking hubs. A significant number of retail banks continue to accept cheque depositing services through these counters. Where cheque depositing is not available at a banking hub counter, customers continue to have alternative options to pay in cheques, including at bank branches, by post, or digitally via mobile banking apps using cheque imaging technology. Where banks have taken commercial decisions to change how they accept cheque deposits, they are expected to consider the needs of customers in vulnerable circumstances and to ensure alternative routes remain available. The Government continues to engage with the banking industry to improve the consistency and functionality of services provided through banking hubs, including through recent discussions with banks, Cash Access UK and UK Finance.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has reported any recent evidence of family voting.
The Commission publishes annual data from police services on allegations of electoral fraud. It is aware of the allegations raised at the Gorton and Denton by-election, and has been in contact with the Returning Officer and Greater Manchester Police to review the concerns raised.The Commission takes allegations of electoral fraud very seriously. It is a criminal offence to attempt to pressure someone to vote in a certain way. Anyone who believes such an offence has occurred should report it to the police. The Commission will continue to provide information for voters about their rights, and guidance for polling station staff that supports them to protect the secrecy of voting in polling stations.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential tax implications for recipients for civil of service pensions due to Capita delays with payments.
The Cabinet Office acknowledges the potential tax implications regarding pension arrears. For the vast majority of members, receiving arrears will not result in a higher tax liability as they will remain within the same tax band across the relevant years. However, where an arrears payment causes a member to move into a higher tax bracket in the year of receipt, individuals may request a schedule from the scheme administrator (Capita) to submit to HMRC.This schedule allows HMRC to assess the tax on an accruals basis, spreading the income back to the years in which it was due to ensure the member pays the correct amount of tax.
What actions have been delivered under the Final Delivery Plan on ME/CFS to improve access to healthcare and support for people with severe and very severe ME.
The Department is currently developing a template service specification for mild and moderate myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which also references severe ME/CFS. Further work will need to be undertaken to strengthen support for people with severe ME/CFS, reflecting that people may move between moderate and severe. Future iterations of this document will build on ongoing considerations and emerging insights of severe and very severe ME/CFS.Departmental and NHS England officials have been working carefully through the steps needed to make a decision on the prescription of a specialised service for very severe ME/CFS. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for a decision on the prescribing of specialised services, which requires consultation with NHS England.To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals. The final module of this e-learning programme is focussed on managing severe ME/CFS.Additionally, as set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. We delivered 5.2 million additional appointments between July 2024 and June 2025. This will help people with severe ME/CFS to get support sooner. The Plan for Change is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/missionsThe 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformed vision for elective care by 2035, where most interactions no longer take place in a hospital building, instead happening virtually or via neighbourhood services. This will enable patients with severe or very severe ME/CFS who are housebound or bedbound to access support more easily.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to keep the gov.uk website regularly updated during the Middle East conflict.
The safety of British nationals remains the Government's top priority. I refer the Hon Member to the statement I gave to the House on 5 March, and the answers provided to questions raised in response. Assisted departures have now taken place from both Oman and Dubai. We will provide further updates on a regular basis, including details of our ongoing evacuation flights, as well as our efforts to secure an end to Iran's attacks on countries in the region, and the full resumption of normal commercial flights.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support British nationals stranded due to the Middle East conflict with medical needs.
The safety of British nationals remains the Government's top priority. I refer the Hon Member to the statement I gave to the House on 5 March, and the answers provided to questions raised in response. Assisted departures have now taken place from both Oman and Dubai. We will provide further updates on a regular basis, including details of our ongoing evacuation flights, as well as our efforts to secure an end to Iran's attacks on countries in the region, and the full resumption of normal commercial flights.
How he is ensuring accountability for delivery of commitments made in the Final Delivery Plan on ME/CFS affecting people with severe and very severe ME; and what timelines and funding have been set for specialist provision.
Each action in the final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), has a designated lead department or organisation, with the Department of Health and Social Care being ultimately responsible for overseeing the delivery of the plan as a whole, including holding other organisations to account for delivering actions.At this stage, Department and NHS England officials have been working carefully through the steps needed to make a decision on the prescription of a specialised service for very severe ME/CFS. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for a decision on the prescribing of specialised services, which requires consultation with NHS England.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support and repatriate British nationals stranded away from home due to the Middle East conflict.
The safety of British nationals remains the Government's top priority. I refer the Hon Member to the statement I gave to the House on 5 March, and the answers provided to questions raised in response. Assisted departures have now taken place from both Oman and Dubai. We will provide further updates on a regular basis, including details of our ongoing evacuation flights, as well as our efforts to secure an end to Iran's attacks on countries in the region, and the full resumption of normal commercial flights.
What guidance her Department provides to police forces on the disposal of seized off-road electric motorbikes.
Decisions on the methods of disposal of seized vehicles are operational matters for individual police forces, or the recovery bodies acting on their behalf, to determine.The police have powers under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles, including off-road electric motorbikes. The Government intends, though the Crime and Policing Bill, to give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles being used anti-socially with officers no longer required to issue a section 59 warning before seizure can occur.
Whether she has made an assessment of the risk to public safety arising from the publication of sensitive information relating to the physical security of properties on local authority planning registers.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 106884 on 27 January 2026 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.