Every parliamentary written question tabled by John Hayes this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,161–1,180 of 1,767 · this parliament
What the cost to the public purse was of the Civil Service Race Forum in each year since its creation.
The Civil Service Race Forum (CSRF) is a volunteer collaborative group of Civil Service ethnic minority staff. The CSRF does not hold a budget, but a department can choose to provide support where there is a business case to do so. We are not aware of any such financial support since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date. The CSRF was created in 2016.
If he will take steps to increase the number of vision rehabilitation specialists in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
It is the responsibility of local authorities and the National Health Service integrated care boards to commission therapy-led rehabilitation, reablement, and recovery services, including vision rehabilitation specialists, based on their assessment of local capacity and demand.The Government understands the importance of having effective rehabilitation services available for people who need them, to assist recovery and return to their day-to-day activities. Intermediate care and reablement support services, including vision rehabilitation, can play a key role in providing alternatives to hospital admission and improving patient outcomes, by providing appropriate rehabilitation and reablement options following hospital discharge.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) construction and (b) operation of a new National Grid electricity substation at Weston Marsh on levels of traffic in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Roads in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency are the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council, as the Local Highway Authority and Local Traffic Authority. This Department does not make an assessment of the impact of individual projects of this nature on the local road network.
If she will take steps to override the Sentencing Council's guidance entitled Imposition of community and custodial sentences - Effective from 1 April 2025.
This Government’s position is clear: we are seeking to remove the unequal treatment before the law in these guidelines.In the first instance, the Lord Chancellor used her power under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and asked the Sentencing Council to reconsider their guidance. On 01 April, we introduced legislation to address the specific issue with these guidelines.The Sentencing Council have now put the guidelines on pause – we are grateful for their constructive engagement on this issue.We will also consider a broader review of the Sentencing Council’s role and powers over the coming months. It is right that we take the time to consider more fundamental reforms.
What steps his Department is taking to support people with leukaemia in Lincolnshire.
It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including leukaemia, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes for all patients across England, including in Lincolnshire. To improve early diagnosis, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways. NHS England has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer, including leukaemia, has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Through the provision of information, personalised care empowers people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. This approach ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health, as well as any practical or financial concerns. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan. The plan will include details on how we will further improve cancer outcomes and support for all cancer patients, including those with leukaemia.
What steps she is taking to support partially sighted people into employment in Lincolnshire.
Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. We announced in the recent Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1 billion of new funding. This support is needed to break down barriers, unlock work and open up opportunity. It will get people off welfare and into work – which we know many believe they could do.Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Disabled people and people with health conditions including the partially sighted are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025. Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.
What steps he is taking to tackle the sale of illegal vapes in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will strengthen enforcement and crack down on rogue retailers by enabling ministers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products. The bill also enables the introduction of a new registration scheme for tobacco, vape, and nicotine products sold in the United Kingdom’s market. This will help ensure products are compliant with product safety standard requirements, and enable Trading Standards to remove non-compliant products from the market quickly and efficiently.In 2025/26 we will invest £10 million of new funding into Trading Standards, to enhance their work in tackling the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes, and to support the implementation of the bill. This funding will be used to recruit approximately 80 new regionally coordinated apprentices in England. This will benefit all regions, including the East Midlands, which covers South Holland and the Deepings and Lincolnshire.The introduction of a new Vaping Products Duty in October 2026 will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit vapes.
What steps he is taking to help ensure brain injury survivors have access to community-based specialist neurorehabilitation services.
The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing guidance ‘Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury’, which is expected to be published in September 2025. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention along with officials met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss ABI, and had a useful discussion about what might be achievable in both the short term and the longer term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more. The Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.A decision on next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in due course.More widely, our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including ABI, closer to home.
Whether she plans to remove funding for level 6 apprenticeships.
Level 6 apprenticeships are a core part of the department’s apprenticeships offer and continue to be funded by government.
With reference to his Department's press release entitled Households near new pylons to save hundreds on energy bills, published on 10 March 2025, whether the Grimsby to Walpole Grid Upgrade will be in scope; and how many (a) households and (b) landowners will receive financial support along the route.
The bill discount scheme will apply to eligible domestic properties and is planned to go live from 2026 once regulations have been laid, when Parliamentary time allows. Eligibility will be set out in regulations, but our aim is that major new transmission projects needed for 2030 will be eligible. Further impact analysis will be conducted prior to scheme introduction. The Government has also published community funds guidance, which could apply to transmission projects yet to start construction. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-transmission-infrastructure-proposed-bill-discount-schemehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-transmission-network-infrastructure-community-funds
What recent assessment he has made of the sustainability of local brain injury reablement services.
The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss acquired brain injuries and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in both the short and long term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered from an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more.As such, whilst no assessment been made on the sustainability of local brain injury reablement services, the Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.A decision on the next steps for ABIs at the national level will be taken in due course.
How many people have been convicted of drug driving offences in Lincolnshire in each of the last 10 years.
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on drug driving offence convictions. This is available in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.The number of convictions and the type of sentence related to drug driving offences can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and Convictions’ tab, using the “Police Force Area” filter to select ‘Lincolnshire’ and filtering the “HO offence code” drop down for:00413 - Cause death by driving without due care / consideration while over prescribed limit - specified controlled drug (MOT)80310 - Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80312 - Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80313 - Drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80314 – Aid/abet driving of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80315 - In charge of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80316 - Attempt to drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)The resulting numbers of prosecutions are for offenders appearing at courts in Lincolnshire and the offence may not have originated in Lincolnshire.
How many people convicted of drug driving offences were given the maximum sentence in each of the last five years.
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on drug driving offence convictions. This is available in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.The number of convictions and the type of sentence related to drug driving offences can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Sentence Outcomes’ tab, using the sentencing outcome filter and filtering the “HO offence code” drop down for:00413 - Cause death by driving without due care / consideration while over prescribed limit - specified controlled drug (MOT)80310 - Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80312 - Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80313 - Drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80314 – Aid/abet driving of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80315 - In charge of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80316 - Attempt to drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)
What the total amount of fines resulting from drug driving convictions was in each of the last five years.
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on fines for drug driving offences. This is available in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.The drug driving offences used in the table are below:00413 - Cause death by driving without due care / consideration while over prescribed limit - specified controlled drug (MOT)80310 - Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80312 - Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80313 - Drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80314 – Aid/abet driving of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80315 - In charge of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80316 - Attempt to drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)
How many British Army full-time personnel (a) retired and (b) left the profession for other reasons in each of the last ten years.
The requested information is published in the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics, the latest edition of which (1 January 2025) can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2025 Table 5d - Row 43 to 60 shows the Army Outflow numbers.
Innovation and Technology, what progress his department has made on the rollout of Project Gigabit in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 94% premises in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency can access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and 81% have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps).To improve this coverage further, Quickline is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across Lincolnshire and East Riding, and CityFibre is delivering a contract across Cambridgeshire and adjacent areas. Both contracts are targeted at bringing gigabit-capable broadband to premises in hard-to-reach areas that are unlikely to be otherwise reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout. Work has already commenced in parts of South Holland and The Deepings.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help support young people to get onto the housing ladder in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. This government is determined to change that, ensuring that young families and hardworking renters can buy a home of their own.Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, we are committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme, to support first-time buyers, including those in South Holland and the Deepings constituency and Lincolnshire, who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.
What estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of abolishing the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies.
The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (“CICs”) (“the Regulator”) plays a crucial role in maintaining the CIC model as an effective form of social enterprise. By exploiting the considerable overlap between the Regulator and Companies House, and the close working relationship that already exists between the two, the Government intends to fully integrate the Regulator’s functions into Companies House as part of wider plans to streamline the UK’s regulatory environment. As the Regulator is entirely funded by fees, there will be no saving to the public purse.
What changes have been made to the government’s assessment of future skills needs following the announcement on February 25 that defence spending would increase to 2.6% of GDP by 2027.
The Ministry of Defence is working closely with Skills England and the Department for Education to ensure the boost in defence spending supports the training and development of new generations of defence sector workers. The future skills requirement for defence is being assessed as part of the ongoing development of the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy.
Following the abolition of NHS England, where ultimate commissioning accountability will sit for (a) Cystic Fibrosis and (b) other specialised NHS services.
Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. Work has begun immediately to start bringing teams in NHS England and the Department together, and over the next two years, NHS England and the Department will combine to form a new joint centre.NHS England will continue to carry out its statutory duties until Parliamentary time allows for legislation to be brought forward to amend the Department’s responsibilities.The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. We will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up, and getting waiting times down.