Every parliamentary written question tabled by Lee Anderson this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,001–1,020 of 1,402 · this parliament
How many people who have had their asylum application rejected are still living in the UK.
The Home Office publishes data on asylum-related returns in Ret_04 and Ret_05 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. The latest data is up to March 2025.
What steps she is taking to reduce rates of reoffending for antisocial behaviour.
As part of the Safer Streets Mission, the Government is committed to improving confidence in policing and the local response to crime, including anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour can be characterised by a range of different offence types, and we are responding in ways that are tough on crime whilst also supporting offenders to turn their backs on their offending behaviour.We are tackling the root causes of reoffending by investing in a range of interventions which address offenders’ underlying criminogenic needs and support their rehabilitation journey. This includes accommodation, employment and substance misuse treatment services. Depending on the specific risks and needs of the offender, a range of accredited programmes, designed to address offending behaviour, are also available.We are also making sure that punishment is tough. To do this, we will impose new unpaid work orders to ensure offenders pay back to society. For the most problematic and persistent community offenders, Integrated Offender Management reduces reoffending through intensive joint police-probation supervision and access to pathways and services that address underlying criminogenic needs. We will also expand the availability of Intensive Supervision Courts to address the causes of their offending behaviour.
What proportion of roads in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England are deemed to be in poor condition.
In the financial year ending March 2024, the percentage of Local A roads and motorways in Nottinghamshire where maintenance should have been considered was 3%, B and C roads was 4%, and unclassified roads was 35%. For the same period, in England, the percentage of Local A roads and motorways where maintenance should have been considered was 4%, B and C roads was 7%, and unclassified roads was 17%. The Department does not hold information of the condition of roads for Ashfield constituency.
What steps she is taking to help reduce rail fares.
We are overhauling the fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal. This year's fares increase of 4.6 per cent was the lowest increase in three years and will help to support the Government’s long-term plans to achieve financial sustainability of the railway. Our rail sale, celebrating the 200th anniversary of passenger train in this country, saw passengers travelling with up to 50 per cent discounts on their fares from 17 January to 31 March, accounting for just over 1 million discounted trips, bringing in £9.23 million in gross sales.
What proportion of trains arrived (a) on time and (b) within three minutes in the last six months.
The rail industry uses four-weekly rail periods rather than calendar months for reporting performance figures. The average punctuality over the most recent six rail periods, based on arrivals at all recorded station stops, and covering all operators in Great Britain between 8 December 2024 and 24 May 2025 is as follows: On Time: 68.3%Within 3 minutes: 85.9%.
Whether she has had recent discussions with schools on a potential strategy to dissuade antisocial behaviour by children.
The department regularly engages with teachers and headteachers and their representative bodies on a range of issues, including pupil behaviour.As part of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, we are setting up a working group of 16 local authorities specifically looking at preventing antisocial behaviour through our holiday activities and food (HAF) programme. The working group will strengthen collaboration among local authorities and be an opportunity for local authorities to buddy up, share best practice and improve outcomes.The department’s existing ‘Behaviour in schools’ guidance states that schools should make clear to pupils that good behaviour does not end at the school gates.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve management of flood risk in high-risk areas of Ashfield constituency.
Ashfield constituency suffered flooding to 58 properties in Storm Babet, October 2023 and to six properties in Storm Henk, January 2024. Much of the flooding risk in Ashfield is from ‘ordinary watercourses’ or surface water run-off, both of which are the responsibility of Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs). Ashfield LLFA Nottinghamshire County Council can be contacted on flood.team@nottscc.gov.uk. The LLFA published Section 19 investigation reports following the 2023/24 winter storms. These reports cover areas in Ashfield such as Pleasley, Kirkby in Ashfield, and Sutton in Ashfield, and can be accessed on the council’s website: : The Council's role | Nottinghamshire County Council The Environment Agency contributed to the Section 19 investigations where relevant, for example in Pleasley, where we have a role in incident response, issuing flood warnings and supporting recovery efforts: 26. Appendix Y. Pleasley S19 Storm Babet Oct 2023 The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for managing flood risk from the River Meden that flows through Pleasley and a small stretch of the River Erewash headwaters.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57342 on Robin Hood Line: Standards, how many rail replacement buses were used on the Robin Hood Line in the last six months.
Between 8 December 2024 and 24 May 2025, 87 rail replacement buses were used on the Robin Hood Line. 48 buses were for pre-planned engineering work which took place on 28 of the days, and 39 buses were used due to emergency or on the day disruptions on 21 days.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57342 on Robin Hood Line: Standards, what proportion of trains on the Robin Hood Line arrived (a) on time and (b) within three minutes in each of the last six months.
The proportion of Robin Hood Line services in each rail period (4 weeks) from 8 December 2024 to 24 May 2025, (a) that arrived at their destination on time was: 50.7%; 54.9%; 60.4%, 59.8%; 57.8% and 60.5% and (b) trains that arrived at their destination within 3 minutes was 74.9%, 80.1%, 83.8%, 84.8%, 82.1%, 84.4%.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of air quality levels in Ashfield constituency.
Local authorities review and assess air quality in their areas and publish an annual report on their actions to improve local air quality including local monitoring data which is assessed by Defra. In their most recent report, the Council indicated they were monitoring NO2 levels at 25 locations and recorded continued reductions in concentrations in recent years. Ashfield District Council have no declared Air Quality Management Areas due to having recorded no exceedances of the Air Quality Objectives set by Defra.
How many households in Ashfield constituency are outside the recommended minimum distance from a defibrillator.
The Department does not maintain a register of automated external defibrillators (AEDs); this information is held on The Circuit, an independently operated database. Therefore, the Department does not hold the data requested.The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces and to reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED Fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.Applications to the fund were allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.There are now over 100,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit. There has been an increase of 30,000 since September 2023. 58.6% of the over 100,000 defibrillators are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI on undergraduate degree integrity.
There are huge opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) as it becomes more sophisticated, particularly through generative AI, and the department knows higher education (HE) and the industries they work with are at the forefront of this. There will be many benefits, and we are already seeing these, but there are also challenges in how the HE sector incorporates AI, particularly for teaching, learning and assessment.The Quality Assurance Agency has been exploring the implications of AI, particularly in relation to academic integrity and published a briefing for its members in February 2024 focusing on the challenges. The briefing was underpinned by insights from HE sector leaders.The experience and expertise of the sector is contributing to the department’s evidence base for how generative AI is used in education. In January 2024, the department published research entitled ‘Generative AI in education: Educator and expert views’, containing insights from interviews with teachers and experts in HE and the education technology industry. The full research paper is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65b8cd41b5cb6e000d8bb74e/DfE_GenAI_in_education_-_Educator_and_expert_views_report.pdf.The Office for Students set out its approach to the use of AI in HE in a recent blog post entitled ‘Embracing innovation in higher education: our approach to artificial intelligence’. The full blog post is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/blog/embracing-innovation-in-higher-education-our-approach-to-artificial-intelligence/.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ensure that hon. Members are able to debate a divisible motion on the agreement with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands.
Parliamentary business will be arranged in the usual way.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57342 on Robin Hood Line: Standards, how many of the 11% of late trains on the Robin Hood Line in that period were cancelled.
Between 1 April and 26 April 2025, 89 per cent of all services for all stations on the Robin Hood Line arrived within three minutes of their schedule arrival time, 11 per cent arrived later than three minutes. Cancellations are measured separately as the train has not departed all stations, in the same time frame. 2.34 per cent of Robin Hood Line services were cancelled.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for operations at King's Mill Hospital.
King’s Mill Hospital is the largest hospital within the Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The trust has secured additional outpatient, diagnostic, and operating capacity to help reduce waiting times for operations.This has been done by working closely with the local independent sector and third parties, increasing clinical staffing levels in certain specialities, and using mutual aid with neighbouring National Health Service partners within and outside of the integrated care system.These interventions have resulted in a sustained improvement in the proportion of patients on a referral to treatment pathway who are receiving treatment within 18 weeks.Between the end of June 2024 and the end of April 2025, the total waiting list at the Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has decreased by 1.1%, from 35,717 to 35,317. The percentage of patients waiting within 18 weeks has increased by 3%, from 60.7% to 63.7%.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the International Committee of the Red Cross on delivery of humanitarian supplies to Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.
The UK remains deeply concerned about Israeli hostages held by Hamas. We fully support the International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC) efforts to secure humanitarian access in line with international humanitarian law. The ICRC is the only humanitarian actor with the mandate and neutrality to carry out this role and it is vital they are granted access, as set out in the Geneva Conventions. The UK continues working with international partners to press for hostage release and improved humanitarian access.
Whether she plans to introduce mandatory prison sentences for carrying bladed articles.
This Government is committed to tackling knife crime as a priority. We are clear that those who carry knives unlawfully must face serious consequences, and that sentencing must reflect the harm these offences cause to victims and communities.In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to knives, the courts already have robust powers to deal with knife-related offences. The maximum sentence for possession of a bladed article or threatening with an offensive weapon is 4 years’ imprisonment. The law also provides for minimum custodial sentences for repeat knife possession and for threatening with a weapon. Adults convicted of a second or subsequent possession offence face a minimum of six months in custody, while those aged 16 or 17 face a four-month Detention and Training Order. Where someone is actually harmed by a knife or offensive weapon, there are a range of offences that the offender may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, up to life imprisonment.Minimum and mandatory sentences are also rare in England and Wales. This is because it is, rightly, the function of the independent judiciary to decide the sentence in each case subject to the maximum that Parliament has provided and any relevant Sentencing Guidelines published by the Sentencing Council.The existing framework provides the right balance between ensuring robust penalties for knife crime, and allowing courts to tailor sentences to the individual case.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Falkland Islands will remain an Overseas Territory.
Yes. We will always resolutely defend the sovereignty and self-determination of the Falkland Islands, as I and other Ministers have made repeatedly clear in the House, and to the Members of the Legislative Assembly and Governor in my regular meetings with them. In line with the democratically expressed wishes of the people of the Falkland Islands - most recently in the 2013 referendum, the Falkland Islands will remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory. The UK Government will always defend the Falkland Islanders' right to determine their own destiny.
What steps she is taking to help support autistic people into the workplace.
We are committed to supporting neurodivergent people, including autistic people, get into and thrive in work. Our Jobcentres have a range of support available, including Disability Employment Advisors.On 6th March 2025 we announced that we will deploy 1000 work coaches to help people with health conditions and disabled people towards and into work. This will build and expand on existing measures like additional work coach support which delivers personalised support for some customers on the health journey.Connect to Work is our new, voluntary, locally led Supported Employment Programme that is helping disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment, including learning disabled and autistic adults, to find sustained work. West London Alliance and East Sussex have now opened their local Connect to Work services, with roll out across England and Wales continuing throughout 2025.In January this year we launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, making their recommendations to government later this summer.The Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review. While not specific to neurodiversity, this review is considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, and how to support more people to stay in or return to work. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver his final report in the autumn.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle graffiti vandalism.
Local authorities are primarily responsible for managing graffiti on their land. Existing Defra guidance on managing graffiti and flyposting for local authorities and others outlines the options available for tackling these issues with examples of good practice. The guidance has been informed by a research report which aids further understanding of the issue. The guidance and research report are available here: understanding graffiti and fly-posting management approaches - EV0497. Local authorities have enforcement powers to help them tackle graffiti, including issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £500. They can also tackle persistent offenders and other unreasonable behaviour that is having a negative effect on a community’s quality of life by issuing Community Protection Notices and Public Space Protection Orders.