Every parliamentary written question tabled by Lewis Cocking this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 248 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, whether councillors and mayors will be able to sit on her Department's new social cohesion taskforce.
As set out in my response to UIN 78208, the Social Cohesion Taskforce is an internal Civil Service team comprised of civil servants. As part of our work, we have been engaging with a wide range of relevant stakeholders, including those with experience of delivering cohesion programmes within local government.
What his Department's policy is on Job Centres advertising vacancies relating to the implementation and administration of Sharia Law.
Find A Job is a free platform to help jobseekers find vacancies with employers from various sectors. Employers are verified as legitimate and all jobs they advertise must comply with our terms and conditions: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/terms-and-conditions-employer.html.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the separate eligibility criteria for children under three for the Blue Badge scheme.
Since 17 June 2011, children under the age of three have been eligible for a Blue Badge if they fall under either or both of the following criteria: (a) a child who, because of a condition, must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around with the child without great difficulty (b) a child who, because of a condition, must always be kept near a motor vehicle so that, if necessary, treatment for that condition can be given in the vehicle or the child can be taken quickly in the vehicle to a place where such treatment can be given Whilst the Department recommends that local authorities treat each application for children under the age of three as a special case, it does not consider that there is a compelling case for giving automatic Blue Badge eligibility to disabled children below the age of three who do not meet the above criteria. In most cases, they could reasonably be carried in a pram or pushchair, in much the same way as able-bodied children of a similar age.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 38045 on Councillors: Planning, if she will make it her policy to require the Mayor of London to undertake the same compulsory training on planning that will be required of councillors on a planning committee.
As set out in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, it is the intention that mayors will be required to undertake mandatory training.
With reference to the correspondence of July 2025 from the Leader of Kent County Council on visas for social care workers from overseas, if she will publish her Department's response to Kent County Council.
The Government does not routinely publish Ministerial correspondence.
What discussions she has had with LINK on the potential for widening the criteria for establishing additional banking hubs across the UK.
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 180 are already open.Whilst the Government meets with LINK to discuss a variety of matters, any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK and the financial services sector. The treatment of customers by UK banks is governed by the the Financial Conduct Authority, which requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. This includes special considerations for vulnerable customers. In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 65798 on Companies: Political Parties, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance on whether registered political parties may be incorporated as (a) limited or (b) unlimited companies.
Electoral law does not dictate the legal structure of a party. Parties can be registered with a range of structures, including unincorporated associations, limited or unlimited companies.If a party includes company arrangements, the Commission expects this to be reflected in party documents such as their constitution and financial scheme. The Commission has issued guidance on what a constitution should include.
What steps she is taking to support (a) older people and (b) people who are not digitally confident in accessing online banking services.
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 180 are already open.Whilst the Government meets with LINK to discuss a variety of matters, any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK and the financial services sector. The treatment of customers by UK banks is governed by the the Financial Conduct Authority, which requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. This includes special considerations for vulnerable customers. In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
How many foreign nationals have avoided deportation following criminal convictions due to the absence of a removal agreement with their country of origin.
The specific information requested is not readily available from published statistics and could only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost. However, this government has already removed almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year of office (5 July 2024 to 4 July 2025), a 14 per cent increase on the previous twelve months and we will continue to crack down on any foreign nationals who come to this country and break our rules.
How many asylum seekers are being housed in homes of multiple occupation in Broxbourne constituency.
The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated by local authority area, not constituency. These statistics can be found in the Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of centrally coordinating stoma services.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are legally responsible for commissioning the majority of health services, including stoma services, in accordance with their populations’ health needs. There are currently no plans for centrally coordinating stoma services and we expect ICBs to continue commissioning stoma services for their local populations.
Communities and Local Government, what public consultation her Department has undertaken in relation to the proposed prohibition of upward-only rent reviews for commercial leases in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
No formal public consultation was undertaken prior to the announcement of the policy. However, upwards only rent reviews are an issue of a longstanding concern that artificially inflated rents make it harder for businesses to access commercial property. The government conducted extensive research and expert engagement before deciding to proceed with the ban, which will encourage the market to operate more efficiently, ensuring rents respond to market conditions, and promote less adversarial relations between landlords and tenants.
What the cost to the public purse was of providing legal aid to asylum seekers charged with criminal offences in the UK in the last year.
Expenditure data for asylum seekers across all legal aid schemes is not held centrally.
How many asylum seekers have been prosecuted for sexual offences in the last year; and what proportion were housed in government-funded accommodation at the time.
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of defendants prosecuted for sexual offences. This can be obtained in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, data held centrally does not include if a defendant was an asylum seeker or where they were housed.The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is a priority of this Government, to reduce pressures on prison capacity and mitigate the associated expense to the taxpayer. This is why we are introducing new measures to enable the earlier removal of determinate sentenced FNOs as soon after sentencing as possible.
What consideration is being given to the needs of older people in the implementation of digital-only ticketing systems for public transport.
The Government is not responsible for all digital ticketing. However, when implementing any Government policy, due regard is given to the Public Sector Equality Duty and to protected characteristics, such as age, across all modes of public transport.For those public transport systems, the Government is responsible for this includes the implementation of digital ticketing.For public transport systems outside of Government responsibility, we are clear that consideration is needed to ensure greater uptake of smart ticketing does not result in digital exclusion, and those paying cash are still able to use transport services and are able to reap the benefits of discounted fares.
Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of reliable broadband in rural areas to support access to essential services.
Through Project Gigabit, we are delivering future-proofed, gigabit-capable connections nationwide, to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, including to premises in rural areas.
Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the proportion of households with occupants over the age of 75 that do not have access to reliable broadband.
Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, estimates that there are 48,000 premises without access to decent broadband – i.e. at least 10Mbit/s download and 1Mbit/s upload speed - in the UK. We do not have sufficient data to estimate how many of these premises have occupants over the age of 75.
Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of digital exclusion on the quality of life for older people.
Those who cannot use digital technologies are likely to pay more for certain transactions, have worse health outcomes, and find it more difficult to manage their finance. That’s why tackling digital exclusion, which disproportionately impacts certain demographics including older people, is a priority for Government.In February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year on digital inclusion.One of these actions was to launch the £9.5mn Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support and expand local community initiatives to get people online. All funded projects will support at least one of the focus demographic groups, including older people.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023 on people who have had their vehicle stolen.
Following the introduction of The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023, there has been no assessment of the potential impact on those who have had their vehicle stolen. The Government’s role is limited to setting the statutory charges which the Police can levy when they have exercised their recovery powers for stolen vehicles.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of digital exclusion on older people’s ability to access NHS services.
People unable to access the NHS App or online services, or visit their general practice (GP) in person, can ask for a feature called proxy access available through the NHS App. This function allows a trusted relative or carer to act on the patient’s behalf and can be set up through the patient’s GP surgery, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy, or linked, account. Depending on the access that the GP surgery has enabled, proxy users may be able to act for the person they support, by ordering repeat prescriptions, booking appointments, viewing test results or vaccinations, and accessing all or part of the GP health record, to help with health-related tasks and managing health issues.While digital health tools like the NHS App offer convenience, they should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.NHS England has published a framework for National Health Service action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion. Digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support and telephone services, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.NHS England has successfully run a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include: - the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting NHS digital health products and services in languages other than English;- the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online; and- the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online. GP surgeries also offer patients non-digital methods to manage their primary and secondary healthcare, and these methods usually consist of telephonic communication and letters. Patients can request a non-digital route by registering their preference with their GP surgery.