Every parliamentary written question tabled by Martin Wrigley this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 981–1,000 of 1,723 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46277 on Forests: Commodities, what his planned timetable is to set out plans for tackling deforestation.
The Government recognises the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.
How many new school based nurseries will be located in the (a) Plymouth Unitary Authority, (b) Torbay Unitary Authority and (c) Devon County Council area.
Under the School-Based Nurseries Capital Grant 2024 to 2025 schools could apply to create or expand school-based nursery provision. Three schools received funding in Plymouth Unitary Authority, two in Torbay Unitary Authority and five in Devon County Council.
What steps he is taking to ensure that deafblind people are able to access care needs assessments.
Under the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that deafblind people in their area access the right care and support. This includes making contact with, and keeping a record of, all deafblind people in their area, and ensuring that needs assessments are carried out by a person who has specific training and expertise relating to individuals who are deafblind. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deafblind people. Support for deafblind people will form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report on it when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, an innovative practice, or an area for improvement. So far, the CQC has published over twenty assessments, with ratings of Requires Improvement, Good, and Outstanding. By identifying local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, CQC assessments facilitate the sharing of good practice and help us to target support where it is most needed. These steps will help ensure deafblind people are accessing needs assessments and appropriate care.
If he will take steps to ensure that the mining of (a) lithium, (b) nickel, (c) cobalt, (d) manganese and (e) graphite is (i) sustainable and (ii) does not negatively impact net zero targets.
While recognising these critical minerals are crucial for the energy transition, Government supports efforts to reduce the environmental impact of mining operations themselves. At present, the UK only has mining operations for lithium. As with any UK domestic mining project, these operations need to comply with permitting and planning regulations that protect our natural environment. The UK’s new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure critical minerals for the long term, promoting responsible and sustainable supply chains.
Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46252 on Cars: Lighting, if she will send a copy of the report to the hon. Member for Newton Abbot when it is complete.
Once the independent research on headlamp glare completes, the research organisation will publish a report on their website which will be accessible to the public. The Department will provide the Honourable Member for Newton Abbot with the weblink to the report at that time.
What steps he is taking to ensure that deafblind people are able to access appropriate social care.
Under the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that deafblind people in their area access the right care and support. This includes making contact with, and keeping a record of, all deafblind people in their area, and ensuring that needs assessments are carried out by a person who has specific training and expertise relating to individuals who are deafblind. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deafblind people. Support for deafblind people will form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report on it when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, an innovative practice, or an area for improvement. So far, the CQC has published over twenty assessments, with ratings of Requires Improvement, Good, and Outstanding. By identifying local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, CQC assessments facilitate the sharing of good practice and help us to target support where it is most needed. These steps will help ensure deafblind people are accessing needs assessments and appropriate care.
If he will publish a national cardiovascular disease plan.
The Government is committed to ensuring that fewer lives are lost to the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). That is why, building on the 2019 NHS Long-Term Plan’s commitment to prevent 150,000 heart attacks, strokes, and dementia cases by 2029, the Government has set a CVD-specific mission to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and strokes by 25% within a decade.To deliver on the Government’s ambition, the Department and NHS England are working together to understand both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities for progress across the prevention, treatment, and management of CVD, as part of our 10-year plan.The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients, and staff. The plan will include how care models and pathways will need to change or evolve to better meet their needs, and the cultural and behavioural changes we want to see.
What steps he is taking to ensure that planned reforms to social care help tackle barriers for (a) deafblind people and (b) other disabled people with complex needs.
The Government recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system, and that people are suffering without the care they need or fighting a complicated system just to receive poor quality care.The independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, will work with people who draw on care and their families, as well as sector partners, to make clear recommendations for how to rebuild the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population, including for deafblind people and other disabled people with complex needs.At the same time, we are committed to making immediate improvements. We will give disabled people more independence in their own homes through continued investment in the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), which funds practical changes that suit individual people’s needs. We have provided an uplift of £172 million across this and the last financial year, bringing the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.The Government understands the vital importance of coproduction, working directly with people who draw on care and support, including deafblind people and others with complex needs, to design policies that work for them to make their lives better.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the (a) amount and (b) proportion of (i) lithium, (ii) nickel, (iii) cobalt, (iv) manganese and (v) graphite entering the UK from international mining operations that are potentially involved in human rights violations.
The UK is committed to promoting responsible business practice to reduce and prevent human rights violations. We work through a number of international mechanisms to deliver on this, including supporting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables business to continue to operate responsibly from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. The UK's new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition, promoting responsible and transparent supply chains.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of (a) lithium, (b) nickel, (c) cobalt, (d) manganese and (e) graphite imports come from mining operations that commit human rights violations.
The UK is committed to promoting responsible business practice to reduce and prevent human rights violations. We work through a number of international mechanisms to deliver on this, including supporting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables business to continue to operate responsibly from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. The UK's new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition, promoting responsible and transparent supply chains.
Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 45218 on Competition and Markets Authority: Public Appointments what steps is he is taking to help ensure adequate (a) scrutiny and (b) accountability of the new chair of the Competition and Markets authority to prevent conflicts of interest.
As set out in the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) Framework Agreement, the performance of the CMA Chair is reviewed annually by the responsible Director General within the Department for Business and Trade in accordance with the Chair’s duties and in consultation with the CMA Board. As noted in my previous answer, a new Framework Agreement will be published later this year. The CMA has published its own Conflicts of Interest Policy and also publishes a register of interests of all of its Board members.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ensure that imports of (a) lithium, (b) nickel, (c) cobalt, (d) manganese and (e) graphite do not come from mining operations that commit human rights violations.
The UK is committed to promoting responsible business practice to reduce and prevent human rights violations. We work through a number of international mechanisms to deliver on this, including supporting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables business to continue to operate responsibly from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. The UK's new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition, promoting responsible and transparent supply chains.
What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of pharmacies above 10,000.
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.The Pharmacy Access Scheme provides additional funding to support pharmacies in areas where there are fewer. Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS funded services. There are 10,407 community pharmacies as of 31 March 2025.Most pharmacies are not directly commissioned or contracted by the NHS, instead contractors apply to gain entry to the NHS pharmaceutical list, and if an application is approved, a pharmacy can open and start providing services.Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes, and fund the contract from ICBs’ budgets.The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce regional differences in access to pharmacies.
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.The Pharmacy Access Scheme provides additional funding to support pharmacies in areas where there are fewer. Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS funded services. There are 10,407 community pharmacies as of 31 March 2025.Most pharmacies are not directly commissioned or contracted by the NHS, instead contractors apply to gain entry to the NHS pharmaceutical list, and if an application is approved, a pharmacy can open and start providing services.Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes, and fund the contract from ICBs’ budgets.The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.
What steps she is taking to (a) disrupt county lines operations and (b) reduce exploitation of vulnerable people in Devon and Cornwall.
Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade. To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Through the Programme, we also fund specialist support for children and young people caught up in county lines and child criminal exploitation. More than 280 children and young people have received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July 2024.While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture, identify and share effective practice, and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines. This funding has previously been used to support Op Scorpion, the joint South West regional operation to tackle drug supply, which has yielded significant results.As part of the Programme, the NCLCC regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. During the most recent which took place 25 November to 1 December 2024, activity from Op Scorpion resulted in 95 individuals being arrested, and 107 individuals being safeguarded. Devon & Cornwall Police made 26 arrests, safeguarded 49 vulnerable individuals, visited 28 cuckooed addresses, and seized Class A drugs with an estimated value of £175k.As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime. Alongside an offence, we are introducing new civil preventative orders to prevent CCE conduct from occurring or re-occurring. We are also introducing an offence of cuckooing to target individuals who take over the homes of vulnerable people for criminal purposes and punish them for the harm caused.
If she will bring forward legislative proposals to include decapod crustaceans in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
The Home Office will be guided by decisions made under the Animal Welfare Act regarding any consideration as to whether decapod crustaceans are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procures) Act 1986.
What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) Operation Scorpion and (b) other initiatives in reducing drug trafficking and county lines activity in Devon and Cornwall.
Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade. To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Through the Programme, we also fund specialist support for children and young people caught up in county lines and child criminal exploitation. More than 280 children and young people have received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July 2024.While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture, identify and share effective practice, and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines. This funding has previously been used to support Op Scorpion, the joint South West regional operation to tackle drug supply, which has yielded significant results.As part of the Programme, the NCLCC regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. During the most recent which took place 25 November to 1 December 2024, activity from Op Scorpion resulted in 95 individuals being arrested, and 107 individuals being safeguarded. Devon & Cornwall Police made 26 arrests, safeguarded 49 vulnerable individuals, visited 28 cuckooed addresses, and seized Class A drugs with an estimated value of £175k.As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime. Alongside an offence, we are introducing new civil preventative orders to prevent CCE conduct from occurring or re-occurring. We are also introducing an offence of cuckooing to target individuals who take over the homes of vulnerable people for criminal purposes and punish them for the harm caused.
How many Rapid Deployment Cells are in use at Channings Wood.
Whilst there are not any Rapid Deployment Cells (RDCs) currently in use at HMP Channings Wood, there are 30 RDCs in construction at the site. We expect these to be operational by the end of 2025.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing EU citizens with settled status in the UK the right to vote in local and parliamentary elections.
EU citizens who were legally resident in the UK prior to withdrawal from the EU, or whose countries have a bilateral reciprocal voting rights agreement with the UK, can vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland. Citizens of EU Member States have never been able to vote in UK general election based on that citizenship. The Government has no plans to change this. The franchise for local and devolved government elections in Scotland and Wales is a matter for the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru respectively.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce sewage discharges at Teignmouth Holcombe.
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. A public Call for Evidence closed on 23 April, with all interested parties invited to share their views. The review's final recommendations will be published and shared with the UK and Welsh Governments this summer. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million of investment to reduce storm overflow spills, including improvements at 10 storm overflows in Dawlish Town and Dawlish Coryton Cove and 5 storm overflows in Shaldon which are being improved to the maximum 2 spills per season standard. We encourage the public to report pollution via our incident hotline, by calling 0800 80 70 60 at any time.