Every parliamentary written question tabled by Peter Bedford this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 401–420 of 575 · this parliament
Whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
I can reassure the hon. Member that all parliamentary questions are personally signed off by a Minister. I signed this one off at my desk in the Ministry of Defence at 3.07pm on 4 March 2025 for instance.
Whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
No, the Attorney General's Office has not used AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
DWP has access to AI software tools to support day-to-day workings such as the drafting process for responding to written parliamentary questions. The terms of use are clear that the license holder must review the content provided by the tool. All responses are drafted and reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and are signed off by Ministers.
Media and Sport, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
No, DCMS has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.
Whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
A small proportion of staff in the Department for Business and Trade have access to AI software tools at the moment. These tools may be used to support the drafting process for responding to written parliamentary questions. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy, and are signed off personally by Ministers.
Whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
No, Home Office has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions..
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
No, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.
Whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
The Department does not formally use AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
The Ministry of Justice has not used AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
No, Defra has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.
Whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
The department sometimes uses Artificial Intelligence software tools to support the drafting process for responding to written parliamentary questions. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government policy and are signed off by Ministers.
What recent estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of civil servants who work from home every day in each Department.
Central data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office. The latest data for the period October to December 2024 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.
What estimate his Department has made of the number of irregular migrants that will enter the UK via the English Channel in each of the next five years following the passing of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
An impact assessment of the Bill is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill-2025-impact-assessment. This includes analysis of how the new powers in the Bill could achieve the intended impacts, including by leading to more effective interventions in disrupting and prosecuting those who seek to facilitate irregular migration to the UK. The Home Office will continue to monitor and evaluate measures within the Bill once they have been implemented, subject to Parliament’s approval.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing plastic straws.
The Secretary of State has not made an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing plastic straws. However, the Department is currently conducting a post-implementation review of the Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020 to ensure it is fit for purpose.
If she will make an estimate of the number of illegal migrants arrested by the Border Force in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency in the last 12 months.
The requested information is not available in our published data, but our published national data on enforcement is available at the following link and includes data on detected irregular arrivals to the UK: Immigration system statistics, year ending September 2024 - GOV.UK
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to business property relief on the (a) construction and (b) plant-hire sector in (i) the UK, (ii) Leicestershire and (iii) Mid Leicestershire constituency.
The Government has received representations, including from the construction and plant hire sector, about the reforms to both agricultural property relief and business property relief. The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Information from claims is not recorded to enable regional breakdowns of the number of estates expected to be affected. However, the Government has set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions on recent trends in employment numbers on the high street.
An assessment of the changes to Employers’ National Insurance has been published by HMRC in their Tax Information and Impact Note, including impacts on the exchequer, the economy, individuals, households and families, equalities, and businesses including civil society organisations, alongside details on monitoring and evaluation. After accounting for the Autumn Budget 2024, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility expect the employment level will increase from 33.1 million in 2024 to 34.3 million in 2029.
Whether her Department has had recent discussions with stakeholders in the (a) construction and (b) plant-hire sector on the potential impact of changes to business property relief on those sectors.
The Government has received representations, including from the construction and plant hire sector, about the reforms to both agricultural property relief and business property relief. The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Information from claims is not recorded to enable regional breakdowns of the number of estates expected to be affected. However, the Government has set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27.
What progress her Department has made on increasing the availability of apprenticeships to young people.
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy. Too many young people are struggling to access high-quality opportunities, and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth.The department also continues to provide employers and providers with additional funding to support more apprenticeship opportunities for young people. The department provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan or who have been in local authority care. These payments can be used to support costs such as work equipment, uniforms or travel.
Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on the roll out of broadband to rural areas.
According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 86% of premises in the UK can now access a gigabit-capable connection. In Leicestershire this figure is currently at 83%, and for the Mid Leicestershire constituency it is over 89%.As of the end of March 2024, over one million premises in the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes. Under Project Gigabit, more than £2 billion of contracts have been signed to provide gigabit-capable coverage to over a million more premises. The vast majority of the premises to be covered by these contracts will be in rural areas.CityFibre is currently delivering a £77 million Project Gigabit contract for Leicestershire and Warwickshire, which includes eligible premises in both the Leicestershire and the Mid Leicestershire constituency.