Every parliamentary written question tabled by Sammy Wilson this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 201–220 of 252 · this parliament
What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Financial Conduct Authority's powers to regulate claims management companies in Northern Ireland.
The Government has no plans to extend the Financial Conduct Authority’s powers to regulate claims management activity in Northern Ireland, but continues to keep the territorial scope of the Financial Conduct Authority’s powers under review.
When the Motor Insurance Taskforce (a) last met and (b) is next scheduled to meet.
The cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce met for the first time on 16 October 2024 and the Secretary of State is keen to reconvene again soon. We will provide updates on the Taskforce in due course.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department spent on promotion of freedom of religion or belief in the financial year 2024/25.
The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund (JBF), a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. The JBF has a budget allocation of £460,720 in FY24/25. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Pakistani counterpart on the arrest of Ahmadi Muslims in Daska, Pakistan, for gathering in their local mosque on 28 February 2025.
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the deteriorating situation for the Ahmadi community when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024, and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. On 3 March, our High Commissioner in Islamabad raised the issue of Ahmadi rights in a meeting with Prime Minister Sharif. It would not be appropriate to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could put individuals and their families at risk.
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of current provisions to support people serving a custodial sentences who are experiencing gambling harms.
HM Prison and Probation Service delivers a broad range of interventions to address individuals’ criminogenic risks and needs, including accredited offending behaviour programmes.Support for prisoners who are experiencing gambling harms is provided by the NHS. We are working with the NHS to ensure that any gambling intervention provision it commissions is evaluated, and that people in the criminal justice system with associated harms are taken into account and have parity of access to support.
If she will make it her policy to publish a victim’s charter.
In England and Wales, we have the Victims’ Code rather than a Victim Charter. The Victims’ Code sets out the services and minimum standard for these services that must be provided to victims of crime by service providers. It first came into force in 2005 following the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, and has been updated several times since then, most recently in April 2021.The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 requires a new Victims’ Code to be issued, which we will consult on this year as part of our commitment to ensure that victims of crime have the information and support they need.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has plans to meet with his counterpart from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The UK's long-standing position is not to recognise the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" as an independent state. This is in accordance with several UN Security Council Resolutions and in line with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey. While there are currently no plans for the Foreign Secretary to meet Mr Ertuğruloğlu, we continue to work with the UN towards a lasting Cyprus Settlement.
How much funding her Department has provided to fire and rescue services in each of the last five years.
Government funding for fire and rescue services in England is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates. The amount of funding that fire and rescue services receive is determined and distributed using a formula owned by MHCLG. The amount of funding received by fire and rescue services in each of the last five years is as follows: YearFunding amount2020/21around £2.3 billion2021/22around £2.3 billion2022/23around £2.5 billion2023/24around £2.6 billion2024/25around £2.9 billion
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of attacks on Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what steps he is taking to help improve the (a) security and (b) humanitarian situation in the east of that country.
Recent attacks by IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are alarming and we are saddened by the loss of life. The ADF has been sanctioned by the UN since 2014. Protection of civilians, promotion of respect between different religious and non-religious groups, and human rights are priorities for the UK. We continue to work through UN bodies to promote and protect these rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The humanitarian situation in eastern DRC is critical because of the current conflict. The UK will continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, and respect for International Humanitarian Law. The UK has announced £79 million in humanitarian support this year.
What the cost to the public purse has been of providing legal advice to immigrants seeking asylum in each of the last five years.
Legal aid is available to fund legal advice and representation provided to individuals seeking asylum in England and Wales, subject to an assessment of merits and financial eligibility. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes information regarding legal aid expenditure as part of its official statistics on a quarterly basis, including the cost of legal aid provided in respect of asylum matters funded as Controlled Work. The information requested can be found at column G of table 5.3. Controlled Work covers the provision of legal advice regarding asylum matters and representation before the First Tier (Immigration and Asylum) Tribunal.The LAA also publishes information about the cost of Legal Representation pertaining to immigration and asylum matters (see tables 6.5 and 6.7). However, due to the way in which this information is recorded on LAA systems, expenditure specifically in relation to asylum cases could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the United Nations on the creation of a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.
The UK Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all, with a particular focus on those most likely to be marginalised and discriminated against, including on the grounds of their age. We are open in principle to the idea of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the human rights of older people and will continue to play a constructive role in discussions on this issue at the UN and other relevant fora. UK officials continue to discuss the issue with international counterparts.
Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been allocated to the fire service for each of the last ten years.
Details of funding for fire authorities made available through Local Government Finance Settlements are set out in the Core Spending Power tables. The most recent Core Spending Power allocations table published as part of the final 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement can be found at the following link and includes tabs for each year since 2015/16: Core Spending Power table: final local government finance settlement 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK.
Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of local councils that plan to increase the local fire precept to fund fire services in the 2025-26 financial year.
This is a devolved policy issue, you will appreciate I am unable to comment on any levels which may be set outside of England. However, in England, decisions on council tax levels are for individual local authorities including fire authorities and councils which are responsible for the fire services in their area. The government will publish data on the council tax levels set by all English authorities for 2025-26 in March.
With reference to the impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, published on 5 November 2024, whether the specified cost of retailer staff training (a) is a one-off cost and (b) reflects ongoing costs in relation to planned secondary legislation relating to that Bill.
The estimated familiarisation and staff training costs included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill impact assessment are assumed to be one-off costs, and individual estimates are provided for each specific policy.The bill will gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country, so an individual born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be legally sold these products, including through proxy purchasing. Although it will mean the legal age of sale effectively increases by one year each year, the regulations will not change every year. This means it will be a one-off cost for retailers in terms of training staff.Some indicative estimates for staff training are included for secondary legislation. This, however, will be subject to consultation and, where proportionate, further work will be completed to assess the costs and benefits of these measures.We will continue to work closely with retailers to support them in implementing the smoke-free generation policy in the future.
If he will make a comparative estimate of the costs of (a) implementing a one-time increase in the legal purchase age of tobacco and (b) introducing an age escalator, in the context of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health. It causes approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, one in four of all cancer deaths, and kills up to two-thirds of its users.Smoking also substantially increases the risk of many major health conditions throughout people’s lives, such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth, dementia, and asthma. Three quarters of smokers wish they had never started smoking but are unable to stop due to the addictive nature of tobacco.It is estimated that smoking costs the country £21.8 billion a year in England. This includes an annual £18.3 billion loss to productivity, through smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, and early death, as well as costs to the National Health Service and social care of over £2 billion.On 5 November 2024, the Department published an impact assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. This found that the introduction of the smoke-free generation policy, the progressive increase in the age of sale, will get smoking rates in England for 14 to 30 year olds to 0% as early as 2050. Over the next 50 years it will save tens of thousands of lives, and avoid up to 130,000 cases of cases of lung cancer, strokes, and heart disease.The impact assessment explored a one-time age increase, but this has been discounted as it does not achieve the policy objective to prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking and getting smoking prevalence to 0% to achieve a smoke-free United Kingdom. Simply raising the age of sale to one set year will only raise the age that people start smoking, and would not break the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a STEM teachers continuing professional development fund with industry.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department has a range of programmes to support continuing professional development for teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), for 2025/26 these include:The subject knowledge for physics teaching programme, which supports non-specialist teachers of physics in teaching the requirements of the key stage 3 and key stage 4 physics curriculum.The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, mathematics hubs and the advanced mathematics support programme, which provide professional development to teachers of mathematics from reception to key stage 5.The National Centre for Computing Education, to support the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science qualifications.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with teaching groups on the potential merits of establishing a continuing professional development fund with industry, but funding to support STEM education beyond the 2025/26 financial year will be considered as part of the forthcoming spending review..
Whether she has had discussions with teaching groups on the potential merits of establishing a STEM teachers continuing professional development fund with industry.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department has a range of programmes to support continuing professional development for teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), for 2025/26 these include:The subject knowledge for physics teaching programme, which supports non-specialist teachers of physics in teaching the requirements of the key stage 3 and key stage 4 physics curriculum.The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, mathematics hubs and the advanced mathematics support programme, which provide professional development to teachers of mathematics from reception to key stage 5.The National Centre for Computing Education, to support the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science qualifications.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with teaching groups on the potential merits of establishing a continuing professional development fund with industry, but funding to support STEM education beyond the 2025/26 financial year will be considered as part of the forthcoming spending review..
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has reviewed policy on recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus since 2020.
The UK's long-standing position is not to recognise the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" as an independent state. This is in accordance with several UN Security Council Resolutions and in line with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey. As a Guarantor Power and a friend to all parties, we will continue to support the efforts of the UN and all Cypriot communities towards a just and lasting settlement.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent alleged instances of persecution against Christians in Iran.
We condemn Iran's restrictions against Freedom of Religion or Belief. Christians, particularly converts from Islam, and other minority religions, continue to face severe repression in Iran. We were proud to help deliver the Iran Human Rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity and to ensure rights are upheld. We will continue to hold Iran accountable for its repression of religious minorities.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the Government's allocated funding for the promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief has been directed towards supporting persecuted Christian communities globally in the last three financial years.
The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The FCDO John Bunyan Fund (JBF), the designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects has a budget allocation of £460,720 in FY24/25. In FY 23/24 the JBF spent £170,000 and in FY22/23, £70,000. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, including Christians, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.