Every parliamentary written question tabled by Scott Arthur this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 516 · this parliament
What steps her Department is taking to (a) cost the degradation of natural assets resulting from headline GDP growth and (b) ensure long-term environmental costs are reflected in fiscal planning.
Since the Dasgupta Review, the Government has taken forward work to integrate nature into policy-making, including improving the valuation of natural capital through collaboration with Defra and its Biodiversity Expert Committee. The Government is support...
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of permanent absolute GDP growth on long-term environmental sustainability in the context of the Dasgupta Review.
The Government recognises the vital role of nature in the economy and agrees with the central conclusion of the Dasgupta Review that biodiversity underpins nature, and sustains our economies, livelihoods and well-being. As recommended by the Dasgupta Revi...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of incorporation of cultivated meat and alternative proteins into future food security and agri-tech strategies.
Defra is researching the sector’s growth potential, impacts on future emissions, and working across government to support innovation and scaling. Defra is also working with the Food Standards Agency to develop guidance for approval of new alternative prot...
What guidance HM Revenue and Customs has issued to employers on the legality and tax treatment of schemes known as grocery salary sacrifice schemes; what steps have they taken to ensure such schemes are structured t
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes guidance on the tax treatment of salary sacrifice arrangements, including the optional remuneration arrangements rules in the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. Where arrangements are marketed as providing...
What steps her Department is taking to promote and support the adoption of the (a) Rights Respecting Schools programme and (b) principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in schools.
The government is committed to upholding the principles of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and safeguarding the rights of children within schools. For example, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act included several measures to enhance chil...
Innovation and Technology, what discussions his Department has had with the Food Standards Agency on the regulatory pathway for novel foods.
Ministers and officials regularly discuss novel food regulatory pathways with FSA. This includes the Engineering Biology Sandbox and Regulatory Innovation Office’s financial support for a new FSA innovation hub.In October 2024, DSIT awarded the Food Stand...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the change in funding levels for the Independent Commission for Aid Impact on the evaluation of the (a) effectiveness
The reduction in the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI's) budget is proportionate in the context of the reduction of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income, and provides sufficient funding to maintain it...
Further to the Answer of 27 May 2026 to Question 2631, whether accountability mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that NHS trusts, commissioners and regional partnerships act on the quality s
The Department and NHS England are reviewing the process for developing cancer manuals, including the criteria to use to select specific tumour types, accountability mechanisms and consultation processes.As set out in our National Cancer Plan, the first w...
Pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2026 to Question 2631, which tumour types will be prioritised for the first cancer manuals; and whether there will be a consultation exercise for the development of
The Department and NHS England are reviewing the process for developing cancer manuals, including the criteria to use to select specific tumour types, accountability mechanisms and consultation processes.As set out in our National Cancer Plan, the first w...
What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to increase the level of uptake of advanced mathematics to help address the skills gaps identified in Skills England’s Annual Skills Re
Since 2018, the department has funded the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP), which provides high-quality teacher professional development and student support to increase participation and attainment in advanced mathematics in state-funded scho...
Innovation and Technology, what funding her Department is making in the mathematical sciences to support the UK’s quantum industry.
The Government recognises that advanced mathematics underpins excellence across science, engineering and technology, and can play a vital role in driving innovation and productivity. In 2025-2026, UK Research and Innovation committed £25 million to core m...
Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the cost of technical debt to UK productivity; and what steps her Department is taking to address skills shortages linked to the retirement of personnel
At least 28% of central government systems are classified as legacy. These outdated systems cost around 40% more to maintain than modern alternatives, slow down public services, are harder to join up and increase the risk of disruption, reducing efficienc...
What steps she is taking to ensure the maintenance of capital investment in rail infrastructure during the transition period to Great British Railways; and what assessment she has made of the risk of operationa
This government remains committed to the existing settlement for the day-to-day running of the railway during the current funding period (2024 to 2029), including capital spend, and including through the transition from Network Rail to Great British Railw...
What assessment she has made of the likely pass-through of increased SAF compliance costs to consumers and the potential impact on (a) average UK air fares and (b) holiday package prices.
We recognise the need to protect consumers from excessive costs and have factored this into the design of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate. We continually monitor the market, and, alongside the option of buy-out, the Mandate has a built-in review pro...
What estimate her Department has made of the current and projected capacity of domestic Sustainable Aviation Fuel production facilities in the United Kingdom; and what steps she is taking to help prevent shortf
We recognise the need to protect consumers from excessive costs and have factored this into the design of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate. We continually monitor the market, and, alongside the option of buy-out, the Mandate has a built-in review pro...
If she will set out how organisations will be held to account for demonstrating that any exclusion of trans people from single-sex services is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim in line with t
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) regulates equality law across England, Wales and Scotland. The EHRC is independent of the government and makes its own enforcement and regulation decisions.
What assessment she has made of the feasibility for service providers with limited physical space to maintain single-sex services while also providing separate third-space arrangements for transgender individu
The EHRC has assessed the costs for service providers and others. The draft Code of practice for services, public functions and associations acknowledges service providers might comply with the law in different ways due to different factors such as physic...
Whether he plans to renew the National TB Action Plan to help ensure the UK meets its commitment to the World Health Elimination (WHO) targets by 2035.
The UK Health Security Agency and NHS England’s current joint Tuberculosis (TB) Action Plan for England 2021 to 2026 outlines outcomes and indicators to achieve a 90% reduction in people with TB by 2035, aligned with the World Health Organisation eliminat...
What plans her Department has to help support the development of standardised high voltage battery diagnostics for electric vehicles to enable repair and reuse.
The Government is aware of calls from industry to develop standardised high voltage battery diagnostics for electric vehicles (EVs), to support repairability as well as the safe working operations of EV technicians. While the Government currently has no p...
Whether she has considered the potential implications for her policies of research by (a) York University entitled Global Footprint Network: Explore Data, (b) Bioregional entitled The social shortfall and ecological
The Government agrees with the central conclusion of the Dasgupta Review that nature, and the biodiversity that underpins it, sustains our economies, livelihoods and wellbeing. It is therefore committed to integrating nature into economic and financial de...