Every parliamentary written question tabled by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 381–400 of 1,302 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered the potential merits of including glass in the proposed deposit protection scheme.
Following consultations in 2019 and 2021, an extensive review of evidence was carried out in addition to engagement with industry stakeholders which informed our decision to exclude glass drinks containers from the Deposit Return Scheme. Glass drinks containers are included in the scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme.
What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support available to apprentices.
From April 2026 the Apprentice National Minimum Wage will increase by 6% to £8.00 per hour, from £7.55. This new rate will help encourage more young people to enter the labour market via apprenticeships, helping fill the skills gaps our country faces. The department continues to provide employers and providers with additional funding to support 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. Apprentices under the age of 25 that have been, or are, in local authority care can claim a bursary of £3,000 when they start an apprenticeship. This supports them as they transition into employment. Apprentices may also be eligible for local discounted travel schemes. For example, apprentices over 18, living in a London borough and in the first year of an apprenticeship, can get discounted travel with an Oyster photocard. The government remains committed to keeping apprentice pay and financial support under review to support the attraction of talented individuals into apprenticeships, whilst remaining fair for employers.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in Bangladesh on elections in that country and international law.
We welcome the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh which took place on 12 February 2026. The peaceful and credible election process represents an important step forward in Bangladesh's ambitions and the aspirations of its people.When I met Prime Minister Rahman on 17 February, I looked forward to working with Bangladesh on advancing democratic, economic and social reforms.The UK is providing £27 million in support through the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme to protect civic and political space and address the underlying tensions that can lead to violence.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Bangladesh Government on the protection of religious minorities in that country.
The UK condemns all forms of violence. I discussed Bangladesh's commitment to inclusion when I met Prime Minister Rahman in February. We engage with authorities in Bangladesh to ensure accountability, protect and promote interfaith harmony and uphold the rule of law.Our commitment to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is also demonstrated through our £27 million Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme (2023-2028), which aims to safeguard civic space, encourage inclusive dialogue and address the underlying tensions that can lead to violence.
What recent assessment she made of the affordability of train tickets for travel in the South East of England.
The Government knows how important affordable and reliable public transport services are in enabling people to get to education, work, access vital services, and keep communities connected. We are freezing rail fares, from March, for the first time in 30 years, putting money back in passengers’ pockets and easing the cost of living for hard working people. In the South East, our expansion of Pay As You Go with contactless ticketing has already simplified the complicated web of tickets to Peak and one Off-Peak price. This will allow passengers greater flexibility in their choice of tickets, with some seeing a reduction in their ticket price.
What recent assessment has she made of the adequacy of financial support available to university students.
The government needs to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable, and funding arrangements are reviewed each year.We are increasing loans for living costs each year in line with forecast inflation with students from the lowest income families receiving the largest year-on-year cash increases in support. Maximum loans for living costs will increase by 2.71% for the 2026/27 academic year.We are also reintroducing maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year for full-time students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and Industrial Strategy from the 2028/29 academic year.The department will also provide extra support for care leavers, some of the most vulnerable in our society, who will automatically become eligible to receive the maximum rates of loans for living costs from the 2026/27 academic year.
What recent steps he has taken to help reduce rates of obesity in Slough.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis to shift the focus from treatment to prevention and ease the strain on our National Health Service, including in Slough.We have fulfilled our commitment to restrict junk food advertising targeted at children on television and online. We have also implemented restrictions on volume price promotions for less healthy food and drink, such as three for the price of two offers, and consulted on our proposals to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children aged under 16 years old.We will go further by introducing mandatory reporting on the healthiness of sales for all large food businesses and setting new healthier food targets. We will also strengthen the existing advertising and promotions restrictions by applying an updated definition of ‘less healthy food and drink’. We published the updated Nutrient Profiling Model in January, ahead of consulting on its policy application.To support people already living with obesity, we will double the number of patients able to access the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme. From June 2025, the NHS began making weight loss drugs available through primary care. Approximately 220,000 adults will be considered in the first three years with access prioritised by clinical need. We are committed to expanding NHS access and will work closely with industry and local systems to identify innovative ways to do this.Officials in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ South East team work closely with local partners including local authorities and the NHS to support them with local initiatives to promote a healthy lifestyle and to tackle obesity.
What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the nutritional guidance for school dinners.
The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at both lunchtime and at other times of the school day. We are revising the School Food Standards and engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history. As part of our work, we expect to revise our guidance.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help reduce dog bites.
The Government has reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. The taskforce is considering four themes: educating the public on how to stay safe around dogs, training for both dogs and their owners, enforcement, and improving data on dog attacks. We look forward to receiving its findings and recommendations in due course.
What recent steps has he taken to increase bowel screening uptake in Slough constituency.
Improving cancer services is a priority for the Government. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. Slough is seeing an improvement in bowel screening uptake, although this remains below the national average.Commissioners and providers continue to work together to address this variation and to ensure that all eligible residents are supported to participate in screening at the earliest opportunity.The Berkshire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and local partners have undertaken several initiatives to increase awareness and participation in Slough including:a presentation on bowel cancer screening delivered to the Cippenham Carers group;engagement with the 50+ Group at Kingsway United Reformed Church, promoting the importance of early detection; anda bowel cancer screening awareness poster circulated to general practices in Slough through the Frimley Health communications team.In addition, Slough Borough Council is actively supporting improvement in cancer screening uptake through communication and training measures.All partners remain committed to collaborative working to reduce inequalities, strengthen pathways, and support increased uptake among underserved populations.
Whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that private parking companies provide adequate notice to individuals served with a fine regarding the period in which they must (a) pay or (b) appeal.
The Secretary of State has not had discussions with her cabinet colleagues on this matter. Private parking companies are the policy responsibility of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
What information his Department holds on the number of people that have been waiting over six months to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services support in Slough constituency.
There are currently six young people living within the Slough Local Authority area who have been waiting for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) intervention for over 26 weeks. There are no young people within Slough waiting for longer than 104 weeks to be seen by CAMHS.
What recent steps he has taken to help improve Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services referral times in Slough.
The Department has made no assessment of the adequacy of access to child and adolescent mental health services for children in the Slough constituency. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for children and young people’s mental health services in the Slough constituency.As prioritised in our Medium-Term Planning Framework, we are taking action to reduce the longest waits for specialist mental health support, tackling regional disparities, and expanding access, thereby making services more productive so children and young people spend less time waiting for the treatment they need.We are also accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. As part of this, we are investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. An additional 900,000 children and young people had access by this spring, which means that 60% of all pupils will have access to this early support at school, up from 44% in spring 2024.More widely, we are, rolling out Young Futures Hubs. The Government’s first 50 Young Futures Hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health.
Whether his Department has assessed the adequacy of children's access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the Slough constituency.
The Department has made no assessment of the adequacy of access to child and adolescent mental health services for children in the Slough constituency. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for children and young people’s mental health services in the Slough constituency.As prioritised in our Medium-Term Planning Framework, we are taking action to reduce the longest waits for specialist mental health support, tackling regional disparities, and expanding access, thereby making services more productive so children and young people spend less time waiting for the treatment they need.We are also accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. As part of this, we are investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. An additional 900,000 children and young people had access by this spring, which means that 60% of all pupils will have access to this early support at school, up from 44% in spring 2024.More widely, we are, rolling out Young Futures Hubs. The Government’s first 50 Young Futures Hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health.
What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the environmental impact of high-carbon advertising.
The government is committed to reducing emissions from high carbon products and will continue to bring forward proposals to do so. For example, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is assessing the potential for voluntary ecolabels. Ecolabels provide information on the carbon intensity and environmental impact of products and services, to help inform consumers’ purchasing decisions. The Committees of Advertising Practice and Advertising Standards Authority regulate the content and targeting of advertising in the UK, and the advertising codes include rules on environmental claims. The ASA system operates independently of the government. The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including on how we deliver our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of interim support available to children waiting for access to CAMHS support.
The Department has made no assessment of the adequacy of access to child and adolescent mental health services for children in the Slough constituency. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for children and young people’s mental health services in the Slough constituency.As prioritised in our Medium-Term Planning Framework, we are taking action to reduce the longest waits for specialist mental health support, tackling regional disparities, and expanding access, thereby making services more productive so children and young people spend less time waiting for the treatment they need.We are also accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. As part of this, we are investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. An additional 900,000 children and young people had access by this spring, which means that 60% of all pupils will have access to this early support at school, up from 44% in spring 2024.More widely, we are, rolling out Young Futures Hubs. The Government’s first 50 Young Futures Hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health.
What recent steps she has taken alongside local authorities to reduce traffic congestion in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.
Managing traffic on local roads is the responsibility of the local traffic authority. The Traffic Management Act 2004 places a Network Management Duty on them, which requires them to manage their roads to deliver ‘expeditious movement’ for all traffic including pedestrians, with a view to reducing congestion. They have a wide range of tools already available to them to manage congestion and traffic flows.
What recent assessment he has been made of the adequacy of national guidance for schools regarding (a) incidents and (b) reports of knife possession on school grounds.
It is essential that schools are equipped to act decisively to safeguard all pupils and staff. The department regularly keeps guidance under review and we are actively considering how we can further support schools to understand the expectations set out in policy guidance around both violence prevention, and response to violence.Schools must have regard to statutory guidance, including ‘Keeping children safe in education’, ‘Working together to safeguard children’, and guidance on ‘Searching, screening and confiscation’.The department has taken steps to strengthen practice in schools by working with the Youth Endowment Fund to highlight evidence based approaches to preventing violence. This includes a national webinar series, aimed at school leaders and safeguarding leads, which shares best practice, evidence based approaches and practical guidance on preventing serious violence and supporting vulnerable pupils. This work supports the government’s ambition to halve knife crime over the next decade, starting with effective early prevention‑based approaches to preventing violence.
What recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the provision of services to prevent knife crime among young people.
This Government have set an ambitious but essential target to halve knife crime over this decade and we are making progress: since the start of this Parliament, knife crime has fallen by 8% and knife homicides are down by 27%.To achieve this ambition we are engaging with partners across the system both to address knife crime and address the root causes of knife crime. This includes local authorities who play a vital role.This role is formalised within the Serious Violence Duty which places a statutory requirement on a range of public sector bodies, including local authorities, to work collaboratively, analyse the local problem, and put in place a strategy to prevent and reduce serious violence. Community Safety Partnerships, led by the local authority and whose partners match those subject to the Serious Violence Duty must also comply with these requirements.The Home Office had discussions and worked with relevant local authorities to deliver the extended knife surrender arrangements which the Government ran in July 2025 and covered various locations in London, West Midlands and Greater Manchester. The extended surrender arrangements involved the use of a mobile surrender van and 37 bespoke weapons surrender bins and a total of a 3,570 knives and weapons were surrendered through these arrangements.The Home Office maintain regular discussions with local authorities through Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) and Young Futures Panels partnership arrangements to support the effective delivery of services to prevent knife crime among young people.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in the Department for Education regarding steps taken to increase awareness of the dangers of swimming in (a) cold water, (b) open water among school-age children.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. Swimming and water safety is a vital life skill. Swimming and water safety are compulsory elements of the PE National Curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2. In addition, the changes made to the Government’s statutory RSHE guidance will ensure all pupils are taught about the water safety code, supporting them to be safe in different types of water. This will help ensure all pupils are taught about the water safety code, supporting them to be safe in different types of water. The Government is also providing a grant of up to £300,000 to deliver Inclusion 2028 – a programme which upskills teachers to deliver high quality, inclusive PE, including swimming and water safety, to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.