Every parliamentary written question tabled by Alison Taylor this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 60 · this parliament
If he is considering ways to reduce the UK Government office foot print in the centre of London.
By 2030, 11 government buildings will close, including 102 Petty France and 39 Victoria Street, delivering £94m in savings per year from 2032. More departments in London will colocate, enabling greater collaboration on delivering the Government’s Plan for Change.
What steps he is taking to ensure SMEs in Paisley and Renfrewshire North are being kept up to date and receiving practical guidance on trading with the USA in a rapidly changing trade and tariff environment.
Awaiting answer.
What steps are being taken to improve trade between the UK and the USA and in particular what steps are being taken to seek improvements on trade with the USA, wherever UK Exporters remain on less favourable terms than their competitors in the European Union.
Awaiting answer.
Whether she plans to review the effectiveness of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism following its introduction in 2027.
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is designed to reduce the risk of carbon leakage for sectors within scope of the policy by ensuring that importers face a comparable carbon price to that paid in the UK by those producing the same goods. As wi...
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that homes of the future are being built with British materials, including UK grown timber, and securing cement and concrete supply chains acros
The Building Regulations do not govern material supply chains. They are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare by setting minimum acceptable standards for new building work, including materials and workmanship, when a building is being de...
Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to allow an hon. Member's office to be the accountable body for Town of Culture bids for 2028 when the Local Authority is not willing to participate in the bid proc
We are delighted by the interest and excitement there has been in the UK Town of Culture competition. The competition has now closed and there has been strong interest from many places right across the UK.Local authority participation is important as it w...
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if the Electoral Commission will take steps to investigate whether grants given by them to political parties have been used inapprop
Political parties with two or more sitting MPs are entitled to a share of the £2 million policy development grant, which is intended to assist parties in developing the policies that they will present in an election manifesto.The Commission distributes th...
If she will hold discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on airport owners increasing (a) airport and (b) drop-off charges above the cost of inflation.
The Department does not intend to hold discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on these matters. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has concurrent powers with the CMA to enforce the prohibitions in the Competition Act 1998 as they rel...
What steps she is taking to help protect the UK University sector from a potential loss of income from overseas students.
The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. The Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, sets out a balanced approach that helps the government achieve our manifesto commitment on reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.The Office for Students (OfS) has identified a reliance on international student fee income as a risk to English providers’ financial sustainability. It has been clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health as a response to this risk and others. As higher education (HE) providers are independent from government, they are responsible for managing their finances.To support the English HE sector, the government has increased tuition fee caps in line with inflation and has asked the OfS to focus on financial sustainability. The financial sustainability of providers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations.
Whether she plans to provide financial provision to respond to potential legal challenges by students who did not fully understand the implications for repayment of interest for their student loans.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Given the inherited fiscal situation, the government is making tough but necessary decisions to protect both taxpayers and students. The government continuously reviews student finance to ensure it remains fair, sustainable, and supportive of students from all backgrounds.Prospective students have access to a wide range of information across a range of platforms before they submit their loan application. Student loan terms and conditions make clear that the conditions of the loan may change in line with the relevant regulations and students sign these terms and conditions before any money is paid to them. Having access to this information early in the process enables prospective borrowers to seek independent advice if they feel they do not understand aspects of the student loan process, or to better understand the longer-term commitment of a student loan.
What steps he is taking to ensure that there are an adequate number of suitable training places available for medical graduates across all of the UK, including those who have graduated in Scotland and who are mobile in terms of securing employment; what steps he is taking to prevent newly qualified doctors travelling overseas for work, particularly those graduating during this academic year and including those who graduated in 2025 and have yet to be connected with a suitable training opportunity; and whether he has plans to review the pre-entry qualifications for medical training places and start accepting UK based medical graduates, who miss out on a training place by a matter of a few exam marks.
We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.We have also introduced the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 which delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. We expect that all eligible prioritised applicants for the foundation programme in 2026 will be offered a place.This act will ensure a sustainable medical workforce that can meet the health needs of the population, and will mean we are less reliant on an unpredictable labour market and can make best use of the substantial taxpayer investment in medical training. It will reduce competition for places and give homegrown talent a path to become the next generation of NHS doctors.There are no current plans to review the pre-entry qualifications for medical training places in respect of UK based medical graduates who have not achieved the necessary exam marks.
What steps she has taken to help ensure airports have the capital investment to transition to net zero carbon emissions (a) on their estate and (b) in airport operations.
Airport operators are primarily in the private sector and therefore responsible for their own capital investment decisions, including those affecting the decarbonisation of their estates and operations. However, we are working closely with the aviation sector to unblock key barriers to reaching net zero carbon emissions, including through the Jet Zero Taskforce.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of a rail link to Glasgow International Airport from Glasgow Central Station via Paisley Gilmour St.
Transport matters in Scotland are devolved to the Scottish Government. This would be a matter for Transport Scotland.
Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed ban on upwards only rent reviews on rents of leased Government offices; and what the square footage is of the office property occupied by the Government on commercial leases.
According to the Government’s 2023–24 Government Estate Annual Data publication, the Government occupies around 1.9 million square metres (approximately 20.5 million square feet) of leasehold office space across the central government estate. The Government has assessed the impact of banning upwards only rent reviews and published this in an Impact Assessment for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
What the timescales are for applications for Veterans Support Hubs; whether (a) match funding is required by devolved administrations in Scotland and (b) there is a (i) maximum or (ii) minimum capital spend required ifor the Veterans Support Hubs; and what crietria his Department plans to use for site selection.
This Government is renewing the nation's contract with those that serve and have served, with over 1.8 million veterans and their families across the UK benefiting from a new network of VALOUR Recognised Centres. These centres, spread across the UK, will fundamentally transform how support is provided to veterans and the wider Armed Forces community, offering the first coordinated national network of support centres as part of the VALOUR programme. Applications for the first round of development funding for VALOUR Recognised Centres opened on 10 November and closes on 14 January 2026. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust will administer grants on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to existing organisations or consortiums of between £500,000 and £1,000,000 for each centre. There will be no requirement for matched funding from Devolved Governments. Additional information on criteria and the application process, including capital spend, can be found at the following website https://covenantfund.org.uk/programme/valour-recognised-centres-development-fund/
Communities and Local Government, if she will consult with the (a) British Federation of Property and (b) Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on her proposals to ban upward-only rent reviews in commercial leases in England.
The government conducted extensive research and engagement before deciding to ban upwards only rent reviews. We will continue to engage with stakeholders including with the British Property Federation and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed prohibition of upwards-only rent reviews in all commercial property leases contained in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on (a) institutional finance markets and (b) speculative development funding sources in the context of (i) large scale urban regeneration projects and (ii) other development projects.
The government conducted extensive research and engagement before deciding to ban upwards only rent reviews. In the last quarter of 2024, 1 in 7 high street properties were vacant. Whilst we recognise the ban removes a guarantee of return from investors, it will support growth overall by making rents fairer and allowing businesses to access and invest in our High Streets.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has prepared an evacuation plan for injured children in Gaza who have family members in the UK; what his planned timetable is for agreeing a safe evacuation route with adjacent countries; whether there is a limit on the number of injured children from Gaza that can be hospitalised in the UK for treatment; and what steps his Department is taking to settle (a) children with a family member and (b) orphaned children in the UK (i) until the war ends and (ii) permanently.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is horrific, we have consistently pressed the Government of Israel to allow access to essential healthcare. Getting patients out of Gaza remains challenging, particularly since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024. There are provisions that allow a person to come to the UK for Private Medical Treatment under the Immigration Rules. On 1 May, the Minister for the Middle East announced that two children arrived in the UK to begin privately funded medical treatment through support to Project Pure Hope. However, the government is not currently considering implementing a bespoke visa route for Palestinians fleeing Gaza to come to the UK. The UK took the decision in December 2023 to extend consular support exceptionally to Palestinian nationals seeking to leave Gaza, in certain circumstances. Details of who the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office can try to help leave Gaza are published in our Occupied Palestinian Territories Travel Advice.
Whether he is encouraging employees in his Department's Scottish offices to attend in person.
The Government renewed its commitment to the 60% office attendance expectation on 24 October, emphasising the importance of collaboration through face-to-face interactions. This applies to all of the department's offices, including our offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
How his Department is supporting the (a) delivery and (b) expansion of apprenticeship programmes across Government departments.
The Cabinet Office is committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.