Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Snowden this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 2,321–2,340 of 2,662 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to review planning regulations on the conversion of public houses to other uses.
Planning permission is always required for the material change of use of a public house to another use, and the government has no plans to change this.
Communities and Local Government, how much agricultural land has been converted for solar panel use in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Fylde constituency in the last 10 years.
The government places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise the benefits of the Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land (land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) system). Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality. As of the end of September 2024, ground-mounted solar PV panels covered an estimated 21,200 hectares. This amounts to around 0.1% of the land area of the UK. The government does not hold information on the number of ground-mounted solar projects that have been permitted and built on different agricultural grades, or the number of acres of grade 1 and 2 land which has been built on since 2020.
Whether he has made an estimate of the prevalence of long covid in adults in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.
The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown of this figure by age group:Age groupEstimateThree to 17 years old111,81618 to 34 years old406,53835 to 44 years old294,09945 to 54 years old397,80255 to 64 years old389,97765 to 74 years old271,37475 years old and over113,467 While no estimate has been made specifically for Lancashire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated 270,939 people of all ages self-reporting experiencing long COVID symptoms in the North West of England region in that same time period.
What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the cost of care home placements in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.
Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.As well as self-funders sourcing their own care, local authorities also agree fees with care home providers for local authority funded placements. According to Market Sustainability Fund data, in 2023/24, Lancashire paid an average care home fee rate of £707 without nursing, and £738 with nursing. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-2024-to-2025-care-provider-fees/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-msif-provider-fee-reporting-2024-to-2025#main-pointsWe have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.
What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of weekly care home fees in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.
Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.As well as self-funders sourcing their own care, local authorities also agree fees with care home providers for local authority funded placements. According to Market Sustainability Fund data, in 2023/24, Lancashire paid an average care home fee rate of £707 without nursing, and £738 with nursing. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-2024-to-2025-care-provider-fees/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-msif-provider-fee-reporting-2024-to-2025#main-pointsWe have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.
What guidance he provides to SMEs that face disruption as a result of changing tariff regimes.
The Government is conscious that this is an anxious time for all businesses, not just those trading with the USA. We have announced a range of measures to support SMEs dealing with cashflow difficulties linked to recent changes in global tariff rates, including an additional £500 million in lending capacity under the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), delivered by the British Business Bank. We are also expanding UKEF’s business support package by £20 billion, £10 billion of which will be used specifically for businesses impacted in the short term by the current US tariffs.
What regional economic development schemes are in place to support small creative businesses in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.
Small businesses are the backbone of our communities including those in the creative industries. The Government has a wide range of offers aimed at supporting SMEs in Lancashire and across the UK SMEs in Fylde can benefit from specialist business advice, accessing finance and reaching new markets through Boost – Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub We will be launching the Business Growth Service (BGS) this summer, making it easier for businesses to get the advice and support they need. Any SME in Lancashire and across the UK will be able to access expert, impartial services within the BGS free of charge.
What steps he is taking to prevent the sale of illegally modified electric bikes.
The UK’s product safety framework requires businesses, including those that modify electric bikes, to only place safe and compliant consumer products on the market. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to tackle the supply of unsafe or non-compliant consumer products and remove them from the market.The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will enable the Government to modernise product safety law, including placing new duties on online marketplaces to better protect consumers from unsafe products.Enforcement of illegally modified electric bikes used on public roads is a matter for the police.
If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of current regulations on the use of illegally modified electric bikes on public highways.
A modified e-cycle is only road-legal where it complies in full with the requirements set out in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983. Where this is not the case, the e-cycle is classed as a motor vehicle and needs to be approved and registered with the DVLA, as well as being taxed and insured. Enforcement of these requirements is a matter for the police, who already have powers to seize illegally modified e-cycles and to fine individuals who fail to stop when instructed to do so. The Government is also providing the police with more powers to make it easier for them to seize any vehicle, including illegally modified e-cycles, where it is being used in an anti-social manner. Measures contained in the Crime and Policing Bill will allow the police to seize the vehicle without first being required to provide the rider with a warning. This will help get dangerous and unsafe e-bikes off our roads for good.
What plans her Department has to introduce a public awareness campaign on road safety in Fylde constituency.
The Government's longstanding road safety campaign, THINK!, aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. The campaign currently runs across all of England and Wales, including the constituency of Fylde. The campaign uses highly targeted channels to reach 17-24 year old men, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than other drivers, prioritising issues such as speeding and drink driving.
Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of funding available through the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund for (a) non-electronic and (b) electronic music venues in each English region.
The Government is providing Arts Council England (ACE)’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund with £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This supports grassroots music venues, festivals, promoters and recording and rehearsal studios, all for both non-electronic and electronic music, across England. Applicants can apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for fans.The fund does not draw a distinction between electronic and non-electronic music.
Pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51549 on Exercise: Older People, what metrics her Department is using to measure the success of the NHS 10 walking app.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) physical activity guidelines recommend that adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week, such as brisk walking. The NHS Active 10 app records brisk walking minutes, supporting users to incorporate more moderate-intensity activity into their daily lives. The app rewards users for every 10-minute segment of moderate-intensity activity completed, providing motivation to increase and sustain higher activity levels over time. Metrics collected to monitor the impact of the app include downloads, daily and monthly active users, and summary data of active minutes. The app has been downloaded over 1.7 million times and supports over 95,000 monthly active users to get more active. A time series analysis conducted in 2024, pending publication, indicates that the average app user increases their daily brisk walking by nine minutes, immediately following download of the NHS Active 10 app.
What steps her Department is taking to assess the quality of road construction in Fylde constituency.
Local authorities are required to provide data to the Department for Transport each year on the condition of their classified roads. The data is available on gov.uk.In September 2024, the Government released a new data standard for road condition monitoring (PAS 2161) that will help the sector to innovate and drive efficiencies. Local highway authorities will be required to gather road condition data using this standard from the 2026/27 financial year.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 51543 on Cost of Living: Fylde, how the new Fair Repayment Rate for Universal Credit debt deductions is being implemented; and how this will ensure that people who are struggling with debt are adequately supported in Fylde constituency.
The Fair Repayment Rate was implemented from 30 April 2025. This measure reduced the overall deductions cap taken from the Universal Credit standard personal allowance from 25% to 15% enabling approximately 1.2 million UC households retain, on average, an additional £420 a year or £35 per month of their award. This change will be applied to assessment periods starting on or after the 30 April 2025. The Department encourages anyone unable to afford the proposed rate of repayment to contact Universal Credit or DWP Debt Management at the earliest opportunity. The Department will seek to do as much as they are permitted to do to support customers through the recovery of their overpayments.
What steps she is taking to improve road safety in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.
There is not a specific DfT road safety strategy for Flyde or Lancashire. It is for local authorities to decide upon the most appropriate road safety interventions, based on its knowledge of an area and taking into account local needs and considerations. However, the Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.
What steps he is taking to provide support to business to reassess their supply chain strategies following the introduction of new tariffs to existing supply chains in Fylde constituency.
We will continue our work with businesses in the North-West and across the country to understand their assessment of the impact of US tariffs on their operations. On 8 May we concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, which cuts tariffs for UK industry and cuts costs for businesses.What we have agreed will provide the foundation for a new reciprocal trading partnership between the US and the UK, protecting businesses and jobs across the country. We are continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.The Government has announced a range of measures to support SMEs, including access to additional finance through the British Business Bank and sector specific measures.We are also expanding UKEF’s business support package by £20 billion, with £10 billion specifically aimed at businesses impacted by the current US tariffs.Any business which is concerned about what tariff changes mean for them can find clear guidance and support on great.gov.uk.
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 50256 on Farms: Lancashire, what (a) criteria and (b) priorities his Department will use to guide the reopening of the Capital Grants in summer 2025.
The improved Environmental Land Management standalone Capital Grants scheme will introduce maximum thresholds to ensure funding goes further. This will provide better value for money and ensure funding goes on the right environmental projects. The limits will be:£25,000 for items in the water quality, air quality, and natural flood management groups£35,000 for the group including boundary, tree and orchard items The priorities of the Capital Grants scheme will be to focus on projects that help the environment, for example, planting hedges or improving natural flood management.
How many settlements do not have a daily bus service in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.
The Department for Transport does not readily hold this information, however local bus timetable data is available to download from the Bus Open Data Service: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-and-use-bus-open-data.The government believes that local transport authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December 2024 to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of communities that rely on them, including in Fylde and across Lancashire.In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Lancashire County Council has been allocated over £27 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to bus services and infrastructure to best meet the needs of passengers in their local area.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, how much and what proportion of the £22.6 billion will be allocated to (a) frontline health services, (b) primary care and (c) other services.
The £22.6 billion funding increase announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget provided an above inflation increase for all health spending, with an average growth of 3.4% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.The funding is not ringfenced and becomes part of the overall Department’s budget. It is therefore not possible to easily track how it has been deployed in a way that is distinct to how the overall budget is allocated. In primary care, we’ve made recent announcements to uplift the general practice and community pharmacy contracts, and on front line services we’ve provided an additional £1.8 billion in 2024/25 for elective care, which then rolls forward into 2025/26, which has helped the National Health Service to deliver two million additional operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of the Government.The £22.6 billion does not include the additional funding that HM Treasury is providing to departments for employer National Insurance contributions.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure consistent enforcement of food hygiene certification standards by local authorities in England.
To support food law enforcement consistency, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) publishes a Food Law Code of Practice. This provides statutory guidance to local authorities on how to meet their legal obligations as regulators of food law.The FSA operates the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in partnership with local authorities. The scheme protects public health by publishing a clear rating to indicate how compliant a business is with food hygiene law.To be an effective incentive, the scheme must be operated consistently. The FSA expects all local authorities to operate the scheme in line with its guidance. The FSA monitors local authority compliance and will intervene when evidence suggests a lack of consistency. The FSA coordinates regular consistency training in which all local authorities are expected to participate.