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 681–700 of 2,662 · this parliament
What recent estimate her Department has made of the effect on further education colleges of increased student enrolments not being fully funded until the following financial year.
Institutions receive funding for all their students on a lagged approach, meaning the funding in each academic year is based on the number of students in the previous year. This allows the department to issue firm allocations to institutions well in advan...
What progress his Department has made on providing £1.5 billion funding to new gigafactories.
The Government has put batteries and electric vehicles at the heart of the Modern Industrial Strategy including by allocating £4 billion to 2035 for the DRIVE35 programme. DRIVE35 is supporting investment in an end-to-end EV supply chain, including gigafa...
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers through an (a) exclusive and (b) centralised contracting model on independent community optometry
The consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers closed on 11 May. The Department for Transport is currently analysing the responses, and the government response will be published once that is complete. The logistical arrangeme...
What assessment his Department has made of the fairness and accuracy of the current standards check system for Approved Driving Instructors.
When the current standards checks system was implemented in 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducted a full consultation. The system has not changed and, therefore, there has been no formal consultation since those changes. The curre...
What recent formal consultation his Department has undertaken with Approved Driving Instructors and their representative bodies regarding the standards check system.
When the current standards checks system was implemented in 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducted a full consultation. The system has not changed and, therefore, there has been no formal consultation since those changes. The curre...
What assessment his Department has made of the impact of long-term patient relationships in community optometry on continuity of eye care for elderly patients.
We recognise the value of providing care closer to people’s homes, including community optometry, which can support more personalised care and more continuity of care.Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local pop...
Communities and Local Government, if he will set out a timetable for local government reorganisation in Lancashire.
The government remains committed to the indicative timetable published in July 2025. Proposals for Lancashire were received by 28 November 2025 and were subject to statutory consultation from 5 February 2026 to 26 March 2026. The Secretary of State is con...
What recent estimate she has made of the total annual VAT payments by further education colleges in England.
Education services supplied by an “eligible body” are exempt from VAT. For VAT purposes, an “eligible body” broadly refers to most regulated, publicly funded, or not-for-profit education providers. This means no VAT is charged on supplies of education mad...
What progress the government is making to establish a returns and enforcement unit, with an additional 1,000 staff.
Since July 2024, the Home Office has focussed on the return of failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and immigration offenders whom the system was previously unable to progress. To support this work, the Home Office redeployed 1,000 full-time equivalen...
What recent assessment she has made of the equity of the pay gap between further education college lecturers and school teachers.
The statutory requirements for maintained schoolteachers' pay are set nationally subject to recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body. In 2024/25, the median full-time equivalent (FTE) salary for classroom teachers in secondary schools was £50...
Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the number of elected councillors without the right to work in the UK.
The Department does not record this data and has no plans to make this assessment.The right to work in the UK is not an explicit qualification or disqualification criteria for English local government candidacy or membership. The Electoral Commission publ...
What progress his Department are making towards recruiting 8,500 additional mental health staff.
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, in February the Government delivered on its commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers this Parliament, three ...
Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on providing full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030.
The government has a target to deliver 99% gigabit broadband coverage by 2032 and an ambition for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G coverage by 2030.Significant progress has already been made, as reported in Ofcom’s Connec...
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policies on energy prices for households.
Tackling high energy costs is a central priority for the Government. The actions taken at the Autumn Budget have helped to protect consumers today, ensuring that from 1st April to the end of June, the price cap fell by £117 per year for a typical dual fue...
What progress her Department is making towards delivering 3,000 new primary school-based nurseries.
This government is boosting availability and access through the school‑based nursery programme, backed by £400 million capital investment to deliver tens of thousands of places by supporting school‑led provision and private, voluntary and independent pr...
What assessment he has made of his Department's policies on jobs in the renewable energy sector.
The clean energy transition represents one of the UK’s largest opportunities for economic growth and high-quality job creation this decade. In October 2025, we published the Clean Energy Jobs Plan which sets out the workforce needed to deliver our Clean E...
What progress her Department has made on recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers in key subjects.
The department has now achieved over 60% of our target to recruit 6,500 additional expert teachers by the end of this Parliament. There are 3,992 more expert teachers in secondary and special schools and colleges than in 2023/24. The latest data shows tha...
How many asylum claims were granted to people in polygamous marriages in each of the last 12 months.
It is government policy to prevent the formation of polygamous and polyandrous marriages in the UK. Only one spouse can be included as a dependant, with any subsequent spouses being unable to apply as a partner unless the other spouse has died or the marr...
Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure equitable mobile network coverage during large public gatherings and events.
There is a widespread and dynamic commercial market for providing mobile coverage to gatherings and events in permanent indoor sites such as stadiums, and for providing short-term solutions for special outdoor events in temporary locations.Connectivity solutions are available from mobile network operators, as well as some third parties, for such events to handle high-capacity demands. This includes the deployment of temporary mobile masts, known as Cells on Wheels (COWs) to provide additional capacity for those attending, for traders operating at events and for event organisers.The Government has supported the UK pioneering such connectivity solutions for large events through the 5G Innovations Regions Programme. For example, as a consequence of the programme, Belfast City Council partnered with BT to deliver 5G Standalone network slicing capabilities over the EE mobile network at Belfast’s Christmas Market in December 2025, supporting faster services and more resilient mobile payments. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has also supported the deployment of connectivity solutions at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.Government also works to ensure that the UK has the right policy framework in place to maximise the overall value of spectrum use to the UK, while supporting wider policy objectives. The Government has set out an expectation in the Statement of Strategic Priorities for Telecommunications, the Management of Radio Spectrum, and Postal Services, that technological trends and future spectrum needs for Programme Making and Special Events should be reviewed, recognising their critical role in supporting large-scale cultural and sporting events across the UK.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Olly Robbins will be granted a period of gardening leave.
The Government does not comment on the individual terms and conditions of employment or personnel matters relating to individual civil servants.