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 1,281–1,300 of 2,662 · this parliament
How much of the £10 billion investment pledged by private firms at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025 is new investment; and how much had been previously pledged.
All of the £10billion of investment commitments pledged by private firms at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025 is new investment. Previously pledged investments were not included in this figure.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure funds raised through Extended Producer Responsibility are used by local authorities on advanced recycling infrastructure.
The Government has implemented robust measures within the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility scheme to ensure that funds raised are directed by local authorities towards recycling infrastructure. I have instructed PackUK to use regulatory powers to recover monies from local authorities in England where these funds have not been spent on packaging waste management services.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the Nutrient Profile Model on the availability of healthier (a) food and (b) drink products.
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. We announced that we would update the nutrient profiling model (NPM) 2004/05, which underpins the advertising restrictions and promotion restrictions on less healthy food and drink policies so that it reflects the latest dietary recommendations. We will consult on applying the updated NPM to these policies and will publish an impact assessment in due course.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Chancellor cuts pointless admin in nearly £6 billion business blitz, published on 21 October 2025, whether his Department has tested the (a) reliability, (b) accuracy and (c) risk of bias of AI systems for planning application reviews; and whether he plans to consult with local authorities on the adoption of these technologies.
My Department is actively exploring options to develop AI-enabled products to speed up public service provision, including in respect of planning services. We are developing, and will deploy, these products responsibly, in line with guidance set out in the AI Playbook for the UK Government and clauses in the Royal Town Planning Institute’s Code of Conduct.
With reference to her speech at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025, what metrics her Department used to calculate the forecast annual £6 billion in savings for businesses arising from regulatory changes.
A baseline for the administrative burden of regulation on businesses has been established at £22.4bn a year. Further to the Prime Minister’s commitment to cutting the administrative costs of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament, the Government’s target is to reduce the annual burden by £5.6bn. Our methodology for calculating administrative burdens, and the distribution of the savings we have identified so far, is publicly available on GOV.UK.
What steps he is taking to ensure short courses in (a) digital, (b) AI and (c) engineering are eligible for Growth and Skills Levy funding from April 2026.
The government wants employers to be able to use the levy on short, flexible training courses to meet their business needs from April 2026. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units. The initial roll-out will be in priority areas such as artificial intelligence, digital, and engineering, and will be expanded over time to other critical skills needs.
If she will publish a breakdown of the £1.5 billion in savings identified to date under the Regulation Action Plan, including (a) sectoral distribution and (b) methodology used for calculating those savings.
A baseline for the administrative burden of regulation on businesses has been established at £22.4bn a year. Further to the Prime Minister’s commitment to cutting the administrative costs of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament, the Government’s target is to reduce the annual burden by £5.6bn. Our methodology for calculating administrative burdens, and the distribution of the savings we have identified so far, is publicly available on GOV.UK.
Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to simplify planning consent processes for (a) food and drink production facilities and (b) other manufacturing sites.
The National Planning Policy Framework already makes clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors. The government intend to consult this year on a new suite of national policies for decision making.
Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on introducing a Tailored Energy Discount for manufacturers transitioning to electrification.
The Chancellor has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on a range of topicsThe Chancellor recognises the importance of electrification for manufacturers and bringing down the cost of electricity is a key element of this government's mission to increase growth.
What guidance his Department provides to (a) employers and (b) service providers on making reasonable adjustments for people with (i) misophonia and (ii) other sensory conditions.
All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled employee, would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments. Employers have a key role to play in supporting workers with long term health conditions or disabilities in the workplace. DWP's current offer to employers includes a digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/ which provides tailored guidance to businesses to support employees to remain in work. This includes guidance on health disclosures and having conversations about health, plus guidance on legal obligations, including statutory sick pay and making reasonable adjustments.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of misophonia on the (a) social and (b) occupational outcomes of people diagnosed with that condition.
We have made no such assessment, although it is recognised that misophonia can adversely affect a person’s ability to achieve life goals, communicate effectively, and enjoy social situations, and that this can have an impact on individuals’ mental health. The National Health Service continues to support further expansion of talking therapies and the transformation of community mental health services so they can adopt an open, 'no wrong door' approach to helping people based upon their presenting needs rather than requiring a particular diagnosis. This is being built upon through the 10-Year Health Plan's commitment to roll out new 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres which will provide open door access to support without the need for a general practitioner referral or appointment.
If he will take steps to include the mutual recognition of mandatory training qualifications between NHS Trusts in the forthcoming NHS Workforce Strategy.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to reforming mandatory training by April 2026, to ease the burden on frontline staff and to allow a more flexible approach to workforce development. NHS England is already leading work to optimise, rationalise, and redesign statutory and mandatory training. This includes reducing the duplication of training when staff move organisation or rotate through their training programme. The mutual recognition agreement has already been signed by 262 National Health Service organisations across England and went live on 1 May 2025, so it is in place and is expected to continue to reduce the unnecessary burden on staff. The next stage of the reform work will see a new competency framework published that will fundamentally reform current training, further reducing the burden of unnecessary training, and focus on building the competence to improve the quality of services and safety across the NHS workforce.
What criteria were used by his Department to determine eligibility for funding under the Pub is the Hub scheme.
The Government recognises the important role rural pubs and those in deprived areas can play in supporting their communities and the work of Pub Is The Hub in helping them improve their resilience by providing additional community services. That is why the Government has provided £440,000 to help Pub Is The Hub continue this important work.In its 2025 report: PiTH-Social-Value-of-Pubsfinal.pdf, Pub Is The Hub highlighted over 40 diversification projects that could not be delivered due to a lack of funding. Eligibility for funding is determined by Pub is The Hub, which administers the scheme.
What estimate her Department has made of the total value of landfill tax reclaimed by private landfill operators for (a) cover and (b) fluff material since 2000.
Landfill Tax was introduced in 1996 as a behavioural tax encouraging the diversion of material away from landfill to reuse and recycling. It has been a key driver behind local authority waste to landfill in England falling by 90% since 2000. HMRC refunded landfill tax reclaimed by private landfill operators following the Waste Recycling Group Limited case in 2008. £147m related to daily cover and haul roads and £133m related to base and side fluff. Refunds ceased in 2013 and since then repayment claims totaling £3.9bn have been prevented as a result of successful litigation.
Which organisations have been awarded Pub is the Hub funding to date.
The Government recognises the important role rural pubs and those in deprived areas can play in supporting their communities and the work of Pub Is The Hub in helping them improve their resilience by providing additional community services. That is why the Government has provided £440,000 to help Pub Is The Hub continue this important workIn its 2025 report: PiTH-Social-Value-of-Pubsfinal.pdf, Pub Is The Hub highlighted over 40 diversification projects that could not be delivered due to a lack of funding.Data on which organisations have been, and will be, awarded funding is held confidentially by Pub is The Hub.
How many immigration crime network disruptions were led by the UK National Crime Agency in the last 12 months.
Last year, the National Crime Agency delivered approximately 350 disruptions targeting people smuggling networks - each one removing, preventing, or reducing a criminal threat. This marked a 40% increase compared to the previous year.
How many removal flights to France are planned under the current pilot scheme in the next three months.
Returns to France under the UK-FR returns agreement commenced on 18 September 2025. This is a pilot that we want to expand and therefore the numbers will vary. We will not go into the operational details as this would provide criminal smuggling gangs with information that they may use to continue to their vile trade.
What the average cost to the public purse is for each removal flight under the UK-France treaty.
The Home Office has made returns under the new UK-France agreement utilising both charter flights and regular scheduled flights. This approach allows the Home Office to maximise value for money and best satisfy operational requirements.We do not comment on individual charter flight costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements that can provide an insight into pricing structure. To do otherwise could deter the private sector from entering into contracts with the Home Office.
Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring councillors in principle tier authorities to obtain a DBS check.
Criminal record checks provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service (‘DBS checks’) for local government members are currently optional; it is for individual local authorities to adopt eligible checks as they determine necessary.I am considering options on criminal record checks for local government members.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of homelessness in (a) Lancashire and (b) Fylde constituency.
Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected and we must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and is developing a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness. The Government publishes homelessness statistics by local authority in England on gov.uk here.