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 1,521–1,540 of 2,662 · this parliament
Media and Sport, how many visits by Ministers in her Department took place in constituencies represented by (a) Labour, (b) Conservative and (c) other hon. Members in the period between 4 July 2024 and 2 July 2025.
This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 75718 on Mobile Scooters, what steps she is taking to ensure public awareness of that consultation.
Ensuring everyone has the opportunity to shape the powered mobility device review is a priority for us, to make sure regulations are designed with and for disabled people. The consultation will be published on gov.uk in the usual way and it will comply with our accessibility standards to ensure everyone can access it. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders, including those representing disabled people, once that consultation is published to ensure it reaches everyone who would like to contribute.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a property tax on landlords on the availability of rental properties in the private sector.
The Government does not comment on speculation about tax changes. All tax policy is kept under review and tax decisions will be made at the Budget, in the usual way. The Government recognises that the private rented sector plays an important role in the UK housing market. Boosting the supply of housing is essential in making rent more affordable, which is why we have committed to building 1.5 million homes over the course of this Parliament.
What recent discussions his Department has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on the balance of academic and practical training in nurse education programmes.
No recent discussions have taken place. Higher education institutions and practice placement providers develop the content of programmes and determine the balance of academic and practical learning in line with the outcome standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).Nursing students are required to complete 2,300 hours of practice learning as part of their pre-registration programme, 600 of which can be completed through simulated training. The NMC is currently conducting a review of nursing and midwifery practice learning requirements.
Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the future funding model of the BBC.
To ensure the BBC is on a stable financial footing, the Government has committed to the current licence fee model for the remainder of the current Charter period.The licence fee will increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of this Charter period, as required by the Licence Fee Settlement agreed by the last Government in 2022.Looking ahead, the Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that it must be funded by a model that is sustainable. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure safe staffing levels at The Harbour mental health facility in Blackpool.
As of July 2025, the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s in-patient settings achieved a fill rate of above 90% for planned rostered hours, as clinically required. Fill rates are a key metric for monitoring whether enough staff are available to meet patient needs.The trust is also required to report care hours per patient day monthly. The most recent figures for the trust and Harbour hospital were 12.9, and 16 respectively. This is above the national average of 9, and the highest out of all mental health trusts in the North West region.Nationally, the Government has also committed to recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, to ease pressure on busy mental health services. We are more than halfway towards our target.
What steps he is taking to (a) codify and (b) simplify the law of contempt of court in England and Wales in light of the Law Commission’s recommendations.
The Law Commission review into the law of contempt of court in England and Wales is ongoing. The Commission will report with proposals for reform to clarify the law in this area and improve its consistency, coherence, and effectiveness. The first report is expected to be published in November 2025 and the second in 2026.The Government will carefully consider any recommendations proposed by the Law Commission following the publication of these reports.
Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in tackling harmful content on social media platforms.
Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services must protect all users from illegal content, and children from age-inappropriate content. The Act’s illegal content duties have been in force since March 2025, and the child safety duties since July 2025.Ofcom, the independent regulator, conducts regular surveys to track the experiences of users on regulated services. The next outputs of this work are due to be published in Autumn 2025. DSIT is also working with Ofcom to develop a longer-term monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the Act’s impact.
What support is available for NHS mental health staff who are injured at work or absent due to work-related stress.
The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority, including those who work in mental health settings. It is important that employers across the NHS take a preventative and proactive approach to supporting their staff and keeping them healthy. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including for trauma and addiction. The 10-Year Health Plan aims to significantly reduce sickness absence rates. We will introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment which will ensure employers support staff to work healthily and flexibly. We will also roll out Staff Treatment hubs, starting in 2027, to ensure staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.
What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staffing shortages on patient and staff safety in psychiatric wards in Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.
As of July 2025, the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s in-patient settings achieved a fill rate of above 90% for planned rostered hours, as clinically required. Fill rates are a key metric for monitoring whether enough staff are available to meet patient needs.The trust is also required to report care hours per patient day monthly. The most recent figures for the trust and Harbour hospital were 12.9, and 16 respectively. This is above the national average of 9, and the highest out of all mental health trusts in the North West region.Nationally, the Government has also committed to recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, to ease pressure on busy mental health services. We are more than halfway towards our target.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has conducted any assessments on the implications of replacing council tax with a property-based tax payable by property owners rather than occupiers.
The government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review. The government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider options for reform where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike. The Chancellor makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events.
Innovation and Technology, if his Department will take steps to require online platforms to verify contact details for companies on their platforms.
The Online Safety Act ensures online services remove illegal content, including fraudulent content. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, is responsible for setting out in codes of practice the steps services can take to comply with their safety duties.The DMCC Act 2024 also clarifies that online marketplaces must exercise professional diligence in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms. This provision applies from 6 April 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce rent controls in Lancashire.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 56269 on 10 June 2025.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy is on the administration of asylum accommodation contracts relating to people who both oversee contracts and are licence holders for houses in multiple occupation used for asylum accommodation.
All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 66726, what recent estimate she has made of the number of student nurses in England who are ineligible for the 30 hours of funded childcare due to their status as students rather than workers.
It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We are delivering more support to working families than ever before, with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare.The department does not hold data on the number of student nurses in England who are ineligible for the 30 hours funded childcare.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents is available here: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce to review the adequacy of childcare provision for (a) student nurses and (b) other parents in full-time healthcare education.
It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Where student parents are not eligible for 30 hours funded childcare, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of options for students in higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income.Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund. Information on eligibility and how to apply is available here: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be accessed here: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.
Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing local authority discretion to waive the Council Tax premium on second homes in cases where the second property is used for essential non-luxury purposes on homeowners.
Decisions on whether to apply council tax premiums are a matter for individual councils. Where a council chooses to implement a premium, they have the discretionary power to set their own local exceptions to premiums, or provide discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government has no plans to restrict or remove these powers.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what mechanisms exist for members of the public to report perceived conflicts of interest in the allocation of contracts to provide asylum accommodation.
All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Government procurement rules are adhered to in the issuing of contracts to provide asylum accommodation; and what steps he is taking to ensure that perceived breaches can be reported.
All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 66726 on Childcare: Eligibility, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the eligibility criteria to take account of the unpaid nature of student nursing.
It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (this is equivalent to £195 per week/£10,158 per year in 2025/2026), and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.