Every parliamentary written question tabled by Caroline Voaden this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 170 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to provide guidance on the collection of plastic plant pots by local authorities under the plastic waste stream, in accordance with Schedule 1, Part 4 of the Separati
Part 4 of Schedule 1 to The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 provides a list of plastics which are included in the recyclable plastic waste stream. This includes PE, PET and PP pots which are larger than 40x40mm and do not contain any pigmen...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure local authority recycling schemes accept non-black plant pots.
Part 4 of Schedule 1 to The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 provides a list of plastics which are included in the recyclable plastic waste stream. This includes PE, PET and PP pots which are larger than 40x40mm and do not contain any pigmen...
What steps his Department are taking to ensure motorists are not incorrectly pursued for parking penalties as a result of Automatic Number Plate Recognition misreads.
The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide vehicle keeper information to those who can demonstrate reasonable cause to receive it. The electronic release of vehicle keeper information to private parking companies following a...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential merits inclusion of ponies in grazing densities under Countryside Stewardship schemes.
Including ponies in grazing density calculations ensures the total grazing pressure on a site is accurately assessed and aligned with sustainable levels for habitat recovery. This prevents the risk of underestimating grazing impacts, which could otherwise...
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of giving pharmacy students studying for MPharm degrees in England access to the NHS Learning Support Fund.
For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, the Government extended the Learning Support Fund (LSF) scheme’s Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses provision to pre-registration pharmacy and healthcare science students to ensure they are reimbursed for the additi...
Whether he has had any recent discussions with industry bodies representing (a) banks, (b) insurers, and (c) utility companies on improving bereavement processes for customers.
Internal policies relating to bereavement are a matter for individual businesses, but we expect companies to treat consumers with compassion in such circumstances, with many organisations having specialist bereavement advisors to support consumers during ...
What assessment he has made of the feasibility of extending the Tell Us Once service to include private sector organisations including banks, insurance companies, and utility providers, in order to redu
Discovery and analysis work on both modernising the Tell Us Once service and considering its scope is due to commence in summer 2026.
Whether his Department assessed the adequacy of existing consumer protection regulations in ensuring that companies treat bereaved customers with appropriate sensitivity and consistency.
Internal policies relating to bereavement are a matter for individual businesses, but we expect companies to treat consumers with compassion in such circumstances, with many organisations having specialist bereavement advisors to support consumers during ...
What data the Government holds on the number of complaints made to financial services and utility companies relating to the handling of bereavement notifications.
Tell Us Once is used by public sector bodies only, and does not collect data on the number of complaints made to financial services and utility companies relating to the handling of bereavement notifications.
What discussions his Department in cooperation with other departments has had with private sector organisations on the standardisation of their bereavement notification processes, in order to reduce th
Internal policies relating to bereavement are a matter for individual businesses, but we expect companies to treat consumers with compassion in such circumstances, with many organisations having specialist bereavement advisors to support consumers during ...
What steps she will take to ensure children with Developmental Language Disorder are adequately supported following upcoming reforms to the SEND system.
The department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms are ensuring every child gets the right support at the right time. This includes all of those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). We regularly engage with organisations who represent children with SLCN, including DLD, such as Speech and Language UK who are a member of our Complex Needs Group.Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) break down communication barriers, but too often, children and young people with SEND wait too long for this support.As part of our new £1.8 billion investment, schools will be able to access support from professionals such as SaLTs through the Experts at Hand offer. They will work directly with school staff to equip them with skills and strategies to better meet need.We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers, and promote the SaLT apprenticeship route.
Whether children with Developmental Language Disorder were considered when writing the policy paper entitled SEND reform: putting children and young people first.
The department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms are ensuring every child gets the right support at the right time. This includes all of those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). We regularly engage with organisations who represent children with SLCN, including DLD, such as Speech and Language UK who are a member of our Complex Needs Group.Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) break down communication barriers, but too often, children and young people with SEND wait too long for this support.As part of our new £1.8 billion investment, schools will be able to access support from professionals such as SaLTs through the Experts at Hand offer. They will work directly with school staff to equip them with skills and strategies to better meet need.We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers, and promote the SaLT apprenticeship route.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the criminal liability framework applicable in cases where (a) autonomous and (b) connected vehicles cause (i) death and (ii) serious injury.
With regard to autonomous vehicles, the Department has undertaken significant work to establish a revised liability framework, as enacted by the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. This Act follows the recommendations of the Law Commissions in 2024 that new legal entities be required to take liability when a vehicle is driving itself. These legal entities and their senior managers will be under a duty of candour requiring honest and transparent disclosures to Government, with failure to comply with this duty constituting a criminal offence (which may be aggravated in the case of death or serious injury).This approach underpins the regime set out in the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 and consequent regulations. The Department is currently considering responses to the “Developing the Automated Vehicles Regulatory Framework” Call for Evidence, which relates to these regulations.The facility to communicate beyond the vehicle, as connected vehicles do, does not of itself affect the liability of the driver under existing criminal law.
What steps she is taking to support the haulage industry with increases in fuel prices.
The Department for Transport recognises growing concerns around rising fuel and transport costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Department fully recognises the need to maintain the continuity of critical supply chains and is actively monitoring any potential impacts. The Department will continue to work with industry to understand the pressures and options to mitigate any risks.
What estimate her Department has made of the level of funding required to improve school food standards.
We are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England. Healthier food does not have to mean higher cost. We tested proposals to check affordability and are working closely with the sector.
What steps her Department is taking to help support small independent lifeboat organisations.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) chairs UK Search and Rescue (UKSAR) on behalf of the Department for Transport. UKSAR supports national volunteer search and rescue groups, including independent lifeboat organisations, on a wide range of issues. The MCA's Rescue Boat Code introduced in 2013 is a key foundation for the safe and effective operation of independent lifeboats. The Code is currently being revised in consultation with all lifeboat operators to better support these organisations and to help clarify the responsibilities and requirements for all rescue boats to safely operate across the UK. Since April 2015, search and rescue charities, including independent lifeboats, may recover VAT on the purchase of goods and services used for their non-business activities.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to ensure the timely completion of payments for Countryside Stewardship agreements.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) understands the importance of cashflow for farmers and rural businesses. For the 2025 scheme year they have once again paid a higher proportion of Countryside Stewardship payments earlier in the payment window. The RPA has taken steps to improve the flow of payments for the schemes they deliver, and the Countryside Stewardship scheme continues to be administered with payment frequency and timeliness in mind.
What recent progress his Department has made on the national roll-out of the Youth Jobs Guarantee.
The Department recently announced that, for national rollout, eligibility for the Jobs Guarantee will be expanded to include 22-24-year-olds, meaning all eligible 18-24-year-olds across Great Britain will benefit from a fully funded six month guaranteed paid employment opportunity. Once fully rolled out, the scheme is expected to support more than 90,000 young people over the next three years. We know that young people need support quickly, which is why delivery of Phase One of the Jobs Guarantee will begin from Spring 2026. The grant application window for Phase One has now closed and applications are being assessed, with successful Delivery Organisations to be announced in due course.This will be followed by national rollout across Great Britain in Autumn 2026. Learning from Phase One will be used to support effective national delivery of the scheme, alongside close working with Delivery Organisations and employers. This will ensure the scheme is delivered as intended for all eligible young people. Further details on delivery will be set out in the coming weeks.
What assessment has been made of the potential impact of defunding the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship on the outdoor education sector.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 April 2026 to Question UIN 123109.
Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has made of the potential merits of extending the Adjustment Support Grant in 2027/28.
On 9 February, the government published the first multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement in a decade. Following consultation feedback, the final Settlement included an update to how pooling gains are estimated for transitional arrangements. This was the right approach in order to distribute gains more equitably, improving how representative the assumption is of local arrangements.To help councils adjust for this change, the government provided a one-off Adjustment Support Grant in 2026-27 to authorities who would otherwise see their Core Spending Power reduce in 2026-27, compared to indicative provisional Settlement allocations. The 2027-28 Settlement will be subject to consultation as is the usual process.