Every parliamentary written question tabled by Claire Hazelgrove this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 69 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the animal welfare of greyhounds exported to (a) China, (b) Pakistan and (c) elsewhere.
The Department is not aware that there is a widespread problem with the welfare of greyhounds being exported to a) China, b) Pakistan or c) elsewhere.
What assessment his Department has made of whether company directors are able to disguise personal income as business revenue to reduce child support obligations under the Child Maintenance Service 2012 Scheme.
Where a paying parent is the Director of their limited liability company, they are legally an employee of that company for child maintenance purposes. They are also legally required to provide details of unearned income such as dividends in their Self-Assessment Tax Return.Real time income information direct from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is key to the child maintenance calculation which also includes a wide range of income types, including income from property, savings and investments (including dividends) and other miscellaneous income. This makes it difficult for most parents to misstate their income.People working in certain positions can influence how they are paid and the amount of pay they get. These people are known as ‘complex earners’ and include company directors who can affect their level of pay or dividends they receive. Where it is reported there is additional unearned income that has not been captured in the maintenance calculation either parent can apply to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) for an ‘additional income variation.’The CMS has robust processes in place to investigate any misrepresentation of income and where there is credible information that fraud has been committed, or incorrect income declared the case is referred to the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This specialist team request and validate information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of the information used in the maintenance calculation to ensure financial correctness and can make assessment changes if they discover undeclared income that is effectively being used as income.
Whether she plans to introduce legislative proposals to make it mandatory for drivers to report collisions with cats.
There are no plans to amend section 170 of the Road Traffic Act to make it mandatory for drivers to report road collisions involving cats. Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation. Since June 2024, all cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database, unless exempt or free-living. This will make it easier for National Highways and local authorities to reunite cats and dogs with their keeper.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of mandatory microchipping for cats over 20 weeks on the proportion of pets reunited with their owners in the event of a road traffic accident.
From 10 June 2024, all owned cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database. The legislation is intended to improve pet welfare by increasing the likelihood of reuniting lost or stray pets with their keepers. Defra has commissioned a research project to understand the operational challenges that currently prevent some cats from being reunited with their keepers after a road traffic accident. The project will provide an evidence base to inform best practice for local authorities and is due to report later this year.
What steps his Department is taking to increase the participation of SMEs in the NHS supply chain; and whether he plans to introduce measures to reduce barriers to entry for SMEs in NHS procurement processes.
Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) have a vital role to play in supporting our health service to deliver on its priorities for patients and staff.NHS England is committed to improving its engagement with SME suppliers and helping to make it easier for them to do business with the National Health Service. To help ensure SMEs have a voice within the NHS, NHS England has established an SME Advisory Group, which has worked with NHS England to improve the opportunities for SMEs to engage with and compete for NHS business.In February 2024, NHS England published an SME action plan that outlines how the NHS will better engage, communicate with and learn from the SME community, improve visibility of NHS opportunities and encourage SME participation in commercial activity. The plan is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/small-and-medium-enterprises-action-plan
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of discrepancies between voter identification documents and electoral register entries caused by (a) failure to update identification documents of a change of surname following marriage (b) other named-related reasons on trends in the level of voter participation; and what steps her Department is taking to communicate the need for identification documents to match the electoral register for future elections.
As set out in the Elections Act 2022, where there is a discrepancy between the name shown on an elector’s identification document and how their name is recorded on the electoral register, that elector may still use that document if they are able to explain the discrepancy to the satisfaction of the presiding officer, and may provide further evidence (e.g. a marriage certificate) when doing so This information is set out on poll cards and is displayed in polling stations. No assessment has been made on the potential impacts that such discrepancies might have on levels of voter participation.
If she will (a) take steps to make identity theft a police-recordable crime and (b) make an assessment of the adequacy of support given to victims of identity theft.
The act of stealing personal information, and using it for criminal means and gains, is already outlawed. This includes through legislation such as the Fraud Act 2006, Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 2018.The most effective way of preventing identity theft is to improve the safety and security of the identity systems we use and empower people to protect themselves from identity theft, particularly online.We have introduced a checklist providing advice and steps on how to prevent the misuse of identities which can be found here:https://data.actionfraud.police.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Identity-theft-victims-checklist.pdfFurther information about staying safe online and to avoid identity theft-enabled fraud can be found at: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of equalising paid time off entitlements for both adopters.
In the Plan to Make Work Pay the government committed to a Review of the parental leave system. The Review will provide us with an opportunity to consider the current framework of parental leave entitlements and how they should operate as a holistic system to improve the support available for working families. Planning work is already underway and I can confirm the review will look at Adoption Leave and Pay and Paternity Leave and Pay.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of childcare for children under the age of two.
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.In the 2025/26 financial year alone, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements. This is a more than 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements, so eligible working parents of children aged from nine months can access 30 hours of funded childcare.Since September 2024, eligible parents have been able to access 15 hours of government-funded childcare (over 38 weeks a year) from the term after their child turns 9 months. This will double to 30 hours from September 2025.The department continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places. The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children.Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to introduce (a) protections and (b) support mechanisms for leaseholders living in buildings under 11 meters.
Irrespective of building height, we consider it imperative to support leaseholders, and ensure that fire safety risks are assessed and, if necessary, remediation action is taken promptly.The department continues to review cases where cladding remediation work is proposed, which includes undertaking audits of fire risk appraisals of external walls to make sure that proposed works are necessary and proportionate. We also press managing agents and building owners not to pass on costs to leaseholders and explore cost recovery options.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of Disability Living Allowance assessments.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a non-contributory, non-means-tested, additional cost benefit and can be worth over £9,500 a year, tax free. Individuals can choose how to use the benefit, in the light of their individual needs and preferences. The be...
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the procurement of the A400M Atlas Aircraft on (a) national security, (b) the number of skilled jobs in the defence sector in (i) Filton and Bradley Stoke
The A400M aircraft entered service in 2014, primarily to provide tactical airlift and strategic oversize lift capabilities. In addition to this remit, A400M also has a 24/7 national standby commitment and has supported the UK Border Force with maritime re...
What steps she is taking to ensure that applicants' wellbeing is considered when undergoing an Access to Work assessment.
Access to Work applications are reviewed by Case Managers who work with customers to understand what barriers they may be experiencing within the workplace in relation to their health condition or disability. Staff take part in training events that provid...
What assessment he had made of the impact of prescription costs on people with chronic health conditions.
No assessment has been made of the impact of prescription costs on people with chronic health conditions. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescri...
If she will take steps to ensure that people entering into financial commitments are provided with adequate information on the (a) contract and (b) impact of borrowing.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for regulating the consumer credit market. It is part of a robust regulatory system which is driving the Government’s vision for a well-functioning and sustainable consumer credit market that meets cons...
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of Universal Credit entitlement for people with children not in full-time education due to (a) special educational needs and disabilities or (b) other health
No assessment has been made.
What steps she is taking to ensure adequate levels of financial education in schools.
Financial education currently forms a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for mathematics (at key stages 1 to 4) and citizenship (at key stages 3 and 4). The primary mathematics curriculum includes arithmetic knowledge that supports pupils’ ability...
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on spectacles for people with a disability.
The government offers support for individuals to help with the cost of glasses through NHS optical vouchers. Those eligible for help include children and those on certain income-related benefits. The value of optical vouchers varies from £42.40 to £233.56...
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) tax and (b) pay slip processes for individuals with dyscalculia.
As tax and pay slip processes cover a significant range of HMRC activity, HMRC have not been able to provide a specific impact assessment for individuals with dyscalculia. The HMRC Charter and Principles of support set out HMRC’s commitments to identifyin...
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure (a) fair access to tickets for music artists and (b) that tickets are not sold for higher prices on secondary sites.
The Government is clear that fans should be kept at the heart of live events, and we are concerned to see vastly inflated prices excluding many fans from having the opportunity to enjoy their favourite musicians.We have committed to introducing new protec...