The Westminster lensArchive · Written questions · 434 tabled · 428 answered

Written questions by Chowns.

Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ellie Chowns this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.

Department:All (434)Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (76)Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (62)Department of Health and Social Care (42)Department for Transport (34)Treasury (33)Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (32)Department for Business and Trade (27)Department for Education (26)Department for Work and Pensions (26)Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (20)Home Office (12)Cabinet Office (12)

Showing 2140 of 434 · this parliament

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8 Jun 2026·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
Asked

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact on the Malvern Hills Trust and other landscape managers of the decision to exclude common land from Sustainable Farming Incentive or Countrys

Reply

Defra understands the importance of Common land and recognises the importance of bringing them under these schemes. For technical reasons, commons groups will not be able to apply for SFI on common land when the application window opens later this month o...

8 Jun 2026·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
Asked

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take diplomatic steps to encourage the Lebanese Government to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Reply

The UK Government is a supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Rome Statute and remains committed to promoting accountability for the most serious international serious crimes. The UK encourages all states to engage constructively with...

2 Jun 2026·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
Asked

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to meet the target of designating 50 new sites of special scientific interest each year.

Reply

Designation of new Sites of Special Scientific interest (SSSIs) is Natural England’s duty. Natural England has a rolling programme to keep under review places that may merit and benefit designation as SSSIs. Natural England is adapting its protected sites...

2 Jun 2026·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
Asked

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendation in Human Rights Watch's report entitled From Bogotá to El Fasher, publishe

Reply

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 June to Question 4500.

2 Jun 2026·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
Asked

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the fines levied against water companies since October 2023 a) has been b) is going to be reinvested into river restoration projects; and if she will put mechanisms

Reply

On 20 January 2026, Government announced alongside the White Paper that the next tranche of £29 million in water company fines will support further local water improvement projects through catchment partnerships, the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WE...

2 Jun 2026·Treasury·Answered
Asked

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the business rates system is supportive of SMEs; what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reducing VAT rates for smaller and medium sized businesses;

Reply

The Government has extended Small Business Rates Relief to support small businesses to grow and expand, by giving them an additional two years of Small Business Rates Relief when they open a second premises. SMEs in rural areas may also be eligible for Ru...

2 Jun 2026·Treasury·Answered
Asked

When she plans to respond to the letter of 2 March 2006 from the hon. Member for North Herefordshire.

Reply

A response to the letter of 2 March 2026 from the hon. Member for North Herefordshire was issued on 3 June 2026.

2 Jun 2026·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
Asked

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government News Story published on 19 June 2025 entitled Government to invest over £100m in water company fines to local environmental projects, if she will publi

Reply

On 20 January 2026, Government announced alongside the White Paper that the next tranche of £29 million in water company fines will support further local water improvement projects through catchment partnerships, the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WE...

29 May 2026·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
Asked

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to ensure safe and unrestricted humanitarian access in areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo affected by the Ebola outb

Reply

Further to my statement to the House on 21 May (HCWS60), the Minister of State for International Development visited Kinshasa on 29 May to see first-hand how agencies on the ground are responding to the Ebola outbreak, with the support of the UK and other...

29 May 2026·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
Asked

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the creation of a UN coordinator role to lead regional responses to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa.

Reply

Further to my statement to the House on 21 May (HCWS60), the Minister of State for International Development visited Kinshasa on 29 May to see first-hand how agencies on the ground are responding to the Ebola outbreak, with the support of the UK and other...

29 May 2026·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
Asked

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking with international partners to engage conflict parties in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve humanitarian access to a

Reply

Further to my statement to the House on 21 May (HCWS60), the Minister of State for International Development visited Kinshasa on 29 May to see first-hand how agencies on the ground are responding to the Ebola outbreak, with the support of the UK and other...

29 May 2026·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
Asked

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that healthcare workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are safeguarded from the Ebola outbreak.

Reply

Further to my statement to the House on 21 May (HCWS60), the Minister of State for International Development visited Kinshasa on 29 May to see first-hand how agencies on the ground are responding to the Ebola outbreak, with the support of the UK and other...

29 May 2026·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
Asked

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prepare humanitarian support for countries bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the event of the Ebola outbreak spreading.

Reply

Further to my statement to the House on 21 May (HCWS60), the Minister of State for International Development visited Kinshasa on 29 May to see first-hand how agencies on the ground are responding to the Ebola outbreak, with the support of the UK and other...

19 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Answered
Asked

What is the (a) average time and (b) target time for a substantive response to enquiries by the MP hotline.

Reply

The Department for Work and Pensions responds to enquiries received via the MP Hotline as quickly as possible. (a) Information on the average time taken to provide a substantive response to MP Hotline enquiries is not centrally collated, as the service is...

18 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Answered
Asked

With reference to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 80479 on Personal Independence Payment, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of increasing decision making resource on reducing

Reply

From October 2025 onwards, the Department has cleared more PIP Mandatory Reconsiderations than it has received. This coincides with an increase in decision-making resource. The latest published statistics indicate this has had an effect on median clearanc...

18 May 2026·Department for Transport·Answered
Asked

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a temporary ban on private jet travel to save available jet fuel for commercial flights.

Reply

The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations. There has been no evidence of changes in flight schedules or short notice cancellations due to...

18 May 2026·Department for Transport·Answered
Asked

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential number of commercial flights that could avoid cancellation if private jet flights were banned during the disruption to global oil markets.

Reply

The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations. There has been no evidence of changes in flight schedules or short notice cancellations due to...

13 May 2026·Department for Business and Trade·Answered
Asked

What steps he is taking to protect the human rights of Indigenous Peoples in Indonesia, in the context of the UK-Indonesia Economic Growth Partnership.

Reply

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We raise issues affecting indigenous people through ongoing diplomatic engagement on international human rights commitments. The Economic Growth Partnership with Indonesia reaffirms commitmen...

13 May 2026·Department for Business and Trade·Answered
Asked

Whether discussions her Department has had with the Government of Indonesian on the UK-Indonesia Economic Growth Partnership has included the clearance of indigenous peoples’ rainforests for food estat

Reply

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We raise issues affecting indigenous people through ongoing diplomatic engagement on international human rights commitments. The Economic Growth Partnership with Indonesia reaffirms commitmen...

13 May 2026·Department for Business and Trade·Answered
Asked

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-Indonesia Economic Growth Partnership on (a) indigenous peoples’ human rights and (b) tropical forests.

Reply

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We raise issues affecting indigenous people through ongoing diplomatic engagement on international human rights commitments. The Economic Growth Partnership with Indonesia reaffirms commitmen...

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Sources
SourceUK Parliament Members API
MethodQuestion and answer text as published. Question preamble (“To ask the…”) trimmed for readability; answers shown in full.