Every parliamentary written question tabled by Esther McVey this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 121–140 of 296 · this parliament
How many and what proportion of asylum seekers have had their DNA taken on arrival in the UK.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 9 July to Question 63301. The current procedures are the same as those that were in place under the previous government.
Whether her Department shares information with local police forces on the criminal records of asylum seekers placed in their area.
The Home Office communicates regularly with local police forces, and with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to assess the operational implications of housing asylum seekers in different areas and regions around the country, and will always do what is necessary to protect the safety and security of each local community affected.
Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58982 on Information Commissioner's Office: Wilmslow, if he will publish the Information Commissioner’s Office's commercial analysis of the locations it considered.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) decision to relocate was approved by the Cabinet Office with no formal role for DSIT. Any request for further information about this project, including any plans to publish their commercial analysis, should be addressed directly to the ICO.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UK Health Security Agency news announcement of 21 May 2025, how much he has spent on testing mosquitoes through the Vector-Borne Real-time Arbovirus Detection and Response programme; and what the Ct value was for the PCR tests which located fragments of the West Nile virus in two mosquitoes.
The Vector-Borne RADAR (Real-time Arbovirus Detection and Response) programme is a three-year funded collaborative grant worth £1.15 million which is 80% funded by Defra / UK Research & Innovation, and 20% by each of the collaborative organisations, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Institute of Zoology and the UK Health Security Agency. Approximately 50,000 mosquitoes across 6,000 pools in 2023 and 2024 combined have been screened from across southern and eastern England. The programme retrospectively screened 2,000 Aedes vexans mosquitoes that were trapped in Gamston, Nottinghamshire in July 2023. These were split into 200 pools of 10 mosquitoes and screened using three separate rt-PCRs. Two pools were positive for West Nile virus (WNV) RNA (Ct values 30.7 -33.4 across all three PCRs). More significantly, the positive RNA extracts were also submitted for GridION sequencing (an Oxford Nanopore based system). One pool amplified a 402bp region of the WNV genome, with a read depth of c500 reads which generated a consensus sequence showing a conserved section of the WNV genome and clusters with WNV lineage 1a sequences from Europe, the Middle East and North America.
Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58982 on Information Commissioner's Office: Wilmslow, what steps his Department took to find alternative office space for the Information Commissioner's Office in Wilmslow.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) decision to relocate was approved by the Cabinet Office with no formal role for my department. The ICO conducted an extensive search and reviewed a range of locations, including remaining within Wilmslow.
Pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58984 on Information Commissioner's Office: Wilmslow, what (a) consultations and (b) impact assessments his Department carried out before approving the decision to relocate the Information Commissioner's Office.
The Office of Government Property was satisfied that the relocation to the proposed new offices better suited the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) based on the information provided and our engagement with the Government Property Agency. It also understood that the ICO had undertaken the relevant external consultation and impact assessments needed to assess the relocation options.
Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Game changer for the nation, published on 19 June 2025, whether the investment in grassroots sports facilities will fund the development of covered tennis courts in (a) Tatton constituency and (b) in areas which lack indoor facilities across the UK.
The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review. We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans. The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
When he plans to publish the report on packaging changes to Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as discussed at the Commission on Human Medicines Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group on 1 May.
A public assessment report will be published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after the completion of the review. The advice of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) will be sought after the next meeting of the Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group (EWG) in July 2025.The public assessment report will contain the minutes of all EWG meetings and the CHM’s advice on any regulatory action required. It is anticipated that the public assessment report will be published by the MHRA in Autumn 2025.
Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Game changer for the nation, published on 19 June 2025, how much of the £900 million investment in major sporting events and grassroots sport will be spent on tennis.
The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review. We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans. The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
Media and Sport, what funding her Department plans to provide for tennis during the Spending Review period.
The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review. We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans. The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
Pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 58584 on Undocumented Migrants: Biometrics, what the limited exceptions are where biometric data may not be collected at the time of encounter from immigrants arriving in the UK illegally.
This would include for example, children under five, who are only required to provide facial photographs, or people who are physically unable to provide biometric information at the time of their arrival because of medical emergencies. In such cases, the requirement to provide biometric information is deferred until the individual is able to comply.
Whether her Department collects the DNA of people who arrive illegally in the UK.
The Home Office currently collects biometric data of small boat arrivals in the form of facial images and fingerprints, but keeps the nature of such checks under regular review.
Who his Department consulted at Cheshire East Council before approving the decision to move the Information Commissioner's Office from Wilmslow to Manchester.
Cabinet Office approval for this property transaction comes under National Property Controls in the Office of Government Property. The value threshold meant that approval was taken at official level. The decision to move was made by the Information Commissioner’s Office, itself, on analysis based upon HM Treasury’s Green Book principles. The move will lead to a reduction of office space and the overall rent payable. National Property Controls were satisfied by the property rationale for the move to the proposed building. It would be a matter for ICO to decide on what wider consultation on the relocation was appropriate.
If he will publish the dates of the consultation period with pharmaceutical companies, as agreed at the Commission on Human Medicines Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group meeting on 1 May.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will seek the advice of the independent Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) on the final recommendations of the Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group, following the next meeting in July 2025.If the CHM advises the MHRA to request changes to the antidepressant product information, the MHRA will write to all of the pharmaceutical companies affected in accordance with standard timelines and procedures for requesting variations to product information.
What steps he is taking to help tackle battlefield antimicrobial resistance.
Defence Medical Services (DMS) has several mature policies and capabilities in place designed to mitigate the risk of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the deployed space, from antimicrobial policy and stewardship to infection prevention and control strategies. DMS is developing an AMR strategy to ensure Defence can manage the current threat and respond to future risks, including balancing the needs of the wounded with the threat of resistance. DMS is at the forefront internationally in capturing data on AMR from the conflict in Ukraine, with active collaborations with Ukrainian colleagues which have resulted in a number of academic publications on AMR and conflict. AMR tools and resources have been developed to help healthcare professionals to improve infection prevention and control practices, and to help improve prescribing. Best practice can reduce the use of antimicrobials and reduce the risk of resistance developing.
When he plans to publish the (a) minutes and (b) outcome of the Commission on Human Medicines Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group meeting which took place on 1 May.
A public assessment report will be published following the advice of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after the next meeting of the Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group (EWG) in July 2025. The public assessment report will contain the minutes of all EWG meetings and the outcome of the CHM’s advice. It is anticipated that the public assessment report will be published by the MHRA in Autumn 2025.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of new antimicrobial therapeutics developed by SMEs.
The United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 national action plan (NAP) to confront antimicrobial resistance (AMR) includes a commitment to work across sectors to develop new antimicrobials. The NAP also acknowledges the potential of alternative therapies, such as bacteriophage, also known as phage, therapy, in combating AMR. NHS England launched the UK-wide subscription model for antimicrobial products in August 2024, which incentivises the development of new antibiotics through de-linking payments for products from the volumes used. This aims to provide sufficient sale revenues to make it commercially viable for a company, including small and medium sized enterprises, to bring new products to market. Furthermore, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is committed to working with organisations to support innovation in antimicrobial therapeutics.
How many staff network events took place in her Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
No staff network events took place in my Department in May 2025.
How many staff network events took place in his Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
The Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing group held one event, a staff delivered Mental Health Presentation, on Thursday 15 May as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. It was attended by 25 staff members.
How many staff network events took place in his Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are aware of the following events that these networks organised in May 2025:NetworkDate of MeetingParent and Carers Network7th May 2025LGBT+ Network8th May 2025