The Westminster lensArchive · Written questions · 191 tabled · 173 answered

Written questions by Sewards.

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

Department:All (191)Department of Health and Social Care (57)Department for Education (20)Home Office (19)Department for Transport (12)Treasury (10)Department for Business and Trade (10)Department for Work and Pensions (10)Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (9)Ministry of Justice (9)Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (9)Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (8)Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (5)

Showing 4160 of 191 · this parliament

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5 Jun 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Answered
Asked

What guidance his Department provides on whether a payroll benefit in kind, including employer-provided private medical insurance, is treated as earnings for the purposes of Carer’s Allowance.

Reply

A payment in kind is a payment made by something other than money, such as goods, vouchers or free accommodation. An employer may also pay contributions to a private health scheme on behalf of its employees. For Carer’s Allowance purposes, such payments a...

4 Jun 2026·Treasury·Answered
Asked

What assessment the Financial Conduct Authority has made of the adequacy of its current supervisory framework for identifying Trust and Corporate Service Providers that facilitate the mass incorporation of shell com

Reply

The Government takes the abuse of UK corporate structures by criminal networks extremely seriously. We are strengthening supervision of Trust and Company Service Providers by transferring responsibility to the FCA, alongside Companies House reforms to imp...

4 Jun 2026·Treasury·Answered
Asked

What steps the Financial Conduct Authority is taking to address the risk of mass incorporation of shell companies linked to money laundering by Chinese organised crime networks ahead of assuming consolidated Anti Mo

Reply

The Government takes the abuse of UK corporate structures by criminal networks extremely seriously. We are strengthening supervision of Trust and Company Service Providers by transferring responsibility to the FCA, alongside Companies House reforms to imp...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Pending
Asked

What steps his Department is taking to support engagement with people who are less likely to engage with health services directly, including groups experiencing health inequalities, under the propo

Reply

Awaiting answer.

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

Whether any formal investigation has been commissioned into reports of NHS staff being threatened in connection with the Federated Data Platform.

Reply

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP is deli...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

Who will own the intellectual property in products developed using the Federated Data Platform.

Reply

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP is del...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps he is taking to ensure that people feel safe providing feedback where that feedback is critical of NHS or local authority services under the proposed arrangements.

Reply

Integrated care boards will have a statutory obligation to obtain the views of people who use health services, those who may use health services, and their carers and representatives. Local authorities will have the same responsibility in respect of care ...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What (a) contractual and (b) regulatory safeguards apply to IQVIA’s role in providing de-identification services for NHS patient data within the Federated Data Platform.

Reply

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP is del...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of regional variation in access to migraine diagnosis and treatment in England; and what steps he is taking to reduce inequalities in access to mi

Reply

The Government recognises the significant impact that migraine can have on individuals’ quality of life and is committed to improving care and outcomes for people living with this condition.Responsibility for the planning and commissioning of headache and...

29 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
Asked

Whether her Department plans for decisions on Individual Support Plans to be within the scope of (a) the First-tier Tribunal (SEND) or (b) another independent adjudication route.

Reply

Individual Support Plans (ISPs) will provide a record of need and provision for all children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). They will allow settings to work alongside parents, providing a single, consistent record...

29 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
Asked

What processes her Department will put in place to ensure children, young people and families remain involved in SEND decision-making where responsibility is assumed by the Department from a local authority.

Reply

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities are statutorily responsible for decisions relating to special educational needs (SEN), both in managing the ‘Local Offer; of services and provision for SEN and in decisions relating to individual...

29 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
Asked

What arrangements will be in place to provide expert advice on children’s mental health alongside Experts at Hand for SEND.

Reply

The department is investing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and Integrated Care Boards, to develop a new Experts at Hand offer. This offer is designed to strengthen the capability of m...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment he has made of the impact of abolishing local Healthwatch on public trust in providing feedback on health and care services.

Reply

An impact assessment has been undertaken and published alongside the introduction of the Health Bill 2026. It outlines the non-monetised benefits, including the streamlining of the landscape and legislation, avoiding duplication of activity, and increased...

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

What steps his Department is taking to ensure Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants receive (a) clear and (b) timely information on how earnings from (i) casual, (ii) agency and (iii) zero-hours work affect w

Reply

Claimants are informed at the outset of their claim, including through the Claimant Commitment, about their responsibility to report earnings and how these are taken into account. Guidance explains that where earnings exceed the applicable weekly amount (...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a standardised Parkinson’s Passport to support people with Parkinson’s in (a) NHS hospital settings and (b) workplace settings.

Reply

The Government is committed to improving health outcomes for people with neurological conditions, including Parkinsons disease. The Parky Charter, supported by the three big Parkinson’s charities, includes a call for Parkinson’s passports. These passports...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What guidance will be issued to Integrated Care Boards and local authorities on how to deliver independent and inclusive engagement with local communities.

Reply

On behalf of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Department will set the direction, issuing clear guidance to integrated care boards and local authorities on obtaining and actioning the views of local people on health...

29 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

Whether he plans to publish (a) criteria and (b) performance metrics that will inform a decision on exercising the break clause in the Federated Data Platform contract before that decision is taken

Reply

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP is del...

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

What steps his Department is taking to improve customer service standards for claimants who contact Jobcentre Plus and DWP about Jobseeker’s Allowance payments, including call handling and access to wri

Reply

The Department is committed to providing a high standard of customer service for claimants contacting Jobcentre Plus and DWP about all of its services, including Jobseeker’s Allowance. We have recently relaunched our ‘Customer Support Standards’, which se...

29 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
Asked

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) is available as part of the continuation of SEND support where a child cannot be educated in school.

Reply

The department’s consultation, “SEND reform: putting children and young people first”, proposes the introduction of Specialist Provision Packages for all children and young people with complex needs, including those children and young people whose needs a...

29 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
Asked

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Specialist Provision Packages are co-produced with (a) children and young people and (b) families.

Reply

Specialist Provision Packages will be nationally defined, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people whose requirements cannot be met in mainstream settings, even with enhanced special educational needs (SEN) support. Packages will s...

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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.