Every parliamentary written question tabled by Martin Wrigley this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 901–920 of 1,700 · this parliament
Whether his Department has considered introducing a 12-month visitor visa route for Ukrainian military personnel.
There are currently no plans to introduce a 12-month visitor visa route for Ukrainian military personnel. All individual visitors have the option of applying for a visit visa for 6 months, or multi-entry visit visas of 2-, 5- or 10-years validity. Each stay in the UK must not exceed the permitted length of stay endorsed on the visit visa, usually 6 months.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle agricultural pollution in rivers; and if he will take steps to launch a review into this issue.
Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a priority for the Government. We are working with farmers to reduce agricultural pollution is key to delivering against this priority. Under the Environment Act 2021, a legally binding target was set to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agriculture entering the water environment by 40% by 2038. We have completed the rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan. The Government will develop a revised Environmental Improvement plan to protect and restore our natural environment, supported by delivery plans to meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets. This includes cleaning up our waterways. We are taking action to tackle agricultural pollution and deliver the Environment Act target through a suite of proportionate and effective regulations, advice and incentives.
What steps he is taking to increase the number of homes with heat pumps in Newton Abbot constituency.
The Warm Homes Plan will help upgrade homes across the country, including in Newton Abbot, by accelerating the installation of efficient new technologies like heat pumps, solar, batteries and insulation. The Government is helping make heat pumps more efficient and easier to install. This includes increasing funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to £295 million for this financial year, removing outdated planning rules and consulting on product efficiency standards. As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of abandoned caravans in Devon.
The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on land in the open air or on roads. The definition of vehicle within the act includes trailers designed to be towed behind vehicles. This would include caravans. This duty applies on private land and private roads. Councils can take enforcement action against people who abandon vehicles by issuing a fixed penalty notice or prosecuting them. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it. The Government has published guidance for councils on abandoned vehicles at: Abandoned vehicles: local authority responsibilities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
If he will publish a list of geographical areas which do not have access to a pharmacy within 10 miles.
Data from June 2024 shows that approximately 93% of the population of England lived within two miles of a pharmacy. Data on distances travelled beyond two miles is not recorded.In some rural areas where there is no pharmacy, general practitioners are permitted to dispense medicines to their patients. Patients can also choose to access medicines and pharmacy services through any of the over 400 National Health Service online pharmacies that are contractually required to deliver prescription medicines free of charge to patients anywhere in the country.
What steps he is taking to reduce waste in government departments.
As part of the second phase of the spending review Departments have been set a stretching 5% productivity, efficiency and savings target. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has also asked each department to carry out a line-by-line review of existing day-to-day budgets to identify where spending is no longer aligned with this government’s priorities or is poor value for money. The Government has undertaken several specific measures to drive efficiency and reduce waste and bureaucracy across Whitehall, as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change. The Cabinet Office has instructed departments to: freeze Government Procurement Cards, with a tough new application process to cut the numbers in circulation;justify every Arm’s Length Body, otherwise they are to be closed, merged, or delivered by departments to reduce duplication, drive efficiency, and ensure democratic accountability for policy decisions that affect the British public; andOfficials are required to hold training and team-building exercises and ‘away days’ in government buildings that are available for free, instead of hiring external venues. All departments have been asked to review their policies on procuring corporate-branded and non-essential merchandise, with a view to restricting future purchases.
If he will commission research on symptomatic cases of pineal cysts.
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has previously supported research on pineal cysts at the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, with further details of this work available at the NIHR’s Open Data website, at the following link: https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/pages/homepage/ The NIHR encourages anyone to submit suggestions for research, and welcomes suggestions at its website, which is available at the following link: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
What steps she is taking to increase the levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention within the teaching profession.
High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s outcomes. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child. This is why the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new teachers across secondary and special schools and in our colleges over the course of this Parliament.Over 2,000 more people are training to become secondary school teachers this year. Recruitment is on track to improve even further for the cohort set to start training in 2025/26, with 1,070 more acceptances to postgraduate and teacher degree apprenticeship initial teacher training courses in secondary subjects by the end of April 2025, compared to the same time last year. Additionally, over 2,500 more teachers are expected to stay in the profession over the next three years.This government has already accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools and ensured that this is fully funded. We are also incentivising recruitment with an increased £233 million investment in training bursaries, worth £29,000 tax-free, and scholarships worth £31,000 tax-free, for trainees in key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computingThe department is boosting opportunities to train to teach by streamlining postgraduate teaching apprenticeship courses from twelve months to nine, starting from August this year, to help get newly trained teachers into classrooms sooner.A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and we can only do this by ensuring teaching is an attractive profession for all. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department is offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools.Alongside the resources we have made available to teachers to support their wellbeing, we are also promoting flexible working policies including allowing teachers to undertake planning, preparation and assessment from home. We are working closely with the sector, as part of Improving Education Together, to identify further key actions to improve teacher workload and wellbeing and ensure those joining the profession can stay and thrive.
Pursuant to the Answer 6 May 2025 to Question 48666 on NHS: Disclosure of Information, if will he take steps to compensate NHS staff who signed non-disclosure agreements upon leaving the NHS.
The term non-disclosure agreement is not used in the National Health Service. A non-disclosure agreement is a general term used to describe any kind of legal agreement which sets out requirements, known as confidentiality clauses, that prohibit or restrict the sharing of certain information to other parties. These terms are usually in the interests of both the employer and the employee concerned. In the NHS this relates to contracts of employment and settlement agreements.Settlement agreements, which may include confidentiality clauses, can legitimately be used for a range of employment issues that are unrelated to whistleblowing and are legally binding. Both the employer and the employee concerned must take their own legal advice before entering into such an agreement. Some settlement agreements may include a non-contractual, or special severance, payment, but not all will do so.
Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on enforcing the mandatory adoption of sustainable drainage schemes (SuDS) through Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
This Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised SuDS in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place. We believe that these outcomes can be achieved through either improving the current planning led approach using powers now available or commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on the way forward will be made in the coming months. The Government is committed to bring the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private estates to an end. We will consult this year on the on the best way to achieve this and we will include options to reduce the prevalence of private management of these estates.
If he will make it is policy to commit to the pump watch petrol price comparison platform.
The Government response to the road fuels consultation, published on 30 October 2024, confirmed that the Government will implement the recommendation made by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in its Final Road Fuel Market Study to set up a statutory open data scheme for fuel prices, called Fuel Finder. Fuel Finder will increase price transparency and help drivers easily compare prices and find the best deals. This will increase pressure on fuel retailers to compete strongly to attract customers. Subject to legislation and parliamentary timings, we aim to launch Fuel Finder by the end of 2025.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he bring forward legislative proposals to regulate maps used in the UK to ensure that the Gulf of Mexico is not referred to by other names.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to follow the guidance of the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (PCGN) who advise His Majesty's Government on policies and procedures for the representation of geographical names for places and features outside the UK, excluding those of the Antarctic. For names of international maritime features beyond any sovereignty, PCGN usually advises reflecting the common English conventional name, which for this body of water is the 'Gulf of Mexico'.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the High Income Child Benefit Charge on people earning just over £50,000 per year.
By withdrawing Child Benefit from high-income parents where the higher earner earns £60,000 or more, the HICBC helps to ensure the sustainability of the public finances and protect our vital public services. Information on the number of households that have a joint income of over £90,000 that are not subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge is only available at disproportionate cost.
What steps she is taking to help increase access to driving tests in the Newton Abbot constituency.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK. As well as the above measures, at Newton Abbot driving test centre (DTC) DVSA continue to provide as many tests as possible. The DTC currently has a driving examiner (DE) on temporary duty to add additional capacity. DEs also continue to provide overtime tests at weekends at the DTC.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to limit access to gambling advertising for people with a gambling addiction.
This government recognises that while advertising is a legitimate advantage which licensed operators have over unlicensed gambling firms, increased exposure to gambling advertising can have an impact on gambling participation. Some forms of advertising can also have a disproportionate impact on particular groups, such as children and those who are already experiencing problems with their gambling.There are existing robust rules in place to ensure that advertising and marketing, whenever it appears, is socially responsible. Licensed operators are prohibited from sending direct marketing to those showing strong indicators of harm and must be part of the GAMSTOP scheme. Individuals registered with the scheme are automatically removed from marketing lists of any gambling company they were registered with. The Gambling Commission is also introducing new requirements for operators to allow customers to have greater control over the direct marketing they receive, and measures to ensure that incentives such as free bets are constructed in a socially responsible manner.However, we recognise that more can be done to improve protections. We have set the gambling industry a clear task to raise standards and this work will be monitored closely.
If he will take steps to plan a (a) risk assessment and (b) contingency plan on the National Grid to prevent national-level blackouts.
Great Britain has a highly resilient energy system, and a total failure of power is assessed in the National Risk Register as a high impact but low likelihood event. In its 75-year history, the National Electricity Transmission System has never experienced a complete shutdown. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has a range of tools to keep electricity balanced under a range of scenarios and to guard against system-wide failures. However, Government prepares for all eventualities and exercises robust contingency plans with industry, including NESO’s established plans to restore the energy system in the event of a National Power Outage.
How many and what proportion of areas with an identified need for 0-4 year old child care do not have spare classrooms at schools.
The department is creating 6,000 new nursery places in schools across the country in the first wave of 300 school-based nurseries, backed by £37 million of funding. Up to 4,000 places will be available from this September, helping to grow our vibrant childcare market which gives parents access to provision where they need it, including through school and private, voluntary and independent partnerships. Overall, 641 schools applied for this first phase of funding and a further 592 registered their interest in future phases.In order to ensure local alignment between need for childcare and school spaces, each school involved outlined how their proposals addressed local demand and secured local authority approval to use surplus space for nursery expansion. This comes alongside the department’s regular consideration of published data such as Childcare Sufficiency Assessments and school capacity.The department will continue working closely with the early years sector to scale the programme effectively, subject to the spending review, ensuring new provision meets the needs of children, parents and schools, and works within the local market.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating a young cancer patient travel fund.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member for North Cornwall on 24 April 2025 to Question 46605.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to limit access to gambling advertising to people with problem gambling.
This government recognises that while advertising is a legitimate advantage which licensed operators have over unlicensed gambling firms, increased exposure to gambling advertising can have an impact on gambling participation. Some forms of advertising can also have a disproportionate impact on particular groups, such as children and those who are already experiencing problems with their gambling.There are existing robust rules in place to ensure that advertising and marketing, whenever it appears, is socially responsible. Licensed operators are prohibited from sending direct marketing to those showing strong indicators of harm and must be part of the GAMSTOP scheme. Individuals registered with the scheme are automatically removed from marketing lists of any gambling company they were registered with. Further, the Gambling Commission is introducing new requirements for operators to allow customers to have greater control over the direct marketing they receive, and measures to ensure that incentives such as free bets are constructed in a socially responsible manner.However, we recognise that more can be done to improve protections. We have set the gambling industry a clear task to raise standards and this work will be monitored closely.
How her Department holds records of children with a parent in prison; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of holding this information in (a) a single and (b) multiple databases.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold records of children with a parent in prison. Where professionals are concerned about a child’s welfare, they consider whether a referral to local authority children’s social care is required and should always refer immediately if there is a concern that the child is suffering, or likely to, suffer significant harm (as outlined in the statutory safeguarding guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)).Recognising that having a parent in prison is considered an adverse childhood experience and can have a significant impact on a child’s life chances, the Government has committed to ensure children impacted by parental imprisonment are identified and offered the support they need.We are currently working closely with the Department for Education who hold responsibility for children to determine how we effectively identify these children, where to hold this information, and the best way to provide support for both them and their parent in prison.