Every parliamentary written question tabled by Tracy Gilbert this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 111 · this parliament
If he will publish the equality impact assessments undertaken in relation to the development of regulations on infected blood compensation.
The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025 Equalities Impact Assessment can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2025/9780348268843/pdfs/ukdsipes_9780348268843_en_001.pdf.
Whether the funding allocated to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority is drawn from the £11.8 billion set aside by the Government for infected blood compensation or provided from a separate budget.
In the Autumn Budget, the Government announced £11.8 billion in compensation to people who were infected and affected as a result of the Infected Blood scandal.This is separate to the funding allocated to the administrative costs of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
What steps he is planning to take to (a) consult further with the infected blood community and (b) involve that community in the development of the Government's response to the Infected Blood Inquiry.
This Government is committed to engaging openly and transparently, and taking on board feedback from the infected blood community. The Cabinet Office regularly engages with over 30 key representatives and organisations in the community. I have met with a number of these representatives several times and will continue to do so. The Government will consider the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Additional Report carefully, and respond in due course.
What estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the (a) establishment and (b) ongoing administration of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
The Cabinet Office will lay IBCA's annual reports and accounts before Parliament in the usual way. The Cabinet Office will expect to be consulted by IBCA where there is a risk that IBCA will breach its administrative cost controls, or vary significantly from the agreed business plan.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase food security.
We are investing over £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery, cutting EU export costs for food producers, and ensuring farmers are well-placed to bid for a fair share of public sector food contracts.We will make reforms to ensure farmers receive fair payment for food production and have appointed former National Farmers Union president and cross-bench peer Baroness Minette Batters to review barriers to farming profitability.
What estimate his Department has made of the number of people waiting to sit a Dental Overseas Registration Examination.
The Department does not hold data on exactly how many candidates are waiting to sit the General Dental Council’s (GDC) Overseas Registration Exam (ORE), as this data is held by the GDC. In April 2025, we understand from the GDC that there were approximately 5,000 candidates on the combined waiting lists for both parts of the ORE exam.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, on the UK Ancestry Visa.
The UK Government values its close cultural and historical ties with its fellow Commonwealth countries and this is reflected by the UK Ancestry visa, which allows Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent to live and work in the UK.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course and, where necessary, will be subject to consultation.
With reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether she plans to change the 12-month qualifying period between the grant of indefinite leave to remain and the right to apply for naturalisation.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement and citizenship schemes later this year and further details on the proposed schemes will be provided at that time.
Whether his Department has undertaken preparatory work on a potential youth mobility scheme with the EU.
We have agreed that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be time-limited and capped, and we have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The exact parameters will be subject to negotiation.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of fraudulent companies registered with Companies House.
In October 2023, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 was enacted with the primary purpose of bearing down on the fraudulent use of corporate structures in the UK. The process of implementing that legislation is underway but strengthened powers have already enabled the registrar of companies to intervene against 100,400 companies – equivalent to 2% of the register. This is further helped by expanded data sharing powers to collaborate with Law Enforcement partners to tackle strategic threats. Furthermore, this year Companies House is implementing mandatory Identity Verification to prevent false or hijacked identities being used.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of lifting tariffs on non-folding Chinese e-bikes on British manufacturers.
On 6 February the government extended the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on Chinese e-bikes but only for folding e-bikes. The independent Trade Remedies Authority assessed the annual impact of removing the measures on non-folding Chinese e-bikes, as can be found in their Final Recommendation to the Secretary of State. The Trade Remedy Authority’s assessment was considered by the Secretary of State as part of his decision.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 2198 on District Heating, when his Department plans to bring forward regulations to implement the Heat Network Market Framework.
The first part of the Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 was signed into law on the 2nd of March 2025. The remaining parts of this regulatory framework will be laid in Parliament later this year, and Ofgem will assume its role as heat network market regulator on the 27th of January 2026. On the 1st of April, the redress, advice and advocacy functions of the Heat Networks Market Framework came into force. Under these schemes, the Energy Ombudsman, Citizens Advice, and Consumer Scotland will monitor the market and have powers to take enforcement action against operators that break the rules on metering and billing.
How many businesses the Construction Industry Training Board supported in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.
In the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) supported 36 registered employers in 2023, and 47 registered employers in 2024. A CITB registered employer may access more than one grant or fund, and the cumulative count of support for registered employers within the constituency was 58 and 113 respectively.Across Scotland, the CITB supported 2,864 registered employers in 2023, and 3414 registered employers in 2024, with 6,683 and 9,076 cumulative counts of support respectively.The number of apprentices supported is not routinely captured at constituency level, so the CITB is unable to provide this figure from currently available data.Through the CITB’s contract with Skills Development Scotland, it supported an average of 4,440 apprentices per month in 2023, and an average of 4,500 apprentices per month in 2024.
How many apprenticeships the Construction Industry Training Board supported in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.
In the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) supported 36 registered employers in 2023, and 47 registered employers in 2024. A CITB registered employer may access more than one grant or fund, and the cumulative count of support for registered employers within the constituency was 58 and 113 respectively.Across Scotland, the CITB supported 2,864 registered employers in 2023, and 3414 registered employers in 2024, with 6,683 and 9,076 cumulative counts of support respectively.The number of apprentices supported is not routinely captured at constituency level, so the CITB is unable to provide this figure from currently available data.Through the CITB’s contract with Skills Development Scotland, it supported an average of 4,440 apprentices per month in 2023, and an average of 4,500 apprentices per month in 2024.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much financial assistance his Department is providing to Myanmar following the earthquake that hit on 28 March 2025.
The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar. This includes up to £5 million to match the British public's generous donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.The UK supports the people of Myanmar by funding local actors on the ground who can directly access affected populations. Immediately after the earthquake our partners assessed needs and mobilised an initial humanitarian response. UK-funded food, water, healthcare and shelter supplies are already reaching affected areas, helping over 86,000 people so far.
If he will remove corporate crown immunity from the Scottish Prison Service.
The Lord Chancellor has received a letter from the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs seeking to discuss a number of issues across the justice system and will respond in due course.Crown Immunity within the Scottish Prison Service is a complex issue, and any change would interact with both devolved and reserved competencies. It is right therefore that the UK Government fully considers its next steps accordingly.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of tariffs applied by the US Government on (a) jobs and (b) exports in (i) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (ii) Scotland.
We know that this will be a concerning time for businesses in Scotland; in 2024, 12.3% of goods exported from Scotland were to the US. That is why the government has been focused on negotiating an economic deal with the US and we remain committed to these discussions.The government is resolute in our support for industry across the whole of the UK, and ministers and officials will continue to engage with businesses to understand the impact of these tariffs.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) aid and (b) health workers detained by Israel.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that at least 330 health care workers from Gaza had been detained by the Israeli authorities as of December 2024, but we do not have current figures for the number of aid or health workers detained by Israel. The UK urges the Government of Israel to clarify the reasons for the detention of aid or health workers, to respect the rights of detainees, and to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) immediate and unfettered access to detention facilities.
What steps she plans to take to ensure the availability of single-sex services for women.
This Government is steadfast in its dedication to protecting women and fostering a society in which they feel respected and empowered. We will uphold the Equality Act and continue to support the use of its single-sex exceptions. We will explore the best ways in which we can give service providers assurance about the rights afforded by the Act and how to lawfully apply its single-sex exceptions. It is vitally important that service providers have clear guidance about the Equality Act 2010 and its single-sex service exceptions. We will bring forward guidance in due course that will give service providers assurance about the rights afforded by the Act and how to lawfully apply its single-sex exceptions.
Innovation and Technology, with reference to the report entitled Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, published on 19 March 2025, what steps he plans to take to ensure reliable sources for sex data are used for the proposed digital verification service.
The Government recognises the importance of accurate data and statistics on sex and gender, and has shared the independent review’s recommendations with departments for consideration in ongoing policy work. The Government Digital Service is also developing data standards for attributes of a person with input from across the public sector. Digital verification services, and public authorities processing personal data which may be used by such services during the verification process, are subject to data protection legislation which requires the personal data they’re processing to be relevant and accurate for the purpose for which it is being used.