Alex Ballinger MP: written questions
159 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Food: LabellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure food allergy labels are visible and legible; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a minimum type s
Answer: The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. The availability and accessibility of essential food information t...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: RegulationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to stop the provision of (a) clinical and (b) therapy services by (i) unregulated and (ii) unregistered individuals.
Answer: The Government has no plans to stop the provision of clinical or therapy services by either unregulated and/or unregistered individuals.
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordIdentity Cards: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has considered the introduction of an official ID scheme for (a) disabled people and (b) their carers.
Answer: While some disabled people may welcome a card that acts as a proof of disability, we are aware that some disabled people would not wish to carry a card which confirms their impairment. Other people who may meet the criteria for the Equality Act 2010 defin...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: TaxationTreasuryTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34715More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising taxation on gambling operators.
Answer: Gambling Duties raised £3.5 billion in revenue in 2023-24.As with all taxes, the Government keeps the gambling duty system under review during its Budget process.
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS staff training is (a) effective, (b) time efficient and (c) value for money.
Answer: Statutory and mandatory training is wide ranging and completed by all National Health Service staff. NHS England is leading work to reform statutory and mandatory training through a programme to optimise, rationalise, and redesign training. The aim is for...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProscribed OrganisationsHome OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to proscribe (a) the English Defence League and (b) other far right groups.
Answer: The Government has robust processes in place for reviewing the list of proscribed organisations. However, the Government does not routinely comment on whether or not an organisation is being considered for proscription.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: StandardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take to increase regulations on property developers to help ensure high standards of development.
Answer: The Building Regulations are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare; they set minimum acceptable standards for new building work including when a building is being designed, constructed, or subject to major re-design and which are enforce...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: West MidlandsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) supply chains issues and (b) shortages of ADHD medication in the West Midlands.
Answer: The resilience of the United Kingdom’s supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. The Department works in partnership with industry, the National Health Service, and the wider he...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Buildings: ArsonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29739More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve the capacity of local authorities to rebuild public buildings affected by arson.
Answer: The government understands the impact that deliberate fire setting has on people and the communities in which they live and work.The Local Government Finance Settlement available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase i...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Married PeopleHome OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29723More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming spousal visa regulations to (a) reduce the 10-year duration, (b) remove renewals and (c) prevent penalisation due to a pa
Answer: The Family Immigration Rules provide the requirements to be met for those seeking to establish or maintain their family life in the UK and these rules are kept under regular review to ensure that there are clear incentives to comply with the rules and cle...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCompulsorily Detained Psychiatric PatientsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a mandatory and formal way for recording if and when patients have had an assessment for section 117 aftercare.
Answer: Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 requires local social services authorities and National Health Service commissioners to provide or arrange for the provision of aftercare to adults or children detained in hospital for treatment under section 3, 3...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPsychiatry and Social Workers: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29711More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandatory training for (a) psychiatrists, (b) psychiatric nurses and (c) social workers on legal obligations under section 117 of the Me
Answer: Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 requires local social services authorities and National Health Service commissioners to provide or arrange for the provision of aftercare to adults or children detained in hospital for treatment under section 3, 3...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDrax Power Station: TimberDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of trees from (a) primary and (b) old growth forests burnt by the Drax power station since 2012.
Answer: The origin and profile of biomass used by Drax is monitored by Ofgem. The Government requires that all biomass used by Drax be compliant with strict sustainability criteria. This requires that biomass must be legally and sustainably harvested and includes...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArts: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect the creative industries and (b) ensure copyright legislation remains strong in response to proliferated use of AI.
Answer: The government recognises the importance of the UK’s copyright regime to the economic success of the creative industries, one of eight growth-driving sectors as identified in our Industrial Strategy. We are committed to supporting rights holders by ensuri...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPancreatic Enzyme Replacement TherapyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address the shortages in Pancreatic enzyme replacement medication.
Answer: The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Increased volumes of PERT are expected for 2025, and specialist importers have sourced unlicensed s...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProstate Cancer: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equal access to diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Answer: NHS England is taking steps to raise awareness of the symptoms of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so. To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer, we have invested £16 million in the TRANSFORM trial, aimed at...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordParental LeaveDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) affordability and (b) accessibility of parental leave.
Answer: Government keeps the rates of benefits, state pension and statutory pay under review.Parental pay is reviewed annually at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. From April 2025, the rate will increase by September 2024's CPI figur...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty DevelopmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help local authorities scruitnise the work of property developers.
Answer: Building control assure compliance with the building regulations and have powers to intervene where it is found that buildings are in breach of the Building Regulations. It is an important function for local authorities, protecting the health and safety o...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordTax Collection: DebtsTreasuryTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29363More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with HMRC on instructions given to debt collection agencies in the event of (a) an unresolved dispute or (b) error on a taxpayer's account.
Answer: The debt collection agencies (DCAs) that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) collaborates with are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and are strictly bound by HMRC's processes and guidance.HMRC undertakes regular reviews, including the monitoring o...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFire and Rescue ServicesHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve morale in the fire service.
Answer: It is a government priority to drive meaningful culture change across the fire and rescue sector. Our fire professionals work under significant pressure and in challenging circumstances, so it is important that the Fire and Rescue Authorities and the Fire...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordWest Midlands Fire ServiceHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the West Midlands fire authority plan to bring back familiarisation visits.
Answer: Familiarisation visits, and other types of training and community engagement, are a local operational matter. It is for the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority and Service to determine their priorities on these types of activities.
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFire and Rescue Services: TrainingHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure national standards in the training of fire service personnel.
Answer: Fire and rescue authorities are responsible for ensuring that firefighters receive the training they need in order to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend. The National Fire Chiefs Council maintains national operational guidance ...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordParental LeaveDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to increase statutory parental leave.
Answer: The Government is aware that the parental leave system requires improvement and action to deliver this has already begun. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave ‘day one’ rights, increasing the flexibility of parent...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMotorcycles: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22489More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Motorcycle Industry Association’s publication entitled A Licence to Net Zero, published in October 2023.
Answer: My Department will be meeting the Motorcycle Industry Association at the Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group later this month to discuss the A Licence to Net Zero plan, alongside other ideas put forward by the motorcycle industry.
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMotorcycles: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the Motorcycle Industry Association on user licensing for powered light vehicles.
Answer: My Department will be meeting the Motorcycle Industry Association at the Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group later this month to discuss the A Licence to Net Zero plan, alongside other ideas put forward by the motorcycle industry.
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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