Ben Lake MP: written questions
341 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Motor Vehicles: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45792More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the surcharge for paying Vehicle Excise Duty in instalments on people with below average incomes.
Answer: In Autumn 2013, the Government announced the introduction of the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) direct debit scheme from 1 October 2014. Instead of paying VED annually or in two instalments per year with a 10% surcharge, this allows people to pay VED monthly o...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInternational Criminal Court: Travel RestrictionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on granting people with arrest warrants issued against them by the International Criminal Court access to UK airspace.
Answer: Airspace access is not within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's policy responsibilities. The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for airspace management and related policies in the UK.
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Workplace PensionsHome OfficeTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44247More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential (a) impact and (b) merits of reforming the 1987 Police Pension Scheme rules on police (i) widows, (ii) widowers and (iii
Answer: The 1987 Police Pension Scheme provides a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies. In common with most other public service pension schemes of that time, these benefits cease to be payable where the widow, widower or c...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Workplace PensionsHome OfficeTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44246More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of amending the Police pension scheme 1987 to allow surviving (a) partners, (b) widows and (c) widowers to retain their full entitlement up
Answer: The 1987 Police Pension Scheme provides a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies. In common with most other public service pension schemes of that time, these benefits cease to be payable where the widow, widower or c...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Workplace PensionsHome OfficeTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will amend the Police pension scheme 1987 to allow surviving (a) partners, (b) widows and (c) widowers to retain their full entitlement upon (i) remarriage and (ii) cohabitation.
Answer: The 1987 Police Pension Scheme provides a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies. In common with most other public service pension schemes of that time, these benefits cease to be payable where the widow, widower or c...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's official Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, whether the 1.3million homes to be built will be built in the UK or in England.
Answer: The 1.3 million homes figure referenced represents a forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) based solely on the impact of the changes the government made to the National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024. The OBR does not provi...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBroadband: Power FailuresDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43570More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with Ofcom on increasing the four-hour minimum time requirement for power backup during power outages in the broadband phone network.
Answer: Communication providers have statutory responsibilities to take appropriate and proportionate steps to provide resilient networks and services. Ofcom published guidance in September 2024 on the measures that providers can take to meet those responsibiliti...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTelemedicine: Voice over Internet ProtocolDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how he plans to measure the progress of the National Telecare Campaign in Ceredigion Preseli constituency.
Answer: We are very focused on making sure that the transition - which is industry-led - happens safely and securely. The objective of the National Telecare Campaign is to identify vulnerable customers. The campaign is one method of identifying vulnerable custome...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTelemedicine: Voice over Internet ProtocolDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42884More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to support the effective delivery of the National Telecare Campaign in Ceredigion Preseli constituency.
Answer: The Government is working with industry to support the industry-led and industry-funded National Telecare Campaign. The objective of this campaign is for telecare users to be identified so that they can be provided with additional support when their landl...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWestern Sahara: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42840More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ask the UN Secretary General to investigate (a) how many allegations of human rights abuses have been made to the Moroccan National Human Rights Council in Western
Answer: The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWestern Sahara: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42785More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in the occupied territory of Western Sahara.
Answer: The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMorocco: Politics and GovernmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42779More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Morocco on the expulsion of (a) Dolores Travieso Darias, (b) Flora Moreno Ramos and (c) Silvestre Suarez Fernandez from El
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office have had no such discussions regarding these three individuals.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCentral Bank Digital CurrenciesTreasuryTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42708More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her policy is on the development of the digital pound.
Answer: HM Treasury and the Bank of England are continuing to explore the case for the digital pound. No decision has been taken on whether to introduce the digital pound. The work currently being undertaken will provide the evidence base for a decision in due c...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHorizon IT System: CompensationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether levels of compensation payments reflect the impact that failures in the Horizon system had on the families of affected sub-postmasters.
Answer: Many of the impacts experienced by family members of affected postmasters will already be compensated for under the relevant scheme in which postmasters are seeking redress. For example, there will be full compensation paid to the affected postmaster for ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Welsh GovernmentTreasuryTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42630More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the potential impact of providing compensation for public services in Wales for costs arising from the increase in employers national insurance contributions
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy. The Welsh Government will receive funding through th...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Welsh GovernmentTreasuryTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42629More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total amount provided to the Welsh Government for the financial year 2025-2026 to compensate Welsh public services for costs arising from the increase in employers national insurance contributions will be.
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy. The Welsh Government will receive funding through th...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Welsh GovernmentTreasuryTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42628More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the funding allocated to public services in Wales to compensate for costs arising from the increase in employers national insurance contributions will be allocated to the Welsh Government through the Barnett
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy. The Welsh Government will receive funding through th...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, Official Report, column 945, how many and what proportion of the 1.3 million homes to be bu
Answer: The 1.3 million homes figure referenced represents a forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) based solely on the impact of the changes the government made to the National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024. The OBR does not provi...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmergency Services Network: Ceredigion PreseliHome OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans that access to each of the Extended Area Services masts located in Ceredigion Preseli constituency will be shared with mobile network operators.
Answer: We can confirm that four EAS masts have already been activated for the Shared Rural Network (SRN) and are delivering new 4G mobile coverage from all four mobile network operators across Ceredigion Preseli.We continue to work with Building Digital UK (BDUK...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Digital TechnologyHome OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) alternative proof of Visa status to digital-only eVisas, such as (i) secure QR codes and (ii) equivalent physical documentatio
Answer: The Home Office is moving to a digital immigration system, and there are no plans to issue physical documents in future.Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission and have a digital im...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Digital TechnologyHome OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40604More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to undertake a review of the (a) implementation and (b) roll-out of the migration to a fully digital eVisa system.
Answer: The Home Office is moving to a digital immigration system, and there are no plans to issue physical documents in future.Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission and have a digital im...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSlaughterhouses: WalesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the regime of discounts applied to meat charges incurred by undertaking inspection obligations under Official Controls Regulations on t
Answer: On 28 February 2025, further to engagement with industry representative bodies, the Food Standards Agency published the 2025/26 charge rates for inspections in meat premises in England and Wales. As in previous years, charges in 2025/26 will be offset by ...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordYouth Justice: Speech and Language TherapyMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39940More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has had recent discussions with the Welsh Government on the provision of speech and language therapy in youth justice services in Wales.
Answer: This Government recognises the vital role that Speech and Language Therapists play in supporting young people within the justice system. I discussed matters relating to youth justice in Wales when I met with Welsh Government Minister Janet Hutt earlier th...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHeart Diseases: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to include reform of inherited cardiac conditions in the 10-year plan for the NHS.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving cardiac hea...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHeart Diseases: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the uptake of (a) existing and (b) new treatments for people with inherited cardiac conditions.
Answer: In 2017, NHS England published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) which defines the standards of care expected from organisations commissioned by NHS England. The specification sets the national minimum standards for t...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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