Ben Lake MP: written questions
153 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Horizon 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 recordHeart Diseases: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38656More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support and (b) ensure equitable access to 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 recordHeart Diseases: WalesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with his Welsh counterpart on levels of diagnosis of inherited cardiac conditions in Wales.
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 recordHeart Diseases: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for people displaying symptoms of inherited cardiac condition to receive a diagnosis from (a) GPs and (b) cardiac specialists.
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 recordPublic Expenditure: WalesTreasuryTabled 14 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38377More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the Government's plans to abolish NHS England on the future amounts of health related consequential funding that the Welsh Government will receive under the Ba
Answer: The Barnett formula is applied when departmental budgets change – not when departments announce changes in policy. The Department for Health and Social Care are working through the implications of abolishing NHS England and will provide further details in...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTigray: Politics and GovernmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38097More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has considered taking steps to help ensure that (a) Eritrean and (b) other non-Ethiopian federal forces honour the terms of the Ethiopia-Tigray Cessati
Answer: The full implementation of the 'Agreement for Lasting Peace through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities' in Pretoria in November 2022 is key to peace and stability in Northern Ethiopia. The UK continues to be at the forefront of diplomatic and developmen...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTigray: Armed ConflictForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to prevent conflict in Tigray.
Answer: The UK is working with partners to prevent a return to conflict and preserve stability in the region by supporting the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. In the context of a rise in tensions in Tigray, we are actively engaging all p...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: PricesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35736More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to protect consumers from the impact of the recent increase in the energy price cap; and whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure that utility
Answer: The energy price cap will rise for the period 1 April to 30 June 2025 due to an increase in international gas prices. The Government believes the only way to protect consumers permanently is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy. The c...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTelevision: WalesWales OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the future of terrestrial TV distribution in Wales.
Answer: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters.DCMS, as the lead department, are seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. As part of this process, DCMS has established a stakeholder fo...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTelevision: WalesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure the interests of viewers in Wales are represented in her Department's future of TV distribution stakeholder forum.
Answer: The Government’s project on the future of TV distribution is seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. As part of this process, a wide range of views are being sought. Membership of the Stakeholder Forum include...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: IsraelForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33534More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on upholding the human rights of healthcare workers from Gaza detained in Israel.
Answer: The UK has consistently raised concerns about the impact of this conflict on Gaza's healthcare systems and medical staff, including reiterating the requirement for all parties to uphold International Humanitarian Law. We are also deeply concerned by repor...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHussam Abu SafiyaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33533More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) arrest and (b) detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya in Israel.
Answer: We are concerned by the reports of the detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and others. I have raised this case with both Israel's Ambassador to the UK, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimp...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: PrisonersForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33532More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on allowing independent monitors to access detention centres housing prisoners from Gaza.
Answer: We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of detainees. The UK has raised this with the Israeli Government as a priority and continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and i...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: SyriaHome OfficeTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, upon what evidential basis she will deem it sufficient to lift the temporary pause on the processing of Syrian asylum seeker claims.
Answer: Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office has withdrawn the Country Policy Information Notes and Guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions for Syrian nationals. However, we continue to register...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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