Catherine West MP: written questions
101 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Music: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 14910More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote music education in schools.
Answer: This government believes that music is an essential part of the well-rounded and enriching education every child deserves.Music is a national curriculum subject from key stages 1 to 3, and all state-funded schools, including academies, will have a duty to...
Answered 10 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGender Dysphoria: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce NHS waiting lists for transgender healthcare.
Answer: We recognise that waiting lists for specialist gender services are too long. This has been caused by multiple factors, including unprecedented demand for gender services and a shortage of specialist clinical staff to meet the rapidly rising demand.This is...
Answered 16 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: EqualityWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14395More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the EHRC’s draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations (2026) on the hospitality sector.
Answer: The Government has always been clear that the proper process for the Equality Act 2010 draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations needs to be followed, which includes understanding the potential impact on duty bearers.The Equal...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordConversion TherapyWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14394More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the equality impact of the exemption for those providing healthcare services under section 1.3 of the Draft Conversion Practices Bill.
Answer: The Government published its draft Conversion Practices Bill on 25 June for pre-legislative scrutiny. We welcome cross-party engagement and scrutiny on all aspects of this draft legislation, including the healthcare provisions.Our proposed Bill will crimi...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made and assessment of the potential impact of changes to the two child benefit cap on levels of food bank use.
Answer: Although no assessment has been made regarding the impact of these changes on food bank use specifically, the reversal of the two child limit in Universal Credit demonstrates this Government’s relentless commitment to tackling child poverty by investing i...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigration: ChessHome OfficeTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing professional chess players to qualify for leave to remain in the UK under the a) International Sportsperson and b) Global Talent
Answer: There are no current plans to include chess players in either the International Sportsperson (ISP) visa route or the Global Talent visa route, but we keep all routes under review.
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: TemperatureDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13891More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard the health and wellbeing of children in schools during periods of extreme heat.
Answer: The government’s position is that schools should remain open wherever it is safe, allowing as many pupils as possible to attend rather than applying a fixed maximum temperature for closure.Responsible bodies must make decisions based on the suitability of...
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: TemperatureDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a maximum temperature threshold above which schools should not open.
Answer: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Hornsey and Friern Barnet to the answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 13129.
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRefugees: HomelessnessHome OfficeTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9650More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent those who attain refugee status from facing homelessness upon discharge from Home Office accommodation.
Answer: The Home Office is committed to supporting newly recognised refugees to transition from asylum accommodation and mitigate the risk of homelessness. We are working with local authorities, NGOs and other stakeholders to ensure any necessary assistance is pr...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: AddictionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9649More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to improve the provision of addiction treatment in prisons.
Answer: Over the last 18 months, NHS England has been taking active steps to improve drug and alcohol services across the entire adult prison estate to address Dame Carol Black’s recommendations in her internal review and increase the provision of treatment and r...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDentistry: Labour Turnover and RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9049More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention of NHS dentists.
Answer: Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions to rebuild National Health Service dentistry. The recruitment of dentists remains a priority, with integrated care boards continuing to be able to make use of the Golden Hello scheme to encourage dentist...
Answered 16 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: SafetyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7599More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s report entitled The State of Emergency Medicine in England, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve patient safety and (b) red
Answer: The Government is committed to restoring urgent and emergency care waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The medium-term planning framework for the National Health Service published in October 2025 includes a commitment that 85% ...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBangladesh: Forced LabourForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7595More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK businesses do not benefit from child labour in Bangladesh.
Answer: The UK is committed to ending child labour globally, including in Bangladesh, and to ensuring UK businesses do not benefit from it.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works with partners to engage businesses and investors to raise awar...
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordCohabitation: Common LawMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to launch a consultation on cohabitation law reform.
Answer: The Government published its consultation, “A Fairer End to Relationships”, on Friday 5 June.This consultation proposes some of the biggest reforms to family law in decades, bringing the law into the 21st century and increasing protection for millions.The...
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordLebanon: Humanitarian Aid and International Humanitarian LawForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5986More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) provide humanitarian aid and (b) promote compliance with international humanitarian law in Lebanon.
Answer: As I stated during the Urgent Question debate on 3 June, the UK is already one of the largest humanitarian donors in Lebanon, and has committed £30 million in additional humanitarian support to respond to this crisis through trusted partners, including th...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHome Office: Artificial IntelligenceHome OfficeTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5372More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that the use of Artificial Intelligence for age-verification in Home Office applications will not increase incorrect decisions that could result in harm to children.
Answer: Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no one single or combination of techniques able to determine chronological age with precision. The Home Office wants to improve decision accuracy and safeguard vulnerable people. The Home Office has announced ...
Answered 4 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordMaintained SchoolsDepartment for EducationTabled 19 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2784More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Schools White Paper, what plans she has to safeguard local authority-run schools.
Answer: The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper sets out the unique and vital role local authorities play in delivery of high-quality education and opportunities for all children in their communities, including through working collaboratively with lo...
Answered 28 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSri Lanka: WaterForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 19 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2776More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in Sri Lanka regarding water pollution in Chunnakam; and what steps her Department has taken to support improvemen
Answer: We are aware of the continued concerns about water quality relating to the Chunnakam power plant in Jaffna. Our High Commission in Colombo regularly engages with the Sri Lankan authorities on water management and environmental issues and with local commun...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordConditions of Employment: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2775More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps is he taking to ensure that employment protections are adequate for the future, in the context of the potential for AI to replace some job roles.
Answer: DBT is working with DSIT and the AI Economics Institute to monitor impacts on jobs and skills. This will ensure we can respond quickly, alongside investment in training and lifelong learning, to help people adapt and prepare for future jobs.
Answered 28 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMeningitis: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2752More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of rolling out the meningitis B vaccination to all children born before 2015.
Answer: As my Rt. Hon. Friend, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told the House on 17 March in the context of the meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has been asked to re-exami...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Apr 2026Awaiting answerUIN 130093More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's consultation outcome entitled Changes to NICE regulations: cost-effectiveness threshold - consultation document, published on 3 March 2026, what assessment he has
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordSupply Chains: EthicsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129499More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to promote and enforce ethical business practices across global supply chains.
Answer: The UK has a range of measures in place to promote ethical business practices across global supply chains. In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on addressing human rights abu...
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSupply Chains: Environment Protection and Human RightsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129498More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department are taking to promote human rights and environmental due diligence in global supply chains.
Answer: The UK has a range of measures in place to promote ethical business practices across global supply chains. In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on addressing human rights abu...
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTemporary Accommodation: PregnancyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129497More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support pregnant women living in temporary accommodation.
Answer: Homelessness levels are far too high, and this can have a devastating impact on those affected. Our National Plan to End Homelessness sets out tangible actions and targets for delivery in this Parliament, which will act as milestones on the way to achievi...
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTemporary Accommodation: ChildrenMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129494More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the health and wellbeing of children living in temporary accommodation.
Answer: Homelessness levels are far too high, and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, especially children. The Child Poverty Strategy and our National Plan to End Homelessness set out our commitments to eradicate unsuitable or poor-quality accom...
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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