Catherine West MP: written questions
23 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Biodiversity and Nature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help restore nature and biodiversity.
Answer: Defra is investing in action for habitats and species to achieve biodiversity targets set in the Environment Act and Environmental Improvement Plan. Since 2023, action has been taken on an area twice the size of the Isle of Wight to create or restore wild...
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Industrial DisputesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27264More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to resolve industrial disputes in his Department and ensure adequate consultation with unions.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) engages regularly and constructively with all its recognised trade unions on workforce matters. The Department is also meeting Public and Commercial Services (PCS) specifically on the dispute at thei...
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFood Supply: SalmonellaDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to safeguard UK food supply from salmonella outbreaks.
Answer: The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) is responsible for food safety and food hygiene. One of the FSA’s primary objectives is to control foodborne disease, and the FSA collaborates across the food system to identify and manage risks. The food hygiene legislat...
Answered 10 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordEmpty Property: Greater LondonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 26961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help bring empty homes in London into use.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordProbation Officers: Greater LondonMinistry of JusticeTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26960More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help improve recruitment and retention of staff in London's Probation Service.
Answer: Recruitment and retention of probation staff remains a key priority and as a result, we have seen growth in the qualified probation officer workforce. We exceeded our commitment to onboard 1,300 trainee probation officers in 2025/26, successfully onboardi...
Answered 11 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: EmploymentDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26959More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to help protect jobs from emerging technologies, including driverless cars.
Answer: Emerging technologies, including AI and self-driving vehicles, will change some jobs but also create new opportunities, boost productivity and improve working lives.Self-driving vehicle deployment will be gradual and subject to robust regulation. Automate...
Answered 10 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWest Bank: ViolenceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26958More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with international partners on tackling the surge in settler violence in the West Bank, including promoting compliance with international law.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 8 September in relation to Israel and Palestine.
Answered 11 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDroughts and Fires: ForestsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26592More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help improve preparation for droughts and wildfires in woods and forests in the context of the recent extreme temperatures.
Answer: The Forestry Commission works with woodland owners and managers to improve resilience to droughts and wildfires through its practice guidance, Lantra accredited training, communications and financial support. The Government funds measures through Countrys...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWearable Technology: PrivacyDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and SportTabled 2 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26591More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to safeguard the right to privacy in relation to emerging technologies such as smart glasses.
Answer: The UK's data protection legislation applies to the processing of personal data regardless of the technology being used, including connected and AI-enabled devices such as smart glasses.The Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's independent data prot...
Answered 10 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordInternet: PrivacyDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and SportTabled 2 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26590More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to protect online privacy.
Answer: The UK's data protection legislation applies to the processing of personal data regardless of the technology being used, including connected and AI-enabled devices such as smart glasses.The Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's independent data prot...
Answered 10 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordMongolia: International Humanitarian LawForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26589More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote compliance with international humanitarian law in Mongolia.
Answer: The UK and Mongolia share a deep commitment to democracy and democratic values. Earlier this year, the former Minister for the Indo Pacific visited Mongolia and, together with Deputy Foreign Minister Gombosuren Amartuvshin reaffirmed their commitment to u...
Answered 11 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the quality of water for recreational use.
Answer: The Clean Water Bill will deliver cleaner rivers, lakes, and seas by providing the legislative tools to ensure targets are ambitious, enabling pre-pipe solutions to reduce spills, and consolidating and strengthening agricultural pollution rules. The Publi...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordData Centres: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26074More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of data centres on the natural environment.
Answer: The Environment Agency works with government and the data centre sector to ensure environmental considerations are reflected in planning and decision-making. They also engage with developers and planning authorities to help identify environmental constrai...
Answered 18 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordOsteoporosis: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26073More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made to improve diagnosis and care for people with osteoporosis.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 15 July to Question 17293.
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordGrenfell Tower: FiresMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 26072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress is being made to achieve justice for the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordFlexible WorkingDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect workers' rights to flexible working.
Answer: Through the Employment Rights Act 2025, the government is strengthening the flexible working framework. We are introducing a new requirement that employers must only reject requests where it is reasonable to do so and the Act provides powers to set out a ...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordBBC: StaffDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and SportTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of BBC job reductions on the BBC's ability to provide trusted public broadcasting.
Answer: Delivering significant savings requires the BBC to make difficult decisions, and the Government appreciates that this is concerning for staff and audiences. These decisions are rightly made independently of the Government. Through the Charter Review, we a...
Answered 11 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAdoption: Mental Health ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve access to mental health services for adopted children and their families.
Answer: The department is investing £55 million in 2026/2027, a 10% increase, in the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, which provides support to address mental health challenges.We are considering responses to our consultation ‘Adoption Support that...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHearing: Medical Treatments and TestingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18081More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to (a) ear wax removal services and (b) hearing test appointments on the NHS.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning ear wax removal and audiology services that meet the needs of their local populations, taking account of relevant national guidance and local service arrangements.NHS England is supporting IC...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordVenezuela: Disaster ReliefForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18080More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further steps she is considering to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela following the recent earthquake.
Answer: There are no additional updates at this stage beyond the commitments set out in my Statement to the House on 6 July (HCWS185), but I will keep my Hon Friend informed of any further developments in due course.
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBuses: Air ConditioningDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17377More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration she has given to the wider rollout of air conditioning on buses in response to recent extreme temperatures.
Answer: The Government recognises the vital role that bus drivers play in supporting local communities and understands the importance of driver welfare, not only for the health and wellbeing of drivers themselves, but also for the safety of passengers and other ...
Answered 13 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordShared Ownership Schemes: RentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16966More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the equitability of the shared ownership rent formulae.
Answer: Shared ownership rents are set through lease agreements between shared owners and their landlords and are typically subsidised. Providers are generally encouraged to set initial rents at no more than 2.75% of the value of the unacquired share. For new sha...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRecreation Spaces: Urban AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is he taking to help expand and maximise blue and green spaces in urban areas to improve climate resilience.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that the planning system should support the transition to net zero by 2050 and shape places in ways that minimise vulnerability and improve resilience. The Framework also sets out that planning pol...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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