Ellie Chowns MP: written questions
460 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Sudan: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help increase humanitarian access for INGOs operating in Sudan.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 February following her recent visit to the Chad-Sudan border.
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his expected timetable is for publication of the Future Homes Standard.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 108610 on 4 February 2026.
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPensions: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115886More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential risk that changes to Inheritance Tax on unused pension funds and death benefits could discourage private savings for pensions.
Answer: Most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension will form part of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the las...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordInheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115885More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the assessment of the number of estates impacted by the changes to Inheritance Tax on unused pension funds and death benefits (published in the relevant Policy Paper on 21 July 2025) took into consideration
Answer: Most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension will form part of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the las...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordConveyancing: Stamp Duty Land TaxTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115884More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HMRC will publish the detailed guidance firms will need in order to comply with the Finance Bill's requirement for conveyancers submitting Stamp Duty Land Tax returns on behalf of clients to register as 'tax ad
Answer: HMRC has published guidance on GOV.UK to support tax advisers who are required to register with HMRC. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-and-when-you-need-to-register-as-a-tax-adviser-with-hmrc Further guidance will be published before May 2026 and HMRC...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordConveyancing: Stamp Duty Land TaxTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115883More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration has been given to the potential risk that the Finance Bill's requirement for conveyancers submitting Stamp Duty Land Tax returns on behalf of clients to register as 'tax advisers' may mislead cons
Answer: Guidance on whether you need to register as a tax adviser is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-and-when-you-need-to-register-as-a-tax-adviser-with-hmrc
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordConveyancing: Stamp Duty Land TaxTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115882More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on the smooth functioning of the property market, of the Finance Bill's requirement for conveyancers submitting Stamp Duty Land Tax returns on behalf o
Answer: The government has consulted extensively with stakeholders about plans to require the registration of tax advisers who interact with HMRC on behalf of their clients. This includes the 2024 consultation ‘Raising standards in the tax advice market: strength...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordConveyancing: Stamp Duty Land TaxTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115881More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Finance Bill's requirement for conveyancers submitting Stamp Duty Land Tax returns on behalf of clients to register as 'tax advisers' on c
Answer: The government has consulted extensively with stakeholders about plans to require the registration of tax advisers who interact with HMRC on behalf of their clients. This includes the 2024 consultation ‘Raising standards in the tax advice market: strength...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRape: TrialsAttorney GeneralTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114676More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, how many rape cases have been awaiting a decision for more than 3 years broken down by Crown Prosecution Service region.
Answer: The CPS is committed to increasing the number of rape cases brought to court each year, and is working closely with other criminal justice partners to ensure that access to justice is not delayed. The CPS continues to deliver the RASSO National Operating ...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: FloodsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of trends in the levels of risk caused by standing water on rural roads in poor repair.
Answer: The effects of standing water on rural roads, including safety risks for road users, are well known. Standing water can obscure defects, reduce skid resistance and contribute to loss of control, particularly on higher‑speed rural routes. It also accelerat...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: HerefordshireDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding provided to Herefordshire Council to repair damage caused to roads by flooding.
Answer: The Department has announced a record £7.3 billion investment into highways maintenance over the next four years which will enable local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster,...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLord MandelsonCabinet OfficeTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112839More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether informal notes were taken of the meeting at Palantir HQ that was attended by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister, the chief executive of Palantir and the Head of Palantir Technologies UK and that took pl
Answer: The visit was part of the Prime Minister's trip to Washington. During this visit the Prime Minister listened to a short presentation about Palantir’s work, followed by a tour of the premises and an introduction to members of staff.
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: Rented HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112261More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of extending a specific price cap, comparable to that applying to domestic customers, to landlords of vacant residential properties supp
Answer: The Price Cap was established to protect existing and future domestic customers who pay standard variable and default rates from a ‘loyalty penalty’. The non-domestic energy market is significantly more complicated, with considerable variation in consumpt...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109385More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her expected timetable is for publication of the call for evidence on safeguarding children out of school settings.
Answer: The government launched the call for evidence on 29 May 2025 to better understand current practice in the out-of-school settings sector and invite views on possible approaches to further strengthen safeguarding standards.This closed on 21 September 2025 a...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordInfant Mortality: North HerefordshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107275More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support families who have experienced baby loss in North Herefordshire constituency.
Answer: Three National Health Service trusts primarily provide services supporting families in the North Herefordshire constituency who have experienced baby loss.The Wye Valley NHS Trust has a dedicated bereavement midwife, who is trained to care for and support...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106777More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the written statement of 11 November 2025 on Pension Update, HCWS1044, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of Automatic Pension Forecast letters relating to communicatio
Answer: The Secretary of State announced in his oral statement of 11 November 2025 that we will retake the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age. This was because findings from a 2007 report had not been drawn to ...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGender Based Violence: TrainingMinistry of JusticeTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105416More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of setting a target for uptake of training on violence against women and girls for criminal justice practitioners.
Answer: The Government is committed to improving the capability and confidence of criminal justice practitioners in responding to violence against women and girls (VAWG), and training is embedded across the criminal justice system to support this.Training is deli...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordVictim Support Schemes: FinanceMinistry of JusticeTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105415More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Freedom From Violence and Abuse Strategy, what proportion of the £550 million funding for victim and survivor support services over the next three years will be directed to (a) Specialist se
Answer: This Government has committed to halving Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade. That is why we are investing £550 million over the next three years for victim and witness support services. The 42 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across ...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRainforests: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with his German counterpart on funding for the Tropical Forest Forever Facility.
Answer: The SoS regularly engages with his international counterparts on a variety of issues. In July, Minister McCarthy met with Jochen Flasbarth in Berlin, where they briefly discussed the Tropical Forests Forever Facility and expressed support for the initiat...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: RegulationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to establish a statutory regulatory framework for artificial intelligence relating to (a) data governance, (b) privacy and (c) copyright.
Answer: The UK already has a range of statutory frameworks that apply to AI. Existing rules that apply to AI systems include data protection, competition, equality legislation, the copyright framework, and other forms of sectoral regulation.
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and Data CentresDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101286More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government categorises large-scale AI and data-centre infrastructure to be of strategic national importance; and what protections or ownership safeguards it plans to apply t
Answer: Data centres are vital to the UK’s prosperity and security and underpin our digital economy and AI ambitions. We have taken decisive action and work closely with industry to monitor and mitigate potential future threats to data centres.Last year we design...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCarbon Emissions: Data CentresDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101285More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of electricity demand from AI-related data centres on his net zero targets.
Answer: The Government received independent advice from NESO on achieving clean power by 2030, published in November 2024. This allowed for a fourfold increase in data centre electricity demand between then and 2030, within an overall conclusion that clean power ...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordElections: CampaignsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101181More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps in the forthcoming Elections Bill to to require submission of all on- and offline advertisements to the Electoral Commission as soon as they are published w
Answer: Current imprint rules require campaigners to include the name and address of a promoter, any person on whose behalf the material is published, and, for printed material, the printer’s details.The Government has committed to adding unregistered third-party...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordElections: DisinformationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101180More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps through the forthcoming Elections Bill to regulate the online targeting of people with (a) misinformation and (b) disinformation by (i) foreign states and (
Answer: It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic processes from both mis and disinformation and from foreign interference. Any new regulation addressing mis and disinformation must be carefully balanced with the need to protect fr...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPedestrians: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she will take through the Road Safety Strategy to raise awareness among motorists of their responsibilities when passing pedestrians on roads with no footpaths.
Answer: My Department is developing our road safety strategy and we will set out more details in due course. The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing d...
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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