Ellie Chowns MP: written questions
201 published records · newest first.
Written questions
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: EducationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84390More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the UK opposed advancing discussions on a new optional protocol on free education at the Intergovernmental Working Group on Free Education in September 2025;
Answer: The UK is committed to investing in children and promoting equal access to education. The UK already provides free primary and secondary education and has been supporting partners globally to deliver education for all. We challenged the need for a new opt...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: National GridDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help support the (a) development and (b) adoption of vehicle to grid technology.
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting the rapid development and adoption of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology as it has the potential to reduce the cost of electric vehicle (EV) ownership while supporting the decarbonisation of our energy system. Whils...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Government: Proof of IdentityDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83709More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the number of people who have been unable to verify their identity using the Gov.uk One Login service due to mismatches with third-party data; and what s
Answer: GOV.UK One Login applies high standards for identity verification to prevent fraud and ensure the security of users and government services. GOV.UK One Login must ensure users meet these high standards before accessing a government service to fulfil its r...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to reform processes for the (a) monitoring and (b) management of (i) ponds, (ii) headwater streams and (iii) other small waters.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) has in recent years expanded monitoring of headwater streams through its new Small Streams Network, and an increased number of smaller lakes with the Lake Surveillance Network, part of the Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment P...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: RegulationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the scope of his Department’s review of Responsible Business Conduct will include (a) environmental harms in UK company supply chains in their own right, (b) environmental and human rights harm
Answer: The responsible business conduct review is a neutral, objective appraisal of policy. It will consider the effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and alternative measures to support responsible business practices across UK and global supply chains, inclu...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: RegulationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department will publish the (a) terms of reference and (b) timeline of the review of responsible business conduct; and whether there will be a public consultation on the review.
Answer: In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. The Government is progressing the review at...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate Change: National SecurityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the publication of a joint intelligence committee report into the destabilising impact of the climate and nature crises on national security has been delayed.
Answer: Defra routinely conducts and updates assessments on a range of threats. HMG publishes assessments in the National Risk Register and Chronic Risks Analysis, including on biodiversity loss and its interactions with ecosystems, on GOV.UK
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a best price guarantee for rail passengers.
Answer: We are overhauling the complex fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We are already making positive changes, including through expanding ticketing innovations ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80482More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of capping long-distance rail fares.
Answer: Great British Railways (GBR) will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passeng...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80481More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of freezing rail fares.
Answer: As we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, we must ensure passengers and taxpayers get a fair deal. Since the pandemic, the amount of taxpayer subsidy provided to the railway industry has increased from under a quarter in 2018/19 to almost hal...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Wye: ResearchDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80480More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 33250, what progress her Department has made on joint cross-border research on the River Wye.
Answer: Cleaning up the River Wye remains a government priority.Officials in Defra and the Welsh Government continue to collaborate to roll out the £1 million cross-border River Wye research announced earlier this year. Local stakeholders including local farmers,...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: AppealsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 2025 to Question 50550 on Personal Independence Payment: Appeals, what steps he is taking to reduce the median clearance time for mandatory reconsiderations.
Answer: We intend to reduce the median clearance time by increasing decision making resource for Mandatory Reconsiderations, including by recruiting new decision makers
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGlobal Partnership for EducationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to make a financial pledge to the Global Partnership for Education.
Answer: All financial allocations will be announced in the normal way in due course.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMarwan BarghoutiForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80477More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question HL2234 on Israel: Palestinians UIN, whether the International Committee of the Red Cross is given regular access
Answer: The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMarwan BarghoutiForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the former Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 1 September 2025, Official Report, column 77,
Answer: The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: PalestineForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to (a) hold discussions with her Israeli counterpart on and (b) take steps to help (i) support the release of Marwan Barghouti and (ii) end arbitrary detent
Answer: The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMarwan BarghoutiForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report for the Inter-Parliamentary Union entitled PALESTINE: the trial of Mr. Marwan Barg
Answer: The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate Change and Renewable EnergyTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80473More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to instruct the Bank of England to publish a strategy detailing how it will support the UK’s (a) climate and nature goals and (b) green energy mission.
Answer: The Government is committed to integrating climate and nature into economic and financial decision making. The remits for the Financial Policy Committee, Prudential Regulation Committee and Monetary Policy Committee all set out the government’s economic s...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEconomic GrowthTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80472More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the correspondence entitled Monetary Policy Remit, published on 15 November 2024, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Monetary Policy Committee’s progress in (a) delivering lon
Answer: Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England, so the government does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy. The MPC’s primary objective is to achieve price stabili...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRape: ProsecutionsMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that rape victims are given clear (a) communication and (b) timelines for progressing their cases.
Answer: This Government is committed to improving victims and survivors of rape’s experience of the justice system. We recognise that rape cases often take longer to progress through the courts, and that delays can have a profound impact on victims’ wellbeing and...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRape: ProsecutionsMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80470More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish (a) plans and (b) a timeframe for reducing the time taken to bring rape cases to court.
Answer: This Government is committed to improving victims and survivors of rape’s experience of the justice system. We recognise that rape cases often take longer to progress through the courts, and that delays can have a profound impact on victims’ wellbeing and...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRape: Criminal InvestigationHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to prevent rape suspects from leaving the country during an active investigation.
Answer: Police have wide discretion to impose bail conditions on rape suspects intended to protect victims and witnesses, prevent offending and to prevent the suspect from failing to appear in court – including by requiring suspects to surrender their passport.Ba...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: Fees and ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39353 on Housing: Fees and Charges, whether he plans to implement the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’
Answer: As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77851More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of setting a target for social housing.
Answer: The government has not yet set a national target for social and affordable housing although we keep the position under review. Accurately forecasting long-term delivery is inherently challenging even in respect of grant-funded social and affordable housin...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCiderDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76897More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the minimum juice content for cider to 50%.
Answer: The Government has not assessed an increase to the minimum juice content for cider. Engagement with the sector has suggested that an increase to 50% is not supported by the industry and is not what consumers in the UK would expect from their cider product...
Answered 8 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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