Freddie van Mierlo MP: written questions
280 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Spinal Muscular Atrophy: BabiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48033More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the UK National Screening Committee on timelines for implementing in-service evaluation of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy.
Answer: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is working with the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) partnership board to scope out the potential shape of the in-service evaluation into SMA. The partnership board includes clinicians, academics, patient represen...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordThames Water: Foreign Investment in UKDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47534More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent overseas private equity investment in Thames Water.
Answer: There are no plans to introduce any such legislation at this time. More broadly, the Independent Water Commission is actively considering whether reforms are needed across the water industry, including with respect to economic regulation of water companie...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCrayfish: Pest ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the implementation of crayfish barriers in (a) brooks and (b) streams to help prevent the non-anthropogenic spread of establish
Answer: The use of barriers as a strategic means of managing crayfish spread is currently not promoted by the Environment Agency (EA). This is because such barriers also impact migratory fish and macroinvertebrates. As part of Government efforts to prevent the sp...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordThames WaterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure that Ofwat's enforcement case investigation into Thames Water is (a) performed and (b) concluded in a timely manner.
Answer: It is not appropriate for the Government to comment on an ongoing investigation. We have a system of independent environmental and economic regulation, and the recently introduced Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enfo...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInnovation: BusinessDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding to support the growth of innovative UK businesses.
Answer: Supporting innovative businesses is a key objective of the government’s growth mission. My department regularly engages with business organisations to understand the needs of their members, and significant support is available through Innovate UK. Over th...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: Mental HealthDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief, (b) Sustainable Farming Incentive and (c) other financial subsidies on t
Answer: This Government is committed to supporting the mental health of those working in farming and agriculture. The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supp...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: EducationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46548More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the amount of funding that farmers receive for school (a) visits and (b) education.
Answer: Educational access features as part of the wider Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (FiPL) provides grant funding for farmers and land managers to work in partnership with National Parks and National...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46547More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what percentage of the new 1,500,000 homes will be (a) social housing and (b) affordable housing.
Answer: The government has not set an affordable housing target to date, but we are committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 bil...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: ConcreteDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46546More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with (a) hon. Members and (b) the trade associations who contributed to the volumetric concrete mixers review prior to announcing the findings.
Answer: My Department engaged with hon. Members and industry stakeholders through correspondence prior to the announcement. Additionally, industry and interested parties were given the opportunity to present views and evidence on this topic as part of the Call fo...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: ConcreteDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46545More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to assess the environmental impact of a weight limit on Volumetric Concrete Mobile plants by 2028.
Answer: My Department engaged with hon. Members and industry stakeholders through correspondence prior to the announcement. Additionally, industry and interested parties were given the opportunity to present views and evidence on this topic as part of the Call fo...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: ConcreteDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46544More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the impact of cutting weights of Volumetric Concrete Mixers on (a) lorry miles on concrete deliveries, (b) lorry journeys on concrete deliveries and (c) the tonnage of CO2 produc
Answer: My Department engaged with hon. Members and industry stakeholders through correspondence prior to the announcement. Additionally, industry and interested parties were given the opportunity to present views and evidence on this topic as part of the Call fo...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46543More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the report on economic review into community pharmacy.
Answer: NHS England commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an independent economic analysis of National Health Service pharmacy funding in 2024. This work is now complete and was published on 28 March 2025 on Frontier Economics’ website.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic FootpathsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44078More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 40119 on Members: Correspondence, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of a reduction in access to UK’s National Trails o
Answer: DCMS has not specifically undertaken a formal assessment of the impact of any potential reduction in access to the UK’s National Trails on the work of VisitBritain or VisitEngland.However, we recognise that access to National Trails plays a role in suppor...
Answered 15 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBakeriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support British bakeries.
Answer: We intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026 - 27. Ahead of these changes being made, we have extended retail, hospitality, and leisure relief for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBread: RegulationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44074More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward regulations on the composition of bread marketed as sourdough.
Answer: The Government has no current plans to introduce regulations to specifically cover the composition of ‘sourdough bread’. The UK maintains high food standards including on requirements relating to food labelling and information. Existing legislation ensure...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy SupplyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure sufficient energy supply to meet demand in the next 10 years.
Answer: Great Britain is expected to have sufficient supplies of electricity and gas to meet consumers’ demands over the short and long-term (Statutory Security of Supply Report 2024). The government’s mission is to secure our energy supply with home-grown, clean...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousehold Support FundDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Household Support Fund after March 2026.
Answer: This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty across the UK. That is why we are providing £742 million in England to extend the Household Support Fund by a further year, from 1 April 2025 ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDementia: Clinical TrialsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43301More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many phase (a) one, (b) two and (c) three dementia clinical trials there have been in the UK in each of the last ten years; and how many participants were recruited for each of those trials.
Answer: The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Department does not hold information centrally on clinical trials hosted in Wales and Scotland. The Department is therefore unable to provide how...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDementia: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43300More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding was allocated to dementia research by (a) the National Institute for Health and Care Research, (b) UK Research and Innovation and (c) other public bodies in each of the last five y
Answer: The Government’s responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMacquarie Bank: InfrastructureTreasuryTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42950More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Macquarie Bank’s involvement in UK infrastructure development; and what steps she plans to take to ensure the stability and sustainability of essential service
Answer: The government is committed to delivering a cross-cutting 10 Year Strategy for the UK’s social, economic and housing infrastructure to support a flourishing modern economy, drive growth, deliver net zero and support improved public services. The governme...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: DatabasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42948More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider the final costs and benefits statement for programmes delivered under the National Programme of Technology, published on 6 June 2013, in his plans for (a) an NHS Federated Data
Answer: We are keen to draw on the lessons from the National Programme for IT in delivering the Federated Data Platform and the single patient record.NHS England publishes information each quarter on the benefits being realised by the Federated Data Platform, wit...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS EnglandDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42945More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of closing NHS England on the (a) timeline for the production of the NHS 10-year plan and (b) publication date of that plan.
Answer: We do not envisage that the changes set out by the Prime Minister on 13 March 2025 will affect the publication of the 10 Year Plan. We still intend to publish the plan later in the spring.The changes will set the National Health Service up to deliver on t...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Footpaths: River ThamesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to mark the 30th anniversary of the Thames Path National Trail; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of the trail at Marsh Loc
Answer: There will be a programme of events in the summer of 2026 celebrating the history and importance of the Thames Path National Trail. The Environment Agency recognises the importance of Marsh Horse Bridge to the community within the Henley & Thame const...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the length of funding periods of pharmacies.
Answer: We have now concluded the consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26, and have agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of an...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: ExemptionsTreasuryTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42184More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting (a) GP surgeries, (b) social care providers, (c) hospices, (d) NHS dentists, (e) charitable providers, and (f) pharmacies from the incre
Answer: The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability after the situation we inherited from the previous administration. The Go...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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