Gareth Thomas MP: written questions
212 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Teachers: Credit UnionsDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging education employers to promote membership of a credit union to teachers and non-teaching staff.
Answer: The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions. The department is not the employer of any school staff, and it would therefore be inappropriate to encourage or recommend membership to specific financial products or inst...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: CooperativesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107665More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to take steps to help increase access to finance to establish housing cooperatives. .
Answer: Housing co-operatives are an important part of the community-led housing sector which delivers a wide range of benefits including strengthening community participation in local decision-making, engendering community cohesion, achieving high quality design...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTaxation: Greater LondonTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107664More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to devolve powers to the Mayor of London to adjust taxation rates in London.
Answer: While the Government keeps the tax system under review, the Government has no plans to extend the Mayor’s powers to adjust tax rates in London.However, the Government is empowering Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation i...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRomanian Language: GCSEDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107342More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with exam boards on introducing a GCSE in Romanian.
Answer: Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Somali and/or Roman...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSomali Language: GCSEDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with exam boards on introducing a GCSE in Somali.
Answer: Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Somali and/or Roman...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordReport FraudHome OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Report Fraud in responding to cases raised by hon. Members; and if she will have discussions with Report Fraud on its performance in rel
Answer: Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. The new service provides improved reporting tools, enhanced victim support, and stronger analytical capability, helping to deliver a more coordinated and effective police response to fraud.As part of th...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBank Services: Post OfficesTreasuryTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106934More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with (a) Monzo, (b) Metro Bank, (c) Revolut and (d) Marks and Spencer bank about their use of the cash handling services provided by the Post Office.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of access to cash and banking services for individuals and businesses, including those who may be in vulnerable groups or require assistance and is supportive of industry initiatives that improve access to these vi...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHeathrow Community TrustDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has discussed with representatives of Heathrow Airport extending the number of boroughs that benefit from Heathrow Community Trust.
Answer: No discussions have taken place with representatives of Heathrow Airport regarding extending the number of boroughs that benefit from the Heathrow Community Trust. The Trust is an independent grant‑making charity with its own governance and established cr...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMoney LendersTreasuryTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106932More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what further steps will she take to help tackle illegal money lenders.
Answer: The Government funds specialist Illegal Money Lending Teams (IMLTs) operating across the UK to tackle the crimes of illegal money lenders. These teams investigate and prosecute illegal lenders while providing crucial support to victims. To learn more abou...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBanks: LicensingTreasuryTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106092More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses have applications pending for banking licences.
Answer: The Treasury does not hold this information. This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which are operationally independent from government and responsible for authorising firms seeking to offer b...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMoney Lenders: ProsecutionsTreasuryTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106091More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many prosecutions have there been for illegal lending in each of the last five years.
Answer: Illegal money lenders, commonly known as loan sharks, are dangerous criminals who inflict serious harm on their victims. The Government funds specialist Illegal Money Lending Teams (IMLTs) operating across the UK to tackle their crimes. These teams invest...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Licences: TheftMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of measures to support the victims of theft of a driving licence.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring support is available for victims, so that those affected by crime, including theft, can access the help they need throughout the justice process.That is why, in total, the Ministry of Justice will be in...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordIndependent Review of Disclosure and Fraud OffencesHome OfficeTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106088More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to (a) receive and (b) publish Part Two of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences.
Answer: The Government received the second and final report at the end of 2025 from Jonathan Fisher KC, Chair of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences.We are now carefully considering the Review’s findings and recommendations and will respond in...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBritish Nationals Abroad: HomicideForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106087More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British citizens were murdered in overseas countries in each of the last five years by country .
Answer: Since 2021 we have supported bereaved families in approximately 250 cases of the murder or manslaughter of British nationals abroad. To protect the privacy of the bereaved, we do not publish country‑level figures where fewer than five cases are recorded. ...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordLondon AllowanceCabinet OfficeTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105623More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Outer London Allowance was last reviewed for (a) teachers, (b) police officers and (c) civil servants.
Answer: For teachers, the geographical areas covered by the different teacher pay ranges were defined some years ago to reflect a practical approach to compensate teachers working in London. The School Teachers’ Review Body has not recommended any changes to Lond...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105622More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of what the percentage of gross national income spent on overseas aid will be at the end of the current spending review period.
Answer: As things stand, and in line with the Government's stated policies, we expect spending on Official Development Assistance to be at 0.3 per cent of gross national income in the 2027 calendar year, and stay at that level until fiscal circumstances allow the...
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNorthwick Park Hospital: Accident and Emergency DepartmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105621More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people attended Northwick Park Hospital A&E Department in each of the last 6 months.
Answer: NHS England began publishing data on accident and emergency attendances at the site-level from November 2025, and therefore only two months of data are currently available. The following table shows the number of type 1 and 2 accident and emergency attend...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordLanguages: GCSEDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with exam boards on offering GCSEs in Tamil.
Answer: Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Tamil GCSE based on...
Answered 10 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: Antisemitism and IslamophobiaDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105619More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with Ofcom on tackling the spread of antisemitism and Islamophobia on social media.
Answer: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ofcom about online safety matters. For example, in October, the Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom requesting an update on its implementation of the Online Safety Act, including work to ensure platforms t...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity Development Finance InstitutionsTreasuryTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104617More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will visit a community development finance institution within the next six months.
Answer: Community development finance institutions (CDFIs) play an important role in supporting access to credit. My predecessor was pleased to chair a roundtable in July 2025 attended by banks and CDFIs, to discuss the barriers to achieving greater growth for CD...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: Heathrow Airport and RAF NortholtDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104616More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many non-military flights landed at (a) Heathrow (b) RAF Northolt in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer: Data on aircraft movements at UK airports is collected and published by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). CAA aircraft movement data includes a ‘military’ category, but a split between arriving and departing flights is not provided.Although Royal Air Fo...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordIsraeli Settlements: Import ControlsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104615More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to stop goods produced in illegal settlements in the West Bank from entering the UK.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 15 October 2025 in response to Question 77510.
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGaza: Médecins Sans Frontières and UNRWAForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104614More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she will hold discussions with her Israeli counterpart on allowing (a) Medicines Sans Frontiers and (b) UNWRA to continue to provide aid in Gaza.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House I made on 5 January, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and several of her counterparts on 30 December, available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatemen...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHeathrow Airport: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104135More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a third runway on communities close to Heathrow.
Answer: The Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) sets out the mitigations a promoter must provide to minimise the impact of the project on the environment and affected communities. The review of the ANPS will consider if any changes are required to the exist...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCreditCabinet OfficeTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104127More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on changes in the number of pawn shops in England and Wales since 2010.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8th January is attached.
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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