Joe Robertson MP: written questions
506 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Young Futures Hubs: LocationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107886More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria is being used to determine the locations of Young Futures Hubs.
Answer: The first eight early adopter Young Futures Hubs were located where they will have the most impact, using data on knife crime and anti-social behaviour.The Government’s aim is to set up an additional 42 Young Futures Hubs over the next four years. The loc...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: Rural AreasDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107885More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the eligibility criteria and application details for the Richer Young Lives Fund; and how she will help ensure that rural and island communities are able to access this
Answer: The Richer Young Lives Fund will invest over £60 million over the next three years, enabling organisations to deliver high-quality youth work and activities.The Fund will be targeted at underserved areas and focus on making activities easier to access for...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107884More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils ambitious plan to tackle youth isolation crisis and deliver real life opportunities, published on 10 December 2025, wh
Answer: The Government recognises that high-quality youth services are vital for the health, wellbeing, and development of young people. The £500 million investment announced on 10 December 2025 as part of the National Youth Strategy represents a significant comm...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107883More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, how many retail businesses will be impacted by transitional relief measures.
Answer: The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government publishes data on the number of properties receiving business rates relief. This data can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-colle...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107882More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, what proportion of ratepayers expected to see no bill increases in business rates are from the retail sector.
Answer: Data on the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, including for the retail sector, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils-in-engl...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107881More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 202 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, what proportion of the 23% of ratepayers expected to see a reduction in business rates are from the retail sector.
Answer: Data on the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, including for the retail sector, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils-in-engl...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCharitable TrustsMinistry of JusticeTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the reference in the answer of 14 January 2026 to question 103614 to “all other cases” in which common law perpetuity rules apply is intended to include commercial land instruments, including commercial o
Answer: The reference in the Government’s response to Question 103614 “in all other cases, only the common law rules apply” refers to all instruments not captured by the regimes established by the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009, the Perpetuities and Accu...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: SwindonDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107580More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at Swindon Test Centre in the most recent month for which data is available.
Answer: For January 2026, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Swindon driving test centre was 18.8 weeks.
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLower Thames Crossing: Public FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether publicly funded works on the Lower Thames Crossing will commence after a Full Business Case has been produced and approved.
Answer: Publicly funded construction enabling works have already commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-c...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Official HospitalityDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of the DfT Operator Group Parliamentary Reception on 19 January 2026; and what proportion of that cost was met by the public purse by funding source.
Answer: The cost for the Department for Transport Operator Group’s (DFTO) parliamentary reception on 19 January 2026 was £5,470.87, with those costs met by DFTO. The event was held to provide parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with an opportunity to engage ...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107277More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Rail Delivery Group on recent updates to fare search limits for passengers and rail retailers.
Answer: The Department regularly engages with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on a range of issues relating to the rail retail market, recognising RDG's important role in managing systems and services upon which train operators, retailers and passengers rely. This ...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106292More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much additional funding has been allocated in the current financial year to expand secondary care capacity, including staffing and bed numbers.
Answer: The Spending Review 2025 has prioritised health, with an increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24, including investment in urgent and emergency care and electives services to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan. The plan includes t...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106290More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of capacity pressures in secondary care, particularly at hospital front doors, including staffing levels and bed availability.
Answer: We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months. The NHS has been preparing for winter this year with the development and thorough testing of winter plans. This includes the surge capacity and es...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has modelled the potential impact of Plan 2 interest rates on graduate retention in key public service professions.
Answer: The department does not provide analysis for impacts of policies on graduate retention in key public service professions.Borrowers, including those in public services professions, remain protected as repayments are determined by income, not the amount bor...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106031More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of additional revenue raised by freezing student loan repayment thresholds.
Answer: At the Autumn Budget 2025, the government announced the repayment threshold for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen at £29,385 for three years from April 2027.This measure is currently forecast to generate additional revenue of £54 million in the 2027/28 ...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Health Care: BuildingsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106018More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the additional costs of maintaining and developing primary care estates in island, rural, and coastal communities.
Answer: There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Health Care: BuildingsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106016More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding has been allocated for the improvement and expansion of the primary care estate in each of the last five financial years.
Answer: There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Health Care: BuildingsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the backlog maintenance costs for GP surgeries and other primary care premises in England.
Answer: There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Health Care: BuildingsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106014More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the condition of the primary care estate in England; and what proportion of GP premises are currently rated as (a) good, (b) requiring improvement, and (c
Answer: There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105897More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the efficiency savings attributed to executive agency reform will be permanent.
Answer: The Department for Transport efficiencies quoted in the Departmental Efficiency Plan are in line with the Government Efficiency Framework. In particular, the Government Efficiency Framework states that efficiencies “… should be sustainable (recurring)” an...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: ReformDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105896More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the implementation costs are for the DVSA, DVLA and VCA reform programmes underpinning the projected £39 million per year efficiency saving by 2028–29.
Answer: The forecast efficiencies of £39m in 28/29 set out in the Departmental Efficiency Plan from reform of the Executive Agencies is the net position and were based on forecasted efficiencies of £52m and forecasted costs of £13m.
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Highways and Network Rail: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the up-front technology and systems investment costs required for Network Rail and National Highways to deliver the efficiency gains assumed in the regulated settlements
Answer: Technology and systems investments are integral to delivering efficiencies within Network Rail’s plan for Control Period 7. Significant investments have been made in specific technology and systems programmes, for example £930 million on Digital Signallin...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOffice of Rail and RoadDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the efficiency savings attributed to regulated settlements arise from regulatory funding constraints imposed by the Office of Rail and Road.
Answer: The Office of Rail and Road has a key role in providing assurance to Government on the regulated settlements for National Highways and Network Rail, this includes assuring what is to be delivered against the available funding as well as what is an appropr...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the annual efficiency savings projected for 2028–29 depends on efficiencies from National Highways’ Road Investment Strategy 3 which have not yet been finalised.
Answer: The forecasted efficiencies for 28/29 set out in the Departmental Efficiency Plan do not currently assume any efficiency savings from National Highways. National Highways’ efficiency target for the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS) will be confirmed wh...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105434More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to extend business rates relief to retail businesses.
Answer: The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. RVs are re-assessed every three years. The most recent r...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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