Joe Robertson MP: written questions
1049 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) BillDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32584More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to undertake an impact assessment for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Answer: An impact assessment is being developed, which will consider the relevant impacts of the bill as it stands at the end of Committee Stage, based on the available evidence.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Commission into Adult Social CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32583More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Baroness Casey of Blackstock will be paid for her review into social care; and how many civil servants have been assigned to support that review.
Answer: Baroness Casey of Blackstock will be paid for her role as Chair of the independent commission. We are currently in the process of recruiting the Commission Secretariat and therefore the number of civil servants supporting the commission is still to be con...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: InsectsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has a policy on the introduction of insects into the human diet.
Answer: Defra does not have a specific policy on insects in the human diet, but continues to monitor the research in this area. In Great Britain, edible insects are considered novel foods. Novel foods require authorisation before they are permitted on the market....
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance he has issued on using Community Protection Notices for household waste receptacles.
Answer: The Home Office, who administer the legislation for Community Protection Notices, have issued guidance on their use. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6422a19b60a35e00120cae63/2023_Update_ASB_Statutory_Guidance_-_FINAL__...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32580More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure that councils are aware of the guidance entitled Household waste bins: when and how councils may issue fixed penalties, published on 23 April 2018.
Answer: The guidance, 'Household waste bins: when and how councils may issue fixed penalties' outlines the rules that councils must follow when issuing fixed penalties under section 46A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. We routinely point councils to this...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban (a) three and (b) four weekly residual bin collections.
Answer: The Government has introduced mandating weekly food waste collections.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32578More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish each of the responses to the final Simpler Recycling consultation.
Answer: In October 2023, Defra held two consultations on Simpler Recycling, and has since published consultation responses for both online, including a summary of responses:Simpler recycling in England: additional policies - GOV.UKExemptions and statutory guidanc...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32577More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 January 2025 to Question 18949 on Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal, what assessment his Department made of the potential impact of not setting minimum
Answer: Defra has not produced a specific impact assessment regarding service frequency for residual waste collections. Modelling for this would be subjective to the circumstances of each individual local authority. Through Simpler Recycling, all householders wil...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFires: Air PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32576More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25593 on Wood-burning stoves: air pollution, what assessment his Department has (a) made and (b) commissioned of the impact of the
Answer: No assessment has been made of the impact of burning household waste in gardens as there is legislation and guidance to prevent fires causing pollution or a nuisance.
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Recycling and Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32575More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 24365, on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: WRAP, what guidance (a) his Department and its agencies and (b) WRA
Answer: Under section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, waste collection authorities may require householders to place waste for collection in receptacles of a kind and number specified. If householders do not follow waste collections rules, there is g...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32574More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has conducted research on the potential links between fly-tipping and the availability of frequent and comprehensive household rubbish collections.
Answer: Research into fly-tipping commissioned by Defra, published in 2022, found that “Good infrastructure and services offered by local authorities will play a significant part in cutting fly-tipping at source”. The report is here. Local authorities are respons...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRodentsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) research and (b) data his Department holds on rodent infestations and problems.
Answer: Defra does not carry out research or hold data on rodent infestations and problems. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), in collaboration with a number of partners including the devolved administrations, publishes a Code of Practice for th...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the findings by the Taxpayers Alliance in their report entitled One in ten councils in the UK are considering reducing their bin
Answer: We recognise that as recycling services are expanded and improved as part of Simpler Recycling, local authorities may want to review residual waste services to ensure they are providing best value for money in line with local need. The Government’s priori...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWRAP: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 24365 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: WRAP, how much funding is being provided to WRAP in (a) 2024-25 and (
Answer: This information is published by WRAP in its Annual report and Accounts. Defra’s funding for WRAP in 2025/26 is subject to internal business planning allocations . To ensure value for money, Defra has access to all WRAP strategic boards, working groups, e...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Waste: Recycling and Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32569More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 27559 on Domestic Waste: Recycling and Waste Disposal, whether his Department has (a) funded and (b) supported the Waste & Resour
Answer: Yes, Defra has provided WRAP funding and support under its Collection & Packaging Reforms and Resource and Waste Strategy programmes.
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLitter: Fixed PenaltiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32568More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 23782 on Domestic Waste: Disposal, whether an outsourced contract for issuing fixed penalty notices in a manner that is in breach
Answer: There is no formal right of appeal against a fixed penalty notice. If an alleged offender does not accept their liability for the offence, there is no requirement on them to pay the fixed penalty. They may have to defend their case in court. As this is an...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLitter: Fixed PenaltiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32567More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025, to Question 23782, on Domestic Waste: Disposal, what is the process and right of appeal against an outsourced company that issues a fixed pe
Answer: There is no formal right of appeal against a fixed penalty notice. If an alleged offender does not accept their liability for the offence, there is no requirement on them to pay the fixed penalty. They may have to defend their case in court. As this is an...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLitter: FinesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32566More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on outsourced private companies levying fines under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for minor litter breaches.
Answer: There is no formal right of appeal against a fixed penalty notice. If an alleged offender does not accept their liability for the offence, there is no requirement on them to pay the fixed penalty. They may have to defend their case in court. As this is an...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTable Office: Written QuestionsHouse of Commons CommissionTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32523More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will take steps to reinstate the round-robin feature for tabling written parliamentary questions.
Answer: The round-robin feature was disabled due to processing issues arising from its use. The Table Office is in discussion with the Parliamentary Digital Service about its reinstatement. This would require some technical enhancement and testing before the feat...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRadicalismForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to retain the taskforce that identifies prominent extremists overseas.
Answer: Extremism has no place in our society and the Government is committed to tackling it in whatever form it takes. This includes Islamism and Extreme Right-Wing ideologies, which are the most prominent today. Further plans to tackle extremism, including the ...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: PayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31724More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of NHS staff pay increases on the (a) availability and (b) quality of patient services.
Answer: The Government values the expertise of the independent Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) who, as part of their Terms of Reference, make pay recommendations based on a range of factors, including recruitment, retention, motivation, morale, and the Government's affo...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31722More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that funding allocated to the NHS in the Autumn Budget 2024 is being used to (a) boost productivity and (b) reduce waiting times.
Answer: My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer allocated an additional £25.7 billion to the National Health Service at the Autumn Statement over this year and the next, which includes over £2 billion for technological and digital transformation to im...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth: HousingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to develop a national strategy to integrate health and housing services; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such a strategy on delays in hospi
Answer: The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act will require local authorities to produce supported housing strategies, which will assist local authorities and partner organisations to deliver supported housing, including for people being discharged from...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPsychiatric Hospitals: DischargesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31714More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve discharge rates from mental health hospitals.
Answer: The Discharge from Mental Health Inpatient Settings statutory guidance, published in January 2024, provides clarity in relation to how health and care systems can work together to support safe and timely discharge from all mental health inpatient settings...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: DischargesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to work with (a) Integrated Care Boards and (b) housing providers to provide support for people leaving hospital.
Answer: On 30 January 2025, the Government published the policy framework for the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2025/26, which will take effect on 1 April. The framework requires National Health Service integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to agree to...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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