Luke Taylor MP: written questions

Written questions

• Railways: NationalisationDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 900490More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the timeframe within which the renationalisation of rail franchises will result in improvements to rail services.

  Answer: Public ownership will end the failed franchising system, allowing operators to serve the interests of passengers, not shareholders. The failures of the past three decades cannot be fixed overnight, and bringing train operations into public ownership is on...

  Answered 10 Oct 2024

  Original Parliament record
• Pension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5498More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take with local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility for Pension Credit.

  Answer: The Government wants everyone eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions wrote to all local authorities on 20th August....

  Answered 9 Oct 2024

  Original Parliament record
• Warm Spaces: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5496More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to community warm banks in winter 2024-25.

  Answer: Warm banks are locally led initiatives run by local authorities, charities and voluntary and community organisations.The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 made available up to £64.7 billion, the majority of which is un-ringfenced in re...

  Answered 8 Oct 2024

  Original Parliament record
• Winter Fuel Payment: Sutton and CheamDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5216More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people that will be affected by the proposed changes to pensioners' eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment in Sutton and Cheam constituency.

  Answer: The Pension Credit data that is used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024, in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payment statistics. It is estimated that around 14,000 pensioners in Sutton and Cheam constituency...

  Answered 18 Sept 2024

  Original Parliament record
• Hospices: StaffDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5210More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help fill staff vacancies in the hospice sector.

  Answer: The Government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community, and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care, including hospices, in this shift.Whilst much palliative and end of life car...

  Answered 16 Sept 2024

  Original Parliament record
• Schools: TransportDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4932More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure there is adequate funding for transport to specialised educational facilities for SEND students.

  Answer: The department’s home to school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home to school travel for children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, who atten...

  Answered 17 Sept 2024

  Original Parliament record
• Food BanksDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4899More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to make additional support for food banks available.

  Answer: Whilst food banks are independent, charitable organisations and government has no role in their operation, we are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. On 30th July, the Secretary of State held the first foo...

  Answered 16 Sept 2024

  Original Parliament record