Melanie Ward MP: written questions
81 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Department for Work and Pensions: TrainingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18289More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure staff receive training on the Scottish benefits system.
Answer: DWP learning reflects the services provided by Social Security Scotland with references and signposting to operational instructions.
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordCriminal Injuries CompensationMinistry of JusticeTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14842More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average processing time for the Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme was in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is responsible for implementing the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. CICA recognises that timely compensation can help victims in their recovery both practically and emotionally and is committed to...
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordStatutory Sick PayDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14837More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to (a) review and (b) consult on the rate of statutory sick pay in the Spring 2025 Spending Review.
Answer: Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is paid entirely by employers and so the rate is not subject to departmental spending decisions that will be made at the Spring 2025 Spending Review. The rate of SSP is reviewed as part of the annual uprating process. Subject to P...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGeneral Election 2024: Absent VotingSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled 12 Nov 2024WithdrawnUIN 13948More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, when she expects the Commission's review into postal voting at the 2024 General Election to conclude.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordBreast Cancer: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13708More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on research into lobular breast cancer.
Answer: Cancer research is a critical priority for the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, and their operational delivery partners, like the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Med...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVoting Rights: British Nationals AbroadMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13707More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of utilising (a) High Commissions and (b) Consulates to facilitate British Overseas Voters ability to vote.
Answer: No such assessment has been made at this time. We are focused at present on delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen our democracy and encourage participation – including by giving 16- and 17- year olds the right to vote in all elections.
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGaza: IsraelForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11959More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to support a cessation of military action in the north of Gaza.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary spoke to his Israeli counterpart most recently on 27 October, and reiterated that Israel must do much more to bring about an end to hostilities and get aid into Gaza. A political resolution has been a priority of this Government sinc...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordF-35 AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK components supplied to the F-35 programme are coded using the NATO codification system.
Answer: F-35 Components are owned by the US Department of Defence and managed in a Global Spares Pool. The F-35 components within the Global Spares Pool are not subject to NATO Codification.
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordF-35 AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of F-35 components produced by UK companies are wear-sensitive parts.
Answer: The F-35 inventory is owned by the US Department of Defence and is managed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Pratt and Whitney. The details on the proportion of F35 components produced by UK companies are not known.The F35 Programme does not classify com...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: DependantsHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average decision-making time for an Adult Dependent Relative visa application was in each of the last five years.
Answer: Current processing times for Adult Dependent Relative applications applying for entry clearance to the UK are 12 weeks. Processing times for Adult Dependent Relative applications applying from within the UK are 8 weeks.Further information on family visa p...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: DependantsHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the acceptance rate for Adult Dependent Relative visa applications was in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on Family visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on the outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the de...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: DependantsHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for an Adult Dependent Relative visa there were in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on Family visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on the outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the de...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: UNRWAForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11675More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Israeli legislation in relation to UNRWA on (a) his Department’s policies and (b) the provision of UK aid to the Occupi
Answer: The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have expressed serious concern at the UNRWA bills that Israel's Knesset has now passed. This legislation risks making UNRWA's essential work for Palestinians impossible, jeopardising the entire international humani...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMigrant Workers: VisasHome OfficeTabled 25 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11192More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time is for a Skilled Worker visa.
Answer: Data on performance against service standards is published through migration transparency data and can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The Home Office also publishes information on visa processing times for applications insi...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMaternity Allowance and Maternity Pay: ScotlandDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 14 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9112More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women claimed statutory (a) maternity pay and (b) maternity allowance in Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answer: Statutory Maternity Pay is delivered through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), rather than the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Figures provided by HMRC on the number of new claims for Statutory Maternity Pay in Scotland in each financial year from 20...
Answered 17 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7152More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the possibility of arms supplied from the UK to Israel being used to be used to (a) commit and (b) facilitate serious violations of Inter
Answer: The UK's robust export licensing criteria state that the Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. Following the Government...
Answered 9 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMaternity Pay: ScotlandDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7151More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on maternity pay in Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answer: Outturn for Maternity Pay consists of both Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance, and is published by country in the Expenditure by country and region tables, last updated following Autumn Statement 2023. Outturn for Scotland in the last five ye...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCrimes against HumanityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7150More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to develop a new national strategy on atrocity prevention
Answer: The FCDO supports a comprehensive approach to mass atrocity prevention. However, we have no plans to develop a new national strategy at this time. Since 2022, the FCDO's conflict directorate has been strengthening monitoring capabilities to identify and e...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMethylphenidate: ShortagesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7149More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the national supply shortage of Methylphenidate.
Answer: The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level.The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to ...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordTax AvoidanceTreasuryTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7148More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 1887 on Tax Avoidance, when she plans to provide an update on her policy on the loan charge.
Answer: I know that the loan charge is an extremely important issue for many members and their constituents. I have met with campaigners to discuss the loan charge, and the Chancellor and I are considering this matter further. We will provide an update in due cou...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMaternity Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3911More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS hospitals are required to record the number of occasions on which instrumental delivery of a baby creates lasting health problems for the mother.
Answer: The Department recognises the significant physical and psychological consequences of birth trauma and the devastating impact this has on women. The Government remains fully committed to improving the quality and consistency of care for women throughout pr...
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordChild Maintenance ServiceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3561More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will undertake a review of the Child Maintenance Service.
Answer: A consultation on proposed reforms to the CMS was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. The consultation includes exploration of removing Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster. ...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordGeneral Election 2024: Absent VotingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3560More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to commission a lessons learned review with local authorities following the late arrival of postal votes in the 2024 General Election.
Answer: The Electoral Commission is the independent electoral regulator and will be reporting on the administration of the May elections and the recent General Election. This will include the proportion of individuals turned away for lack of accepted identificati...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity FundMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 900287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will continue after March 2025.
Answer: The Government is committed to delivering economic growth across the country and is considering how to best fund long-term local funding in line with wider fiscal and economic priorities.Post-March 2025 funding is a decision for the Budget.
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity FundMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2663More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the future of the Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answer: I regularly talk to the Chancellor and her team to discuss many aspects of funding, across all the departments’ business and my officials work closely with those in the Treasury. The future of any departmental programme will be agreed as part of the budge...
Answered 4 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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