Oliver Dowden MP: written questions
332 published records · newest first.
Written questions
NHS: ParkingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to next review the NHS Car Parking guidance.
Answer: NHS Car Parking guidance was last updated in October 2022 under the previous government. The Department has no plans to review the guidance. Free hospital car parking is available to groups most in-need, including National Health Service staff working ove...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordWatford General HospitalDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the New Hospital Programme Review, in the context of Watford General Hospital.
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The plan ...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordWatford General HospitalDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the New Hospital Programme review, when the (a) options and (b) recommendations for Watford General Hospital will be published; and when he plans to announce which hospitals will
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The plan ...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: HertfordshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to support NHS services in Hertfordshire, in the context of his Department's review of the New Hospital Programme.
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The plan ...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBuildings: Fire PreventionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24891More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant of the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 9472, what progress her Department has made on supporting leaseholders at Horizon Place in Borehamwood affected by cladding
Answer: The Ministry continues to work with developers to ensure that buildings are remediated, at no cost to leaseholders, under the developer remediation contract. On 2 December, we published a joint plan to accelerate developer-led remediation and improve resi...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 August 2024 to Question 1688 on Planning, what progress her Department has made on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answer: Drafting of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill continues apace. We plan to introduce the Bill in Parliament in the coming months.
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24889More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to postpone local authority elections in Hertfordshire in 2025.
Answer: My letter to local councils of 16 December 2024 (here) set out that the Government would only consider postponing elections for areas where the council concerned requested it and where it helps an area to deliver reorganisation and devolution to the most ...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAmbulance Services: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the NHS funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, will be allocated to ambulance services.
Answer: The information requested is not held by the Department. The future allocation of National Health Service funding announced in the Autumn Budget will be decided by NHS England.
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordNHS: London AllowanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending NHS Outer London Weighting to (a) Hertsmere and (b) Watford.
Answer: It is for the Pay Review Bodies to make recommendations on the future geographic coverage of high-cost area supplements, and on the value of such supplements. As this is reflected in terms and conditions of service, any changes would need to be collective...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEast of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust: StaffDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17548More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase the staffing budget for the East of England Ambulance Service.
Answer: The allocation of National Health Service funding, including local staffing budgets, is set by NHS England.
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordGreen BeltMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated 24 September
Answer: The government is committed to preserving the greenbelt which has served England's towns and cities well over many decades. Without changing its purposes or general extent, we intend to take a more strategic approach to Green Belt land designation and rel...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordHousing: HertsmereMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated 24 September
Answer: The proposed standard methodology to calculate local housing need figures for each local authority, including for Hertsmere, is set out in the ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system’ consultati...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLocal PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated 24 September
Answer: This government inherited a planning system in which only 31% of local planning authorities have adopted plans in the last five years.We are determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible, to progress towards our ambition of achieving ...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLocal PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated 24 September
Answer: This government inherited a planning system in which only 31% of local planning authorities have adopted plans in the last five years.We are determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible, to progress towards our ambition of achieving ...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDevolution: HertfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the cost of further devolution in Hertfordshire.
Answer: The English Devolution White Paper, due to be published shortly, will set an ambitious new framework for English devolution, moving power out of Westminster and back to those who know their areas best. In July, the Deputy Prime Minister invited places wit...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLocal GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15464More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria she uses to create regional authorities.
Answer: This government believes that the benefits of devolution are best achieved through the establishment of combined authorities or combined county authorities over sensible economic geographies and supported by a mayor. We want every part of England to take ...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDevolution: HertfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15463More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what powers she plans to devolve to Hertfordshire.
Answer: The English Devolution White Paper, due to be published shortly, will set an ambitious new framework for English devolution, moving power out of Westminster and back to those who know their areas best. In July, the Deputy Prime Minister invited places wit...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDevolution: HertfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15462More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department’s planned timetable is for publication of the English Devolution Bill; and how that Bill will impact Hertfordshire.
Answer: The English Devolution White Paper, due to be published shortly, will set an ambitious new framework for English devolution, moving power out of Westminster and back to those who know their areas best. In July, the Deputy Prime Minister invited places wit...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11011More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to increase funding for Local Authorities in line with NHS pay awards to ensure that other council services, including SEND and social care provision, are not a
Answer: We have announced £1.3 billion of new grant funding in 2025/26 for local government to deliver core services, of which £600 million is for social care and £700 million to support general pressures. We have also announced a £1 billion uplift to special edu...
Answered 1 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: HertfordshireDepartment for EducationTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle disparities in per-head High Needs Funding between Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Answer: Allocations of high needs funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be published as soon as possible now that overall budgets for next year have been announced. The department will take longer to consider changes to the funding formula that is used to a...
Answered 1 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: HertfordshireDepartment for EducationTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11009More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle funding gaps for statutory SEND duties in Hertfordshire.
Answer: The department is providing schools with extra funding of almost £1.1 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, to support schools with overall costs, including the costs of supporting their pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Foll...
Answered 1 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: HertfordshireDepartment for EducationTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11008More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of SEND services in Hertfordshire.
Answer: This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. We are committed to taking a community-wide approach, impro...
Answered 1 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCultural Heritage: Environment ProtectionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the protection of historic landscapes which have inspired literature from development.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that our most important and cherished landscapes are appropriately protected so they can be enjoyed by future generations.The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how planning policies and decisions should re...
Answered 1 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: Minimum WageDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11006More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent increases in the minimum wage for 18-21 year olds on the financial sustainability of the hair and beauty sector.
Answer: We know this is a difficult time for businesses and workers alike, the Low Pay Commission are independent experts who conducts extensive consultation, analysis and evidence gathering when recommending the minimum wage rates.We asked the LPC to make progre...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordRadlett Station: AccessDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9480More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to improve accessibility at Radlett Station.
Answer: We are not yet able to comment on next steps regarding Access for All projects at specific stations including at Radlett station. However, please be assured that we are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and e...
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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