Oliver Dowden MP: written questions
332 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Railway Stations: AccessDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2024 to Question 2362 on Railway Stations: Access, what progress she has made on considering the best approach to the Access for All programme.
Answer: Further to my answer of 3 September 2024, we are not yet able to comment on next steps regarding Access for All. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to comm...
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCivic Dignitaries and Members: AgeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2024 to Question 5416 on Civic Dignitaries and Members: Age, what meetings she has had with (a) stakeholders in the (i) electoral, (ii) devol
Answer: Pursuant to the answer to Question UIN 5416 on 11 October 2024, the Government is committed to working with stakeholders in the electoral sector and civil society organisations as it seeks to make improvements to our electoral system. Ministers and offici...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordVoting RightsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9477More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of retaining the electoral franchise in its current form.
Answer: The government was elected on a manifesto commitment to extend the franchise to 16–17-year-olds, and we intend to deliver on that commitment.
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordBuildings: SafetyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that members of the Responsible Actors Scheme for developers are complying with their contractual obligations.
Answer: The department publishes quarterly updates on how each developer is performing, meets developers regularly and acts where performance falls short. Developers face significant consequences if they fail to comply with their contractual obligations.
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordHigh Rise Flats: InsulationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 July 2024 to Question 815 on High Rise Flats: Insulation, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative prop
Answer: I refer the Right Hon Member to the response provided to Question UIN 8200 on 25 October 2024.
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordBuilding Safety Fund: HertfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential buildings have registered with the Building Safety Fund in (a) Hertsmere constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answer: In the county of Hertfordshire, 40 buildings registered for funding from the Building Safety Fund. Fewer than five of these have been deemed eligible, the remaining registrations either withdrew, were deemed to be ineligible or transferred to other scheme...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCladding Safety Scheme: HertfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential buildings have registered with the Cladding Safety Scheme in (a) Hertsmere constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answer: In the county of Hertfordshire, 40 buildings registered for funding from the Building Safety Fund. Fewer than five of these have been deemed eligible, the remaining registrations either withdrew, were deemed to be ineligible or transferred to other scheme...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordBuildings: Fire PreventionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support leaseholders at Horizon Place in Borehamwood affected by cladding remediation issues.
Answer: Vistry Group has signed a developer remediation contract with government obligating Vistry Group to remediate or pay to remediate all life-critical fire safety defects in buildings listed in its contract, including Horizon Place, as quickly as reasonably ...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6309More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of pupils moving schools midway through the academic year as a result of the imposition of VAT on independent schools on (a) staff, (b) parents and (c) pupils.
Answer: On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boardin...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6308More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the potential merits of introducing VAT on private schools (a) during the academic year and (b) at the start of the new academic year.
Answer: On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boardin...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordRailway Stations: AccessDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to allocate further funding through the Access for All programme.
Answer: We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Answered 3 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: HertfordshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he (a) has reviewed and (b) plans to review the (i) provision and (ii) location of (A) inpatient and (B) outpatient health services in South Hertfordshire.
Answer: There are currently no plans to review the provision and location of inpatient and outpatient health services in South Hertfordshire. Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that the provision and location of both inpatient and outpatient heal...
Answered 5 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: HertsmereDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of GP provision in Hertsmere.
Answer: We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to fixing the the crisis in the National Health Service, to ensure that patients receive the care they deserve, and to secure the long-term susta...
Answered 5 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordHinduism: SafetyHome OfficeTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1931More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the safety of Hindu communities.
Answer: We are committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and we will not tolerate anti-Hindu hatred in any form. Government and police regularly review potential threats to ensure that measures are taken to protect commun...
Answered 5 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordJews: SafetyHome OfficeTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the safety of Jewish communities.
Answer: The Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems) at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites. The JCPS Grant is managed on be...
Answered 5 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordBBC: Political ImpartialityDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1929More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions her Department has had with the BBC board on impartiality in news coverage of the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Answer: My Department meets regularly with representatives of the BBC on a range of matters.The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of the Government. As the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is...
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordUniversities: AntisemitismDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle anti-Semitism on university campuses.
Answer: As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for tackling antisemitism on campus and should have processes in place to deal with unlawful abuse and harassment. Universities, as well as Jewish groups and other stakeholders, have told us that th...
Answered 5 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordAntisemitismMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to tackle anti-Semitism.
Answer: Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, and tackling antisemitism in all its forms is a top priority for this Government. This Government recently reappointed Lord John Mann as its Independent Adviser on Antisemitism to provide independent ad...
Answered 6 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordUNRWA: FinanceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 26 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement on 19 July 2024, Official Report, column 300 on Israel and Gaza, what assurances his Department received that the UN Relief and Works Age
Answer: UNRWA plays a critical role in Gaza and the wider region, providing essential services, including healthcare and education, to Palestinian refugees.Following the independent review by Catherine Colonna, UNRWA set out an action plan with detailed managemen...
Answered 5 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordPlanning Permission: Public ConsultationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1690More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will ensure local people are consulted on planning applications.
Answer: Work on the Bill is underway and we will provide more details in due course.
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordPlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which stakeholders her Department has consulted on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answer: Work on the Bill is underway and we will provide more details in due course.
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordPlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1688More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department’s planned timetable is for publication of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answer: Work on the Bill is underway and we will provide more details in due course.
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: Land UseMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department’s policy is on planning applications for solar plants on agricultural land.
Answer: We place great importance upon our agriculture and food production, and this is reflected in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework is clear that local planning authorities should recognise the economic and other benefits of the best and mo...
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordDerelict LandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much grey belt land there is in (a) England and (b) Hertsmere constituency.
Answer: The Government set out details of proposed reforms relating to brownfield, grey belt and the Green Belt in the consultation on our approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system that began on Tuesday 3...
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordDerelict LandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homes her Department plans to build on grey belt land in 2024.
Answer: The Government set out details of proposed reforms relating to brownfield, grey belt and the Green Belt in the consultation on our approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system that began on Tuesday 3...
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament record
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