Oliver Dowden MP: written questions
332 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Sexual OffencesHome OfficeTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13833More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidelines the police have for handling sexual offence cases.
Answer: We are funding the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Public Protection to improve the national police response to VAWG. Their work includes supporting forces to implement Operation Soteria, which consists of guidance and tool...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors: TrainingMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on an independent assessment process for trainee solicitors.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice regularly engages with the SRA on the effective operation of the legal services regulatory framework. This has included engagement with the SRA regarding the training and qualification requirements for solicitors and how these requ...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors: TrainingMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9047More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on the support available for trainee solicitors experiencing issues with their training providers.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice regularly engages with the SRA on the effective operation of the legal services regulatory framework. This has included engagement with the SRA regarding the training and qualification requirements for solicitors and how these requ...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors: TrainingMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9046More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the support available for trainee solicitors.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice regularly engages with the SRA on the effective operation of the legal services regulatory framework. This has included engagement with the SRA regarding the training and qualification requirements for solicitors and how these requ...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors Regulation AuthorityMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on cultural issues within the profession.
Answer: The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors: ConductMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9044More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the current regulatory structure for the professional conduct of solicitors and Law firms in England and Wales.
Answer: The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors Regulation AuthorityMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9043More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department have had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on the adequacy of the level of its resourcing.
Answer: The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors Regulation AuthorityMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9042More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on potential steps to improve regulatory performance.
Answer: The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSolicitors Regulation AuthorityMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what conversations has his Department had with the Legal Services Board over the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s ability to regulate the professional conduct of solicitors and Law firms in England and Wales.
Answer: The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency DepartmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce accident and emergency department waiting times at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Answer: The Government monitors accident and emergency (A&E) waiting time performance against several standards. Performance data is published monthly by NHS England as part of the “A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions” statistics, which are available...
Answered 2 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency DepartmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2003More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the service standard waiting times are for accident and emergency at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; and whether the Trust has been meeting those targets.
Answer: The Government monitors accident and emergency (A&E) waiting time performance against several standards. Performance data is published monthly by NHS England as part of the “A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions” statistics, which are available...
Answered 2 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: ElderlyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2002More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement provisions accommodating elderly patients undergoing long waiting times in accident and emergency departments.
Answer: We recognise the pressures facing urgent and emergency care services and are committed to restoring waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The proportion of patients in accident and emergency admitted, transferred, or discharged w...
Answered 2 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: Older PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2001More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce accident and emergency department waiting times for older patients.
Answer: We recognise the pressures facing urgent and emergency care services and are committed to restoring waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The proportion of patients in accident and emergency admitted, transferred, or discharged w...
Answered 2 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Alcoholic DrinksHome OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2000More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce further penalties, including licence (a) suspension and (b) loss, for retailers found to be supplying alcohol irresponsibly and illegally to customers.
Answer: The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. Under this framework, businesses must hold a premises licence and comply with conditions designed to uphold the licensing objectives, including th...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Alcoholic DrinksHome OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of licensing laws in deterring retailers from supplying alcohol to individuals who are (a) visibly intoxicated and (b) known to be vulnerable due to addict
Answer: The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. Under this framework, businesses must hold a premises licence and comply with conditions designed to uphold the licensing objectives, including th...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Counterfeit ManufacturingDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with (a) local police forces and (b) Trading Standards authorities on enforcement action against independent shops suspected of supplying counterfeit
Answer: The Intellectual Property Office funds the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit or PIPCU. PIPCU and Trading Standards work in concert with the Intellectual Property Office to undertake multi-agency efforts to disrupt counterfeiting activity. We continu...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordNutrition: Fruit JuicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of classifying the fruit juice category as not healthy in proposed Nutrient Profiling Model reforms on UK businesses.
Answer: The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink and we are consulting on proposals for applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to these policies.The NPM is ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordNutritionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that public health objectives do not adversely impact the agriculture and food producer sector, in the context of proposed changes to the Nutrient Profiling Model.
Answer: The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink and we are consulting on proposals for applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to these policies.The NPM is ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordNutrition: Fruit JuicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Nutrient Profiling Model on (a) businesses and (b) employment within the fruit juice sector.
Answer: The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink and we are consulting on proposals for applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to these policies.The NPM is ...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBiofuels and Carbon Capture and StorageDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 249More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he accepts the finding in Nature Sustainability on 20 April 2026 that bioenergy with carbon capture and storage could (a) increase electricity costs by around 3.5 times and (b) take more t
Answer: We do not recognise these claims.No final decisions around the deployment of large-scale bioenergy with carbon capture and storage projects have been made, and any support would need to provide value for money for taxpayers. Biomass, including woody bioma...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power Station: TimberDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 248More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the findings of the paper published in Nature Sustainability on 20 April 2026 titled "Decades of increased emissions from forest-fuelled BECCS" conflict with the modelling underpinnin
Answer: The case for awarding the 2027-31 Low-Carbon Dispatchable Contract for Difference to Drax was based on short to medium-term security of supply needs as identified by the National Energy System operator (NESO). Longer-term system needs, and considerations ...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power Station: TimberDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 247More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, (a) when the audit of Drax's supply chain ordered by Ofgem in September 2025 will be completed; (b) whether its findings will be published in full; and (c) if he will not agree final terms fo
Answer: Following its 2023-4 investigation into the company’s sustainability reporting, Ofgem required Drax to commission and fund a global supply chain audit. The progress of the audit – and any decision on whether to publish its findings - is a matter for Ofgem...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power Station: TimberDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 246More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether, in agreeing new subsidies for Drax for 2027 to 2031, his Department sought assurances from the company that the letter it wrote to the Department on 10 October 2022 about the forests
Answer: In the letter Drax was responding to questions posed by DESNZ regarding its sourcing of biomass from Canada. DESNZ subsequently consulted Canadian officials and forestry experts on the issues and developed enhanced sustainability criteria, audit and assur...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power StationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, i) when his Department first saw the statement from Drax's General Counsel made on 12 December 2022 that the company's letter to the Energy Secretary dated 10 October 2022 might not "stand up
Answer: As part of its extensive investigation into Drax’s sustainability reporting, Ofgem considered a range of internal documents concerning the accuracy of public statements around the 2022 Panorama documentary. While the precise documents reviewed are a matte...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power: Disclosure of InformationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 244More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has asked his new permanent secretary i) if he has read the December 2022 report by the Drax company secretary on whisteblowing allegations ii) if he concluded that there was a cov
Answer: The Secretary of State has not asked the Permanent Secretary to reach conclusions on matters that are subject to Ofgem’s independent regulatory processes. Ofgem has confirmed that whistleblower accounts formed part of its extensive 2023-4 investigation in...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →