Patrick Spencer MP: written questions
159 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Rivers: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Rivers: Flood Control, how much of the £200 million funding for river asset management will be allocated to preserve the Riv
Answer: Of the £4 million that the Environment Agency is allocating for the management of flood and coastal risk management assets within Suffolk County Council’s boundaries in 2025/26, approximately £300,000 has been allocated to asset management along, or close...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Rivers: Flood Control, how much of the £200 million funding for river asset management will be allocated to Suffolk County C
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) is allocating approximately £200 million for the management of flood and coastal risk management assets in 2025/26. This funding, which is managed by the EA and not allocated to other risk management authorities, will enhance o...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63891More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Flood Control and the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57092 on Flood Control: Finances, how much of the £2.65 billion fun
Answer: We are investing a record £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The full list of over 700 schemes to benefit from fresh funding this year was announced on 31 March 2024 and ...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57090 on Flood Control and the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57092 on Flood Control: Finances, if he will set out how the £2.65
Answer: We are investing a record £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The full list of over 700 schemes to benefit from fresh funding this year was announced on 31 March 2024 and ...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57097More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Flood Risk Activity Permits were issued in 2024.
Answer: Flood Risk Activity Permits are issued under the Environmental Permitting for work:on or near a main riveron or near a flood defence structurein a flood plainon or near a sea defence In 2024, the Environment Agency received 2191 permit applications for Fl...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for Flood Risk Activity Permits were made in 2024.
Answer: Flood Risk Activity Permits are issued under the Environmental Permitting for work:on or near a main riveron or near a flood defence structurein a flood plainon or near a sea defence In 2024, the Environment Agency received 2191 permit applications for Fl...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support landowners with riparian rights.
Answer: Working with partners and stakeholders, the Environment Agency (EA) published new guidance for riparian landowners in 2024 on Your Watercourse: rights and roles. This new, easily accessible guidance aims to increase riparian landowners understanding of th...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57093More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department will allocate to councils in England to carry out recommendations of flood investigation reports under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act
Answer: Under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, lead local flood authorities must investigate flood incidents to the extent that they consider it necessary or appropriate, publish the results and notify relevant risk management authorities. T...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department allocated to councils in England to carry out recommendations of flood investigation reports under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010
Answer: Under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, lead local flood authorities must investigate flood incidents to the extent that they consider it necessary or appropriate, publish the results and notify relevant risk management authorities. T...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the risk of river bank failure in cases of heavy rainfall.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) maintains a wide range of flood and coastal risk management (FCRM) assets, which reduce the risk of flooding to people and property. These assets include embankments, pumping stations and flood gates. The EA inspects and report...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce inland flooding.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) has a strategic overview role for all sources of flooding and works closely with local authorities to reduce flood risk and provide advice and guidance to support communities to be better equipped and prepared for flooding. Bet...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: Domestic VisitsDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many private schools Ministers in her Department have visited since 5 July 2024; and which schools they have visited.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich to the answer of 06 May 2025 to Question 46839.
Answered 9 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: Freedom of InformationDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to provide a substantive response to the Freedom of Information Act request of 14 February 2025 with reference number 2025-0005461.
Answer: The department responded to this freedom of information request on 7 May 2025.
Answered 30 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFloods: InsuranceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43631More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's Review of affordability and availability of flood insurance to help evaluate the effectiveness of FloodRe, published in October 2022, if he will publ
Answer: The department has no plans to publish this data. Conclusions, research methodology and materials for the 2022 review of affordability and availability of flood insurance can be found here. Conclusions, research methodology and materials for the Independe...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFloods: InsuranceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43630More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Independent review of flood insurance in Doncaster led by Amanda Blanc, published on 14 April 2020, if he will publish the raw data of the BMG quantitative survey
Answer: The department has no plans to publish this data. Conclusions, research methodology and materials for the 2022 review of affordability and availability of flood insurance can be found here. Conclusions, research methodology and materials for the Independe...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: Government AssistanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support farmers following the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive to new applicants.
Answer: This Government is proud to have secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, with £5 billion being spent to support farmers over a two-year period. Following the announcement that Defra has closed SFI for the submi...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: Government AssistanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37886More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support farmers following the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Answer: This Government is proud to have secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, with £5 billion being spent to support farmers over a 2-year period. Defra has closed the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for the sub...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Central Suffolk and North IpswichDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme on attainment for pupils in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich; and what the cost per child is of the p
Answer: Early language skills are vital to enable children to thrive in the early years and later in life, including for all aspects of later attainment in school. That is why in July 2024, this government announced that funded support for the Nuffield Early Lear...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Central Suffolk and North IpswichDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37003More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinders programme on attainment for pupils in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich; and what th
Answer: Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) is a pilot ‘test and learn’ programme being delivered across nine pathfinder sites, one in each English region, covering 12 local authorities. Central Suffolk and North Ipswich are not part of the pilot progr...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Central Suffolk and North IpswichDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37002More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Partnership and Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme on attainment for pupils in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich; and what th
Answer: Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a cross-government programme, backed by £13 million of investment, delivered through collaboration between the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS Eng...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36554More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the forecasts for input VAT reclaimable by private schools are in line with Revenue and Customs Brief 16 (2016) being issued.
Answer: Revenue and Customs Brief 16 (2016) clarified that VAT incurred prior to registration can be recovered as input tax, subject to the normal rules. The approach taken to VAT recovery by private schools, including projection of taxable use, is in line with t...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36553More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HMRC will extend the 30-day challenge period for instances where they disallow VAT.
Answer: Taxpayers can challenge certain decisions from HMRC. For indirect tax, including VAT, HMRC will offer the taxpayer a review in the decision letter. They will have 30 days from the date of the offer to either accept the offer of a review or appeal to the t...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36552More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to introduce leniency provisions for private schools through the initial implementation of VAT.
Answer: Since 1 January, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This also applies to boarding services provided by private schools. Since the ...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36551More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to adapt the VAT penalty regime for private schools in the context of the publication of comprehensive guidance by HMRC.
Answer: Since 1 January, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This also applies to boarding services provided by private schools. Since the ...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36550More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much input VAT is forecast to be repayable to private schools for the first quarter that the VAT is levied; how much output VAT is expected to be raised from these schools from these schools in the first quarter
Answer: The Annex to the Government Response to the Technical Note, Government_Response_to_the_Technical_Note_on_Applying_VAT_to_Private_School_Fees_and_Removing_the_Business_Rates_Charitable_Rate_Relief.pdf, sets out the forecast input VAT and calculation of out...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →