Peter Bedford MP: written questions
584 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Small Businesses: VATTreasuryTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48799More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the VAT registration threshold on levels of growth of small and medium-sized businesses.
Answer: At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Written QuestionsMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March to Question 33788 on Ministry of Defence: Written Questions, whether AI is used at any stage in the drafting of responses to parliamentary questions.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is exploring various applications of AI to enhance corporate services and drive efficiency. Officials may use approved AI tools (such as large language models) when developing responses to parliamentary questions, but responsibilit...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Section 106 contributions paid to local authorities ahead of a development.
Answer: Local authorities are able to seek a section 106 planning obligation from a developer to mitigate the impact of a development in order to make it acceptable in planning terms. The obligation might, for example, specify the periods at which the required co...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPensionsTreasuryTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48796More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help maintain the level of return on savings in the context of her proposal to consolidate pension schemes that have under £25 billion of assets.
Answer: Increasing the returns on savings is a key priority of the Pensions Investment Review. Our proposals to consolidate schemes will improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and allow for more effective investment strategies. Together, the review and measures outl...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to amend regulations on mechanisms for transferring pensions between scheme providers.
Answer: Following commitments made in response to the review, DWP has conducted extensive work with the FCA, HMT, The Pensions Regulator and the pensions industry to consider if the practical application of the transfer regulations could be improved, whilst retai...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of mechanisms for transferring pensions.
Answer: The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Conditions for Transfers) Regulations 2021 were introduced to protect pension savers against the threat of scams by enabling trustees to pause or halt a transfer in certain circumstances. DWP conducted a year...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBBCDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46600More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of moving the BBC to a commercial subscription-based model on costs to the public purse.
Answer: The BBC is a vital British asset and makes a huge contribution to lives up and down the country. This government firmly believes that the unique obligations placed on the BBC demand continued, sustainable public funding to support its vital work.The Gover...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46599More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changing the civil service pension scheme to a defined contribution model on costs to the public purse.
Answer: Any assessment of moving the Civil Service Pension Scheme, or any other Public Service Pension Scheme, to a defined contribution model is the responsibility of HM Treasury. The Cabinet Office has responsibility for the Civil Service Pension Scheme only in...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordImport Duties: USADepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of US tariffs on the hospitality sector in the UK.
Answer: The UK and US have a strong economic relationship which is fair, balanced and reciprocal. We have £1.2 trillion invested in each other’s economies and over 2.5 million jobs across both countries.Hospitality businesses play a key role in the UK economy and...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: SchoolsDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Independent Schools have (a) closed and (b) announced their closure, since July 2024.
Answer: Records of school closures are publicly available on the Get Information about Schools website at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisoners' ReleaseMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an estimate of the number of criminals erroneously released as part of the early release scheme.
Answer: On 10 September 2024, the Government took the necessary and unavoidable step to move certain release points from 50% to 40%, with an initial tranche of eligible offenders released on this date, and a second tranche released on 22 October 2024.There was an...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTimesharing: MisrepresentationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45418More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to review the mis-selling of timeshare schemes.
Answer: Consumers are already protected from mis-selling by consumer law.Additionally, The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010 specifically prevent mis-selling and pressure-selling of timeshares and give consumers protectio...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Bodies: ClosuresCabinet OfficeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45417More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release entitled Hundreds of quangos to be examined for potential closure as Government takes back control, published on 7 April 2025, what estimate he has made of the potential reduc
Answer: The review of all arms length bodies is ongoing. Further information, including on savings, will be announced in due course.
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42178More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of new legislation to facilitate the transition to non-animal methods of testing.
Answer: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, valida...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAfghanistan: British Nationals AbroadForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help secure the release of Peter and Barbie Reynolds from Afghan authorities.
Answer: We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan. I met their family on 2 April and I am closely monitoring this case. We are unable to provide comment on the detail of individual consular cases in line with relevant U...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHorses: TransportDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a centralised and digitalised ID and traceability system across the UK to prevent the illegal movem
Answer: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and of improving equine identification and traceability. We have no current plans to ...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing Estates: Fees and ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to review legislation on new home developers selling land in and around new housing estates to maintenance companies which then charge back to homeowners.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: Mid LeicestershireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many major housing developments have been completed in Mid Leicestershire constituency in the last ten years.
Answer: Numbers of major and minor residential applications granted permission each quarter for each local planning authority are available here. As more than one planning application is often associated with a single residential development, the published figure...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: Mid LeicestershireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many housing developments have been approved in Mid Leicestershire in the last ten years.
Answer: Numbers of major and minor residential applications granted permission each quarter for each local planning authority are available here. As more than one planning application is often associated with a single residential development, the published figure...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLiver Diseases: ScreeningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41674More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7264 on Liver Diseases, how many community diagnostic centres provide transient elastography liver scans; and what steps his Department has tak
Answer: As of 16 February 2025, 14 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are providing transient elastography liver scans, also known as fibroscans. By 31 March 2025, one further CDC is expected to become operational and able to offer fibroscans. NHS England is tak...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions and Unemployment BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41262More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase to employers National Insurance contributions on trends in the levels of unemployment benefit claims.
Answer: The potential impacts of the changes to employers National Insurance Contributions, have been assessed by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. This assessment is publicly available and can be found here: Economic and fiscal outlook – March 20...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSentencing Council for England and WalesMinistry of JusticeTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41261More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse of abolishing the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.
Answer: The budget allocated to the Sentencing Council for 2024/25 is £1.92 million. The savings of abolishing any public body would though depend on a number of factors e.g. wind-up costs, and we do not have a detailed assessment of these factors in relation to ...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOfcomDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41260More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of abolishing the Office of Communications.
Answer: The Office of Communications plays a key role as the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. Ofcom regulates the TV and radio sectors, spectrum, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, online safety, and postal services. There are ...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Parliamentary Standards Authority: EqualitySpeaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards AuthorityTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41259More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 38862 on Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Equality,
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 38862.
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41258More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of housing provision for service personnel.
Answer: Circa 97% of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) meets or exceeds the Government's Decent Homes Standard. Only these properties should be allocated to families. Investment to maintain and improve the quality of SFA in the United Kingdom continues. Circa £4...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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