Peter Bedford MP: written questions
584 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Asylum: ApplicationsHome OfficeTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide the latest data her department possesses on the asylum claim acceptance rate for cases that were decided by Home Office immigration caseworkers that are foreign nationals.
Answer: The information requested could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigration: StaffHome OfficeTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122988More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the suitability of foreign nationals being employed as immigration caseworkers in her department.
Answer: The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNR), available on Gov.uk, govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality and must be followed by government departments. The CSNR allow for certain posts to be reserved for UK na...
Answered 14 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigration: Community RelationsHome OfficeTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of immigration since July 2024 on social cohesion in the UK.
Answer: The Home Office will increase existing English language requirements for economic migrants and introduce new English language requirements for dependants of those coming under economic routes.These measures support the integration of those coming here to ...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordJoint Replacements: ObesityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what work is being done to investigate the use of body mass index thresholds as a means of determining eligibility for joint replacement surgery.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Rushcliffe on 20 November 2025 to Question 89688.
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMusculoskeletal Disorders: Community Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how are musculoskeletal conditions being prioritised within the neighbourhood health framework.
Answer: The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.The framework outlines the national minimum aims and ...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121986More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of small boat migrants that have re-entered the UK in 2026 that have previously been removed from the country.
Answer: The Home Office will publish statistics on returns from the UK up to March 2026 on 21 May 2026. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account several factors in...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of public consultations for local government reorganisation for people without access to the internet.
Answer: The government is keen that all interested parties, including local residents, can have their say on the future of local government in their area. Members of the public who wish to engage can submit responses online or in writing by email or post, in line...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Civil ServantsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the nationality of foreign office civil servants on government policy.
Answer: All civil servants are appointed on merit and are required under the Civil Service Code to provide impartial, objective advice to Ministers.
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPensions: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121948More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Inheritance Tax on private pension provision.
Answer: Most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension will form part of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the las...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGambling: CrimeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121947More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to betting and gaming levies on illegal gambling operations.
Answer: The issue of illegal gambling is a concern for this Government. We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. As part of the 2025 Budget, the Treasury announced that the G...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFiscal Policy: ImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121576More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an internal (a) estimate and (b) similar type of projection for the net fiscal impact of immigrants in the UK over their lifetimes since July 2024.
Answer: The Migration Advisory Committee has produced an assessment of the lifetime fiscal impact of migrants in the UK, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6938108633c7ace9c4a41e42/ The_Fiscal_Impact_of_Immigration_Final__1_.pdfFurther...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HotelsHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what change there has been in the number of hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers since 4 July 2024 for which the latest data is available.
Answer: Exiting all asylum hotels as soon as possible is one of the Government’s top priorities and must be executed through a controlled, managed and orderly plan of work. This plan involves reducing inflow, speeding up caseworking, maximising utilisation of our...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: Community RelationsHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department considers a person's potential impact on social cohesion and their likelihood of integration when assessing their asylum claim or visa application.
Answer: Every asylum claim is considered on its individual merits by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information guidance.Refugee status is granted when someone has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Ref...
Answered 15 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121569More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish student loan repayment data, broken down by national origin, for the last academic year for which data has been collated.
Answer: The number of student loan borrowers who are not UK Nationals and withdrew from their latest recorded course in 2024/25 was 15,000 (to the nearest 500).The department and the Student Loans Company have strengthened the quality and consistency of data in t...
Answered 10 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordOverseas Students: Student WastageDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121568More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many foreign nationals claiming student loan or a maintenance loan dropped out of their courses in the last academic year for which data is available.
Answer: The number of student loan borrowers who are not UK Nationals and withdrew from their latest recorded course in 2024/25 was 15,000 (to the nearest 500).The department and the Student Loans Company have strengthened the quality and consistency of data in t...
Answered 10 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Redundancy PayTreasuryTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121043More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the civil service establishment in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Answer: All government departments are required to disclose information on exit payments in their Annual Reports and Accounts, in line with the Government Financial Reporting Manual. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Performance AppraisalCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121042More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil service employees were on performance management plans in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Answer: Data on how many civil servants have a performance management plan in place is not captured centrally.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNorthern Ireland Office: ApprenticesNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025 compared with (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.
Answer: The Northern Ireland Office recruited 1 apprentice in 2023 and 1 in 2025 for a 2-year term. We did not recruit any apprentices in 2022 or 2024.
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: ApprenticesCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121040More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025, compared with (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (c) 2024.
Answer: YearNumber of New Apprentices RecruitedTotal Apprenticeship Starts (New Recruits and Internal Conversions)2022369520233512620244210120252965 The Department had a greater number of apprenticeship starts overall during this period, as the total figures incl...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: ApprenticesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121039More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many apprentices the department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.
Answer: There are two different ways of counting apprenticeship recruitment:Definition A: colleagues who joined on an apprenticeship contract.Definition B: colleagues who joined MHCLG via a role which was advertised as including an apprenticeship and subsequently...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: ApprenticesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121038More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many apprentices the department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.
Answer: The majority of apprenticeships in the Department are held by existing employees who started an apprenticeship after they had joined the Department.The following figures refer only to people who were recruited specifically to a role as an apprentice in ea...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: ApprenticesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121037More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.
Answer: As the policy holder for apprenticeships and skills, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises the value of apprenticeships in building skills and kickstarting careers. We are committed to creating meaningful apprenticeship opportunities withi...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAutoimmune Diseases: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has conducted into changes in the number of cases of auto immune disorders since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer: The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has funded several studies which explore links between SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and autoimmunity.For example, in April 2025, researchers funded by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCharities: Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119765More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of National Insurance changes on the closure rate of charities.
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN set out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on indiv...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAlcoholic Drinks: Young PeopleHome OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119764More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the age for alcohol purchasing to 16.
Answer: The Government has no plans to lower the legal age for purchasing alcohol from 18 in England and Wales.This is consistent with the Licensing Act 2003 objective of protecting children from harm.It remains an offence to sell alcohol to under-18s and license...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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