Ruth Jones MP: written questions
507 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Railway Stations: Newport WestDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on implementing the new station at Newport West announced in Spending Review 2025.
Answer: At least £445 million was set aside for rail improvements in Wales as part of the 2025 Spending Review and the UK's 10-year Infrastructure Strategy. This investment marks the beginning of a long-term UK Government commitment, announced by the Prime Minist...
Answered 1 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordIndia: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Government of India on the protection of Christian communities and other religious minorities; and what steps her Department is t
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 March in response to Question 116730.
Answered 1 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHare CoursingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to introduce legislation to create a closed hunting season for hares.
Answer: This Government committed to consider how to bring forward and introduce a close season for hares in England in its Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. In short, a close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the bre...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordIran: Minority GroupsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 28 Apr 2026Awaiting answerUIN 130131More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a lack of access to (a) education, (b) employment and (c) public services on (a) the BaBahá'í community and (b) other
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordAnimal Products: UK Trade with EUCabinet OfficeTabled 27 Apr 2026Awaiting answerUIN 129897More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking, in the context of the UK–EU SPS negotiations, to pursue animal welfare measures, including a ban on foie gras imports, in the context of representations made by foie gras industry interests to EU institutions.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: DogsHome OfficeTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129280More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to dogs covered by service licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedure
Answer: All project licence applications, including service licences which use specially protected species such as dogs and non-human primates, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASP...
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: PrimatesHome OfficeTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to non-human primates recognised by service licences under Animal
Answer: All project licence applications, including service licences which use specially protected species such as dogs and non-human primates, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASP...
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the robustness of the harm-benefit analysis of service licences, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, using a) non-human primates b) pr
Answer: All project licence applications, including service licences, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The HBA is carried out by a trained Home Office Inspector who is a mem...
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPetsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129254More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of a) companion animal ownership trends and b) recent legislative changes on local authority costs, including i) kennelling and ii
Answer: The Department engages regularly with local authority representative groups to understand pressures on their animal welfare functions, including kennelling and enforcement.
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Carers and PetsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129253More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) informal caregiving responsibilities and (b) companion animal care on labour market participation.
Answer: I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: PetsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129252More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to undertake research into the potential impact of companion animal ownership on a) labour market participation, b) productivity and c) flexible working.
Answer: I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPetsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129251More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken any joint work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to assess the a) societal and b) economic impact of companion animal ownership.
Answer: I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSurveys: PetsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129250More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to include variables relating to companion animal ownership in a) future labour market and b) household surveys.
Answer: I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordDangerous Dogs: InsuranceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128408More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish guidance on how owners of exempted dogs will be able to remain compliant with the legal requirement to hold third-party liability insurance beyond 1 July 2026.
Answer: Defra has published guidance on our gov.uk page and contacted all registered owners to inform them that no action is required at this stage. We will share further guidance which will be published on gov.uk in early June. Defra is working to ensure owners ...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Education: Physical Education and SportsDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128381More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve training for primary school teachers on how to deliver high quality PE and school sport.
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so every child can access high‑quality PE and school sport.As announced by my right hon. Friend...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTennis: FacilitiesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128373More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of levels of provision of (a) covered and (b) indoor sports tennis courts in Britain.
Answer: The Government will invest £15 million into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel a...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSports: FacilitiesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128371More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of access to (a) accessible, (b) covered and (c) indoor sports facilities to levels of participation by disabled people in sport.
Answer: The Government recognises that high-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Accessible, covered and indoor sports facilities are essential to increasing participation by disabled people. In June last year, we committed £400 million to transf...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTennis: Physical EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the benefits of tennis-focused teaching as part of PE and sport provision; and what steps is she taking to support tennis education in schools.
Answer: Schools play a vital role in giving many pupils their first experience of playing sport, including tennis, in a structured and inclusive environment. This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that every child can access high...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSports: FacilitiesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of community covered (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) multisport hubs.
Answer: The Government will invest £15 million into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel a...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTennis: FacilitiesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration has she given to providing multi-year funding to support investment in covered tennis courts, and what assessment has she made of the potential impacts of such funding on incre
Answer: The Government will invest £15 million into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel a...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordFuels: PricesDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127832More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of increases in fuel prices on the road haulage sector; and what steps is she taking to mitigate these.
Answer: The Department for Transport recognises growing concerns around rising fuel and transport costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Department fully recognises the need to maintain the continuity of critical supply chains and is actively monito...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCats: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has plans to help stop the breeding of cats with extreme physical traits associated with adverse health and welfare outcomes.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 March 2026 to the hon. Member for Spen Valley to PQ UIN 121026.
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work Programme: Visual ImpairmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127495More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reductions in Access to Work awards at renewal on blind and partially sighted customers.
Answer: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work Programme: Visual ImpairmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127494More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Access to Work staff receive specialist advice on visual impairment when assessing applications and renewals for blind and partially sighted customers.
Answer: Access to Work staff are trained to assess applications from all disability groups and individual impairments, taking account of each customer’s needs and circumstances. Staff are able to access specific support relating to individual impairments where ne...
Answered 24 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTidal Power: FinanceDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps is his Department taking to increase the amount of tidal stream capacity procured in Allocation Round 8.
Answer: The Government will set out the design of Allocation Round 8, including parameters for all CfD eligible technologies, ahead of the round opening.
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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