Sarah Dyke MP: written questions
202 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Horticulture: Environment ProtectionTreasuryTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94370More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department will review the Annual Investment Allowance threshold and take steps to improve the eligibility and uptake of capital allowances among horticultural businesses who are investing in the transit
Answer: The Annual Investment Allowance allows both incorporated and unincorporated businesses to deduct the entire cost of investment in both main and special rate assets in one go, up to £1 million per year, which covers the investment of 99% of businesses. In ...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide additional funding to help mitigate ongoing soil moisture deficit effects for railway companies.
Answer: The Department for Transport funds Network Rail to operate, maintain, and develop the nation's railway infrastructure. As the climate changes, we expect to see hotter, drier summers, and therefore we will expect to encounter more instances of soil moistur...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSouth Western Railway: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with South Western Railway on the delivery of new stock.
Answer: Department officials meet regularly with South Western Railway (SWR) to hold it accountable for performance, safety, and fleet. The rollout of the new Arterio trains is continuing with great progress being made. Since transferring to public ownership, the...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: SomersetDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much maintenance activity has been carried out on Somerset’s Main Rivers in the last a) year, b) 5 years and c) 10 years.
Answer: Since the flooding of 2013/14, over £47 million has been spent on operating flood defences and maintaining rivers in Somerset. This includes £4.7 million this financial year and over £24 million in the last five years. This includes the daily operation an...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: SomersetDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money has been spent on improving flood defences in Somerset since 2014.
Answer: Since the flooding of 2013/14, over £200 million of Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant-in-Aid (FCRM GiA) and local levy has been spent on improving the standard of flood protection in the local authority areas of Somerset, North Somerset, and Bath an...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 906411More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to reduce carbon emissions from peatland.
Answer: England’s peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store. By 2030, we will invest £85 million to restore and manage peatlands. We are committed to restoring approximately 280,000 hectares of peat by 2050.
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordInjuries: ReindeerDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many injuries were caused due to reindeers in the UK over the past year.
Answer: This information is not collected centrally. NHS England does not record hospital admissions specifically caused by reindeer. The closest available data is for admissions with the external cause ‘Bitten or struck by other mammals’. In 2024/25, there were ...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFood Standards Agency: Remediation NoticesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the remedial notices handed out by the Food Standards Agency in the last year were given to abattoirs with a throughput of less than 5,000 livestock units per year.
Answer: During the period from 1 November 2024 until 31 October 2025, the Food Standards Agency has served five Remedial Action Notices in three abattoirs with a throughput of less than 5,000 livestock units per year.
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: InternetTreasuryTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87470More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on ensuring that people with disabilities and without access to mobile phones are not excluded from accessing online quotations and other financial s
Answer: The Government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector, to ensure that all customers get the right support with their financial products and services. FCA guidance highlight...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSlaughterhouses: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the Small Abattoir Fund was spent by her Department prior to it's closure in 2024.
Answer: The Rural Payments Agency have offered agreements for the Smaller Abattoir Fund worth a total of £1,119,347.59. Smaller Abattoir Fund grants are claimed in arrears and as of 04 November 2025, £593,018.55 has been paid out under the scheme.
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Medicine: TrainingDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many veterinary students are currently enrolled in veterinary public health courses in the UK.
Answer: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. These data are shared with the department and include a wide range of information on student courses.In the 2023/24 aca...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSlaughterhouses: HygieneDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many remedial action notices the Food Standards Agency have handed out to abattoirs in England and Wales over the last (a) year, (b) 5 years and (c) 10 years.
Answer: The number of Remedial Action Notices (RANs) served in England and Wales are as follows:59 over the last year, from 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025;176 over the last five years, from 1 November 2020 to 31 October 2025; and341 over the last seven years,...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Care HomesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to dentistry for vulnerable residents in care homes.
Answer: We recognise that certain groups of patients may be vulnerable to oral health problems and may find it difficult to access dental care. Specialised dental services are in place to provide dental treatment in several settings, including care homes, and are...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHornets: Pest ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to expand the use of new (a) tracking and (b) monitoring technologies to improve the effectiveness of the National Bee Unit’s work to (i) locate and (ii) eradicate y
Answer: Since 2016 the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU) have responded to incursions of Yellow Legged Hornet (YLH) into Great Britain. The NBU has developed a fine-tuned and effective response which allows them to find and destroy nests to...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHornets: Pest ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to eradicate the Yellow-legged Asian hornet.
Answer: Defra is continuing to follow an eradication strategy against Yellow Legged Hornet (also known as Asian Hornet) to prevent this invasive non-native species from establishing in GB. Contingency action is delivered by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APH...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisoners: ClothingMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86354More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure female prisoners receive (a) clothing and (b) personal protective equipment suitable for women.
Answer: Women’s clothing in a range of sizes is available across the women’s estate. This provision has been developed with input from women in custody. Relevant staff in each women’s prison have recently completed training on the ordering process, and a cycle of...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: WiFiMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of installing wi-fi in female prisons to facilitate access to (a) education, (b) training and (c) prepare for integration into society.
Answer: The Government recognises the distinct needs of women in custody and the critical role education plays in rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. The national education budget has not been reduced.However, many prisons in the female estate (as well as th...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: EducationMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing educational programmes funding in female prisons on the level of (a) rehabilitation and (b) reoffending.
Answer: The Government recognises the distinct needs of women in custody and the critical role education plays in rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. The national education budget has not been reduced.However, many prisons in the female estate (as well as th...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDeposit Return SchemesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85958More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued on the treatment of historic (a) glass and (b) plastic bottles distributed prior to the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer: The Deposit Return Scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will include single-use drinks containers from 150ml to 3 litres. Materials included are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel, and aluminium drink containers. Glass drinks cont...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSustainable Farming IncentiveDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85957More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has for the future of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Answer: Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that will better target the SFI in an orderly way towards our priorities for food, farming and nature. Information and plans for t...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic TransportDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to provide more rail-bus links.
Answer: The Government knows that public transport needs to be better integrated in order to improve the experience for passengers, providing access to services and keeping communities connected. We also know that in rural areas, bus services can be a lifeline fo...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure communities can access local railways.
Answer: To ensure communities have access to the local railways, this Government is committed to improving accessibility, customer support, and helping to remove barriers to travel for all users of public transport. Accessibility is an important part of ensuring ...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordApples and Pears: Seasonal WorkersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84327More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the availability of seasonal labour for the apple and pear industry.
Answer: The Seasonal Worker visa route is hugely important for the horticulture sector, including the apple and pear industry. Government made a total of 43,000 seasonal worker visas available for horticulture in 2025. The Government has also announced a 5-year ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRecycling: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to help children and young people understand the circular economy.
Answer: The government recognises the importance of ensuring that children and young people are taught about and understand sustainability and the circular economy, which is why this topic can already be covered across a range of subjects, including science and d...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHorse Racing: BettingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the illegal betting market on the horseracing industry.
Answer: The issue of illegal gambling is a concern for this Government and we are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission, the statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain, to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. Th...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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