Sarah Edwards MP: written questions
52 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Private Rented Housing: ComplaintsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1328More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness for renters of the two redress schemes currently endorsed by the government.
Answer: My Department monitors the performance of the two government-approved redress schemes: the Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme.This includes reviewing monthly data provided by the schemes and assessing their progress against the approval cr...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment Schemes: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 908856More
Question: What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.
Answer: Too many young people are not in employment, education or training, something we are addressing and which the previous Government did nothing about. We are investing £2.5 billion into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to support nearly on...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Savings: PensionsTreasuryTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123317More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC is taking to ensure retirees and others with pensions and savings get clear help in avoiding mistakes with tax codes.
Answer: HMRC is committed to helping retirees and others with pensions and savings understand their tax position and avoid errors with their tax codes. Most people who receive a pension or savings income pay the right tax automatically through Pay As You Earn (PA...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTourism: WeatherDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential financial impact on outdoor visitor attractions, including zoos like Chester Zoo and theme parks like Drayton Manor, from the presentation of weather
Answer: DCMS recognises the vital role outdoor visitor attractions play in the UK’s visitor economy. These sites, ranging from world-leading zoos and theme parks to historic gardens, contribute to regional investment, local employment and often support learning a...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPayments: Fees and ChargesTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117464More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support competition in the payments market to reduce fees for small businesses.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the cost of accepting payments, including cards, is fair to all parties, and that our payment systems work for all. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the UK’s economic regulator for payments, ha...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordContactless Payments: Fees and ChargesTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117463More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help support greater transparency in the fees associated with accepting card payments.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the cost of accepting payments, including cards, is fair to all parties, and that our payment systems work for all. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the UK’s economic regulator for payments, ha...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPayments: Fees and ChargesTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117462More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what she is doing to reduce the cost of accepting payments for small businesses.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the cost of accepting payments, including cards, is fair to all parties, and that our payment systems work for all. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the UK’s economic regulator for payments, ha...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: BusinessDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114977More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofgem's work to enforce supplier license responsibilities to vet TPIs they partner with.
Answer: Ofgem’s supplier license conditions and other legal protections have not sufficiently protected non-domestic consumers from exploitative and harmful practices by some Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs). That is why last year, the Government announced its p...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: BusinessDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to introduce regulation for Third Party Intermediaries in the retail energy market.
Answer: Ofgem’s supplier license conditions and other legal protections have not sufficiently protected non-domestic consumers from exploitative and harmful practices by some Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs). That is why last year, the Government announced its p...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: StaffDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109283More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to (a) schools and (b) Multi-Academy Trusts on appropriate staffing levels; and what assessment she has made of trends in the level of overstaffing in (i) maintained school
Answer: The department supports school leaders by providing a range of resources, including commercial resources and benchmarking tools. This includes our school staffing guidance, designed to help employers in all schools with staffing and employment issues, and...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMulti-academy Trusts: Corporate GovernanceDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109282More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Multi-Academy Trust boards are permitted to redact minutes of board meetings that relate to the use of public funds; what guidance her Department issues on transparency and redaction of trust governance
Answer: The Academy Trust Governance Guide outlines that the trust board is responsible for being open and transparent about its decisions and actions. This guide is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-governance-guide. The Aca...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMulti-academy Trusts: AccountabilityDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109281More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department uses to determine when to intervene in a Multi-Academy Trust experiencing financial difficulty; and what steps she is taking to hold trust leadership and trustees accountable for fi
Answer: Academy trusts play a central role in our education system, but accountability hasn’t kept pace with their growth. The government is delivering on its manifesto commitment by legislating to introduce Ofsted inspection of academy trusts, and intervention p...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109280More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of local authority top-slicing of High Needs Block funding on the resources available to schools and academy trusts to deliver provision set out i
Answer: High needs funding has increased by over £1 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and we are continuing that increased level of funding into next year. The vast majority of this funding is allocated by local authorities to schools, colleges and other sett...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: IndustryNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 907076More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 on Northern Ireland.
Answer: The defence of the United Kingdom is always the first duty of any Government.As part of our defence industrial strategy, we will invest £250m across five regions for Defence Growth Deals - including one in Northern Ireland which already boasts a booming d...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMBR Acres: Animal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether reviews have been conducted by (a) the Animals in Science Regulation Unit and (b) other relevant bodies to ensure that the facilities at MBR Acres in Wyton, Huntingdon, provide appropriate saf
Answer: The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts both announced and unannounced audits to ensure establishments’ compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). ASPA provides p...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPetsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing an independent regulator or ombudsman to support pet-owning households not currently covered by an existing regulat
Answer: Defra has not completed an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent regulator or ombudsman to support pet owners. The Competition and Markets Authority is conducting a market investigation into the provision of veterinary services...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86365More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) time limits and (b) penalties for local planning authorities that do not determine small applic
Answer: My Department recognises the importance of timely decision-making in the planning system, particularly for small applications which are often vital to local communities and small businesses. Local planning authorities are already subject to statutory time...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86364More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the time taken for Section 278 approvals on SME development timelines.
Answer: The Government recognises that the road adoption process under the Highways Act 1980, including Section 278 agreements where developers modify existing public highways, has become increasingly fragmented and prolonged across England. This has contributed ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86363More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to introduce a cascade mechanism for Section 106 affordable housing agreements.
Answer: Section 106 agreements are, and will remain, an essential mechanism for delivering social and affordable housing.The government continues to progress work on a holistic policy package that will deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 un...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury about potential measures to support demand for SME-led housing.
Answer: My Department has no current plans to make such an assessment. The Help to Build: Equity Loan scheme, targeted at those wanting to custom build, self build or shell build a home, opened in June 2022 and closed to new applications in March 2025. There are ...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a (a) targeted help to build and (b) mortgage guarantee scheme for first-time buyers purchasing SME-built homes.
Answer: My Department has no current plans to make such an assessment. The Help to Build: Equity Loan scheme, targeted at those wanting to custom build, self build or shell build a home, opened in June 2022 and closed to new applications in March 2025. There are ...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will consider the potential merits of (a) exemptions and (b) reduced thresholds for small and medium sized housebuilders under biodiversity net gain regulations.
Answer: The Government has recently consulted on how to improve biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This included options on exemptions and potential reduced thresholds for minor development. The Government is considering responses...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the viability of small and medium-sized housing schemes.
Answer: The Government has recently consulted on how to improve biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This included options on exemptions and potential reduced thresholds for minor development. The Government is considering responses...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPool Re: CybercrimeTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78850More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of including Cyber Attacks within the Pool Reinsurance Company Limited Fund.
Answer: Pool Reinsurance, or Pool Re, was created to ensure the effective functioning of the UK’s terrorism insurance market. The government do not have any plans to extend Pool Re’s remit to include further cyber-related risks.
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: DogsMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of support available to retired canine military working dogs.
Answer: At the end of their service, Military Working Dogs (MWDs) are individually assessed and every effort is made to rehome them with a suitable owner. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) proactively undertakes diagnostic work, surgery, or other treatment, to prepar...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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