Shivani Raja MP: written questions
140 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27587More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) support minority-owned construction firms and builders gain equitable access to housing sector (i) opportunities, (ii) funding and (iii
Answer: Small and medium sized housebuilders, including those that are minority owned, are essential to meeting the government’s housing ambitions and supporting local economies. The government recently announced a £700m extension to the Home Building Fund which ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBurial: Minority GroupsMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27586More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure bodies of deceased individuals are released promptly to families from minority religious communities.
Answer: Since 9 September 2024, all deaths in any health setting that are not investigated by a coroner will be reviewed by NHS medical examiners. NHS England has published the National Medical Examiner’s guidance which stipulates that arrangements at each medica...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBurial: Minority GroupsMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27585More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that the bodies of deceased people from minority religious communities whose faith practices require burial within a specific timeframe are released promptly to their families.
Answer: Since 9 September 2024, all deaths in any health setting that are not investigated by a coroner will be reviewed by NHS medical examiners. NHS England has published the National Medical Examiner’s guidance which stipulates that arrangements at each medica...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFirearms: LicensingHome OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27584More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with Police and Crime Commissioners in (a) Leicestershire and (b) England on the potential impact of changes to the cost of firearms licenses on the police.
Answer: On 15 January 2025, the Government laid a statutory instrument before Parliament that will increase fees charged by police forces to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications, in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment on fire...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPoultry: Animal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24533More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) phasing out and (b) banning cages for laying hens; and what steps he plans to take to ensure farmers are provided with supp
Answer: We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages for laying hens is an issue we are currently considering very carefully. The Laying Hen Housin...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Rented HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24532More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) limiting rent increases, (b) enhancing requirements for landlord entry on the Private Rented Sector Databas
Answer: The Renters’ Rights Bill will transform the experience of private renting in England. It will modernise the regulation of the private rented sector, levelling decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant.It will empower renters by providing th...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of announcing a national inquiry into grooming gangs; and what steps she is taking to (a) support investigations into alleged crimes and (b) help
Answer: This Government is prioritising work to ensure victims and survivors of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse are protected and supported, while pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice. We are continuing to work across government and with policing a...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFossil Fuels: International CooperationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps with his international counterparts to negotiate a treaty on ending the (a) use and (b) production of fossil fuels.
Answer: We are committed to working with all international counterparts to transition away from fossil fuels, in line with the UK’s domestic and international commitments including from the COP28 Global Stocktake.
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to take steps to improve the equitable distribution of practical driving test slots in (a) England and (b) Leicester East constituency.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 18 December, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times a...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFloods: LeicesterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support communities affected by recent flooding in Leicester; and whether he plans to make a flood recovery grant available to local authorities.
Answer: Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. This Government will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defen...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: LeicesterDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to disability benefits on vulnerable individuals in Leicester; and what steps she will be taking to ensure those most
Answer: We want to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain to enable people better to enter and remain in work, and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today. We will bri...
Answered 6 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLow IncomesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20061More
Question: To ask the Secretary of Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support low-income families by (a) improving access to opportunities for children to play and learn, and (b) enhancing financial independence and living standards.
Answer: Through our Opportunity Mission, this Government will break the link between a child’s background and their future success. We will deliver across four areas including helping every child to achieve and thrive through excellent teaching and high standards...
Answered 23 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPrisons: LeicesterMinistry of JusticeTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20060More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to (a) ensure that current prison expansion plans are sufficient to meet projected demand and (b) prevent potential overcrowding in prisons serving Leicester and the surroundin
Answer: Our 10-year Prison Capacity strategy published on 11 December sets out plans to deliver 14,000 prison places the previous Government promised but failed to deliver. It also sets out our plans to maintain the places in our estate to ensure we have sufficie...
Answered 23 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSolar PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20059More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to (a) prioritise a roofs first approach to solar panel installation to ensure efficient use of urban spaces and (b) incentivize homeowners and businesses
Answer: Changes have been introduced to permitted development rights, enabling more solar installations to benefit from the flexibilities and planning freedoms permitted development rights offer. This includes a new permitted development right that allows for the...
Answered 23 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: LeicesterDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20058More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of compensating women impacted by changes to women's State Pension age in Leicester; and what steps she is taking to support the wo
Answer: In their investigation into communication of changes to State Pension age, the Ombudsman did not examine changes to the State Pension age itself, they examined how the policy was communicated. So, we have done no such assessment. We are committed to suppo...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPoverty: LeicesterDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20057More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of child poverty in Leicester.
Answer: Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, and the Child Poverty Taskforce is working to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025. We published our framework ‘Tackling Child Poverty:...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordChinmoy Krishna DasForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the recent arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
Answer: The UK is committed to promoting and protecting human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). We monitor human rights in Bangladesh closely, including following student-led protests in Bangladesh. I understand the concerns about the arrest...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFurs: Imports and SalesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18716More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of banning the import and sale of fur products on (a) businesses and (b) consumers in Leicester.
Answer: Defra is continuing to build the evidence base on the fur sector in Great Britain. This includes commissioning our expert Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) to produce a report on what constitutes responsible sourcing of fur. The AWC report will add to our un...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: AccountabilityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to hold water companies accountable for financial mismanagement.
Answer: Ofwat monitors the financial position of all water companies, taking action when needed to strengthen company’s long-term financial resilience and producing an annual ‘Monitoring Financial Resilience Report’ to provide a publicly available assessment of t...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPlanning: ReformMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18714More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that planning reforms balance new housing development with the protection of (a) green spaces and (b) local heritage in (i) Leiceste
Answer: The government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December. The Framework reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring the historic environment, both at a local and national level, and local green space are appropriately protect...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: LeicesterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) provide funding for flood defence infrastructure, (b) help tackle the impact of climate change and (c) otherwise mitigate flood risks in Leic
Answer: This Government is investing £2.4 billion over this year and next year to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. Climate change projections are built into the design of new flood defences to make sure they are fit ...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18712More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to review the two child benefit cap.
Answer: The Child Poverty Taskforce is exploring how we can harness all available levers to reduce child poverty before publishing a strategy in Spring 2025.
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordBus Services: Special Educational NeedsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of SEND pupils in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) England impacted by changes to the bus fare cap.
Answer: The Department for Education is the lead government department with responsibility for policy on home to school transport, including provision for pupils with special educational needs. With regard to the national bus fare cap, this will be designed to be...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: UnemploymentDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17921More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support young SEND people not in education, employment or training.
Answer: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and develop the skills they need as they move into adult life.The department is...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordBangladesh: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17920More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to help ensure the protection of (a) Hindu communities and (b) other religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Answer: The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Following the student-led protests in July and August, we have been closely monitoring the situation for minorities in B...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament record
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