Simon Opher MP: written questions
340 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Gaza: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to organisations supporting the delivery of aid in Gaza since 5 July 2024.
Answer: The UK has now announced £112 million for the Occupied Palestinian Territories so far this financial year, providing vital services to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank delivered through partner agencies. As part of this total, since July we have announ...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFree School Meals: Academic YearDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with local authorities to extend provision of free school meals to school holidays.
Answer: There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM). The department recognises the vital role played by FSM and encourages all eligible families to take up their entitlement. To make this as easy as possible the...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFree School Meals: EligibilityDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she take steps to delegate powers to local authorities to (a) identify and (b) automatically register all children eligible for free school meals.
Answer: There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM). The department recognises the vital role played by FSM and encourages all eligible families to take up their entitlement. To make this as easy as possible the...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: RegulationTreasuryTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18418More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulations to enhance financial transparency within the hairdressing industry.
Answer: Financial transparency is key to ensuring cash-based businesses meet their legal obligations, such as registering with HMRC and paying taxes promptly. However, these benefits must be balanced against the burdens on business created by new regulation. Whil...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordConsumer Goods: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 27 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing advertising restrictions on high carbon emission products (a) on television and (b) online.
Answer: The Government is committed to reducing emissions from high carbon products and will continue to bring forward proposals to do so. The Committees of Advertising Practice and Advertising Standards Authority regulate the content and targeting of advertising...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordAsylum: DetaineesHome OfficeTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15903More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the criteria for determining which individuals seeking asylum will be subject to detention.
Answer: The Home Office has published guidance for determining who can be detained under immigration powers including those who are seeking asylum.‘Detained Asylum Casework’ sets out for the criteria for our caseworkers to determine under which circumstances asyl...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordIllegal Migration Act 2023Home OfficeTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to repeal the Illegal Migration Act 2023.
Answer: The Government has made clear the that the migration partnership with Rwanda will end. Consequently, the Government is considering all options connected with ending that partnership, including for the entirety of the Illegal Migration Act 2023. Legislativ...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMigrants: DetaineesHome OfficeTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15896More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle abuse in immigration detention centres.
Answer: We expect all suppliers operating on behalf of the Home Office to treat detained individuals with decency and respect, behaving in line with the high standards outlined in the Detention Centre Rules, published operating standards and service delivery cont...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMigrants: DetaineesHome OfficeTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory time limit on immigration detention.
Answer: There are currently no plans to introduce a time limit on immigration detention. This would risk significantly weakening our ability to remove those who have breached our immigration laws or who refuse to leave the UK voluntarily.
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 22 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of legislating to enable local authorities in England to adjust council tax rates by increasing them for higher-band proper
Answer: The government does not have any plans to reform council tax. In line with OBR forecasts made under the previous government, the government will maintain a core 3% referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept in 2025-26.
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCommunity Relations: Departmental CoordinationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to promote cross-departmental work to strengthen community cohesion.
Answer: The Government has made £15 million available to the places most severely affected by disorder through the Community Recovery Fund to support the immediate recovery. Officials from my department have also carried out an extensive engagement process with t...
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Rented Housing: RentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to prohibit a landlord from (a) demanding and (b) accepting more than one month’s rent in advance in respect of a (i) tenancy and (ii) licence of r
Answer: The government recognise that demands for extortionate rent in advance place a considerable financial strain on tenants and can exclude certain groups from renting altogether.We are very clear that the practice of landlords demanding large amounts of rent...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSports: Mental HealthDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of grassroots sports programmes in strengthening mental health (a) literacy and (b) resilience of men and boys.
Answer: Grassroots sports programmes provide important opportunities to bring communities together and to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of participants. Active lifestyles are also associated with 375,000 fewer people being diagnosed with depression.Th...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordX Corp: DisinformationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14757More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing further regulations on X to tackle the spread the of (a) disinformation and (b) misinformation.
Answer: The Online Safety Act will require all in-scope services, including X, to tackle mis- and disinformation where it is illegal or harmful to children. The Act will also hold Category 1 services to account over the enforcement of their terms of service, incl...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLeasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will set out her timeline for the implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244) which sets out further detail on implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. It also clarifies government's plans to reform leasehold and commonhol...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCycle to Work Scheme: Low IncomesTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14753More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Cycle to Work Scheme in improving cycle ownership among people on low incomes.
Answer: The Cycle to Work scheme is a benefit-in-kind provided by employers to their employees. A benefit-in-kind is a form of non-cash remuneration provided by employers to their employees. Income tax and National Insurance contribution relief is provided on the...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordHealth: BicyclesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14752More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential health benefits of improving access to cycles for people on low incomes.
Answer: We know that reducing physical inactivity is beneficial for everyone and evidence suggests that cycling has positive physical and mental health benefits. Public Health England’s cycling and walking evidence review, published in 2018, found mixed evidence ...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordConditions of Employment: InsolvencyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14404More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to strengthen employee rights for those who were employed by an employer that has become insolvent.
Answer: When an employer enters insolvency, the Government’s Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) can pay statutory amounts owed to employees from the National Insurance Fund. These include redundancy pay, holiday pay, arrears of pay, compensatory notice pay and pen...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14374More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to ensure that households that do not have driveways can access (a) on-street and (b) domestic EV charging infrastructure.
Answer: The Government is dedicated to ensuring EV drivers can charge across the country, wherever they live. Through the Local EV Infrastructure Fund, local authorities in England are being supported to install tens of thousands of chargepoints.For those without...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLitterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14170More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory codes of practice for businesses to reduce litter.
Answer: The Government is not, at this time, planning to make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory codes of practice for businesses to reduce litter.We want to see businesses recognising what they can do to discourage the littering of th...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmpty PropertyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13268More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to bring empty homes back into use.
Answer: I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 6686 on 14 October 2024.
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordTeachers: Workplace PensionsDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12542More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps has her Department is taking with the Teacher's Pension Scheme to reduce the time taken to provide pension valuations for teachers undergoing divorce proceedings.
Answer: The department is aware of a backlog with the number of outstanding Cash Equivalent Transfer Value figures that are used by members in divorce proceedings. The backlog has arisen as a result of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy and the need for...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSexual Offences Act 2003Ministry of JusticeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12493More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to amend the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to classify driving instructors as a position of trust.
Answer: This Government is committed to protecting children and young people from sexual abuse. We have robust legislation in this area, and “position of trust” offences were reviewed and updated in 2022. We continue to keep this important area of law under revie...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEdward JennerDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12188More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with UNESCO on the proposed application for Dr Edward Jenner's house in Berkeley to receive world heritage statue.
Answer: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for nominating sites across the United Kingdom to UNESCO for World Heritage status. The Department last updated the Tentative List of prospective World Heritage nominations in 2022/23 and it is no...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPark Homes: SalesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her department has any plans to review the 10% commission charge applied to the sale of park homes by site owner.
Answer: The park homes sector is an important part of the housing market and must be a safe and secure place for residents.The Government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park hom...
Answered 6 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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