Simon Opher MP: written questions
226 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Nurses: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of entry level nursing roles.
Answer: Decisions about recruitment, including for entry level nursing roles, are matters for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right sk...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate ChangeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30197More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to strengthen the National Adaptation Programme.
Answer: Alongside delivering a new National Adaptation Programme we are committed to strengthening the nation’s resilience, and we are considering a range of options to better embed climate adaptation across the whole of Government. This includes:further work to ...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30192More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a timeline for the implementation of his local power plans policy.
Answer: We are progressing the Great British Energy (GBE) Bill through Parliament, and in October’s Spending Review the Chancellor announced £25 million to establish the company, with a further £100 million of capital funding to spend in 2025/26 so that GBE can s...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPregnancyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the average body mass index of pregnant women in the (a) most recent period for which data is available and (b) five years before the most recent period for
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies receive safe, personalised, equitable and compassionate maternity and neonatal care. As part of this, we know that it is vital to support women before, during and after pregnancy.In the mos...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: Rural AreasDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Active Travel England funding allocation formula on (a) rural and (b) semi-rural areas; and whether she plans to review the use of per capi
Answer: Local authority allocations for Active Travel England (ATE) funding are calculated using a formula based on both population and capability level. This enables investment to be focused on cost effective schemes that have high potential to convert short veh...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Mission Board: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Health Mission Delivery Board has appointed external experts.
Answer: We have established a cross-Government Health Mission Delivery Board to take forward work on the health mission. The core membership of the board is made up of key ministers including my Rt. Hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPreventive MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29006More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the health mission delivery board on the prevention of ill health.
Answer: Mission Boards are Cabinet Committees. It is a long-established precedent that information about the proceedings of the Cabinet, or of any committee of the Cabinet, is not normally shared publicly, and this includes mission boards.The Health Mission, whic...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPreventive MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the five-point prevention plan.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom’s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission aims to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Mission BoardDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Health Mission Delivery Board will next meet.
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care chairs a cross-Government Health Mission Board to oversee and drive delivery of the Health Mission. The current membership of the Health Mission Board includes the Chancellor of the Duch...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Mission BoardDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Health Mission Delivery Board last met.
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care chairs a cross-Government Health Mission Board to oversee and drive delivery of the Health Mission. The current membership of the Health Mission Board includes the Chancellor of the Duch...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPreventive MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the five-point prevention plan.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom’s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission aims to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDevon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on the review of the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority funding formula; and if he will set a timeline for completion.
Answer: Defra is aware of the complex funding challenges in Devon and Severn IFCA and is working with all local authorities within its membership to review the funding formula and how the IFCA can operate on a more sustainable basis. Engagement with local authori...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordForests: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28654More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether woodlands qualify for inheritance tax relief.
Answer: Woodlands can qualify for relief from inheritance tax. That relief may be Agricultural Property Relief (APR) if the woodlands were occupied and used with agricultural land, such as a shelter belt. Alternatively, Business Property Relief (BPR) may be avail...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28653More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether land farmed under the Environmental Land Management Scheme will be exempt from new inheritance tax rules for farms.
Answer: The environmental value of land farmed or managed under the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) will be eligible for Agricultural Property Relief (APR) of up to 100% from 6th April 2025. From 6th April 2026, the 100% rate of relief will continue f...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to increase the funding available for research into children cancers.
Answer: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.5 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24. C...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of hospital beds for teenagers and young adults undergoing cancer treatment.
Answer: Cancer treatment for teenagers and young adults is complex and intensive, with many patients requiring a high level of support. As a result, and as set out in NHS England's service specifications, hospitals providing specialist cancer services for teenage...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: Gender Based ViolenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to contribute to the target of halving violence against women and girls in ten years.
Answer: The Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls in a decade. My Department is working closely with NHS England, the Home Office, and others on a coordinated approach to achieve this goal and improve the health response to victims a...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28042More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to enable community-owned small-scale energy generators to sell electricity directly to local consumers.
Answer: The Government recognises the role that access to local energy will play in achieving net zero. The Government’s licence exemption regimes already allow small scale suppliers, including many community energy groups, to come to market to supply local custo...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: Foreign AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the reported decision by the US government to pause foreign aid.
Answer: This is a matter for the US. Progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals requires collective action, and the UK will continue to work with all international partners toward that vision. The UK's commitment to supporting both humanitarian aid and dev...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28039More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of enabling community-owned small-scale energy generators to sell electricity directly to local consumers on (a) energy prices,
Answer: Small-scale generation sites, including many community energy groups, can benefit from an exemption, which means that they do not require a licence from Ofgem to generate electricity or to supply to local customers.Local energy is unlikely to impact natio...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Accommodation: RegistrationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made on delivering a mandatory short term let registration scheme.
Answer: The Government is keen to introduce the registration scheme for short-term lets in England as soon as possible; the initial phase of digital development is now complete, and public testing is planned to start in the next 12 months. During the next phase o...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPlastics: TreatiesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has received representations from fossil fuel companies on the Global Plastics Treaty.
Answer: Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisa...
Answered 3 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPlastics: TreatiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27464More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support the introduction of a binding global target to cut all forms of primary plastic polymer production.
Answer: The UK supports a global target on the sustainable production of primary plastic polymers. Last year, at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a treaty to end plastic pollution, the UK endorsed a statement calling for all cou...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPlastics: TreatiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27463More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries on the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
Answer: The UK Government, at all stages of the INC process, has made it a priority to engage with a broad range of stakeholders across the plastics value chain, including trade associations representing fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. We partnered with...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPlastics: TreatiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27458More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the negotiations for a global plastics treaty.
Answer: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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