Steve Darling MP: written questions
651 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Manufacturing Industries: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55026More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small manufacturing businesses.
Answer: This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.Support is available through our...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55025More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of developing a dedicated support strategy for smaller manufacturers.
Answer: This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.Support is available through our...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55024More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the UK.
Answer: This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.Support is available through our...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DiscriminationWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55005More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to tackle age discrimination in the workplace.
Answer: Equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of the Government’s programme of national renewal and the UK has a strong history of protecting against direct and indirect discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 has protections that enable people to chall...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: DiscriminationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle ageism in healthcare services.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme on 5 June 2025 to Question 54136.
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: PayDepartment for EducationTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54065More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to close the pay gap between (a) school teachers and (b) college teachers to achieve equity within the higher education sector.
Answer: Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers but are free to implement their own pay arran...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordZoos: Nature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) delays and (b) administrative burdens on zoos undertaking international animal transfers for conservation purposes.
Answer: Defra continues to work closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges to the cross-border movement of endangered species, including the availability of E...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: Young PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with youth homelessness organisations on the inclusion of a youth chapter in the forthcoming cross-governmental homelessness strategy.
Answer: Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term s...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Accommodation: RegistrationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52730More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42101 on Holiday Accommodation: Licensing, what her planned timetable is for her Department’s publication of the short-term rental registration
Answer: The government has commenced the second phase of digital development for the short-term lets registration scheme legislated for in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. During this phase, DCMS will test the user interface with a small number of user...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2025 to Question 47378 on Personal Independence Payment, how many working-age people are in receipt of the PIP daily living component at (a) regional, (b) constituency an
Answer: Table 1 in the attached excel file contains data, at the regional level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four po...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50253More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Ukrainian Permission Extension scheme have been (a) made, (b) processed, (c) granted, (d) withdrawn and (e) rejected for which the latest data is available.
Answer: The Ukraine Permission extension scheme is open for those granted under the previous Ukraine Schemes to apply up to 28 days before their current permission expires. Applications received – 53,870Applications processed – 45,576Applications approved – 44,10...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic AbuseHome OfficeTabled 1 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help small unitary authorities to access funding for domestic abuse perpetrator programmes.
Answer: For the current financial year (2025/26), the Home Office has awarded over £19 million to continue funding 27 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) through the Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Intervention Fund. This fund enables PCCs to commission...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Government AssistanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 1 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49803More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support independent hospitality businesses.
Answer: Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses bac...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPatients: InformationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49505More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department take steps with the (a) Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and (b) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to further digitise paper-based patient info
Answer: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has worked with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry through the UK Electronic Patient Information Task Force on the potential digitisation of the paper-based patient information le...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: SoftwareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49504More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) review and (b) improve NHS App accessibility for (i) people with visual impairment and (ii) other people.
Answer: We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Patients unable to use digital channels can continue to access services via telephone and through traditional face ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPatients: SafetyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49503More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations outlined in the Patient Safety Commissioner's report entitled The Safety Gap, published in March 2025.
Answer: We welcome the Patient Safety Commissioner’s (PSC) report, The Safety Gap – Safety and Accessibility of Medicines and Medical Devices for people with sensory impairment, highlighting the experiences of people with sensory impairment or loss when accessing...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49120More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of disabled people in specialist education colleges who could be affected by the proposal to change the eligibility criteria for the (a) Limited Capability for
Answer: The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop ...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49119More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to
Answer: The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop ...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBeaches: AccessDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of implementing a national beach accessibility framework on (a) public health and (b) the economy; and if he will consider providi
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new nation...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEducation and Employment: Care LeaversDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support care leavers to develop (a) skills, (b) confidence and (c) opportunities to (i) find and (ii) maintain employment.
Answer: Care leavers up to age 25 are entitled to a personal advisor who works with them to develop a pathway plan. This includes advice and guidance to support career aspirations and further education, training or employment.As part of the Children’s Wellbeing a...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren in Care: LocationDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48602More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure children in care are not moved during (a) exam periods and (b) other critical periods in their education.
Answer: The government recognises the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life. Under the ‘Care planning, placement and case review’ guidance and regulations, the child’s allocated social worker should do everything p...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: CorrespondenceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48200More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence from Councillor David Thomas, leader of Torbay Council of 10 February 2025.
Answer: I thank the hon. Member for Torbay for drawing my attention to this correspondence. I have instructed officials to expedite a reply to Cllr Thomas.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSeas and Oceans: InfrastructureDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Minister has made an assessment of the merits of adopting a Nature Inclusive Design as a standard requirement for offshore projects to (a) boost marine biodiversity and (b)
Answer: Defra recognises the potential for nature-inclusive design (NID) to have a positive environmental benefit when used in suitable areas of the marine environment. However, we are developing Marine Net Gain policy to deliver further positive environmental en...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic AbuseTreasuryTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47875More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to include sustainable funding for domestic abuse perpetrator intervention programmes in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Answer: The Home Office is the lead department responsible for domestic abuse funding. The allocation of funding across departmental budgetary responsibilities will be confirmed through the upcoming Spending Review.
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Abuse: RehabilitationHome OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding is available to local authorities for community-based behaviour change programmes for (a) high-risk and (b) medium-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse.
Answer: Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this government, and we have committed to use every government tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence. The Home Office Domestic Abuse a...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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