Steve Darling MP: written questions
651 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Police: Mental Health ServicesHome OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27661More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the implementation of the right person right care policy by Devon and Cornwall constabulary.
Answer: The Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) national programme commenced in May 2023 with a focused team supported by subject matter experts.Whilst appreciating that police forces remain operationally independent, the national implementation team at the National ...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBatteries: LithiumDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of fire regulations on Lithium Ion battery storage in the (a) commercial and (b) domestic sector.
Answer: There is a robust framework governing the fire safety of lithium-ion battery storage. The Health and Safety Executive regulates commercial batteries within a framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safe...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: South WestDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent civil servants are currently working on phase five of the South West Rail Resilience programme.
Answer: There are four full-time equivalent civil servants working on rail projects in the South West, including the South West Rail Resilience Programme.
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS Foundation TrustsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26974More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which health foundation trusts other than Devon are under NHS Oversight Framework Level 4.
Answer: The NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) sets out NHS England’s approach to oversight of the National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England allocates all ICBs and NHS trusts, including foundation trusts, to one of four segments. A ...
Answered 3 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPost-mortemsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26955More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the turnaround times for (a) hospital and (b) HM Coroner's Office post mortems in (i) neonatal and paediatric and (ii) other cases.
Answer: Workforce shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathology have led to longer turnaround times for hospital post-mortem reports in some areas of England. NHS England has established a national work programme to address these shortages. A £20,000 recruitmen...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Insurance Contributions: Civil ServantsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent civil servants are working on supporting people who wish to buy back missing National Insurance years before the 5 April 2025 deadline.
Answer: The majority of customers can check for gaps in their NI record, and make payment online. To support those unable to use online services, we have deployed c.300 frontline Civil servants within the DWP and HMRC. A further c100 frontline Civil Servants will...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Insurance Contributions: PublicityTreasuryTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26931More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government is spending on public awareness campaigns to inform people about the opportunity to buy back missing National Insurance years before the 5 April 2025 deadline.
Answer: Since April 2024, approximately 37,000 customers have topped up more than 68,000 years and £35 million has been paid via HMRC’s digital services. From October 2024 we have been running a significant communications campaign to raise awareness of the opport...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Insurance ContributionsTreasuryTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26930More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to raise awareness of the opportunity for people to buy back missing National Insurance years.
Answer: Since April 2024, approximately 37,000 customers have topped up more than 68,000 years and £35 million has been paid via HMRC’s digital services. From October 2024 we have been running a significant communications campaign to raise awareness of the opport...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: ConstructionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26916More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much additional funding for maintenance at delayed schemes in the New Hospital Programme has been made available for each hospital in each year.
Answer: The safety of National Health Service staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Healt...
Answered 3 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHigh Rise Flats: Personal Emergency Evacuation PlansHome OfficeTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26732More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a legal right to Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for disabled (a) tenants and (b) leaseholders in residential blocks who are unable to ind
Answer: The previous Government consulted on Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, identifying concerns over their practicality, proportionality and safety.Following further consultation, Government has committed to introduce legislation later this year to mandate...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: ME/CFSDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26709More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the economy of economic inactivity due to myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Answer: The Department has not made an estimate of the cost to the economy of economic inactivity due to myalgic encephalomyelitis. The Department is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including myalgic encephalomyelitis, w...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: National Insurance CreditsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26399More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24, HC 62, whether the exercise to correct National Insurance records for recipients of Universal Credit has been completed in line wit
Answer: The exercise was completed by 31st May 2024 ensuring all National Insurance records were corrected within the expected timetable with the data shared with HMRC. As stated when the issue was originally raised, relatively few cases, with benefits already in...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGivinostatDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25774More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing access to givinostat.
Answer: We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessmen...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAfter School ClubsDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25773More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help low-income families pay for after-school clubs.
Answer: Improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare for working parents is a priority for this government. We want all families to benefit from the childcare support they are entitled to, helping them with the cost of childcare, enabling parents to ...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25385More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of centrally procuring scaffolding to prop up hospitals awaiting funding via the New Hospital Programme.
Answer: The safety of the National Health Service’s staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future, through our 10-Yea...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRare Diseases: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NICE on ensuring that patient access to treatment for very rare diseases is not delayed in circumstances where there is uncertainty on the incidence and
Answer: The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including the criteria for routing topics to the Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme.Decisions on whether medicin...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators: Public BuildingsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24531More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of requiring defibrillators to be placed in all new (a) social housing developments, (b) supermarkets and (c) other pub
Answer: The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing a...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators: Emergency ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24530More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to require all emergency service vehicles to have defibrillators.
Answer: The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing a...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordStoma AppliancesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23943More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on providing adequate facilities for stoma bag patients.
Answer: The Government oversees policy and legislation with respect to the safe management of waste and litter as well as the protection of drains and sewers. This, however, does not extend to providing guidance to local authorities on providing adequate faciliti...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality IndustryDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23942More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the hospitality industry.
Answer: Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth. This is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship le...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordTourism: TaxationTreasuryTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23941More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a tourism tax on the tourist industry.
Answer: We have no plans to introduce a tourism tax. The Government keeps all tax policy under review.
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23940More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what charities his Department has supported to assist refugees into the NHS.
Answer: The Department does not currently provide financial support to any charities to assist refugees.
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23939More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what direct funding his Department provides to support refugees with medical backgrounds with integrating into the NHS.
Answer: The Department does not currently provide financial support to any charities to assist refugees.
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) fraud, (b) debt and (c) error through AI.
Answer: Since the pandemic, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has lost over £8 billion per year to fraud and error. DWP has committed to further fraud, error and debt measures at Autumn Budget 2024; these will deliver an additional £7bn between 2025/26 a...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAmbulance Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23529More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce ambulance waiting times (a) in the A&E queue and (b) for Torbay and South Devon NHS foundation trust.
Answer: Ambulance response times and ambulance handover times have been below the high standards that patients should expect in recent years, including at the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundational Trust.The Government has committed to supporting the National He...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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