Steve Darling MP: written questions
651 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Ambulance Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23528More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for (a) ambulances held in queues and (b) people waiting at home for an ambulance.
Answer: The national average ambulance handover time was 43 minutes and 32 seconds in December 2024. The following table shows the national ambulance response time, including for people who have called for an ambulance from their home, for Category 1, 2, 3, and 4...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSupport for Mortgage InterestDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23527More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes made to Support for Mortgage Interest in 2018 on people in receipt of that loan.
Answer: The Department published research looking at Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan take-up in March 2022. This is available here:Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI): Overview - GOV.UK The Department has also commissioned further research looking at the...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSupport for Mortgage InterestDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23526More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing Support for Mortgage Interest from a loan to a benefit.
Answer: The Department published research looking at Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan take-up in March 2022. This is available here:Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI): Overview - GOV.UK The Department has also commissioned further research looking at the...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPensions: ReviewsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23525More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her timeline is for completing the second pensions review.
Answer: This government is committed to enabling tomorrow’s pensioners to have security in retirement– which is why we announced the landmark Pensions Review days after coming into office in July. The first phase focussed on boosting investment and economic growt...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23034More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of maladministration around communications of State Pension age changes on the six sample cases in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's
Answer: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman set out their assessment of the impact on the six sample complainants in the report published in March 2024. Our comments on the sample complainants can be found in our detailed report placed in the House lib...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCats and Dogs: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of breeding for extreme conformations on the health and welfare of (a) dogs and (b) cats.
Answer: To provide a detailed scientific view on the range of issues faced by breeding dogs and cats, the Department commissioned two Opinions from the Government’s Animal Welfare Committee. One Opinion assesses the welfare implications of specialised canine repr...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDogs: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to regulate the use of stud dogs in dog breeding.
Answer: Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a 12-month period needs to have a valid l...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDogs: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Animal Welfare Committee’s December 2024 opinion on specialised dog reproductive practices.
Answer: The department is carefully considering the Animal Welfare Committee’s findings and will outline any next steps in due course. Any policy changes would be made with appropriate engagement with stakeholders.
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor InsuranceDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the terms of reference are for the Motor Insurance Taskforce.
Answer: The Motor Insurance Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cov...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisoners' ReleaseMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22122More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the recall to prison programme.
Answer: The Government’s absolute focus is on public protection. Offenders on licence can be swiftly recalled to prison if they breach their licence conditions in such a way as to indicate that their risk to the public has increased and they are about to commit f...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21729More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are waiting for their pension credit application to be processed in each region.
Answer: We do not currently hold this information at regional level. Outstanding Pension Credit claims totalled 88,500 at the end of week commencing 30th December 2024. This includes 8,500 advanced claims. Advanced claims are where the application can be started ...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21728More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes on the six sample cases in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report entitled Women’s State Pension age:
Answer: The six sample complainants were impacted by State Pension age changes introduced by both the Pensions Act 1995 and the Pensions Act 2011.The Ombudsman did not investigate the decisions to increase the State Pension age for women in 1995, or to accelerate...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21727More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish all Departmental research undertaken in relation to the Government's response to the PHSO report on communication of Women's State Pension age on 17 December 2024.
Answer: The research that has been used to inform the response is published, available online and is referenced within the response. The response itself has been deposited in the House of Commons Library and published on Gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/pu...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMemory Clinics: DevonDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21726More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set targets to reduce memory clinic waiting times in (a) Torbay, (b) Exeter and (c) Barnstaple.
Answer: The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services, including the detection and diagnosis of dementia, and will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services. We are committed to improving...
Answered 10 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPigs: Animal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to support indoor pig farmers to adopt free farrowing systems.
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 Animal Health and Welfare Pathway supports farmers to improve their animals’ health and welfare through fun...
Answered 6 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPigs: Animal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21099More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 6270 on Poultry and Pigs: Animal Welfare, if he will publish a public consultation on the use of farrowing crates for pigs.
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 farrowing crates for pigs is an issue we are currently considering very carefully.
Answered 6 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: AppealsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20805More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of support available to people going through tribunals for claiming (a) Universal Credit and (b) other benefits.
Answer: Appeals are lodged directly with, and administered by, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). At the First-tier Tribunal, proceedings are designed to be straightforward and accessible to all. The tribunal panel is trained and experienced in dealing with...
Answered 23 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPet Travel Scheme: CatsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cats travelled to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme via (a) sea, (b) tunnel and (c) air in 2023 and 2024.
Answer: Means of TransportJanuary - December 2023January - October 2024Air8,7867,712Sea 16,2378,137Tunnel13,26011,087Grand Total38,28326,936 The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checke...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPet Travel Scheme: CatsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cats travelled to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme in each month of (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.
Answer: Month20232024Jan2,7503,207Feb1,7771,860Mar2,0242,357Apr2,2192,700May2,7622,029Jun5,6383,015Jul2,6182,692Aug3,9743,828Sep7,6342,094Oct7593,154Nov2,314 Dec3,814 Total38,28326,936 The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain an...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPet Travel Scheme: DogsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs travelled to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme in each month of 2023.
Answer: MonthTotalJanuary18,840February14,838March15,790April24,722May20,738June21,633July31,068August51,913September29,096October6,581November16,779December36,711Total288,709 The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is base...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordCats: ImportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20053More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cats were imported under the Balai Directive in each month of (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.
Answer: Balai Cat Imports EU: Month20232024Jan216253Feb310267Mar270256Apr179224May164165Jun170196Jul194166Aug197222Sep253287Oct282290Nov261 Dec287 Total2,7832,326 Balai Cat Imports ROW: Month20232024Jan306254Feb304292Mar372251Apr331279May321346Jun377314Jul278332A...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRailways: South WestDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20052More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what projects the full-time equivalent civil servants working on rail projects in the South West are working on; and what proportion of their time is spent on each project.
Answer: Civil servants working on rail projects in the South West are predominantly focused on supporting the South West Rail Resilience Programme, Mid-Cornwall Metro, Wellington and Cullompton stations, MetroWest Phase 1b, also known as the Portishead line, and ...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPost Offices: Bank ServicesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of enhancing the banking offer within Post Offices.
Answer: Post Office continues to provide vital banking services through the Banking Framework to communities and businesses alike and protect access to cash for those who choose to use it. Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communiti...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPet Travel Scheme: DogsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19836More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs travelled to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme by (a) sea, (b) tunnel and (c) air in each of the last 12 months.
Answer: Means of TransportNovember - December 2023January – October 2024Air213113662Sea12097105568Tunnel39262160014Total53490279244The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information received to date, provided b...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help young universal credit claimants into work.
Answer: Our plan to go further, as laid out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, is critical to growing the economy. This includes implementing a new national jobs and career service to help get more people into work alongside a Youth Guarantee, meaning more q...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament record
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