Steve Witherden MP: written questions
67 published records · newest first.
Written questions
HomicideMinistry of JusticeTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58512More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will publish a timeline for the Law Commission of England and Wales’s review of the homicide law.
Answer: The Law Commission is independent of Government and responsible for the review of homicide law and sentencing for murder, including publishing their proposed timeline. The Government understands, however, that the Law Commission intends to publish a timel...
Answered 12 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Housing Allowance: WalesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44809 on Local Housing Allowance: Wales, what (a) metrics, (b) data points and (c) analysis were used to assess the impact of Local Housing Allowance
Answer: The impacts referenced in the previous answer were determined using a wide variety of metrics, data and analysis. These included:Current and past rental data supplied by the Valuation Office Agency, Rent Officers Scotland, and Rent Officers Wales;Analysis...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Homicide Sentencing ReviewMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52774More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to publish an updated response to the Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review.
Answer: The Lord Chancellor set out the Government’s plans for reforms to sentencing of domestic homicides in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 6 December 2024 (HCWS286). The Law Commission has accepted our request to undertake a review of the law ...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Rural NetworkDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken under the Shared Rural Network programme to map investment in the hardest-to-reach areas.
Answer: Ofcom reporting indicates areas of poor mobile coverage across the UK. The Government has worked closely with the mobile network operators to identify locations where upgrading or building new masts can improve connectivity in rural areas where there is n...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: Rural AreasDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 8 May 2025AnsweredUIN 904165More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help improve mobile phone coverage in rural areas.
Answer: The Shared Rural Network continues to deliver 4G connectivity where there is limited or no coverage. Beyond this, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030.We are working with Ofcom ...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Housing Allowance: WalesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44809 on Local Housing Allowance: Wales, what (a) metrics, (b) data points and (c) analysis were used to determine the impacts of Local Housing Allowa
Answer: The impacts referenced in the previous answer were determined using a wide variety of metrics, data and analysis. These included:Current and past rental data supplied by the Valuation Office Agency, Rent Officers Scotland, and Rent Officers Wales;Analysis...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRevenue and CustomsTreasuryTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50339More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of widening the eligibility criteria for organisations seeking to engage with the HMRC Wealthy External Forum.
Answer: The Wealthy External Forum (WEF) is a joint forum between HMRC and a cross-section of professional bodies representing wealthy individuals.The WEF is focused on discussing the operational processes and technical tax issues that impact wealthy customers. I...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: WalesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49624More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to publish an assessment of the potential impact of the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, on Wales.
Answer: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. Future publications will include some information on people in Wales affected.These publicat...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAmbulance Services: MedalsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for The Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to paramedics employe
Answer: No assessment has been made and there are no current plans to extend the eligibility of the Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to paramedics employed by air ambulance charities.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPylons: PowysDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the Vyrnwy–Frankton pylon project and (b) other pylon projects on local businesses that rely on tourism.
Answer: Developers of electricity network projects in England & Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals in line with the National Policy Statement for electricity network infrastructure (NPS EN-5). Government assesses specific projects only once they...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPylons: PowysDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the Vrynwy Frankton pylon project and (b) other pylon projects on farm animals.
Answer: Developers of electricity network projects in England & Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals in line with the National Policy Statement for electricity network infrastructure (NPS EN-5). Alongside this, developers undertake Environmental I...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPylons: PowysDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Vrynwy Frankton pylon project on net zero.
Answer: Electricity networks are a critical enabler for net zero, linking new low-carbon generation to electricity demand. To accommodate both the generation needed for clean power as well as increasing demand as heating, transport and industry electrification wi...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate Change: CostsTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45317More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the cost to (a) the public purse (b) businesses and (c) individual people from climate change.
Answer: Illustrative analysis in the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2024 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report suggests that UK GDP could be around 3% lower by 2074 under a below 2°C warming scenario and around 5% lower under a below 3°C warming scenario. Th...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEconomic Growth: Climate ChangeTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45316More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on economic growth.
Answer: Illustrative analysis in the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2024 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report suggests that UK GDP could be around 3% lower by 2074 under a below 2°C warming scenario and around 5% lower under a below 3°C warming scenario. Th...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordReligious Buildings: SecurityHome OfficeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45315More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to protect places of worship from police raids.
Answer: The enforcement of the law is an operational matter for the police. It is for them to decide whether a particular action warrants police involvement, based on their operational expertise and the circumstances of the case.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPress: RegulationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45314More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a press regulator that is independent of (a) the media industry and (b) politicians.
Answer: This Government is committed to an independent and free media, one that is completely separate from the Government and politicians. An independent self-regulatory regime is important to ensure the press adheres to clear and high standards. We are also cle...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCarbon Emissions and Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to hold Ofgem accountable for (a) achieving net zero and (b) supporting growth in renewables as part of its remit.
Answer: The industry regulator Ofgem is directly accountable to Parliament. However, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and DESNZ Ministers have regular meetings with Ofgem on a range of issues. In December, the Government launched its first comprehensive ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordElectricity GenerationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the P441 modification to the Balancing and Settlement Code.
Answer: The Government recognises that local energy will play an important role in achieving our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030, and some suppliers are already working with community energy groups to support local supply. The Secretary ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMedia: PrivacyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many newspapers have been (a) investigated and (b) fined by the Independent Press Standards Organisation since 2014.
Answer: The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), which is independent of Government, publishes annual reports on their website that include details on the number of complaints and enquiries received and their outcomes: https://www.ipso.co.uk/what-we-d...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMedia: PrivacyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to prevent (a) phone hacking and (b) press intrusion.
Answer: The press have a responsibility to behave ethically and they must also operate within the bounds of the law. Any illegal conduct such as phone hacking would be a matter for the police.The Government does not intervene in or oversee the work of the UK’s in...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44817More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of recognising mono-HCV haemophiliacs as a separate cohort under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.
Answer: In March, Parliament approved the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025, which established the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme in full and gave the Infected Blood Compensation Authority the powers it needs to begin making payments to all ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44816More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what evidential basis the level of compensation for people with (a) Hepatitis C and (b) haemophiliacs infected with HIV under the Infected Blood Compensation scheme was determined.
Answer: As recommended by the Inquiry, the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme has been designed as a tariff-based framework. The proposed tariffs were developed on the advice of the Infected Blood Inquiry Response Expert Group, which included clinical and legal a...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44815More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme to distinguish between people subjected to deliberate, non-consensual trials and other people.
Answer: The Infected Blood Inquiry Report highlights many ethical failings that happened as part of the Infected Blood Scandal. The impact of these ethical failings on infected people has been recognised in the compensation scheme's core autonomy award. In his su...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44814More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people will be eligible for compensation under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme in (a) Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK.
Answer: Due to the nature of the Infected Blood scandal there is uncertainty over the number of people who might be eligible for compensation. The final number of eligible people will ultimately depend on the number of victims who come forward. While there is no ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Rented Housing: WalesTreasuryTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44813More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the potential merits of providing support for the delivery of social homes in Wales through (a) increased capital funding and (b) expanded borrowing powers.
Answer: We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the Fiscal Framework, which sets out their borrowing arrangements, continues to deliver value for money while upholding our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility. Discu...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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