Susan Murray MP: written questions
183 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Visas: Overseas VisitorsHome OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department assesses references from British nationals during the visitor visa application process.
Answer: The Visit caseworker guidance provides guidance to decision makers when assessing Visitor applications. It sets out that all information provided by the applicant must be assessed which may include supporting statements or references provided by British n...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRestaurants: Fire PreventionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28389More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support her Department provides to restaurant businesses who have incurred financial cost as a result of operating from premises affected by flammable cladding.
Answer: The key objective of the government’s cladding funding schemes is to ensure that life safety fire risks associated with cladding are addressed as quickly as possible to ensure that residents in residential buildings are safe and feel safe in their homes. ...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBounce Back Loan SchemeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27044More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the bounce back loan scheme implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic; and what assessment he has made of trends in the level of repayment
Answer: The British Business Bank is undertaking a multi-year evaluation of the Covid-19 loan schemes, looking at whether the schemes met their objectives. The Year 2 evaluation report was published in November 2023 and shows that the schemes met their primary ob...
Answered 3 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: ImportsTreasuryTabled 23 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 902458More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help support small and medium sized enterprises with the cost of import charges.
Answer: Small and medium sized businesses make a vital contribution to the UK economy. There are various arrangements in place that enable businesses to access reduced or zero import charges. With regards to customs duty, the UK has a number of free trade agreeme...
Answered 30 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: VATTreasuryTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24329More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the VAT (a) threshold and (b) rates on the (i) growth and (ii) financial sustainability of small businesses.
Answer: At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether. The Government’s approach to the VAT threshold and applicable rates a...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPalliative Care: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19503More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure palliative care standards are maintained for an aging population.
Answer: The delivery of palliative and end of life care services is a devolved matter.We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPalliative Care: Employers' ContributionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19502More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes made to employer National Insurance contributions at the Autumn Budget 2024 on access to palliative care.
Answer: The delivery of palliative and end of life care services is a devolved matter.We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPalliative Care: VacanciesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of workforce shortages on the delivery of palliative care services.
Answer: The delivery of palliative and end of life care services is a devolved matter. We want to assure ourselves and the National Health Service in England that it has access to the workforce it needs in the years ahead to ensure that patients, including those ...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDisability: TaxationTreasuryTabled 3 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17663More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will review the criteria for vehicle tax exemptions for disabled individuals (a) over the state pension age and (b) in receipt of Attendance Allowance.
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and is determined that support should be focused on people who need it most. The aim of existing Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) exemptions for recipients of some disability benefits is to provide additi...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing measures to support pensioners whose defined benefit schemes are underfunded.
Answer: The UK has a robust and flexible regime for protecting defined benefit (DB) pensions. Sponsoring employers are ultimately responsible for meeting the promised pensions and DB pension schemes are subject to the statutory funding objective which requires th...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the financial status of people (a) who received pre-1997 defined benefit pensions and (b) who received payments from schemes with mandatory increases.
Answer: Analysis by the Pensions Regulator estimates that, as of 31 March 2023, more than three quarters of schemes provide indexation on scheme benefits accrued before 6 April 1997. This is in addition to any Guaranteed Minimum Pension rights accrued between 198...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordWorkplace Pensions: InflationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of retirees affected by the lack of statutory inflation protection for pre-1997 defined benefit pensions.
Answer: Analysis carried out by the Pensions Regulator estimates that, as of 31 March 2023, 23 per cent of private-sector occupational Defined Benefit (DB) pension schemes have no indexation applied to pre-1997 benefits. However, this is in addition to any Guaran...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPersonal PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17357More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to encourage private pension schemes to voluntarily offer inflation protection for pre-1997 defined benefit pension entitlements.
Answer: It is for sponsoring employers to decide on what pension benefits they offer, provided they meet minimum standards. Scheme rules set out how the scheme should be run. It would not be appropriate for the Government to interfere in decisions made by individ...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordWorkplace Pensions: InflationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to address the lack of statutory inflation protection for pre-1997 defined benefit pension entitlements.
Answer: It is for sponsoring employers to decide on what pension benefits they offer, provided they meet minimum standards. Scheme rules set out how the scheme should be run. It would not be appropriate for the Government to interfere in decisions made by individ...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordWorkplace Pensions: Index LinkingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of regulations not subjecting pre-1997 defined benefit pensions to statutory indexation on the financial wellbeing of pensioners.
Answer: Analysis by the Pensions Regulator estimates that, as of 31 March 2023, more than three quarters of schemes provide indexation on scheme benefits accrued before 6 April 1997. This is in addition to any Guaranteed Minimum Pension rights accrued between 198...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordGaza: Fire ServicesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 22 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Fire Brigades Union on the fire engine donated to Gaza.
Answer: The UK continues to call on Israel to increase humanitarian and commercial access into the Occupied Palestinian Territories by ensuring all aid crossings are fully operational, including the port of Ashdod. The Foreign Secretary recently spoke to Israeli ...
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordAsylum: EmploymentHome OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15337More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of allowing asylum seekers to undertake paid work.
Answer: At present, asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can apply for permission to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Immigration Salary List. This list is based on ex...
Answered 2 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14799More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to provide students with support in place of the Erasmus+ programme.
Answer: The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme to provide grants for students to do study and work placements anywhere in the world, including in the EU. Students can develop new skills, gain international experience and boost their employabili...
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordConstruction: FraudDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14221More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support the Government provides to (a) individuals and (b) businesses impacted by rogue operators in the building industry.
Answer: The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out the standards consumers can expect when a trader supplies goods and services, including building work, and remedies if these rights are breached. Consumers can seek redress through local authority trading standards or...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: BusinessTreasuryTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14219More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employers National Insurance contributions on (a) small and medium businesses and (b) large businesses.
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note that covers the employer NICs changes was published by HMRC on 13 NovemberThe government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employers’ National Insurance by increasing the Employment ...
Answered 22 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRadiology: EquipmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of molybdenum-technetium generators.
Answer: The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve the shortages of radioisotopes, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. The affected radioisotopes are mainly used for diagnosing cancers, including pr...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, whether co
Answer: I was the first Minister in 8 years to meet the WASPI campaign group and listen to their concerns. We need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. Once this work has been undertaken, th...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNHS: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13119More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional support to (a) GP pra
Answer: We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, which has enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNHS: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that suitable stockpiles of essential medications are available to the NHS to limit the effects of production shortages.
Answer: Whilst stock of a small number of medicines is held by the Government, for example as a result of COVID-19 preparedness, stockpiling essential medicines centrally is not a tool that the Department uses to limit the effects of production shortages. While w...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordTourism: ScotlandScotland OfficeTabled 25 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11194More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on mitigating the potential impact of closing Scottish visitor centres.
Answer: The UK Government recognises the substantial contribution the Scottish tourism industry makes to the UK visitor economy. We are committed to working with industry to strengthen the future of this key sector.While tourism is devolved, we work closely with ...
Answered 31 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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