Will Forster MP: written questions
417 published records · newest first.
Written questions
NATO: Military ExercisesMinistry of DefenceTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42154More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the United Kingdom is contributing to the NATO Hedgehog Exercises.
Answer: The UK has endorsed the deployment of 4 Brigade and four Typhoons to Exercise HEDGEHOG. The UK will provide roughly 2,500 Service personnel towards the exercise, in addition to the Forward Land Forces armoured battle group already deployed in Estonia, com...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: TrainingDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of approved driving instructor (ADI) tests; and if she will make it her policy to temporarily extend the two-year qualification period applicable
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) understands that waiting times remain high for approved driving instructor (ADI) tests and has a rolling programme of recruitment and training for ADI examiners.Since December 2024, the DVSA has also made ava...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Insurance: PricesDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the extra cost of car insurance premiums faced by (a) all drivers and (b) those drivers who have not previously claimed.
Answer: The Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. Our cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority ...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: Foreign PolicyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 903555More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen diplomatic cooperation with European allies in the context of US foreign policy.
Answer: In March, the Prime Minister convened international leaders to shape our support for Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary met EU High Representative Kallas, spoke to his Polish and French counterparts, and attended a Weimar+ meeting in Madrid. We are setting up...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFirst Aid: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41765More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking through the NHS 10-Year Plan to improve public access to first aid (a) training and (b) equipment.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. The detail of the plan will be set out in due cour...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators and Heart Diseases: WokingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase (a) survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and (b) the availability of defibrillators in Woking.
Answer: In a bid to improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government has committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving ...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Voluntary WorkDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to work with volunteers to (a) add resilience to the NHS workforce, (b) reduce waiting lists and (c) move care out-of-hospital and into the community.
Answer: The National Health Service has always benefitted from the generous support of volunteers. Volunteers will continue to play an important and complementary role in the NHS and care system, supporting patients, families, and staff.NHS England invested £10 m...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTurkey: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Turkey.
Answer: The Government is closely monitoring the situation in Turkey. The UK expects Turkey to uphold its international commitments and the rule of law, including swift and transparent judicial processes. We have been engaging with the Turkish government and ther...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPostnatal Care: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41633More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with NHS England to improve the provision of respite homes for mums and babies post traumatic birth.
Answer: The Department recognises the significant physical and psychological consequences of birth trauma and the devastating impact this can have on some women. We are fully committed to improving the quality and consistency of care for women throughout pregnanc...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGlass: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the brewing industry of extended producer responsibility fees on glass beer bottles.
Answer: It is the responsibility of producers to estimate the cost of their fees. Producers are required to submit the next round of 2024 data by 1 April 2025. Following this and pending satisfactory regulatory checks, Defra intend to use these data to publish pE...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: UkraineForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to provide funding to help (a) track and (b) return children kidnapped following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Answer: The UK has supported 'Save Ukraine', an NGO which helps to return Ukrainian children, and 'Bring Kids Back UA' through The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine. We were pleased to see another group of children returned via Qatari mediation in Septembe...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLand: Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38319More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of charging Council Tax on properties which have received planning permission but where no construction has commenced a
Answer: Council tax is a tax on domestic properties based on their capital value in 1991. The Valuation Office Agency is responsible for allocating council tax bands in England, and upon completion will assign a band to newly constructed properties. The governmen...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38316More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how new unitary authorities will be required to (a) merge their existing local plans and (b) set new local plans following reorganisation.
Answer: The legal status of local plans is not impacted by local government reorganisation. Where reorganisation occurs new unitary authorities are expected to promptly prepare a local plan covering the whole of their area. Until that new plan is adopted, existin...
Answered 21 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: StandardsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 903213More
Question: What steps she is taking to improve her Department's customer service.
Answer: We are modernising our services, enabling customers to self-serve online, while retaining non-digital channels for those that need them, avoiding digital inclusion and ensuring everyone gets the level of support they need.For example, we are starting to u...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: ConcreteDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37497More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to review her Department's decision to reduce the maximum weight limits for volumetric concrete mobile plants; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of this policy on
Answer: The outcome of my Department’s review into volumetric concrete mixers was published on 18 March. This can be accessed at the following link:gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review.
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordOverseas Students: UkraineDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37496More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ukrainian students will be eligible for home fee status from the 2025-26 academic year.
Answer: In the 2022/23 academic year, the Student Support Regulations were amended so that persons granted leave under one of the Ukraine schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine family scheme and Ukraine extension scheme) would qualify for student support and home fe...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordOverseas Trade: RussiaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to support British businesses that lawfully traded with now-sanctioned Russian (a) businesses and (b) people to help them to recover funds lawfully owed to them.
Answer: Our sanctions are designed to minimise impact on the UK and avoid unintended consequences. The Department for Business and Trade has sought to minimise the impact on businesses through implementing appropriate exceptions, specific licences where appropria...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36312More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure community pharmacies receive support to stay open.
Answer: The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.The Government is committe...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDrugs: Health EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35562More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure drug education is delivered effectively in private schools.
Answer: Independent schools have a statutory duty to teach personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, under the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.Independent schools have discretion over how they teach health education, but th...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLong Covid and ME/CFS: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31706More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to support people with (a) ME and (b) long Covid; what funding has been allocated to Surrey for treatment of such conditions; and what the waiting times are for (i)
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), services locally, and are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government ServicesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the classification of (a) non-statutory and (b) statutory services provided by councils, in the context of the closure of (i) pu
Answer: Good provision of non-statutory services, such as public toilets, is an important issue which local leaders are best placed to make decisions on based on the needs of their communities. The English Devolution White Paper, as well as the recently published...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: ConcreteDepartment for TransportTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29805More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing permanent weight limits of (a) 38.4 tonnes for four-axle rigid Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs) and (b) 44 tonnes for five-axle rigid VCMs,
Answer: The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). Evidence was provided to the Department on both the pros and cons of allowing VCMs to con...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29803More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle (a) discrepancies between contribution amounts on pension statements and payslips, (b) lack of online access to manage pensions and (c) ot
Answer: The independent Pensions Regulator (TPR) is responsible for providing detailed guidance to employers on how to meet their automatic enrolment duties. This includes guidance on avoiding common errors, such as incorrect pension contributions, failing to enr...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDisability Living AllowanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29709More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support claimants of disability allowance who (a) have difficulties with oral communication, (b) have deafness, (c) have learning difficulties and (d) do not own a
Answer: For hearing and speech impaired customers:DWP utilise the Video Relay Service (VRS) which enables customers to communicate in real time via a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter using a video connection on an electronic device. There is no need to be ...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordIndia: VisasForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department (a) monitors and (b) reviews the granting of visa applications to British citizens by the Government of India.
Answer: The UK government does not monitor or review individual visa applications made by British citizens to the Government of India.
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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