Afzal Khan MP: written questions
288 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Protective Security for Mosques SchemeHome OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average length of time for applications to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme to be determined since that Scheme was established.
Answer: The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme receives a high volume of applications, and each is assessed to ensure that public money is used proportionately, fairly, and in line with the Scheme’s eligibility requirements.Processing times can vary depending...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPlaces of Worship Security Funding Scheme and Protective Security for Mosques SchemeHome OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was provided to Muslim institutions through the (a) Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme and (b) Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in each year since they were establishe
Answer: The Home Office provides protective security for Places of Worship as part of three separate strands. These are the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and protection for Muslim faith schools (since 2023/24), the Jewish Community Protective Security Gr...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordProtective Security for Mosques SchemeHome OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Muslim organisations have applied for funding through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme in every year since it was established; and of these, how many have been successful in o
Answer: The Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme is open to places of worship from all faith communities, except for Muslim and Jewish sites, which are supported through separate schemes. Muslim organisations are therefore not eligible for the Places of W...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordProtective Security for Mosques SchemeHome OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many organisations have applied for funding through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in every year since it was established; and of these, how many have been successful in obtaining fund
Answer: Protecting the right of all faith communities to worship in peace and without fear is fundamental. The Government continues to support the police in reviewing threats and strengthening protections for faith communities against terrorism and hate crime.Tha...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordReligious Buildings: Crimes against PropertyHome OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123292More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim community centres have been subject to criminal damage in each of the last 5 years.
Answer: The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of religious hate crimes targeted at Muslims recorded by the police in England and Wales. It is not possible to tell, from the data held centrally, whether or not the offences were committed...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: VATTreasuryTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121909More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review VAT on veterinary services.
Answer: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for public services, and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rat...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: VATTreasuryTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121908More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of applying a (a) reduced and (b) zero rate of VAT to essential veterinary (i) treatment and (ii) medicines.
Answer: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for public services, and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rat...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordScience and Technology Facilities Council: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121907More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to STFC funding on (a) the Jodrell Bank Observatory and (b) other research facilities.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI. The overall Government spend on R&D over the next 4 years is ...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHigher Education: ResearchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121906More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support early-career researchers funded through the Science and Technology Facilities Council, in the context of funding uncertainty.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI. The overall Government spend on R&D over the next 4 years is ...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAstronomy and Physics: ResearchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121905More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Science and Technology Facilities Council funding on the UK’s global position in astronomy and physics research.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI. The overall Government spend on R&D over the next 4 years is ...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordWest Bank: Archaeological SitesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121904More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with Israeli ministers about the annexation of Sebastia in the West Bank.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to response given on 24 March to question 120656.
Answered 2 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: SponsorshipHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her written statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, by what date her department intends to have operationalised a Named Community Sponsorship scheme for refugee resettlement.
Answer: In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced pers...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: SponsorshipHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her written statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, what the target number of resettlements is under a Named Community Sponsorship scheme.
Answer: In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced pers...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: SponsorshipHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her written statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, what assessment her department has made of the adequacy of the timeline for establishing a Named Community Sponsorship scheme.
Answer: In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced pers...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: StandardsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with energy providers, including Bunch Energy, on improving customer services.
Answer: The Government takes the issue of the quality of customer service offered by suppliers very seriously. The Supplier Licence conditions set down by the industry regulator Ofgem require suppliers to meet certain conditions with respect of customer enquiries...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of current move-on and eviction notice periods from asylum accommodation on refugee homelessness.
Answer: For individuals granted leave to remain, we are committed to successfully transitioning them from asylum accommodation, which is why we have extended the grace period to 42 days, from 28 days. In limited circumstances, the 42 day period can be extended on...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSleeping Rough: TemperatureMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that local authorities have the resources to activate the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol promptly and provide sufficient saf
Answer: Local authorities should plan services which meet the needs of people in their area, which includes planning for periods of extreme cold. The government is providing more than £3.3 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping funding from 2026/27 to 2028/29...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoyal Mail: Conditions of Employment and PayDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120946More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with the Communication Workers Union and Royal Mail on proposals to equalise pay, terms and conditions between existing and newly recruited postal workers.
Answer: The Secretary of State met Dave Ward, General Secretary of the CWU, and Daniel Křetínský, the owner of EP Group, on 16 February and again on 19 March.The terms and working conditions of Royal Mail employees are the subject of ongoing negotiations between ...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoyal Mail: Labour TurnoverDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120945More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of workforce retention at Royal Mail since 2022.
Answer: I have been clear that Royal Mail’s recent delivery performance has not been good enough. Workforce retention plays an important role in quality of service, as Royal Mail has said itself in the past in response to Ofcom investigations. I met Ofcom on 11 M...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChevening Scholarships ProgrammeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will provide a breakdown of the number people in the UK on Chevening scholarships in each of the last ten years by nationality.
Answer: I thank the Hon Member for his question. I will deposit in the library the full requested breakdown of Chevening scholarships by year and by country, but as a summary of the top-line findings, the table below sets out the top 20 countries for scholarships...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Chevening Scholarships ProgrammeHome OfficeTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120003More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Chevening scholars have claimed asylum in the UK in each of the last ten years by nationality.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum claims by nationality and the number of people claiming asylum where the latest leave held prior to claim was a study visa is p...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPupils: Food PovertyDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118858More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the prevalence of child morning hunger in (a) early years, (b) primary and (c) secondary school settings in England on school (i) readine
Answer: The department appreciates the publication of the report and look forward to giving it our full consideration. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and delivering meaningful action to support children and families. The removal of the two...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: PricesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118262More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support customers with the cost of their energy bills.
Answer: At the Budget we committed to taking money off energy bills and we have. Ofgem has confirmed that the price cap will fall by 7% or £117 annually for the period covering April to June. The price cap for that period is fixed and will not change. In addition...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions to levels of spending on Official Development Assistance one year-on from when those reductions were
Answer: An Equalities Impact Assessment was published in September 2025 relating to Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations in 2025/26. We will soon publish the multi-year ODA allocations for the period from 2026/27 to 2028/29, informed by internal and ...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPolitical Parties: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a cap on individual political donations to political parties.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97817 on 11 December 2025.
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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