Alex Ballinger MP: written questions
66 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Premier League: AdvertisingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44171More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the enforcement by the Gambling Commission of legislation on preventing unlicensed online gambling operators from being advertised by Premier Leagu
Answer: The Gambling Commission has been clear that sports organisations must diligently and continuously ensure that they are not advertising illegal gambling. Under current rules, sports organisations who engage in sponsoring and advertising arrangements with u...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordVenture Capital TrustsTreasuryTabled 14 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38506More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the UK VCT rules on the age limit for qualifying companies in line with EU regulations.
Answer: The Venture Capital Trust (VCT) Scheme was evaluated in 2022, and these evaluations were published on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-venture-capital-schemes.The evaluations found that the schemes were well targeted to add...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVenture Capital TrustsTreasuryTabled 14 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38505More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of adjusting the annual limits for VCT investee companies alongside inflation.
Answer: The Venture Capital Trust (VCT) Scheme was evaluated in 2022, and these evaluations were published on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-venture-capital-schemes.The evaluations found that the schemes were well targeted to add...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChildmindingDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38504More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to allow childminders to provide funded places to related children who do not live with them.
Answer: Childminders are an important part of the early education sector. They provide flexible and affordable care which can be tailored to the specific needs of parents and children.Primary legislation does not permit funding care that is provided by a relative...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: DatabasesDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35094More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to reintroduce a safeguarding database for children.
Answer: Keeping children safe is a priority for this government. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is taking a range of steps to improve safeguarding. We are introducing a new information sharing duty, making provision for a Single...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal MailDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35093More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has plans to review the processes for recording tracking histories at Royal Mail's Heathrow distribution centre.
Answer: Royal Mail is an independent business and therefore concerns about operational matters should be directed to its management.The government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial or operational decisions, including its processes for recording trac...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGame: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect grouse and their habitats.
Answer: There are two native species of grouse in England, red and black grouse. Black grouse are of conservation concern because of a long-term decline in their numbers due to a combination of factors including predation, climate change and changes in agricultur...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: LabellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure food allergy labels are visible and legible; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a minimum type s
Answer: The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. The availability and accessibility of essential food information t...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: RegulationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to stop the provision of (a) clinical and (b) therapy services by (i) unregulated and (ii) unregistered individuals.
Answer: The Government has no plans to stop the provision of clinical or therapy services by either unregulated and/or unregistered individuals.
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordIdentity Cards: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has considered the introduction of an official ID scheme for (a) disabled people and (b) their carers.
Answer: While some disabled people may welcome a card that acts as a proof of disability, we are aware that some disabled people would not wish to carry a card which confirms their impairment. Other people who may meet the criteria for the Equality Act 2010 defin...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: TaxationTreasuryTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34715More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising taxation on gambling operators.
Answer: Gambling Duties raised £3.5 billion in revenue in 2023-24.As with all taxes, the Government keeps the gambling duty system under review during its Budget process.
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS staff training is (a) effective, (b) time efficient and (c) value for money.
Answer: Statutory and mandatory training is wide ranging and completed by all National Health Service staff. NHS England is leading work to reform statutory and mandatory training through a programme to optimise, rationalise, and redesign training. The aim is for...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProscribed OrganisationsHome OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to proscribe (a) the English Defence League and (b) other far right groups.
Answer: The Government has robust processes in place for reviewing the list of proscribed organisations. However, the Government does not routinely comment on whether or not an organisation is being considered for proscription.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: StandardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take to increase regulations on property developers to help ensure high standards of development.
Answer: The Building Regulations are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare; they set minimum acceptable standards for new building work including when a building is being designed, constructed, or subject to major re-design and which are enforce...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: West MidlandsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) supply chains issues and (b) shortages of ADHD medication in the West Midlands.
Answer: The resilience of the United Kingdom’s supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. The Department works in partnership with industry, the National Health Service, and the wider he...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Buildings: ArsonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29739More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve the capacity of local authorities to rebuild public buildings affected by arson.
Answer: The government understands the impact that deliberate fire setting has on people and the communities in which they live and work.The Local Government Finance Settlement available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase i...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Married PeopleHome OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29723More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming spousal visa regulations to (a) reduce the 10-year duration, (b) remove renewals and (c) prevent penalisation due to a pa
Answer: The Family Immigration Rules provide the requirements to be met for those seeking to establish or maintain their family life in the UK and these rules are kept under regular review to ensure that there are clear incentives to comply with the rules and cle...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCompulsorily Detained Psychiatric PatientsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a mandatory and formal way for recording if and when patients have had an assessment for section 117 aftercare.
Answer: Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 requires local social services authorities and National Health Service commissioners to provide or arrange for the provision of aftercare to adults or children detained in hospital for treatment under section 3, 3...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPsychiatry and Social Workers: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29711More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandatory training for (a) psychiatrists, (b) psychiatric nurses and (c) social workers on legal obligations under section 117 of the Me
Answer: Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 requires local social services authorities and National Health Service commissioners to provide or arrange for the provision of aftercare to adults or children detained in hospital for treatment under section 3, 3...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDrax Power Station: TimberDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of trees from (a) primary and (b) old growth forests burnt by the Drax power station since 2012.
Answer: The origin and profile of biomass used by Drax is monitored by Ofgem. The Government requires that all biomass used by Drax be compliant with strict sustainability criteria. This requires that biomass must be legally and sustainably harvested and includes...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArts: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect the creative industries and (b) ensure copyright legislation remains strong in response to proliferated use of AI.
Answer: The government recognises the importance of the UK’s copyright regime to the economic success of the creative industries, one of eight growth-driving sectors as identified in our Industrial Strategy. We are committed to supporting rights holders by ensuri...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPancreatic Enzyme Replacement TherapyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address the shortages in Pancreatic enzyme replacement medication.
Answer: The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Increased volumes of PERT are expected for 2025, and specialist importers have sourced unlicensed s...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProstate Cancer: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equal access to diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Answer: NHS England is taking steps to raise awareness of the symptoms of prostate cancer, where there are opportunities to do so. To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer, we have invested £16 million in the TRANSFORM trial, aimed at...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordParental LeaveDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) affordability and (b) accessibility of parental leave.
Answer: Government keeps the rates of benefits, state pension and statutory pay under review.Parental pay is reviewed annually at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. From April 2025, the rate will increase by September 2024's CPI figur...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty DevelopmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help local authorities scruitnise the work of property developers.
Answer: Building control assure compliance with the building regulations and have powers to intervene where it is found that buildings are in breach of the Building Regulations. It is an important function for local authorities, protecting the health and safety o...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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