Alex Ballinger MP: written questions 2025
119 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Processed Food: Public HealthDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49629More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) seed oils, (b) added gluten and (c) processed food standards on public health.
Answer: Government advice on a healthy, balanced diet is encapsulated in the United Kingdom’s Eatwell Guide. This is underpinned by the robust independent risk assessments and recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).SACN has not u...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: FoodDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49628More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that (a) hospitals offer (i) gluten and (i) dairy free food that is not high in added sugars and (b) people with restricted diets have access to (A)
Answer: NHS England has published their Food and Drink Standards, which set out the expectations for National Health Service trusts regarding the food they provide to patients and staff. Emphasis is placed on providing healthy, nutritious food options. The standa...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: InternetDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve the effectiveness of measures to prevent consumers from accessing unlicensed online gambling operators.
Answer: We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. The Gambling Commission assesses information gathered from multiple sources and works closely with partner agencies to preven...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: WomenMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with local government to tackle abuse faced by women working in local government.
Answer: This government is clear there is no place in local government for bullying, intimidation or harassment, including abuse faced by women. Such behaviour causes great personal distress to those affected, particularly as the current local government standard...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46459More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that open spaces and the green belt are protected during house building.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the government’s policies for safeguarding the Green Belt from inappropriate development. The Framework also allows local areas to identify local green space which is protected in a similar manner to the Gre...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46458More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the threshold for intervention from children's services to protect children.
Answer: Keeping children safe from multiple forms of abuse and harm is the foundation of giving every child the best start in life, ensuring they can achieve and thrive as they grow up. In our Plan for Change, this government set out its ambition to ensure every ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: Labour Turnover and RecruitmentDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention in local government children's services.
Answer: Local government children’s services provide vital support and protection to society’s most vulnerable children. The department is grateful for the work that children’s social care workforces do every day.In November, we published ‘Keeping children safe, ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46456More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) value for money and (b) effectiveness of weekly food waste recycling collections by local authorities.
Answer: A value for money assessment was made in the Simpler Recycling impact assessment available here: The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025, published in December 2024. The effectiveness of weekly food waste recycling collections by local authorit...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren and Young People: GamblingDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46455More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to improve the education of children and young people on risks associated with online gambling.
Answer: Children and young people are taught about the importance of online safety and the risks associated with it as part of the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum.The statutory RSHE guidance sets out that that young people shou...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPremier 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 record
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