Alex Brewer MP: written questions 2025
176 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Resident Doctors: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that there are adequate numbers of specialty training places for junior doctors who have completed foundation years one and two; and what steps he is taking to ens
Answer: We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDentistry: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43705More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the capacity of spaces in the Overseas Registration Exam for dentists residing in the UK.
Answer: The Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) exam is operated by the General Dental Council (GDC). The GDC is independent of Government.It is the role of the GDC to approve eligibility criteria for the ORE. There are no restrictions on accessing the exam based on...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce mental health waiting times; and whether he plans to set specific targets to ensure that people in full time work receive timely access to therapy and
Answer: It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that by improving mental health care across the spectrum of need.As...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Spring Statement published on 26 March 2025, where the 37,000 new military homes will be located.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking an extensive review of its Service Family Accommodation portfolio. To ensure a strategic and structured approach is taken, all options will be assessed during the review. The Defence Housing Strategy will b...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that companies and charities are paid on time in the Access to Work Plus Scheme.
Answer: To enable charities and companies to receive timely payments, officials have been working in collaboration with these organisations to explore how the Access to Work Plus claims process can be made easier for their employees. In March 2025, to ensure paym...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration: Armed ConflictHome OfficeTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prioritise children from conflict areas re-joining parents who have legally moved to the UK.
Answer: The Government provides a safe and legal route to bring families together through its family reunion policy. This allows individuals with a form of protection status in the UK to sponsor their partner or children to stay with or join them here, provided t...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEarwax: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS Integrated Care Boards provide community-based ear wax removal services.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of ear wax removal services.Manual ear syringing is no longer advised by the N...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: North East HampshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41318More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) increase social care funding and (b) support local authorities with increases in demand for care services in North East Hampshire constituency.
Answer: To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care G...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Nationality: AssessmentsHome OfficeTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41311More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the accessibility of the Life in the UK test for people with (a) learning difficulties and (b) special needs.
Answer: Where someone cannot reasonably be expected to prepare for or pass the test on medical grounds, the requirement can be waived by request at Knowledge of language and Life in the UK Test exemption: long term physical or mental condition - GOV.UK.If a candi...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFraudHome OfficeTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40385More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) support and (b) compensate vulnerable victims of organised criminal fraud groups.
Answer: Victims of unauthorised bank fraud (for example when a customer’s card is used without their permission) are automatically entitled to reimbursement in virtually all cases. Additionally, mandatory reimbursement for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams (whe...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department (a) monitors and (b) regulates the use of AI in apps aimed at children and teenagers.
Answer: The Online Safety Act places new duties on both user-to-user and search services. The strongest protections in the Act are for children, who will be protected from both illegal content, and legal content which is nonetheless harmful to children (including...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: BabiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37913More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of (a) the proportion of babies and families who require specialist parent-infant relationship and infant mental health support and (b) the availability of services to m
Answer: The 1,001 days from conception to two years old is a time of rapid development in which babies are shaped by their experiences, particularly the relationships with their caregivers.The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of childr...
Answered 21 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: BabiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37912More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government have to ensure specialist parent-infant relationship and infant mental health support is available across England.
Answer: The 1,001 days from conception to two years old is a time of rapid development in which babies are shaped by their experiences, particularly the relationships with their caregivers.The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of childr...
Answered 21 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNicotine and Oral Tobacco: SafetyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35519More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety and (b) regulation of (i) snus and (ii) nicotine pouches.
Answer: Oral tobacco, otherwise known as snus, has been banned in the United Kingdom and the European Union since 1992. All tobacco products are harmful to health, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that smokeless tobacco is carcin...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCrimes of Violence: Rural AreasHome OfficeTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34509More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide new police officers with (a) tools and (b) training to tackle violent rural crime.
Answer: This Government is committed to ensuring there are consistent, high standards for training in the police. This will help to maintain public confidence in the police and ensure the workforce is equipped to respond to the crime challenges they face every da...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHistory and Sports: ClubsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34146More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure (a) sports clubs and (b) historical re-enactment groups have (i) safety rolled and (ii) spatulated tipped equipment delivered to them via del
Answer: The Department has not been approached by sport clubs on this issue.Under current legislation it is against the law to sell a bladed article to a person under the age of 18 and this includes swords. If the sale occurs online it is necessary for the retail...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordKinship Care: Education and Mental Health ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34145More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children in kinship care receive adequate (a) education and (b) mental health support.
Answer: The department is committed to ensuring that children in kinship care get the support that they need to thrive. There are a number of ways in which we support their educational and mental health needs.From September 2024, the department expanded the role ...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWines: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34144More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she plans to take to support small wine companies following changes to alcohol duty rates.
Answer: Following the end of the wine easement on 1 February some administrative work will be required for small wine companies, due to the need to make different calculations for wines of different strengths between 11.5% and 14.5% ABV to establish the level of ...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: North East HampshireDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34143More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to monitor train service improvements in North East Hampshire constituency.
Answer: Department officials are in regular conversation with South Western Railway regarding its service provision in response to demand. When reviewing train services, the Department needs to assess business cases and balance demand with value for the taxpayer ...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHospices: Employers' ContributionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34142More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to National Insurance employer contributions on hospices in North East Hampshire constituency.
Answer: We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, enabling the Spending Review settlement of £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.The employer Na...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArts: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the most effective steps to protect copyright and the creative industries against the increase of AI usage.
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 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Council: FinanceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Soft Power Council on levels of funding for the British Council.
Answer: The Soft Power Council will advise the Government on the development of a Soft Power Strategy, including how to support the UK's soft power assets, and how to harness them through international interventions in support of foreign policy priorities.The Sof...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: CrewDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with train operating companies on (a) train drivers' salaries and (b) performance.
Answer: Ministers continue to meet with train operating companies to hold them to account. Since the start of 2025, the Secretary of State has held meetings with Avanti West Coast and Northern Trains regarding the operators' performance. The Rail Minister also he...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordIndividual Savings AccountsTreasuryTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22495More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review the Lifetime ISAs property price limit.
Answer: Data from the latest UK House Price Index) shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by bo...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21870More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions on (a) hairdressers and (b) other small to medium-sized high street businesses that do n
Answer: In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to supportpublic services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The Government published a Tax Information ...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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