Alex Easton MP: written questions 2024
84 published records · newest first.
Written questions
UK Internal Trade: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) Windsor Framework and (b) Northern Ireland Protocol on businesses in North Down constituency; and what steps his Departme
Answer: The Government is committed to the Windsor Framework and to protecting the UK internal market. The Framework guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the UK market on a permanent basis. The Windsor Framework also provides a long-t...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPost Offices: ClosuresDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14509More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Post Office on proposed closures.
Answer: The Secretary of State and I recently met with the Post Office Chair, Nigel Railton, and discussed his proposals for the future of the company before Mr Railton announced Post Office's Transformation Plan on 13th November. While Post Office has the freedo...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 14 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that businesses in Northern Ireland receive the same rate relief support as their counterparts in other regions of the United Kingdom, including the recent 4
Answer: Business relief support is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. The Northern Ireland Executive’s Spending Review settlement for 2025-26 is the largest in real terms of any settlement since devolution.The Northern Ireland Executive is receiving £18....
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: DogsHome OfficeTabled 14 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what happens to dogs held for research purposes by Government (a) Departments and (b) agencies once research has been completed.
Answer: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) provides protections for animals in the UK that are used in scientific procedures.For dogs used in science, the Home Office expects that every opportunity will be taken to re-home animals where it is app...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 14 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14428More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many animals are held by Government (a) Departments and (b) agencies for research; and what type of animals are held.
Answer: The Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2023 was published on the 11 September 2024.The statistics provide full details on the number of licensed procedures carried out, the species of animals and the purposes for w...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPost Offices: ClosuresDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14201More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to (a) help prevent Post Office closures in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) Bangor, North Down and (b) ensure continued access to (A) postal and (B) banking services in impacted
Answer: Government provides an annual £50m Network Subsidy funding to support the delivery of a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria. The access criteria ensure that however the network changes, P...
Answered 22 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13941More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to accelerate the rollout of public electric vehicle charge points; and what steps she plans to take to ensure sufficient infrastructure to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles
Answer: The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of November, there are over 71,000 publicly available charging...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEritrea: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development affairs, what steps he is taking to help promote the rights of religious minorities in Eritrea.
Answer: We consistently raise human rights with the Eritrean government, including religious freedoms. We advocate for the end of detentions based on religion or belief, as we have stated at the UN Human Rights Council. We call for all those unjustly incarcerated...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Northern IrelandDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve mental health support for young people in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the United Kingdom; and whether he is allocating additional resources to ensure (i) timely
Answer: As health is a devolved matter, it is for the devolved Governments to decide how best to improve mental health support for children and young people in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.Plans for investment in children and young people’s mental health...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: Young PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13671More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to increase the (a) affordability and (b) availability of housing for young people.
Answer: With regard to the supply of social and affordable housing, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.To support first-time buyers, the Government has committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage g...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordOvarian CancerDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13380More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) increasing public awareness of the symptoms of, (b) provide timely access to (i) diagnostic tests and (ii) treatments for and (c) otherwise take steps to
Answer: NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of sympt...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPlastics: TreatiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on (a) chemical recycling and (b) the mass balance approach at the INC5 negotiations for the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
Answer: At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastic Pollution Treaty, the UK will align with our domestic policy on any provisions related to chemical recycling. The UK recognises that chemical recycling technol...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPlastics: TreatiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the amount of funding that will be required to meet the UK's potential obligations under the proposed UN global plastics treaty.
Answer: The UK is a leader on efforts to end plastic pollution. We already have a broad range of measures in place domestically that we are using, alongside ongoing industry and private sector engagement, as the basis to drive ambition across the proposed provisi...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordHamas: Hostage TakingForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13316More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) diplomatic, (b) humanitarian and (c) other steps he is taking with international counterparts to help secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Answer: Since day one of this government, we have prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages, in co-ordination with international partners. The Prime Minister - along with other G7 Leaders - has fully endorsed efforts by the ...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: CompensationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13158More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Patient Safety Commissioner's report entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024, what assessme
Answer: The impact of sodium valproate on families affected by fetal valproate syndrome in Northern Ireland is a transferred matter and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive, therefore an assessment has not been made by the Department of Health ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure local authorities have equal access to funding for special educational needs and disabilities services.
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the righ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Internal Trade: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12673More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the number of lorries turned away at Northern Ireland ports for carrying cargo incorrectly listed on their manifests.
Answer: In line with the commitments we have made, as we move to our new UK internal market system we will ensure that the only checks when goods move within the UK internal market system are those conducted by UK authorities as part of a risk-based or intelligen...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordADHD: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12663More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with ADHD receive the level of support set out in the guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence entitled Attentio
Answer: The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments and support in England. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make appropriate provision to meet the health...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 1 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12323More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief
Answer: The Government has published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms, and further explanatory inform...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern IrelandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department plans to provide through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to projects in Northern Ireland in the 2024-25 financial year; and if she will take steps t
Answer: The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £67.5 million for projects in Northern Ireland this financial year.The Autumn Budget announced that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for which the previous government made no plans beyond March 2025, will be extended f...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of recent trends in the amount of time it takes to diagnose brain tumours in (a) children and (b) young adults on long-term health ou
Answer: The Department recognises that children and young adults with brain cancer are often waiting too long for diagnosis. As part of our 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform our broken National Health Service, we will fight cancer on all fronts, from preven...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11782More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to address the specific needs of children diagnosed with brain tumours; and whether he plans to take steps to establish a national brain tumour strategy to impro
Answer: The Department recognises that children and young adults with brain cancer are often waiting too long for diagnosis. As part of our 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform our broken National Health Service, we will fight cancer on all fronts, from preven...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11519More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she is taking steps to reform the disability benefits system for people living with multiple sclerosis.
Answer: This government is committed to breaking down the barriers to opportunity for disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with multiple sclerosis, improving our employment and health support offer and tackling rising levels of econ...
Answered 1 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNeurologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11518More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve neurology waiting times and (b) help ensure timely access to treatment for people with multiple sclerosis.
Answer: We are committed to supporting people with long term conditions, including neurological conditions, and ensuring they receive the support that they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. The Government is committed to putting pati...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve outcomes for people with brain tumours; and if he will develop a brain tumour strategy to help improve (a) diagnosis, (b) treatments and (c) supp
Answer: The Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research (NIHR) are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.NHS England has worked with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to designate centres ...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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