Alex Easton MP: written questions
91 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Oil: Northern IrelandDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117560More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of recent instability and conflict in the Middle East on (a) wholesale oil prices and (b) domestic heating oil prices in Northe
Answer: The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. We recognise that wholesale oil price volatility is placing pressure on domestic heating oil costs, and we are engaging with industry to ensure s...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBreast Cancer: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with UK Research and Innovation on increasing funding for research into invasive lobular breast cancer.
Answer: Government responsibility for delivering cancer research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Tec...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114680More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allocating and ring-fencing funding for strategic rail infrastructure in Northern Ireland.
Answer: Responsibility for rail infrastructure in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. It is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive to allocate funding across devolved areas, and they are accountable to the Northern Irelan...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordReading: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans the department has to support the National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland.
Answer: I recently hosted the East West Council in Belfast where the Minister for Early Years noted the significant collaboration between all four nations of the UK to support the National Year of Reading. Education is a devolved matter and is the responsibility ...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordReading: EqualityDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112742More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote equality and inclusion as part of the National Year of Reading.
Answer: The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign designed to tackle the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults, and to engage new audiences in reading. It aims to make lasting change to the nation’s reading habits a...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordReadingDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112741More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to promote reading.
Answer: Reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. That is why we have launched the National Year of Reading 2026, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. It aims to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through ...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordReadingDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112740More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the department has to promote the National Year of Reading in a) early years settings, b) primary schools, c) secondary schools, d) further education and e) higher education.
Answer: The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment.It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, sc...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordReading: Civil Society CovenantDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112738More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Civil Society Covenant will have a role in the implementation of the National Year of Reading.
Answer: The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. It is a department initiative, in collaboration with our delivery partner, the National Literacy Trust, who are...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordYoung Futures Hubs: ReadingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether Young Futures Hubs will have a role in the implementation of the National Year of Reading.
Answer: The National Year of Reading is a Department for Education initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, p...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTerrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many administrative letters to individuals under the on-the-runs scheme were issued broken down by year.
Answer: This information is publicly available at Appendix 4: Chronology of The Report of the Hallet Review: An Independent Review into the On the Runs Administrative Scheme, which can be found here.
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: StaffDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110604More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on his Department's modelling of workforce numbers in the 10 Year Workforce Plan.
Answer: The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. This plan will set out action to create a National Health Service workforce which is able to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do t...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHunting: Animal ProductsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what response she has given to the US Administration's letter to her Department regarding trophy hunting.
Answer: The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. We continue to engage constructively with a wide range of stakeholders, including other Governments, to understand different perspectives and ensur...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, (b) provide stable multi-year funding for its implementation, including UKCVAM,
Answer: The Government’s strategy Replacing animals in science strategy is setting up governance structures, including a Ministerial board, to oversee progress and ensure momentum is maintained. £60m of ringfenced, multiyear funding has been provided to secure lo...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Growth Fund: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what consideration he has given to ring-fencing any element of the Local Growth Fund allocation for Northern Ireland for community and voluntary sector services.
Answer: The Northern Ireland Office; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive have worked to provide community and voluntary sector organisations with the certainty they need to plan for this year. The RDEL element...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Growth Fund: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on re-profiling the Local Growth Fund allocation for Northern Irel
Answer: Following the announcement of the Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland at the Spending Review in June 2025, I have had regular engagement with the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, as well as Ministers in the Northern Irela...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPolice Service of Northern Ireland: FinanceNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108974More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to make additional funding available to the Police Service of Northern Ireland to meet the costs arising from the 2023 data breach.
Answer: It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to set a budget for Departments, and for the Minister for Justice to allocate funding to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Government is providing the Executive with a record settlement over the Spending ...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDelivery Services: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107891More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed EU (a) taxes and (b) charges on small packages entering the EU on Northern Ireland, including parcels sent within the United Kingdom internal market.
Answer: We are aware of changes to the EU’s rules of low value imports and the announcement in December of its intention to introduce customs duty on these goods from 1 July 2026. At Autumn Budget 2025, the Chancellor announced the removal of the UK's relief from...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Products: Import ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106780More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on proposals to prohibit the import into the UK of hunting trophies; and when she expects to bring forward legislation to implement such a prohibi
Answer: The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. The department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation ...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordIran: DemonstrationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking, bilaterally and with international partners, in response to reports of arbitrary detention, torture and executions of protesters in Iran; and whethe
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the statement the Foreign Secretary made to the House on 13 January, and her responses to the questions raised in that debate.
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSyria: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Government of Syria on protecting the rights of religious minorities, such as Christian Orthodox people, Protestants and C
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 18 September 2025 to Question 74583.
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSyria: Minority GroupsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Government of Syria on recent sectarian attacks on members of the Alawite minority in Homs.
Answer: Further to the answer given on 18 September to question 74583, I raised this issue with the Syrian Foreign Minister during his visit to London in November, and we continue to monitor the situation closely.
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordVictims' Payments SchemeNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104972More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications have been (a) received, (b) awarded and (c) refused under the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme; and in how many refused cases the applicant was in receipt of an occupat
Answer: The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme is a devolved matter and is run by the Victims’ Payments Board on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. Statistics on applications are publicly available on the Victims’ Payments Board’s website.
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordIndependent Inquiry into Grooming GangsHome OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103616More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the independent inquiry into grooming gangs to commence taking evidence; and what steps she is taking to support cross-Government cooperation with the inquiry.
Answer: On 9 December 2025 the Home Secretary announced Baroness Anne Longfield as Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, alongside panellists Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE. She also published the draft Terms of Reference, which she has ...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on whether accommodation providers or subcontractors have used third-party agencies to purchase residential properties in Northern Ireland intended for use in
Answer: Home Office accommodation Providers procure accommodation on behalf of the Home Office for use as asylum accommodation, this can be either via purchasing or letting accommodation available on the property market and they work with a range of landlords and...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101162More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of procuring residential accommodation for asylum seekers in Northern Ireland on (a) the availability of and (b) waiting times for socia
Answer: Accommodation for people seeking asylum in Northern Ireland is procured by Home Office Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract providers from the private rented sector and does not draw on social housing stock. Northern Ireland is not part of the Full D...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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