Alicia Kearns MP: written questions
507 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Syria: Islamic StateForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110076More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the security of prisons holding ISIS members following gains by the Syrian army against the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 28 January. Any further updates on the issues addressed in that statement will be made in the normal way in due course.
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: Community DevelopmentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the £530,000 community compensation payment listed in the Community funds for transmission infrastructure guidance for the installation of a substation applies to substations installe
Answer: The £530,000 figure is not compensation. It is a community benefit recognising, transparently, the vital role that host communities play in delivering nationally important clean energy infrastructure. The guidance applies only to onshore electricity trans...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordIslamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsHome OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109844More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the UK will proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terrorist organisation following its designation by the European Union.
Answer: The UK stands proudly on the side of freedom and human rights, and we have long criticised Iran’s authoritarian regime and taken robust action to protect UK interests from Iranian state threats. On 13 January, the Foreign Secretary set out the action that...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: Written QuestionsDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107761More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will respond to Written Question 106338 which was due on 21 January 2026.
Answer: The response to Written Parliamentary Question 106338 was published on 2 February.
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTerrorismMinistry of JusticeTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106593More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report on the Southport attack by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a new offence of planning a mass
Answer: The Government accepts and strongly supports the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation’s (IRTL) recommendation to consider creating a new offence to capture individuals intending to kill multiple people and planning for such attacks. As recognised...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversities: ChinaDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department issues guidance on membership of the Chinese Communist Party being a declarable interest for university senior staff and trustees.
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and this response outlines the information for England only.Higher education (HE) providers are independent and autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for designing and implementing their own policies.As the indepen...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Guidance on planning propriety: planning casework decisions, published on 16 December 2021, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Government'
Answer: In dealing with any application, Ministers and officials will act in accordance with published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions. More information can be found on gov.uk here.
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Prime Minister shared with the Planning Casework Unit a written record of his discussions on 23 August 2024 and 18 December 2024 with the President of the People's Re
Answer: As has been the case under successive administrations, government does not normally disclose details of internal discussions.
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: Gun SportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104335More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the current period of prolonged frost and frozen ground on the ability of woodcock to feed; and whether she intends t
Answer: Managed by JNCC, the Severe Weather Scheme is designed to help with the conservation of birds listed at Schedule 2 Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including woodcock, by reducing disturbance during periods of prolonged cold weather throug...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordChina: Official VisitsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials have met with the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China since July 2024.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in regular contact with our Chinese counterparts at various levels, including with Ambassador Zheng.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUkraine: CeasefiresMinistry of DefenceTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104254More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the commitment to participate in US-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire in Ukraine is binding.
Answer: Following the Leaders’ meeting in Paris on 6 January 2026, technical discussions with the United States and international partners on potential monitoring and verification arrangements for any ceasefire in Ukraine are ongoing. As reiterated by the Prime M...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUkraine: CeasefiresMinistry of DefenceTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104253More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what form, physical or remote intelligence, the UK commitment to participate in US-led monitoring and verification of a ceasefire in Ukraine will take.
Answer: Technical discussions with the United States and international partners on potential monitoring and verification arrangements for any ceasefire in Ukraine are ongoing. As reiterated by the Prime Minister, we have seen excellent progress in US-led negotiat...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordJimmy LaiForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100409More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which (a) Minister and (b) official demarched the Chinese Ambassador following the verdict on Jimmy Lai.
Answer: As the Foreign Secretary confirmed in Parliament in her Oral Statement on 15 December 2025, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. A senior official condemned the politically motivated prosecution of Jimm...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOrgans: DonorsDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of primary and secondary schools in England that include teaching on organ donation within the Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum; and whether her De
Answer: The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance sets out that by the end of secondary school, pupils should know about the science relating to blood, organ and stem cell donation.The department does not routinely collect data on how ...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrescriptions: Fees and ChargesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98437More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has undertaken a review of the medical exemption criteria for prescription charges, particularly in relation to solid-organ transplant recipients.
Answer: No review of the medical exemption criteria for prescription charges has been undertaken.There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed f...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordQuarries: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95910More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his department has considered the potential merits of mandating a minimum distance of 1km between new Quarries and residential homes or schools.
Answer: The scale and form of quarries, and their potential impacts, can vary significantly. As such, it would be overly restrictive to introduce a blanket presumption against quarry development within 1km of residential homes or schools, particularly as minerals...
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93809More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on employment and job creation in the hospitality sector of extending employer National Insurance contribution relief to (a) employees aged under 25 and (b)
Answer: The government is committed to tackling the rise in youth unemployment and inactivity, which has been growing since the last Parliament. That is why we are delivering a Youth Guarantee to ensure that every young person can access the support they need to ...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTelecommunications: Rural AreasDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the resilience and security of digital landline and mobile communications in rural areas during prolonged power outages; and what steps her Department is
Answer: The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 introduced a robust security framework for UK telecoms networks and places legal duties on providers to identify, reduce and prepare for security and resilience risks, including cyber threats, and we have recentl...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: Local PressMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92772More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provision in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to remove public notices in local
Answer: Schedule 25 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill makes provision to amend statutory notice requirements under the Local Government Act 2000, concerning changes to local authority governance arrangements. In practice, this change will a...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLicensed Premises: AdvertisingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92771More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposals to reform the alcohol licensing system to remove a requirement to advertise new premises licences or variations
Answer: Following the Licensing taskforce report, the Government published a Call for Evidence on reforming the licensing system on 7 October, which closed on 6 November. The Call for Evidence invited views on the impact of licensing reforms, including in relatio...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92260More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department remains committed to (a) the application of the precautionary principle in environmental decision-making and (b) maintaining existing statutory protections for p
Answer: Under the Environment Act 2021 Ministers of the Crown must have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement when making policy. The statement sets out how to interpret and apply five environmental principles - integration, prevention, rect...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordBiodiversity: Property DevelopmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92257More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to require local planning authorities to publish biodiversity net gain data and monitoring outcomes for developments in their area.
Answer: The Environment Act 2021 established a strengthened biodiversity duty, which requires local planning authorities to publish a biodiversity report at least every 5 years, setting out how they have complied with the duty. As part of this report, local plann...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordBiodiversity: Property DevelopmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92256More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the current exemptions from the biodiversity net gain requirement, including the use of the de minimis category.
Answer: The Government recently consulted on options to improve the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This included potential changes to the BNG de minimis exemption. A Government response to the consultation wi...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily Proceedings: Expert EvidenceMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the level of remuneration for expert witnesses in family cases.
Answer: Between January 2023 and March 2025, the Ministry of Justice undertook a comprehensive review of civil legal aid. This included family legal aid. The evidence from the review indicated that the housing and debt, and immigration and asylum sectors face par...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMaternity Pay: Living WageDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increasing Statutory Maternity Pay to the level of the National Living Wage on women’s labour market (a) participation and (b) re
Answer: The Government has committed to review the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review.
Answered 14 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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