Alicia Kearns MP: written questions
269 published records · newest first.
Written questions
TerrorismHome OfficeTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23462More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the United Arab Emirates proscribing (a) Cambridge Education and Training Centre Ltd, (b) IMA6INE Ltd, (c) Wembley Tree L
Answer: The Government does not routinely comment on individual groups or cases and Home Office officials continually seek to build and refresh their knowledge of the threat from extremism, as the landscape is constantly evolving. This includes disrupting the act...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFoot and Mouth Disease: Disease ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) protect the livestock sector from the confirmed outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Germany and (b) prevent the disease entering the UK.
Answer: The UK is currently free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) and has a robust contingency plan in place to manage risk as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain. Controls include strict prohibitions on the imports of animal...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSexual Offences: Prisoners' ReleaseMinistry of JusticeTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any offenders convicted of gang rape have been released early from prison in the last six months.
Answer: There is no single offence for gang rape defined in legislation.All sex offences are automatically excluded from the SDS40 scheme.
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPlants: Import ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve border infrastructure for importing (a) large plants and (b) trees.
Answer: Defra continues to work with port operators to ensure that there are effective import inspections of large plants and trees to maintain the UK’s high biosecurity standards, including ensuring equipment is available to handle goods. Defra has laid legislat...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPlants: Import ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on developing an improved plant health alert system; and whether the new system will include real time updates on border holds.
Answer: For goods that are detained at the border, there are already measures in place to inform the persons responsible for the loads that corrective action may be required or that in the event of a pest finding, certain processes need to be followed. Any non-co...
Answered 24 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordHorticulture: Import ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to provide more data to horticulture businesses on (a) sanitary and phytosanitary border movements and (b) inspection rates generated from the Impor
Answer: Our checks are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. To protect the integrity of this approach, we cannot share granular data on movements and inspections. Traders should continue to follow the published guidance which sets out Border Target Ope...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAllergies: SchoolsDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing the new Neffy treatment for severe allergic reactions to schools when available on the NHS.
Answer: Needle-free epinephrine nasal spray is not currently licensed for use in the United Kingdom. Consideration as to whether this could be used in schools would have to be taken once the medicine receives a marketing authorisation. Since October 2017, the Hum...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAllergies: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22696More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the new Neffy treatment for severe allergic reactions will be available on the NHS.
Answer: It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) assesses all medicines before they can be used in the UK. Neffy (epinephrine nasal spray) has not been licenced...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: Supply ChainsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22099More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a plan to help tackle the use of Uyghur slave labour in solar supply chains.
Answer: The Government opposes all forms of slave labour. The Government is clear UK businesses should monitor their supply chains and do everything in their power to remove any instances of forced labour they may find.Through the reconvened Solar Taskforce, the ...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHostage TakingForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22098More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to appoint the (a) special envoy for hostage affairs and (b) special envoy for arbitrary detention.
Answer: The FCDO is committed to strengthening support for British Nationals overseas, including through the appointment of an Envoy. Further details will be announced in due course.William Middleton has succeeded Charles Hay as Director for Gaza Hostages.
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDrugs: Organised CrimeHome OfficeTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22097More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of making cuckooing a crime.
Answer: Cuckooing is an appalling practice associated with violence, exploitation and anti-social behaviour.The Government’s Safer Streets Mission aims to tackle these issues and we will make further announcements in the normal way in due course.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Ownership FundMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the next round of the Community Ownership Fund will open for applications.
Answer: Following the announcement of Round 4 Window 1 outcomes on 23 December 2024, the Community Ownership Fund (COF) is now closed.There will be no further application windows on the COF programme.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBroadband and Mobile Phones: South KestevenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve mobile phone and broadband access in South Kesteven.
Answer: Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. Eligible premises in the district council area of South Kesteven are set to benefit from three Project ...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: PatientsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22094More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average maximum number of patients registered per GP practice in England is.
Answer: The median number of patients registered at a general practice in England in December 2024 was 8,799.
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22093More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to support areas at risk of flooding; and when he plans to announce these.
Answer: To ensure we protect the country from the devastating impacts of flooding, we will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences. The list of projects to receive Government f...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReformMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether unitary local authorities will be required to merge with neighbouring councils to mee
Answer: On 16 December, I wrote to all councils in two-tier areas and to neighbouring small unitaries alongside the White Paper, to set out our plans. I intend to formally invite unitary proposals in January 2025 from all these councils. I will ask for interim pl...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordViral DiseasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) his international counterparts and (b) the World Health Organisation on human metapneumovirus.
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has had no recent communications from the World Health Organisation or other countries in relation to human metapneumovirus (hMPV).UKHSA’s long-term surveillance of hMPV in England, through systems covering general pr...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordViral DiseasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of human metapneumovirus have been identified in the UK.
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency’s long-term surveillance of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in England, through systems covering general practice surgeries and hospital laboratories, indicates that hMPV levels in winter 2024-25 are in line with what we would e...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGender Based ViolenceHome OfficeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria she will use to measure the success of the ambition to halve violence against women and girls.
Answer: We are undertaking a programme of work to bring together suitable data and metrics to measure progress against the ambition to halve VAWG in a decade. We are working closely with The Office for National Statistics and other stakeholders in producing the m...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRoad Signs and MarkingsDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a new sign asking drivers to move to the right at short slip roads.
Answer: The Department has not made an assessment of introducing a sign asking drivers to move to the right at short slip roads. There are currently no plans to introduce this.
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRadio: Rural AreasDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to support new FM licences for radio stations in (a) Rutland, (b) Mid-Wales and (c) other rural areas.
Answer: The growth and development of digital radio and changes in listener behaviour have resulted in a clear shift away from analogue listening – digital listening now accounts for 74% of all radio listening (RAJAR Q3 2024). Although AM/FM platforms remain impo...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21681More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to provide funding for the expansion of electric vehicle chargers in (a) Rutland and South Kesteven and (b) other rural areas.
Answer: Rutland County Council was allocated £569,000 and Lincolnshire County Council, which South Kesteven sits within, was allocated £6,380,592 combined capital and resource funding through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to expand public ...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: SentencingMinistry of JusticeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to make being (a) the leader of and (b) involved in a grooming gang a statutory aggravating factor during sentencing.
Answer: Child sexual abuse and exploitation are the most vile and horrific of crimes - involving rape, violence, coercive control, intimidation, manipulation, and deep long-term harm.That is why this Government is determined to act – strengthening the law, taking...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: ConvictionsMinistry of JusticeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals have been convicted for grooming.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including grooming up to and including June 2024 in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here:Crimi...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) collect and (b) publish the ethnicity of (i) abusers and (ii) victims of grooming gangs.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Home Secretary's statement made on 16 January 2025, in which she announced the appointment of Baroness Louise Casey to lead a rapid three-month audit into these issues. The audit will examine all the currently available da...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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