Amanda Hack MP: written questions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his department has made any impact assessment on the relationship between intermittent funding cycles and the quality of retrofit delivery outcomes.

Answer: The Government understands the value of providing long-term certainty wherever possible to support the supply chain, local authorities, and social housing providers to invest, train, and plan accordingly. That’s why, as part of the £15 billion Warm Homes ...

Answered 24 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance his Department has issued on SME participation, risk allocation and quality assurance within procurement frameworks for the Warm Homes Plan.

Answer: DESNZ officials are currently working on detailed delivery arrangements for the Warm Homes Plan. This includes scheme design and how the implementing entities will be identified and managed for overseeing schemes, commissioning works and delivering instal...

Answered 24 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding transitional funding proposals to support workforce continuity between ECO and the Warm Home

Answer: We recognise closing ECO presents immediate challenges for the supply chain. In the Warm Homes Plan, we committed to supporting the workforce to access opportunities through £15 billion of funding and through regulations in the rented sector and for futur...

Answered 24 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who is the Minister responsible for the implementation of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

Answer: Baroness Hayman of Ullock was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with responsibility for animal welfare for England.

Answered 20 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with health conditions into work.

Answer: This Government is committed to championing the rights of, and helping, disabled people and people with health conditions. More people with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work through our Pathways to Work offer which includes the...

Answered 9 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has considered banning the issuance of Penalty Charge Notices on Airport land.

Answer: Penalty charge notices are reserved for local authorities, not the private land to which you refer. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 requires the government to introduce a Code of Practice containing guidance about the operation and management of p...

Answered 10 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting up a whistleblowing route or digital hotline to allow driving instructors to report those who are reselling tests for profit.

Answer: To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country. DVSA has zero tolerance for those wh...

Answered 2 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve multi-disciplinary team care for people with Huntington’s disease and (b) encourage the use of specialist inpatient units, community multi-disciplinary teams

Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out the Government’s ambition to establish Neighbourhood Health Centres in every community. Neighbourhood health will bring more care into local communities, tailoring services to meet those needs through local co-...

Answered 10 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) treating stipends for PhD students as income for the purposes of calculating benefit entitlement and (b) not treating when calculating entitlement to

Answer: It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. Student parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of...

Answered 7 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of road closures to prevent vehicles disturbing standing water that has collected after heavy rainfall on properties at r

Answer: The organisational responsibilities and operational processes for local road closures due to flooding are generally held by the Highways Department of the relevant local authority and the Emergency Services. Local private roads are the responsibility of t...

Answered 11 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the backlog and other impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the breast cancer screening programme has been completed.

Answer: The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) has returned to normal operation following disruption from COVID-19 and subsequent recovery measures.NHSBSP is seeing improvement in uptake nationally with annual data for 2023/24 showing the number of women who...

Answered 14 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of targeted interventions to improve breast cancer screening uptake among underserved groups.

Answer: The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) has returned to normal operation following disruption from COVID-19 and subsequent recovery measures.NHSBSP is seeing improvement in uptake nationally with annual data for 2023/24 showing the number of women who...

Answered 14 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he plans to support areas with lower than national average attendance to breast cancer screening appointments, such as North West Leicestershire.

Answer: The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) has returned to normal operation following disruption from COVID-19 and subsequent recovery measures.NHSBSP is seeing improvement in uptake nationally with annual data for 2023/24 showing the number of women who...

Answered 14 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of setting minimum quality standards for mobile phone connections.

Answer: There are widely recognised international technical standards for mobile telecommunications services in place, developed through the International Telecommunications Union and Third Generation Partnership Project. These standards set out technical perform...

Answered 2 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to support the development of (a) affordable and (b) accessible padel courts in (i) North West Leicestershire and (ii) in Britain.

Answer: The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We a...

Answered 21 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to address the lack of (a) indoor and (b) covered tennis and facilities in North West Leicestershire.

Answer: The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We a...

Answered 21 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with PackUK on the adequacy of communications with households on changes to household collections under Simpler Recycling.

Answer: Local authorities are best placed to communicate specific new collection requirements with their residents when rolling out services. Defra and PackUK are working closely on opportunities to support local authorities with the communication of the changes ...

Answered 18 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the role of play in supporting the (a) development and (b) learning of (i) children with special educational needs and disabilities and (ii) other children; and what steps her De

Answer: The department recognises that play is critical to children’s wellbeing, learning and development. This is reflected in the early years foundation stage statutory framework, which supports early years practitioners to design a rich curriculum that include...

Answered 7 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on the amount of (a) break and (b) lunch time provided in schools; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reduced break times on (i) disabled children a

Answer: The department recognises that play is critical to children’s wellbeing, learning and development. This is reflected in the early years foundation stage statutory framework, which supports early years practitioners to design a rich curriculum that include...

Answered 7 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on ensuring that reductions in (a) break and (b) lunch times do not disproportionately impact (i) disabled pupils and (ii) pupils with special educational needs.

Answer: The department recognises that play is critical to children’s wellbeing, learning and development. This is reflected in the early years foundation stage statutory framework, which supports early years practitioners to design a rich curriculum that include...

Answered 7 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reduced school (a) break and (b) lunch times on the (i) wellbeing and (ii) social inclusion of (A) disabled pupils and (B) pupils with special

Answer: The department recognises that play is critical to children’s wellbeing, learning and development. This is reflected in the early years foundation stage statutory framework, which supports early years practitioners to design a rich curriculum that include...

Answered 7 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help ensure that entering employment does not result in a net financial loss for young people living in supported housing.

Answer: It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment. We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, parti...

Answered 5 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on changing the housing benefit taper rate for individuals living in supported accommodation.

Answer: It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment. We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, parti...

Answered 5 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people hold a valid (a) provisional and (b) full UK driving licence.

Answer: The table below shows the number of full and provisional licence holders on 11 October 2025. Full licence holders42,795,544Provisional licence holders10,502,938Total53,298,482

Answered 30 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what technological steps her Department is considering taking to restore the number of practical driving test bookings back to pre-covid levels.

Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. As set out in DVSA’s 2024/25 business plan, DVSA is beginning the process of replacin...

Answered 20 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the consultation by the Health and Safety Executive entitled GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR) - creosote assessment for renewal, closed on 24 November 2024, whether he plans to

Answer: Following the period of public consultation on creosote, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is undertaking an in-depth assessment as part of the renewal process of creosote as a biocidal active substance under the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regula...

Answered 20 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of booked practical driving tests were attended by learner drivers in each month in the last ten years.

Answer: The attached Excel document shows the percentage of car practical driving tests attended for the last ten full financial years.

Answered 20 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his timetable is for the payment of compensation to people approved for a second interim payment for estates under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.

Answer: Following the publication of the Inquiry’s Additional Report, the UK Government has announced further interim payments of £210,000 for eligible estates of someone registered with an IBSS or predecessor scheme (on or before 17 April 2024) who sadly passed ...

Answered 20 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the quality of school lunchtime provision on the wellbeing of children.

Answer: The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. Giving children access to a nutritious meal during the school day leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes. We are extending free school meals to all children...

Answered 30 Oct 2025