Andrew Snowden MP: written questions 2025
1670 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Recycling: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure funds raised through Extended Producer Responsibility are used by local authorities on advanced recycling infrastructure.
Answer: The Government has implemented robust measures within the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility scheme to ensure that funds raised are directed by local authorities towards recycling infrastructure. I have instructed PackUK to use regulatory powers t...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEngineering and ICT: EducationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure short courses in (a) digital, (b) AI and (c) engineering are eligible for Growth and Skills Levy funding from April 2026.
Answer: The government wants employers to be able to use the levy on short, flexible training courses to meet their business needs from April 2026. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units. The initial roll-out will be in priority areas...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: NutrientsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the Nutrient Profile Model on the availability of healthier (a) food and (b) drink products.
Answer: As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. We announced that we would...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to simplify planning consent processes for (a) food and drink production facilities and (b) other manufacturing sites.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework already makes clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors. The government intend to consult this year on a new suite of national p...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: EnergyTreasuryTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84471More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on introducing a Tailored Energy Discount for manufacturers transitioning to electrification.
Answer: The Chancellor has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on a range of topicsThe Chancellor recognises the importance of electrification for manufacturers and bringing down the cost of electricity is a key elemen...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordInvestmentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much of the £10 billion investment pledged by private firms at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025 is new investment; and how much had been previously pledged.
Answer: All of the £10billion of investment commitments pledged by private firms at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025 is new investment. Previously pledged investments were not included in this figure.
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning Permission: Artificial IntelligenceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Chancellor cuts pointless admin in nearly £6 billion business blitz, published on 21 October 2025, whether his Department has tested
Answer: My Department is actively exploring options to develop AI-enabled products to speed up public service provision, including in respect of planning services. We are developing, and will deploy, these products responsibly, in line with guidance set out in th...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: RegulationTreasuryTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84456More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish a breakdown of the £1.5 billion in savings identified to date under the Regulation Action Plan, including (a) sectoral distribution and (b) methodology used for calculating those savings.
Answer: A baseline for the administrative burden of regulation on businesses has been established at £22.4bn a year. Further to the Prime Minister’s commitment to cutting the administrative costs of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament, the Government’s...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: RegulationTreasuryTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84454More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her speech at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025, what metrics her Department used to calculate the forecast annual £6 billion in savings for businesses arising from regulatory chang
Answer: A baseline for the administrative burden of regulation on businesses has been established at £22.4bn a year. Further to the Prime Minister’s commitment to cutting the administrative costs of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament, the Government’s...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncillors: VettingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring councillors in principle tier authorities to obtain a DBS check.
Answer: Criminal record checks provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service (‘DBS checks’) for local government members are currently optional; it is for individual local authorities to adopt eligible checks as they determine necessary.I am considering options ...
Answered 10 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDeportation: Undocumented MigrantsHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many removal flights to France are planned under the current pilot scheme in the next three months.
Answer: Returns to France under the UK-FR returns agreement commenced on 18 September 2025. This is a pilot that we want to expand and therefore the numbers will vary. We will not go into the operational details as this would provide criminal smuggling gangs with...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCrime: ImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration crime network disruptions were led by the UK National Crime Agency in the last 12 months.
Answer: Last year, the National Crime Agency delivered approximately 350 disruptions targeting people smuggling networks - each one removing, preventing, or reducing a criminal threat. This marked a 40% increase compared to the previous year.
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDeportation: Undocumented MigrantsHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83463More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average cost to the public purse is for each removal flight under the UK-France treaty.
Answer: The Home Office has made returns under the new UK-France agreement utilising both charter flights and regular scheduled flights. This approach allows the Home Office to maximise value for money and best satisfy operational requirements.We do not comment o...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: StaffDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to include the mutual recognition of mandatory training qualifications between NHS Trusts in the forthcoming NHS Workforce Strategy.
Answer: As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to reforming mandatory training by April 2026, to ease the burden on frontline staff and to allow a more flexible approach to workforce development. NHS England is already leading work to optimise, r...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Houses: Government AssistanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which organisations have been awarded Pub is the Hub funding to date.
Answer: The Government recognises the important role rural pubs and those in deprived areas can play in supporting their communities and the work of Pub Is The Hub in helping them improve their resilience by providing additional community services. That is why th...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Houses: Government AssistanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what criteria were used by his Department to determine eligibility for funding under the Pub is the Hub scheme.
Answer: The Government recognises the important role rural pubs and those in deprived areas can play in supporting their communities and the work of Pub Is The Hub in helping them improve their resilience by providing additional community services. That is why th...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLandfill TaxTreasuryTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83431More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the total value of landfill tax reclaimed by private landfill operators for (a) cover and (b) fluff material since 2000.
Answer: Landfill Tax was introduced in 1996 as a behavioural tax encouraging the diversion of material away from landfill to reuse and recycling. It has been a key driver behind local authority waste to landfill in England falling by 90% since 2000. HMRC refunded...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82798More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Crown Commercial Service considered the (a) cost and (b) accessibility of the RM6277 framework to small independent recruitment agencies during the design and tendering process.
Answer: Crown Commercial Service (CCS) considered bidding costs and accessibility for small independent agencies in the design and tendering of RM6277: Non‑Clinical Staffing, including lotting, proportionate evaluation and market engagement. Small-medium enterpri...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82797More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the RM6277 framework agreement on small and medium-sized recruitment agencies supplying non-clinical staff to the NHS.
Answer: Crown Commercial Service (CCS) designed the RM6277 Non Clinical Staffing commercial agreement with small-medium enterprise (SMEs) accessibility in mind. SMEs secured over 70% of places across lots 1 to 6 and 46% in lot 7. CCS commercial agreements are not...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordConnect to WorkDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Connect to Work referrals come from (a) healthcare professionals, (b) local councils, (c) self-referrals and (d) community organisations.
Answer: The Connect to Work programme has been designed with local authorities and is being delivered by local areas. Each local area across all of England and Wales has been invited to develop their plan for delivery, reflecting needs across their area. Local ar...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordConnect to WorkDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of regional variation in uptake of the Connect to Work programme.
Answer: The Connect to Work programme has been designed with local authorities and is being delivered by local areas. Each local area across all of England and Wales has been invited to develop their plan for delivery, reflecting needs across their area. Local ar...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners and Mental Health Services: Connect to WorkDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) GP surgeries and (b) mental health teams have Connect to Work employment advisers embedded in their services.
Answer: The Connect to Work programme has been designed with local authorities and is being delivered by local areas. Each local area across all of England and Wales has been invited to develop their plan for delivery, reflecting needs across their area. Local ar...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordConnect to WorkDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82793More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any local authority areas submitted unsuccessful bids for Connect to Work funding during this expansion round.
Answer: The Connect to Work programme has been designed with local authorities and is being delivered by local areas. Each local area across all of England and Wales has been invited to develop their plan for delivery, reflecting needs across their area. Local ar...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordConnect to WorkDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82792More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have participated in the Connect to Work programme since its inception.
Answer: The Connect to Work programme has been designed with local authorities and is being delivered by local areas. Each local area across all of England and Wales has been invited to develop their plan for delivery, reflecting needs across their area. Local ar...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: LancashireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of homelessness in (a) Lancashire and (b) Fylde constituency.
Answer: Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected and we must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and is developing a new cross government strategy, wor...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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