Andrew Snowden MP: written questions
1837 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Fostering Innovation FundDepartment for EducationTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1533More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether local authorities in Lancashire will be eligible to partner with charities and independent fostering agencies when applying for funding through the Fostering Innovation Fund.
Answer: Lancashire County Council will be able to apply for the Innovation Fund as part of the Foster with Us fostering hub. The department encourages applications from areas working in partnership with other organisations, such as charities or independent foster...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistersCabinet OfficeTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1528More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on the manifesto commitment to restore confidence in Government and ensure ministers are held to the highest standards.
Answer: The Prime Minister has made clear public service is a privilege and is committed to restoring trust in government by ensuring ministers are held to the highest standards. On taking office, the Prime Minister published a new, strengthened, Ministerial Code...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department are making towards recruiting 8,500 additional mental health staff.
Answer: As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, in February the Government delivered on its commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers this Parliament, three ...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordNurseriesDepartment for EducationTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department is making towards delivering 3,000 new primary school-based nurseries.
Answer: This government is boosting availability and access through the school‑based nursery programme, backed by £400 million capital investment to deliver tens of thousands of places by supporting school‑led provision and private, voluntary and independent pr...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTeachers: RecruitmentDepartment for EducationTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 993More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers in key subjects.
Answer: The department has now achieved over 60% of our target to recruit 6,500 additional expert teachers by the end of this Parliament. There are 3,992 more expert teachers in secondary and special schools and colleges than in 2023/24. The latest data shows tha...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: PricesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 992More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policies on energy prices for households.
Answer: Tackling high energy costs is a central priority for the Government. The actions taken at the Autumn Budget have helped to protect consumers today, ensuring that from 1st April to the end of June, the price cap fell by £117 per year for a typical dual fue...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: EmploymentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of his Department's policies on jobs in the renewable energy sector.
Answer: The clean energy transition represents one of the UK’s largest opportunities for economic growth and high-quality job creation this decade. In October 2025, we published the Clean Energy Jobs Plan which sets out the workforce needed to deliver our Clean E...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordBroadbandDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on providing full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030.
Answer: The government has a target to deliver 99% gigabit broadband coverage by 2032 and an ambition for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G coverage by 2030.Significant progress has already been made, as reported in Ofcom’s Connec...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordBatteries: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on providing £1.5 billion funding to new gigafactories.
Answer: The Government has put batteries and electric vehicles at the heart of the Modern Industrial Strategy including by allocating £4 billion to 2035 for the DRIVE35 programme. DRIVE35 is supporting investment in an end-to-end EV supply chain, including gigafa...
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigration: EnforcementHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 988More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the government is making to establish a returns and enforcement unit, with an additional 1,000 staff.
Answer: Since July 2024, the Home Office has focussed on the return of failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and immigration offenders whom the system was previously unable to progress. To support this work, the Home Office redeployed 1,000 full-time equivalen...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 984More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent formal consultation his Department has undertaken with Approved Driving Instructors and their representative bodies regarding the standards check system.
Answer: When the current standards checks system was implemented in 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducted a full consultation. The system has not changed and, therefore, there has been no formal consultation since those changes. The curre...
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 982More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the fairness and accuracy of the current standards check system for Approved Driving Instructors.
Answer: When the current standards checks system was implemented in 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducted a full consultation. The system has not changed and, therefore, there has been no formal consultation since those changes. The curre...
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: LancashireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 908More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will set out a timetable for local government reorganisation in Lancashire.
Answer: The government remains committed to the indicative timetable published in July 2025. Proposals for Lancashire were received by 28 November 2025 and were subject to statutory consultation from 5 February 2026 to 26 March 2026. The Secretary of State is con...
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTeachers: PayDepartment for EducationTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the equity of the pay gap between further education college lecturers and school teachers.
Answer: The statutory requirements for maintained schoolteachers' pay are set nationally subject to recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body. In 2024/25, the median full-time equivalent (FTE) salary for classroom teachers in secondary schools was £50...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordFurther Education: VATTreasuryTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 699More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate she has made of the total annual VAT payments by further education colleges in England.
Answer: Education services supplied by an “eligible body” are exempt from VAT. For VAT purposes, an “eligible body” broadly refers to most regulated, publicly funded, or not-for-profit education providers. This means no VAT is charged on supplies of education mad...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordFurther Education: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the effect on further education colleges of increased student enrolments not being fully funded until the following financial year.
Answer: Institutions receive funding for all their students on a lagged approach, meaning the funding in each academic year is based on the number of students in the previous year. This allows the department to issue firm allocations to institutions well in advan...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncillors: EmploymentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the number of elected councillors without the right to work in the UK.
Answer: The Department does not record this data and has no plans to make this assessment.The right to work in the UK is not an explicit qualification or disqualification criteria for English local government candidacy or membership. The Electoral Commission publ...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: PolygamyHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims were granted to people in polygamous marriages in each of the last 12 months.
Answer: It is government policy to prevent the formation of polygamous and polyandrous marriages in the UK. Only one spouse can be included as a dependant, with any subsequent spouses being unable to apply as a partner unless the other spouse has died or the marr...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: PolygamyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of benefits payments to spouses in polygamous marriages (i) made in the past 12 months and (ii) expected to be made in the forthcoming 12 months.
Answer: The most recent published data (August 2025) from the Housing Benefit Single Housing Extract (SHBE) indicates that there are fewer than ten households where claimants are recorded as being in a polygamous marriage formed in another country. In these excep...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordEyesight: TestingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 648More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of excluding independent optometry practices from participation in publicly funded eyesight testing schemes on local economic activity.
Answer: National Health Service sight testing contracts can be held by specific individuals, including those practising in partnerships or corporate bodies meeting the requirements set out in The General Ophthalmic Services Contracts Regulations 2008.The commissi...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordOphthalmic Services: Older PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 647More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of long-term patient relationships in community optometry on continuity of eye care for elderly patients.
Answer: We recognise the value of providing care closer to people’s homes, including community optometry, which can support more personalised care and more continuity of care.Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local pop...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving: EyesightDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers through an (a) exclusive and (b) centralised contracting model on independent community optometry
Answer: The consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers closed on 11 May. The Department for Transport is currently analysing the responses, and the government response will be published once that is complete. The logistical arrangeme...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: Public PlacesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129247More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure equitable mobile network coverage during large public gatherings and events.
Answer: There is a widespread and dynamic commercial market for providing mobile coverage to gatherings and events in permanent indoor sites such as stadiums, and for providing short-term solutions for special outdoor events in temporary locations.Connectivity so...
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordOlly RobbinsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128144More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Olly Robbins will be granted a period of gardening leave.
Answer: The Government does not comment on the individual terms and conditions of employment or personnel matters relating to individual civil servants.
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordUndocumented MigrantsHome OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128141More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to question 125257 of 16 April 2026 on Undocumented Migrants, how she plans to update hon. Members on those figures; and over what time intervals.
Answer: We are continuously monitoring and evaluating the agreement with France to ensure its effectiveness. There will be a full evaluation at the end of the pilot, and the Home Office is committed to publishing further data at the end of the pilot period.
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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