Andy McDonald MP: written questions
406 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Asylum: EmploymentHome OfficeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6259More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a right to work for asylum seekers who have (a) lodged an asylum application and (b) been waiting more than six months
Answer: As has been the case for many years, asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can apply for permission to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Immigration Salary List....
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAsylum: VisasHome OfficeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6258More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals to pilot a refugee visa scheme for people from countries with high asylum grant rates to allow them to travel to the UK to apply for asylum.
Answer: The UK has always done our bit to help those fleeing persecution and continues to welcome refugees and people in need through our global resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettleme...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6257More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) amend the Immigration Rules entitled Child staying with or joining a Non-Parent Relative (Protection), published on 25 February 2016, to allow children to join wider family members and
Answer: Our refugee family reunion policy is intended to allow those granted protection status in the UK to sponsor their partner or children to stay with or join them here, provided they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of ori...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordIncineratorsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6256More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the role of waste incineration capacity in the management of residual wastes in England.
Answer: The Government is committed to creating a roadmap to a circular economy, a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordKinship Care: LeaveDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6255More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to introduce a right to paid employment leave to support kinship carers.
Answer: The department recognises the challenges that many kinship carers face in continuing to work alongside the pressures of taking in a child, and we believe they should be supported to remain in work where possible. Kinship carers are likely to benefit from ...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5327More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will respond to correspondence of 15 May 2024 from the Work and Pensions Select Committee to her predecessor, o making recommendations in relation to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Se
Answer: We will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. We need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides including the recommendations made by the Work and Pensions Sele...
Answered 9 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, whether sh
Answer: As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides. The...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she accepts the findings of maladministration in her Department in the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and
Answer: As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides. The...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordDefence Equipment: IsraelAttorney GeneralTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5324More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, if she has provided advice on whether F-35 components supplied by the UK to Israel via a third party are used by Israel in Gaza in compliance with international humanitarian law.
Answer: Paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code states: ‘the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority’. This is known as the Law Officers’ Conventio...
Answered 7 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: F-35 AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to negotiate an end-use agreement with F-35 programme supply chain and electronic stockpile management system counterparts to end the re-export of F-35s to Israel.
Answer: The UK Government has made an amendment to the F-35 Open General Export Licence (F-35 OGEL) in relation to F-35 items manufactured in the UK, which now cannot be directly exported to Israel. The US Government manages the sale of F-35 aircraft to Israel an...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordRailways: Mobility ScootersDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4220More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) stations and (b) rolling stock units in service were mobility-scooter friendly on the rail network in each year since 2010.
Answer: This government is committed to making the railway more accessible. Since 2006, the Access for All Programme has upgraded more than 250 stations to deliver step free access across Great Britain. Details on the accessibility and facilities for each station...
Answered 13 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordRailways: Mobility ScootersDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4219More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring passenger rail franchise operators to accommodate mobility scooters.
Answer: Train and station operators are required by their operating licences to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) which must be approved by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). An ATP sets out, among other things, the arrangements and ass...
Answered 13 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordRailways: Mobility ScootersDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4218More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued on increasing (a) station accessibility and (b) rolling stock accessibility for mobility scooters on the rail network.
Answer: The Secretary of State publishes Design Standards for Accessible Railway Stations, which licenced operators must follow whenever they install, renew or replace infrastructure or facilities in Great Britain. Train and station operators are required by thei...
Answered 13 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordF-35 Aircraft: IsraelDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 2 September 2024, HCWS64, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in other countries in the F-35 global supply chain on the potential merits of s
Answer: The F-35 programme is the largest international collaborative defence programme in the world. The UK cannot make changes to the F-35 programme unilaterally – any change requires agreement across all Partner Nations. Regular discussions with programme part...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4216More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement of 2 September 2024 on Middle East Update, Official Report, column 37, if he will hold discussions with counterparts in other countries i
Answer: Our licencing decisions are based on our own processes. At the present time exports to the F-35 Programme will be excluded from this suspension, except where the exports would go direct to Israel, for the reasons set out in the Foreign Secretary's stateme...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 2 September 2024 on Middle East, Official Report, column 37, what discussions he had with his counterpart in the US Government prio
Answer: The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his US counterpart about a wide range of issues. Our licencing decisions are based on our own processes and are not led by the decisions of others.
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordGaza: IsraelForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement entitled Middle East Update of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, what information his Department holds on whether Israeli F-3
Answer: The UK's robust export licensing criteria states that the government will not issue export licences if the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. On this basis, we have suspended certain export li...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4213More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement entitled Middle East Update of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, what assessment he has made of whether equipment relating to
Answer: The UK assesses export licences against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC), which state that a licence will not be granted for an item if the Government determines there is a clear risk that it might be used to commit or facilitate a serious v...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordMinimum WageDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 30 July 2024 on Low Pay Commission Remit, HCWS43, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the National Living Wage in line with the
Answer: The Government has issued a new remit to the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to recommend a National Living Wage (NLW) which takes into account the impact on business, competitiveness, the labour market, the wider economy and for the first time this year, the co...
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordMinimum WageDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 30 July 2024 on Low Pay Commission Remit, HCWS43, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the floor of the National Living Wage rate
Answer: The Government has issued a new remit to the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to recommend a National Living Wage (NLW) which takes into account the impact on business, competitiveness, the labour market, the wider economy and for the first time this year, the co...
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordMinimum Wage: Young PeopleDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2337More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 30 July 2024 on Low Pay Commission Remit, HCWS43, by what date will 18 to 20 year olds be in receipt of the single adult National Minimum Wage.
Answer: The Government is committed to delivering a genuine living wage for working people, and removing the discriminatory age bands, so that all adults can benefit. The new Low Pay Commission (LPC) remit asks the LPC to make progress on extending the National L...
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2336More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with stakeholders on the decision to withdraw eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments from those not in receipt of Pension Credit.
Answer: This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement. The Department met with Age UK, the Local Government Association and Citizens Advice prior to...
Answered 10 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2335More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to help support low income pensioners that will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
Answer: This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement. Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the governme...
Answered 6 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPensioners: PovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2334More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of pensioners living in (a) relative poverty and (b) absolute poverty that are not in receipt of Pension Credit.
Answer: For the financial year 2022/23, the latest year that data that is available, 1.6m pensioners living in households not in receipt of Pension Credit were in relative poverty after housing costs, and 1.2m pensioners living in households not in receipt of Pen...
Answered 4 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPension Credit: Middlesbrough and Thornaby EastDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2333More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase the uptake of pension credit by those eligible in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency.
Answer: The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). These statistics are only available at Grea...
Answered 6 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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