Ben Coleman MP: written questions
55 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Poverty: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19213More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with disabled young people, in the context of the development of a child poverty strategy.
Answer: The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which the Department of Education Secretary of State is Co-Chair, is building on the wealth of existing evidence and expertise across the UK to develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We are listening careful...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPoverty: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19212More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with disabled children’s charities, in the context of the development of a child poverty strategy.
Answer: The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which the Department of Education Secretary of State is Co-Chair, is building on the wealth of existing evidence and expertise across the UK to develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We are listening careful...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDiplomatic Service: DisabilityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18310More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times UK ambassadors have met Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in the past year.
Answer: We do not collect data on the engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) across the FCDO network of overseas Posts. However, Posts are encouraged to promote all equalities issues globally, including disability inclusion, and engage ...
Answered 13 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEmbassies: DisabilityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18079More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish a list of embassies ranked by the number of times they have met Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in the last year.
Answer: We do not collect data on the engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) across the FCDO network of overseas Posts. However, Posts are encouraged to promote all equalities issues globally, including disability inclusion, and engage ...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDiplomatic Service: DisabilityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18078More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which UK ambassadors have met Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in the last year.
Answer: We do not collect data on the engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) across the FCDO network of overseas Posts. However, Posts are encouraged to promote all equalities issues globally, including disability inclusion, and engage ...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDiplomatic Service: DisabilityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of UK Ambassadors have met with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in the past year.
Answer: We do not collect data on the engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) across the FCDO network of overseas Posts. However, Posts are encouraged to promote all equalities issues globally, including disability inclusion, and engage ...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordProperty Ombudsman: StandardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12174More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will hold discussions with the Property Ombudsman on potential measures to enable the Ombudsman to respond more quickly to complaints.
Answer: While the Property Ombudsman (TPO) is independent of Government, we are committed to ensuring that the agent redress schemes work well for consumers. My department receives regular data from TPO and meets with them regularly to discuss policy and performa...
Answered 8 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordProperty Ombudsman: StandardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12173More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on how many and what proportion of complaints to the Property Ombudsman have been outstanding for three months or more.
Answer: While the Property Ombudsman (TPO) is independent of Government, we are committed to ensuring that the agent redress schemes work well for consumers. My department receives regular data from TPO and meets with them regularly to discuss policy and performa...
Answered 8 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordProperty Ombudsman: StandardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12172More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the average time taken by the Property Ombudsman to reach a decision on complaints.
Answer: While the Property Ombudsman (TPO) is independent of Government, we are committed to ensuring that the agent redress schemes work well for consumers. My department receives regular data from TPO and meets with them regularly to discuss policy and performa...
Answered 8 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordIndustry: ProductivityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10857More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the effective use of data to drive productivity will be included in the proposed industrial strategy council's remit.
Answer: The Industrial Strategy Council (ISC) will be responsible for informing and monitoring the development and delivery of the long-term industrial strategy, ensuring that policy interventions are based on a high-quality evidence base. The ISC will recommend ...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBusiness: ProductivityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage businesses to use data more effectively to increase productivity.
Answer: The Invest 2035: Industrial Strategy Green Paper sets out our vision for a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors that will drive our growth mission.The Industrial Strategy Green ...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordWines: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10269More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact on small and medium-sized wine traders of the introduction of a tax-by-strength alcohol excise duty regime within one year.
Answer: In August 2023 the Government introduced reforms to alcohol duty so that products are taxed in proportion to their alcoholic strength, not volume. To help the wine industry adapt to the new duty system, the temporary duty easement was introduced as a tran...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordWines: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10268More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an estimate of the administrative cost to wine sellers of the an alcohol excise duty regime based on taxing wine by strength.
Answer: In August 2023 the Government introduced reforms to alcohol duty so that products are taxed in proportion to their alcoholic strength, not volume. To help the wine industry adapt to the new duty system, the temporary duty easement was introduced as a tran...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordWines: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10266More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a separate duty charge for wine for each 0.1% of ABV.
Answer: In August 2023 the Government introduced reforms to alcohol duty so that products are taxed in proportion to their alcoholic strength, not volume. To help the wine industry adapt to the new duty system, the temporary duty easement was introduced as a tran...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordLeaseholdMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10027More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to (a) simplify the process and (b) reduce the costs of extending the lease period for existing leaseholders.
Answer: The Government intends to act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. The Act will introduce an amended valuation scheme that...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCharing Cross Hospital: ConstructionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9868More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) business case status and (b) RIBA stage is for the scheme to (i) rebuild and (ii) modernise Charing Cross Hospital as part of the New Hospital Programme.
Answer: The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, h...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCharing Cross Hospital: ConstructionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding had been allocated for (a) the scheme to (i) rebuild and (ii) modernise Charing Cross Hospital and (b) the New Hospital Programme by 2 July 2024.
Answer: The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, h...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCharing Cross Hospital: ConstructionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9866More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his department has made of the cost of the scheme to (a) rebuild and (b) modernise Charing Cross Hospital.
Answer: The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, h...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCharing Cross Hospital: ConstructionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department provided for the rebuild and modernisation of Charing Cross Hospital by the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
Answer: The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, h...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: Income SupportDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9391More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of uprating the minimum income guarantee in line with inflation each year.
Answer: The social care allowance rates, which include the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), are reviewed each year. The MIG rates were uprated in line with inflation for the previous three financial years, and the rates for the 2025/26 financial year will be publi...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: DisabilityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9390More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he would make an assessment of the potential impact of removing social care charging on working-aged disabled adults.
Answer: We are committed to building consensus on the long-term reform needed to create a National Care Service that tackles the challenges working age disabled adults currently face, and that is shaped for those who will have support needs in the future. The Gov...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordHousing: Solar PowerMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8745More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will amend the Future Homes and Buildings Standards to ensure that all newbuild homes include solar photovoltaic panels.
Answer: Future standards next year will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and ensures they are fit for a net zero future. This will support our ambition that the 1.5 million homes we will build over th...
Answered 21 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: EnforcementDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he plans to take to prevent the spread of divisive content on social media; and what enforcement measures he plans to put in place to encourage the compliance of the (a) owne
Answer: The Online Safety Act gives social media platforms new duties to protect their users from harmful content and activity. These include extensive duties to protect users from content which stirs up or incites hatred. It also includes duties to protect users...
Answered 15 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPesticidesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the maximum residue level of 49 pesticide residues between 2022 and 2024 on levels of pesticide residues on food; and
Answer: The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. We will continue to base decisions on the use of pesticides on careful scientific assessment of the risks....
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEpilepsy: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7373More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of the supply of (a) Tegretol and (b) other epilepsy medications.
Answer: The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with s...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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