Ben Goldsborough MP: written questions 2025
151 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Inland Border Facilities: AshfordHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88069More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the IT system at Sevington inland border facility was last updated.
Answer: Our Border IT systems have a range of measures in place to ensure they can continue to run critical services in the event of any major service issues. This includes critical incident, crisis and business continuity plans depending on the nature of the iss...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordInland Border Facilities: ICTHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure Border Control facilities have back-up plans in place in case of IT (a) systems failures and (b) service provider outages.
Answer: Our Border IT systems have a range of measures in place to ensure they can continue to run critical services in the event of any major service issues. This includes critical incident, crisis and business continuity plans depending on the nature of the iss...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordInland Border Facilities: ICTHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure Border Control IT systems operate with full functionality.
Answer: Our Border IT systems have a range of measures in place to ensure they can continue to run critical services in the event of any major service issues. This includes critical incident, crisis and business continuity plans depending on the nature of the iss...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDedicated Schools GrantDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85545More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to allow (a) local authorities and (b) schools to change the dates on which they receive the Dedic
Answer: The department provides dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities on a financial year basis, from April to March. That is in line with the financial reporting cycle for all local authorities’ funding streams.The department has previou...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDedicated Schools GrantDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85544More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered reforming allocation of the Dedicated Schools Grant to be in line with the academic year.
Answer: The department provides dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities on a financial year basis, from April to March. That is in line with the financial reporting cycle for all local authorities’ funding streams.The department has previou...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDedicated Schools GrantDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85543More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of aligning the Dedicated Schools Grant with the financial year has on schools' ability to plan budgets for the academic year.
Answer: The department provides dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities on a financial year basis, from April to March. That is in line with the financial reporting cycle for all local authorities’ funding streams.The department has previou...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordJob CreationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 906108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, What steps his Department is taking to support businesses to create well-paid jobs.
Answer: Through our modern industrial strategy, we’re backing businesses to create well-paid jobs across the UK. We’re investing in skills through apprenticeships, technical colleges and regional training programmes to help every area grow. Our global partnership...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMetals: TheftHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84131More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of legislating to ensure that the (a) historic and (b) cultural value of heritage metal is considered in prosecutions for metal theft.
Answer: This Government recognises the distress and disruption that heritage theft can cause to local communities.That is why the sentencing guidelines on theft were amended in 2016 to highlight that where theft is of heritage assets or causes disruption to infra...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCrime: World Heritage SitesHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84130More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of legislating to ensure that all crimes committed (a) on and (b) against a designated heritage site are provided with a single heritage crim
Answer: Legislation is not required to introduce a specific crime recording code within the Home Office Counting Rules for police recorded crime.At present, one offence relating to designated heritage sites damage to certain ancient monuments under Section 28 of ...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMetals: TheftHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84129More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making training on the theft of heritage metal a mandatory requirement for acquiring a scrap metal dealer licence.
Answer: This Government recognises the distress and disruption that heritage theft can cause to local communities. The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 was introduced to reduce metal theft by strengthening regulation of the scrap metal industry. The Act requires scra...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBluetongue Disease: Disease ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to produce a National Bluetongue Strategy.
Answer: Disease control is a devolved matter. Defra works closely with the Devolved Governments to provide, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK. The disease control measures we deploy for incidents of bluetongue in Great Britain ar...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Maintenance Service: StaffDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80346More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time was that staff had been employed in the Child Maintenance Service in each of the last 10 years.
Answer: The information requested for the average length of time in service is not held at Child Maintenance Service level. It is only available at Department for Work and Pension level.
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Maintenance Service: Sick LeaveDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80345More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff working days have been lost to sick leave in the Child Maintenance Service in each of the last 10 years.
Answer: The information is not available for the whole period requested. The data is only available from October 2023. This is due to changes in departmental reporting hierarchies.
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new applications have been made to the Child Maintenance Service in each of the last ten years.
Answer: The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025. Table 1 of the latest National tables includes the information on the total applications received by CMS ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80343More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Maintenance Service cases were reviewed by the Independent Case Examiner in each of the last ten years.
Answer: There are several ways in which complaints escalated to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) can be concluded – resolution, settlement or investigation. This table shows the total volumes of Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases ICE concluded in each of th...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDover Port Health Authority: StaffDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80342More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff have been employed by the Dover Port Health Authority in each of the last 20 years.
Answer: Defra does not hold this information. Dover District Council is designated as port health authority for the Port of Dover.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal Products: Import ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing levels of funding and (b) widening the responsibilities for the Border Force to include animal products origina
Answer: Border Force is funded by Home Office. Defra has committed £3.1 million for Dover Port Health Authority to work in partnership with Border Force in seizing meat smuggled via the Port of Dover in 2025/26, additional to over £9 million of funding provided t...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal Products: Origin MarkingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of transferring Products of Animal Origin enforcement (a) powers and (b) funding to port health authorities.
Answer: The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011 designate port health authorities in England, as enforcement authorities for animal products. Defra has committed £3.1 million for Dover Port Health Authority to work in partnership with Border Fo...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImport ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment with the Home Secretary of the potential merits of giving port health authorities stop, search and seize powers.
Answer: The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011 already give port health authorities in England, search and seize powers in relation to animal products.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: Import ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to concentrate the responsibility for tackling illegal meat imports into fewer bodies.
Answer: Border Force is responsible for enforcing the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011 in England in relation to animal products in any place, other than Border Control Posts, where goods are subject to customs supervision. Defra is consider...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImport ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80337More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to produce a digital tool for travellers to identify what they can bring into Great Britain.
Answer: Defra is considering this recommendation in the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report on meat smuggling.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImport ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80336More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered compelling airports to display information communicating (a) the emergency ban on personal imports and (b) biosecurity threats from illegal import
Answer: International passenger transport operators, including airport operators, have certain responsibilities for drawing their customers’ attention to rules for personal imports. Defra is considering the recommendations in the Environment, Food and Rural Affai...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImport Controls: UK Trade with EUDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80335More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to establish a permanent personal import policy for goods entering Great Britain from the EU.
Answer: Defra keeps the rules for personal imports of meat and dairy products from the EU under review. Defra is considering the recommendations in the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report on meat smuggling.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImport Controls: UK Trade with EUDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80334More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU on (a) biosecurity arrangements and (b) the illegal importation of food products.
Answer: The biosecurity arrangements and regulatory frameworks for imports are no longer the same as when we were in the EU. Since leaving the EU, we have put in place sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules for importing food products from the EU into Great Brita...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImport Controls: PublicityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80333More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding her Department has provided for (a) biosecurity and (b) food importation public awareness campaigns in each of the last 10 calendar years.
Answer: Marketing and campaign activity is based on need and in-year circumstances. The vast majority of communications is delivered through no-cost communications channels owned by the department (such as outreach to partner organisations, webinars or content po...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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