Ben Lake MP: written questions 2026
132 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Fuels: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127525More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will introduce a time-limited rebate on fuel duty for public transport providers and essential users in the road haulage sector.
Answer: The Government is taking action on fuel affordability at the pump. At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with infla...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordWorld Heritage Sites: WalesWales OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 908715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the promotion of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales.
Answer: I was delighted to see the announcement that Aberystwyth has become Wales’ first UNESCO City of Literature and first UNESCO Creative City.Our Welsh culture and heritage are a source of great pride, and would like to congratulate Aberystwyth on being recog...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: StandardsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125033More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate Department estimate of the total number of households in (a) Ceredigion Preseli constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK without access to good mobile signal strength as def
Answer: Ofcom publishes mobile coverage data in its Connected Nations reports at the premises level, but this does not distinguish between premises type. This means there is no differentiation between households and places of work for example.Following the launch...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordBroadband: StandardsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125032More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the number of households in (a) Ceredigion Preseli constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK without access to a broadband connection speed greater
Answer: Customers can access home broadband via fixed-wired (copper/fibre) and fixed-wireless access connections. For the 10Mbps download speed criterion alone, Ofcom only publish data for fixed-wired network types. However, data gathered by Ofcom for the Broadba...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLong Covid: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125027More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much public funding is allocated to support UK-based research into methods to treat and cure long Covid.
Answer: The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between 2020/2021 and 2024/25, the NIHR invested nearly £51 million into Long Covid research, including research into treatments. A...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLong Covid: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125026More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of progress made by UK-based researchers funded by his Department on finding methods to treat the symptoms of long Covid.
Answer: The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between 2020/2021 and 2024/25, the NIHR invested nearly £51 million into Long Covid research, including research into treatments. A...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: ContractsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 124981More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) drug prices, (b) appliance prices and (c) fees paid to pharmacy contractors in the NHS Drug Tariff.
Answer: The Department undertakes a quarterly assessment of the adequacy of drug prices paid to community pharmacies through the ‘medicine margin survey’. The survey samples independent pharmacy contractors’ sales invoices for the medicines they dispense and comp...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordDelivery Services: Import DutiesTreasuryTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 124980More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the total number of import declarations made by express operators for consignments with a value of a) £135 or less and b) greater than £135 in each year since 2021.
Answer: The information requested is not available.
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordVAT: RegistrationTreasuryTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 124979More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to section 48(1) of the Value Added Tax Act 1994, how many times HMRC exercised the power to direct a non-established taxable person to appoint a UK-based VAT representative in each of the last five f
Answer: HMRC does not routinely record the requested information and therefore is unable to provide data on the number of directions made to non‑established taxable persons to appoint a VAT representative.
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLead: PoisoningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 124978More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the UK National Screening Committee will complete its review of its recommendation not to screen children for lead poisoning.
Answer: The Government recognises how concerning lead exposure can be for parents and carers and remains committed to reducing the risk to children. Lead levels are therefore kept under stringent control, and exposures to lead in water, air, and/or food are reduc...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLead: ContaminationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 124977More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the UK Health Security Agency has made of the levels of lead exposure of populations living near historic lead mines.
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not specifically assessed exposures to lead in communities living near historic lead mines in England. This is because the UKHSA advises regulators and other stakeholders on the overall health risk assessment proc...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSoftware: LicensingDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 124878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential impact of software licensing practices on (a) Small to Medium Enterprises in Wales and (b) the W
Answer: The Government engages regularly with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on the effective operation of the UK’s competition framework, including how it supports competitive digital markets across all parts of the UK, including Wales.While the CMA...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCompetition and Markets Authority: MicrosoftDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 124190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding opening a strategic market status investigation into Microsoft and its software licensing practices.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade engages regularly with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on competition issues. The CMA is independent of Government, and decisions on initiating strategic market status investigations (SMS) are a matter for...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordIron and Steel: WalesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123650More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much of the £2.5 billion fund to develop the steel industry as set out under the UK Steel Strategy will be spent in Wales.
Answer: The steel strategy reaffirms the government’s intention to spend up to £2.5 billion on the steel sector. This is in addition to the £500 million for Port Talbot. Building on the direct financial support the government has provided to the sector so far, ...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLand Use: WalesTreasuryTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123277More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Welsh Government's written statement entitled Agreement to consult on devolution of powers for a Vacant Land Tax in Wales, published on 11 February 2026, when the consultation on the devolution
Answer: To avoid the pre-election period, the public consultation will be launched at an appropriate point after the formation of the next Welsh administration.
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSentencingMinistry of JusticeTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123253More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has considered the potential merits of extending the range of offences that can be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.
Answer: The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme is an exceptional power. It includes all indictable-only offences (e.g. murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery) and certain triable-either way offences sentenced in the Crown Court (e.g. threats to kill, stalking, mos...
Answered 1 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordVoice Over Internet ProtocolDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123252More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of safeguards implemented by the telecoms sector to ensure that risks arising from the migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network to
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the copper based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK, including rural communitie...
Answered 1 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: WalesTreasuryTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122795More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the actions under the Agenda for Change uplift and a fairer deal for nurses statement for NHS England published on on 12 February 2026 will lead to additional funding for the Welsh Government through the Bar
Answer: The Department for Health and Social Care received funding to deliver the actions under the Agenda for Change uplift and a fairer deal for nurses statement at Spending Review 2025, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way, as set out in the Stat...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMotorway Service Areas: SecurityDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of i) truck stops and ii) Motorway service areas have received any non self-certified security accreditation.
Answer: The Government does not operate a mandated or voluntary lorry parking security accreditation system. Trucks stops and Motorway Service Areas set their own security standards unless they voluntarily join a private accreditation scheme. Therefore, the Depar...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicle Drivers: FacilitiesDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her department has to ensure that the road safety strategy includes provisions to support lorry driver welfare.
Answer: On 7 January 2026 the Department for Transport published the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously in...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant SchemeDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, i) how much funding in total was granted to applicants to the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme ii) how much of this funding came directly from matched funding from the Department for Transport and ii
Answer: The total amount of government funding contractually committed to improvement projects for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme, as of 19 March 2026, is £13,599,303.45. The scheme held three application windows. The table below sets out awards and...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDogs: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121793More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she intends to incorporate the Innate Health Assessment of dog breeds in future statutory licensing conditions for dog breeders.
Answer: The Innate Health Assessment tool has been created by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare to tackle suffering caused by extreme physical body shapes in dogs. This voluntary tool can be used by breeders, dog owners or prospective dog owner...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordIncome TaxTreasuryTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121521More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of further income tax power devolution to Wales following her announcement on 17 March 2026 to pursue devolution of income tax powers in England.
Answer: The Chancellor announced on 17th March that she will set out a roadmap at Budget for giving English regional leaders a share of some national taxes. This will include looking at income tax, alongside other taxes. It is not about new taxes or higher tax ra...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFuel Oil and Liquefied Petroleum Gas: FinanceTreasuryTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121512More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including household Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) data in the methodology used to allocate support funding to each UK nation for heating oil and LPG-heated prop
Answer: The government has acted quickly to provide timely, targeted support to those households struggling with the rising price of heating oil. In England, Crisis Payments can be provided by local authorities to support the purchase of any form of fuel that is ...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFuel Oil and Liquefied Petroleum Gas: VATTreasuryTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121503More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has been raised through the domestic VAT charge on heating oil and liquid petroleum gas since the outbreak conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran on 28 February 2026.
Answer: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services, including VAT on heating oil and liquid petroleum gas. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT r...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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