Ben Lake MP: written questions 2025
163 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Television: WalesWales OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the future of terrestrial TV distribution in Wales.
Answer: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters.DCMS, as the lead department, are seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. As part of this process, DCMS has established a stakeholder fo...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTelevision: WalesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure the interests of viewers in Wales are represented in her Department's future of TV distribution stakeholder forum.
Answer: The Government’s project on the future of TV distribution is seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. As part of this process, a wide range of views are being sought. Membership of the Stakeholder Forum include...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: IsraelForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33534More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on upholding the human rights of healthcare workers from Gaza detained in Israel.
Answer: The UK has consistently raised concerns about the impact of this conflict on Gaza's healthcare systems and medical staff, including reiterating the requirement for all parties to uphold International Humanitarian Law. We are also deeply concerned by repor...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHussam Abu SafiyaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33533More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) arrest and (b) detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya in Israel.
Answer: We are concerned by the reports of the detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and others. I have raised this case with both Israel's Ambassador to the UK, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimp...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: PrisonersForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33532More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on allowing independent monitors to access detention centres housing prisoners from Gaza.
Answer: We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of detainees. The UK has raised this with the Israeli Government as a priority and continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and i...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: SyriaHome OfficeTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, upon what evidential basis she will deem it sufficient to lift the temporary pause on the processing of Syrian asylum seeker claims.
Answer: Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office has withdrawn the Country Policy Information Notes and Guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions for Syrian nationals. However, we continue to register...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Public ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31077More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in the Welsh Government on the application of the Barnett formula to agriculture funding in Wales from the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: I regularly engage with Welsh Government ministerial colleagues. Engagement takes place at the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (which is next due to meet on the 27th of February) and bilaterally, as well as through regular correspondence, on ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicle Drivers: RecruitmentDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve recruitment of HGV drivers.
Answer: To improve working conditions for HGV drivers, the Department and industry are jointly investing up to £43.5 million to upgrade truckstops across England. This is on top of up to £26 million joint investment by National Highways and industry in lorry park...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: FreightTreasuryTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30112More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to extend full expensing to leased vehicles to support the road haulage industry in Wales.
Answer: The UK has one of the most generous and competitive capital allowances regimes in the world and is the only major economy with permanent full expensing.The government recognises the case to extend full expensing to leasing and will explore making this cha...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: FreightTreasuryTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30111More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans her Department has to support the Welsh road freight industry.
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses, by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned inflation increase for 2025-26. This maintains fuel duty rates at the levels set on 23 Marc...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: Motorway Service AreasDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve truck stop facilities for HGV drivers.
Answer: The Department and industry are jointly investing up to £43.5 million to upgrade truckstops across England. This is on top of up to £26 million joint investment by National Highways and industry in lorry parking facilities along the strategic roads networ...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of child maintenance service cases are being dealt with by the specialist domestic abuse caseworker team.
Answer: The Child Maintenance Service takes the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring victims of abuse get the help and support they need to access and use the service safely and securely.CMS caseworkers are provided with domest...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29053More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) Paying Parents and (b) Receiving Parents using the Child Maintenance Service disclosed domestic abuse in 2023-24.
Answer: Child Maintenance Service (CMS) did not capture the data requested on proportion of (a) Paying Parents and (b) Receiving Parents using the Child Maintenance Service who disclosed domestic abuse in 2023-24. Therefore, this information is not readily availa...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: AddictionsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29052More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of (a) external lottery managers, (b) bookmakers and (c) other gambling providers on the (i) forms and (ii) levels of gambling ha
Answer: The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) collects data from its respondents on the gambling activities they participate in and the types of consequences they experience. Rates of gambling harm, measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), a...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCoroners: PembrokeshireMinistry of JusticeTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time taken was for an inquest to be concluded in Pembrokeshire in each of the last five years.
Answer: The requested information is set out in the table below or can be extrapolated from the data published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023.YearNumber of inquests openedNumber of inquests concluded within 6 monthsAverage l...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCoroners: CeredigionMinistry of JusticeTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time taken was for an inquest to be concluded in Ceredigion in each of the last five years.
Answer: The requested information is set out in the table below or can be extrapolated from the data published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023.YearNumber of inquests openedNumber of inquests concluded within 6 monthsAverage l...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCoroners: PembrokeshireMinistry of JusticeTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, of the inquests launched in Pembrokeshire in each of the past ten years, how many were concluded within 6 months.
Answer: The requested information is set out in the table below or can be extrapolated from the data published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023.YearNumber of inquests openedNumber of inquests concluded within 6 monthsAverage l...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCoroners: CeredigionMinistry of JusticeTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, of the inquests launched in Ceredigion in each of the past ten years, how many were concluded within 6 months.
Answer: The requested information is set out in the table below or can be extrapolated from the data published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023.YearNumber of inquests openedNumber of inquests concluded within 6 monthsAverage l...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCoroners: PembrokeshireMinistry of JusticeTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inquests were launched in Pembrokeshire in each of the past ten years.
Answer: The requested information is set out in the table below or can be extrapolated from the data published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023.YearNumber of inquests openedNumber of inquests concluded within 6 monthsAverage l...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCoroners: CeredigionMinistry of JusticeTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inquests were launched in Ceredigion in each of the past ten years.
Answer: The requested information is set out in the table below or can be extrapolated from the data published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023.YearNumber of inquests openedNumber of inquests concluded within 6 monthsAverage l...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCarer's Allowance: WalesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26540More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of people living in Wales that have received overpayments of the Carers Allowance.
Answer: We don’t measure or report Fraud and Error statistics at a regional level. Our benefit review sample sizes are not large enough to support this level of detail measure or report Fraud and Error statistics at a regional level.
Answered 31 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: International LawForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25306More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has held with his Israeli counterparts on ensuring that actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory comply with international law.
Answer: We have always been clear that a ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. We must build confidence on all sides that helps sustain a ceasefire and move it into a lasting peace. This government is fully committed to inter...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: International LawForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25305More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Israel's operation Iron Wall in the occupied West Bank; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy
Answer: The UK has been clear that it is in no one's interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank. The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restrai...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCars: LoansTreasuryTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25304More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of people eligible for compensation and (b) the total cash value of the compensation owed under the ruling by the Court of Appeal from October 2024 that certain commissio
Answer: This is a complicated issue and the government is working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. The government is pleased that the Supreme Court will hear an appeal from 1-3 April and hopes that its judgment wil...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: CopyrightDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24913More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of copyright law to ensure that creators are remunerated for the use of their work in training AI tools.
Answer: The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024. Through this consultation, the Government aims to ensure that right holders in the creative industries can control and be remunerated for the use of their work, while supporting...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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