Ben Maguire MP: written questions
371 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Beer: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45426More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to paragraph 2.44 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC295, what discussions his Department (a) has had and (b) plans to have with representatives of (i) breweries
Answer: At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that the government would consult on ways to encourage small brewers to retain and expand their access to UK pubs.We are undertaking commercially confidential discussions with a wide range of market participa...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase accessibility of GP appointments in rural areas.
Answer: We acknowledge the urgent challenge of ensuring that rural areas have the resources to continue serving their patients. To address this, we are increasing capacity in general practice (GP) by recruiting more GPs, ensuring rural areas have the necessary wo...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAcademies: PayDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44129More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a cap on the proportion of academy trust budgets that can be spent on senior leadership salaries.
Answer: The department sets out its expectations on pay for academies and academy trusts in the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH), which is published on GOV.UK, and available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a3909aab418ab055592dda/Academy_trust_han...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAcademies: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44128More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of requiring academy trusts to publish full budgets.
Answer: All academy trusts must publish an annual report and accounts, which are audited by a registered statutory auditor. As part of their annual reports and accounts, academy trusts must also publish details of their objectives, achievements and future plans, ...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42201More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve road safety for vulnerable road users.
Answer: This Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details in due course.
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: Rural AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42135More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue guidance to local authorities in rural areas with high levels of (a) executive housing and (b) second homes on revising the (i) points and (
Answer: Local Authorities are responsible for designing and managing their own housing allocations policies to meet local need within the framework of legislation under which certain categories of people must be given priority. Social housing allocations guidance...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNurseries: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the number of nurseries that have withdrawn from the childcare funding scheme citing cost pressures on early years provision.
Answer: It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a r...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNurseries: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support nurseries with the cost of providing the expanded funded childcare hours.
Answer: It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a r...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNurseries: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding provided to early years providers for meeting the cost of a nursery place.
Answer: It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a r...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: SewersMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40935More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring housing developers to consult with water companies at every stage when building new homes, in the c
Answer: As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastr...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: North CornwallDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to help increase the availability of GP appointments in North Cornwall constituency.
Answer: We are committed to improving capacity and access to local services across the country, including in the North Cornwall constituency. North Cornwall sits within the NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board. Since June 2024, there has been an...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid Scheme: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40403More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of legal aid provision.
Answer: This Government has inherited a justice system in crisis, and the previous administration left the legal aid sector is under significant strain. We are committed to restoring our justice system and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the legal aid se...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLandlords and Property Management Companies: Fees and ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support her Department has made available to residents facing increases in management fees by (a) landlords and (b) management companies.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: Emergency ServicesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that landlords cannot lawfully obstruct emergency vehicle access to residential properties.
Answer: The Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 makes clear that it is an offence to obstruct or hinder certain emergency workers from responding to present or imminent emergency circumstances. As a matter of public safety, property owners and managers shoul...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39697More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions on high street hair salons.
Answer: In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The Government published a Ta...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Off-payroll WorkingTreasuryTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39696More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of off-payroll working IR35 reforms on (a) self-employed workers and (b) small businesses.
Answer: The off-payroll working rules, also known as IR35, do not apply to the genuinely self employed. They are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees but through their own company, pay broadly the same income tax and National Insurance contr...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship Levy: Small BusinessesDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the flexibility of the apprenticeship levy for small businesses.
Answer: The government is reforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy that will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers of all sizes to develop the skills they need to thrive. As a first step, the department is introducing n...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39314More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on reducing delays in referrals for specialist treatment in the South West.
Answer: Too many people have been left in limbo waiting for National Health Service treatment. The waiting list in the South West region stands at 642,756, with 63% of those having waited less than 18 weeks, compared with the 18-week standard of 92%, and with a m...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPectus Excavatum: South WestDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to expand access to the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum cases in the South West.
Answer: NHS England has carefully reviewed the evidence to treat pectus excavatum in patients. In an interim clinical commissioning urgent policy statement, NHS England concluded that there is enough evidence to make surgical treatment available as a routine comm...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39311More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist (a) paediatric and (b) transitional healthcare services for teenagers in the South West.
Answer: The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This involves ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it.Supporting children and young people as they transition into adulthood, ...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer and Public Houses: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39243More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the (a) Small Business Multiplier and (b) Standard Multiplier on business sustainability in the beer and pub sector.
Answer: As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefi...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer and Public Houses: CostsTreasuryTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39242More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) business rates and (b) employment costs increases on the beer and pub sector.
Answer: As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which will benefit almost all pubs in England. We i...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer and Public Houses: Business RatesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to reform business rates for the beer and pub sector.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade engages with His Majesty's Treasury (HMT) at Ministerial and official level on a range of issues, including business rates reform and how this will affect the hospitality sector.
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer and Public Houses: Business RatesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a permanent reduction in business rates for the beer and pub sector.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade engages with His Majesty's Treasury (HMT) at Ministerial and official level on a range of issues, including business rates reform and how this will affect the hospitality sector.
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPorts: InfrastructureDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on her planned port strategy; and what plans she has for future funding of port infrastructure.
Answer: My Department is not currently planning on publishing a ports strategy, however, on 25th March we published the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy and we are continuing to develop a Maritime Strategy. Both address the Department’s priorities for the ports ...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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