Ben Maguire MP: written questions
371 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Royal Household: FinanceTreasuryTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24098More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will have discussions with the Royal Household on (a) transparency and (b) accountability of money provided from the public purse.
Answer: Since 2012, the Monarch has received the Sovereign Grant to fund their official duties as Head of State and maintain the Occupied Royal Palaces. No member of the Royal family receives a private income from the Sovereign Grant or any other public funds. Th...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure keeps pace with the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road.
Answer: The Government continues to provide funding to local authorities, small businesses, schools and residential properties to support the installations of tens of thousands of public and domestic electric vehicle chargepoints. The Government is also making it...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to address regional disparities in access to public electric vehicle charging points to ensure equitable access across the UK.
Answer: The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. The funding, backed by substantial private investment, will support the in...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHeat PumpsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23696More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that heat pumps are a viable option for homes and businesses currently off the gas grid.
Answer: We expect most off-grid properties will ultimately transition to heat pumps as these are a proven technology. We are supporting deployment through a range of other policies including supporting growth in the supply chain through the reformed Clean Heat Ma...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPrescriptions: Fees and ChargesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23106More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will undertake a review of the prescription charge exemption list to include more (a) chronic and (b) lifelong conditions.
Answer: There are no current plans to review the list of prescription charge exemptions, or the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescr...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23105More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the tax allowance for pensioners to £15,000.
Answer: The Government is committed to keeping taxes as low as possible for pensioners while ensuring fiscal responsibility, which is why it is not extending the freeze on personal tax thresholds that was implemented by the previous government, and is instead all...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Relations with EU: Trade BarriersCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22539More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential (a) merits and (b) impact on trade barriers of re-joining the EU (i) single market and (ii) customs union.
Answer: The Government is resetting the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to trade. We have been clear that there will be no return to the customs union or the single market.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordConsumer Goods: SafetyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22538More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the EU General Product Safety Regulation on UK small businesses exporting to the EU.
Answer: I appreciate that for some businesses, the updated EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) will require changes, and we take these concerns very seriously. Government is supporting small businesses to understand GPSR and is engaging directly with busi...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: UK Trade with EUDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to support small businesses with the costs of compliance with (a) EU general safety and performance requirements and (b) EU regulations.
Answer: UK businesses exporting medical devices to the EU should comply with EU General Safety and Performance Requirements (GSPR), which outline the criteria for medical and in vitro diagnostic devices marketed in the EU. These apply under the EU Medical Device ...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDrugs: PackagingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate the recycling of blister packs.
Answer: Waste is a devolved policy, and the devolved administrations have their own arrangements for household and business recycling and waste collections. There are currently no plans for blister packs to be included in the list of materials to be collected at ...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of legislating to increase the minimum percentage of affordable housing requirement when hew housing developments are (
Answer: The golden rules introduced through the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 require that development on the Green Belt delivers 15 percentage points more affordable housing than the existing local plan affordable housi...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: ContractsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the NHS dental contract to (a) make appointments more accessible and (b) to tackle the backlog of people waiting f
Answer: To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of National Health Service dentists. There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any p...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: North CornwallDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of people waiting for NHS dental appointments in North Cornwall constituency.
Answer: This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentis...
Answered 10 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: North CornwallDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21948More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to make NHS dental care more accessible for people in North Cornwall constituency.
Answer: This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentis...
Answered 10 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Housing Allowance: RentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21947More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that Local Housing Allowance rates reflect rents in (a) rural and (b) urban areas.
Answer: In April 2024, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents for one year at a cost of £7bn over 5 years.LHA rates are set within Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs), which are determined by rent officers at the Valuat...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21946More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a protected minimum floor for Universal Credit.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of the social security safety net and the role Universal Credit has to play in tackling poverty and making work pay. That is why a Fair Repayment Rate will be introduced from April 2025, reducing the overall cap on...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFood BanksTreasuryTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21945More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of families dependent on food banks.
Answer: The Government has committed to producing a Food Systems Strategy which will provide an opportunity to set out how the food system can deliver for growth, health and the environment. A particular focus will be ensuring that families in poverty can afford ...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMonetary PolicyTreasuryTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21944More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) expanding the base money supply and (b) other alternative monetary policy.
Answer: Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. This includes decisions on Bank Rate and the stock of UK government bonds held in the Asset Purchase Facility. It is for the MPC to judge how ...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFuels: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21943More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rises in fuel duty on rural communities.
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 inflationary increase for 2025/26, meaning rates will remain frozen at the levels set in Mar...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFuels: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21942More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) maintaining and (b) reducing levels of fuel duty on (i) households, (ii) small businesses and (iii) the haulage sector.
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 inflationary increase for 2025/26, meaning rates will remain frozen at the levels set in Mar...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBoats: Waste DisposalDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21941More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional (a) funding and (b) support for (i) local authorities and (ii) harbourmasters to (A) safely dispose of and (B) reclaim abandoned ve
Answer: Many ports already have powers to remove, dispose of, and recoup costs pertaining to abandoned vessels. Environmental impact is a factor that may be considered as a part of a decision to intervene. If ports do not have powers to remove vessels, they can s...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordShipping: RegistrationDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21940More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a detailed national registration system for leisure vessels.
Answer: The Secretary of State for Transport has not assessed this the potential merits of introducing a detailed national registration system for leisure vessels. Whilst registering on the Small Ships Register is not mandatory, small ship owners are encouraged t...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBoats: Environment ProtectionDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21939More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to (a) reduce the number of abandoned leisure boats and (b) mitigate environmental damage from those boats.
Answer: The department has taken no recent steps to address either of the two issues raised in the question. The department has issued advice in the port marine safety code around the issue of abandoned vessels, but that advice is aimed at vessels which pose a th...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will commission an independent review of alternative renewable energy technologies.
Answer: The Secretary of State does not intend to commission a separate independent review of alternative renewable energy technologies. DESNZ monitors new developments through the Net Zero Innovation Programme. Additionally, since 2012 the Energy Entrepreneurs F...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21937More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with oil and gas companies on renewables policy.
Answer: Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisa...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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