Brian Mathew MP: written questions 2025
76 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Parking: Private SectorMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has plans to introduce a private parking code of practice.
Answer: The Government recognises the need for high standards in the private parking industry and is committed to delivering a Code of Practice, in accordance with The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019. Our code will contain guidance about the operation and man...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEarwax: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of ear wax removals in primary care settings in Melksham and Devizes constituency.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal. When ICBs exercise their functions, including...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRespiratory SystemDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to prioritise (a) lung and (b) respiratory health in the NHS Long Term Plan.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38770More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what impact neighbourhood plans will have on planning decisions following reforms to the national planning process.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 is clear as to the important role that neighbourhood plans play in the planning system and includes important protections for neighbourhood plans from speculative developm...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36935More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) simplify the process and (b) support people making applications for visa extensions for Ukrainian refugees.
Answer: The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opened to applications on 4 February 2025, which enables Ukrainians in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes to apply for a further 18 months’ temporary permission to remain in the UK. Further information on eligib...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRare Diseases: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36536More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to further research into rare diseases.
Answer: The Department funds rare disease research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 17 NIHR Biomedical Research Centres support research into rare diseases and the NIHR is working in partnership with the Medical Research Council...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRare Cancers: Gene TherapiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential of targeted mutation treatments through genetic treatment for rare cancers.
Answer: Improvements in genomic capabilities have accelerated the development of new precision medicines which can target genomic mutations, including for rare cancers. To help make precision medicines available to patients, the National Health Service has suppor...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: GenomicsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35929More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will allow UK oncologists to test for genetic weaknesses by carrying out Whole Genomic Sequencing.
Answer: Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35081More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect chalk streams.
Answer: Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system wor...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35080More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to protect chalk streams in Wiltshire when building new developments.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that to protect and enhance biodiversity and geodiversity, local plans should identify, map and safeguard components of local wildlife-rich habitats and wider ecological networks such as chalk streams. It is...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Challenger TanksMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33731More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will supply Ukraine with additional Challenger 2 tanks.
Answer: At present there are no plans to supply additional Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.The UK's decision to send a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks to Ukraine in 2023 delivered a coherent and combat effective capability and spearheaded the provisio...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRight to Acquire Scheme: Rural AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33265More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to extend the right to acquire to tenants living in rural areas.
Answer: In "designated rural areas" properties cannot be sold under the Right to Acquire so as to preserve social housing in perpetuity for local people. The government has no plans to change this.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: Rural AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33264More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to increase funding for the building of social housing in rural areas.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 25804 on 10 February 2025.
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Children and Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32562More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve child and adolescent mental health services and (b) increase the speed of diagnosis for (i) ADHD and (ii) autism.
Answer: Too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that. We will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across chil...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32561More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of ADHD medication.
Answer: The resilience of the United Kingdom’s supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. The Department works in partnership with industry, the National Health Service, and the wider he...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Special Representative for Climate Change and UK Special Representative for NatureForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32532More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, who has been appointed as Special Representatives for Nature and Climate; what their qualifications for these posts were; what their budget is; what their (a) aims and (b) ob
Answer: Rachel Kyte CMG and Ruth Davis OBE were appointed as the UK's Special Representatives for Climate and for Nature, respectively, on 21 October and 15 November.Their biographies and objectives are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/people/rachel-kyte ...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: Flood ControlMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32497More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps to ensure that new build houses will not be placed in (a) coastal areas at risk for rising sea levels and erosion and (b) upstream flood areas t
Answer: National planning policy is clear that development should be directed to areas with the lowest possible flood risk from all sources, including from the sea.Where development is proposed in areas at risk of the impacts of coastal change, development should...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: WiltshireDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31727More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the reliability of train services (a) in Wiltshire and (b) from Melksham station.
Answer: We are working closely with all operators to improve performance as it is the key focus for the Secretary of State. The Department is also working with Great Western Railway to provide a more robust service for Wiltshire and Melksham through improved roll...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRailway Stations: DevizesDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31725More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will have discussions with Network Rail on the potential merits of a Devizes Parkway railway station.
Answer: Future rail infrastructure investment will be considered as part of the current Spending Review, which will conclude in June 2025.
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30532More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure social media companies are accountable for content on their sites that may be harmful to children.
Answer: Our priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act so that children benefit from its wide-reaching protections. The Act requires all services in scope to protect all users, including children, from illegal content and criminal behaviour...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLower Thames Crossing: Private Finance InitiativeDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost of the proposed local Thames Crossing funded as a private finance initiative.
Answer: Officials and National Highways are exploring all funding options for the Lower Thames Crossing, including private finance. As with all capital projects, spending decisions will be subject to the upcoming spending review. The assured cost estimate in line...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: BiodiversityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29970More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain for new developments.
Answer: As Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has recently passed the one year anniversary since it went live for most major development in England, I can confirm that this Government is fully committed to making BNG work effectively to protect our natural world.
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSubversion: RussiaCabinet OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28792More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help prevent Russian interference in UK democratic processes.
Answer: I refer the honourable member to my previous answer dated 20/01/2025 [UIN 23400].
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Military AidMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking Avon Protection to produce a further 200,000 gas masks for soldiers in Ukraine.
Answer: Russia has publicly admitted to the use of Riot Control Agents on the battlefield against Ukraine, and there are multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin. In December last year, a Technical Report confirming the use of Riot Cont...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: EU CountriesCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27444More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to negotiate a six-month visa waiver scheme with the EU.
Answer: Both the UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term, visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the Schengen Borders Code allows f...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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