Brian Mathew MP: written questions
63 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Hearing: TestingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of hearing tests.
Answer: We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including for audiology services such as hearing tests. Our Elective Reform Plan ...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHuman Papillomavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62126More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of HPV vaccine uptake in different local authorities.
Answer: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage is presented for England at national, National Health Service commissioning region, and local authority levels. HPV vaccine uptake is known to vary by local authority, and assessments of trends by locality are o...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGender Dysphoria: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of waiting times for specialist gender services for under-18s.
Answer: The Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review in full. NHS England developed an ambitious two-year action plan which sets out how they will continue to transform and improve gender services, helping to...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including water companies as a statutory consultee in the planning process to advise on (a) the impacts o
Answer: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 60676 on 23 June 2025.
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordInsulation: HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61663More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help support homeowners to meet the costs of remedial work caused by foam roof insulation installed using a government grant.
Answer: There is no government financial assistance available to have insulation removed. Any measures fitted under government schemes must be fitted to the highest standards with issues promptly and properly rectified. In any instance where insulation is install...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators: RegistrationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61449More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a national register of defibrillators.
Answer: The Circuit is the independently operated national automated external defibrillator databased, developed by a partnership of the British Heart Foundation, the National Health Service, the Resuscitation Council UK, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Ex...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: TribunalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of people waiting for tribunals as part of their PIP application process.
Answer: The Department understands the potential effect of waiting for a tribunal hearing, which is why our aim is to make the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey so that people can get the support they are entitled to, without the need for a...
Answered 18 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department is taking steps with animal protection organisations to phase out animal experimentation.
Answer: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternat...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for EducationTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53357More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to retrofit schools to help meet net zero targets.
Answer: The department is committed to supporting the UK net zero carbon targets. Since 2021, our own building standards have required that all new school buildings we deliver are net zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.The department is al...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 8 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of minimum service standards for cross county bus services.
Answer: Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) already often work closely together when tendering routes that cross shared boundaries and in delivering their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). There are also requirements set out in the Transport Act 2000 for LTAs ...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoad Traffic: NoiseDepartment for TransportTabled 8 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of levels of car use on (a) congestion and (b) road noise.
Answer: The Department periodically publishes the national road traffic projections. The most recent being the National Road Traffic Projections 2022. This includes a measure of congestion expressed as lost time per mile, per vehicle in seconds. This is split by ...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: Workplace PensionsDepartment for EducationTabled 8 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle processing delays of valuations by the Teachers’ Pension Scheme; and what steps she is taking to ensure that pensions are paid promptly once teachers have chosen ho
Answer: The scheme administrator has made significant progress to reduce the backlog of Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) figures that had built up whilst the necessary guidance was developed, following the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy taking effe...
Answered 30 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMobility ScootersDepartment for TransportTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the classifications of (a) mobility scooters and (b) powered wheelchairs on people with mobility aids outside those classifications.
Answer: The Department is committed to delivering a transport network which puts passengers and their needs at its heart. We want to see disabled passengers able to make the journeys they want and need – doing this easily, confidently, with dignity and without e...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve funding for local councils.
Answer: The government is committed to fixing the foundations of local government. In 2025-26 we targeted additional funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement to places with the greatest need and demand for services and less ability to raise income local...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: Melksham and DevizesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49993More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase the amount of social housing in Melksham and Devizes constituency.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41721 on 3 April 2025.
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: Rural AreasDepartment for TransportTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49992More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage active travel in rural areas.
Answer: We have recently announced £222.5 million to local authorities outside London for the delivery of active travel schemes and £30 million for upgrading the National Cycle Network. Much of this investment will go to rural areas. Active Travel England (ATE) a...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact unrepaired potholes on (a) cyclists and (b) pedestrians.
Answer: The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks effectively. The Department’s highway maintenance funding is to enable local highway...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to provide sustainable road surfacing.
Answer: The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks effectively. Decisions on road surfacing materials used in highway maintenance activ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordParkinson's Disease: NursesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49201More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase funding for Parkinson's nurses.
Answer: There are 25 specialised neurological treatment centres across the National Health Service in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with Parkinson’s can receive specialised treatment and support, acc...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGlass: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49200More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the packaging extended producer responsibility scheme on glass producers.
Answer: In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector....
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49199More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to ensure the reliability of bus services.
Answer: The Government is committed to seeing better, more reliable bus services delivered right across England. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordForests: CommoditiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK Forest Risk Commodities regulations on low-income smallholder farmers in the Global South who are selling into
Answer: We recognise that action to prevent UK consumption of forest risk commodities driving deforestation should minimise the impacts on low-income smallholder farmers in the Global South.We will set out our approach to addressing deforestation in the UK’s supp...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Lanes: MotorcyclesDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46436More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on her Department's Motorcycles in bus lanes consultation outcome, updated on 21 November 2024.
Answer: The consultation responses did not provide sufficient evidence to move away from a position of local authority choice to one in which allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes is the default.The government response included a commitment to update Traffic Advi...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForestsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46435More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on (a) ending and (b) reversing deforestation.
Answer: Tackling deforestation is vital to meeting UK goals on climate, nature and growth. If tropical forests are lost, food prices will rise, including for UK consumers. While rates of deforestation are falling in some countries such as Brazil, drivers of fores...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: Waiting ListsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46434More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to reduce the backlog of drivers waiting for a driving test.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport S...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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