Carla Lockhart MP: written questions 2025
236 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Abortion: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101492More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether abortion providers, including British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Marie Stopes InternationaI Reproductive Choices, provide clear and comp
Answer: The Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for the termination of a pregnancy, an abortion, in England sets out that women requesting termination of pregnancy must be given impartial, accurate, an...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBelfast International Airport: USANorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100757More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made in discussions with the United States administration regarding the initiative outlined in the Windsor Framework and Safeguarding the Union document to establish a US Customs a
Answer: As part of commitments within the Windsor Framework and the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, the then-Government committed to “enter into exploratory talks with the United States Administration on the options for introducing pre-clearance checks on c...
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSuicideDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to implement the National Suicide Prevention Plan; and what further steps he is taking to help tackle suicide rates.
Answer: The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies eight priority groups for targeted and tailored support at a national level. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBank Services: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100755More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of bank closures on access to banking services by vulnerable and elderly people; how many Banking Hubs currently operate in Northern Ireland; and what her target
Answer: Banking is changing, with many customers benefitting from the convenience and flexibility of managing their finances remotely. However, Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to supporting sufficient ...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordTajikistan: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners to ensure the protection of Christians and other religious minorities in Tajikistan.
Answer: The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in Tajikistan and Tunisia. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework f...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordTunisia: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners to ensure the protection of Christians and other religious minorities in Tunisia.
Answer: The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in Tajikistan and Tunisia. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework f...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100752More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53771 on Railways: Finance, what recent progress she has made on the Union Connectivity Development Fund.
Answer: The Union Connectivity Development Fund (UCDF) has provided financial support for a range of transport connectivity projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This includes funding to support four rail feasibility studies in Northern Ireland, the c...
Answered 24 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100751More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact in Northern Ireland of the abolition of VAT exemption for private school fees on the parents of children with special educational needs; and what estimate she has
Answer: The Government conducted thorough and detailed analysis of the impacts of this policy, including in Northern Ireland, and published a Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN) which sets out this analysis. This is a comprehensive assessment of the impacts on...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Energy: Small BusinessesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Great British Energy’s activities on small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ireland since its establishment; what steps his Depa
Answer: Great British Energy (GBE) will operate in Northern Ireland as part of its commitment to deliver in all four nations of the UK. Recognising Northern Ireland’s distinct energy landscape and regulatory framework, GBE will continue to work with the Northern ...
Answered 24 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration: EnforcementHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration enforcement visits relating to visa overstaying were conducted in Northern Ireland in each quarter since July 2024; and what plans she has to increase capacity.
Answer: To maintain the highest standards of accuracy, the Home Office prefers to refer to published data, as this has been subject to rigorous quality assurance under National Statistics protocols prior to publication. Information about enforcement visits in N...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPeople Smuggling: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the scale of people-smuggling facilitation activity with operational links to Northern Ireland since July 2024; and how many disruptions and arrests have been made.
Answer: Through the Border Security Command, we continue to work with all key partners, both across the UK and internationally to disrupt and deter people-smuggling facilitation. Our collective law enforcement powers, sharing intelligence, data, and expertise, an...
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will publish a full list of residential properties leased or controlled by her Department or its contractors in Upper Bann constituency, including occupancy status, duration of vacancy, an
Answer: For the safety, security and wellbeing of staff and those being accommodated, the Home Office does not disclose publicly information about accommodation sites which may or may not be utilised.Information on asylum accommodation is published regularly in t...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to sell her Department's vacant residential properties in Upper Bann constituency.
Answer: The Home Office does not own properties used to accommodate individuals in the asylum system.Accommodation is sourced, managed, and maintained by contracted Service Providers under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC), which set ...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether contractors operating residential accommodation on behalf of her Department in the Upper Bann constituency have exceeded permitted profit margins.
Answer: Profit margins being exceeded are not broken down by specific constituencies.Mears, who manage the Home Office’s asylum accommodation for Northern Ireland and other contracted regions, did exceed their profit margins. The Home Office is in the process of ...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been paid by her Department to contractors for residential properties in the Upper Bann constituency that were unoccupied at the time of payment in each of the last three financial years.
Answer: The Department only makes payments for Dispersed Accommodation properties when they are occupied. Consequently, no payments have been made for unoccupied properties in the Upper Bann constituency during the period in question.
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many residential properties secured by her Department and its contractors in the Upper Bann constituency have been unoccupied for more than (a) three months, (b) six months, and (c) twelve months;
Answer: The Home Office does not publish data on the utilisation of asylum accommodation. We aim to utilise our estate as fully as possible, however, as with all types of accommodation properties may be temporarily vacant for a variety of operational reasons, inc...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAbortionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100518More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to review the scope of statutory protections for healthcare professionals who conscientiously object to participating in abortion procedures.
Answer: There are no plans to review the scope of statutory protections for healthcare professionals who conscientiously object to participating in abortion procedures. In England and Wales the right to refuse to participate in terminations of pregnancy, other th...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAbortionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the 24-week abortion gestational limit in light of recent scientific evidence on foetal pain and advances in neonatal care.
Answer: There are no plans for the Government to review the gestational limits of abortion. It is for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion, including gestational time limits.When the time limit was last reduced in 1990, there wa...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAbortionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100516More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impacts of the decriminalisation of abortion on (a) clinical safeguards, (b) informed consent procedures, (c) access to alternative support
Answer: The House of Commons has voted to add a clause to the Crime and Policing Bill which disapplies the criminal offences related to abortion for a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy. These offences would still apply to medical professionals and thi...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAbortion: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100515More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department issues to abortion providers on informing women of alternative support services and pathways before an abortion is undertaken.
Answer: The Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy, or abortion, in England sets out that women requesting termination of pregnancy must be given impartial, accurate, and evid...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAbortion: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100514More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that women considering abortion are provided with comprehensive information on all available options, including parenting, adoption, and perinatal palliative care.
Answer: In line with the Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy in England, women seeking abortion services must be given impartial, accurate, and evidence-based information s...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Hazardous SubstancesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96316More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans make an assessment of the use of (a) fibrous forms of talc, (b) tremolite and (c) actinolite in products used by the NHS.
Answer: From a medicines perspective, additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.The Medicines ...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: DiagnosisDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94548More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI technologies on early cancer detection.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invests in cancer research via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Department of Health and Social Care via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). UKRI and NIHR support rese...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94547More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients have timely access to innovative cancer medicines.
Answer: In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectivenes...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: Northern IrelandDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94546More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in protecting children in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The Online Safety Act requires services to protect children in the UK from both illegal and age-inappropriate content. These protections are now in force, as of 25 July, children in Northern Ireland should be seeing a tangible difference in their online e...
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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