Caroline Voaden MP: written questions 2024
57 published records · newest first.
Written questions
CourtsMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of case backlogs in (a) criminal and (b) civil courts.
Answer: Criminal CourtsThe Crown Court outstanding caseload remains one of the biggest challenges facing the Criminal Justice System. We have already shown we are committed to bearing down on the caseload and bringing waiting times down.This Government has increa...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordApprenticesDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure people without Maths and English GCSEs can access appropriate apprenticeship schemes.
Answer: The department does not have entry requirements for apprenticeships, but we understand that employers may wish to set their own as apprentices are employees.The department does have specific English and mathematics exit requirements which apprentices must...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPensions: CommonwealthDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to negotiate reciprocal agreements with Commonwealth countries on uprating UK pensions.
Answer: The department has no plans to negotiate reciprocal agreements with Commonwealth countries on uprating UK pensions.
Answered 31 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordProbationMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9898More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2024 to Question 3550 on Probation, what access does the unified Probation Service have to information that was previously held by the Community Rehabilitation Companies; an
Answer: Probation Service practitioners have a complete record of all cases that were managed by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs). National Delius and Offender Assessment System (OASys) records were preserved as the primary case record, as was the positi...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCarbon Capture and Storage: Greenhouse Gas EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for South Devon during the Oral Statement of 7 October 2024 on Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage, Official Report, colum
Answer: The Value for Money assessments already undertaken by the Department follow HMT guidelines in the appraisal of carbon abatement, comparing the emissions of the capture projects with and without CCUS technology. Hydrogen projects seeking support from Gover...
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSewersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9845More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his expected timetable is for implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to deliver standardised sustainable drainage systems in new developments.
Answer: The Government is currently assessing how best to implement its ambitions on sustainable drainage, while also being mindful of the cumulative impact of new regulatory burdens on the development sector.
Answered 23 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSewage: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7138More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Environment Agency guidance entitled Water companies: environmental permits for storm overflows and emergency overflows, published on 13 September 2018, how excep
Answer: The guidance document referred to in the question does not define ‘exceptional circumstances’ for storm overflows. ‘Exceptional circumstances’ were not referenced in either the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive or the regulations which transposed this...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCompanies HouseDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7137More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring Companies House to carry out checks on the validity of companies addresses when they first register.
Answer: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced greater powers to remove false and misappropriated company addresses from the register and more stringent requirements around what constitutes an appropriate address.It will also introduce ...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordFisheries: UK Relations with EUDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7136More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) economic, (b) social and (c) employment factors are taken into consideration in fisheries consultations between the UK and the EU.
Answer: As an independent coastal State the UK engages in annual fisheries consultations with the EU to set fishing opportunities for shared stock. In doing so the UK seeks to balance the fisheries objectives as laid out in the Fisheries Act 2020 in accordance wi...
Answered 9 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAnimal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7135More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to reintroduce the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill; and whether he plans to ban the use of snares.
Answer: The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto, we will bring an end to the use of snare traps. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be s...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordClergy: AbuseHome OfficeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7134More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Church of England on its response to allegations of abuse by clergy.
Answer: Child sexual abuse is a despicable crime and this new government will be taking robust action to safeguard children, provide support and care to victims and survivors and ensure perpetrators face the full force of the law.I have not had any specific engag...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordOffenders: Education and RehabilitationMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7133More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help ensure the (a) rehabilitation and (b) education of offenders who took part in violent disorder during summer 2024.
Answer: This Government is committed to reducing reoffending by giving offenders leaving prison the tools to rehabilitate and move away from crime.Offenders involved in this summer’s violent disorder and given prison sentences will receive an education assessment...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordGambling: AdvertisingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7132More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with Ofcom on further regulating (a) gambling advertising and (b) gambling advertising associated with sports to help prevent (i) children and (ii) vulnerable people
Answer: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent body responsible for regulating advertising in the UK and co-regulates broadcast advertising under contract with Ofcom. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Adv...
Answered 17 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordFlood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7131More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the water industry invests in proven nature-based solutions for natural flood management.
Answer: Defra recognises that nature and catchment-based solutions in the water sector have an important role to play. The strategic policy statement in 2022 set out the governments priorities for Ofwat. This set out that water companies should significantly incr...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordLong Covid and ME/CFS: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4301More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support biomedical research into (a) long covid and (b) myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Answer: The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including long COVID and myalgic encephalomyel...
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordReoffenders: Departmental CoordinationMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has to work with Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to help reduce reoffending by people in the criminal justice system.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice, working with the Department of Health and Social Care, is firmly committed to reducing reoffending by addressing health-related causes of offending behaviour.Where appropriate, we are working to divert offenders with health needs ...
Answered 5 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordReoffendersMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many recalls to prison there were of people on licence in England and Wales in each of the last ten years for which figures are available; and what plans she has to reduce the number of recalls to prison.
Answer: The number of recalls to custody recorded in the ten years from 2013 to 2023 is provided in the table below.Recall YearNumber of Recalls201417,649201521,467201621,559201721,915201824,268201926,503202024,437202122,105202223,571202327,820The table above sho...
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordProbationMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average caseload of probation officers in England and Wales was in each of the last ten years for which figures are available.
Answer: The average caseload of Probation Officers has been calculated using data from the Workload Measurement Tool (WMT) and has been presented for the period July 2021 to June 2024. Data has been restricted to this period because the Probation Service unified ...
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordReoffendersMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the work of the prison and probation services work with (a) smaller organisations that cannot easily compete for commissioned contracts and (b) other third sector o
Answer: I want to acknowledge the valuable work that the third sector does in supporting the work of the Department. Officials meet regularly with the third sector to discuss mutual areas of interest.To provide services that are best value for money, responsive t...
Answered 6 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordReoffendersMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3548More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to help ensure that the probation service works closely with other services critical to reducing reoffending.
Answer: The role of the Probation Service is crucial in protecting the public, turning offenders’ lives around, and providing a path of reintegration into the community to ultimately break the cycle of reoffending. The Probation Service works collaboratively with...
Answered 6 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordProbationMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3547More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the scope will be of her Department's strategic review of probation governance.
Answer: The Probation Service has a crucial role in protecting the public and providing a path of reintegration into the community to break the cycle of reoffending. The Service delivers these goals by working closely with local partners – such as police forces, ...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPrisoners: Per Capita CostsMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3546More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost was of (a) a prison place, (b) the supervision of a person on licence following release from prison and (c) the delivery of a community order by the Probation Service in the latest 12 month
Answer: Information on the average annual cost per prisoner, cost per prison place and overall prison unit cost for each private and public sector prison in England and Wales is published by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) after the end of each...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: LandMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3545More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many licences have been issued for trail hunting on his Department's land in 2024-2025; and whether he plans to revoke any of these licences.
Answer: No licences have yet been issued for trail hunting on the Ministry of Defence Estate for the 2024–2025 season.
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordRoads: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3544More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contractual penalties will be incurred by (a) the A303 Stonehenge tunnel, (b) the A27 bypass project and (c) other major infrastructure projects that have now been cancelled.
Answer: In the case of the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down (Stonehenge Tunnel), although the contracts were awarded, the construction had not commenced. Following the announcement to cancel the project National Highways is working with its contractors to bring ontr...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3543More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of expanding eligibility for the winter fuel payment to include low-income households not in receipt of Pension Credit.
Answer: This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement. Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the Governme...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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