Chris Hinchliff MP: written questions
109 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Chemicals: IndustryDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support the chemical industry.
Answer: The chemicals sector underpins almost all other manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth. It also helps stimulates productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s growth mission. This is reflected by the identifica...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDementia: Diagnosis and Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of early and accurate dementia diagnosis; and if he will commit to an 18-week referral to treatment target for dementia.
Answer: We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis and remain committed to increasing diagnosis rates and ensuring that people can access any licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended treatment and/or support they ne...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Protection: National SecurityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114765More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there is a delay in publishing the global ecosystem assessment.
Answer: The Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security was published on GOV.UK on 20 January. This assessment forms part of routine cross-government resilience planning and aligns with the UK’s National Securi...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRainforests: Food SupplyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114764More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has completed the global ecosystem assessment of the potential impact of tropical rainforest loss on food security and food prices in the UK.
Answer: The Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security was published on GOV.UK on 20 January. The Assessment forms part of wider efforts to strengthen resilience to chronic environmental risks, alongside the N...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBiodiversityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, published by her Department on 20 January, 20
Answer: The Nature security assessment forms part of routine cross-government resilience planning. It complements the UK’s National Security Strategy, National Risk Register and Chronic Risk Analysis. Nature underpins our security, prosperity, and resilience. Cli...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHuntingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113291More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the attendance of terrier handlers at trail hunting events with dogs and tools capable of digging out fox
Answer: This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting, in line with its manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and Defra intends to consult this year on how to deliver a ban.
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPer- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances: ContaminationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112428More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential costs to the Treasury of remediating high-risk PFAS contamination sites where the polluter pays principle cannot be appli
Answer: The Environment Agency has undertaken preliminary appraisal of potential PFAS remediation costs. A 2023 report indicates remediation could be significant at some legacy sites, though actual costs would depend on site specific factors. The polluter pays pr...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPer- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl SubstancesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112427More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential long-term costs to the NHS of the public's exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Answer: The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026, which sets out our approach towards protecting human health and the environment from risks posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. Our approach is science-based and evidenc...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRespiratory Diseases: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's timetable is for finalising the second set of Modern Service Frameworks; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including respiratory conditions.
Answer: Modern service frameworks (MSFs) will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental...
Answered 20 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health: ParentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the anticipated timetable is for the completion and publication of the review into the mental health of parents of children with serious illness.
Answer: The Government will commission a report on the mental health impacts of a child’s terminal diagnosis on their families. This will include a review of the available evidence and cost effectiveness. It will be carried out with reference to the recently anno...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health: ParentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the planned start date is for the review into the mental health of parents of children with serious illness.
Answer: The Government will commission a report on the mental health impacts of a child’s terminal diagnosis on their families. This will include a review of the available evidence and cost effectiveness. It will be carried out with reference to the recently anno...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNature Conservation: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104528More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the Answer of 15 December to Question 97083 on Nature Conservation: Planning, what further external engagement is planned; at what stage in the implementation process
Answer: In preparing Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), Natural England is engaging with a range of stakeholders. The government, and Natural England, will continue to work closely with local authorities, developers, environmental groups and other stakeholders ...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Protection: ProsecutionsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 11 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 906976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute environmental crimes.
Answer: Environmental crimes and prosecutions are generally undertaken by the Environment Agency (EA) as the Environmental Regulator and not by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS does prosecute some particular environmental crimes, for the police's Nati...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Nature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider establishing a duty on all government departments to consider nature recovery in their work.
Answer: Under the Environment Act 2021, the existing duty in s40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 was strengthened. This now requires that all Government departments must consider the action they can take, consistent with the exercise of ...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironmental Delivery PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2025 to question 94312, what a wholly exceptional reason would be.
Answer: Further guidance on how local planning authorities should implement the protections relating to irreplaceable habitats can be found in Planning Practice Guidance on gov.uk here and the footnotes to the National Planning Policy Framework on gov.uk here.
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNature Conservation: Departmental CoordinationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97320More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a cross-government nature strategy, including requiring all departments to have a duty to consider nature.
Answer: Defra plans to publish the Cross Government Nature Strategy (CGNS) in March 2026. Under the Environment Act 2021, the Biodiversity Duty established in s40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 was strengthened. This requires all govern...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBadgers: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2025 to 94315, whether planned changes to the Protection of Badgers Act would permit the killing of badgers solely for development purposes.
Answer: The changes to the Protection of Badgers Act (PoBA) effected by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would permit licences for the purpose of preserving public health or safety or for reasons of overriding public interest, to kill or take badgers, or to i...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNature Conservation: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has discussions planned with nature organisations including the Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trusts and Wildlife and Countryside Link on potential secondary legislation ar
Answer: The government has engaged closely with a range of stakeholders, including nature and conservation groups, throughout the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and looks forward to further external engagement as we implement its various provisio...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCurlews: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97080More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she has plans to implement the RSPB's Action Plan for Curlew published April 2025.
Answer: This Government is committed to recovering our threatened native species, such as curlew, and we welcome the UK Curlew Action Plan which sets out actions which will drive recovery of the species in the UK. Defra officials are carefully considering the Pla...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of whether chalk streams are an irreplaceable habitat.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 94314 on 3 December 2025.
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to add chalk streams to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 94314 on 3 December 2025.
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and Data Centres: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that taxpayer-funded support, including grants and tax reliefs, for AI and data centre funding provides benefits to the public.
Answer: Through AI Growth Zones we are ensuring that local communities benefit by providing £5 million for each AI Growth Zone to support skills and adoption in the area, and by ensuring that local authorities in England keep 100% of all business rates generated ...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and Data CentresDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans the Government has to help ensure that local communities receive long-term economic benefits from new AI and data centre developments.
Answer: TechUK estimate that the gross value added of data centres is currently £4.7bn in the UK. This government encourages data centre developers to consider the local benefits that data centre build can bring, especially in areas with favourable conditions for...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, if she will set out the differences in targets, technological approach, and decarbonisation pathways between the JZS and the CBGDP.
Answer: This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carb...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, what discussions have been had within the Department about the updating or replacing of the Jet Zero Strategy with other policy documents or approaches.
Answer: This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carb...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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