Damian Hinds MP: written questions
547 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Free School Meals: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44431More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she next plans to review the per-meal funding rate for free school meals.
Answer: The department spends over £1.5 billion annually on the provision of free and nutritious meals to 2.1 million of the most disadvantaged school pupils, 90,000 low-income students in further education, and 1.3 million infant pupils. In addition to this, eli...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAfter School Clubs and Breakfast Clubs: EmploymentDepartment for EducationTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43039More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the availability of (a) in-school breakfast and (b) after school clubs on (i) workforce participation and (ii) average hours of work.
Answer: The evidence on the benefits of wraparound childcare to help parents work, and work more, is clear. Research shows 43% of non-working mothers report they would prefer to work if they could arrange good-quality, convenient, reliable and affordable childcar...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: OvercrowdingMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43038More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of capacity made available through Operation Safeguard was used between its inception and July 2024.
Answer: Operation Safeguard is an important contingency measure used to ensure that the current demand on prison places does not cause undue disruption to Criminal Justice System partners. The first places were activated by the previous Government in February 202...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43037More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 36625 on Prison Accommodation, when she expects places to become available through the small house blocks programme.
Answer: As outlined in the recently published 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government is committed to delivering 14,000 prison places the previous Government failed to get built. These places will be delivered through the expansion and refurbishment of ...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison Accommodation: ClosuresMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43036More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the gross number of prison places removed from the prison estate in England and Wales through permanent closures of whole (a) prisons and (b) wings was between (i) 1997 to 2010 and (ii) 2010 to 2024.
Answer: The previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate between 1997 and 2010. However, available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures of these places by category. The annual breakdown of this net change has been pro...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the gross number of prison places added to the prison estate in England and Wales through new builds and extensions to prisons was between (a) 1997 and 2010 and (b) 2010 and 2024.
Answer: The previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate between 1997 and 2010. However, available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures of these places by category. The annual breakdown of this net change has been pro...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: Construction and PlanningMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43034More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison places for the estate in England were (a) under construction and (b) in planning, in (i) new build prisons (ii) prison extensions and small secure houseblocks and (iii) other projects as of May 20
Answer: As outlined in the recently published 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government is committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places through the 20,000 prison place programmes. This Government will deliver what the previous administration...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43033More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 36626 on Prison Accommodation, what breakdown is available of the figure of a net 28,000 places added to the prison estate in England between 1997 and 2010 in t
Answer: The previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate between 1997 and 2010. However, available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures of these places by category. The annual breakdown of this net change has been pro...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43032More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will replicate the data line items included in the ad hoc publication Estimate of the number of prison places built and closed between 2010 and 2024, published on 25 October 2025, for each year from the ea
Answer: The previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate between 1997 and 2010. However, available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures of these places by category. The annual breakdown of this net change has been pro...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPower FailuresDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41405More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the average length of time was in which households were without power due to outage in (a) the (i) Basingstoke & Deane: Oakley and The Candovers, (ii) East Hampshire: Bentworth & Froyle,
Answer: The Department does not hold information on all historic power outages. The UK has one of the most reliable energy systems in the world and maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for Government.
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFree School Meals: Primary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41034More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the annual operating cost for a 30 minute daily breakfast provision for a typical (a) single, (b) two and (c) three form entry primary school.
Answer: As of February 2025, 341 (21%) of primary schools taking part in the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) are in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Around 22% of primary schools in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England were t...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFree School Meals: Primary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41033More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of schools in the pilot for the new free primary breakfast provision are located in the 10% most deprived wards in England.
Answer: As of February 2025, 341 (21%) of primary schools taking part in the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) are in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Around 22% of primary schools in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England were t...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFree School Meals: Primary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41032More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of primary schools with breakfast provision supported under the National School Breakfast Programme are located in the 10% most deprived wards in England.
Answer: As of February 2025, 341 (21%) of primary schools taking part in the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) are in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Around 22% of primary schools in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England were t...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFree School Meals: Primary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41031More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of those primary schools in the 10 per cent most deprived wards in England have breakfast provision supported by the National School Breakfast Programme.
Answer: As of February 2025, 341 (21%) of primary schools taking part in the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) are in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Around 22% of primary schools in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England were t...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38564More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to payroll costs from the Autumn Budget 2024 on self funders in social care.
Answer: Self-funder fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of self-funder fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36626More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the number of prison places removed through (a) prisons closing, (b) parts of prisons being removed from use, (c) loss of modular units, (d) reductions in crowding places and (e) other removals was in each y
Answer: As previously set out in an ad-hoc release in October 2024, the previous Government only managed to increase prison capacity by c.500 places between May 2010 and April 2024.As we have also previously published, the previous Labour Government added nearly ...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36625More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the number of prison places added through (a) prisons opening, (b) small secure houseblocks, (c) rapid deployment cells, (d) crowding places and (e) other additions was in each year from the earliest year fo
Answer: As outlined in the recently published 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government is committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places through the 20,000 prison place programmes, which the previous Government failed to deliver.We are aiming...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36624More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) number of prison places added, (b) number of prison places removed and (c) net change in the number of prison places was in each year from the earliest year for which data are available.
Answer: As previously set out in an ad-hoc release in October 2024, the previous Government only managed to increase prison capacity by c.500 places between May 2010 and April 2024.As we have also previously published, the previous Labour Government added nearly ...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticesDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36060More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the average (a) length of (b) time off the job in apprenticeships in (i) England (ii) Germany.
Answer: The average expected duration of an apprenticeship in England is published in the apprenticeships statistics publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e4c10266-a793-4c29-0de2-08dd5ccbf2...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the remit is of the (a) Information Commissioner's Office and (b) Ofcom for algorithmic recommender systems on social media.
Answer: The Information Commissioner’s Office enforces the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Organisations that process personal data through algorithmic recommender systems are subject to the requirements of the data protect...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast ClubsDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of the schools participating in the new breakfast club pilot previously had no breakfast provision.
Answer: Findings from the ‘School and college voice: February 2024’ report show that 28% of primary school leaders, excluding special schools, said their school does not offer childcare both before and after school. Of those offering childcare both before and aft...
Answered 17 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast Clubs: Primary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary schools run breakfast clubs with a duration of (a) 30, (b) less than 30 and (c) more than 30 minutes.
Answer: Findings from the ‘School and college voice: February 2024’ report show that 28% of primary school leaders, excluding special schools, said their school does not offer childcare both before and after school. Of those offering childcare both before and aft...
Answered 17 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast Clubs: CostsDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to measure the actual costs for the schools participating in the existing National School Breakfast programme.
Answer: The national school breakfast programme (NSBP) is a demand-led programme, established under the previous government. It is a food-only programme which does not include staffing costs. Eligible schools place breakfast food orders with the department’s supp...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast Clubs: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the evidential basis is for her Department's funding allocations to schools for the National School Breakfast programme.
Answer: The national school breakfast programme (NSBP) is a demand-led programme, established under the previous government. It is a food-only programme which does not include staffing costs. Eligible schools place breakfast food orders with the department’s supp...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPupils: AbsenteeismDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment she has made of rates of school absence in academic year 2023-24 in England relative to the other home nations.
Answer: The department does not publish statistics on the other home nations besides England. The rates of school absence on the other home nations have been aggregated from the individual nations’ government websites.
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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